St. Marys – It would be a smidge longer than the traditional 90 feet between bases, but if you drew lines from St. Marys to Bermuda to Dubai to Newfoundland and back to St. Marys, you'd wind up with a somewhat skewed but still recognizable baseball diamond. 

Joining those global dots is just what the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame has done in drawing participants to their annual KIDS ON DECK week-long summer camp program.

‘“Tiller-to-McKitterick-to-Lehmann' may not have the same ring to it as 'Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance,’” says Ball Hall president & CEO Tom Valcke, “but it has been a thrill watching these three youngsters from three different corners of the world quickly form a bond which will surely last a lifetime.  Their friendship began between the white lines, as one of the first stations was double-play footwork.  But the next thing you know, they were sitting together at dinner and hanging out together in their free time by the end of the camp's first day.”

David Lehmann (nicknamed "Lime" because his surname is pronounced "lemon") plays in the YAO Little League in Bermuda.  He is a catcher and relief pitcher for a team called the Yankees.  His mom, Brenda, went looking for a quality baseball camp on-line and found KIDS ON DECK at the Hall's website, www.baseballhalloffame.ca

Lime's dad Tom dropped him off on July 1st and will be in Toronto until returning to St. Marys on July 7th to pick up his baseball-passionate son, the day after the camp attends the Blue Jays game at Rogers Centre.

Tyler McKitterick (nicknamed “Ty from Dubai”) plays first base and centre field for the Marlins of the Dubai Little League program.  In a previous visit to Canada, his parents, Terry and Shari, were visiting friends and family in the St. Marys area, and caught wind of the KIDS ON DECK program.

“We were especially impressed by the fact that more than baseball is addressed at this baseball camp - swimming in The Quarry is a perk, we like the ratio of coaches to children, and we appreciate the use of baseball as a medium to break down perceived barriers such as race, religion, gender, border and language among the children” said Shari McKitterick when checking in her son.

Ty from Dubai's parents will holiday in the area during the week and return on Saturday to pick up their new and improved star player.

Stephen Tiller (nicknamed "The Rock" after his home province) plays third base for his Mosquito team in St. John's, Newfoundland.  His parents, Rick and Susan, wanted a holiday but in an area where their baseball-crazy son could hone his skills.

“We looked online for overnight baseball camps in Canada, and the KIDS ON DECK was an easy call because it was the only one we found,” said Susan Tiller.

“We're going to tour the area, catch some theatre at the Stratford Festival, and enjoy a part of Canada that we haven't been to before while Stephen immerses himself in the baseball camp,” the proud mom added.

Last year, the Hall was pleased to receive participants from as far away as Calgary and Massey, Ontario.  With the expansion overseas this year, who knows what lies ahead, especially with an Academy/dormitory on the horizon of the Hall's capital planning.  Right now, the boys and girls sleep in the Lind Sportsplex in their own sleeping bags and pillows on cots provided by the Hall.

In addition to KIDS ON DECK reeling in campers from as far south as Bermuda and as far east as the United Emirates, Valcke will also be delivering information about the program when he visits San Juan, Puerto Rico and Beijing, China on international baseball business next month. 

ST MARYS – 4 July 2007

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