Commissioner’s Comments on 2019 Game Schedule
The 2019 game schedule has been drawn and that is the first step in preparation for the 2019 Greenville Little Leagues season. I have been writing about the schedule for several years and I know at least some people read what is written about the schedule. Typically I write about the schedule the night it is drawn but with our new sponsor coming in (C & C Stoneworks in place of Sylvan Learning Center) I thought it would be best to wait until that was finalized before writing about the schedule. Well…here goes.
The first thing everybody looks to is the Opening Night matchup. This year’s is aesthetically pleasing in the sense that both teams have totally different uniform color packages and I myself prefer a nice contrast in jersey tops. The black of RE/MAX and the kelly green of Ross Orthodontics will look good on what we hope is a beautiful Opening Night. This will be the second consecutive year the defending City Champion has gotten the nod to play on Opening Night (last year PE played Opening Night).
Taking a glance at some of the Opening Day matchups there are a few of interest. One does not have to wait long to see the 2019 version of the “Cola Wars” as Coke and Pepsi square off in a late morning start on the VFW Field. The “Reciprocal Game” between Physicians East and Eastern Plumbing will be played on the Kiwanis Field that day. Those two teams met on Opening Night at Elm Street in 2018 making it two straight years PE and EP have faced each other in an opener. C & C Stoneworks will make their debut on Saturday afternoon at Elm Street as they face an up and coming BB&T squad. The Columbia blue of C & C against the maroon tops of BB&T should provide a game that is easy on the eyes. Lions and Jarman will finish out the day with a nice looking purple vs. orange game at Elm Street.
The Saturday matinees on the second Saturday of the season will see Ross play Pepsi and Overton’s go up against RE/MAX.
We have to wait until the last interleague game of the season for our City Championship rematch as RE/MAX and Optimist will play on a Tuesday in late April at Elm Street.
May 1 will be the only day of our season that will have a mix of interleague and league play. Ross Orthodontics and Coke will play that Wednesday on the VFW Field while Elm Street and Kiwanis will be hosting the last two interleague games of the season. The Tar Heel openers will be on May 2 as Jarman faces RE/MAX (in a rematch of their epic battle in the Tar Heel Championship game last season) and Brown & Wood takes on Carolina Windows & Doors.
Our teams that get the pink bases and pink foul lines at Elm Street will be Brown & Wood and Jarman, Carolina Windows & Doors and Eastern Plumbing, Optimist and Overton’s, and BB&T and EC Auto. These games will be played the weekend of Mother’s Day as we conclude our Cancer Awareness Week to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network of Eastern North Carolina.
The Tar Heel League takes center stage on Luncheon-Supper Day in 2019. The 6:00 game will be a battle between EC Auto and Carolina Windows & Doors while the night cap will be an encounter between while Jarman will play Pepsi in the early game that day.
Memorial Day matchups feature Coca Cola and C & C Stoneworks in the late morning game and Optimist and Physicians East in the early afternoon game. BB&T plays Brown & Wood at 4 and Eastern Plumbing and RE/MAX will round out the day at 6:00
Same color matchups in interleague play are as follows:
4/16 – Kiwanis vs. RE/MAX at VFW (black vs. black)
4/23 – EC Auto vs. Ross at Kiwanis (Kelly vs. Kelly)
4/29- Brown & Wood vs. C & C Stoneworks at Elm Street (Columbia blue vs. Columbia blue)
Same color league matchups are as follows;
5/22 and 6/6 – Overton’s vs. PE at Elm Street (navy vs. navy)
5/6 at Elm Street and 5/21 Pepsi vs. Eastern Plumbing (mother’s laundry nightmare game) at Kiwanis (white vs. white)
Overall there are 39 games scheduled to be played at both the Kiwanis and VFW Fields and 98 games scheduled for Elm Street. With preseason “Challenge” games, Minor League games, Greenie League games, make up games, and post season all star games Elm Street is likely to once again eclipse the 200 game mark for a season.
---Brian Weingartz