MenB次元官网网址檚 baseball action is heating up in the Alberni Valley as the Port Alberni Cubs get set to host the national 55+ championships over the B.C. Day long weekend.

The CubsB次元官网网址� 57+ and 60+ teams have been B次元官网网址渇ine-tuningB次元官网网址� their games by playing teams all around Vancouver Island as they prepare Port Alberni ball fields to host teams from across the country. They were in Chemainus last weekend to play a doubleheader against East Vancouver Island Baseball League (EVIBL) teams.

The Cubs placed second at the 55+ national championships in Halifax last summer. They applied to host the championships this year in two age divisions.

Members of the Cubs play in a Port Alberni menB次元官网网址檚 league and are spread out among four teams. Kelly McGiffin, who runs the program, notes the team runs with a catchy motto: B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 stop playing when you get old, you get old when you stop playing.B次元官网网址�

Port Alberni Cubs players were at Rec Park on Wednesday, July 19 measuring the lines from home plate to the outfield in order to place the foul poles and paint the foul lines.

Lon Miles Park at Klitsa Fields has been closed for play as City of Port AlberniB次元官网网址檚 Parks, Recreation and Heritage staff members renovate the field.

B次元官网网址淭his is a reintroducing of baseball to (Rec) Park,B次元官网网址� said McGiffin. B次元官网网址淭he parkB次元官网网址檚 got lots of history to it.B次元官网网址�

The last baseball game to be played at Rec Park occurred in 1960. After that it was reconfigured for fastball and softball. Many of the Port Alberni CubsB次元官网网址� membersB次元官网网址攚ho are hosting the National Old Timers MenB次元官网网址檚 Baseball championships Aug. 4B次元官网网址�6B次元官网网址攑layed fastball at Rec Park, and the new iteration of the Cubs were named as an homage to the team that played under the same name in the 1950s.

B次元官网网址淢any of our fathers played for that team,B次元官网网址� McGiffin said.

B次元官网网址淭he coolest thing about this park is thisB次元官网网址攖he stadium,B次元官网网址� player and nationals organizer Dan Goddard said. He pointed to the wooden stands that surround home plate and run up the first and third base lines toward the team dugouts. The original high-backed bleachers are still in fairly good shape too.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 so much good history here for so many of us,B次元官网网址� Goddard added.

On Friday, July 21 the first baseball game was held at the park in 63 years: the Port Alberni MenB次元官网网址檚 League Blue Jays defeated the Angels 4B次元官网网址�2 in a six-inning contest.

The Port Alberni Cubs will play a pre-Canadian championship game between the Cub 57B次元官网网址檚 and Cub 60B次元官网网址檚 on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. at Rec Park. The national championship starts three days later on Friday, Aug. 4 with games at both Rec Park and Lon Miles Park in Port Alberni.

B次元官网网址� With files from Don Bodger, Chemainus Valley Courier