INNISFAIL – The ninth annual Dallas Yarbrough Memorial Baseball Tournament was another success, with two Innisfail alumni teams sharing the top spot this year.
“We were scheduled to play the Palliser Blazers in the final but because it was rained out we split the championship,” said Ray Bergeron, coach of the Innisfail Indians alumni team.
The Palliser Blazers, a new Innisfail alumni team, took part in its first Dallas Yarbrough tourney this year. They joined two other baseball teams, the Red Deer Padres and the Clive Legends in the 30 and over men’s baseball tournament.
A separate 20-team slo-pitch tournament on the same weekend was run by the Innisfail Merchants.
The three-day event was held June 8 to 10 in Innisfail and is held every year in memory of a former Innisfail Indians alumni Dallas Yarbrough.
“Dallas played for the Innisfail Indians. He was a friend of ours and he passed away at a young age,” said Bergeron. “This tournament is really special to me and for a lot of the guys who played with Dallas in the past.
“That’s why as we get a little older, it’s still important for us to come out and do this,” he added.
“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also about remembering our friend Dallas.”
Despite a bit of rain Saturday and more on Sunday, it didn’t dampen players spirits, as both baseball and slo-pitch games continued.
The Innisfail Indians alumni team were scheduled to play the Innisfail Palliser Blazers in the final and finished the tournament with a 2-1 record, after winning game three 7-5 Saturday morning against the Clive Legends.
“Most of the guys that are out here today, especially with the four teams that are here, all know each other. We’ve either played with each other or against each other for 15 to 20 years,” said Bergeron.
Ryan Handley from Airdrie was with the Innisfail Indians alumni team and has been part of the annual event for six years.
“Ray puts on a pretty good tournament,” said Handley. “A lot of us aren’t from the same city and we’ve played together in the past so we get to come out and play some ball together.
“We’re here to support the tournament,” Handley concluded.
