Baseball, softball can still coexist in peace

Moyahabo Mabeba

LIMPOPO – When softball was still the colossal empire that put the Seshego township on the provincial sports map, the emperors came from Cannons and the castle was later broadened by the Raiders.

When this sporting empire fell to pieces, like great nations in Europe, the sporting kingdom was systematically replaced by a new phenomenon called the Seshego Baseball Club.

The baseball team is currently in full swing and is making significant strides with regular matches played at the Seshego softball diamonds in Zone 1.

With softball now in danger of extinction, baseball in the township is determined to score through the legacy created by softball between the mid-1980s and the early days of the millennium. Although softball’s traditionalists may be in denial that their sport is now on the list of endangered species, baseball has invaded their territory in a startling manner in which they never imagined.

Apart from the floor crossing trend among softball players, the local ballpark is now a baseball facility.

Some of the local big names, including Raiders captain Mpho Hard Body Mahapa, now worship at the altar of the baseball diamond.

Mahapa has confirmed that: “With no action in softball these days, we are keeping ourselves busy with baseball activities. We regularly play our matches on weekends like we used to do with softball. The plan is to play both baseball and softball in different seasons. We have seen this trend flourishing in other provinces. It will be fun playing two sporting codes which are almost identical in one sports calendar year.”

Explaining the naming of the baseball club after the largest township in the province, Mahapa said: “We have decided to endorse an inclusive name for the team so that it can accommodate everyone in the municipality, more so because there are players who are from Mmotong Lions, Red Scorpions and Naledi Spiders. When they heard that we have formed a baseball team in Seshego, many came to be part of this revolution. I must state categorically though, that we did not turn our backs on softball entirely.

“All baseball players in the province are the great and respected sportsmen we are today because of the leeway and mileage softball gave us. It will be disingenuous of us to pretend softball never existed. We wish it could be revived soon so we can forge a lasting relationship, this should be the general consensus at this point.”