Qaanaaq, Greenland. October 1, 2006.
The commissioner of the Continental League and the Prime Minister of Greenland have come together today to announce the formation of the Greenland Winter Ice Baseball League.
Since the Continental League was formed in 1988 and became a third major league its players have had few opportunities to keep their skills honed throughout the long winter months. Greenland, locked in an ice-encrusted 24-hour darkness throughout the winter was bereft of entertainment opportunities. The CBL and Greenland have become an unlikely, but perversely logical, partnership to solve their disparate needs.
While baseball has rarely been played on ice-covered fields lit by the combination of the aurora borealis and arc lights, it is believed that tens, or even dozens of baseball mad Inuit and other Greenlanders will flock to the ballparks that will be carved and plowed into the landscape in a half-dozen communities. No doubt the -20 degree temperatures and 30 knot winds common throughout the area will prove challenging for players and fans alike, but Greenlanders are a hardy bunch.
The rules will be similar to typical pro baseball, although the equipment and playing conditions may differ quite radically. Traditional ballcaps and jerseys will be repaced with knit and fur hats, and trim, athletic parkas. Gloves will be newly designed specifically for protection from the elements as much as the ball. The playing fields will be the same dimensions as everyone is accustomed to, but will be built on frozen lakes, rivers, or ponds. The infield will be mostly a skin of relatively bare ice, but the outfields will often be covered with several inches of snow. Crampons will often be worn instead of normal cleats. Error rates may be high, long hits may be in short supply, and pitchers may take weeks to warm up, but the excitement of the action will surely keep spectators on the edge of their bitterly cold metal bleachers.
Players from far and wide will be welcomed into the league. No strict limits on foreign born talent will be imposed on the teams, and they've been encouraged to look around the globe to attract the best and brightest players willing to take on a challenging and fun off-season job. Among the first players signed was former Baltimore Oriole and Kansas City Royal
Chris Fussell. "This is a unique opportunity to get my career back on track" said Fussell. "I've never been to Greenland, and, frankly, some of the conditions up there scare the ever-living bajeezus out of me. But they were willing to write me a check for $1000 so I'm willing to do most anything."
Franchises have been awarded to the following communities (nicknames, if already chosen, in parentheses): Qaanaaq (Tusk), Nuuk (Franchise), Paamiut (Legionaires), Tasiilaq, Nord, and the Canadian outpost of Alert in the Nunavut Territory (Desolation). Most of the cities have plowed their diamonds out of the tundra and ice, and have set up temporary bleachers and toilets to serve the expected crowds.
The first season's opening day will be on November 14th. More details will be fleshed out as the date approaches. Stay tuned.