World Series begins next week

MOSES LAKE — With the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series baseball tournament a little more than a week away, the Babe Ruth World Series Task Force assembled Wednesday night to discuss planning.

The tournament is scheduled to begin next weekend and members of the task force discussed event scheduling, marketing and volunteer options for the tournament.

The first pitch for the world series is scheduled to be thrown Aug. 15 by former Mariners pitcher Norm Charlton and tournament co-Director and World Series Task Force Chairman Randy Boruff said the event is right around the corner.

“We are getting close,” he said. “All of the teams have qualified.”

Tournament participants will begin arriving Aug. 13 and housing co-Director Eileen Martinez said there will be a mandatory host-family meeting next week at Larson Playfield. The meeting is scheduled to begin Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.

The scheduled host-family meeting will help host parents understand rules and regulations for housing tournament participants during the Babe Ruth World Series.

While all incoming tournament participants have been housed, the task force still needs to secure tournament volunteers, Boruff said.

“If anyone is interested in volunteering we will find a place to put them,” he said.

Each of the participating world series teams have qualified for the tournament. The first game is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Aug. 15.

The Babe Ruth World Series hosts, the Columbia Basin River Dogs, are scheduled to take the field for the first time Aug. 15 at 8 p.m. Before the River Dogs opening game, members of the 1998 Babe Ruth World Series championship team will be honored with former River Dog B.J. Garbe throwing out the first pitch.

Tickets for the 2009 Babe Ruth World Series are currently available in Moses Lake at the Columbia Basin Herald office, the Moses Lake Parks and Recreation Department, and the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.