The competition has nothing on Majors’ facility

More about Mike Aresnault

Hitting it out of the park for a cause

Batter up

The Majors are 7-1, tied for first place in the IBL.

We play three home games this weekend: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Sunday’s game is the Sifton Pack the Park Fundraiser for the Sunshine Foundation. Come out and support it.

Published: June 10, 2011 12:14 a.m.

Last modified: June 10, 2011 12:20 a.m.

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Although I can be easily accused of bias, I wholeheartedly believe that the London Majors play in the best facilities in the IBL. And after travelling to a couple of road games, I don’t think the competition is even close.

Labatt Park itself is a first-rate field and the grandstands make for a tremendous game atmosphere, but it’s the area that the public doesn’t see that I’m most enamoured with: the clubhouse.

When I first stepped through the threshold of the locker room at the start of the season, I felt like I was in Oz, taking a peek behind the curtain at the Wizard. I was shocked at what lay before my eyes.

It looked like an MLB clubhouse.

Each player has their own locker and cubby, with a bold-faced nameplate above each stall.

I’m used to stripping down on the bench or changing in a cramped, foul-smelling public washroom. Having my own space to put my uniform on is a luxury.

The clubhouse is spacious, completely carpeted and kept impeccably clean. There is even a lounge area with couches and recliners to relax and unwind on during the calm before the first-pitch storm.

The majority of the team, with a plethora of professional and U.S.-college experience, is used to such treatment. Conversely, I don’t feel like I deserve such amenities. When I first joined the Majors, I kept looking over my shoulder waiting for someone to tell me to go change outside.

It’s like that old Sesame Street song: One of these things is not like the other …

Nevertheless, having a great clubhouse is one of the many perks of being a Major. It’s also as close as I’ll get to a major league clubhouse without having a restraining order filed against me.

More about Mike Aresnault , Life With the Majors

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