Addition of two teams defies name

Sunday, December 14, 2008 By adding two more teams to the KIT League this off-season, the organization has come to defy its name and resemble more of a Kentucky-Missouri league. Joining the six existing teams from 2008 will be the Sikeston Bulls (Mo.) and West Kentucky Mavericks. The league’s composition consists of five Kentucky teams, two Missouri squads and one from Tennessee. Now with eight teams, the league will divide into East and West Divisions. The Tradewater Pirates will be in the East Division with the Marion Bobcats, Owensboro Oilers and Mavericks. In the West Division will be the Farmington Firebirds, Fulton Railroaders, Union City Greyhounds and Bulls. The Mavericks enter the 2009 season as year-long road team with no home field. Instead, West Kentucky will play their entire schedule at the site of its opponents. The team will be based out of Mayfield though and led by Shawn Yarbrough, who heads the Mid-Continent University baseball team. For the Bulls, the season will be a return to the KIT League. Sikeston played from 2005-2007 and re-enters with new ownership. Pirates head coach Brandon Kitch said there are many advantages to divisional play. “When I was in the Valley League in Virginia we had a North and a South Division and with that it makes it more competitive because you’re playing your own division more than the other side,” he said. In divisional play, East Division teams like the Pirates will play other East teams 10 times and West Division opponents five times for a total of 50 games. At the conclusion of the regular season, the top two teams from each division will battle for a divisional pennant. Then, each division’s winner will match-up to crown a playoff champion. During a Pirates newsletter released Dec. 4, Tradewater general manager Dwight Seymore said the new set-up should create more revenue by reducing the amount of road trips and increasing the number of home contests from 25 to 30. The more competitive atmosphere and inclusion of new teams should also help the KIT create a better brand name. “It’s good for the league because it’s going to draw more fans and the league is going to start getting more well-known around the country, not just in that area,” Kitch said. “The more teams they have, the more publicity they can get.” Kitch added playing any one team too much can lead to familiarity. “If you go out and beat somebody three and four times, then that fifth and sixth time you get lackadaisical, that’s the negative part,” he said. Teams can take advantage of the same aspect and pick up a win to help build confidence during a streak of losing games though, Kitch said. Tradewater and the rest of the KIT League teams will begin the 2009 season on May 29. Notes Not only will the amount of teams in the league expand, so will the roster sizes. KIT League teams will be allowed 24 players, up from 22 in 2008.