The Muskoka Hornets held its house league opener on May 18 in Huntsville at McCulley Robertson Diamond Complex on a beautiful Saturday of the long weekend. This year the Hornets boast record house league enrollment with over 285 kids registered ranging in age from 3-16 years old. In addition, the Hornets have 7 travel teams made up of 85 players competing in the York Simcoe Baseball Association. All in, Hornets enrollment reached a record 370 players for 2024.
Over the past couple years, the Muskoka Hornets expanded its house league program from the traditional once per week game model on Wednesday evenings to add practices each Sunday night for ages 9 and up, according to its President Peter Haynes. “This additional practice time has attracted great attendance and contributed to an overall improvement in the quality of play and interest level in our program,” commented Haynes on the reasons behind increased interest in baseball in Muskoka. In fact, the Hornets will likely be required to play games on Sunday nights to accommodate its ever-growing enrollment.
For local fans of the great pastime of baseball, we encourage you to look at our website at hornetsbaseball.ca or follow us on social media to see about upcoming events and game schedules. This summer, the Hornets will host Muskoka Cup tournaments across 6 divisions totaling 64 teams. In addition, the Hornets will host the 9U provincial qualifier for the YSBA in August as well as the 11U B provincials on Labour Day weekend.
Finally, for the second year in a row, one of our house league divisions will interlock with Orillia. This year, our 15U division will play regular season games against Orillia’s house league teams and at the end of August will compete for the coveted Twinkletoes Cup, named after Huntsville’s own New York Yankees baseball legend George Selkirk. Orillia’s 13U group wrestled the trophy from Huntsville in 2023, and we want it back in the hands of its rightful owner this year.
About the Hornets
The Muskoka Hornets Baseball Association formed in 2009 as a program for kids in the Muskoka Region interested in playing competitive baseball. In 2024, the Hornets will field seven competitive travel teams at 9U select, 11U A, 13U A (two teams), 14U AA, 15U A and 18U A. In 2013, the Hornets took over day-to-day management of the Huntsville Minor Baseball Association when the program had only 50 paid participants. This year, the Hornets house league will boast a record of over 285 players to register in its house league program. For further information, please contact Peter Haynes, President of the Muskoka Hornets, at 416-818-3036.
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“Huntsville’s own New York baseball legend George Selkirk.”
I know he was born here in Huntsville but that’s as much Huntsville as there was in George Selkirk. He and his family were gone when he was about 2 years old. Hadn’t found a glove to fit him yet. They may not sport the cache of a pro from the USA, but we had lots of local players for young people to look up to.
But for all the aspiring young players on our local diamonds, just remember; when you drag a bunt up the third baseline, sacrificing yourself but putting the winning run on third, George Selkirk never did that in Huntsville.
When you drive a worm-burner just out reach of the first baseman and finish standing safe on first, George Selkirk never did that in Huntsville.
When you deliver a safe hit that freezes the basemen and drops just out of reach of either the shortstop or right fielder, that’s something that George Selkirk never did in Huntsville.
When you take a cut at a ball that of a sudden fades down to the left and out of the strike-zone, remember George Selkirk never had to face a pitcher like that in Huntsville.
I haven’t found anything that reports that George Selkirk ever returned to Huntsville.
I can understand how some may feel it’s important to have heroes, someone to refer to when the “I can remembers…” start. I can remember the “Newf” and “Froggie” and lots of others. Watched them play and even took my cuts at pitches delivered by “Stan the Man” and Bob. Have even showed up to watch the ladies play. Hell! There’s lots of local heroes.
No one every saw George Selkirk bang his cleats clean and step into the box on a diamond in Huntsville. Just an opinion.