Welcome back, Rotary baseball fans. February may not have been the most hospitable month weather-wise in northern Illinois, but what a month for the record books it was for this Rotary World Series of Giving year! We’re 2/3 of the way through the season and now have 17 clubs at the Home Run or better level, including:
- 1 club @ 7 Runs
- 2 clubs @ 2 Runs or better each
- 13 clubs @ 1 Run or better each
- And. . .wait for it. . .1 club with 34 Runs plus an additional Triple
Who would have ever imagined last July that we could see this kind of hitting from the clubs in District 6420!!!
Northeast Division – The Pecatonica club has increased its lead in the NE division once again, with now SEVEN Runs on the board. This hitting performance just goes on inning after inning; great job Pecatonica! Next in line are the Kishwaukee Sunrise and Rockford clubs with a Homer plus a Single each. Hot on their heels are Roscoe-Rockton and Sycamore clubs with a Home each. Loves Park has a Triple, and Belvidere and Rockford CV-East each have a Double. And bringing out its own hitters is DeKalb with its first Single! There are hot divisions, and then there’s the NE division; who knows where it will end up!
Mid-Central Division – The Dixon club has maintained its lead in the MC Division with 2 Runs on the board. Rochelle is right there in the thick of it with a Run plus a Single, and Rock Falls has a Homer as well. Close behind is Twin Cities with a Double, with Sterling less than an inch away from its first Double. Walnut, Byron, and Oregon are in the hunt with a Single each. This division shows no signs of cooling off soon; who’s taking home the Louisville Slugger® from the MC division. . .stay tuned!
South-Central Division – We have a new leader in the SC division for February The Plano club bought out their big hitters, scored a Homer, and are very close to an additional Single. Well done, Plano! Just inches back is the Ottawa Sunrise club which also has its first Run. Nipping at their heels is the LaSalle club with a Triple and closing in on its first Homer as well. The Putnam Country club has a Double, followed by Illinois Valley Sunrise with a Single. Anyone want to bet who the next club will be in this division to bring up their big hitters, keep an eye out for this division!
West-Central Division – For the third straight month, we’ve had a lead change in the WC division, and what a lead change it was. Due to the incredible scoring power of the Princeton club, they’ve put 34 Run plus a Triple on the board! Unbelievable to say the very least; who could have ever predicted this kind of hitting. Next in line is the River Cities club with a Run plus a Triple, closely followed by the Morrison club with a Homer plus an additional Single. The Geneseo club follows closely behind with a Home Run and ever so close to an additional Single. Henry, Streator, and Toluca are on the board with a Single each. This is one of only 2 divisions with all the clubs on the board; well done West-Central clubs!
Western Division – The Rock Island club cranked it up again in February with 2 more Hits bringing the division leading total to 2 Runs plus a Triple. Freeport brought out their big bats during the month hitting a Homer plus a Double. Quad Cities club remains in the thick of it with a Home Run and a Single of its own. Galena and Moline stepped up with now a Triple each, with East Moline Silvis, Mount Carroll, and Twin Rivers clubs right behind with a Single each. The hitting keeps coming in the WC division, where it will end up. . .it’s far too soon to tell!
Generous support of the Rotary Foundation is the key to success for not only our World Series of Giving competition, but ultimately for the long-term success of Rotary itself. The five Louisville Slugger® commemorative bats are but tokens of the appreciation we can share with each other and Rotarians around the world who are similarly committed to Rotary’s success. Now, let’s keep the hitting going as we enter the last 3 innings of this year’s WSOG contest!