Nevada Red Sox postpone games; retire jersey

Saturday, June 5, 2010

NEVADA -- The Nevada Red Sox AA and AAA American legion baseball squads have had the first wrench thrown into the works of the 2010 season.

The AA Red Sox were set to be in action at Lyons Stadium Friday night against Joplin, but that game has been cancelled. Red Sox AAA head coach Jim Rayburn said AA coach Jerrod Alexander has met with Joplin's coaching staff and that contest will likely be played in the first week of July.

The AAA squad was set to face Warrensburg on Monday, June 7 and Harrisonville on June 11, but both of those games were called off as well. Rayburn said the Warrensburg game likely will not be made up, but the Red Sox will now square off against Harrisonville on June 14.

In an event that has been in the works since before the season began, the Red Sox are also set to honor a former player in 2009 Nevada High School graduate Chris Harris in the coming week. Harris, a former Nevada Red Sox and Nevada Tigers catcher, was killed on Dec. 20, 2009, when the 1997 Buick he was driving went off the side of the road, struck a culvert and overturned on Route E west of Milo, Missouri Highway Patrol reports said.

Before the Red Sox take on Cassville on June 12, players and coaches will retire Harris' jersey in a special ceremony set to begin at 10:30 a.m. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a barbecue will be open to the public.

The American Legion has donated a hog and the meal will be free and open to the public, but donations are encouraged. The meal is set to begin as soon as the retirement ceremony concludes at roughly 11-11:15 a.m.

All proceeds from the day's events will go to a scholarship that was set up in Harris' memory. The Chris Harris Scholarship Fund is currently set aside for a Nevada Red Sox player who has chosen to attend college, but efforts are currently being made to extend eligibility for the scholarship to any Nevada High School graduate.

The 54 Cafe will be sponsoring the gate for that day's contest, so admission to the game that is set to begin at 1 p.m., will be free to the public.

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