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The North County Kraken and Housatonic River Monsters compete in last summer's 20-year-old championship series of the Berkshire Adult Baseball League.

Berkshire Adult Baseball League Welcomes Players for 13th Season

By Leland BarnesiBerkshires.com Sports
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. –  As it enters its 13th season, the Berkshire Adult Baseball League has a new commissioner.
 
Jared Martin takes over the reins this spring from BABL founder Lou Orazio.
 
The league, which has games mostly on Sunday mornings with some weeknights throughout the season, runs from early May through mid-August in two divisions, the 20-and-over Division and the 33-and-over Division.
 
“The 20+ year old division is full of mostly competitive players, while the 33+ year old division is a more fun environment and less on the competitive side of things,” Martin said.
 
As of late March, the league has 13 teams lined up for the 2024 season.
 
20-and-over: Berkshire Bandits, Berkshire Devils, G.B.Millers, Greylock Mountaineers, Housatonic River Monsters, North County Kraken and Pittsfield Knights.
 
33-and-over: Berkshire Thunder, Dalton Moneymakers, Greenridge Gremlins, Pittsfield Pirates, Pontoosuc Lake Monsters and Tunnel City Freight.
 
But the league has room for more players.
 
“We are looking for anyone of any skill level, from Minor League players to former high school players, to anyone who wants to play baseball competitively,” Orazio said.
 
Orazio is currently looking for scorekeepers for their games, the only requirement to keep score is having experience with baseball scorebooks. Anyone interested should contact Martin for more details.
 
“The times for the games are 10 a.m. on every Sunday morning, and occasionally on Wednesday evening,” Orazio said.
 
The games are all officiated by the certified umps from the Berkshire County Baseball Umpires Association.
 
If you would like to be a part of this league feel free to contact Lou Orazio at orazl@aol.com or through the league’s website.
 
The league currently has 215 players.
 
“People wanting to play in the league should know that (BABL) is a non-profit organization, therefore meaning we do not pay you to play, you have to pay to play,” Martin said.
 
Orazio said he has a lot of hope and trust in Martin running BABL for the future and cannot wait to see how much BABL will develop in the coming years.
 
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Pittsfield Resident Victim of Alleged Murder in Greenfield

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A man found dismembered in a barrel in Greenfield on Monday has been identified as Pittsfield resident.
 
The Northwestern District Attorney's Office identified victim as Christopher Hairston, 35, and subsequently arrested a suspect, Taaniel Herberger-Brown, 42, at Albany (N.Y.) International Airport on Tuesday.
 
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported that Herberger-Brown told investigators he planned on visiting his mother outside the country. 
 
Herberger-Brown was detained overnight, and the State Police obtained an arrest warrant on a single count of murder on Tuesday morning, the Greenfield Police Department said in a press release.
 
According to a report written by State Police Trooper Blakeley Pottinger, the body was discovered after Greenfield police received reports of a foul odor emitting from the apartment along with a black hatchet to the left of the barrel, the Greenfield Recorder reported. 
 
Investigators discovered Hairston's hand and part of a human torso at Herberger-Brown’s former apartment, located at 92 Chapman St, the news outlet said. 
 
According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Herberger-Brown originally told investigators that he had not been to the apartment in months because he had been in and out of hospitals. 
 
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