Stolen base: Sydney & District Little League shocked storage shed full of equipment stolen
A storage shed at McCormick Field in Sydney was once filled with baseball equipment.
It now sits empty, after someone broke the lock and took gear belonging to the community's Little League baseball association.
"Yesterday afternoon, me and my son stopped down to do a little check on our equipment, as we are getting our season going and as we came around the corner unfortunately the door had been removed and every single piece of equipment taken," says Scott Lecky, who is a volunteer coach with Sydney & District Little League. "Everything from the hooks the equipment was hanging on is gone."
The past year-and-a-half has been filled with uncertainty for baseball players; with pandemic restrictions in place it's been hard to play the game.
Now, as restrictions are starting to ease, Lecky says the kids were looking forward to getting back on the diamond.
"We have some pretty rag-tag gear, but we get it together for the kids and we work on it every year and make sure we have gear," says Lecky. "To come around the corner and see it all gone was just like someone sucker punched me."
Ken Bradley is the Atlantic Regional Director for Little League Canada.
"It's been very rough, and Sydney wanted to charter a challenger division this year," says Bradley.
Bradley says support for the Sydney Association has been pouring in from across the country, including a GoFundMe page to help cover costs.
"When it comes right down to it, we're a baseball community and we may be enemies on the field, but we just can't get enough help," says Bradley.
Lecky says he's unable to put on price tag on the stolen equipment, but he says it's in the thousands of dollars. He says thanks to community support the association will be able to begin their season tonight.
"It's eight year olds' baseball gear, ten year olds' baseball gear. It's not like it's something they can sell to make money with," says Lecky. "It was old jerseys, bases, a chalker. Its stuff that has no monetary value to anybody else, but it's invaluable to us."
Cape Breton Regional Police are investigating and are asking anyone with information to contact them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.