Coming off a two-hit game in the first game of the Minor League Baseball (MiLB) Double A Southern League Championship series against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Bahamian minor league player Bertram 'BJ' Murray finished with a home run and four runs batted in (RBIs), leading his team, the Tennessee Smokies, to a 10-3 victory, on Tuesday. The Smokies swept the championship series two games to none.

It was the Smokies, a Chicago Cubs' affiliate, first outright Southern League title in 45 years. They lost to the Wahoos last season.

Playing on the road at the Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Florida, the third baseman finished the game 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. His only hit of the game came in the top of the third inning with the game tied 1-1. With the count at 2-2, and first and second occupied with Matt Shaw and Andy Weber respectively, the Bahamian sent the ball to the right side of the field and over the fence. That hit put the Smokies up 4-1.

Murray got his fourth RBI of the night three innings later on a sacrifice fly to right field. He brought home Weber. The Smokies went up 7-1 at that point. They scored four runs in that inning and took a 9-1 lead. The Wahoos scored one run in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was not nearly enough as the Smokies completed their revenge.

The winning pitcher was the Smokies' Cade Horton while the losing pitcher was Luis Palacios.

The Smokies won the first game 8-4 on Sunday.

Murray was sensational for the Smokies in the postseason, turning in a batting average of .357. He went 5-for-14 at the plate in four games. He finished with one home run and seven RBIS to go with four runs scored. His on-base percentage (OBP) was .412 and his slugging percentage (SLG) was .643 for an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 1.055.

The Bahamian was featured in 124 games this season and came away with a batting average of .263. It was his first season in Double A and he was able to come away with 74 RBIs and 16 home runs. Murray was able to score 71 runs and had an OBP of .382, and SLG of .462 for an OPS of .844.

The 23-year-old just completed his second full year in the minors and has shown that he is someone to keep an eye on. He is the Cubs' number 18 prospect.

Attorney General Ryan Pinder said yesterday that if all goes as planned, the new online companies register will be fully functional and available by December.

According to Pinder, the company that developed the system has released it with mock data to the Registrar General's Department (RGD), in order for chosen users to test the system and become familiar with its functionality.

"We have hosted workshops for a select group of FCSPs (financial and corporate service providers), so that they can experience the new system and start thinking about how this new functionality can be best utilized in their offices," said Pinder, who was speaking at the Nassau Conference 2023.

"We have solicited their feedback on the new system. We anticipate that this small group of FCSPs will in October pilot the live system, meaning that they will have to interact with the RGD staff and perform new incorporations and new company requests utilizing the system. This is intended to give the RGD staff real-life experience and training before the launch of the online system."

Pinder explained that training for all those in the industry who will be affected by the implementation of the new system will begin in November.

Pinder also explained that migrating data to the new system will be complex, given that there is a large quantity of data that exists in three or more different systems and formats, and not all of those systems have synchronized this data in the past.

"We have begun the migration exercise and it is going well, having already migrated more than 400,000 files," he said.

"We have a full-time data verification team that manually verifies data when needed, and we have retained a consultant to manage the process.

"I am pleased to be able to announce that barring any unforeseen circumstances, we are on track for a full launch of the online portal for current companies the first week in December. This has been a very expensive and time-consuming process, but one that is necessary to supplement and support the innovation that is required in the industry."

In a now familiar message to regional leaders, Prime Minister Philip "Brave" Davis yesterday called for unity, action and urgency to find solutions to climate change.

"Last week, I traveled to New York to take part in the Clinton Global Initiative, a community of doers committed to addressing the most pressing issues of our time," Davis said at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Grenada.

"At that forum, I was pleased to announce a new initiative, The Bahamas Sustainable Investment Programme or BSIP - a three-year economic and investment program that is aligned with our Paris Agreement pledges and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

"If The Bahamas, or indeed the Caribbean, is to succeed, we cannot be passive actors. We must find our own solutions. With this program, we are spearheading our own climate financing solution, and we invite the region, and the world, to partner with us.

"Much like the Bridgetown Initiative, this is about more than just expanding access to funding, it's about developing a practical pathway to climate justice and global equity.

"It goes without saying that the present international financial process is unsustainable. I would go as far as to call it egregious.

"As SIDS, we are grappling with colossal impacts of a climate crisis we did not precipitate. We are shouldering disproportionate debt burdens. In some cases, such as in The Bahamas, climate change-related debt amounts to over half of total GDP.

"This is not only an enormous figure, it is an unjust figure."

Last week, Davis announced a new financing facility, The Bahamas Sustainable Investment Programme, to help tackle the fight against climate change.

The program, designed by Resilience Capital Ventures, utilizes three components: The Bahamas Sustainable Investment Strategy, The Bahamas Sustainable Investment Facility, and The Bahamas Sustainable Investment Infrastructure.

Yesterday, Davis called on small island developing states to speak as one.

"We may operate in different geopolitical contexts, but we all lie in the same hurricane alley, we all rely, to a certain extent, on the tourist economy, and we all share common strands of a beautiful island culture under threat," he said.

"Let us use this occasion to marry our voices, to make ourselves heard."

Dear Editor,

I was shocked to learn of what I consider to be the most untimely death of Hon. Obediah Hercules Wilchombe, the MP for West End and Bimini.

Obie, as he was affectionally universally known, was the consummate politician and servant of the people of The Bahamas.

As a very energetic individual, he was a prime example of what the ideal politician should be for his constituents. He served well and will be solely missed.

Obie was a personal friend and benefactor. He was also a household name in The Bahamas for many years as a broadcaster and noted journalist with the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas and was instrumental in the development of professionalism within and beyond the craft.

Later, he ventured into politics as an acolyte of the late Sir Lynden Oscar Pindling, our first prime minister.

He excelled and was appointed to several Cabinet positions, including minister of tourism (2002-2007 and 2012-2017).

In that capacity, he did yeoman's service for and on behalf of The Bahamas and her grateful people. His political shoes will be big ones to fill.

While I am aware of the nature of politics here in our wonderful nation, I am somewhat taken aback by the premature jockeying by aspirants to the West End and Bimini constituency.

The least that they all should do is to allow Obie to be properly laid to rest and an appropriate national period of mourning observed.

As a lifelong member of the iconic Progressive Liberal Party, Obie was always ready to serve in whatever capacity in which he was deemed useful by consecutive leaders.

With the return of the PLP to high office in 2021, Obie was selected and appointed to the critical post of minister of social services and urban renewal.

He was also appointed leader of government business in the House of Assembly where he, again, served with distinction.

We tend to measure people in a bubble and consign them to cubicles as we see fit.

Well, in Obie's case, that does not matter any more. He did what he had to do while devoting a life of service to all Bahamians regardless of party politics.

On behalf of my immediate family, especially my beloved daughter, Jasmine, who was privileged to intern within his ministry last year, I extend our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the survivors and friends of the late Obediah Hercules Wilchombe.

May his soul rest in peace.

Well done, thy good and faithful servant.

— Ortland H. Bodie, Jr.

The post The measure of a man  appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

The post The measure of a man  appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.