BAHAMAS Baseball Association president Clarence “CJ” McKenzie had nothing but fond memories of his deceased father Selwyn “Pinny” McKenzie Sr.

McKenzie Sr passed away quietly on Thursday at his home, just shy of his 66th birthday, which would have been celebrated on Sunday. He was a dialysis patient for several years but there has been no confirmed cause of death yet, according to McKenzie Jr.

“He experienced difficulty breathing and took his last breath in his wife’s arms,” said CJ McKenzie of his father, who was a shop steward and a union executive, serving as the vice president for the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union over a decade ago before he retired before the pandemic.

He is survived by his wife Rosalie McKenzie and his children, Clarence McKenzie, Selwyn McKenzie Jr, SeDale McKenzie, Serissa Bodie, Seltina McKenzie, Stefanel Taylor, Janae Ferguson and Rashard Ritchie.

CJ McKenzie remembers how his father introduced him to the game of baseball and softball where he was one of the most feared local players. 

“I remember going with him to the government ground many weekends to be a bat boy for his teams in the hotel league and old timers league,” CJ McKenzie said. 

“It was an enjoyable experience for me being a part of the team and watching him hit countless home runs over the years.”

As a lefty, CJ McKenzie said his father was a dominating pitcher on the mound in the starting rotation for the Spotless Cleaners.

“His love for the sport of baseball was passed down to me from a young age and is still with me up to this day,” he said. “His inspiration gave me the passion to succeed as a player, coach and administrator as high as I can make it.

“He was always the life and heart of the teams he played on. Usually, acting as the captain, he believed in practicing hard to get winning results in the game. He was big on fellowship after games.”

While he had developed his own niché on the local scene, McKenzie Sr was passionate about the professional teams he followed, including the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball, the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League and the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association.

Additionally, when he started the Ultimate Champion Sports Academy, CJ McKenzie said his father spent countless hours observing practices as he supported his sons. 

“I was indeed happy that he got to travel with us last month to Dallas, Texas, where he witnessed first hand the success of all of our teams, including our 11-year-old team that won the world series,” CJ McKenzie summed up.