Peter John Bethel

PaBs Bethel

A 6ft 8ins Short Stopman turned First Basebaman

Born November 16 1950, Peter was the last child of Mr. & Mrs Standley & Emma Bethel Sr; as a young man growing up on Wulff Road and Darlings Lane he had access to Southern Prep School yard where him and the young boys in the area played Cricket, Softball and Baseball as kids where he had a lot to do with organizing the Prep School Boys as they were called who later went on to play senior league baseball. Peter started playing in the Bahamas Baseball Association in 1968 when he played short stop with St. Bernards Junior League Team, in 1969 he jumped to Senior League where he played for Mary Carter team where he made the All Star in his rookie season at short stop. in 1969 he was a member of the BBA history making World Baseball Congress team which saw the Bahamas winning three games behind the outstanding pitching performances of Frankie Cinderella Sweeting, Peter played third base that year for the team in Wichita Kansas. After returning home from University in 1973 Peter joined the Del Jane Saints and from 1974 to 1983 the team he played with changed its name three times, 1974 and 1975 Del Jane Saints, 1976 to 1978 The Holsten Knights, and from 1979 to 1983 St. Pauli Girl Barons. They Won Nine Pennants, seven League Championships and Seven National Championships. when Peter came back home to play he was moved to first base where he was very comfortable and was recognized as one the best first basemans in the Bahamas. In 1969 Peter John Bethel left to attend the University of Nebraska the Cornhuskers in Lincoln Nebraska to study Medicine to be come Dr. Bethel, he also had plans to come home during the summer to travel with the Bahamas National Baseball Congress Tournament team, that travel to Wichita Kansas.

Peter John Bethel died July 23 2000 he was 51 years old. an avid sports man he played almost every sports being played in the Bahamas, but his love was for the sport of baseball, entering into the political area in 1981 for the governing party, Peter carried that same sport man attitude into government, he was defeated in the 1987 elections but his party still won the government and Peter John Bethel was named Leader of Government Business in the Senate, and also named to the Cabinet of the Bahamas in charge of the Minister of Youth Sports & Community Affairs, he returned back to the House of Assembly in 1991 after a bye election in the Englerston constituency, he retired from front line politic in 1997. Peter J. Bethel was the brain child behind the Bahamas Games the Bahamas Olympics, which saw every Island in the Bahamas Competing against each other for the Gold, 2001 was the last Bahamas Games. as we in the sporting community awaits its returned, Thank You Peter John Bethel, we called him PaBs.