The West Virginia Miners announced today that they will not renew their agreement with the Pittsburgh Keystones of the Central Arizona Stickball League in 2009. Although their debut in the league was considered a success, the Miners have decided that they would like to pursue other opportunities that their team has been presented from other leagues in the United States and other parts of the world. This news came as a surprise to both the Keystones and star player, Doug Sabeh.

The Miners' President had this to say, "Our team has reached a crossroads, and decisions have to be made regarding the organization. We are very thankful for the opportunity to have been part of the Central Arizona Stickball League." He continued by stating, "It is with our deepest regret that we will not be able to continue our relationship with the Pittsburgh Keystones. Thanks to their orgainzation, our team has gotten more exposure which has led to some future opportunities to compete in more recognized and competitive leagues." The Miners' President concluded by saying, "We have the utmost respect for the Pittsburgh Keystones and the Central Arizona Stickball League. We would like to thank everyone in the Central Arizona Stickball League for all that they have done for our organization and we wish the league continued success in the future."

The Keystones Management released the following statement in regards to the Miners decision to move on in 2009. "We would like to thank the Miners, their president and everyone in their organization for allowing us to be a part of their great tradition of playing stickball. We understand that stickball is both a game as well as a business and we have to respect their decision to move on to bigger and better things in the year 2009 and beyond. We would like to wish the Miners' organzation the greatest of luck in the future."

There is one question that comes to mind upon the realization of this news. What will hapen to the Keystones franchise now? They were on the verge of bankruptcy prior to the agreement with the Miners. The affiliation agreement seemed to make things better financially for the Keystones. So without the Miners help in 2009, where do the Keystones go from here? Also, with their star player, Doug Sabeh, on personal leave, do the Keystones have enough to keep from suspending operations this season or next? These are tough questions to answer. It looks like they can expect some rainy days in Pittsburgh this fall and next season. Whatever happens, we know that the Keystones will not be traveling any "Country Roads," and that the Miners will not be digging up any "Keystones" in the near future. It truly is a sad day for these teams and the Central Arizona Stickball League.