St. John's, NL - Pride at the park
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Pride at the park
Kenn Oliver
Published on May 28, 2016
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Published on May 27, 2016
The Kelly's Pub Bulldogs Shane Boland connects on a pitch from the NTV Hitmen's Robbie Green during Game 5 of their best-of-seven Molson St. John's Senior Men's Softball League final at Lions Park last September. The league's 60th season opens Sunday with two games on tap. The St. John's intermediate circuit opens its 12th season on Monday.
Telegram file
St. John's senior league opens 60th season on the heels of incredible season for Newfoundland ball players
Following a banner year for Newfoundland softball, there's a lot of pride around the sport these days.
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Over the course of a few months in 2015, five Newfoundland players helped Team Canada to gold at the world championship in Saskatchewan and Pan American Games in Toronto, a record 18 players were recruited to join International Softball Congress (ISC) teams at the world tournament, and another handful competed in the Amateur Softball Association tournament. The season was capped with the Galway Hitmen nabbing a fourth straight national title.
And it all started in the five-team Molson St. John's Senior Softball League, which kicks off its 60th season Sunday at Lions Park.
"When you go to other places around Canada, whether it's a softball hub like Kitchener or at the ISCs in South Bend, Ind., when these teams play against our guys, our guys are considered the ones to watch," says NTV Hitmen coach Mark Dwyer.
"Fans gravitate towards the Newfoundland elite softball players and see them as the big stars of the sport, not just in Canada, but in North America and the world.
"It's a really proud time for the game."
The recognition of the talent level in this province these days is such that the ISC created a new designation for players from this area of the country for travel clubs seeking outside help for the season.
"With the talent now in Newfoundland, it's now called Atlantic Canada, so we're now imports to an Ontario team whereas five years ago we were considered Canada East," explains Hitmen catcher and national team member Ryan Boland.
"The ISC recognized that teams are loading up with Newfoundlanders and making legitimate runs.
"Right now in Canada, it's the hotbed. Newfoundland has got it figured out right now with ball players."
And as far as Dwyer and Boland are concerned, there's no other league in the country than can compare to the St. John's circuit.
"Ontario produces some really great players, there's no doubt about it, but for a pure, five-team league where the talent depth is as strong as ours... there's nobody in Canada that can compete with our league," insists Dwyer.
"It's incredible how we've been so fortunate to have all these guys peaking in their careers at the exact same time."
That depth is evidenced, Dwyer and Boland contend, in the parity that is always on display at Lions Park.
Fans gravitate towards the Newfoundland elite softball players and see them as the big stars of the sport, not just in Canada, but in North America and the world. It's a really proud time for the game.
Mark Dwyer, NTV Hitmen coach
Take Sean Cleary, for instance. The Harbour Main product was Team Canada's ace last summer, dominating opposing batters from softball powerhouses such as New Zealand, Argentina and Australia.
But at home, Cleary, while always a daunting pitcher to stare down, could be made to look almost human by senior league hitters.
"That says so much about the game here, that the best pitcher in Canada can get beat on any given night," says Dwyer.
How long that parity can last is anyone's guess, but Boland is confident that enough is being done at the grass roots level to at least give the league a chance to continue developing elite players who can maintain it while still garnering attention from Softball Canada and the ISC.
"With the junior team playing in senior league, and the development programs that Softball Newfoundland and Labrador put in place for the under-14, U16, U18s and Canada Games, the foundation is definitely built," Boland says, noting that players such as Colin Walsh and Jeremy O'Reilly, both of whom went from minor softball standouts to national team pool players in five years, are prime examples of what can be accomplished.
In a further effort to grow the talent level in both the senior and intermediate league, which opens its 12th season on Monday, a pair of open drafts will take place this season, with the first set for Tuesday night.
The second draft is scheduled for June 28. Interested players can visit nlfastpitch.ca for more information on entering their name in the draft.
Joining the Hitmen in senior league play this year are the Kelly's Pub Molson Bulldogs, Dance Academy Dodgers, The Bigs and Kelly's Pub Junior Canadians.
Sunday's opening day features the Hitmen and The Bigs at 1 p.m., followed by the Junior Canadians and Bulldogs at 3 p.m.
Important dates
St. John's Day Tournament (June 17-19)
Provincial Senior Men's Championship (September 9-11)
koliver@thetelegram.com
Twitter: @telykenn
