Ex-boss rejoins Hallman Twins

June 6, 2007

---

Ex-boss rejoins Hallman Twins

CHRISTINE RIVET

KITCHENER(Jun 6, 2007)

Larry(Hawk) Lynch is coming home. After three seasons away from the club he helpedbuild, the erstwhile Kitchener Hallman Twins boss will rejoin Canada'slongest continuously operated senior men's fastball team this season.

Thereunion comes in time for the International Softball Congress world tournamentto be held for the second straight year in Lynch's adopted hometown of Kitchener and in time forLynch's induction into the ISC hall of fame. Both events will take place inAugust.

Lynch,52, will serve as a bench coach and the third-base coach for the Twins, aworld-class tournament team.

He isexpected to make his first appearance with the club this season on Tuesday whenthe Twins entertain the three-time defending world champs from New Zealand inTavistock for an evening exhibition doubleheader.

Lynch wasfired by the Twins at the end of the 2003 season because of philosophicaldifferences with sponsor Jim Hallman.

Sincethen, Lynch moved on to win his first national championship with the SaskatoonAspen Interiors the next year, organized the Legends of Fastball Classic in Woodstock and served as ateam leader for the national senior men's team.

Heapproached the Twins recently looking for work once he parted company with Saskatoon.

The Twinsunanimously voted in favour of bringing him back.

"Ithink it's wonderful to have Larry back in the Twins uniform," Hallmansaid. "Larry and I have been in contact many times over the past number ofyears. We remain very good ball friends."

Hallmansaid their past differences over how the team was built and run shouldn't be aproblem this time around.

"Wehave a different team (now) and a different structure. Larry's part will bedifferent than it was. In the past, Larry took too much on himself. Now, wehave coaches and managers," Hallman said.

"Itwas never an issue with Larry's ball knowledge or his loyalty, his on-fieldexpertise and his skill in handling the players."

Veterancatcher Dave Bailey said he's thrilled Lynch has returned to the Twins, the41-year-old ball club Lynch ran for 16 years.

"It'sa happy-ending type of story," Bailey said. "Everybody respects Larryand his knowledge of the game. It's going to make us a better team. And he'sback in the uniform he belongs in."

The ISCtournament, the premier fastball event in North America, returns to Kitchener's Peter HallmanBall Yard on Aug. 10-18.

Lynch, anative of Fingal, 10 kilometres southwest of St. Thomas, will be enshrined in the ISC hallof fame in honour of his three decades as a player, coach, manager andadministrator. He made 15 appearances at the world tournament where his teamsposted eight top-10 finishes.

Lynchcould not be reached for comment yesterday.

crivet@therecord.com

 



Follow all theaction this summer at:
Al's Fastball News
*Email: fastball@pmihrm.com
NEWS-1: http://www.AlsFastball.com/
NEWS-2: http://fastpitchwest.com/alsfastball
  Our Sponsor: http://www.pmihrm.com/

 

2007 Season Plans for AlsFastball
www.alsfastball.com

We plan to be in Woodstock – June 1-3 – Legends of Fastball Tournament
Monkton – June 29 – July 1 – Men’s WorldFastballInvitational
Orillia – July 14-16 – World Series ofFastball
SW Ontario June 11-16 – New Zealand Black Sox Tour
Kitchener – August 10-18 – 2007 ISC World Tournament