Gratefully reprinted with permission from the Prince George Citizen
http://fastpitchwest.com/morningbrief/?p=1736
GREY SOX CATCH A CATCHER FROM P.G.
by JASON PETERS, Citizen staff
At the 2006 Canadian senior men's fastpitch championship in Prince
George, Chad Ghostkeeper was front and centre in pulling down the
hated Vancouver Grey Sox.
When this year's nationals step on the diamond in St. John's, Nfld.,
Ghostkeeper will be there. And he'll be wearing a Grey Sox uniform.
Ghostkeeper, a 35-year-old Prince George resident, has signed on with
the Grey Sox for the Canadian championship tournament, set for Aug. 26
to Sept. 2.
Has he crossed over to the dark side? He doesn't see it that way.
"I don't really see them as an enemy," said Ghostkeeper, the all-star
catcher at the 2006 nationals as a member of the now-defunct Prince
George Black Bears. "They've been bugging me throughout the year (to
play for them at nationals). There were a few teams that were bugging
me, and I just thought I would go to Vancouver. I know a few guys on
the team, and it's a lot closer."
During the 2006 tournament, played at Spruce City Stadium, the Grey
Sox — loaded with national-team talent — were one of the favourites to
leave town with the title. Because of their star-studded roster, they
became a target for other teams. The Sox ended up 2-5 after the
round-robin portion of the event, won their first playoff game, and
were then eliminated after a 4-1 loss to the Black Bears. The Bears
had also beaten the Grey Sox in round robin. That game, won 8-1 by
Prince George, was cut short by the mercy rule.
The Black Bears had no problem getting motivated when they faced the
Grey Sox. For two years leading up to the national tournament, the
Grey Sox skinned the Bears routinely.
This season's Grey Sox are still anchored by pitchers Nick Underhill
and Rick Smith. Both were Team Canada members last year, and Smith is
back on the roster this year.
Ghostkeeper said Vancouver's stable of throwers now also includes
Korrey Gareau, who was a force for the Black Bears at the 2006
Canadian tournament. The fireballer from Victoria was one of the
reasons the Bears made it all the way to the championship game.
"Once I knew they had Gareau signed, that made it a little easier to
sign with them," said Ghostkeeper, the Softball B.C. player of the
year for 2006. "It's a very good pitching staff. They've got half
(their players) back and half new guys, so I think they'll be all
right."
After bombing away with his bat and shining behind the plate at the
2006 nationals, Ghostkeeper was added to Team Canada's selection list
for this season. But, his national team status isn't on his mind.
"I don't know what to expect," said Ghostkeeper, who will spend most
of his season playing for the California-based SoCal Bombers. "If I
make it, I make it. If I don't, I don't. It's not a big deal to me."
Team Canada doesn't actually have much happening this summer. Its main
focus is an international test series against New Zealand that will be
played Thursday through Saturday in the Ontario cities of Orillia,
Sebringville and Kitchener.
The next International Softball Federation world championship
tournament is in 2009 in Saskatoon.
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Best regards,
Jim Flanagan
www.fastpitchwest.com
Email: jim (at) fastpitchwest.com
