Softball weather has finally arrived, and local fastpitch organizers
are busy filling thier brackets with teams for the 2011 tournament season.
May 13th 14th 15th....THIS Weekend in the HAMMER.....
First out of the chute, as always is the Millgrove tournament hosted
by the Waterdown Hammer. Mike Brown of the Hammer sent me the team
lineup for this weekend's tournament season opener. Ball fans looking
for a early fix will be able to see a trio of local teams out of the
South Perth League, the Kitchener Outlaws, the Linwood Chiefs and the
Elmira Expos, plus a pair from the KFL, the Diamond Jaxx and Waterloo
Cardinals. From Quebec, the Quyon Combat Flyers make their first trip
to SW Ontario, one of many on thier summer schedule. We will also see
the Toronto Gators, and Cobourg plus Hamilton area clubs, Palermo,
Puslinch, Oshwegan, and of course the Waterdown Hammer.
Millgrove is south of Cambridge, north of Hamilton on the west side of
Hwy 6 south.
Mary 27th 28th 29th....The OUTLAWS in St Clements
After Millgrove the Kitchener Outlaws are hosting the St Clements
tournament.
Bob Hall has commitments from the Wellington Sox, Elmira Expos, KW Cubs,
Mitchell Mets and Mitchell Royals, the Waterloo Cardinals, Linwood
Juniors, Alvinston Indians, Cobourg Force, the Waterdown Hammer, the
new Southern Ontario Jays, and of course the host Kitchener Outlaws.
The Southern Ontario Jays are a new junior club. Rob Way has a put
together a bunch of first year juniors from New Dundee, and Oshawa
and Walkerton and his 2010 KW Midget Twins club. The players will
team up for tournament play on weekends leading to the Ontario Junior's
in Owen Sound.
The Outlaws tournament is an ABC event, teams 2 and 0 enter the A
flight, 1 and 1 play in the B flight and 0 and 2 leads to the C
flight. This is the usual KW and area kick off tournament. St Clements
for those ball fans not from the greater Region of Waterloo, is
located just north of Waterloo, first left past the Waterloo Farmers
Market (ROW rd 15) leads to the St Clements Ball Park. Bar B Cue and
a Beer tent of course...and side by side diamonds, make this a great
weekend. You will drive right past Bast Tire, just in case you
wondered where Tim Whitelaw spent his time when he is not behind the
plate.
NIAGARA SNAPPER Shootout at KER PARK Niagara Falls....early June
Several local teams are heading to Niagara Falls on the June 3rd, 4th
and 5th weekend including the KW Cubs, Elmira Expos, Hickson Reds as
well as Port Elgin and Owen Sound plus Quyon Combat Flyers from Quebec.
Other teams to note are Alvinston, Cree Nation, Scarborough Juniors,
(are they starting up again?? look out!!) Ashland Stock Pak, Aurora
Shoeless Joes, Hill United. This is a 16 teamer, and like St Clements
this is a ABC flight tournament. And remember not in NOTL, but in
Niagara Falls on Sinnicks Ave...(go to the big waterfall and ask)
Perry Bartley, Snapper Shootout misterpaulo@hotmail.com
NEW ZEALAND lands in KW....June 22nd
Brad Thomson has a New Zealand Black Sox night set up for Wednesday June
22nd at the Doug Fisher Memorial Park in New Dundee. The Black Sox
will play the KW Cubs at 7pm and the TriCounty All Stars at 8:30. We
don't see much of the Tri County, this will be a great opportunity.
The Village Caterers are serving thier "fastball famous" roast beef
starting at 6pm.
This should be a great introduction to the brand new fastball diamonds
and new community centre in New Dundee.
Brad Thomson..... thomson.brad@gmail.com
New Dundee is located a short and very pleasant drive west of Kitchener
and a few kms south of the Kitchener Stratford highway (ROW rd 12) or
just west of Conestoga College, on New Dundee Road or out Huron Road
from Budd Park.
Doug Fisher Memorial Park is the new home of Wednesday night KFL
fastpitch league play. The KFL expanded this year and needed more
diamonds...
Lock it in to your GPS, you will want to be back in New Dundee the end
of July for the Great Lakes tournament.
THEN the BLACK SOX head to the LEGENDS. Thursday June 23rd to Sunday 26th
Larry Lynch, Legends of Fastball Classic Tournament Chair, has a great
lineup of teams for the 8th Legends set for June 23rd to the 26th at
Peter Hallman Ball Yard in Kitchener.
The Legends of Fastball Classic will be a four dayer this year. Ten
senior clubs and 6 junior clubs will give Ontario ball fans all the
fastball action they could want in one park. Again this years
tournament will be a benefit for local KW charities including The
Children's Wish Foundation.
Returning to the Ball Yard in Kitchener will be some of the finest
OASA, and ISC teams including last year's ISC champions the Jarvis
Travellers and this years Canadian Fastpitch Championship host team, the
Owen Sound Verge Selects. Midland (Mich) Explorers as well as Chicago
New York drop in from the USA. Strong local clubs the KW Cubs and the
Elmira Expos return as well. The Cubs took the Hallman Twins to extra
innings in last years Classic and Elmira eliminated the Explorers in
Tavistock and almost eliminated Jarvis. Both the Cubs and the Expos are
as strong or stronger this season.
Two new clubs are entered. The Port Elgin Blue Devils are Ontario's
newest senior team. The Blue Devils have been a ISC II championship
team and have taken the jump to OASA senior to challenge for the
Canadian title being held in nearby Owen Sound in late August.
From Quebec and also for the first time at the Legends we will see
the Quyon Combat Flyers. They too are heading to Owen Sound to
challenge for the Canadian title. If this team is beginning to sound
familiar, the Legends will be the 3rd SW Ontario tournament for this
Quebec team and they are heading to Tavistock as well. They will be
ready for the Canadians in Owen Sound with this kind of competition on
their agenda.
The Blue Devils and the Combat Flyers....adding some spice to a great
tournament.
Most fastpitch fans know of the contributions New Zealand has made to
the sport. This season the Black Sox are returning to Canada for some
top flight competition and the Legends is happy to provide that for
them. The Black Sox are always a great team to watch. Get to Peter
Hallman on Thursday night for thier opening tournament game.
Another international team is also entered into the Legends Classic.
Argentina a sending a national team to the Legends. They are heading
to NYCity for the July 4th weekend and the Paligro Cup tournament.
Argentina was here for the Legends in 2008 and made it to Sunday as I
recall.
In 2010 the Legends hosted a four team Junior Division, this year the
"Future of Fastball" tournament will host 6 teams. The Waterloo
Cardinals, Tavistock Juniors, Linwood Chiefs, New Dundee Dodgers,
Southern Ontario Jays, and the Owen Sound Volkswagon Juniors will
compete in a round robin, with the top two clubs heading into a
championship game
The Legends of Fastball is held at Peter Hallman Ball Yard Courtland
and Hanson in Kitchener. The opening 5 games will be played on
Thursday June 23rd, 5 more on Friday evening and round robin play all
day Saturday leading to Championship Sunday.
ISC berths are on the line again this year, and of course there will
be a couple new Legends to install.
The Children's Wish Foundation and other KW charities will benefit.
Duncan Matheson is again looking after the food, Jim Uhrig is looking
after the beer tent, the lovely Anne Boehm is gathering volunteers and
staffing the park, the weather will be great, the fence's will be
shorter this year, no more outfielders losing thier way, the batters
will be digging in, the pitchers loose and throwing hard, expect great
defence and some towering fence clearing smashes, summer time, beer
tent, barbcue, great ball teams, see you at the ball yard.
Larry Lynch llynch9@rogers.com
THEN over to TAVISTOCK for July 14th to the 17th
Dave Bailey and the Tavistock Fastpitch Invitational have commitments
from some of the same great teams that are entered in the Legends.
Midland Explorers, Jarvis Travellers, KW Cubs and Elmira Expos, the Owen
Sound Verge Selects, Argentina, Quyon Combat Flyers, the Ingersoll
Crush and Shakespeare Falcons. Dave will also begin play on the
Thursday night, two diamonds in Tavistock filled with hard hitting,
fast pitching veterans of the southern Ontario fastpitch leagues with a
few guests from out of the province to entertain.
Again this year one of the features will be the North Waterloo minor
softball Bantam All Star game.
Dave promises good teams, great food, and cold beer, and proceeds will
go to further ball park improvements for Tavistock.
Dave Bailey davebailey@baileyconstruction.ca
GREAT LAKES moves to New Dundee...JULY 1st, 2nd 3rd...(4th?)
After a run at Waterloo's Hillside Park, the OASA Great Lakes
Championship moves over to the Doug Fisher Memorial Ball Park in
nearby New Dundee.
Brad Thomson, OASA vice presdent and men's chair, is receiving
committments from many Ontario teams for the annual Civic Holiday
weekend Ontario Championship.
Teams such as the Wellington Sox, Mitchell Royals, Elmira Expos, KW
Cubs, Hickson Reds, Ingersoll Crush, Waterdown Hammer, Toronto Gators,
and others are expected. The Port Elgin Blue Devils and the Owen Sound
Selects are entered in the senior championship.
The OASA will declare both senior and intermediate titles out of this
weekend. Teams from both brackets will qualify for the Canadian
fastpitch championships in Owen Sound in late August
This year the Canadian Championships in Owen Sound will have a "Senior
B" flight as well. Intermediate teams will qualify at New Dundee for
this new national fastball championship. With the Canadians nearby,
this is a great opportunity for an Ontario team to win a Canadian
title. This is big.
Teams can get in touch with Brad at thomson.brad@gmail.com
for more
information on registering.
....and there are ISC berths on the line as well.
AND MORE....
Owen Sound is hosting the Ontario Juniors, and the Canadian Seniors....
The ISC OCC is scheduled for mid September
and I just got the South Perth Schedule from Mary Beth Gilbert. The
132 game schedule opens May 15th with Mitchell Royals in Shakespeare.
If anyone wants a copy, let me know and I will forward it.
dennisdosman@dosmanprinting.com
I notice that the Outlaws are playing in Bridgeport on Wednesday
nights this year. That saves me at least ten minutes driving time from
Avondale Ave..and with gas at $1.40.....
and Breslau is back in Breslau, wow, things are looking up...maybe one
day a team in Waterloo again.
It looks like another great summer of fastball. The Legends and
Tavistock are expanding to 4 days from 3, a couple of new ball
diamonds in New Dundee to play on, the KFL expanding their league and
playing not only at Budd Park but at Doug Fisher as well, a club from
Quebec making 5 stops in SW Ontario over the summer, visits from
Argentina and New Zealand, team managers adding a player or two
to the rosters to improve the club, a couple of new junior clubs
entering leagues and tournaments, provincial and national
championships in the area....
...and rain falling only after midnight and stopping at sunrise....perfect
See you at the ball park...
Dennis Dosman
--
Dennis Dosman
Dosman Printing
519-888-0304
fax 888-9352
30 Avondale South
Waterloo, ON N2L 2B8
