The Legends of Fastball Classic will once again honour some of the games true icons when it presents the Legends Awards at ceremonies scheduled for Saturday June 25, 1:30 p.m. at Peter Hallman Ball Yard in Kitchener.
The 2011 class of inductees includes one of the games truly ubiquitous faces in the park for the past 4 decades, the late Lorne Daer. “Gump” as he was commonly known as was a knuckle – ball , change – up specialist who baffled batters as a member of the Waterloo Chymr’s. Woodstock Twins, Bengals and Tornadoes and later in his career helped get masters softball off the ground with his clubs out of the New Hamburg and Baden area. His ever present toothpick and his penchant for fun did not take away from his commitment to ferocity on the mound nor his value as a teammate to so many players across southern Ontario.
If pitching is the benchmark of great teams then no pitcher is more deserving of being recognized as a Legend than the great Chubb Tangaroa, the first international player to be honoured at the Legends Classic. Chubb, another of the great New Zealand pitching fraternity plied is trade stateside beginning in 1981. His résumé includes toeing the rubber for the legendary Long Beach Night Hawks, Lancaster Chameleons, Denton Texas Kings, Guanella Brothers, Decatur Pride and Broken Bow Travelers. He is a 3 – time ASA National Champion and winner of a three peat in ISF World Championship competition. He will be attending Legends as the current pitching coach with the New Zealand Black Sox.
Pitching may have dominated the game over the years, but that did not deter one of the games great “warriors” from making both defense and offence a highlight real of his career. Adam Smith is without a doubt one of the greatest second basemen of his or any generation of the game. “ Addie” was a fearless competitor who excelled in every facet of the game. Slick fielding, power hitting, high average and before leg injuries made his movement a constant pain, one of the fastest players in the game. He was a 5 times ISC All-World player with 3 different teams, two times ISC Champion with Toronto Gators and a member of Canada’s National Team for over a decade. He was part of Canada’s last ISF World Championship in 1992.
The Legends ceremony to honour these truly deserving fastball icons will take place at 1:30 p.m., Saturday June 25th between games on the main diamond at Peter Hallman Ball Yard. Tickets for the tournament are available at the gate all weekend.
