KITCHENER — The host team will be conspicuous by its absence when the eighth annual Legends of Fastball Classic opens this week.
The Kitchener Rivershark Twins, who folded in the offseason after piling up two world and two Canadian titles the previous three seasons, have been scattered to the wind.
But several ex-sharks swim into town this week sporting new colours.
“It does seem a little weird, but it will be a real nice homecoming for a lot of guys,” said former R-Twins coach and longtime Legends tourney director Larry Lynch.
Former all-world R-Twins, like Brad Ezekiel and Patrick Shannon (Chicago-New York) along with Ryan Wolfe (Jarvis), have found new homes with participating teams at the tournament.
Organizers have said there’ll be plenty of world-class ball at Peter Hallman Ball Yard this week.
The tourney opens Thursday when the Owen Sound Selects tussle with the second-ranked team in the world, the New Zealand national squad. It’s a 7 p.m. start.
The tournament, which also features a junior men’s division, runs until Sunday’s championship finals at 2:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
Among the 10-teams entered in the senior division are: the reigning International Softball Congress champs, Ontario’s Jarvis Travelers; Chicago-New York, Michigan’s Midland Explorers; and local favourites, the Kitchener Cubs and the Elmira Expos.
A six-team junior division features the Waterloo Cardinals, the Linwood Jr. Chiefs and New Dundee Dodgers.
On Thursday, all under-16 spectators wearing a minor softball shirt or jacket will be admitted free.
Saturday, any minor sport athlete under 16 and wearing a team shirt or jacket will be admitted free.
Lynch, the face of the R-Twins for decades, has not ruled out the team’s return some day.
“The game is in transition right now,” said Lynch. “But there’s still lots of fastball being played locally.”
Before the R-Twins’ sponsors pulled the plug in the winter, the 42-year-old team was Canada’s longest-continuously operated senior men’s fastball club.
“Kitchener could support a major team. And if we had another six months to pull it together, we might’ve done it this year.
“Who knows what will happen in the future,” Lynch said.
Meanwhile, the Kiwis kick off their three-week North American tour in St. Catharines on Tuesday.
The Black Sox then hit New Dundee for a doubleheader encounter with the Kitchener Cubs and the Tri-County all-stars on Wednesday.
Game times Wednesday at Doug Fischer Park are 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
