- by Dennis Dosman
WATERDOWN HAMMER/MILLGROVE PARK TOURNAMENT
The village of Millgrove, just north of Hamilton, on the west side of
Hwy 6 is the site of the first fastpitch tournament each spring.
The Waterdown Hammer host this"early bird" tournament, sometimes under
very trying weather conditions, but this year the weather was
exceptional. I drove in and saw dust from one of the Kitchener Selects
sliding into 2nd on the lower diamond. Last year if anyone was sliding
into 2nd they might have drowned.
The Kitchener Selects (KFL), one of 3 local teams in this ten teamer,
lost their opener to Puslinch 5 - 4, beat Milverton Chiefs (formely
Linwood Junior Chiefs) 10 - 8 and then took a lose at the hands of the
Kitchener Outlaws. The Outlaws and Milverton are members of the South
Perth League.
Later, the Oshwegan Redmen defeated the Selects 7 - 5.
Milverton opened with a win over Palermo 12 - 0, lost to Oshwegan 8 -
3, and were eliminated by the Outlaws 4 - 1.
The Kitchener Outlaws opened the tournament with a big win over the
tournament hosts Waterdown Hammer 6 - 2, got that 10 - 2 win over the
Kitchener Selects, lost to the Toronto Gators 6 - 4, eliminated Oshwegan
4 - 1, to set up a semi-final rematch with the Toronto Gators. I was
behind the screen watching the Big John's/Scarboro Force game, but fans
were coming back from the other diamond with updates on what turned out
to be a great game. There were loud cheers as the Outlaws and Gators
traded punches in a great game. I chose to stay because I will see lots
of Outlaw games this summer in St Clements ball park, but that was a
mistake. The Outlaws gave the Gators everything they could and for the
lack of an out, they might have beaten the Toronto team.
The Gators went up 4 - 0, the Outlaws game back, tied the game and
went ahead 7 - 4 but the Gators, not to be denied, rallied to win the
semi - final 8 - 7..Greg Garrity got the win, in relief of Andrew
Putman. Dan Martin and Brian Belisle were on the rubber for the
Outlaws. That come from behind battle by the Gators set up the final
against the Scarboro Force.
The Toronto Gators lost the tournament opener on Friday nite to the
Scarboro Force 5 - 0, and then the Gators outscored Oshwegan 11 - 0.
The Force followed their opening win with a 10 - 1 victory over
Palermo, then outscored Big John's 20 - 2 over two games, ....Saturday
afternoon 11 - 2 and 9 - 0 Sunday morning. Outscoring the oppostion 30
runs to 3 in 3 games...lots of offence from the Force.
The two top seeds the Gators and the Force went to the rubber at 2:30
Sunday afternoon...Donnelly Archibald on the rubber for the Gators,
Joram Graham for the Force, ...Gators opened the scoring in the bottom
of the 1st when Brandon Horn scored on a single, advanced on a Rob
O'Neil sacrifice bunt, and Donnely Archibalds RBI double.
In the 2nd Joram Graham walked and Frank Lang doubled to score
Graham...score 1 - 1 heading into the bottom of the 4th..Greg Garrity
opened the inning with a single. John Kemp doubled to score Garrity,
....With 2 out, and Kemp at 2nd, Justin Cevette homered off Andy Skelton.
Joram Graham moved to first for the Force (upper body injury) and
Skelton moved to the rubber in the 3rd inning. Score now 4 - 1
Gators..with the top of the order coming to bat in the 5th inning...it
looked like the next Gator at bat might be trouble for the Force.
Andrew Putnam came to the circle for Toronto, replacing Archibald in
the 5th. Five singles, a walk and a fielders choice later and the Force
were back in the game with 6 runs scored and Garrity now on the rubber
with one out. Garrity gave up a single to Brian McGuire but struck out
Jake Taylor and Aaron Fraser to put out the fire. Score now Force 7 -4.
In the 6th a triple for the Force's Aaron Trude was the only hit for
either team.
The Force added 3 runs in the top of the 7th...Scott LeBlanc, Frank
Lang and Jake Taylor scored and the bases were loaded with 2 away but
Garrity got a big K to end the 7th...with the Force up 10 - 4.
Andy Skelton gave up 2 walks to the Gators 8th and 9th batters, Cevette
and Carr, and to the top of the order and Brandon Horn. Brandon
singled to score Cevette. 10 - 5....Skelton K'd O'Neil and Archbald and
Garrity drove a long ball to the warning track and into the glove of
Aaron Fraser to end the game...
The Force picked up the first tournament win of the year...nice
win...good looking team....great offence, good defence.
WOODSTOCK KELSEY"S
This weekend the Woodstock May 2 - 4 Fastball tournament is all set
for its annual run...and this year there are 18 teams all ready to go.
Teams include the Kitchener Selects and Kitchener Predators from the
Kitchener Fastball League, South Perth League is represented by the
Hickson Reds and the Shakespeare Falcons. Lake Simcoe Lightning,
Keswick Krunch, Orillia Red Sox, are in from the Lake Simcoe area.
Chepstow, Niagara Snappers, and the Oshawa BBs Junior club, are making
the trip to Oxford county. Oshwegan Redmen are making it two weeks in
a row after their trip to Millgrove last weekend. Others include,
Shedden, Harwood Corners, Burgessville, Springfield, the two Innerkip
teams, Eagles and Expos, plus Woodstock Kelsey's.
OASA News.
The OASA awarded a $100 voucher to the Scarboro Force for their win at
the Millgrove Tournament. The Force will be able to apply this $100 to
the cost of their entry into the OASA Great Lakes Tournament later this
summer in Jarvis. The Great Lakes is the OASA Ontario championship
tournament. Additional awards will be made at several Ontario
tournaments this summer including the Woodstock tournament being held
this weekend. For more information on these OASA incentives contact
OASA VP Brad Thomson thomson.brad@gmail.com
KITCHENER FASTBALL LEAGUE
Bryan Reeves, president of the KFL is "....thrilled to have Rogers TV
broadcasting our Thursday 7 pm games this season from Budd Park" The
first game is this Thursday May 17th...the Kitchener Selects will meet
the Waterloo Classics in the opening game. The Classics were the KFL
champs last year, beating the Selects in the championships. They have
a 5 - 0 streak over the Selects. The game will be tape delayed to 8
pm on Rogers TV....channel 20 on my Panasonic 42"HD....Justin Fateaux
will be doing the play by play and Rick Boyd will provide the insight
for this opening game.
Next week, May 24th, Bulldogs vs Smoke, May 31st, Predators vs Red
Sox...and so on thru the summer..
Keep up to date on the KFL on their web site....google Kitchener
Fastball League...
CHILDRENS WISH NEWS
Anne Boehm has sent the attached poster highlighting the Highwaymen Car
Club "Graffiti 2012 Car Show" on Sunday June 10th at the Waterloo Rod
and Gun club in St Jacobs.......
The Children's Wish Foundation is wishing that all fastpitch fans will
be able to come out and see this car show...and Anne hopes to see
all of us fastpitch fans at the Children's Wish ...Legends of Fastball
tournament here in Kitchener two weeks following their " Grafitti 2012"
car show.
The Legends of Fastball will open up on Thursday evening again this
year. Fastball fans will be eager to see the New Zealand Black Sox
again this year. The Black Sox are hosting the International Softball
Federation World tournament in New Zealand next March. They are here
for the Legends, plus exhibition games in Moorefield, Alvinston and
Six Nations, and then off to New York City for the 4th of July
weekend and the exciting, noisy, Palegro Cup.
Also entered in the Legends of Fastball will be the Argentina National
team, plus the 2011 OASA men's champions the KW Cubs, the ISC World
Tournament Jarvis Travellers, the AAU champions Hill United plus the
ISC #1 ranked NY Gremlins and the ISC host team, theMidland Explorers
That is 7 top-of-the-heap teams competing this summer. They will be at
Peter Hallman Ball Yard in Kitchener. along with 3 other great teams.
More on the Legends over the next few weeks including the Junior and
Masters teams.
CEPHAS ROTH Tavistock Tournament July 12 (thursday) to July 15th.
Dave "Bags" Bailey is working hard getting the Cephas Roth tournament
in shape. Bags has 12 of the best fastball teams heading to Tavistock
for a great weekend of fastpitch softball. Games will start on the
Thursday with two games, Friday will see 6 games on the two great
diamonds at Tavi. More games on Saturday leading to semi and finals
on Sunday. As always, great a bar-b-cue, a youth All-Star game, Ball
Park Radio, cold beer, all at the friendly confines of Optimist Park and
Queen's Park...
CONESTOGA RESIDENCES..a reminder from Hawk and Bags...
Conestoga Residences is the host hotel of choice for both the Legends
of Fastball and the Cephas Roth tournaments. If you plan to attend
either or both of these tournaments be sure to give Martha Wallace a
call...
1 877 225 8664....or
mwallace@stayrcc.com
KW is a busy place in the summer....book early...and book
often....Conestoga Residence is neat, clean and affordable and close to
both Peter Hallman Ball Yard in Kitchener and only 25 minutes to
Tavistock...
(Conestoga Residence was the home of my daughter in her freshman
year...it gets her endorsement as a great place to stay)
UNDER 21 Tournament in Innerkip
The ISC Canada East is hosting an under 21 qualifier July 20th - 22nd
in Innerkip...Joe Todd, Kyle Smith and Blair Setford are looking for
teams in this 3 game guaranteed round robin tournament. This is a
great tuneup for the Elims...and it earns a spot in the ISC U 21
championships in Midland in August.
Give Blair Setford a happy birthday wish on Wednesday and contact him
for more information on this Junior ISC Qualifier,
blairjs@rogers.com
SOUTH PERTH LEAGUE
The South Perth starts up this week..Mitchell Royals open the season
in Shakespeare against the defending champion Falcons...and the Elmira
Expos visit the Kitchener Outlaws at the Outlaws home park in ST Clements..
May 23rd will be a busy night in the SPL, Sebringville Sting at
Mitchell Mets, The KW Cubs, OASA Champs, kick it off with a game in
Shakespeare, and the 2011 regular season pennant winners Wellington
Sox open up on the road vs the Outlaws in St Clements..
Hickson Reds open at home on the 24th against the Royals....Breslau
Badgers against the Cubs on the 29th....in Breslau.
The Milverton Millwright Chiefs have a busy two days...May 31st vs
Sebringville and the home opener on June 1st vs the Mitchell Royals...
JUNIOR FASTPITCH
There is a brand new 5 team junior division in the South Perth this
summer. Doug Eidt sent me a note that Stratford, Tavistock, St Mary's.
Elmira and New Hamburg are starting play next week...A schedule should
be on the South Perth Web site soon...
Great news and congratulations to Doug and Murray Patterson. They
along with the other members of this junior league put in a lot of
effort this past winter and spring getting this league organized.
RAY ALVIANO'S PITCHING CLINIC
I had lunch today (Wed) at the Italian Cortina Club here in Kitchener,
and talked to Ray Alviano about his recent Pitcher's Clinic..Ray
reported that they had over 70 kids enrolled over the two weekends. 40
or so were 8 - 12 years old, the rest from 12 to 15. Doug Neil was the
head instructor again this year. "Mo" Wilson worked with Doug. (It is
good to know that two people from Huron and Wellington counties can
get along.) Their enthusiasm and leadership earned them many
compliments from the participants and parents. The clinic was split
over two weekends, the opening weekend at Grand River Arena, the second
at Kinsman rink at the Auditorium. Coach Neil told Ray that he can
easily pick out the kids who worked on their mechanics during the 5 days
between the clinics. Ray says he sees many players during the summer
softball season who have attended the clinics over the past 25 years.
KSA VOLUNTEER AWARDS
(PDF Attached)
Three men with strong fastball connections were presented with awards
recently by the Kitchener Sports Association. Tom Clancy and Bob
McKillop have been involved in many many sports organizations in the KW
area. Bruce Young is a leader in minor softball in KW.
In fastptich in particular, Tom was the chair of the International
Softball Congress World (ISC) World Tournament and is a volunteer at the
Legends of Fastball. Tom also had a long career in the KFL with the
legendary Tien Hoa Fastpitch team.
"Coach" Bob McKillop was one of ISC Games Controllers for both the 2006
and 2007 ISC World Tournament and continues to volunteer in fastpitch.
Bruce Young is "Mr. Boys Fastball" here in KW. Bruce has held
positions administratively in both KWMinor Boys Fastball and the Ontario
Amatuer Softball Association and also has a long resume of coaching
minor softball teams. Bruce is the chair of the annual Waterloo Midget
Boys Invitational tournament held each June at Hillside.
The KSA supports many local sports. Most of their funds come from the
Kitchener Ranger's 50-50 draws. The KSA meets monthly at the Edelweis
Tavern...Gord Dearborn is the president...For more info on the KSA...
gdearbrn@rogers.com
JOHN MACTAVISH
Cathy MacTavish asked me to thank all of you who attended the John
MacTavish Celebration last weekend. For those who could not make it,
we had a wonderful time recalling our great friend. This years Legends
of Fastball will be dedicated in part to John and donations to the Camp
McGovern "Softball Field of Dreams" can be made at the 2012 Legends
of Fastball. Camp McGovern is a Big Brothers/Big Sisters camp located
north of KW, between Durham and Hanover. $6000 has been raised so far
for the John MacTavish Softball Field of Dreams. Let's add some more
with a contribution at the Legends in June.
NEXT WEEK
Results from the Woodstock tournament and some info on some of the other
leagues around Ontario...plus an update on the Legends of Fastball
lineup....
See you at the Ball Yard
Dennis
