Just looking on line at the May –June Waterloo SportsXpress. I sent an article in to this publication and there is a good write up and photos from Legends.
Jarvis 2nd-baseman Brandon Horn
Article by Larry Lynch, Chair of the Legends Tournament
The 2012 Legends of Fastball Classic is gearing up for another outstanding weekend of fastball scheduled to kick off on June 21, at the Peter Hallman Ball Yard in Kitchener. The Legends has grown into one of the premier softball events in North America since its inception in Woodstock in 2004 and this year’s edition will be no exception.
The Legends concept is built on showcasing the best of yesterday, today and tomorrow in major men’s fastball, and this year will add a four-team master’s division to its ten-team major men’s and four-team junior men’s divisional setup. The men’s and junior divisions will kick off with games on Thursday June 21 while the master’s will jump into action on Friday June 22.
The Legends has always attracted the best players and teams in the game and the lineup thus far is a who’s who of the top club teams in the game today. Pull up a lawn chair or dust off a bench to watch two-time ISC World Champion Jarvis Travelers, ISC finalists New York Gremlins, AAU Champion Hill United Chiefs, ISC World Tournament hosts Midland Explorers, former ISC 2 champions Port Elgin Blue Devils and the Kitchener Cubs — all of these confirmed.
New Zealand 2nd-baseman Rhys Casley
Not good enough yet? The New Zealand Black Sox will be making a return trip to Kitchener to defend their Legends crown won in last year’s final against the World Champs from Jarvis. The Black Sox will also be touring the area and bringing their National team to a number of communities throughout southern Ontario before and after the Legends weekend.
The field gets even tougher with the recent announcement that the Argentina Men’s National Team will again bring their high spirited and fast-paced lineup back to Kitchener. The Argentinians participated in Legends a number of years ago and have developed a stable of some of the best pitchers in the world since that time. Look for them to also play some exhibition matches as they tour through the area.
The final two teams in this year’s men’s lineup include the former two-time National Champion St. Thomas Centennials and the “new” Toronto Gators, looking to earn the respect their predecessors did as the Canadian softball team of the ‘90’s.
The Junior division was a tremendous addition to the Legends in 2011. This year’s tournament features four of the best junior teams in Ontario, including the Owen Sound Volkswagen Selects, Southern Ontario Jays, Nappanee Express Juniors and the Wiarton Red Devils who are moving up from midget after winning the Canadian Championship in 2011.
The Master’s division should be a treat for a lot of long-time fastball fans and will be highlighted by the return to the diamond of the 1993 and 1995 ISC World Champion Toronto Gators. Yes, Jack is back! The entire Gators juggernaut of the 1990’s is “coming out of the swamp” to prepare for a run at the World Master’s Games softball title, scheduled for Torino Italy in 2013. The Gators will face some tough opposition their first time out with the Waterloo Classics, Stony Creek Scrappers and a team from Ottawa rounding out the field.
Sounds like a great weekend and this is just the warm-up for summer!
Information on the Legends Classic tournament
Larry Lynch is shown with Ann Boehm (Children's Wish) at the 2011 Legends Classic
Make your plans now and circle your calendars for June 21 to June 24 and be part of Canada’s greatest softball event in its premier facility, Peter Hallman Ball Yard, Kitchener.
Games kick off at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday June 21 with five games and five more on Friday night. There’ll be a total of 43 games and tickets will be available at the gate all weekend.
The Legends of Fastball Classic is brought to you by Kitchener Fastball Promotions, the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada and the best volunteer team in the country.
