Three local fastball players are heading to Midland, Mich. to play in the 2012 ISC World Championship.
Chad St Cyr, Joel Belanger and Todd Parsons will be suiting up for the Parry Island Hawks this weekend in the biggest fastball tournament in the world. All three players currently play in the Rick Macdonald Fastball League in the City of Greater Sudbury.
Chad boasts all five tools that head coach Derek Pinkerton is looking for: Power, hits for average, good speed on the bases, solid defensively with a very strong and accurate arm. You won't see him throwing rainbows from the outfield to the infield.
This will be St Cyr's second shot on the big stage and he is definitely looking forward to the opportunity to compete with the big boys.
Joel Belanger is a versatile veteran player in peak condition. He is a player who can play eight of the nine positions on the field with ease. On the base paths, Joel is always a threat to steal a base or take an extra base on a hit.
Belanger showed some power and leadership in the qualifying tournament in Niagara Falls with a pinch-hit, two-run home run.
Todd Parsons has been playing fastball for over 25 years. With his passion and leadership skills behind the plate, pitchers like Frank Cox definitely like throwing to him. When runners get on base and Parsons is catching, there is an anchor effect.
The runners don't want to go anywhere since he is so quick and accurate with his arm. His defence and potential for the long ball at the plate makes him a great asset to the Hawks.
The ISC World tournament is the World Championships for club teams. Czech Republic, Venenzuela and Argentina are only a few of the countries participating.
The tournament features 48 teams in a double knockout format. The first 16 teams to lose two games drop to the ISC II tournament.
Some North American teams have budgets in access of $200,000 for a summer. With this type of money, teams recruit the best players in the world.
Garden River (near Sault Ste. Marie) has produced the game's best pitcher of all time, Darren Zack. He has won four championships over his career, along with many other personal achievements including a gold medal.
The Parry Sound Hawks are the first Northern Ontario team to qualify for the biggest stage the sport has to offer. After qualifying, the community of Parry Island was like the 10th man on the field with their support.
"The support of the local residents and businesses has been nothing short of mind-numbing," according to Pinkerton.
Travelling to Michigan for a week-long tournament is not cheap.
The price of the hotels and gas alone is enough for a team to say thanks but no thanks. It just goes to show that when a community gets together, anything is possible.
Athleticism will be the team's strength. With plenty of team speed and guys who can put the bat on the ball, the Hawks will play a lot of small ball. They are not the type of team that will be counting on the home run to score runs.
With former Team Canada pitcher Frank Cox and Ward Gosse from Newfoundland, the pitching looks solid.
The game of fastball has always been based on solid pitching and timely hitting.
The Parry Island Hawks will make some noise early in the tournament and hope to be there in the end.
After speaking to several players and coaches, they all believe developing young pitchers is the key to keeping the sport alive locally.
Once competitive baseball players are done playing at a high level and are looking for a sport to stay active, why not fastball?
Many good baseball players and athletes such as Steve Sabourin, Jason McIsaac and Richard Faucher have chosen slo pitch at the competitive level instead.
Players such as these would definitely give a local and provincial boost to fastball.
For fans interested in catching some of the action, 33 games are being podcasted over the Internet by visiting the link www.ballparkradio.com
