Eastern Ontario Fastball Blog

New league for the Upper Valley in 2012

2012-02-02T20:43:00.002-05:00

Good news has been received from the Upper Ottawa Valley - there will be a new men's recreational fastball league in the area for 2012.

Jerry McIntyre is working hard at putting the league together for men ages 16 and older. It will be a draft format, with all skill levels welcome.

The league, scheduled to begin May 22 and end on July 31, will have each team playing once a week on the Cobden and Micksburg diamonds. Playoffs will follow.

There will be a restricted pitchers list as this is a rec league and the league will be trying to develop young pitchers. All pitchers under 18 years old will be required to wear a mask.

Jerry wants all pitchers to contact him before April 1 and all other players by April 7.

For more information or to register, contact Jerry at jtmb16@yahoo.com or 613-735-0725.

Much nicer to be posting about a new league starting up rather than a league folding!

Greater Ottawa Fastball League winter meeting February 13

2012-02-02T20:40:00.002-05:00

Once again, the 'braintrust' of the Greater Ottawa Fastball League will hold a winter meeting to discuss the upcoming season for the premier men's fastpitch softball league in eastern Ontario and west Quebec.

The meeting will be held in the top secret league boardroom on Monday February 13 at 7pm.

Any teams out there with an interest in entering the league for 2012 can contact fastball(at)fitzroyharbour.com or any other manager in the GOFL to make arrangements to attend the meeting.

Get in the Game Symposium

2012-02-02T19:51:00.000-05:00

Softball Ontario is proud to announce the sixth annual Get In The Game Symposium on Saturday February 25, 2012 at the Sport Alliance Building in Toronto. The Symposium is a great opportunity for Softball Associations across Ontario to come together and work towards improving softball in Ontario.

The 2012 Get In The Game Symposium will once again include a series of Workshops and Presentations focused on improving participants’ Softball Associations. The Symposium is highly recommended by past participants: a Board Member from Pickering Softball Association said, “I found all information relevant and applicable to our league`s house league & select programs,” while a member from Aurora Diggers Girls Softball Association said what she liked best was, “The interaction with other Associations, solutions and problem solving.”

Travel (mileage) and accommodations will be provided by Softball Ontario for those who qualify.

The Get In The Game Symposium is a great opportunity for Softball Associations to learn from each other and work together to improve our game throughout the province.

Date: Saturday February 25, 2012
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Registration and Breakfast begins at 8:00 AM)
Location: Sport Alliance Building, 3 Concorde Gate, Toronto, ON, M3C 3N7
Cost: FREE

Attending the Get In The Game Symposium can earn your Softball Association up to 20 points towards your Softball Association Fundamental Excellence (SAFE) Star Rating!

Let us know if you are planning to attend the 2012 Get In The Game Symposium on Softball Ontario’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SoftballOntario.

For more information about the 2012 Get In The Game Symposium, visit the Softball Ontario website at www.softballontario.ca or email Lisa Crompton at lcrompton(at)softballontario.ca .

Softball Ontario is the governing body for the sport of softball in Ontario. Our goal is to promote and develop the sport of softball for its athletes, officials and volunteers by providing programs and services at all levels of competitions.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Their mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector, through investments in community-based initiatives.

Caveman birthday (now with trivia answer)

2012-02-02T12:48:00.004-05:00

The Caveman celebrated his 7th birthday yesterday in fine style.

What gifts do you get for the Caveman who has everything?

- Hockey Trivia books: Very useful for testing his Rainman-like knowledge of hockey trivia. For instance, can you name the five teams that have only won the Stanley Cup once in the modern era? The Caveman can! (Answer below)

- New hockey stick: Appropriate for use on the outdoor rink in Fitzroy Harbour. I brought him and Fitzroy Jr. out on the outdoor rink when it first opened this winter for the "youth shinny" night. He was blown away by the concept of choosing up teams but throwing the sticks in the middle ("What are they doing daddy? Will I get my stick back, Daddy?" and thoroughly enjoyed it when the 'big kids' magically parted in front of the net and let him score a goal. "Daddy, why didn't you bring me to this before Daddy!"

- Forest Police Lego: Give him a box of Lego and he'll obsess until it's completed.

- Pound of bacon: Given to him as a bit of gag gift since he loves bacon so much. When he 'unwrapped' it he gave it a big hug and said "is this all for me"?

Whoops forgot to post the trivia answer in the original post: Carolina, Tampa Bay, Dallas, Calgary and Anaheim.

AAU Results from Orlando

2012-02-02T12:41:00.003-05:00

A little late on this, but Florida Faspitch, which featured several GOFL players ended their trip to Orlando with a 0-4 record, including two one-run losses. The team played against three squads from Venezuela and another from Mexico.

Hill United with Adam Folkard on the slab won the 48-team tournament.

Nominate a softball coach for an award

2012-01-31T16:39:00.002-05:00

from Softball Ontario

Nominate your Softball Coach for a Coaches Association of Ontario Coaching Excellence Award

Toronto, ON- Softball Ontario is pleased to share information about the Coaches Association of Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards Program. Please see the information below and be sure to nominate your Softball coach!

Coaches Association of Ontario- Coaching Excellence Award Program

For five years, the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award Program has been celebrating the dedication and commitment of exemplary individuals who inspire, innovate and share knowledge of sport with others.

The Awards recognize the importance of leadership, performance and the value of human insight which are all integral to great coaching. This years awards will be presented at a special ceremony during Ontario Coaches Week in Toronto on Saturday April 14, 2012. Click here for the award descriptions and to download a nomination form.

The Coaches Association of Ontario invites you to nominate deserving individuals with outstanding season achievements; those who have advanced their sport; those who inspire youth every day at practices, and those who are blazing a new trail. Nominations will be accepted until February 10, 2012 in the following categories:

Grass Roots Coach- two award recipients will be selected in this category; a dedicated male coach and a dedicated female coach who primarily coach youth or children. Coaches recognized in this category are inspirational role models in the community garnering the confidence and glowing praise from parents and local program leaders. The coaching focus would be on introducing children and youth to a sport, on instruction and developing fundamental movement skills while creating a positive environment for healthy development and instilling a life-long love to be physically active and stay involved in sport. A coach in this category would measure their daily success in the number of smiles achieved.

Good to Great Coach- Two award recipients will be selected in this category; an outstanding male coach and an outstanding female coach who have coached athletes that have achieved a high standard of performance in competitive sport. The coaching focus is on performance excellence and competing to win. The coach would be recognized as the primary coach who identifies talented individuals; who creates a training environment that further develops athletic skills and abilities to a higher level of success in competition over a period of time. An example of a coach in this category would likely have athletes they coached be selected on a national team to represent Canada.

Trailblazer Coach-Up to one outstanding individual in the Province will be selected in this category. The Trailblazer coach is an innovative out-of- the-box thinker, a creative change agent who inspires others to follow, has made a difference in their sport or for the athletes they coach. Whether coaching a community rep team or top performing provincial athletes, the coach who pushes the envelope, invents new approaches to old challenges and breaks through barriers should be nominated for this award. Taking the road less travelled is often bumpy and this coach embraced the goal, persevered and made things better for their sport for years to come.

Everyone Matters Coach- The "Everyone Matters" Award recipient has influenced the culture of their team, their organization or community by embracing diversity and differences. Over a sustained period of time they have demonstrated the value of an inclusive approach through acceptance and accessibility. Examples in this category include success in reaching out to and actively welcoming different genders, different age groups, newcomers to a sport program or a coach who successfully integrates athletes with a disability into the program. One award will be given to a coach who leads with vision, resolve and courage to challenge the status quo.

Andy Higgins Lifetime Achievement Coach-One award recipient in Ontario may be selected in this category; an outstanding coach who has made a significant contribution to coaching in Ontario over a very long sustained period of time; 20+ years. Andy Higgins, an Olympic decathlon coach, an educator and all around good human being, has devoted his lifetime to instilling positive values, citizen development and making a difference in people's lives through sport. A coach who dreams big, looks for the possibilities, and focuses on a lasting legacy would be an ideal award recipient in this category.

Softball Ontario is the governing body for the sport of softball in Ontario. Our goal is to promote and develop the sport of softball for its athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers by providing programs and services at all levels of competitions.

Surely somebody in Ottawa is worthy of a nomination!

5th Annual Gil Read Memorial Tournament

2012-01-27T15:16:00.001-05:00

5th Annual Gil Read Memorial Tournament - Ottawa

The 5th Annual Gil Read Memorial Men’s Fastpitch tournament will be held once again at the Carp Fair Grounds in Carp Ontario the weekend of July 27th, 28th and 29th 2012.

The first 12 teams will be accepted with entry fee set at $450.00. This is an Open class tournament without restriction.

Prize money will be handed out as follows (Based on a 12 team format):

1st Place $1,800.00
2nd Place $700.00
3rd place tie - $250 each

Last year’s winners were: Team Quebec -$1,800 - Napanee North Key Express-$700, - Kars Aces & Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric - $250 each

Fantastic beer garden with the best burgers around, all in support of the Gil Read Memorial Foundation. www.gilreadmemorial.com

Contact Info
Al Read
aread225@gmail.com
ph 613-435-3199

Locals lose first game at AAU in Florida

2012-01-27T09:29:00.003-05:00

info from Trevor Power

At the AAU Tourmanent in Orlando, Florida Fastpitch lost their first game in a 11-10 shootout against the Brewers from Venezuela.

The Florida Fastpitch team features several local players from the Greater Ottawa Fastball League. The got down 6-1 after two innings but clawed back to make it close. Corey Alkerton took the loss and had relief from Paul Ceppi.

Their second game is against another Venezuelan team at 9am Friday.

50th Annual Au Sable Forks Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament

2012-01-26T09:58:00.002-05:00

From all accounts, this one is a beauty, and I would think that they will be doing things up pretty big for the 50th.

50th Annual Au Sable Forks Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament

July 13th-15th, 2012
Au Sable Forks, NY
10 Team Limit
4 game guarantee
Entry Fee $300
Prize List: 1st $1600 2nd $800 3rd & 4th $300

For more information visit our website or e-mail Team coordinator Tom O'Neill.

Congrats to Jamey Mick

2012-01-25T21:08:00.002-05:00

from Softball Ontario press release

Please Welcome our new Regional Coordinators!

Softball Ontario's Participation Program is proud to announce our eleven (11) new Regional Coordinators!

What is a Regional Coordinator?

A Softball Ontario Regional Coordinator is to act as a liaison between Softball Ontario, the Participation Committee, and the House League Softball Associations within his or her region as well as promote Softball Ontario Programs and Services to the House League Softball Associations within the region.

In a province as large as Ontario, it can be difficult to make sure everyone receives the most up-to-date news and opportunities from Softball Ontario. The new Regional Coordinators will help to ensure that Softball Associations in each of the eleven (11) regions are kept in the loop on Softball Ontario's programs and services.

Region 10: Renfrew, Lanark, Leeds-Grenville, Prescott & Russell, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, Carleton
Jamey Mick – Pembroke, ON
Jamey is very active within Micksburg Minor Ball, and is a Regional Pitching Instructor for Softball Ontario’s CANpitch Program. He has been a softball coach for the past fifteen (15) years, and has played fast pitch all his life most recently playing with the Micksburg Twins.

Congrats, Jamey, looking forward to helping you spread the word about softball in our area.

Ellsworth captain of Team Canada

2012-01-25T14:58:00.002-05:00

An article about Jeff Ellsworth of PEI, this year's captain of Team Canada at the AAU.

"Mr. Softball" from Verona

2012-01-24T16:10:00.005-05:00

This article appeared in the Kingston Whig about Roger Bauder from Verona. He clearly had a big influence on softball players in that area, including Steve Price. Thanks to Blair Setford for the tip on the article.

Banners honour softball leader
By Doug Graham/The Whig-Standard

Banners from Ontario Amateur Softball Association championship years on display at the Verona Lions Club on Monday paid tribute to the man regarded as Mr. Softball in the village.

He was Roger Bauder, the manager and architect behind more than two decades of very successful Verona Merchants softball clubs.

Bauder, 72, died last Thursday. The funeral service was Monday morning at the James Reid Funeral Home. Following the service, family and friends gathered at the Verona Lions Club to celebrate Bauder’s life.

“He loved the sport, he loved promoting softball. He was very, very dedicated and respected by all,” said Jim Cashman, who played on Bauder’s Merchants for 22 years.

The Merchants, an intermediate men’s team, won seven provincial titles from 1972 to 1987. Bauder did coach some teams, but primarily worked as the team manager.

“He made sure everything was up and running. He made us a much better team,” said Cashman, a pitcher and a good bat on those teams.

The Merchants after a couple of provincial wins at the Intermediate C level, stepped up to the Intermediate A bracket and won five titles in seven years.

Cashman said the pennants were all on display Monday, leading to many memories centred around Bauder.

“Lots of laughs and good memories. It was not just our team Roger was helping. He helped kids ball, too,” Cashman said.

Past OASA president Mike Goodridge said Bauder received the highest award the provincial association hands out — the Mr. Softball Award — several years ago.

“At the time, Roger was the first person east of Oshawa to win that. It was a real honour and well deserved,” Goodridge said.

“He was such a wonderful person. He affected so many lives, not only on the ball field but in every walk of life. He touched peoples’ lives in a positive way.”

As an example of that, Goodridge said Verona’s Steve Price was helped along at the elite level of the sport by Bauder. Price, a pitcher, ended up playing for Canada and winning a gold medal at the 1990 Pan-American Games.

“Steve brought his gold medal and put it in the casket. That showed the effect Roger had on his life,” Goodridge said.

An umpire, Goodridge said working championship games on a Thanksgiving weekend, with fans huddled in blankets, wasn’t such a chore — thanks to the way Bauder ran the Verona organization.

“He instilled in the fans and the players’ wives the right way to support the team,” Goodridge said.

“They didn’t say bad things about the other team. They were there to cheer in a positive manner.”

Goodridge said whenever he met with softball people recently, they often asked about Bauder.

“He was not only well known in Kingston and Verona, but all over the province,” Goodridge said.

“He was regarded as a fine softball man, but also as a finer person.”

Jim Bradford Classic 2012

2012-01-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

Cobourg 2012 Jim Bradford Classic
22nd year of the Classic
Cobourg Legion Fields
June 8-10 - 2012
Entry $450
Guaranteed 3 games
12 - 16 teams
Contact : Steve Bedard
sjbgolf(at)hotmail.com or sjbgolf(at)sympatico.ca
905-885-0821

Been to this one a few times - Steve and his gang put on a good tourney.

Elkland Tournaments for 2012

2012-01-19T15:34:00.001-05:00

2012 Elkland (PA) Tournament Dates as per Al's Fastball

2012 6th Annual Molly Sherman Memorial Tournament
May 25th – 27th (Monday, May 28th – Rain Date)
Entry Fee: $300 per team
16 Team Limit
3 game guarantee
ESA Pitchers Restriction List will be used
Prize Money: 1st Place - $1,200, 2nd Place - $600, 3rd Place - $300
•Champion of tournament will receive free entry fee into the 2012 Durk Sherman Classic Tournament

2012 19th Annual Elkland First Weekend Tournament
August 24th – August 26th
Entry Fee: $250
16 Team Limit
Double elimination event
ESA Pitchers Restriction List will be used
Prize Money: 1st place - $1,000, 2nd Place - $500, 3rd Place – 300

2012 60th Annual Durk Sherman Labor Day Classic Tournament
August 31st – Sept. 3rd
Entry Fee: $250
24 Team Limit
3 game guarantee
Any class of pitching allowed
Prize Money: 1st Place - $2,500, 2nd Place - $1,200, 3rd Place - $600, 4th Place - $400, 5th Place - $100, 6th Place - $100

Any interested teams in any of these events can contact Tournament director Bill Sherman at: esabill30@yahoo.comor by calling (814) 258 7096 Home, (814) 258 5229 ESA

www.elklandsoftball.com

West Carleton to host kid's pitching program

2012-01-16T15:25:00.001-05:00

by Courtney Symons, West Carleton Review EMC

A local softball association is looking to host a workshop to teach kids to pitch.

CANPitch, Softball Canada’s national pitching program, provides a standardized curriculum for youngsters who want to learn to pitch, and they approached the West Carleton Minor Softball Association asking to start a six-week session this spring.

“Softball is a very pitching-centric type of sport,” said Adam Brown, an executive of the local association. “And it’s a lot easier to do when you have some specific training.”

A trained representative from Softball Canada would visit West Carleton to teach youth between the ages of six and 12 the basics of pitching – proper grip, and how to deliver the ball toward the target.

While many of the details are still to be determined, Brown said that between 12 to 20 kids would be required to host the program which will be offered to youth in West Carleton first, but will be opened up to the broader Ottawa area if more participants are required.

Weekly sessions would see kids practice their pitching for an hour while another participant catches, then they would switch roles for the next hour.

Brown said the association is looking to rent out a local school gym where breakable items won’t be found, unlike at a community association hall.

Brown, who has been coaching softball and playing the sport for years, said that anyone interested in the sport should consider the program.

“It’s a good way to improve your skills, even if you’re not the pitcher on your team,” he said. “It’s a skill than can carry you through to adulthood. I wish I would’ve had something like this when I was a kid.”

The local softball association hosts their regular season from May to June, with options ranging from T-ball for four-year-olds to teams for high-school students.

Their recreational league is a more affordable alternative to other sports, Brown said, with games across West Carleton.

“You don’t have to travel across hell’s half acre to get to games,” he said.

Last year’s coaching clinic hosted by the association was such a success that they will re-introduce the workshop this spring for parents and volunteers looking to learn how to coach softball.

To sign up for the CANPitch program or to learn more about their softball teams, visit the association’s website at www.wcminorsoftball.ca or contact Brown at adam.w.brown[at]sympatico.ca.

Woodstock Tournament

2012-01-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

Crush Victoria Weekend May 2-4 Tournament in Woodstock

The Crush Men's Fastball team will again be hosting the Annual Woodstock Victoria Weekend Fastball Tournament for 2012

This tournament runs:
May 19th, 20th, 21st (Possibly to have games on Friday, May 18th)

Our goal is to have 16 teams this year.
Entry Fee : $400.00
Cheques to be made out to: "Crush Mens Fastball Club"

Prize Money: TBD based on a pending # of teams
Format : TBD based on a pending # of teams
We would like to again have Pool Play with "A", "B", "C" Finals
3 or 4 game guarantee depending # of teams participating

Eligibility:
This tournament will be open to all positional players who have and have not played at the Senior level in the past. However, we will not allow any Senior pitchers who have current PRAWN status (as a pitcher) to pitch in the tournament.

There will be a licensed beer garden, with food.

There is a Midway with rides for the kids of all ages.

Victoria Day Parade on the Monday Morning.

We are again going to try and negotiate a discount with local hotels etc. for any teams travelling from any amount of distance

For more information please contact

Darryl Wharram
Phone: 519-521-0156
d.wharram(at)on.aibn.com

Three new mini-Blitzos arrive - all on the same day

2012-01-09T20:32:00.003-05:00

Congratulations are in order for three members of the Ottawa Blitz fastball club - they all welcomed healthy new children to their families, and amazingly, all the babies were born on January 6th and all within an ounce of the exact same size. What are the odds?

The line-up:
#2 Beckham Bruce (8lbs 2oz) - dad Andrew
#4 Tea Searle (8lbs 3oz) - dad Tony
#11 Elise Blakely (8lbs 3oz) - dad Jamie

As per Andrew Bruce "We were all surprised to learn that each other had cashed in a runner on the same day. We'll be hitting them grounders to get them used to the ball any day now."

In other news, at the Fitzroy Fastball household, I got to respond to two of the top things that the father of a six-year old really doesn't want to hear, both in the same car ride back from the rink.

Caveman questions:

1) Q: "Daddy, I know you told me I came from Mommy's tummy.....but how did I get in there?"
A: "Go ask your Mommy." (Not sure how Mrs Fastball handled that one.)

2) Q: "Daddy, next year I really want to be a goalie in Novice hockey. Can I be a goalie, PLEEEEASE?"
A: "Well, Caveman, I guess we'll see next year. But remember, your sponsor Combat Sports Group does not make a goalie stick" (Seriously, hockey for two lads costs the Fitrzoy Fastball pocketbook enough - I really don't need to buy goaltender equipment.)

Financial assistance to host an Umpiring Clinic

2012-01-06T21:47:00.003-05:00

From Softball Ontario

OFSAA offers an Officiating Clinic Subsidy Program

Toronto, ON- Softball Ontario would like to share information about Ontario Federation of Secondary School Athletics Association (OFSAA)'s subsidy program to Ontario Secondary schools who are interested in hosting an Officiating clinic for students. OFSAA’s goal is to encourage students to get involved in sport as an official by reducing/eliminating the cost barrier associated with certification. The softball community is encouraged to approach their local Secondary school to generate interest to host a Softball Ontario Junior Development Umpire Clinic or an Intermediate Umpire clinic. The Officiating Clinic Subsidy Program will engage students who are not necessarily interested in being an athlete but still want to be involved in sports (in our case Softball). Other benefits of the program include building student confidence, provide an opportunity for employment and assist in the development of new Umpires in Ontario.

How to Apply?

1) A teacher or school administrator must complete the following application prior to hosting the officiating clinic. Applications may be faxed to 416-426-7317 or emailed to michael@ofsaa.on.ca. Applications must be for hosting a clinic and not for sending students to a clinic hosted by a sport club or outside organization. Here is the link to OFSAA’s Officiating Clinic Subsidy Application Form:
2) If the application is approved, OFSAA will provide notification by email of the approved amount for the clinic. A reporting form will be provided which must be submitted following the clinic along with applicable copies of invoices. Reporting form must be received within 30 days of the completion of the course.
3) Once all paperwork is received, OFSAA will process a payment for reimbursement to the school. Softball Ontario is pleased to promote OFSAA's Officiating Clinic Subsidy Program for the 2012 softball season. Our goal is to build and develop the sport of the Softball for umpires by providing clinics for all levels of competition. Softball Ontario offers clinics and programs to ensure that Ontarians have the skills and knowledge to participant in our great sport.

The following clinics are eligible for OFSAA’s Officiating Clinic Subsidy Program include:
Softball Ontario Umpire Clinics:
- Junior Development: is designed to provide youth umpire between the ages of 12-16 with basic introduction to officiating.
- Intermediate: was developed for young officials between the ages of 15-18 to be able to officiate at house league games and to prepare them as they advance in their umpiring career.
- Level 1: This clinic is considered to be beneficial to all Umpires. It is important to know the proper Mechanics and Rules prior to stepping on the diamond.

Secondary Schools who are interested in hosting a Softball Ontario should visit the Softball Ontario website to download a Softball Ontario Clinic Bid form. Here is the link.

Do not pass up on the opportunity to improve the quality of young officials by providing valuable training for the officials of tomorrow.

If you have any questions about Softball Ontario Umpiring clinics, please contact Steph Sutton at ssutton@softballontario.ca or by calling 416-426-7150.

AAU Tournament Schedule - Orlando

2012-01-06T13:45:00.005-05:00

The AAU Tournament in Orlando, Florida will be held January 26 -29 and features some local talent again this year.

GOFL players from Barrhaven include Trevor Power, Steve Edgerton, Paul Ceppi, Trevor Lahey, and Lindsay Medynski, as well as Kars players Matt Alkerton and Corey Alkerton. All are playing with the "Florida Fastpitch" team entered in this 48-team event which features squads from across Canada, USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Bahamas and Puerto Rico. Game times for the "Florida" team are 1pm Thursday (Jan 26), and 9am and 5pm on Friday (Jan 27).

Best of luck to the GOFLers playing - if anyone else from the area is going feel free to let me know in the comments or with an email.

For the full schedule, see here, courtesy of Al's Fastball.

Fitzroy Junior - tougher than his dad

2011-12-29T23:25:00.004-05:00

Long time, no post. Best of the holiday season to all blog readers, belated Merry Christmas (if that's what you celebrate) and Happy New Year to all. Sorry for the long delay between items, but been busy with things as I am sure you have too.

From a fastball perspective, our friends at Fastpitch West have this news - Owen Sound senior men's fastball is folding for 2012, which sucks. Let's hope that they get it back together for 2013.
In the world of big time hockey, Fitzroy Junior's team is in this Bell Capital Cup tournament. Have you heard about this thing? It's absolutely nuts, 400+ teams from across the world converge in the Ottawa area for some furious Atom and Peewee hockey excitement. In Fitzroy Junior's category alone there are 60 teams! (Makes we weep when I think that we had a 3 team fastball jamboree at Fitzroy Jr's age group this summer.....but anyway, we're working on that.)

Today, Junior's team finished the round robin with a highly unexpected 3-0 record to advance to the playoff round. The good news is that Fitzroy Junior notched two assists in the crucial 4-1 win over Embrun, thanks of course to his Combat Sports Group stick.

The bad news is that at the end of the second period, there was an incident that as a parent it makes you a bit sick to the stomach. Fitzroy Junior is a first year atom player, and as nine-year olds go, he's a bit wee. So he's skating at his blue line, looking back in his zone for the pass and turns WHAMMO right into a much larger opponent. He bounces of the other player like he's hit a brick wall, falls backward and whacks his head - hard - off the ice, his helmet actually bouncing.

I'm looking on, more than somewhat worried. Mrs Fastball hasn't seen it (gabbing with another mom) but sees him on the ice and is worried as well. The Caveman - well, there's music during the breaks in the play, so no worry for him, he's dancing to the tunes.

Now over the last three years or so, Fitzroy Junior and I have had a few chats about how one should play the game of hockey. Some of these discussions have included the topic of being a wuss. For example, for small bumps and bruises, you don't want to be the kid that lies on the ice like you've been shot rolling around. GET UP, and get off the ice. Only stay down if you are REALLY hurt, I told him.

Well obviously he's listened. After whacking his Bauer off the ice surface, the poor little guy tries to get up - and goes Bambi legged, wipes out and back down. But the young lad doesn't give him, gets to his knees, wipes out again, then finally struggles to his skates and gets off the ice just as the trainer is coming out to help him.

Given the severity, he went to the room for the remainder of the game. Turns out (thankfully) he seems to be OK, no headaches or nausea or anything and he should be fine to play in their next game on Saturday morning.

Tears just barely welling in his eyes as I helped him to the dressing room, he was more mad that the other kid didn't get a penalty than anything else. "He meant to do that, Daddy" (actually he didn't).

Gotta say, I would have given him a mulligan on this one - he definitely could have / should have stayed down. But he showed he was the toughest one in the family on that play.....they probably would have just got the Zamboni and scraped me off the ice if it would have happened to me.

Softball Canada Men's Developmental team announced for the AAU

2011-12-19T12:51:00.001-05:00

Softball Canada News Release

2012 Men`s Development Team
Monday, December 19, 2011(Ottawa, ON) Softball Canada is pleased to announce the list of players who have been invited to compete at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) International Men’s Fast Pitch tournament with the Canadian Men’s Development Team. The event will take place from January 26-29, 2012 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. At last year’s AAU tournament, the Canadian Development Team swept its round-robin games and kept rolling by winning four playoff games before losing 9-5 in the gold medal game against Chicago/New York.

The athletes selected to the 2012 Developmental Team are:
1. Tyson Barkman (Abbotsford, BC)
2. Ryan Boland (St. John’s, NL)
3. Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI)
4. Blair Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL)
5. Jason Hill (St. John’s, NL)
6. Adam Hiller (Elmira, ON)
7. Brandon Horn (Waterloo, ON)
8. Mark Johnson (Glencoe, ON)
9. Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC)
10. Brennan Pokoyoway (Saskatoon, SK)
11. Mathieu Roy (Saint-Gervais, QC)
12. Jason Sanford (Durham, NS)
13. Don Scott (Stratford, ON)
14. Jeremy Tracy (Waterville, NB)
15. Ben Wideman (Elmira, ON)
16. Brady Woods (Stonewall, MB)

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Don Bates (Saskatoon, SK)
Assistant Coach: Les Howey (Saskatoon, SK)
Assistant Coach: John Stuart (Vancouver, BC)
Assistant Coach: Glenn Boles (St. Catharines, ON)
Athletic Therapist: Adam Davies (Ottawa, ON)

Jeff Ellsworth and Derek Mayson are veterans of the Men’s National Team program, and helped Canada win a Bronze medal at the 2009 ISF Men’s World Championship in Saskatoon, SK. In addition, Tyson Barkman and Mathieu Roy are former Junior Men’s National Team members, earning a Bronze medal at the 2005 ISF Junior Men’s World Championship in Summerside, PEI. 'This Developmental Team roster features many new faces as we begin our preparations for the 2012 Pan American Qualifier and the ISF World Championship to be held in March, 2013' said Harvey Stevenson, Operations Manager for Softball Canada’s National Teams. 'The AAU Tournament will allow our younger players to experience international softball and how it feels to represent Canada in a highly competitive event.'

AAU Tournament - Canadian Development Team Schedule
January 26: Canada vs. Caguas (Puerto Rico) – 3:00pm EST
January 26: Canada vs. Cutro (USA) – 7:00pm EST
January 27: Canada vs. Los Venezolanos (Venezuela) – 3:00pm EST
January 28: Playoff Round
January 29: Playoff Round

John Konkle

2011-12-18T21:02:00.003-05:00

Some sad news to pass on. Thank you to Robert & John Craig for forwarding this information below, and my condolences to Konks and his family.

It's with heavy heart I pass along this sad news, so close to Christmas, regarding the father of a legend in fastball in this area! As a fastball family, let's join together to support Dan and his familyon the loss of a husband, father and grandfather, and a big supporter of this wonderful game! Rest in peace, my friend!

KONKLE, John Harold

Suddenly, with his wife by his side, Saturday, December 17, 2011, at the age of 65. Dearly loved husband of 42 years to Beverly (Nee Dowdell). Beloved father of Tammy (Jack), Dan and Derek (Eryn). Cherished grandfather of Darren, Jenna, Annika, Camden and Kallum. Dear brother of Bryan Smith (Christine). We will miss him terribly, but his 5 year old granddaughter said "He will never leave us because he is in our hearts forever." Friends may pay respects at the Kelly Funeral Home, 580 Eagleson Road, Kanata, Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral Service Wednesday in the Chapel at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers donations to the University ofOttawa Heart Institute or Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation are appreciated.

Friday rumour - Micksburg Twins back for 2012?

2011-12-16T16:26:00.002-05:00

Word from up the line is that the Micksburg Twins may be forming once again for a tournament or two in 2012. I had heard this from a few "sources" in the fall and it looks like there may indeed be a good chance of it happening.

It would be great to see the Twins back on the field this upcoming season, representing the Upper Ottawa Valley. A one-two pitching combination of Corey Costello and Joran Graham would obviously make them contenders in any tournament they may enter.

Let's hope this happens this season.

Changes to Canadian Championships

2011-12-16T16:23:00.002-05:00

Some rules have changed for Canadian Championship coordinated by Softball Canada. Here are a few highlights that might interest fastball players. (courtesy Mike Branchaud, Softball Canada)

Canadian Championships Changes from the 2011 Softball Canada AGM
- No import player will be allowed to play in 2 separate Canadian Championships in the same year with 2 different provinces or territories.
- In Canadian Championships with 7, 8 or 9 teams, 6 teams will play in the Championship round with the top 4 having double life and the next 2 with a single life.
- The 2012 Championships will be considered open to all levels of teams whether it is A, B, C, Tier 1, Tier 2, select etc. Teams will be accepted based on Provincial/territorial approval with Softball Canada and each Host setting the limits based on diamonds, volunteer base etc. The format for all Championships will be determined by Softball Canada based on the number of teams attending. There will be intent to register forms available on the Softball Canada website to allow teams to express their interest in attending.
-The Championship game (Gold Medal) will be considered complete after 5 innings of play if the game has to be called due to weather.
- One of the registered coaches must be fully certified Level 2 – softball (theory, technical, practical) or Competition Introduction certified in the NCCP and must be in attendance at all games. The effective date is the 2014 season.

(There were some other changes, most relevant to slo-pitch - and as blog readers know, we don't go there.)

Softball Ontario seeks Softball Associations to host a Competition-Introduction, Softball On Field Evaluation Clinic

2011-12-14T13:21:00.001-05:00

Toronto, ON- Softball Ontario Coaches Committee is seeking four (4) Softball Associations to host a Competition-Introduction, Softball On Field clinic by March 31, 2011. The goal of the On Field Evaluation clinic is provide Softball coaches an opportunity to move from “trained” (attended What to Coach, How to Coach and completed Make Ethical Decision On Line test) status to “certified” status. The Evaluation clinic is subsided by Softball Ontario and the Quest for Gold Program-Coach Enhancement category.

The four (4) Evaluation Clinic Hosts will receive:
- Up to $500 to cover the rental costs of a Classroom and Gymnasium
- The opportunity to Certify twelve (12) Coaches at a local On-Field Evaluation Clinic
- An opportunity to provide your athletes with free skills instruction from guest Coaches
- Get a jump-start on the 2014 Canada Coach requirements for participating in a Canadian Championships
- Earn up to 32 points towards your Association SAFE STAR Rating

What is “Competition-Introduction Softball”?
Competition-Introduction, Softball is the first coaching clinic that is available in National Coaching Certification Stream. In the Competitive stream, Coaches usually have previous coaching experience or are former athletes in the sport. Coaches in this category tend to work with athletes over a long term to improve performance, often in preparation for provincial, national or international competitions. There are four (4) components to Competition-Introduction, Softball which includes:
- What to Coach (16 Hours)
- How to Coach (16 Hours)
- Make Ethical Decisions On Line Evaluation (3 hours)
- On Field Evaluation (2 hours)

The On Field Evaluation component (OFE Clinic) is the final step in becoming “Certified” in Competition-Introduction, Softball. Who can host a Competition-Introduction, Softball On Field Evaluation clinic?Any Softball Associations who is interested in hosting a Competition-Introduction, Softball On Field Evaluation should contact Steph Sutton via email at ssutton@softballontario.ca

What are the requirements of a Softball Association to Host an On Field Evaluation Clinic?
In order to host a successful On Field Evaluation Clinic, it is necessary for a Softball Association to supply the following:
- 9 softball players of the same age group for a morning and afternoon session for two days
- A Double gym with an adjacent classroom- class room you need a TV and DVD player available
First Aid Kit
- Ball (preferably indoor balls)-Softball
- A set of indoor bases
- 9 bats for Players to use

When can Softball Associations host an On Field Evaluation clinic?
Softball Associations hosting an On Field Evaluation two (2) day clinic before March 31, 2012 to receive facility funding assistance.

Why would Softball Association want to host an On Field Evaluation?
If any Softball Association has Coaches who are participating in a Canadian Championships in 2014, the requirement of Coach Education for Coaches involved is to be Competition-Introduction, Softball “Certified”. This opportunity allows softball Coaches to obtain certification in their local association reducing time commitments and travel time as well as providing an opportunity for athletes to receive additional training from a guest coach.

Interested?
Interested Softball Associations are encouraged to send a letter of interest to the Softball Ontario office indicating that they are able to secure a facility with a classroom and double gym for 2 days; able to supply nine (9) athletes of the same age group and help recruit Coaches to attend the clinic. Once a letter of interested is received, Softball Ontario will follow up with the interested host to work out the details of a Competition-Introduction, Softball On Field Evaluaton Hosting Contract.

Softball Ontario delivers the National Coaching Certification Program and Coach Education on behalf of Softball Canada and the Coaching Association of Canada in the Province of Ontario for the sport of Softball.

If you have any questions regarding the Softball Ontario Coaches Program or the National Coaching Certification Program, please contact Steph Sutton via email at ssutton@softballontario.ca.

Semi-regular collection of miscellany

2011-12-13T13:58:00.005-05:00

In fastball related news, the West Carleton Minor Softball Association is going to look into hosting a "CANPitch" program for boys and girls this winter or spring. If anyone knows of young person that would like to get into fastball pitching, please contact me at fastball[at]fitzroyharbour.com and we'll get them on the list.

A few other items to share :

- Some proof attached that Fitzroy Junior does indeed use a Combat hockey stick, as per his sponsorship agreement. Season is going well as Jr is up to four goals in Atom house league action. Recently, he showed that he had his mother's temper. After getting his stick lifted in front of the net and missing a scoring opportunity, he followed the defenceman into the corner and promptly laid him out with a forearm shiver to the helmet (2 minutes for roughing). Definitely gets that from the Mrs Fastball side of the family tree.

- I took the Caveman and Fitzroy Junior to the Senators - Vancouver NHL game on Saturday night. As can be expected, they were looking forward to this for quite some time. So, it was a bit worrisome when during our pre-game meal at McD's, the Caveman puked up his chicken nuggets in a feces-filled toilet in the men's room. (Turns out his chocolate milk had soured and he was too busy chugging it down to notice.) However, tough little nut that he is, he recovered quickly and insisted on attending the game, where he polished off two pieces of pizza and a Sprite. My appetite however, after witnessing that, just returned on Monday.

- Commuting to the City from the far reaches of Fitzroy means that sometimes I take public transit. Occasionally I see interesting things on the bus. Yesterday, it was a midget. A surly, cursing, swearing little person wearing an Elmer Fudd hat. Good times.

U21 Men's Softball back in the Canada Games for 2017

2011-12-06T11:42:00.003-05:00

Good news from Softball Canada - Men's U21 Softball is back in the Canada Games for 2017 after being dropped for previous games.

This is subject to appeal at this stage, but things are looking good for our sport to finally return to this important youth event.

Congratulations to Mike Branchaud and the staff at Softball Canada for getting men's fastball the recognition it deserves at this national multi-sport level.

Softball Ontario offering $500 awards

2011-12-01T23:52:00.000-05:00

Earn $500 for your Softball Association! Make Sure to Apply by December 23, 2011!

TORONTO, ON - Could your Softball Association use an extra $500 to help train your coaches, umpires or volunteers? Softball Ontario's Softball Association Fundamental Excellence (SAFE) Awards are a great way to fund your volunteer training for 2012! Apply by December 23, 2011 at 12:00 PM to be eligible for one of twenty-four (24) SAFE Awards.

What is a SAFE Award?
A Softball Association Fundamental Excellence Award is an award of $500 for Softball Associations to use in one of four (4) categories:
Volunteer Development
Community Coach Development
Competitive Coach Development
Umpire Development

The Awards will help Softball Associations to train volunteers for the 2012 softball season, thereby increasing their volunteer capacity and the quality of their programs. Softball Associations receiving a SAFE Award will receive a special presentation of a SAFE Award Plaque at one of their Softball Association’s events. In addition, the SAFE Award will help Softball Associations to work towards improving their SAFE STAR Rating!

How do I apply for a SAFE Award?Applying for a SAFE Award is easy! Just follow these three (3) steps:
Step 1: Become a member of the Play Softball Network by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011
It’s free and easy to join, with lots of benefits for your Softball Association! Download an application form here:
http://network.playsoftball.ca/modules/download_gallery/dlc.php?file=3
Step 2: Submit your SAFE STAR Rating Application by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011
Download a copy of the SAFE STAR Rating Application Form here:
http://www.softballontario.ca/content/view/448
Step 3: Complete the SAFE Award Application Form and send it to the Softball Ontario Office by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011

Download a copy of the SAFE STAR Rating Application Form here:
http://www.softballontario.ca/content/view/447

Softball Associations are encouraged to set up a telephone meeting with Participation Program Coordinator Lisa Crompton by email lcrompton@softballontario.ca or by phone at 416-426-7150 to review applications prior to submission.

Complete all three (3) Steps in the SAFE Award Application Process by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011 to be eligible for a SAFE Award. To assist Softball Associations in their application, sample application materials are available in the SAFE STAR Section of Softball Ontario’s web site at www.softballontario.ca under Association Awards.

If you would like to find out more information about the Softball Association Fundamental Excellence (SAFE) Awards, the SAFE STAR Ratings Program, or if you have any questions please contact Lisa Crompton at lcrompton@softballontario.ca or call 416-426-7150.Softball Ontario is the governing body for the sport of softball in Ontario. Our goal is to promote and develop the sport of softball for its athletes, officials and volunteers by providing programs and services at all levels of competitions.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Their mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector, through investments in community-based initiatives.

Softball Ontario looking for Pitching Instructors

2011-12-01T23:50:00.001-05:00

Softball Ontario Seeks Regional Pitching Instructors for the 2012 CANpitch Program Season

TORONTO, ON - Softball Ontario is now accepting applications for the position of Regional Pitching Instructor (Fast Pitch) for Softball Canada’s CANpitch Program. Softball Ontario has seventeen (17) trained Regional Pitching Instructors located throughout all of Ontario ready and able to deliver the CANpitch Program. Softball Ontario is looking for new Instructors to join our team!The CANpitch Program is Softball Canada’s national pitching program created to provide a nationally standardized curriculum based on Softball Canada’s Long-Term Player Development framework to introduce and develop the skill of windmill pitching.

What is a Regional Pitching Instructor?
A Regional Pitching Instructor (RPI) is responsible for delivering the 6-week Program and become the pitching expert in their host location within Ontario. The RPI will receive instruction and support from Softball Ontario and the Master Pitching Instructor(s) who will train and mentor throughout the 6-week Clinic. The Regional Pitching Instructor (RPI) is responsible to Softball Ontario. The primary role of Softball Ontario’s RPI is to be the pitching expert in their host location within Ontario. RPIs will receive instruction and support from Softball Ontario’s four (4) Master Pitching Instructors (MPIs) through mentoring and professional development opportunities. RPIs will deliver the CANpitch Program throughout Ontario.Duties and

Responsibilities include (but not limited to):
Accountable and Responsible to Softball Ontario for a two (2) year term.
Responsible for delivering one (1) 6-week clinic per clinic season.
Attend all training sessions, workshops and participate in conference calls hosted by Softball Ontario, when necessary.
To communicate regularly with Softball Ontario Master Pitching Instructor(s) and Softball Ontario about the CANpitch Program and Clinic delivery
To promote the CANpitch Program to local Softball Associations in their area.

The ideal candidate must have the following Qualifications:
Demonstrate a commitment to pitching instructor using the CANpitch Curriculum
Have strong communication skills
Have strong leadership ability
Be a positive role model
Experience in Pitching a Requirement; Coaching experience an Asset.

Regional Pitching Instructors are compensated for their delivery of the CANpitch Program at a reasonable hourly rate. Becoming a Regional Pitching InstructorFor those individuals interested in becoming a Softball Ontario Regional Pitching Instructor please send a letter of interest along with a resume outlining your Fast Pitch pitching experience to the Softball Ontario office “Attention- Carly Laxton – CANpitch Program Coordinator” by Wednesday, December 14, 2011 by 4:30pm.

In the coming weeks Softball Ontario will collect and evaluate all applicants, however Softball Ontario will be focusing on areas of need when choosing individuals to join the CANpitch Instructor team.

All candidates MUST attend the Greater Toronto Area FULL two-day training weekend on January 14 and 15, 2012. Partial attendance will not qualify. This two-day training weekend will allow our Pitching Committee Members to further evaluate your skills and theory to help determine if you will be a good fit for the delivery of the CANpitch Program.

Attending the two-day training does not mean you are chosen as a Regional Pitching Instructor. For more information about Softball Canada’s CANpitch Program please visit the Softball Ontario website: www.softballontario.ca or contact Carly Laxton at claxton@softballontario.ca or call (416) 426-7150.

67s deals from Pugs

2011-11-30T23:11:00.004-05:00

I was corresponding with local fastball afficianado Shawn "Pugger" Williams, and he advised that he has some deals available for fastball players and fans (sorry: no slo-pitchers need apply).

Pugs has lead responsibility for suite rentals for Ottawa 67s hockey games. He's offering $50 of as follows, if you use the secret code word "FitzroyFastball".

10 seat suites regularly $300 on for $250 + HST
12 seat suites regularly $350 on for $300 + HST
16 seat suites regularly $375 on for $325 + HST

In addition, any business owner or any business decision maker advertising or marketing that is looking for branding opportunities at 67s games for their business should contact Pugger.

And finally, if anyone who is looking for a group outing with tickets in the arena bowl, he can help out for groups of 20 or more.

Please contact the big man at shawn@ottawa67s.com or 613.232.6767, Ext. 258 or 613.302.5019 by phone or text. And make sure to tell him "FitzroyFastball" sent you.

Miscellaneous updates

2011-11-30T00:38:00.003-05:00

Been away from the blog for a while due to a road trip to the Vanier Cup / Grey Cup in Vancouver with 14 other lads. Good time, good times. I highly recommend attending the 2012 Grey Cup in Toronto - next year is the 100th anniversary. Even if you have zero interested in Canadian Football, it's still a great roadie. Our group welcomes new attendees (email me if interested), and we ever have a rookie of the year award!

In other news:

The hockey season continues at our house. Fitzroy Fastball Junior, thanks to his Combat hockey stick, is having a pretty good season, including recently notching a game winner in Atom House B hockey action.

I have also joined a hockey league in Arnprior that seems to be just my level - the Arnprior 40+ Hockey League. (I'm actually an underager until early in the new year.) Despite NOT having a stick deal with Combat, I have managed to pot 7 goals in 9 games. I'm thinking it might be the Movember duster that makes me closely resemble Wendel Clark and scares off the 60 year old opposition defencemen and arthritic goalies. I also recorded what I like to refer to as an "Oldtimers Gordie Howe Hat Trick" the other night, with a goal, assist and penalty in one game - the penalty was a minor for hooking - c'mon I'm not gonna scrap in this league.

Note you can still donate to the Movember cause here (bonus: photo now online). Thanks a lot to those that donated, much appreciated. I have raised over $300, the majority of the donations from blog readers. Despite what I though was a pretty good 'stache, Fitzroy Junior says the other day: "Daddy, Ranjit at school has a thicker moustache than you." Ranjit is his grade 4 classmate of east Indian descent!

The Caveman is doing well, doing his best at initiation hockey and obsessed with NHL games and players. His newest Rainman thing in memorizing time zones, since he has been checking out schedules on NHL.com and wants to figure out when games from out west are on TV here. "Daddy, Vancouver, that's 3 hours different right, Daddy?"

Caveman does however need to work on his geography a little bit. Fitzroy Junior was reading a book about the earth and its composition. He's looking at one section about the molten core of the planet and says to us: "Hey, Daddy did you know it's 4000 degrees Celsius at the centre of the earth?" Caveman, listening in to the conversation says "Where's the centre of the earth? Toronto?" Had a good laugh at that one. Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up.

Anyway, in fastball news, I haven't heard too much. Still waiting to see about the possibility of a new tournament in the area coming on board. I can't say too much but I will say this - it's not completely "new" as it would be the resuscitation of an old tourney from years gone by. I'll let readers know when I have a concrete announcement.

Combat Sports New Model

2011-11-30T00:35:00.002-05:00

Do yourself a favour and check out the new poster boy for Combat Sports Group softball equipment on their website - one moustachioed Quebecker!

Also remember that Combat hockey sticks are the official equipment of Fitzroy Junior and the Caveman.

Article on the new U18 Women's team

2011-11-30T00:31:00.001-05:00

An article on the new U18 women's team in Ottawa - thanks to Scott Searle for the heads up.

Ontario Intermediate Men's Provincial in Sudbury

2011-11-24T20:48:00.002-05:00

from Roger Legendre

For the first time in more than 30 years , Sudbury has been awarded a most elite fastball championship. Next August the 11th to the 13th, Sudbury under the direction of chairperson Roger Legendre, well known in fastball throughout the North will help host this fine tournament of men’s fastball. It will be the top eight teams from the province with the eventual winner going to the Canadians on the East Coast in the Summer of 2013. Roger has already mentioned that he will apply to have the 2014 Canadians played in Greater Sudbury. The ball will start rolling now for this coming August with the tournament committee having prominent names on it : deputy mayor Ron Dupuis , well known and former great ladies fastball players of the 70’s Judy Dunn and Noreen Davidson. Other members of the committee are Ron McDonald, well affiliated baseball person Shirley O’Oneil, umpire in chief Larry Pedersen and well known sportsperson Randy Pascal. Legendre intends to have his committee meet once a month then increase the meetings to twice a month. Under the appointed coach Derek Pinkerton a local team will be selected from a a list of players already mentioned . At the moment Frank Cox just two years removed from team Canada will be the primary pitcher. Further details for this major tournament coming to greater Sudbury will be up coming in the next few weeks. Roger can be reached by email at er_legendre@sympatico.ca for further details.

Condolences to the K-Dog

2011-11-24T12:55:00.001-05:00

Condolences to Kenny "K-Dog" Grenier and his family on the sudden death of his father Donnie. K-Dog was the manager of the Arnprior Arrows and Prior Sportsbar teams in the old Arnprior Men's Fastball League and Donnie was a fan of the team and occasional heckler from the stands.

T-giving

2011-11-24T10:18:00.003-05:00

Happy "US American" Thanksgiving to all my readers south of the border, especially those in Elkland.

Photos from the GOFL Showdown

2011-11-20T13:07:00.002-05:00

I was sent some photos from fastball fan Jonathan Thomas about two months ago and I forget to post them. Here is a photo album from the Greater Ottawa Fastball League showdown event in Quyon in September.

Respect my Game - from Softball Ontario

2011-11-18T16:38:00.001-05:00

New Resource Available: Respect My Game Report Card

Toronto, ON- Softball Ontario is pleased to introduce a new resource for local softball association to use with their own Respect My Game program, the Respect My Game Report Card!

In 2008, Softball Ontario developed the Respect My Game program to address the abusive situations that were taking place on the diamonds amongst the game’s participants, players, coaches, umpires and other stakeholders of the game. The creation of the Respect My Game Program brought to life to raise awareness of abuse in softball and to encourage fair play and respect.

The Respect My Game Report Card is like a comment card that is completed by Umpires immediately after a game. The Softball Ontario umpire is to rate the level of respect on that they witnessed on the diamond. By completing the Respect My Game Report Card it will help determine the effectiveness of the whole Respect My Game Program within your Association.
In 2011, Softball Ontario piloted the Respect My Game Report card at six (6) major Provincial Championships (male and female) and local league play in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.
Below are some highlights from the Respect My Game Report Cards Results:
144 of the cards completed were evaluating Rep Level of ball (Fast Pitch and Slo-Pitch)
47% of the games that were evaluated for Respect My Games principles were at the Minor level (U19)
Officials overall satisfaction rating of compliance with Respect My Game principals with 55%
For the 2012 season, Softball Ontario will pilot the Respect My Game Report Card at the Slo-Pitch Ontario Eliminations to determine the effectiveness of the Respect My Game Program within the game of Slo-Pitch.

Other free downloads available for the Respect My Game Program include:

• The Respect My Game Card- to be distributed to various stakeholders within your Association (i.e. League Executive, Members, Divisional Coordinators, Coaches, Players, Parents, etc.)

• The Respect My Game Umpire Card-each Umpire who registers with Softball Ontario will receive a laminated copy of the Respect My Game Umpire Card which was designed to be included in the Umpire’s Place Conference prior to each game

• Respect My Game Posters- available with both Female and Male players. Ideal to hang these posters in your League Clubhouse and at Tournaments to promote the Association’s participants in the Respect My Game Program

• Respect My Game Guide for Parents and Guide for Coaches- is a resource designed to help parents or coaches identify whether their behaviour is abusive and help them better understand the (ten) 10 most misunderstood rules in the game. It also contains the Parents’ and Coaches’ Code of Conduct

• Respect My Game Code of Conduct for Players of the Game- use the Respect My Game Player’s Code of Conduct to encourage respect amongst players as well as towards the people in leadership roles (Coaches, Umpires, League Executives, etc)

• The Respect My Game Clinic Manual- to be used for in all of Softball Ontario training opportunities and provides strategies and gives exams of how to build mutual respect between Umpires and Umpires, Umpires and Coaches, Players and Umpires, Players and Coaches, Parents and Coaches
• The Respect My Game Brochure- promotional material that provides an overview of the Respect My Game Program

For more information about the Softball Ontario’s Respect My Game Program, please contact Steph Sutton @ ssutton@softballontario.ca or 416-426-7150.

Softball Ontario is the governing body for the sport of softball in Ontario. Our goal is to promote and develop the sport of softball for its athletes, officials and volunteers by providing programs and services at all levels of competitions.

Movember update

2011-11-17T17:17:00.003-05:00

Thanks to all who have donated to the Movember cause - including a couple of people I have never actually met - your contribution is much appreciated. Thanks as well for all that left kind words about the blog. If anyone else would like to chip in, here is the link: http://mobro.co/fitzroyfastball.

In an unrelated item, check out the photo accompanying this news article. Shameful how grooming standards for local junior hockey officials has gone downhill.

Junior Men's Nationals to return to Owen Sound

2011-11-17T10:17:00.002-05:00

As per Bayshore Broadcasting, the Softball Canada Men's Junior Nationals return to Owen Sound in 2012, this time as a U21 event since the ages have changed.

New U18 Women's team in Ottawa announced

2011-11-16T13:01:00.001-05:00

from Scott Searle

There will be a new U18 womens team in Ottawa next summer.

It will be coached by Scott Searle and Jenny Allen. Scott and Jenny coach the University of Ottawa Women’s team and have both coached several teams in the Ottawa area. Jenny Allen is one of the top athletes ever to play in the Ottawa Area. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards for her efforts including the Ottawa Sports Award “Softball player of the year” in 2009, as well as an Outstanding Youth Award in 2007 when she was only 18 years old. Jenny played most of her softball career with the Orleans Rebels, leading them to Provincial and Eastern Canadian Championships in 2005. Jenny was named the MVP of the tournament in 2005 as she drove in all 3 of her teams runs in the final game. In a strange twist, she changed teams in 2006 and holds the unique distinction of leading 2 separate teams to 3 Eastern Canadian Championships in a row between 2004 and 2006. She played with the Kars Aces when they won in 2004 and in 2006. She also led the Orleans Seniors to a National Bronze medal in 2009. Most recently she has played with the Pickering Heat where she got a Silver Medal at the Nationals in 2010. Jenny is also a personal trainer and currently works at Algonquin College

Scott has been the Head Coach of the UOttawa Women's team since 2007, is an instructor for the PWSA's "Colour your Dream" Long-Term Athlete Development Program, as well as the Mens Team Ontario program. A graduate of the National Coaching Institute with a degree in High Performance Coaching Studies (Level 4/5), Searle also holds a degree from the University of Ottawa in Honours History, as well as a Masters in Science in Teaching from the State University of New York at Potsdam.

The team will be hosting "Open-Gym Nights" from January-March for any interested athletes. The Off-season training will focus on developing: base skills technical skills, mental training , cardiovascular levels, strength for softball (Core Strength, Legs, Forearm Muscles), technical hitting skills, speed, agility, quickness, and softball specific anaerobic conditioning.

All athletes will be invited to these sessions with a minimal charge to cover the cost of the facility.

Team tryouts will be held outdoors in the Spring. Once the team is selected, we will pick practice locations based on the geography of the athletes on the team. We will work to vary practice locations throughout the season to try and equalize travel time for athletes. Our goal with this flexibility is to allow athletes from outside the Ottawa area to play on the team.

The team will be run based on the principles of the Long-Term Athlete Development Model produced by Sport Canada and Softball Canada. Details can be found on the Softball Canada website at www.softball.ca. We will compete in the CCFL, and look to enter approximately 6-7 tournaments.

We are hosting a parent information meeting on November 29th. If you are interested, please email Scott Searle at Scottsearle[at]rogers.com

Two suggestions

2011-11-10T22:03:00.003-05:00

1) Follow me on "The Twitter". You know you want to. Get the news first on Twitter before it's posted on the blog. Sign up here.

2) I'm working hard on this moustache. Yet none of you have sponsored me for Movember despite the proceeds going to a good cause as well as providing a tax receipt. C'mon, all this labouring over a keyboard to provide fastball news and Caveman stories has to be worth something to you? Even five bucks? Click here to sponsor.

Fastball players inducted into Kemptville Sports Hall of Fame

2011-11-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

Midget fastball team, golf pro and legendary softball builder among those inducted into North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame
By Ashley Kulp

EMC Sports - A who's who of North Grenville athletes and sports builders were out in full force Oct. 27 for the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame's 2011 induction ceremony at the North Grenville Municipal Centre.

Four individuals (golf professional Henry Brunton, snowmobiling trainer Lois Beckett, kayaker Adrian Richardson and Kemptville's 'Mr. Softball,' John Patrick 'Jack' Higgins) along with one team (the 1966 Kemptville midget fastball team) who have all helped to enrich the sporting history of North Grenville were inducted during the event. They will be represented in the municipal centre arena foyer on the large-screen TV and also on the hall of fame website (www.ngsportlegacy.ca).

Heather Burns and Doug Rigby, co-chairs of the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame selection committee, served as masters of ceremonies during the evening. The hall of fame committee selected the inductees from nominations submitted by members of the community. Other committee members include: Debbie Wilson, Alison Johnston, Ted Cooper, Bill Forbes, Chal Conn, Barb Tobin, along with the Municipality of North Grenville's Tammy Hurlbert and Darren Patmore.

Before the main portion of the ceremony got underway, guests were treated to refreshments and hors d'oeuvres served by members of the Kemptville 73's Junior A hockey club. They could also mix and mingle with other visitors and view an impressive display of memorabilia.

North Grenville mayor David Gordon was first to address the packed crowd and indicated how pleased he was to be at the induction ceremony. He underlined how important sports can be to a community.

"The inductees are a strong representation and example of community athletes, teams and builders who have promoted sports and healthy lifestyles to our broader community," he explained.

Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark echoed Gordon's comments and noted that sports has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember and it has enriched it deeply.

"...The relationships made when playing sports has transcended a lot of my jobs," he remarked. "Sports brings people together from all backgrounds and all walks of life...when that goal gets scored, it doesn't matter where you live or what background you have, we all stand up and cheer. Sports unites us as we all work towards a common goal."

Committee member Bill Forbes took a moment before inductees were honoured to salute the Adam Harlow Fellowship Fund. The non-profit organization created over 10 years ago which provides registration funds and equipment to children unable to afford to play hockey, was the recipient of proceeds from the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame's first golf tournament held at Rideau Glen Golf Course in May.

"Over 100 young athletes have benefited from the Adam Harlow Fellowship Fund," Forbes commented, adding that a $1,500 donation was realized for the fund. "...It seems fitting that this type of community effort fit in well with the hall of fame. I'm certain this well help assist young aspiring hockey players today."

Plans are in place to hold the second annual golf tournament next May 2012 where proceeds will benefit a different local charity or sporting organization.

Ted Cooper, with the help of Gordon, also presented hall of fame pins to a group of last year's inductees in attendance at this year's ceremony.

GAW SERVES AS GUEST SPEAKER

Guest speaker and local sports legend Sam Gaw had the audience's full attention when he addressed the crowd as the evening's guest speaker. Gaw, who was inducted for his contributions to hockey during last year's inaugural induction ceremony, shared some old memories he had of fellow inductee and Kemptville native Frank Boucher, who played with the New York Rangers for 10 years. Boucher also has the distinction of winning the Lady Byng Trophy a record seven times in eight years.

Gaw, who noted his favourite hockey player was Toronto Maple Leaf Syl Apps, got emotional when remembering when Boucher invited him to a Rangers training camp in 1943. He said the sport of hockey was much different back then.

"Back in those days, teams would take one goalie with them on the road and if he got injured they would try to get

some brave person from the crowd to take his place," Gaw remarked as the audience laughed.

He stressed that residents of North Grenville should feel blessed they live in this part of the world. "These days we watch TV and you see all that goes on in the world, Kemptville is a good place to live. With the hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires and famine, we've been very, very fortunate," he said.

INDUCTEES HONOURED

First to be inducted into the North Grenville Sports Hall of Fame for 2011 was Lois Beckett, who was born in Burritts Rapids in 1940. While she was heavily involved in the Kemptville Women's Fastball League, it is her commitment to the sport of snowmobiling that earned her the nod into the hall of fame.

Beckett championed the need for safety in the sport and took a leadership role in helping develop the driver training program for snowmobilers aged 14 and up. "Under Lois' leadership, this fledgling provincial program took shape," notes the induction program. "Despite the opposition to change, she recruited volunteers to teach the classes and sponsorship to financially support the program. Her perseverance and dedication convinced snowmobile clubs all over Ontario to embrace the concept of a safety course for newcomers to the sport."

Though Beckett passed away in 1987, to this day, 5,000 Ontario students graduate from the program she helped build, each year. Beckett continues to be remembered for her efforts through the prestigious Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) Driver Trainer of the Year award, which was created in her name.

The sponsor of Beckett's induction, Robert Noseworthy of Westerra Homes, presented Beckett's award to her sister Pauline McIntosh.

One of the most recognizable names in Canadian golf, Henry Brunton, who has been Canada's national golfing coach with the CPGA (Canadian Professional Golfers' Association) since 1999, was next to be inducted. Brunton was raised in Kemptville and was a skilled player in a variety of sports but his true love became golf. A member of the CPGA since 1985, Brunton has developed a passion for helping develop the golf games of junior players. Teams who have succeeded in winning the 2001 Four Nations Cup and the 2003 Americas Cup under his tutelage.

He also coached the 2006 Canadian national men's golf team to a silver medal finish at the 2006 World Championships and followed that up with a bronze medal for the junior team in 2010.

Brunton is also a published author and educator and helped establish the national teacher and coach educator program which is widely acclaimed within the CPGA. His impression on the golf community has earned him several accolades, including being the first and only Canadian named by Golf Magazine as one of America's Top 100 Teachers.

Steve Thibert of Tibbs Transport presented Brunton with the honour. "This is a fantastic honour and it's a real pleasure to be here," Brunton remarked. "I thank the community and all the sponsors for this tremendous honour. It's really special for me. When asked by the papers in Toronto what this felt for me, I said this is at the top of the list."

Brunton has happy memories of growing up in Kemptville. "Someone said the most important decision you can make in your life is choosing your parents and it's the best decision I ever made," he said, referring to parents Doug and Catherine Brunton.

He thanked his wife Rhonda and his son as well as his sisters and one of his first coaches and mentors, Rick Kotlarchuk. He also noted it was fun to see his Grade 2 and Grade 7 teachers in the audience.

"Being from Kemptville is a celebration for me. I'm very proud to be from here and my life has been enriched because I'm from Kemptville, the chances I got to play sports and being allowed to grow up here...I wouldn't trade this for anything," Brunton stated.

Lifelong North Grenville resident Jack Higgins, born in 1923 in Oxford Mills, was inducted for his hard work in developing fastball in the community. In 1937 he began playing baseball for the Kemptville Senior Men's League and played in area leagues until 1954 before founding Kemptville's major softball tournaments, something he developed for 30 years which earned him the title of 'Mr. Softball.'

Throughout the years, the softball tournaments became known as a gathering of the best of the best in Ontario and raised more than $300,000 for organizations including the Kemptville Lions Club, Kemptville District Hospital and Riverside Park.

Higgins also continued to coach bantam, midget and juvenile softball teams as well as serving on a number of boards and executives, including the Ontario Amateur Softball Association and president of the Interprovincial Junior Fastball League. He was also a valued member of the Knights of Columbus and Lions.

Sponsor Royal LePage Gale Real Estate's Harry Pratt presented Higgins with his award and he stepped up to say thank you. "I've had a lengthy career and an enjoyable career and the major softball tournament was very dear to my heart," Higgins commented. "...For years we drew thousands of people into Riverside Park. It wasn't easy to get all these teams. People might think I just sent out letters and folded my arms and waited. That wasn't the case. I worked my butt off, but it was thoroughly enjoyable."

"...It was a great ride and meant a lot to Kemptville and I was only too glad to help out on different projects," he concluded.

Kayaker Adrian Richardson, who moved to North Grenville in 1995 with his family at the age of 14, soon began sprint kayaking with the Rideau Canoe Club and could often be seen training in front of his house and paddling between the Burritts Rapids locks and Merlyn Wilson Bridge.

He earned a spot on the Canadian canoe/kayak team in 1996 and competed in his first international competition in Hungary. Some of his accomplishments include a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games and ended his career on the highest note possible, winning two gold medals at the 2001 World Canoe/Kayak Cup in Georgia. At the international level, Richardson has had over 20 top three finishes in the national canoe/kayak championships.

After retiring in 2001, from 2003 to 2005 Richardson served as head coach for the Rideau Canoe Club and passed on the knowledge and skills he learned in the sport. Under his direction, Rideau Canoe Club athletes earned 13 gold medals at the Canadian Canoe/Kayak Championships in 2004, and has also coached four athletes on the Canadian team, two of which participated in the 2008 Olympics.

Sponsor Tallman Truck Centre's Gerald Tallman honoured Richardson with his award.

"Thank you very much for the opportunity to be invited to this ceremony," Richardson noted. "It's a pleasure to be a part of such great company. There's so much history of sports here in North Grenville."

He said his kayaking career got underway after his parents forced him to make a "life changing decision" to either continue down the wrong path or make a decision to stay out of trouble. Richardson chose the latter. "I picked kayaking and I was lucky. I got in the kayak and everything seemed to work out," he stated.

The final inductees of the evening were the 1966 Kemptville midget fastball team who were crowned All Ontario Champions in 1966, marking the first time a Kemptville team has won a provincial championship.

"This was a real fun ball team to follow and there were a lot of people in this room who were big fans," noted Burns as she introduced the team.

Guided by head coach Keith Forbes (inducted into the hall of fame last year) and assistant coaches Forrest Christie and Ken Burchill, the team of 15 and 16-year-olds made the decision to play against teams in the South Carleton league, which was comprised of adults. "Despite the age and size differences, the skill of the players shone through," notes the induction program.

It was a great amount of commitment by families, sponsors, coaches and parents and players for the team to attempt to enter the Ontario playdowns. They took out Kingston, then Picton, Binbrook and finally Cochrane, before claiming the championship.

"When the boys arrived home they were honoured by a spontaneous downtown night parade, another first for Kemptville," states the program. "The next year the team entered the South Carleton Fastball League and went on to win many local, area and a provincial championship again in 1969."

In addition to the coaching staff, members of the team included: catchers Clarke Christie and Mike McGinn, pitchers Murray Hyndman and Doug Montgomery, first baseman Gerald Christie, second baseman Gary Christie, third baseman Neil Forbes, shortstop Bill Forbes, outfielders Ron Donnelly, Dave Gaw, Bryan Burchill, Alan Forbes and Eric Buckingham.

Many members of the 1966 team were in attendance to accept the honour and others who have since passed had family members who represented them at the ceremony.

Gerald Christie noted he would like to "thank our parents for driving us all over the province of Ontario. Without them, I wouldn't be here today."

He noted that Keith Forbes was a firm head coach. "Keith drilled balls at us left and right and we thought he was being rough on us but he said we would get it in the games and he was right, we did," Gerald said. "Years later we found out he was a drill sergeant in the army!"

McGinn said he was asked to come from Brinston to play with the team and he was "very happy to do so."

"I thank Keith Forbes for asking me to play because I don't think I ever thanked him," he said. "It was a great life experience and I had a wonderful time and made some great friendships."

Congrats to Scott Searle on being named to Provincial committee

2011-11-02T20:16:00.000-04:00

SOFTBALL ONTARIO ADDS THREE NEW COACHES COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO ITS LINE-UP
Toronto, ONTARIO- Softball Ontario welcomes three (3) additions to its Coaching Committee which include the following individuals Stephanie Mordus of Windsor, ON; Dave Mahaffey of Orillia,ON and Scott Searle of Orleans, ON.

Below is a brief bio on each of the new Committee Member:

Stephanie Mordus has an impressive background in Softball and anyone would be honoured to have her as a part of their team. Steph started off as a player, 3rd base to be exact where she received numerous All-Star awards for her performance and the natural progression was for Steph to move in to the Coaching aspect of the game. Steph is the current Assistant Coach for both the University of Windsor and University of Detroit Mercy, an active Softball Ontario Learning Facilitator/Evaluator, the Camp Coordinator for the Windsor Lady Expos Fast Pitch Association, the Head Organizer/Instructor for the Windsor Lady Expos Fast Pitch Association, a Member of the Windsor Lady Expos Board of Directors and a Member of the Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fast Pitch Association Board Member - Team Rep.

Dave Mahaffey has over ten years of experience in the great game of Softball through Umpiring and Coaching. Recently, Dave’s focus shifted from officiating to coaching within the Georgian Bay Minor Softball League as the Head Coach at the House league, Select and Competitive Levels. As a Director on the Board for his local softball association, he has instructed at many local in house player clinics specifically in Pitcher/Catcher clinics. Dave believes in coach education and has obtained “trained” status in Learn to Coach and Competition-Introduction, Softball. He has always been a great support of Softball Ontario programs specifically instructing at Softball Ontario Umpire clinics. He is enthusiastic about softball and is willing to share his knowledge within the softball community. Dave brings a perspective from the male house league and provincial level to the Softball Ontario Coaching Committee.

Scott Searle has a unique background that has an idea mix of Softball and Education and is an excellent edition to the Softball Ontario Coaches Committee. Scott was selected by the Principal of his school to develop polices for Substance Abuse and Right to Play. Scott is currently working on his NCCP Level 4 Certification for Softball; is currently the Head Coach for the University of Ottawa Softball team and has been since 2006; he was the Head Coach for the Orleans Rebels Junior Women’s Team form 2009-2011; he was a guest coach at Simon Fraser University Softball Evaluation Camp; Evaluator Canada Games Team Ontario for the Women’s Program and is the Hitting Coaching for Team Ontario Men’s Program. In addition to Scott’s coaching experience he is also an active Learning Facilitator and Evaluator for Softball Ontario, Clinic Instructor for OASA Skills Clinic and Program Instructor for PWSA’s Colour Your Dream program.

The Softball Ontario Coaching Committee is responsible for the delivery of Softball Ontario’s National Coaching Certification Program including Learn to Coach, Keep Coaching and Competition-Introduction, Softball, Softball: Level 3 technical. Coaching Committee members are also responsible for setting program goals and objectives, representing the Coaching Program and working to provide Coach Education and resources in the province of Ontario.

The Coaching Committee is currently involved in the following programs with more project underway:
· The National Coaching Certification Program for Softball in the Province of Ontario at the Community Sport and Competitive Stream
· International Coaching Symposium with Softball Canada

If you have any questions about the Softball Ontario Coaches Program or the selection process of the Softball Ontario Coaches Committee, please contact Steph Sutton via email at ssutton@softballontario.ca or by phone 416-426-7150.

Moustache season is upon us

2011-11-01T12:32:00.000-04:00

As many of you are likely aware, the month of November is often referred to as "Movember" as men grow moustaches to raise awareness and funds for men's health, specifically prostate cancer.

This year, I have decided to join the cause and will be growing a nice duster for my annual trip to the Vanier Cup / Grey Cup at the end of November. Note Mrs Fastball has not been informed of this yet - still working on how to break it to her.

Anyway, I am sure plenty of you have either donated already or perhaps are even participating yourself. But if you are interested in donating to my effort, my page is here: http://MoBro.co/fitzroyfastball.

BONUS: While I generally don't do any self portraits on this site, if I raise over $100, I'll post a photo on the blog of the final product.

DOUBLE BONUS: If the total gets over $200, I'll post a photo of the Caveman rocking his "moustache" which is forming part of his Halloween costume tonight.

Fitzroy Fastball's Halloween etiquette guide

2011-10-31T19:02:00.008-04:00

I've never been one that has had a love for Halloween. Even as a kid I wasn't really into it. Costumes seemed stupid, but I guess the candy was OK.

Mrs Fastball is on the other hand a big fan of Halloween, so she is the one that takes the lads out every year while I stay home and hand out the candy.

Given my years of experience as the candy giver-outer, here are some pro tips with respect to Halloween etiquette, all based on actual costumes tonight, several worn by kids that I have coached over the years in the local softball league. Assume four candies distributed as a baseline.

- Dressing up in your football or hockey uniform is NOT a costume. Even I though I am a big fan of fastball, dressing up in a ball uniform also is lame. RESULT: Minus 2 candies.

- Throwing on a bathrobe over your clothes and saying you are a "sleepwalker" is extra WEAK. RESULT: Minus 3 candies.

- Anyone older than 14 still trying to go door to door and collect candy is PITIFUL and bad parenting. RESULT: Minus 3 candies.

- White kid dressed as Buckwheat, complete with blackface make up. Sorry, not acceptable. (For more on this see Bruce Arthur's article today in the National Post.) RESULT: Minus 3 candies.

- Wearing and old sheet with eye holes and going as a "ghost" is better than the two above, but still a bit lame. RESULT: Minus 1 candy.

- Wearing camouflage hunting gear or farm overalls with matching John Deere ball cap is not a 'costume' in Fitzroy. If you or your dad regularly wears these same clothes to work or school or every weekend, that doesn't qualify. RESULT: Minus 1 candy.

- Sending out two brothers, both old enough to be playing ball with nine year old Fitzroy Junior, respectively as 1) a butterly and 2) a prom queen is a bit disconcerting. They have an older sister (hand me down costumes?) and not a lot of money. RESULT: Regular amount of candy and a whole lot of pity.

- Witches, monsters, goblins, zombies etc. that are actually truly scary Halloween outfits are best. RESULT: Plus 3 candies.

- Creative costumes like the neighbour's six year old kid dressed in full chef attire including hat, oven mitts, apron, etc. using a cooking pot to collect candy are acceptable. Not really scary, but at least some thought has been put into it. RESULT: Plus 2 candies.

- Extra polite kids that say "please", "thanks" and laugh at my jokes, as long as they have put a resonable level of effort into their outfits and are age appropriate get a small bonus. RESULT: Plus 1 candies.

- Little wee kids dressed up as hotdogs or butterflies or pumpkins are okay. (I'm not heartless!) RESULT: Plus 2 candies.

- Now if your dad happens to be a friend of mine and he gives ME a little treat (see below) then I don't care what you are wearing, you are good to go. RESULT: Grab the bowl and take as much as you want since I've been distracted.

Interview with Paul Algar

2011-10-31T10:27:00.002-04:00

Bob Otto's website has an interesting interview with New Zealand native and US resident Paul "Alfie" Algar, who has pitched for some big teams in some big games - and has made several Elkland appearances, including a couple of matches vs West Carleton Electric. Alfie, at 47, indicates that he is looking to come back and play again in 2012.

Old time fastball - video from 1992

2011-10-25T20:45:00.001-04:00

Check out this story from the Fastpitch West site - thanks to Dave Birnie (a Caveman fan!) for the info.

Vegas is going to Vegas!

2011-10-24T18:08:00.002-04:00

Perhaps you have heard of the Ottawa radio station Live 88.5 contest for a trip to Vegas. Well guess who won? Jonny Vegas will be going to Vegas!

I'm thinking that Vegas will make the trip to Vegas worthwhile.

UOttawa finishes first in their pool at Provincials

2011-10-23T11:35:00.002-04:00

from Scott Searle

The Gee-Gees women's fastball team beat Wilfrid Laurier 3-2 in extra innings to take the top seed and advance to the semi-final. Jean Cardona picked up the win and Andrea Nelson drove in the winning run in the 8th inning. The team is back in action Sunday at 1pm against the winner of Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier. Watch live at www.oiwfa.org

UOttawa softball wins first two games at Provincials

2011-10-22T15:49:00.001-04:00

from Scott Searle

The Gee-Gees started the Provincial Championships 2-0 after a 4-2 victory over Brock on Friday night and an 8-1 victory over Waterloo earlier this morning.
Jean Cardona picked up the win vs Brock with veteran Jill Taylor getting the save. Jillian Taylor earned the win against Waterloo on the strength of a 4 RBI performance from Steph Miller. Jacqui Timperio hit her first homerun of the season in an excellent offensive performance from the red-hot Gee-Gees.

Watch the team at 4:30pm online at www.oiwfa.org as they face off against the Laurier Golden Hawks for first place.

Article on Canada's Women's Team at the PanAm Games

2011-10-21T23:59:00.002-04:00

An article in the National Post about the Women's National team at the PanAm Games.

Glory days reunion in the Northwest

2011-10-20T21:34:00.001-04:00

Another glory days reunion for fastball players - this time in the Pacific Northwest of the US.

Hockey night in Fitzroy

2011-10-19T20:24:00.002-04:00

Hockey update from Fitzroy

Fitzroy Junior

Fitzroy Junior, sponsored by Combat Sports is currently leading his Atom team in scoring. Note however that they have lost their first two games 7-1 and 9-0 and he has the only goal. But he's still leading scorer!

Tonight we were watching a bit of the Jets - Leafs game. Fitzroy Junior, as most nine year olds are, has been known to be a bit silly at times.
Mrs. Fastball asks him: "Who's that player for the Leafs?"
Fitzroy Junior says "Dion Phaneuf".
Mrs Fastball: "Stop making up silly names and tell me who he is!"

Caveman

The Caveman is playing Initiation hockey and loves it, can't wait for the next one. He loves watching hockey on TV, plays 'basement hockey' with his brother, road hockey with the neighbours, has the Stanley Cup history memorized .

Mrs. Fastball is putting him to bed tonight and she's tucking him in Caveman says:

"Mommy, you know what?"
"What, Caveman?"
"When you put me in bed, to fall asleep, I think of two NHL teams and they play a game in my head and then I get tired and fall asleep. Tonight it's Columbus and the Senators." Yeah that would put me to sleep too!

2011 OIWFA Championshipsto be Broadcast Live Online This Weekend

2011-10-19T14:59:00.002-04:00

TORONTO, ON - The Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association (OIWFA) is proud to announce they have partnered with Air It Media to broadcast the 2011 OIWFA Championships live online. Hosted by the defending OIWFA Champions, the Western Mustangs, the top eight Ontario University softball teams will converge in London, Ontario this weekend for the 10th annual OIWFA Championship.

OIWFA will be broadcasting six round-robin games, featuring all eight teams, one quarter-final game, one semi-final game and the Championship game, to ensure that all fans, past and present, can help celebrate OIWFA’s 10th Anniversary. The live broadcasts will include multiple cameras, integrated social media with live chat, and full commentary. Commentary will be provided by a team of people including Kevin Gordon, Sportscaster for Rogers Cable, Kyle Smith from ballparkradio.com and Jennifer Lukas, former Western Mustang.

This venture is the first of its kind in Ontario softball and the historic first game will feature the Laurier Golden Hawks vs the Waterloo Warriors. To view this or any of the games, you simply need a computer or an iPhone with a high-speed internet connection. There are two ways you can connect;

www.oiwfa.org or www.ustream.tv/channel/oiwfachampionships

Air It Media is a new Toronto based production company, launching next month, that focuses on webcasting live events along with a variety of other commercial services. Air It Media is proud to be donating their services to OIWFA for their 10th Anniversary, to help further the sport in Ontario Universities.

For more information or for the Championship schedule please log onto www.oiwfa.org.

OIWFA was created on November 3, 2001 by representatives from York University, the
University of Toronto, McMaster University and the University of Ottawa. OIWFA is now
comprised of 12 university teams, and over 150 student-athletes from across the province.

-30-
For more information:
Brian Robertson
Ontario Intercollegiate Women’s Fastpitch Association
647.269.1114
coachrobertson@gmail.com

Mattamy Homes wins Glen Cairn Men's Fastball League crown

2011-10-18T16:44:00.001-04:00

from Eric Rosenquist

Mattamy Homes defeated Don Cherry's 5-2 Monday night in a rainy and cold game #2 of the GCMFL final, taking the best of three series two games to none.

Despite having only eight players, Mattamy jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the 4th inning, with two of those runs coming from a two-out double by Darren Featherstone. Mattamy added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the 7th to make it 5-0.

Don Cherry's finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh courtesy of a lead-off double by Jon Ferguson, a triple by Eric Kay, and a one-out infield hit by Eric Rosenquist that scored Kay. Darren Featherstone however struck out the next two Don Cherry batters to end the threat and the game, giving Mattamy Homes the 2011 GCMFL championship.

GOFL playoff poll result

2011-10-17T21:12:00.002-04:00

Last week the GOFL Playoff Poll asked readers to provide their feedback on the GOFL's playoff format. Here are the responses based on the 81 people that took the poll. Thanks to all that participated.

I prefer the 2011 format with the first round best-of-fives then a four team tournament early in September: 59 = 73%

I prefer the 2010 format with multiple rounds of series, including a final series that would end in late September or early October: 12 = 15%

I prefer to have all teams in a season ending tournament in September and have a longer regular season: 10 = 12%

I have another idea on how to stage the playoffs: 0

Mattamy's wins game one of Glen Cairn Finals

2011-10-14T16:40:00.001-04:00

from Eric Rosenquist

Mattamy Homes 2 Don Cherry's 1 (8 innings)

The GCMFL finals got underway on Wednesday, pitting the top two teams from the regular season against each other. Both teams finished the regular season with 26 points in 16 games, but Mattamy Homes got the nod as home team in the finals by virtue of their 12-2-2 record compared to Don Cherry's 11-1-4 record. The squads were also the top two in the league in terms of runs scored (104 for Mattamy Homes, 91 for Don Cherry's) and fewest runs allowed (20 for Don Cherry's, 45 for Mattamy Homes). Both teams won their division by a margin of 9 points over the second place finishers.

As many had predicted, Wednesday's game #1 was a pitchers' duel, with Mattamy's Darren Featherstone and Don Cherry's Billy Gerber each reaching double digits in strikeouts and yielding very few baserunners. Don Cherry's jumped out to an early lead, scoring a run in the top of the second with a pair of two-out hits by Eric Kay and Hugh Murray, the latter leading to a throwing error that allowed Kay to score on the play. It looked like that lone run might be enough as the score remained the same until the bottom of the 7th. Scott Parsons began the Mattamy half of the 7th inning by reaching base as a hit batsman, then gave way to a pinch runner. After a passed ball that moved the runner into scoring position, Jason Cope hit a one-out single up the middle to tie the game and put the winning run on 1st. Gerber retired the rest of the side however, sending the game into extra innings.

With the last out of the previous inning starting at second base in extra innings, Featherstone struck out three consecutive Don Cherry's batters to end the half inning and strand the baserunner. In the bottom of the 8th, Mattamy hitter Derek Tysick executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move baserunner Dan Gagne over to third. Shawn Mackenzie then stepped up to the plate and stroked an infield bouncer that was enough to bring Gagne home for the winning run.

Game #2 of the best-of-three series is Monday at 7PM at the A.Y. Jackson high school softball diamond in Kanata.

Glen Cairn League Finals feature Don Cherry's and Mattamy Homes

2011-10-13T16:42:00.001-04:00

from their website

2011 GCMFL Playoff Finals

The 2011 finals will see Don Cherry's vs Mattamy Homes.

Game 1 Oct 12 7:00 pm
Game 2 Oct 17 7:00 pm
Game 3 Oct 18 7:00 pm
Rain date Oct 19 7:00 pm

2011 Semi-Finals results
Don Cherry's wins series 2-1 over Laurysen Kitchens
Mattamy Homes wins series 2-0 over D'Arcy McGee's

GOFL Playoff Poll

2011-10-12T21:53:00.002-04:00

http://4044705.polldaddy.com/s/gofl-playoff-format

GOFL 2011 All Stars announced

2011-10-12T11:54:00.004-04:00

The Greater Ottawa Fastball League All Stars have been announced for the 2011 season, based on voting by representatives of each team. Each club provided their "ranked" voting for each position and could not vote for their own team.

Congratulations to everyone on the list below.

1st Team
Pitcher: Drew Hathway, Quyon Combat Flyers
Catcher: Joe McCleary, Quyon Combat Flyers
First Base: Chad Hargrove, Barrhaven Broadway Blues
Second Base: Steve Edgerton, Barrhaven Broadway Blues
Third Base: Chad Milne, Kars Aces (unanimous selection)
Shortstop: Kristian Knapp, Kars Aces
Outfielders: Brad Pender, Kars Aces (unanimous selection); Cory Morrison, Kars Aces; Dan Jessiman, Stittsville 56ers
Designated Player: Joran Graham, Quyon Combat Flyers

2nd Team
Pitcher: Paul Ceppi, Barrhaven Broadway Blues
Catcher: Trevor Power, Barrhaven Broadway Blues
First Base: Dan Bradley, Stittsville 56ers
Second Base: Kurtis Summers, Kars Aces
Third Base (tie): Lindsay Medynski, Barrhaven Broadway Blues & Neil Murphy, Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Shortstop: Scott Herriot, Stittsville 56ers
Outfielders: Don Cox, Barrhaven Broadway Blues; Derek Barber, Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric; Jeff Barber, Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Designated Player: Dave Tubman, Kars Aces

Moving day with the Caveman

2011-10-12T00:46:00.002-04:00

Monday was moving day for the parents of a friend of mine. They are in their late 60s, moving out of Fitzroy into a condo in the City. The mom is the person that coordinated the construction of the current ball diamonds in Fitzroy back in 1977. One of the things we packed up was one of her favourite momentos - the first softball ever hit out of the park for a home run at the diamond. The dad is "Bunting Bobby" who used to play in the local men's league and umpired in the area for many years.

I have my family over at their place, helping them pack up their stuff. Kind of a bit sad - boxing up the possessions of a lifetime, throwing out a bunch of stuff, looking at old pictures, and so on. We find an old bill of sale - Mrs. Fastball's grandpa built the house back in 1975 for a whopping $32,000.

The location happened also to be a popular post Harbour Days location for a wee bonfire and post-party pints back in the day. So to honour that tradition, we have one last bonfire and cook up a few weiner dogs for the kids.

As mentioned on the blog before, the Caveman loves his hotdogs. He doesn't get them too often but when he does, he eats his fill. There are several youngsters running around and at one point I notice the Caveman has disappeared into the house. I follow him inside to see what he is up to.

I find him, sitting on the toilet, half eaten hotdog still in hand, bathroom door wide open.

"There you are!", I say. "What are you doing?"

"Just finishing my hotdog Daddy. Want a bite, Daddy? And can you wipe my bum?"

Note: just doing some final "math" on the GOFL all-stars - the winners should be posted soon.

Roster announced for Team Canada at Pan-Am games

2011-10-07T16:01:00.001-04:00

Softball Canada releases roster for Pan-Am Championship in November 2011

(Ottawa, ON) Softball Canada is very pleased to announce the Senior Men’s National Team roster which will compete at the VIII Pan American Softball Championship. The event will take place in Hermosillo, Mexico from November 18-26, 2011 and will serve as a qualifier for the ISF XIII Men’s World Championship, to be held in Auckland, New Zealand in 2013.

"Keeping with the National Team youth movement unveiled at the 2011 AAU Tournament in Florida, this team features four veterans from the 2009 ISF Worlds roster supported by a strong cast of young players’” stated Senior Men’s National Team Head Coach Don Bates. ‘With team captain Ryan Wolfe absent from this event, Jeff Ellsworth will act as team captain in Hermosillo.’

The athletes who have been selected by the coaching staff to represent Canada at the 2011 Pan American Championship in Hermosillo, Mexico from November 18-26 are:

Athletes
Ryan Boland (St. John’s, NL)
Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, NL)
Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI)
Blair Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL)
Brad Ezekiel (Harbour Main, NL)
Brandon Horn (Waterloo, ON)
Mark Johnson (Glencoe, ON)
Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, BC)
Mathieu Roy (St. Gervais, QC)
Jason Sanford (Durham, NS)
Kevin Schellenberg (Squamish, BC)
Andy Skelton (Newmarket, ON)
Jeremy Tracy (Waterville, NB)
Sean Whitten (Calgary, AB)
Ben Wideman (Elmira, ON)
Brady Woods (Stonewall, MB)

Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Don Bates (Saskatoon, SK)
Assistant Coach: Les Howey (Conception Bay South, NL)
Assistant Coach: John Stuart (Vancouver, BC)
Athletic Therapist: Adam Davies (Ottawa, ON)
Operations Manager: Harvey Stevenson (Saanichton, BC)

Softball Canada will also send umpire Andrew Gallant (Moncton, NB) to the event.

Softball Ontario offers $500 awards

2011-10-05T18:55:00.003-04:00

News release from Softball Ontario

Deadline Announced for 2012 Softball Association Fundamental Excellence (SAFE) Award!

TORONTO, ONTARIO – Softball Ontario will provide twenty-four (24) Softball Associations with awards of $500 to help develop, Coaches, Umpires and Volunteers! With the help of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Softball Ontario is pleased to provide Softball Associations with the opportunity to win a Softball Association Fundamental Excellence (SAFE) Award! The SAFE Awards will help Softball Associations across Ontario to improve their volunteer development efforts for 2012.

What is a SAFE Award?
A Softball Association Fundamental Excellence Award is an award of $500 for Softball Associations to use in one of four (4) categories:
Volunteer Development
Community Coach Development
Competitive Coach Development
Umpire Development

The Awards will help Softball Associations to train volunteers for the 2012 softball season, thereby increasing their volunteer capacity and the quality of their programs. Softball Associations receiving a SAFE Award will receive a special presentation of a SAFE Award Plaque at one of their Softball Association’s events. In addition, the SAFE Award will help Softball Associations to work towards improving their SAFE STAR Rating!

How do I apply for a SAFE Award?
Applying for a SAFE Award is easy! Just follow these three (3) steps:

Step 1: Become a member of the Play Softball Network by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011. It’s free and easy to join, with lots of benefits for your Softball Association! Download an application form here:
http://network.playsoftball.ca/modules/download_gallery/dlc.php?file=3

Step 2: Submit your SAFE STAR Rating Application by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011
Download a copy of the SAFE STAR Rating Application Form here:
http://www.softballontario.ca/content/view/448

Step 3: Complete the SAFE Award Application Form and send it to the Softball Ontario Office by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011
Download a copy of the SAFE STAR Rating Application Form here:
http://www.softballontario.ca/content/view/447

Softball Associations are encouraged to set up a telephone meeting with Participation Program Coordinator Lisa Crompton by email lcrompton@softballontario.ca or by phone at 416-426-7150 to review applications prior to submission.

Complete all three (3) Steps in the SAFE Award Application Process by 12:00 PM on December 23, 2011 to be eligible for a SAFE Award. To assist Softball Associations in their application, sample application materials are available in the SAFE STAR Section of Softball Ontario’s web site at www.softballontario.ca under Association Awards.

If you would like to find out more information about the Softball Association Fundamental Excellence (SAFE) Awards, the SAFE STAR Ratings Program, or if you have any questions please contact Lisa Crompton at lcrompton@softballontario.ca or call 416-426-7150.

Softball Ontario is the governing body for the sport of softball in Ontario. Our goal is to promote and develop the sport of softball for its athletes, officials and volunteers by providing programs and services at all levels of competitions.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario. Their mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector, through investments in community-based initiatives.

GeeGees Women's fastball report Week 4

2011-10-03T19:04:00.003-04:00

Saturday October 1, 2pm Toronto 3 Ottawa 0
Saturday October 1, 4pm Ottawa 7 Toronto 1
Sunday October 2, 12pm Ottawa 5 Guelph 4
Sunday October 2, 2pm Ottawa 8 Guelph 3
Season record to date: 13-7
Next week: Sunday vs. Queen's in Napanee

The first game of the weekend didn’t start so well for the Gee-Gees as their opponent, the U of Toronto Blues got an early lead in the game. Although the efforts of starting pitcher Jill Taylor were excellent, the Gee-Gees were not able to generate any significant offense leading to their loss to the Blues. The second game however the Gee-Gees began to look more like themselves and with the extraordinary pitching of Jean Cardona the ladies were able to take a significant lead over the Blues and took the win for the day.

Even with the adverse weather conditions on Sunday, the Gee-Gees showed up ready to play against the Guelph Gryphons and the day got off to an exciting start in the first game where both teams were generating great offense and were playing tight defence as well. The score was 4-4 going into the bottom of the 7th and with a fly ball out to the gap in right, Grace Lonergan scored the RBI the ladies needed to come out on top 5-4. In the second game the ladies really found their bats and kept at the Gryphons' pitcher the entire game, getting significant hits from the top to the bottom of the order. Together with another great game from pitcher Jill Taylor and excellent defence, the ladies pulled ahead from U of G by 6 runs and held it for a final score of 8-3. Yet another great display of ball from the Gee-Gees, showing some definite promise for the final stretch of the season.

GeeGees article

2011-10-02T23:17:00.000-04:00

An article on the GeeGees season to date.

French immersion really paying off #2

2011-10-01T17:20:00.003-04:00

Me: So, Caveman, how did your dictée go today at school?

Caveman: Didn't do that today, Daddy, just had some spelling test thing.

Ottawa U GeeGees Women's Fastball Week 3 - four wins

2011-09-30T07:52:00.002-04:00

Saturday 2pm: Ottawa 5 McMaster 3
Saturday 4pm: Ottawa 6 McMaster 0
Sunday 12pm: Ottawa 7 Brock 3
Sunday 2pm: Ottawa 2 Brock 1

Friday night the Gee-Gees headed to Niagara Falls to play a doubleheader against Mcmaster Marauders. After an exciting night at the hotel; getting barely any sleep, the girls won both games against Mcmaster. The first game was won by the Gee-Gees in the final inning of play with a clutch hit by Jean Cardona right field to cash in three runs to secure the win. Jill Taylor pitched an incredible game to keep the Marauders from a comeback win. The second game the Gee Gees came out strong on the bats and were able to get a lead early and hold the lead while also keeping McMaster off the scoreboard with beautiful pitching from Jean Cardona.

The Gee Gees started off Sunday with a win against the Brock Badgers. The game was close until the ladies got on the bats in the final inning to crush any hopes of a comeback for their opponents. The second game was taken into extra innings; playing international tie breaker. It only took one inning for the ladies to cash in a winning run on an RBI by Jean Cardona to hit Taylor Rogalsky in for the win. Defence and offence were strong throughout the weekend which allowed the ladies to proceed home with four wins under their belts.

Guzzlers "Threepeat", win Blackburn Men's Fastball League deciding game 5

2011-09-27T21:44:00.002-04:00

from Nick Bowman

Guzzlers crowned BMFL playoff champs with a 3 games to 2 series victory over the Knights

Game 5 - Guzzlers 8 Knights 3

WP: Andy Barber (5 innings pitched, 11 ks)
Jeff Barber (2 innings pitched, 5 ks)
LP: Jamie Blakely (4 innings pitched and 7ks)
Ryan Chatten (3 innings pitched and 6ks)
HR: Andy Barber (Guzzlers)

In the top of the 1st inning, Kevin Schonfield would reach first on an error. Jeff Barber would walk. Derek Barber would advance to first on an error scoring Schonfield. Tsonos would proceed to single scoring both Jeff and Derek Barber to make it 3-0 Guzzlers.

The Knights would threaten in the bottom of the 2nd with Guy Millette on third, but Andy Barber would strikeout Tyler Cox.

In the top of the 3rd, Kevin Schonfield would walk and would score on a Jeff Barber double. After advancing to third on a pass ball, Jeff Barber would score on an error t0 make it 5-0.

In the top of the 4th, Mike Napper would walk. Jeff Eastman, running for Napper, would advance to third on a Rick Thompson bunt single. Eastman would score on a Brandon Spears rbi to make it 6-0.

In the bottom of the 4th, the Knights again would threaten by loading up the bases with only 1 out. Mike Brownhill would pop up for an infield fly and Guy Millette would strikeout.

In the top of the 5th, Ryan Chatten came in to pitch. Kevin Schonfield doubled and once again, he scored on a Jeff Barber double to make it 7-0. Chatten would settle down striking out both Derek Barber and Steve Tsonos. The Knights would get on the board in the bottom of the 5th. TC walked and Antoine Montpetit was hit by a pitch. Later, Ryan Chatten would single to score Tyler Cox. With one out, Brett Dugan singled to score Montpetit and move Chatten to third. Gerry Sancartier would proceed to pop up to center fielder Jeff Eastman who was able to throw Chatten out at home. The inning ended with the Guzzlers up 7-2.

In the top of the 6th, the Guzzlers added another with an Andy Barber homerun. During the bottom half of the sixth, Jeff Barber came in to pitch and the Knights would add a run on an error to make it 8-3.

In the bottom of the 7th, Tyler Cox singled and advanced on a passed ball. However, Jeff was able to strikeout the next 3 batters to seal the 8-3 victory for the Guzzlers. For the third straight year, the Guzzlers are repeating as playoff champs. Congratulations Guzzlers!

Bed time for the Caveman

2011-09-27T21:01:00.001-04:00

Caveman, getting ready for bed: "It might get cold tonight, Daddy. Get me my toupee!"

Me: "Your what?"

Caveman: "My toupee! To keep me warm in bed."

Me: "Ah yes, your duvet. Will do."

Glen Cairn Men's Fastball League Round 2

2011-09-27T15:56:00.001-04:00

from http://www.eteamz.com/gcmfl/

Round 2 features (C1) Don Cherry's vs (G2) Laurysen Kitchens and (G1) Mattamy Homes vs (C2) D'Arcy McGee's.

Game 1 Wed 28-Sep 6:30 Don Cherry's vs Laurysen Kitchens
Game 2 Mon 3-Oct 8:30 Laurysen Kitchens vs Don Cherry's
(if necessary) Game 3 Wed 5-Oct 6:30 Don Cherry's vs Laurysen Kitchens

Game 1 Wed 28-Sep 8:30 Mattamy Homes vs D'Arcy McGee's
Game 2 Mon 3-Oct 6:30 D'Arcy McGee's vs Mattamy Homes
(if necessary) Game 3 Wed 5-Oct 8:30 Mattamy Homes vs D'Arcy McGee's

Taggart's Welding beat ASAP Print Management in the "Beer Cup" consolation round.

Blackburn finals going to Game 5

2011-09-26T13:30:00.001-04:00

from BMFL.ca

Game 4 - 4-3 Guzzlers over Knights in 8 innings

WP: Jeff Barber (11 ks)
LP: Jamie Blakely (5ks)
HR: Steve Tsonos (Guzzlers)

In the bottom of the first inning, Steve Tsonos hit a homerun to put the Guzzlers up 1-0. With solid pitching from Jeff Barber and Jamie Blakely, the game remained that way until the top of the 7th. Gerry Sancartier would single to tie the game. Blakely was able to shut the Guzzlers down in the bottom of the 7th, forcing extra innings. In the top of the 8th, with Jamie Blakely starting at second base, Derek Martin reached first and Blakely moved the third. After Jeff would retire Mike Brownhill, Matt Edwards hit a 2-rbi double to the fence to lead the Knights to a 3-1 game. Barber would then retire Guy Millette and Tyler Cox. In the bottom of the 8th, for the Guzzlers, pitcher Jeff Barber was starting at second base. Steve Tsonos singled and moved Jeff up to third. Blakely would then strikeout Derek Barber and his brother Andy would walk. With the bases loaded, Mike Napper grounded out to first but Jeff Barber was able to score to make the game 3-2 with 2 outs. Blakely would proceed to intentionally walk Jeff Eastman and veteran Rick Thompson came to the plate. Rick Thompson would single up the middle to bring in Steve Tsonos and Andy Barber to lead the Guzzlers to a 4-3 win. With a recent change in the playoff format, the BMFL finals are going to game 5 for the first time in modern history on Tuesday, September 27th at 7 pm at the diamond behind the Blackburn arena.

Knights win BMFL final game #3

2011-09-25T08:45:00.002-04:00

The Knights took a 2 games to 1 series lead over the Guzzlers in the finals with a 6-5 win in eight innings. Game 4 is Sunday night at 7pm.

Cobourg Murphy's Windmillers win Peterborough League

2011-09-22T20:49:00.001-04:00

An update on the Peterborough League from Fastpitch West.

UOttawa GeeGees Week 2

2011-09-22T20:38:00.003-04:00

Friday 5pm Ottawa 9 Carleton 0
Friday 7pm Ottawa 16 Carleton 1
Saturday 2pm Laurier 4 Ottawa 3
Saturday 4pm Laurier 6 Ottawa 3
Sunday 12pm Ottawa 7 Waterloo 3
Sunday 2pm Waterloo 7 Ottawa 6

The Gee-Gee Women’s fastball team finished an exhausting weekend of six games with a 3-3 record facing some of their strongest competition. Friday night the Gee-Gee’s played the Carleton Ravens for a double header out in Orleans. To raise awareness for Mental Health, the Gee-Gee squad wore purple shirts for both games. The Gee-Gees came out strong to defeat the Ravens in five innings of play; with a final score of 9-0. Jill Taylor started the game; however, suffered an injury after the first pitch which resulted in Jean Cardona having to enter the game in the second inning. Gee-Gees came out strong on the bats with another win to finish off the night with two wins. Final score of the second game was 16-1.

Early Saturday morning the ladies ran a camp for kids and worked on improving their softball skills. Following the sports camp, the Gee-Gees hosted Laurier in Orleans for a double header. These two games concluded in frustrating losses for the ladies.

After recovering for the night the Gee-Gees hosted Waterloo for their two concluding games of the weekend. With a strong start to finish, the ladies were able to hold Waterloo’s talented batters to only 3 runs. All bats were on fire scoring 7 runs which allowed them to walk off with the win. The second game was a very close game which resulted in a loss for the ladies but overall a very well played game of ball. Defence and offence are beginning to come together for the Gee-Gees which is allowing for only a bright season ahead and an even stronger playoff finish.

Note as well this article from the UOttawa newspaper.

Blackburn league final series tied at 1 game each

2011-09-22T13:25:00.001-04:00

from Derek Barber

BMFL Finals Game 2 - Knights 3 Guzzlers 2
WP: Jamie Blakely
LP: Jeff Barber

The Knights were able to battle back from being down a run twice and pulled away with the game winning run in the top of the 5th. This game was close from start to finish as both pitchers threw very well. Expect much of the same throughout the remainder of the series. The series is now tied 1-1 as game 3 goes Thursday September 22nd at 7:00 pm behind the Blackburn arena.

Update on Chris Hall

2011-09-21T15:09:00.002-04:00

from Kevin Chevrier

Chris Hall, who has played some games with Kars Aces in the last 2 years, as well as with the Roebuck/Spencerville group, was in a very bad car accident last Saturday night, and remains in a coma in Kingston hospital.

Hopefully Chris will be able to make a recovery from this very serious accident. Info here from the Brockville newspaper.

Guzzlers take Game 1 of Blackburn Final

2011-09-20T17:09:00.000-04:00

from Derek Barber

Game 1 - 10-0 Guzzlers over Knights

WP: Andy Barber
LP: Ryan Chatten
HR: Jeff Barber (Guzzlers)

The Guzzlers scored 1 in the first and 5 in the second as they held on for the game one win. Guzzlers got some keys hits from Brandon Spears and Tom Lariviere who helped stake the Guzzlers to 1-0 series lead in the best of 5 final. Look for the Knights to bounce back with a strong game 2 as they did not lose back to back games all season.

Blackburn league finals set

2011-09-17T00:15:00.004-04:00

from Nick Bowman

Here is a preview of the 2011 BMFL finals:

2011 BMFL finals

#1 Knights vs #2 Guzzlers

Sunday, September 18 at 7:00 PM
Tuesday, September 20 at 7:00 PM
Thursday, September 22 at 7:00 PM

For the fourth straight year, the finals will see the number one ranked Knights square off against the number two ranked Guzzlers in this best of 5 series. The Knights advanced to the finals by defeating Good Ol' Boys 5-3 and 13-7. Jamie Blakely picked up both wins in the series. In game 1 of the series, Derek Martin hit a grand slam to seal the victory and in game 2, Tyler Cox hit 2 homeruns and had 7 RBIs to lead the Knights to victory. During the series, Brett Duggan was on a hot streak going 8 for 9.

The Guzzlers advanced to the finals by defeating Exit A’s 11-4 and 9-0. In game 1 of the series, Andy Barber picked up the win throwing 18 strikeouts. His only blemish was a grand slam by Jordan Adams. Offensively, Derek Barber hit 2 homeruns and Steve Tsonos hit 1 homerun. In game 2, Jeff Barber picked up the win and the Guzzlers got help offensively from Tom Larivière who hit a 3-run homerun.

The Knights, regular season champions, won the season series over the defending champions, the Guzzlers, winning 5-1 and 4-3 and lost a 3-0 game. Both teams averaged less than 4 runs against per game in the regular season. Will the finals be another defensive battle or will the offence over power the pitchers? Swing by the diamond at the Blackburn arena to find out!

Stittsville Bantam Selects win provincials

2011-09-16T14:24:00.001-04:00

from the EMC News

The Stittsville Major Bantam softball team recently won silver in provincial championships held in Toronto. Pictured are (front row, left to right) Luke Moore, Luc d'Entrement, John Assad, Spencer Lee, Braden McGinnis, James Mullan, (back row, left to right) coach Paul d'Entrement, Jonathan Egilo, Evan Belshaw, Sam Marks, Matt Gaines, Travis Drew, coach Andrew Mullan and coach Dean Lee.EMC Sports - Softball is alive and well in Stittsville with two Bantam Select teams participating in the provincial championship recently held in Toronto.

The Bantam Major Select Team, comprised of boys born in 1995, made it to the provincial final. The Major Bantam team defeated Georgian Bay by a score of 6-3 and Woodbridge by a score of 23-1 in the round-robin play before defeating Unionville 5 3 in the semi-final.

The provincial final was a thrilling rematch with Georgian Bay and featured some excellent softball. The Majors were rewarded for their day's effort with the silver medal following a hard fought 6-5 loss in the provincial final. Congratulations go out to the Major's pitcher Luc d'Entrement, who was awarded tournament MVP honours. The coaches, Dean Lee, Paul d'Entrement and Andrew Mullan, were extremely pleased with the hard work, hitting and fielding displayed by the team during the provincial tournament. The team consisted of Sam Marks, Evan Belshaw, Travis Drew, Luc d'Entrement, James Mullan, Spencer Lee, Braden McGinnis, Matt Gaines, John Assad, Jonathan Egilo and Luke Moore.

The Bantam Minor Select Team, comprised of boys and girls born from 1995-97, gained a tremendous amount of experience from the provincial tournament. The Minor Bantams' first game against St. Catherine's featured a come from behind 13-11 win after falling behind early in the game. In their second game, the Minor Bantams played well, but couldn't maintain their lead and were defeated by a strong Unionville team. They played hard in the Wild card game but were held to a single run against the team from Lyn.

The coaches, Craig Pavia and Steve Halse, were especially proud of the dedication and effort demonstrated by the Minor Bantam team this summer.

The team consisted of Kyle Tapp, Mathew Lee, Brad Cotton, Matt Pavia, Zach Pugsley, Alec Moore, Pascal Snow, Rachel McGinnis, Jamie Steenbakkers, Riley Walsh and Brady Halse.

U Ottawa Women's Softball and DIFD

2011-09-16T08:19:00.001-04:00

The University of Ottawa Women’s Softball team is dedicating their games from September 16-18 to the DIFD (Do it for Daron) organization in Ottawa. DIFD is named for Daron Richardson, a 14 year old girl in Ottawa who took her own life on November 12th 2010. The organization raises money to help remove the stigma from mental illness and help young people who suffer in silence.

The team is playing 3 sets of double-headers that weekend against Carleton, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. The team will wear special purple uniforms for each of the games.

The games will be played at Pierre Rocque Park in Orleans.

Friday vs Carleton 7 and 9

Saturday vs Laurier 2 and 4

Sunday vs Waterloo 12 and 2

Raising awareness and removing the stigma of mental health are critical issues facing Canada’s youth.

Suicide is among the leading causes of death in 15-24 year old Canadians, second only to accidents;
42% of youth say they would feel uncomfortable revealing they had a mental illness;
1 in 5 youth are affected by mental illness, but only 1 in 6 receive treatment or service;
In Canada, there are 3.2 million youth between the ages of 12-19 who are at risk for developing depression;
Canada loses close to 200 children and youth to suicide every year
With 1 in 5 Canadians developing Mental Health issues in their teenage years, it is incumbent on the other 4 in 5 to create a culture for them to discuss their issues. By raising awareness, the UOttawa Softball team is helping create that culture.

In addition, the team is hosting their 6th annual "Bridge to the Future Clinic" for minor athletes from 10-12 on Saturday morning.

EMC Coverage of the FWS

2011-09-15T08:57:00.002-04:00

Jeff Maguire's article in the EMC newspaper chain on the GOFL Final Weekend Showdown.

Memories of Elkland, 2011

2011-09-14T23:38:00.002-04:00

A trip to the Elkland Labour Day Durk Sherman Classic wouldn't be complete without the annual tradition, the "Memories of Elkland" post. Lots of guys tell me they enjoy this posting every year and several have asked "when is it coming?" No pressure, guys.

Anyway, here it is, all the fastball fun at Elkland. As always, where necessary names have been omitted to protect the guilty and some stories edited out all together. (There was a great Elkland story being told at the beer garden in Quyon last weekend, but no way that one makes the blog, a tad too raunchy.)

The competition: This year's tournament once again had 15 teams, same as last year. A few teams gone (bye bye RF Linemen) a few new teams added (hello NY Bombers). There were four, count 'em FOUR, GOFL teams attending, meaning over half the league's players were in Elkland for the weekend. This prompted one guy to remark that the Saturday night at the Moose could have been renamed the "GOFL Banquet". Overall I think the competition was better than some previous years. Pitchers there included Jeremy Manley, Bryan Newton, Sean Kelly, Bill Hillhouse, Steve Price, Kyle Linton, and Caleb Keeshig.

The big change this year was three game guarantee format instead of the traditional double knockout. An interesting idea that seemed to go over OK. Unfortunately things were rained out on the Monday with six teams remaining. From what I heard, the prize money was allocated fairly as could be given the circumstances.

Three of the teams remaining were from the GOFL, so a good showing - except for WC Electric. But as one Electric player put it "It's hard to party like a rock star and do well in the two 10am games." True, dat.

The hosts: Billy & Grant Sherman and the guys in Elkland do things right. Great guys that love fastball, pints, and go out of their way to be good hosts. Simply put, good people that would fit in the Ottawa Valley except for the funny way they talk.

The ESA guys work hard, but still find time to have fun in the process. Word is that ESA team might make the trek to the Gil Read Tournament next year to acknowledge the GOFL contingent that makes the trip every year down their way. It would be great to see their crew up here in July 2012.

The venue: I've said every year and I'll blog it again - the venue is most excellent for fastpitch softball. The old time feel of the place is hard to duplicate. The covered stands, the advertising boards in the outfield, the concessions - really great spot that is unique for fastball.

The fields were in good shape. The Elkland Softball Association complex uses tarps to help keep the infields in tiptop form over night. Here's a tip - help the ESA boys put the tarps on at the end of the night and you get free beer! 10 guys work for 10 minutes for 20 pints? Sign us up.

And the ESA gang certainly have embraced the spirit of continuous improvement. Last year it was the memorabilia room. This year, they put up a nice new fence to keep good neighbourly relations. (Sorry about the guys climbing over it on Friday night after the Moose, Bill - it seemed like a good idea at the time.)

As well, there was a new "luxury box" built over third base dugout on the main diamond which offered an excellent perspective to watch a game. There was a 'premium charge' to get in the box, but help with a few tarps and voila, you get a free seat in the luxury area. We watched the Sunday night match up between Kars and Knoxville in the box - a great game and a great spot to heckle. And heckle we did! However our heckling got a little quiet when Kars' pitcher Brad Porter took a one hopper off the face. Whoops. Looked like he was actually out for bit but eventually he seemed to be OK. He got up, Dave Tubman was catching and he says "Need a warm up Porter?", Brad says "no". Next thing you know, Porter chucks in a warm up pitch as hard as he can, much to Tubby's surprise! Anyway, he recovered quickly and started pitching as hard as anyone had seen in a long time to finish the inning and get Kars through to Monday.

Another great thing about the venue is the announcer on the main diamond: Ugo Barbano. He announces every game on Field 1 from start of the tourney to the finish. This guy takes his job seriously - I mean his Facebook profile has a photo of him in the Elkland announcer's booth! The place wouldn't be the same without his voice with that mix of whisky and Marlboros, announcing each batter. And he knows his players. First time West Carleton's #51 is at the plate, he's announced as "Mad Dog Murrrrrrrphy!" I run into Ugo at the Moose, he asks how Bud is doing in Newfoundland.

Thought experiment for those of you that have heard Ugo before: imagine his voice on your in-vehicle GPS - "Turn right in half a miiiiiile arrrgh". PERFECT.

The food: The chicken from the stadium "pit" was once again excellent and damn near worth the drive itself. Apparently in a good year, they sell over a 1000 chicken dinners on the weekend! (This year would have been fewer due to Monday's rainout.) Lots of hard work and MMMM good. The stadium also other fare like tasty sausages, the notorious nacho cheese, French fries, burgs and funnel cake.

I also made a discovery on the weekend. Say you are back in the evening from the stadium to the campsite after a few pints and your chicken lunch is long digested. You ask the lads anything to eat? Some guys have ordered the most excellent sheet from Pizza Barn and another accomodating dad of three guys on your team has fresh burgers off the grill. What to do? I'll tell you want to do - put that hamburger patty between the two square slices of pizza. Oh my that's good eating. Has anyone patented that yet?

Another food discovery was the Moose breakfast. Now I had heard of this before but never went. It's a breakfast... but not in the morning. You have finished your evening at the Moose, it's about 2:30am or so and you need a snack. Where do you go? Why, you go downstairs at the Moose to eat the special breakfast. Imagine, middle of the night, huge line up of drunken ball players and 15 local church ladies serving breakfast. Honestly, it was so good the next day I wasn't sure if I had dreamed it all or not. (I hadn't.) "You want biscuits and gravy with that, hon?" "Why yes, yes I do.....even though I have no idea what that is." It looks like a tea biscuit with mushroom soup with bits of sausage in it; so a little rude looking, but man it hits the spot after 14 Yeunglings.

Jesse is all grown up: Loyal blog readers will know that WC Electric has had the same bat boy since we first went down there in 2007. Sure enough Jesse met us there again this year and has now graduated from bat boy to roster player, even though he didn't actually get in to play. Apparently despite his plans in 2010 they wouldn't let him in the US Army (apparently they don't let EVERYONE in!) so he was back at Elkland High, trying to finish things off. Apparently this year's West Carleton Electric team picture with Jesse will be in his Grade 12 yearbook as we posed for "senior photos" with him.

Accomodations: I know some of the other local teams stayed in Corning, NY and thought that was a pretty good spot. Despite not being a camping-type person, we stayed once again in the ESA campground at the ballpark. Nice spot, close to everything and free. We all got there early to set up the campers and tents, and claimed a good spot for our group.

With help from Jesse, we had our fire pit all set up and ready to go. One of the guys who works in a home improvement store thoughtfully brought along some cuttings from the lumber yard - some nice two foot lengths of 1 x 6. Unfortunately some guys thought that karate was in order - note to self, DO NOT attempt to use your forehead to break through pine boards no matter how good an idea it seems at the time to split kindling in that manner.

Also interesting on Saturday morning was seeing one GOFLer from another team camped out under a light pole. Just lying on the ground, no tent, covered with an old ratty blanket and a nice layer of dew. Apparently he had been feuding the night before with a teammate (OK his brother) and was kicked out of the tent. Things appeared to be patched up the next day as they were spotted laughing together in the stands at the stadium.

The Moose: The Moose was again a great place to get the full Elkland experience on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. The drinks are still cheap, the music is still the same and faces look pretty familiar most nights, but a great spot to catch up with old friends, make new ones and generally have a good time. And of course for those so inclined there were some local lovelies looking to meet visiting ballplayers (refer to story mentioned in introduction which will not be blogged here).

On Saturday night, one WC player decided it would be a good idea to wear a red camping headlight into the Moose. Slide it down over one eye, add in the "Dadadada do, dadada do" theme music and there you go - the Moose Terminator. People were stopping him in the stands on Sunday asking him "Are you that Terminator guy from the Moose?"

Our team only suffered one injury on the weekend, and perhaps not surprisingly it didn't happen on the field, it was of course, post-Moose. Great night at the bar, you don't want it to end, sitting around with the guys, bonfire is going, a few tunes on the boom box, a couple of drinks to finish things off. And what's a guy want to do? Well, you gotta dance right? How getting up and doing a Cooler Dance? BAD IDEA. Big time wipe out, scraped down the leg, swollen ankle. Ladies and gentlemen, if we have learned anything from that weekend, it's that Cooler Dancing is dangerous.

The conclusion: Good time as always in Elkland, well organized tournament in a mint venue, good competition and great spirit. Once again I'm counting the days until next year, which will be the 60th anniversary of the tournament, and based on reports of the 50th anniversary, the folks in Elkland will do it up right. Put it on your calendar now, August 31 - September 3, 2012.

Fitzroy Harbour Men's Fastball League wraps up

2011-09-14T20:39:00.004-04:00

The eight-team Fitzroy Harbour Men's Fastball League concluded their playoffs on Wednesday night with a championship game played in front of a crowd of about 50 people.

This season the league opted for a new playoff format - playing a double knockout tournament spread out over 5 weeks.

The championship game was won by Ryley Burns' Green Team, which went through the playoff tournament undefeated at 4-0, beating the Ottawa Valley Heat Midget team in the final by a score of 11-4. Spencer Campbell, who also hit a home run to help his cause and Kurt Raycroft combined to throw for the green squad. Jeff Campbell took the loss for the midgets who were missing Adam Rueckwald from the pitching circle as he was away at school.

The Fitzroy league plays Wednesday nights and the occassional Sunday night at the Fitzroy Harbour Community Centre.

U Ottawa women's fastpitch, week one

2011-09-14T19:51:00.000-04:00

from Scott Searle

The UOttawa Women's Gee-Gees opened their season at home against defending Ontario Bronze medallists Windsor Lancers and Ontario Champions UWO Mustangs. The team is very grateful for the support from the GOFL and the Quyon Flyers for allowing them to piggyback on the Showdown weekend.

Catch the Gee-Gees this weekend in Orleans at Pierre Rocque Park. They play a double-header vs Carleton at 7 and 9 Friday night, a double-header against the Laurier Golden-Hawks at 2 and 4 on Saturday and finally a double-header against the Waterloo Warriors at 12 and 2 on Sunday.

The team will also host a free clinic for minor athletes from 10-12 on Saturday morning at Pierre Rocque Park.

September 10th

Game 1: Ottawa 4 vs. Windsor 3 (Quyon)

The University of Ottawa had a very promising start to their season this past weekend. Starting pitcher Jean Cardona threw an impressive first half of the game for the GeeGees and with the help of some outstanding defensive plays, highlighted by a diving catch in left field by Jacqui Timperio, Ottawa held the lead against Windsor for the majority of the game. Michelle Miller came in for relief in the 5th inning and kept the lead until later in the game when Windsor came ahead by a run. This did not discourage the GeeGees as in the bottom of the 7th inning with runners on, Taylor Rogalsky came up with a game-winning hit to put the GeeGees ahead of Windsor for the win.

Game 2: Ottawa 2 vs. Windsor 9 (Quyon)

The second game of the day was started off with a bang as Grace Longergan homered in the top of the first to put Ottawa on top early. The game saw a great showing for starting pitcher Michelle Miller until the middle innings where Windsor seemed to find their hitting groove and unfortunately the game was called early at a score of 9-2 for Windsor.

September 11th

Game 1: Ottawa 2 vs. Western 9 (Orleans)

The first of the double-header against Western on Sunday showed a strong debut from veteran pitcher Jill Taylor who kept the Mustangs at bay until the middle innings where their strong hits began to find gaps in the GeeGees defence. This paired with some unfortunate fielding turns on the GeeGees lead to the game being called early, with Western taking the win.

Game 2: Ottawa 3 vs. Western 9 (Orleans)

Jean Cardona visited the mound for the second time this past weekend and also for the second time kept a close game going against the opposing team. Ottawa also seemed to find their bats a bit better in the second game against Western and both teams played fairly evenly until Western began to pull away towards the end of the game as their hits seemed to have eyes right into the gaps in Ottawa’s defence. Unfortunately the GeeGees were not able to recover soon enough to defeat Western and the win went to Western once again.

Although the GeeGees went 1 and 3 this weekend all games showed promise and the outlook on the season seems to be a positive one!

Trend Arlington playoff update

2011-09-14T19:46:00.000-04:00

from Wynn Fenwick

Trend Arlington Men's Fastball League elimination round of the playoffs began 31 August with Ed Taylor's Shamrocks facing PJ Quigleys and GoodFellow Cleaners facing Durabuilt Construction. Each series is a best of three.

Game one of the PJ's / Shamrocks series saw PJ's using last-bat to win a wild game 11-10 in which the lead changed in every inning except the first and the last. Kevin Wilson (with Nick Norton) defeated JD Robb with Ivan Taylor relieving him, backstopped by Mike Gellner. Game Two saw PJ's win the series with a 4-2 win, Adam Smith going the distance for PJ's and Ivan Taylor for the Shamrocks. PJ Quigley's advances to the best-of-five final which begins Wed 21 September 2011 at 8:30pm

In series B, the first game saw Gord Flannery and Durabuilt Construction shut down the powerful lineup from GoodFellow Cleaners 7-1. Rene Roncali took the loss. Dean McDonald caught Flannery's 4-hitter and Dave Simmons backstoped Roncali for GoodFellow's.

Due to scheduling challenges and unforseen circumstances, Game Two of series B goes tonight (Sept 14) at 6:30 and Monday 19 September at 8:30pm for game three if necessary.

Fitzroy Junior's future ambition

2011-09-13T21:02:00.003-04:00

The Grade 4 English teacher has sent home an assignment - "tell us about yourself". So Fitzroy Junior has been diligently completing the questions, and I'm checking them out.

Who is your hero? "Wayne Gretzky" (He is the Great One.)

What is an important event in your life? "We finished second in our softball tournament this year." (We did come close on that one!)

What is your favourite food? "Muffin" (Don't mind the odd muffin myself.)

What is your favourite sport? "Hockey" (Fastball is better but still a good choice)

What is your favourite school activity? "Science" There are worse subjects.

What is your favourite song? "Killing in the Name Of" Now, that is a pretty wicked song. Not so sure it is appropriate for a 9 year old, but I guess he shares his dad's taste in music.

And finally...

When I grow up I want to be.... "HItLer" WHAT???! What the heck? You want to be what when you grow up?

"An NHLer, Daddy". Can't wait to see the teacher's reaction when he sees this.

GOFL History

2011-09-13T18:35:00.003-04:00

It is once again time for the annual September fastball history lesson. The GOFL and its predecessor, the Kemptville Men's Fastball League have been around since 2000.

Here are the past winners/finalists, as well as the league teams.

2000 Dolco defeated Macton (3-0)
2001 Macton defeated D.T.I. (3-1)
2002 Lomor defeated Macton (3-0)
2003 Team Easton defeated Macton (1 game final, 8 innings)
2004 Team Easton defeated West Carleton Electric (3-1)
2005 Team Easton defeated Stittsville (3-1)
2006 Team Easton defeated Stittsville (3-1)
2007 Team Easton defeated West Carleton Electric (3-0)
2008 Stittsville defeated Team Easton (3-1)
2009 Stittsville defeated Quyon (3-2)
2010 Kars defeated Quyon (2-0, series shortened to best of three)
2011 Kars defeated Quyon (FWS tournament format)

2000 - 6 teams
Kemptville Macton Muckdogs
Kemptville D.T.I.
Stittsville 56ers
Kemptville Dolco Printing
Kemptville Thunder Juniors
Kanata Pirates Juniors

2001 - 5 teams
Kemptville Macton Muckdogs
Kemptville D.T.I.
Stittsville 56ers
Kemptville Dolco Printing
Kanata Pirates Juniors

2002 - 4 teams
Kemptville Macton Muckdogs
Kemptville Team Easton (formerly D.T.I.)
Stittsville 56ers
Kemptville Lomor Printers (formerly Dolco Printing)

2003 - 4 teams
Kemptville Macton Muckdogs
Kemptville Team Easton
Stittsville 56ers
Kemptville Lomor Printers

2004 - 5 teams
Kemptville Macton Muckdogs
Kanata Team Easton
Stittsville 56ers
Manotick Lomor Printers
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric

2005 - 4 teams
Kanata Team Easton
Stittsville 56ers
Manotick Lomor Printers
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric

2006 - 6 teams
Kanata Team Easton
Stittsville 56ers
Manotick Lomor Printers
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Carp I4C Victory
Ottawa Blitz

2007 - 8 teams
Ottawa Team Easton
Stittsville 56ers
Manotick Lomor Printers
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Carp I4C Victory
Ottawa Blitz
Quyon Combat Flyers
Orleans Gators

2008 - 9 teams
Ottawa Team Easton
Stittsville 56ers
Manotick Lomor Printers
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Carp I4C Victory
Ottawa Blitz
Quyon Combat Flyers
Orleans Gators
Greely DNTW Eagles

2009 - 9 teams
Ottawa Team Easton
Stittsville 56ers
Manotick Lomor Printers
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Carp I4C Victory
Ottawa Blitz
Quyon Combat Flyers
Orleans Gators
Greely DNTW Eagles

2010 - 8 teams
Kars Aces (formerly Team Easton)
Stittsville 56ers
Barrhaven Broadway Blues (formerly Lomor Printers)
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Carp I4C Victory
Ottawa Blitz
Quyon Combat Flyers
North Gower Marlboroughs (formerly Greely Eagles)

2011 - 7 teams
Kars Aces
Stittsville 56ers
Barrhaven Broadway Blues
Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric
Carp I4C Victory
Ottawa Taylor's Blitz
Quyon Combat Flyers

Metro wins the McNab Braeside Senior Girls league

2011-09-13T16:39:00.003-04:00

Dave "BamBam" Bahm of West Carleton Electric guided his girls team to a championship this season. Thanks to Kelly McNulty for the info.

FRONT: Jenn McNulty, Abby Bourgoin, Kelsey MacMillan BACK: Shauna McNulty, Bethany Rampton, Chloe Eady, Dave Bahm (Coach), Kennedy Payton, Kelsey Budarick, Kim Higginson, Allie Leckie.MISSING: Kevin Leckie (Coach)

McNab/Braeside Fastball Senior girls wrapped up their softball division inlate July. For the 3rd year in a row, Metro and McCrae's Electric met in the A Championship series. McCrae's took the lead but Metro tied it up in the bottom of the 7th inning. The crowd and intensity began to increase as McCrae's came out strong on the bats, taking a 6 run lead. Now heading into the bottom of the 8th inning, Metro's coach (Dave Bahm) collected his team reminding them that the game was not over yet and to stay relaxed.......the girls knew it was going to be a challenge for sure but were definitely up for it. Still down and now with 2 outs, it seemed the game was over, but the team still did not give up until the 7th/winning run crossed the plate, allowing Metro to take Game 1. Metro went on to win Game 2 of the series and the championships. They were now the League and Playoff Champions for 2011 for the Bantam/Midget Division.

Midget natties make big money

2011-09-13T09:49:00.002-04:00

The Midget Nationals in Fredericton raised some big bucks for local fastball.

Wingers defeat Hitmen in New Edinburgh league playoff final

2011-09-12T12:15:00.002-04:00

The four-team New Edinburgh Men's Fastball league wrapped things up with a season ending double knockout tournament this Saturday at Stanley Park in Ottawa.

The Wingers went undefeated to reach the final, while the Hitmen, having lost their first game had to come up the losers' side to reach the final.

The Hitmen won the first game, but lost the "if necessary" game 10-3 and the Wingers clinched the title. Jason Smith had the pitching win, while Art Henry threw all four games on Saturday for the Hitmen.

Navy Club wins the Cornwall League title

2011-09-12T12:13:00.001-04:00

The Navy Club won the Cornwall Men's Fastball League championship three games to one over O'Neill Taping & Painting as per this article in the Cornwall newspaper.

Another year in the books

2011-09-11T21:03:00.005-04:00

Hard to believe, but another fastball season is pretty much over. Once the GOFL season ends, blogging gets a little less frequent on this site, but I still have a few things to post:

- Yes, people, Memories of Elkland is coming. I just need to "clean it up" a bit.

- The GOFL All-Stars should be announced soon.

- I'll be posting playoff results from other leagues that are finishing up (feel free to send any results you may have from fastball[at]fitzroyharbour.com)

- I'll be trying to do a few more "Interviews" over the off season.

- Hopefully I will get some results from the University Women's fastball to post on the site. For those of you that attended the Final Weekend Showdown, I think the ladies showed us the high level of ball that they play.

- And of course, there will be the periodic Caveman and Fitzroy Fastball Junior story to post as well. In that spirit, I'll leave you with a couple from this weekend past when the lads accompanied me to the tournament in Quyon.

On the ferry ride over, there was a young guy collecting the money.
Caveman: "How old is that guy, Daddy?"
Me: "Oh he'd be about 18 I guess."
Caveman: "Is he old enough to drink beer?"
Me (chuckling): "Well, if he lives in Quebec he is."
Caveman: "Oh OK. What about in Ontario?"
Me: "You have to be 19 in Ontario."
Caveman: "What about Darien Lake, Daddy?" (We went to the amusement park in New York State in July.)
Me: "You have to be 21 in the States."
Caveman: "21! You could be TWENTY and not allowed to drink beer?"
Me: "That's right."
Caveman: "Wow. They're smart in Quebec, Daddy!"

Later in the afternoon, just before the boys were going back home with Mrs. Fastball, we spotted Joe McCleary, official Combat Sponsor of the lads. Mrs. Fastball asked if they had ever properly thanked Joe for the "sponsorship deal" and I wasn't sure they had. So Caveman and Fitzroy Junior and I went into the beer garden to thank Big Joe. Joe held out his hand for a high five, and Fitzroy Junior slapped him some skin. When Big Joe held out his hand for Caveman, he went right up close and gave Joe a big bear hug! (He does like that stick.) Joe claims that he scares most kids, but clearly he has a fan in the Caveman.

The Caveman also earned a new sponsor this weekend - thanks to umpire Dave Herbst for presenting him with a shirt with "Caveman" across the front from Cave Spring Vineyard.

Anyway, check back semi-regularly for updates as I'll be posting when I have any news.

Blackburn league semi-finals

2011-09-11T20:52:00.001-04:00

from Nick Bowman

Semi-finals of the 2011 BMFL playoffs

#1 Knights vs #6 Good Ol' Boys

Sunday, September 11 at 6:00 PM
Tuesday, September 13 at 9:00 PM

After upsetting Gloucester Heating in the first round of the playoffs, the Good Ol' Boys are looking to upset the number one ranked team the Knights. GOB defeated Heating by a score of 14-13 and 5-4 with Andy Dunn picking up both wins. The Knights defeated the Rogues 10-4 and 7-2 with Jamie Blakely and Ryan Chatten each picking up a win. The key match up of the series will be the Knights pitching against the high powered offence of GOB. Also of note, the series is pitting team captains and frequent users of the BMFL forum Derek Martin and John Tremblay.

#2 Guzzlers vs #4 Exit A's

Sunday, September 11 at 8:00 PM
Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00 PM

The second series will see the Guzzlers square off against Exit A’s. The Guzzlers had some stellar pitching from Andy and Jeff Barber to defeat Goofellow Cleaner’s 16-0 and 7-2. Kevin Shonfield seems to have found the power which helped him pick up 8 homeruns in 2010 by hitting two homeruns in the series. Exit moved on the second round by defeating Mr. Electric 7-2 and 12-6. The A’s relied on some clutch defence and some timely hits to sweep the series. Jordan Adams was a force to be reckoned with at shortstop and at the plate. Will Lowe picked up both wins and A.J. Plant was also swinging a hot stick during the series.

GOFL Playoff Tournament - Kars wins GOFL championship - with details

2011-09-10T11:44:00.004-04:00

The first ever Greater Ottawa Fastball League "final weekend showdown" tournament to determine the playoff champion was held on Saturday in Quyon. The weather was perfect, the crowds were good, the competition was excellent, the beer was cheap - pretty safe to say it was a success.

After Friday night wins by Quyon and Kars, the games on Saturday unfolded as follows:

Barrhaven Broadway Blues 5 Ottawa Blitz 4
The two defeated teams from Friday night played at 9am on Saturday to determine which team would be eliminated from the tournament first. The third seed Barrhaven team prevailed 5-4 over the fourth seed Blitz.

Paul Ceppi had the win for the Blues and Trevor Lahey came in to finish and earn the save. Shannon Borho took the loss, throwing a complete game for Ottawa.

Barrhaven scored three runs in the first and eventually got out to a 5-0 lead, aided by a Calvin Medynski home run and two RBIs by Trevor Power. However the Blitz didn't give up, bringing the score to 5-2 on back to back homer solo runs by Derick Bulley and Tony Searle. In the seventh, the Blitz made things interesting when Bulley hit another dinger, this time a two run shot to make it 5-4, but that's how it ended.

Kars Aces 8 Quyon Combat Flyers 1
The two undefeated teams played in the 11am game as Kars mercied Quyon, who had previously been undefeated in 2011 GOFL play.

Corey Costello had the win for Kars, while Joran Graham took the loss and had relief from Drew Hathway and Matt Greer.

Kars struck early, scoring five runs in the first inning including a Dave Tubman grand slam. After that the Aces never looked back. Kevin Chevrier and Kristian Knapp also had homeruns for the Aces, while Quyon's sole run was from a Joran Graham homer.

Quyon Combat Flyers 5 Barrhaven Broadway Blues 0
Next up at 1pm was the semi-final game between Quyon and Barrhaven to determine who would play Kars in the final. The Flyers shut out the Blues 5-0.

Drew Hathway had the win and Matt Greer saw some action in relief. Chad Hargrove took the loss and Paul Ceppi threw six innings in relief.

Quyon got two runs in the first on RBIs by Joran Graham and Drew Hathway. Later in the game, Matt Greer had a solo home run and Hathway had a two run shot.

Kars Aces 6 Quyon Combat Flyers 2 - GOFL Playoff Final
After an exciting game between the university women from UOttawa and Windsor U, which was won on a walk off single by the GeeGees 5-4, it was time for the GOFL final between the same two teams as 2010, the Kars Aces and the Quyon Combat Flyers.

With a 6-2 win, for the second year in a row, Kars are the GOFL Playoff Champions, earning the I4C Consulting Trophy. Quyon have lost the last three championship finals, including 2009 to Stittsville 56ers.

Kars pitchers combined for a two hitter as Steve Price had the win with Brad Porter seeing an inning in relief. Drew Hathway took the loss with Joran Graham facing one batter in relief.

Despite the score, the game was quite close until the sixth with both pitchers throwing very well.

After three and a half scoreless innings, Kristian Knapp broke the goose egg with a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth to put Kars out to a 1-0 lead.

Quyon answered back in the top of the sixth when after Joran Graham walked, Drew Hathway hit a two run shot to put the Flyers up 2-1.

Just when it looked like the "if necessary" game might be needed, Kars rallied for five in the bottom of the sixth to seal the win. After an out, Knapp and Price hit back to back singles which were only the second and third hits of the game for the Aces. Cory Morrison's double off the right field fence cashed Knapp, and Chad Milne's RBI single scored Price. Hathway struck the next batter out, but then Matt Alkerton stroked a three run homer.

Brad Porter came in to relief Price in the top of the seventh and struck out the side to end the game and seal the repeat championship for Kars.

Kars pitching
Steve Price WIN 6IP 2R 2ER 2H 14K 5BB
Brad Porter 1IP 0R 0H 3K 0BB

Quyon pitching
Drew Hathway LOSS 5.2IP 6R 6ER 6H 8K 1BB 1HBP
Joran Graham 0.1IP 0R 0H 1K 0BB

Kars hitting
Kristian Knapp 2-3, 2R, HR, RBI
Steve Price 1-3, R
Cory Morrison 1-3, 2B, RBI, R
Chad Milne 1-3, RBI, R
Matt Alkerton 1-3, HR, 3RBI, R

Quyon hitting
Matt Greer 2BB
Joran Graham BB, R
Drew Hathway 1-3, HR, 2RBI
Tim Craig 1-3, 2B

See below for play by play:

Starting pitchers: Steve Price for Kars, Drew Hathway for Quyon

Top 1st
Greer walked, picked off c to 2b for first out. Laframboise struck out for second out. McCleary flew out to rf for third out. 0R 0H 0LOB

Bottom 1st
Pender hit by pitch, stole second. Knapp popped out to 3b for first out. Price grounded out ss to 1b for second out. Morrison flew out to rf for third out. 0R 0H 1LOB

Top 2nd
Graham struck out for first out. Hathway struck out for second out. Armitage struck out for third out. 0R 0H 0LOB

Bottom 2nd
Milne grounded out 2b to 1b for first out. Tubman grounded out 2b to 1b for second out. M Alkerton struck out for third out. 0R 0H 0LOB

Top 3rd
McCord walked, took second on wild pitch. Craig struck out for first out. Young struck out for second out. Greer walked. Laframboise struck out for third out. 0R 0H 2LOB

Bottom 3rd
C Alkerton struck out for first out. Chevrier grounded out 3b to 1b for second out. Pender struck out for third out. 0R 0H 0LOB

Top 4th
McCleary struck out for first out. Graham struck out for second out. Hathway struck out for third out. 0R 0H 0LOB

Bottom 4th
Knapp solo homerun. Price flew out to rf for one out. Morrison struck out for two out. Milne grounded out 2b to 1b for third out. 1R 1H 0LOB, Kars leads 1-0

Top 5th
Armitage struck out for first out. McCord struck out for second out. Craig doubled and took third on a wild pitch. Young walked. Greer grounded to 1b unassisted for third out. 0R 1H 2LOB, Kars leads 1-0

Bottom 5th
Tubman walked. M Alkerton struck out for first out. C Alkerton grounded out 2b to 1b for second out, Tubman advanced to second. Chevrier struck out for third out. 0R 0H 1LOB, Kars leads 1-0

Top 6th
Laframboise grounded out ss to 1b for first out. McCleary struck out for second out. Graham walked, Baker in to pinch run. Hathway two run homer. Armitage struck out for third out. 2R 1H 0LOB, Quyon leads 2-1

Bottom 6th
Pender struck out for first out. Knapp singled. Price singled, Knapp advanced to third. Morrison doubled, Knapp scored, Price advanced to third. Milne singled, Price scored, Morrison advanced to third. Tubman struck out for second out. M Alkerton three run homer. Graham in to pitch. C Alkerton struck out for third out. 5R 5H 0LOB, Kars leads 6-2

Top 7th
Porter in to pitch. McCord struck out for first out. Craig struck out for second out. Young struck out for third out. 0R 0H 0LOB, Kars wins 6-2

Glen Cairn Men's League playoffs

2011-09-10T11:42:00.001-04:00

The round 1 GCMFL playoffs match-ups are now set.

In the playoff play-in games, Ottawa Home Servies beat Taggart's Welding 17-10 in extra innings and will face Don Cherry's. Federal Accessibility beat ASAP and will face Mattamy Homes

Match-ups

(G1) Mattamy Homes plays (G4) Federal Accessibility

(G2) Laurysen Kitchens plays (G3) East Side Mario's

(C1) Don Cherry's plays (C5) Ottawa Homes Services

(C2) Broadway's plays (C3) D'Arcy McGee's

Round 2 will see the winners cross over divisons.

Other Notes

(C4) Taggart's Welding plays (G5) ASAP in where the winner gets a 60 pack of beer.

ASAP has the 1st pick overall after the pitcher's round in the 2012 draft.

Friday night at the GOFL Final Weekend Showdown

2011-09-10T00:26:00.002-04:00

Friday night at the GOFL Final Weekend Showdown tournament in Quyon featured two games.

Quyon Combat Flyers 7 Ottawa Blitz 0

In the opener, the host Quyon team prevailed 7-0 over the Ottawa Blitz in 5 innings. Drew Hathway had the win with a one hitter, while Jamie Blakely took the loss with relief from Shannon Borho.

Joran Graham was 2 for 3 with a single and a double, scoring two runs. Drew Hathway had two doubles, two RIBis and scored a run. Nick Armitage was 2-3 with two runs scored and an RBI and Luke Young was 1-2 with a walk, a run scored, and the game ending RBI.

Kars Aces 4 Barrhaven Broadway Blues 0

The nightcap saw the Kars Aces score early and hold on for a 4-0 win over Barrhaven. Steve Price had the win, allowing only three hits and striking out an incredible 22 batters (two men reached on passed balls). Trevor Lahey took the loss, while Paul Ceppi came in to relieve.

Kars was led by Price who hit a solo home run in the first and Dave Tubman who hit a two run homer in the second.

Saturday games will see Kars vs Quyon and Barrhaven vs Blitz.

FWS Twitter updates

2011-09-09T15:45:00.003-04:00

Your intrepid reporter, Fitzroy Fastball, will be at the Final Weekend Showdown for most of the weekend.

If you want to keep up to date on the scores, check Twitter as I'll be attempting to remotely update from Quyon - assuming I have a cell phone signal there.

You can read the FitzroyFastball Twitter feed here.

By the way, leave a comment or reply to a tweet if you find this interuption to my quality time in the beer garden worthwhile.

GOFL Playoff Tournament

2011-09-09T12:45:00.004-04:00

Action begins tonight for the final road to the I4C Consulting Trophy, emblematice of GOFL playoff success.

The Quyon Fairgrounds will have a beer garden (of course) with pints $5 for 2, as well as a BBQ.

Games start at 7pm tonight and 9am on Saturday, with the final at 5pm. Added bonus is some University Women's Fastball games. For the complete schedule checkout this post.

See you there - rumour is that Fitzroy Junior and the Caveman will be on hand to watch some games as well.

UOttawa Women's Softball 2011

2011-09-09T08:39:00.001-04:00

from Scott Searle

The UOttawa Womens team is thrilled to announce their 2011 roster. The roster includes 5 returning athletes from 2010 and 9 new faces. The team looks to be strong in the circle with the addition of the Ontario Midget MVP Jean Cardona from Pembroke, Ontario. The team also added pitchers Jacqui Timperio, Michelle Miller and welcomes back 6th year veteran Jillian Taylor who is studying for her Masters in Arts and Education.

The Gee-Gees will continue their tradition of having excellent catchers with a trifecta of elite athletes behind the plate. Gee-Gee power hitter Taylor Rogalsky is returning to the team after a summer leading her Napanee Express to a 4th place finish at Provincials before being picked up by the Bramalea Slam for the Junior Nationals. The team also adds heavily recruited Ottawa native, Grace Lonergan who played with the Mississauga North Tigers before being picked up by the Brampton Blazers for the Canadian Championships in Winnipeg. The team also added Chelsea Moran who competed on behalf of team Quebec at the Midget National Championships.
The outfield sees the return of Stephanie Miller and Elyssa Dobson who were stars for the garnet and grey in their rookie season. Joining them in the outfield will be Mary Tanos who is fresh off leading the Scarborough Sting Rays to the Eastern Canadian Championships in PEI. Three more first year players, speedsters Isabelle Pilon, Michelle Miller and Jaqui Timperio round out the outfield.

The infield will see some changes with transfer student Andrea Nelson playing SS while Grace Lonergan and Taylor Rogalsky will platoon between catcher and first base. Nadine D’entremount and Stephanie Finan complete the roster. Nadine competed for the Province of Quebec at the Midget Nationals while Stephanie represented Ontario at the Junior Women’s championships with the Bramalea Slam. Bramalea had a strong UOttawa contingent as she was joined by Taylor Rogalsky and Elyssa Dobson. This year marked a high water mark for the Gee-Gees as they sent 6 athletes to Canadian Championships (3 Midget, 3 Junior), as well as 2 to the Eastern Canadian Championships. The team will start their season at home on September 10th in Quyon at 3 and 5 to chase some wins of their own.

The coaching staff is thrilled to announce a number of additions as we added Peak Performance specialist Ray Perras, and 2008 Olympian Robin Mackin as a pitching coach. Robin is currently studying medicine at the University of Ottawa after finishing her degree in pre-med at Fresno State and Nebraska. During her athletic career Robin was named both an Academic and Athletic All-American. Local softball star Jenny Allen returns to the team as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist in addition to working with the infielders, and Paul Sauve returns to work with the catchers while Scott Searle remains the teams Head Coach.

Be sure to follow the team as they march toward the Provincial Championships in London.

2011 uOttawa Softball Roster
Name Position Number Academic Year Program Hometown
Stephanie Miller Of 2 2nd 2nd Language Teaching Cambridge, Ontario
Grace Longeran C/3B 3 1st Psychology Ottawa, Ontario
Jean Cardona P/SS 4 1st Psychology Pembroke, Ontario
Mary Tanos Of 7 1st Psychology (French) Scarborough, Ontario
Andrea Nelson SS 8 3rd Bachelor of Science specialization in Psychology Burlington, Ontario
Jacqui Timperio Of/P 11 2nd Human Kinetics Peterborough, Ontario
Elyssa Dobson OF 13 2nd Human Kinetics Brampton, Ontario
Jillian Taylor P 17 6th Masters of Arts in Education Orleans, Ontario
Michelle Miller Of/P 19 1st Health Sciences Pickering, Ontario
Stephanie Finan 1b/3B 23 1st French as a 2nd Language Brampton, Ontario
Isabelle Pilon OF 20 2nd Human Kinetics Rigaud, Ontario
Nadine D’Entremount 2B/OF 31 2nd Biology Stittsville, Ontario
Taylor Rogalsky C/3B 33 2nd Human Kinetics Napanee, Ontario
Chelsea Moran C/OF 42 1st Human Kinetics Orleans, Ontario

Coaching Staff:
Scott Searle Head Coach/Hitting/Outfield Orleans, Ontario
Jenny Allen Strength and Conditioning/Infield Coach Orleans, Ontario
Paul Sauve Catching Coach Arnprior, Ontario
Ray Perras Peak Performance Specialist Sudbury, Ontario
Robin Mackin Pitching Coach Newmarket, Ontario