Editor's  Page

Welcome to all of you, the fastpitch players, coaches, managers, and fans of the game. It is my privilege to play host to all of you who log in to read about the game of fastpitch, whether it is to catch the latest score, check the standings, read about your favorite teams -- which sometimes is understandably your own, or to read about the exploits, accomplishments or trials of your favorite players. During the past six  seasons on the Internet, I have enjoyed hearing from many of you, whether it is around the ballpark, or in the emails passing on your kind words of encouragement.  Thanks to the contributions of many of you, we have grown from a webpage or two to the many that now fill this website. 

In 1998, we started our site with a few pages of information on the local Southern California travel league.  The response was immediate, and the steady stream of emails made me realize that the folks out there did indeed care a great deal about the game of fastpitch.  In 2001, we were pleased to announce a permanent home at www.fastpitchwest.com, after sharing space at www.flanaganlaw.com where we first began.  For 2002, we greatly expanded our popular photo galleries, due in large part to the feedback we received from many of you and added an email mailing list, "Thefastpitch", to simplify getting in touch with our readers.  We also served as the official internet host to the NAFA World Series, our largest undertaking to date.  

For 2003, we rolled out the "new look" fastpitchwest.com, the first major revision to website since we started, to provide a more user-friendly experience for our readers.  The reader response to that was nothing short of amazing.  We continued our start-to-finish coverage of the NAFA World Series at Chippewa, WI, where we undertook our first ever live audio broadcast, streaming the championship game of the NAFA "AAA" World Series over the internet.   "Maddy's Photo Galleries" became the most frequently visited pages at the website.

For 2004, we added a "Forum" bulletin board where our readers can post their comments and announcements directly, and created FPWN, the "FastPitchWest Network", expanding our live audio broadcasts to three dozen games during the course of the season, including the AAU International Tournament in Orlando FL, Red Rock at St. George UT, Rose Cup at Portland OR, and the ISC II Tournament of Champions at Fargo, North Dakota.  2004 also saw the addition of what has become one of the most popular original content features, "Morning Brief", our own blog for miscellaneous news in the world of fastpitch and the musings of yours truly.  The year also saw Fastpitchwest feature stories published by Softball Magazine, the "Sports Illustrated of Softball", including photo layouts by FPW's own, Maddy Flanagan and four full page fastpitch covers in the magazine.  Finally, for 2004, we rolled out our first FPW "gear", T-shirts sold online and elsewhere.

In 2005, we rolled out our companion website, "Ballparkradio.com", providing an online home for streaming audio broadcasts of fastpitch/fastball games, making it easier than ever for fans of the game to find the broadcast links.

Being here at Fastpitchwest, I have the opportunity to see the wonderful impact the internet has on connecting us all, from the players, to the fans, to their families.  During a recent National Tournament, I heard from a mother, following the progress of her son's team in Fargo, ND at the NAFA World Series by logging in to our site.  Later that day, it was she who had an update for me to post for all to see.  I received an email from a father continents away, in New Zealand logging in to get scores of his son's team in Washington.  A reader in Hawaii wrote to us, looking for showtimes to Jeremy Spear's "FASTPITCH" movie.  Another in the midwest wrote, doing likewise.  I get to hear comments from players around town talking about how much they enjoyed the photos we posted here, or seeing a manager with xerox copies of our webpages stuffed into a ballbag to give to his players.

I am humbled by the compliments many of you have taken the time to pass on about our efforts here at Fastpitchwest, but feel that I should thank all of you for the rewards that come with sitting in the editor's chair. I get to hear from people across town, across the state, country and even the world, and chat a bit about the game of fastpitch.  I do indeed have the best seat in the house.

Whoever you may be, I hope that your visit to Fastpitchwest feels like a stroll up the bleachers steps at your favorite ballpark, or that familiar folding chair that you brought so you will be comfortable while you watch the games in progress.  Sit where you like and make yourself at home -- because you are.

Jim Flanagan

Editor, Fastpitchwest

On new ideas:

'Arthur C. Clarke, distinguished author of science and fiction (including 2001, A Space Odyssey), says ideas often have three stages of reaction - first, "it's crazy and don't waste my time." Second, "It's possible, but it's not worth doing." And finally, "I've always said it was a good idea."' (Clarke predicted the advent of satellite technology in 1945 when the the world of science said it couldn't be done)

About the Editor

Jim Flanagan is currently pitching for the So Cal Hustlers in the So Cal Independent Fastpitch League (SCIFL), when not practicing law in the Orange County/Los Angeles area.  Jim  served as NAFA's So Cal Director in 2001 and 2002, and a two year stint as their Director of Information and Webmaster, including in person coverage of the 2002 and 2003 NAFA World Series.  Jim was married in October 2002 to Madeleine, who is now the official photographer for Fastpitchwest.  In 2004, after establishing FPWN to broadcast fastpitch games live on the internet, he was invited as the lead broadcaster for the ISC II Tournament of Champions in Fargo, North Dakota.  FPWN became "Ballparkradio.com", providing an easy to find broadcast portal for fastpitch players and fans alike.   Ballparkradio has broadcast over 100 fastpitch games.

Jim is in his 27th  year of practicing law (civil litigation at the Flanagan Law Office) and his 44th year of playing fastpitch, having started at the ripe old age of 9 in the playgrounds leagues of Long Beach.  Jim grew up watching one of the finest teams fastpitch has ever seen, the Long Beach Nitehawks, at Joe Rodgers Field, under legendary skipper, Red Meairs.  Having a chance to watch and admire the accomplishments of Nitehawk pitcher Bob Todd, Jim has worn Todd's familiar # 19 for many years.

After tossing batting practice for the Nitehawks as a teen, and donning the red and black for an occasional exhibition game, Jim got into competitive fastpitch in 1979 when he joined the Orange Eagles in the old Pacific Coast League, then Ted Jensen's Phase Alloy Miners enroute to his first of fourteen national tournaments in 1982. He pitched for a number of teams over the years, most notably, the Vista Bombers, from Vista, CA as a pitcher, on three consecutive league champions, (1983-1985), and later, as pitcher/owner of the Bombers from 1990-1993, returning to the pitching ranks in 1994.

He mentions the Vista Bombers' runner-up National Champion finish among 67 teams in the ASA "A" Nationals in Boulder, Colorado, in 1991 and 1984 Slick Davis Memorial Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher Award, tossing 58 2/3 innings with wins over the Lancaster Chameleons, Lakewood Jets and Long Beach Nitehawks as his most memorable moments in the game. Besides his days with the Vista Bombers, Jim also had the good fortune to learn some of the nuances of the game from manager Ted Jensen, while pitching for Phase Alloy in the early 1980's, and from Vista player/manager Steve Miner. After a stint of self-described "semi-retirement" from pitching during his days running the Vista Bombers, Jim has rediscovered the joys of the game, pitching in Southern California, currently with Ron Kirby's El Segundo Rounders. Jim adds, "I've been very fortunate to have made some great friends in fastpitch over the years, and travel to Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and all over the U.S. just playing ball. I still look forward to those road trips." The thing he would miss most if he weren't playing fastpitch? "The friendship and camraderie of my teammates".

Like many pitchers, he has donned a veritable closet full of uniforms over the years. For those of you who may be looking to see if your paths crossed, here is "the list":