Archive for the ‘International’ Category

The Final 40 for AAU International 2011

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Here is the list of the 40 teams for the 2011 AAU International Tournament:

By country:

Canada
Blackburn Transport
Mexico
Cobourg Force
Elmira Erb Electric Expos
Softball Canada
Hill United
Hooligans of Niagara
Niagara Fury
Canada
Millwood Countrymen
Kitchener Outlaws

Mexico

Petroleros de Mexico
Tijuana Fastpitch Mexico

USA
Chicago/New York
CPI
Dominicana U.S.
Florida Fastpitch
Houston Carnage
Illinois Pirates
Italian Athletic Club
Maccabi USA (Red )
Memphis Firebirds
Miami
Minnesota Angels
NY / PA Metropolitans
Ohio Battery
Oklahoma Fastpitch
SC Tornados
Team Minnesota
Virgin Islands Eagles
Washington DC Metros

Venezuela

Aragua Venezuela
Brewers de Venezuela
Capitalinos de Caracas
Combatientes Fastpitch Venezuela
El Dorado Venezuela
Gigantes de Venezuela
La Raza Venezuela
Lanzeros Venezuela
Los Socios
Sopotocientos
Sureño Soy

Click here for online sortable spreadsheet.

Redlands softballers rising stars

Monday, November 22nd, 2010


Click here for original story in Bayside Bulletin/Redlands Times
22 Nov, 2010 12:00 AM
REDLANDS Softball Association players Guy Covacin, 25, Shaun Goffer, 22, and Andrew Blackshaw, 19, have been selected in the 2011 Queensland Patriots open men’s softball team and an Australian men’s softball squad to compete in an international test series in December.

The Queensland Patriots will train towards the premier Australian open men’s softball tournament, the John Reid Shield, to be held in February also at Redlands.

The three men have also been identified among the country’s top 28 players with selection in a squad to challenge Argentina and New Zealand in the 2010 Men’s International Fastpitch Softball Test Series in Canberra on December 8-10.

Julian Jemmott, 19, Josh King, 22, Jason Nathan, 34, and Luke Van de Greind, 29, of Redlands Softball Association have also earned selection in the 2011 Queensland Patriots team.

* Redlands players Amanda Torrington, Ngamoko Hiku, Aperira Stone, Jade Wall and Stacey Webber earned selection in the Queensland starting line-up for the opening round of the 2010/2011 Gilley’s Shield open national women’s softball tournament played in NSW at the weekend .

Majeski’s at home after hitting his first homer

Sunday, November 21st, 2010


SHANE HURNDELL | 22nd November 2010

When Canadian Tyrel Majeski arrived in Hawke’s Bay at the start of the premier men’s softball season, he had a simple goal.

“To improve as a ball player,” explained Majeski after his Maraenui Pumas side had beaten Dodgers 5-2 in Saturday’s feature clash at Akina Park, Hastings.

It’s fair to say Majeski has definitely made progress. His in-park error-assisted home run with two runners on base is proof. “That’s my first home run in the Bay … I’m loving it here,” said Majeski.

His homer came in the sixth inning when fellow Canadian and first baseman Bryn Redhead and designated runner Ryan Whitelock were also on base. Pumas were leading 2-1 at that stage and Majeski was fortunate Dodgers outfielder Jude David couldn’t glove his hit and as he went to retrieve the ball he stood on the top of it forcing it to move towards the outfield fence.

Until then Dodgers had defended well and led 1-0 until the fifth inning after first baseman Luke Herrick scored on a pass ball in the fourth. Pumas equalised in the fifth when Junior Black Sox player Horowai Puketapu scored on a pass ball.

Pamas short stop Vinnie Wildermoth gave his side the lead when he scampered home from second base on an error from his Dodgers counterpart Corey Tamati.

Majeski, 19, is eager to face as many top pitchers as possible while in the Bay and he is looking forward to this weekend’s Lion Red North Island Classic in Hastings which has attracted several of the country’s top pitchers.

“I’m looking forward to that experience,” added Majeski who started playing as a 4-year-old in Canada.

Dodgers player-coach Joachim Paul ended the scoring in the seventh inning when he was hit home by pitcher Manaaki Mita.

Dodgers out hit Pumas 4-3. Black Sox extended squad member Josh Gettins hit a three bagger for Dodgers and first baseman Luke Herrick a double. Pumas pitcher Regan Manley took 17 strikeouts – 11 more than Mita.

Dodgers under-18s secured the lead in Hawke’s Bay’s premier women’s competition with a 5-1 win against Taradale at Akina Park, Hastings on Saturday.

Four runs in the second inning were the key to Dodgers win. They scored their other run in the fifth inning while Taradale’s only run came in the third when third base player Whitney Nohokau hit short stop Renee England home.

Outfielders Jaydean Strickland and Jade Hoskin-Hindmarsh both collected two hits for Dodgers while England produced two for Taradale. England impressed, stealing two bases.

Thirteen-year-old Dodgers pitcher Courtney Gettins conceded five hits while her experienced Taradale counterpart Kay Lorimer conceded nine.

ISF throws Aussie pitcher a curveball

Friday, November 19th, 2010

Editor’s note: Word of the “rule change” discussed below has yet to really filter through to North America, but having watched Adam pitch, one has to wonder what impact that this will have on American and Canadian pitchers who essentially throw much the same way …

Editor’s update, Saturday, November 20, 2010:
Discussion on the issue going on over at the Sask Jr. Dbacks board.

From ABC Grandstand Sport in Australia – click here for original story.

By Tim Gavel and staff

Updated November 19, 2010 12:50:00

International career over? The rule change means Adam Folkard may never represent Australia again. (Getty Images: Chris Skelton, file photo)

The international career of one of Australia’s top male softballers hangs in the balance after the sport’s governing body changed the rules due to his dominance.

Adam Folkard was one of Australia’s stars in the Steelers’ International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championship victory over New Zealand last year.

Folkard was so dominant that he pitched a no-hitter to end the Black Sox’ reign as world champions.

Responding to concerns from rival countries that Folkard’s pitching was limiting the role of batters, the ISF changed the pitching rules.

The rule change only affects international softball, meaning the ACT-born pitcher can still play for his club team in the US but, as a result, Folkard has been effectively been stopped from playing for Australia.

He is not only the most dominant pitcher in softball but also one of the fastest, with recorded delivery speeds of 130 kilometres an hour.

In essence, the key to Folkard’s success has been his ability to disguise his delivery rather than his speed.

The new rules effectively prevent pitchers from shielding the ball from the sight of batters, and they appear to be a deliberate attempt to blunt Folkard’s influence on the sport.

The pitcher himself has played down the notion the rule is solely to lessen his impact from the mound.

“There’s a fair few people overseas, especially in American clubs in the club league there, that all pitch the same way as well,” he told Grandstand.

“People say it’s because I was dominant at the worlds but I had a good game just like they could have had a good game.

“There’s no use punishing someone for having one good game. It’s unnecessary and it’s not that big an advantage to pitch the style that they’re banning.”

But Australian men’s head coach Bob Harrow said there was no doubt in his mind that the rules were modified to rein in Folkard’s dominance.

“There is a lot of pitchers in the world pitching like he does now, and it’s going to hurt a lot of people,” he said.

“Let’s face it, in our Australian squad there are three others that are probably going to be affected too, just in certain areas they haven’t been calling [the foul] yet.”

Harrow said inconsistencies in how the rules are enforced could be damaging for the sport, despite the changes being made to make games more entertaining to watch.

“The bottom line is I don’t think even the umpires are completely aware about how the rules should be called yet,” he said.

“I had a meeting with the umpires last night on the phone and they’re starting to take a look now because they’re going to lose a lot of ballplayers like Adam Folkard and we just can’t afford that.

“They say they want to see a lot more runs in a game – when you get 17-15 scores, nobody wants to see that in men’s softball.”

Folkard was selected in the Australian team to play New Zealand and Argentina in Canberra in December, but he has pulled out and his international career is now in jeopardy.

He said he did not want to embarrass himself on the international stage by fouling out for his action.

“There’s no point being in the team and taking up a spot when I won’t be able to pitch,” Folkard said.

“Obviously it wasn’t an easy decision to make but it’s one I had to make.

“It’s an honour playing for Australia. It’d be pretty cool if things could get sorted out and we could get back to the way things used to be.”

The Australian Softball Federation is hoping the international body changes its mind on the rule change.

Some reader commentary posted to our Facebook page after the jump
.

David Jett Shame on the ISF!
Friday at 2:34pm ·

Tyson Barkman dis-like…..
Friday at 3:11pm ·

Kyle Beane Well, since there are so many elite pitchers out there, it’s good that they’re taking steps to get rid of some…..the game’s going down faster and faster and the people at the top aren’t helping it.
Friday at 3:40pm ·

Ronnie Rupp Harkens back to when MLB lowered the pitching mound because Bob Gibson was ” too dominate” Making up rules to keep somebody from beating you? Because you can’t hit him??? Tough luck you can’t hit him! It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. If you can’t hit Folkard or anybody else for that matter, go play slo- pitch. I promise you, no pitcher will dominate you there.
Friday at 3:53pm · ·

Steve Thurmer They can ‘t be serious.
Friday at 4:39pm ·

Marv Razor If hiding the ball is the issue that is just wrong. What needs to be changed is the hop. The hop is what has changed pitching not hiding the ball. The great will be great with or without the hop. The hop is the area that needs a rule change.
Friday at 4:53pm ·

Thomas Svane Hansen dis-like…
Friday at 5:09pm ·

Jason Wright Does anyone have clarification on the rule change?
Friday at 7:38pm ·

Sean Cleary WOW!….dis-like…
Yesterday at 5:55am ·

John Limon BOO WOO so you can’t hit what you can’t see. That’s what seperates our GREAT game from silly ball . Tell me if I’m wrong but isn’t that why they call our sport FASTPITCH . Best Wishes Adam , sorry to hear you can’t repersent your Country . What a shame.
Yesterday at 6:07am ·

Tommy Flores This really is not intended to madness by the international softball federation, and they resemble dinosaurs instead of going forward or going in reverse are equal to those of the federation of Venezuela in softball
Yesterday at 6:45am ·

Anthony Beaumont What a bullshit rule, pitching is the name of the game. People who make those decisions don’t respect the game at all!!! Change it back! Greetz from Holland
Yesterday at 7:58am ·

Gary Anderson if this does come about, it is sheer madness on the part of the decision maker’s and appears to be a kneejerk reaction to someone’s whining—
Yesterday at 10:05am ·

Bernie Lopez I always wonder about people who come up with stupid rules to continuously thwart the game of fastpitch, i.e., the IOC banning softball from the Olympics, etc. And now they want to lessen the ability of one of fastpitch’s greatest treasures by changing his pitching technique. Shame on you rule makers. May I suggest you take up slowpitch. Earl Hicks is in heaven looking down slowly shaking his head.

All in Softball brawl sees stern response

Thursday, November 18th, 2010


Softball Hawke’s Bay managing director Roger Aranui has promised tough judicial measures after an all-in brawl led to the abandonment of a second premier men’s clash within a week last night.

Umpire Eric Horsham called off the match between Fast Pitch and Saints at Akina Park, Hastings before the second inning had been completed. The brawl erupted at first base after a confrontation between Saints first baseman Paul Roberts and Fast Pitch infielder Te Rangi Chadwick, who had been called out for leaving base early.

Supporters from both teams ran on to the diamond to get involved. With the assistance of team officials, Horsham did a top job to reduce the risk of additional confrontation and after ending the game, sent both teams to opposite ends of the main diamond to cool down.

“Our board is 100 per cent behind the umpires and won’t tolerate this sort of behaviour,” Mr Aranui told Hawke’s Bay Today this morning after reading the umpire’s report.

“We launched a Stepping Up To The Plate campaign at the start of the season and it’s clear some players are struggling to do that,” he said.

He agreed the closeness of the province’s premier men’s competition and the fact 23 players are battling for 15 berths in Hawke’s Bay’s National Fastpitch Championship side which will play in the country’s elite competition has created an extra edge to this season’s play.

Last weekend the Fast Pitch-Dodgers match was called off in the bottom off the first inning after Dodgers infielder Joe O’Leary refused to leave the park after being ejected.

He received a one-match suspension.

Click logo above for complete, original news story.

Men’s International Fastpitch Test Series (AUS, NZ & ARG)

Sunday, November 14th, 2010

8 December – 10 December 2010
Hawker International Softball Complex

Competing Teams: Argentina, Australia Gold, Australia Green, NZ Black Sox

Click here for Draw/Schedule of Games

Click here for Standings (to be posted/updated after play begins)
(more…)

Pistols fail to fire as Marlinz spark (NZ)

Sunday, November 14th, 2010


(click logo for original news story)

A three-run homer by Carlos Kohu-Martin sparked Marlinz to a 10-0 victory over Drury Pistols in the latest round of the Kotahitanga Fastpitch softball competition.

Marlinz only managed four hits but Kohu-Martin’s invaluable homer and a handful of runs through wild pitches after players got on base through walks or sacrifice hits allowed them a comfortable win to keep the Waikato team at the top of the men’s table as pitcher Te Ate Walker gave up just one hit and picked up nine strikeouts.

The Marlinz women’s side went down 10-1 to Papakura Royals as new White Sox national team member Jordan-Leigh Koni proved hard to handle.

She gave up just three hits and took seven strikeouts. Marlinz earlier beat Brothaz United 7-0 in the Waikato women’s competition.

Fairfield men scored a 15-3 victory over Marist SM with Te Aorangi Mulligan another batter to record a three-run homer. He also took eight strikeouts.

Bad blood mars softball game

Sunday, November 14th, 2010


By SHANE HURNDELL

When there’s tension and misinterpretations there’s often an abandonment of play.

That’s what happened during the Hawke’s Bay premier men’s softball clash between Fast Pitch and Dodgers at Akina Park, Hastings on Saturday. Plate umpire Darrel Paul called the game off in the bottom of the first inning after Dodgers second baseman Joe O’Leary refused to leave the park after he was ejected for back chat.

O’Leary explained after the match there had been tension between the two sides when they met a fortnight ago.

“I didn’t want a repeat of that so early in the match I decided to tell the Fast Pitch players not to talk s***. Even if they are 15 runs better than us they should still respect us.

“As I walked away I heard one of their players say smash the ball at the infielder which was obviously me so I went back to remind them they won’t get away with those sort of comments at the National Fast Pitch Championship when Hawke’s Bay will be up against big guns like Hutt Valley and Auckland.

Fast Pitch captain Mario Herbert agreed there had been previous tension between the two teams and said he asked his players to avoid negative comments.

“Joe heard something which flared him and our player concerned told us he was sorry afterwards

At the same time Joe misinterpreted it … our player wasn’t singling Joe out but rather indicating it would be to our advantage if we drove the ball into the infield rather than put it in the air,” said Herbert.

Former Junior Black Sox utility Herbert and O’Leary agreed such tension was the last thing the Bay needed in the buildup to the naming of the Hawke’s Bay NFC team.

“I’m not happy about missing out on a game. You train all week so you can play,” added Herbert before joining players from both teams for some training drills.

Fast Pitch were awarded default points after the game was called off.

Click logo above for complete story.

Bahamian Championship

Friday, November 12th, 2010

Cap tip Blair Setford


Edney “The Heat” Bethel Leads the Way


(click logo for original news story)

‘This one was sweet’

By RENALDO DORSETT
Sports Reporter
rdorsett (at) tribunemedia.net

A dominating performance from arguably the best pitcher in the country led the way as the Bahamas Softball Federation crowned a new men’s champion at its National Round Robin.

Edney “The Heat” Bethel recorded a tournament high 13 strikeouts as his DRS Jets of Eleuthera claimed the title with a 4-2 win over the Green Cay Turtles of Abaco Saturday night at St Paul’s College Park, Grand Bahama.

Bethel called the win a major milestone in his storied local career.
“This was a huge win and to me it might be the biggest win I ever had in my career,” he said. “It was a good tournament, even though Nassau was having their problems and they could not bring a team in, the other teams that came down did well and we had a good showing. I was just happy we were able to come together when we did. This was a great win and it is great to have J C (James Cistern) back.”

After he gave up an early single, Bethel struck out the next two hitters he faced to close out the first inning.

The Jets reached the scoreboard first in the bottom half of the inning when Bethel, who also serves as his team’s leadoff hitter, was brought home on an RBI double from veteran catcher Edmund Bethel.

“The Heat” continued to control the game from the mound with relative ease in the second inning when he retired the side in order with a groundout followed by another pair of strikeouts.

In the Jets next at bat, Angelo Bethel walked, Jeff Bethel singled and Horatio Green belted a two RBI single which scored both to give the Jets a 3-0 lead. The Jets added another run in the fourth when Green scored to give the Jets their biggest lead of the game, 4-0.
Bethel kept the Turtles off the scoreboard in the fifth when he struckout the side, but allowed two runs in the sixth to Neil Lowe and Grant Albury, which trimmed the deficit to just two runs.

Turtles pitcher William Weatherford, who had seven strikeouts of his own, kept the Turtles within striking distance by keeping the Jets off the scoreboard in the sixth. However, the rally would be short lived.

Fittingly, Bethel would end the game in dominant fashion when he struck out the side in the top of the seventh to clinch the game and the title for the Jets.

Edmund Bethel said the win was a means of paying homage to the players’ hometown, which claimed a title for the first time in about two decades. “This one was sweet” he said. “We wanted this so bad for a really long time and now JC is back.”

Editor’s note: Some familiar names in the story above, Bethel, Albury and Weatherford. Though squaring off on different teams in the finals of this year’s Bahamian championship, the three were teammates on Haziel McDonald’s Texaco Pirates, when they rose to great heights at the AAU International Tournament in Orlando, Florida. In 2004, the Pirates — led by the trio, captured the consolation bracket at the AAU. Just a year later, they gave eventual champions The Bar/Circle Tap the toughest game of their championship run, with Bethel and Weatherford playing key roles. Haziel’s Pirates continued to build their roster, finishing in the elite 8 of the 40 team tourney in 2008, with the likes of Derek Mayson, Rhys Casley, Louie Joglar, Rob Scheller, Rob Schweyer, Doug Sleep, Rob Fawcett, Steve Mullaley and Jason Hill donning the red, black and gold of the Texaco Pirates during their runs in the mid-2000’s. In 2007, the island – Man-o-War Cay hosting a Bahamian Invitational tournament, inviting us to join in the fun, with Ballparkradio. It was Grant Albury and William Weatherford as lead divers on the snorkel trip planned by Haziel and others on the island. Good to see their names in print again, and see that they still handle the bat as well as a snorkel and conch shell. McDonald, Albury and Weatherford, and their families were the gracious hosts to one of the greatest fastpitch trips I’ve ever enjoyed.

For more on Man-O-War, click here.. For Google’s bird’s eye view of Man-O-War, click here.

Man-O-War Cay, Abaco, Bahamas, Fastpitch Heaven in the Bahamas
(click to enlarge–twice on some browsers to really enlarge)

More about Man-O-War Cay, Abaco, Bahamas:
Source: Wikipedia

Man-O-War Cay is a small island in the Abaco region of the Bahamas.
It has a population of about 300 Bahamian residents and about 135 foreign resident families. During the summer some local houses are rented by vacationing families that have a reputation as good house guests (the exclusive nature of the locals leads noisier or more youthful vacationers to other islands). The island is famous for its boat-building history. William H. Albury was famous in the country for his tremendous boat building skills. He built his first schooner at the age of 14. Albury died in 1972, but the boat building on the Cay still lives on. The last big boat built by “Uncle Will” and the Albury Brothers ship yard, as he had come be to known, was the Esperanto. The Esperanto was later renamed The William H. Albury in his honor, and is still in service and can be chartered. The newer generations have resorted to building fiberglass boats as opposed to wooden vessels.

This island is about 2.5 miles long(4 km), but relatively narrow, often less than 100 meters between the harbor and beach side of the Island. A section of island called “The Narrows” by the locals is exceptionally narrow, with a beach on both sides separated by a roadway built into the rock formation between them, less than 10 meters across. The harbor side of the island faces Marsh Harbour, and a beach side runs the length of the opposite shore.

There are two small grocery stores, a marina, a few gift shops, a hardware shop, a few restaurants, a bakery, a golf-cart rental office (the narrow roads, often unpaved outside of the town center, only permit the use of golf-carts or other small vehicles).

Wreckage of the USS Adirondack which ran aground in August 1862 is strown on the reef just northeast of Man-O-War. Public travel to Man-O-War Cay is via ferry from Marsh Harbour.

The diving, snorleling and watersports around the island are truly exceptional. The people are both friendly and good natured. The island is very safe with very little crime and is clean and well kept.

The home builders of Man O War are know throught the Bahamas for building homes that ” Are built like Ships, but bolted to the land”. Indeed all the rafters and structure are bolted together similar to ship construction and resist the hurricanes very well. The residents stand as a reminder of the independent thinking and self reliance of the founders of the Bahamas. Several of the local boat builders still make the occasional “Abaco” Dingy boats in their native woods of Madera mahogany and other Bahamian hardwoods. They are today considered works of art and sought after by those who appresiate fine old world wooden vessels.

Click here for more Aerial photos.

Danish championships

Thursday, November 11th, 2010

The 2010 Danish Fastpitch Softball Championships

Article submitted by:
Christina Laub Frank – Media Committee ll The Danish Softball Federation

The men’s final at the 2010 Danish Fastpitch Softball Championships, held on Saturday October 2nd, showcased some of the best softball players in Europe right now.

The Teams
Hørsholm Hurricanes, runner-up in 2009, faced Stenløse Bulls for the ninth time this season.
Both teams have national team players onboard who helped win the European Championship, when Denmark beat the Czech Republic 5-2.
The National Championship final was a repetition of the European Cup Winners Cup final in Prague this summer, where Hørsholm Hurricanes beat Stenløse Bulls 4-1.
The Danes cashed in on the awards at both championships: Bulls’ pitcher, Kim Hansen, was awarded Best Pitcher at the 2010 Men’s European Cup Winners Cup, while Daniel “Charlie” Julenon was awarded both Best Batter and Most Valuable Plauer at the European Championship.
Valdemar Terkelsen, Hurricanes, was awarded Best Batter as well as Most Valuable Player at the European Cup Winners Cup.

Men’s Final
Bulls led by 2-0 after the first inning; a single from Anders Jørgensen, followed by a long triple from Jesper Low manufactured the first run and a perfectly executed squeeze-play by Martin Simonsen gave the second run. Bulls dominated and it began to look like a sure victory for them. However, in the fourth inning Frederik Terkelsen, Hurricanes, hit a long, hard ball and made it to second base against all odds. Earlier this year, the 23 year-old super talent won the ISC Men’s World Fastball Tournament in Michigan, USA, with his Canadian team, Jarvis Travelers. Now he was back in Denmark to help his Danish club team win the final.

With Frederik Terkelsen on second, Julius Veeris came up to bat. The Dutch player was brought in just for this one game and he was about to prove his worth. A homerun said it all and brought the score to 2-2. Hurricanes came to life and in the bottom of the sixth made the decisive plays.

Thomas Hansen singled and Frederik Terkelsen managed to force an error on the Bulls infield. Julius Veeris was given an intentional walk, making it bases loaded with Dennis Kihlgast coming up. He singled, scoring two more runs. Anders Hansen followed with a sac fly and Rody Stam’s grounder in the infield drove in yet another run, making it 5-2 – the final score.

Individual Awards men’s:
Best Pitcher: Martin Holmberg, Hørsholm Hurricanes (ERA 2.00)
Best Batter: Julius Veeris, Hørsholm Hurricanes (AVG .500)
Most Valuable Player: Julius Veeris, Hørsholm Hurricanes

Women’s Final
The women’s final saw Copenhagen Barracudas reclaim the title for the second year in a row, beating United 7-1.

Individual Awards women’s:
Best Pitcher: Nana Rasmussen, Copenhagen Barracudas (ERA 1.00)
Best Batter: Pia Jacobsen, Copenhagen Barracudas (AVG .750)
Most Valuable Player: Pia Jacobsen, Copenhagen Barracudas