Looks the the field of teams for David Bell’s Las Vegas Swing Swing Tournament April 2-3, 2005 is shaping up nicely. David expects more than 15 teams amongst the two divisions (“A/B” and “C”). The Hilo Athletics are coming over to the mainland for this one, reportedly with Colin McKenzie on the hill. C-Mac pitched with them at last year’s Red Rock tournament, helping pitch them into the championship round. Also competing in the upper division are the Castlewood Jesters, a Final Four team at Red Rock last year, as well as the new-look So Cal Bombers. For more click here. This will be the sixth consecutive — and final Spring Swing tournament, as David steps back to spend more time with family.
Archive for March, 2005
Las Vegas Spring Swing Update
Thursday, March 24th, 2005Happy Hollow adds a name….
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005I always thought a “full” name gave a team a bit more of an identity: Happy Hollow adds a name….(Al’s Fastball List)
4th of July Tournament – Wakpamni Lake, South Dakota
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005Looking for a 4th of July tournament? Here is one that we thought sounded interesting, and that offered more than the usual fare: CASH PRIZES, lots of awards, camping spaces, and even breakfast and supper. Sounds like a great road trip!
Wakpamni Lake 4th of July – Men’s 16-Team Memorial Fast-Pitch Tournament – June 30-July 3, 2005 -Wakpamni Lake Memorial Ball Field – Wakpamni Lake, South Dakota – Tournament held “In Loving Memory of Dawson Has No Horse, Jr., Willie Blue Bird and Casey Blue Birdâ€; Entry Fee-$250 plus a game ball;
1st Place-$3,000/jackets;
2nd place-$1,000/jackets;
3rd Place-$500/jackets;
4th Place-$300/jackets
For more details, see Tournament info page at Fastpitchwest.
Monday Night Photos from Palm Springs
Monday, March 21st, 2005We are pleased to share Maddy’s photos from this past weekend, March 19-20, 2005, in Palm Springs, California, at the first So Cal ASA Alliance tournament of 2005, including a team photo of the tournament’s champions, the Long Beach Black Sox. The photos are in some semblance of chronological order, so you’ll find the ones from the championship game towards the end of gallery 2. No captions yet, but we thought you’d want to see them sooner than later.
Long Beach Black Sox Win First So Cal ASA Alliance event at Palm Springs
Sunday, March 20th, 2005The Long Beach Black Sox scored 3 runs early and hung on for an exciting 3-2 win over the Amigos in the championship game Sunday at Palm Springs. For more details, read the full report here.
Be sure to also visit Fred Hanker’s Long Beach Black Sox website for more game details and photos. (Be patient for it to load, as it has a number of photos)
We’ll have our own photo galleries posted soon, so keep an eye out.
Palm Springs, Rounders, Latin Heat and Amigos Earn Top Seeds Saturday at Palm Springs
Saturday, March 19th, 2005Host Palm Springs and the Rounders won three games each, to nab top seeds in Sunday’s 15 team single elimination bracket, while the Latin Heat and Amigos went 2-1 in tough pools to grab the other top spots in opening day action in the So Cal ASA Alliance tournament at Palm Springs. All 15 teams that competed Saturday will be back for Sunday’s single elimination bracket, with games starting at 8:30am, until the 3:30pm championship game.
Stockton Tournament Cancelled
Friday, March 18th, 2005For those of you who might be wondering, the Stockton tournament for the A/B teams slated for this weekend (March 19-20) has been cancelled, due to rain. [bombersfastball website]
2005 So Cal ASA Alliance Season Gets Underway in Palm Springs, CA
Friday, March 18th, 2005Fifteen teams will open the 2005 So Cal ASA Alliance season in Palm Springs this weekend, March 19-20, 2005. [For schedule and more click here…]
Vancouver Challenge Men’s Open Fastpitch Tournament-July 29-31
Tuesday, March 8th, 2005Conrad Margolis, fellow barrister and the man behind the Vancouver Grey Sox sends us this press release on the Vancouver Challenge:
The Vancouver Grey Sox and South Hill Sports Association are pleased to officially announce that the 2005 Vancouver Challenge Mens Open FP Tournament will be held July 29 – 31 at South Memorial Park (“The Hill”), in Vancouver. The Hill is centrally located, approximately 15 minutes driving time from downtown Vancouver and from Vancouver International Airport.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
Vancouver Challenge Dates – July 29 – 31, 2005
Class – Mens Open
Pitching Rule: ISC
Entry Fee: $350 (Cdn Funds)
Number of Games: 4 guaranteed
Number of Teams: 8 teams
Prize Money: $2,800.00 (Cdn Funds) – * based upon 8 teams competing
1st Place: $1,400
2nd Place: $ 700
3rd Place: $ 350
4th Place: $ 350* Note prize money will be adjusted accordingly if fewer than 8 teams.
Entry cheques should be made payable to Vancouver Grey Sox, and mailed c/o Jim Johnson, 4172 King Edward Ave., Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6S 1N3. Information pertaining to host hotel and other accommodation options will be provided upon request.
Four teams are confirmed to date: The Vancouver Grey Sox, Calgary Smokers, Prince George River Kings, and a local squad. Three clubs including one of the ISC’s top-ranked teams have expressed strong interest, and two more have expressed moderate interest. We will likely limit the field to the first 8 teams to submit their entry fees.
For more information on how your team can join this event, please contact the Vancouver Grey Sox organization via email:vancouverchallenge@hotmail.com
Editor’s note: As of the date of this post, the entry fee translates to about $288 U.S.
The Wisdom of Satchel Paige
Monday, March 7th, 2005As some of you have heard, I turn 50 today (March 7). I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you who have dropped me a line with your best wishes. It is appreciated. As always, I am pleased to share my birthday with a number of fastpitch friends, including managers past and present, Manny Echeveste and Ron Kirby, and also Chuck Vranich, who has known me so long that he recalls playing against me when I was young.
Reflecting on birthdays and such, I’ll share a favorite quote of mine from the timeless Satchel Paige:
“How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”
I suspect that most fastpitch players never see themselves as old as the calendar does. I like it that way.