Archive for December, 2005

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David Bell Out of Retirement and into a Black Sox Uniform

Friday, December 2nd, 2005

David Bell has traded his golf clubs for a bat and glove, returning to play the game he loves, and will be a member of Fred Hanker’s 2006 Black Sox.

“Bell played sparingly the last two seasons, hosting his Spring Swing Fastpitch Weekend, a national qualifier in Fresno, the “C” Nationals in Hastings in 2004 and last year in a 4 game friendship series against his buddies from Bremen, Indiana, DC Current with brothers Mike and Dean Huppert. “I thought it was time to step away, spend time with my wife and kids and coach the boys. I have been playing some competitive golf in an amateur tour but it’s not the same as playing the great game of fastpitch. I don’t know how many years I’ll try to keep playing, or if this is a one year return, but I am returning to my favorite sport to play.”

Read the complete story at “Sox News” at Fred’s Long Beach Black Sox website.

Posted in General, Players, So Cal, Teams | No Comments »

Bill Hillhouse Laments Loss of Men’s Fastball at Pan-Ams

Thursday, December 1st, 2005

A great bit of writing from Bill Hillhouse in his blog over at his House of Pitching web site.

Men’s fastball has been dropped as a sport from the Pan-American games coming up in Brazil in 2007. And Hillhouse has a pointed question for the ASA (and the ISF) : “Why the silence?”

Men’s softball was eliminated from the 2007 Pan Am games and the ASA/ISF have remained silent. Not only are they silent.. they won’t even report this! It’s not on either website. No press releases have been issued. Nothing. Zilch. Nada. Zippo. Men’s softball isn’t even worth the time to type up a press release.

And our beloved ASA treats men’s fastpitch like that dirty old uncle that the family doesn’t like to talk about. It’s sooooo bad now that when I do clinics from time to time, people don’t even realize that men play fastpitch softball

Click here to read the whole commentary on the ASA standing by and doing nothing while yet another bit of the men’s game at the international level is stripped away.

Editor’s note: We have added Bill’s blog to our “Links” over there on the right hand margin, for the convenience of our readers. Bill has agreed to serve as the moderator for the ISC section of our Fastpitchwest Forum for 2006. We are looking forward to hearing more from one of the great voices for our game.

Posted in ASA | No Comments »

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