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Archive for February, 2010
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Monday, February 15th, 2010Puerto Rico Tops the Bahamas
Monday, February 15th, 2010
(click banner for original news story)
Bahamas Men’s national softball team suffer 4-1 loss to Puerto Rico
By BRENT STUBBS
Senior Sports Reporter
bstubbs (at) tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas men’s national softball team suffered their second straight setback at the Central American and Caribbean Games Qualifying Tournament.
On Saturday in San Andres, Colombia, the Bahamas lost 4-1 to Puerto Rico. In that game, ace Edney ‘The Heat’ Bethel was working on a no-hitter before Puerto Rico stormed back for the win.
Bethel finished with six strike outs for his second straight loss. Van ‘Lil Joe’ Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run batted in and Terran Wood was also 2-for-3. The Bahamas was scheduled to play Mexico yesterday, but no results were available up to press time last night.
The team, managed by Winston Seymour and coached by Bobby Saunders and Alphonso ‘Chicken’ Albury, have three games left against Costa Rico, British Virgin Island and Honduras.
The top four teams in their pool will advance to the playoffs where they will battle the top four teams in the other pool. By virtue of making the playoffs, all eight teams will advance to the CAC Games scheduled for July in Colombia.
Colombia were awarded a bye as the host team. Bahamas Softball Federation president Burkett Dorsett said despite their second straight loss, the team was hoping to bounce back against Mexico. “They are playing their three toughest teams first, so they feel they still have a chance to qualify when they play the other three teams,” Dorsett said.
“They just have to win their next three games and they should be able to qualify. It’s going to be tough, but they are still in high spirits.” Dorsett, however, said that it’s not going to be an easy road because it appear as if all of the teams are playing at a high level to qualify. Heading the Bahamian delegation is Jeffery Henfield. Efforts to contact the team at their hotel was unsuccessful.
The Bahamas lost 7-0 in its opener on Friday to the Dominican Republic. Bethel got the starting nod, but was relieved by Darren Mortimer. Winston Seymour had the lone hit for the Bahamas.
Editor’s Note: Regular readers will recognize the name of Bahamas pitcher Edney “The Heat” Bethel, a longtime member of Haziel MacDonald’s Texaco Pirates, of Man-o-War Cay, Bahamas.
ISC under 19 and under 23 – July 9-11
Saturday, February 13th, 2010ISC under 19 and under 23
The ISC under 19 will be having a tournament once again at the World Tournament in Midland. We are finalizing plans on that one.
The cost of the ISC under 19 and under 23 will once again be $325. The site will be in Frankenmuth, MI at Heritage Park. The tournament will be held July 9-11. We will guarantee two spots in the Under 19 tournament to be help in Midland during the second half of the week at the Midland site. I am now the VP and Developmental Director of the ISC now. All information will be sent to me.
Tom Stasik
tomstasik (at) gmail.com
Editor’s note: Frankenmuth Michigan is on the road from Detroit to Midland.
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90th Anniversary for Peterborough Softball Association
Friday, February 12th, 2010Men’s softball city league marking 90th anniversary with expansion
(click logo for original news story)
Posted By MIKE DAVIES , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
The Peterborough Men’s Softball Association city league has a number of new and exciting things planned for its 90th season.
On the field, a new team has stepped forward to give the league six teams. The White House spearheaded by Mike Craigen, finished second in the Douro league last year and is moving over to give the city league a shot.
Plans for the inaugural city league softball children’s camps for players in the Thunder rep program and another for Peterborough Community Church Softball League players were also confirmed during a league meeting on Wednesday.
Also, the inaugural Peterborough Shootout tournament is set for July 9-11 at East City Bowl and Kinsmen Diamond. Sixteen teams, including all six city league squads, will participate in the tournament.
To commemorate its 90th season, league officials hope to honour softball greats inducted into the Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame with signs in the park recognizing them.
While league president Scott Wasson said plans to bring back players from former league powerhouse Mr. Lube didn’t pan out, the league was bolstered by the addition of The White House.
They will join returning teams Douro P.G. Towns Store, who are three-time defending champions, Cavanagh Disposals, Bulletproof Fitness, Champs and a junior team which has yet to finalize its name.
Dates for the children’s camps are to be announced, but Wasson expects them to be on Sunday afternoons.
“We’re going to make an afternoon where the kids can come and learn from the guys in our league and then we’ll have a barbecue for them,” Wasson said. “We’ll have our league games that Sunday night and we hopes the kids will stick around and watch.
“We’ve never done it and you see in other sports, be it hockey or lacrosse, guys giving back to the game and helping to promote it. To be honest, fastball is a dying sport with this generation.
“We think if we can help the kids already playing it might encourage them to keep playing,” he said.
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The tournament will be a fundraiser for the league. Nine teams have already been confirmed.
“It will be the teams in our league plus some teams from around Ontario,” Wasson said. “I know the Cobourg Force team is coming with Wayne Wells and all those guys.”
Wasson said he expects to approach city council to see if they’re open to the league putting up signs or plaques to recognize past players.
“We’ll have to go through the parks and rec committee to get approval. It’s no different than what you see down at the Memorial Centre with lacrosse and hockey. We’re willing to cover the expense, we just need the approval,” Wasson said.
NOTE: Local artistGeorge Elliotthas agreed to design a logo for the city league. “We’ve never had a logo in 90 years which struck me as odd,” said league presidentScott Wasson.
mikedavies (at) peterboroughexaminer.com
Jennie Finch, Matt Palazzo are USA Softball Athletes of the Year for 2009
Friday, February 12th, 2010USA Softball announces 2009 USA Softball Athletes of the Year
(Photo: Jennie Finch, courtesy of Softballnewsla.com)
(Photo: Matt Palazzo, courtesy of USA Softball)
(photo by Maddy Flanagan); Tip ‘o the cap to Matt Christiansen for submitting the link
Editor’s note: We invite our readers to find a better photo of Matt for posting here, at the galleries at Maddy’s photos. Email us the link, by sending to: jim (at) fastpitchwest.com. Oh, and if you find any better ones of Jennie Finch, you can send those too 🙂
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) and USA Softball are pleased to announce that Jennie Finch (La Mirada, Calif.) and Matt Palazzo (Des Moines, Iowa) were named the USA Softball Female and Male Athlete of the year, respectively, for their accomplishments during the 2009 season.
Finch saw time as both a pitcher and at first base on defense and made an impact at the plate on offense. Finch’s hits in the Championship Game of both the Japan Cup and Canada Cup secured the USA victory. She was voted the Japan Cup MVP after she not only threw a one-hitter to defending Olympic Gold Medalist Japan but also drove in the only two runs scored, with a double, to help lead the team to a 2-0 victory. In the Championship game of the Canada Cup with two outs left in the seventh, Finch hit a walk-off single that would push a run across the plate and give the United States a 3-2 victory.
Offensively, Finch was in the Top five in all three events in batting average with a summer average of .447. Her best event was at the World Cup of Softball where Finch hit .500 with a home run and three runs scored. During the summer of 2009, she made an appearance in all 18 games with 17 starts with three home runs and 17 hits. As a pitcher, she was 5-0 with a 0.54 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Finch allowed only two earned runs in 26.0 innings pitched.
“I am completely honored all the way around to not only play for our great country but also to be recognized out of a group of extremely talented athletes. I am surrounded by amazing women and feel blessed to be a part of USA Softball,” said Finch. “I feel privileged to still have the opportunity to play the game I love at this stage in my life. Just to wear USA across my chest is a great honor and I am grateful for the opportunities I continue to have.”
Palazzo helped lead the USA Softball Men’s National team to a fourth-place finish at the ISF Men’s World Championships in Saskatoon, Canada, with a 7-3 record. He led the team with a .444 average (12-for-27) and was the only player to record more than one home run with four homers. At the plate, he contributed 11 RBI, scoring nine runs. He was near perfect on defense, making only one error.
“This summer was amazing to be able to compete among great International opponents at the World Championships. Seeing the different cultures, styles of play and at such a high level is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. To wear red, white and blue and represent your country is such an amazing thing and I can’t wait to get out there and compete again,” said Palazzo who admitted he was smiling away after he heard the news. “I am very shocked and pleased to earn this honor. I worked extremely hard last year and thought I had a great year but didn’t expect this. Just to be in the same category as an athlete like Jennie Finch is an honor in itself.”
Editor’s note: Our Spanish-speaking readers can find the Spanish version of the above article at www.softballnewsla.com, by clicking here. . Great excuse to post her photo, eh? …as if one was necessary.
Read more about Matt Palazzo after the jump. (more…)
Top 10 Cities
Friday, February 12th, 2010The following is a list of the top 10 most liveable cities in the world as ranked by The Economist. I couldn’t help noticing how many of them produce some of our finest fastball talent. I’m just saying….
1. Vancouver, Canada
2. Vienna, Austria
3. Melbourne, Australia
4. Toronto, Canada
5. Calgary, Canada
6. Helsinki, Finland
7. Sydney, Australia
8. Perth, Australia
9. Adelaide, Australia
10. Auckland, New Zealand
The fastpitch diehards of Omaha
Thursday, February 11th, 2010
From Otto in Focus
Written by By BOB OTTO
botto3 (at) verizon.net
OMAHA, NE – The game has shrunk. The numbers of teams have dwindled. But yet in Omaha the fastpitch diehards carry on – especially the likes of Matt Christensen, Darren Dubsky, and Rick Nice.
Abandon their summer passion? No way.
Put men’s fastpitch softball in a coffin, lower it into the grave, shovel dirt over it, and just walk away?
Not on their lives.
Yes, the numbers are down, says Christensen, from about 60 teams in the Omaha City League 20 years ago to just six now.
The solution to reverse the dwindling numbers? A youth movement, say the three diehards.
Christensen is no Pollyanna. He realizes that 21st century youngsters have a glut of recreational options. Thus some must be coaxed into the sport. Sort of like dangling a carrot in front of a horse’s nose. It takes work, but it can be done. And he’s proven it.
He took an age 23-under team comprised of local Nebraska kids and a pitcher from Mexico to the ISC World Tournament in 2005. And from that experience he’s come away optimistic.
Utah Fastpitch 2010
Thursday, February 11th, 2010Click here for the 2010 Schedule of Utah fastpitch tournaments.
Click here to visit their Facebook page.
Editor’s note: Short version, but be sure to click the link above for complete schedule and information.
Dixie Classic (St. George, Utah) (Canyons Complex)
April 17th – 18th
Strawberry Days (Pleasant Grove, Utah)
June 4th – 5th
Canyon Lands (Moab, Utah)
June 19th – 20th
Carl Hansen / Page Brake (Salt Lake City, Utah)*
July 9th – 10th
Blue Mountain (Monticello, Utah)
July 23rd – 24th
2010 ISC WT Qualifiers
Thursday, February 11th, 2010We have added a link over on the right side of this page for “ISC World Tournament Qualifiers”. (Upper right hand corner, under “Pages”)
When a new list of qualifiers is released, we update the version at this page, so that you will always know that you are looking at the latest and greatest version of the ISC world tournament qualifiers, by clicking this link.
Men’s Fastball is Coming Back to North Gower
Thursday, February 11th, 2010NEWS RELEASE
February 7, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NORTH GOWER, OTTAWA—Competitive men’s fastball is coming back to North Gower. The fastball club formerly known as the Greely Eagles will be known as the North Gower Marlboroughs in 2010.
In addition to the move, the club is announcing the new sponsorship of the Marlborough Pub in North Gower. Captain Anil Hayne said the club was excited about moving to North Gower, and that it made sense for a lot of reasons.
“Some of our players live in North Gower, so it’s our hometown and we love it,” said Hayne. “Plus, we have a great local sponsor backing us.”
Marlborough Pub co-owner Jason Moore said he looking forward to the partnership. He said he was impressed by the club’s sense of community, such as conducting free fastball clinics for children.
“Community involvement is important to our business,” said Moore. “We like the way these guys promote fastball and give back to kids, and we want to support that.”
The North Gower Marlboroughs Men’s Fastball Club will compete in the Greater Ottawa Fastball League (GOFL).The GOFL is a nine-team premier men’s fastball league in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. The Marlboroughs’ home games will be played at the Alfred Taylor Recreation Facility on Community Way in North Gower. The schedule is yet to be determined.
For more information about the Marlborough Pub, please visit their website: www.marlboroughpub.com.
For more information about the North Gower Marlboroughs Men’s Fastball Club, please contact Anil Hayne at 613-489-1730 or gowerfastball (at) gmail.com.
Contacts:
Captain Anil Hayne (613-489-1730 or gowerfastball (at) gmail.com))
Greater Ottawa Fastball League (www.gofl.ca)
Marlbourough Pub (www.marlboroughpub.com)
Editor’s note: Be sure to take a look at the websites linked above. The GOFL.ca site is nicely done, complete with player stats.