By BILL WALKER, SUN TIMES SPORTS EDITOR
[Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada] – The dust didn’t get much time to settle on the 2008 Canadian Junior Men’s Fastball Championship in Owen Sound when Softball Canada announced the event would return for a second consecutive year.
Owen Sound Volkswagen Selects president Bill Simpson said Friday that the 2009 Canadian Junior Men’s Fastball Championships will run from Aug. 2 to 9 at Duncan McLellan Park.
The Scenic City submitted the only bid for the event.
“I like to think (we were selected) because of the good job we did but in a roundabout way all of the details they send you to hold a tournament scared away the other bids,” Simpson said.
“Having seen everything you have to do and read, I know now why it scares people away.”
The 2008 organizing committee is just completing its final report for that tournament. Simpson plans to meet with tournament chair Maxine Parker about the 2009 tournament.
“We’re going to go through the good, the bad and the ugly of what we did (in 2008) and how we can do it better (in 2009),” said Simpson. “We don’t have an opportunity to change very much because Softball Canada basically says what’s what.”
The 2008 tournament failed to turn a profit after heavy rains wreaked havoc with the schedule late in the week. Simpson is hoping better weather next summer will help the tournament make a little money.
The Selects will once again serve as host for the tournament. The squad finished third in August when it simply ran out of steam on the final day.
The tournament was won by the Scarborough Wolverines, who defeated Elmira in the final.
While such players as ace pitcher Andrew Scott have moved up to the city’s senior team due to age, Simpson said the Selects should not have a problem finding replacements for the veterans because joining Owen Sound means an automatic trip to the Canadians.