Update: See bottom of this post.
As many of our regular readers know, Fastpitchwest.com followed in the footsteps of Al’s Fastball, but also some older printed publications, like Ray Anderson’s Fastpitch Bulletin, and Bob Tomlinson’s Fastpitch Chronicle. (mentioned here, written when I started the site twelve years ago, back in 1998)
Though the Fastpitch Bulletin and Fastpitch Chronicle are no longer printed in this internet age, copies of old issues are still around and provide a great historical record of the game.
A while back, the publisher of the Fastpitch Chronicle, Bob Tomlinson held an auction on eBay for a complete set of issues for the Fastpitch Chronicle, and I was the successful bidder. (Sorry, Billy). We are planning to post the issues online, as part of our “new and improved” Fastpitchwest, but in the meantime, I thought I’d share a few issues to give readers a sneak preview of what is “coming soon”.
It’s interesting, as Bob talks, on page one, about his plans to publish the Chronicle. It also contains a bracket sheet for the 1988 ISC World Tournament, as it was just about to get underway at the Borg-Warner Sports Complex in Decatur, Illinois. It had a full 48 teams, including my hometown Long Beach Nitehawks, who was not among the 16 top seeded teams. The Nitehawks were playing an unnamed team from the South East area, with the winner to face the Rempel Brothers of Saskatoon, Canada. It was the year before my first ISC World Tournament, and the news of games and more came to my mailbox but once a month.
OK, for bonus points, do you know who won the ISC World Tournament that year? Which two teams played in the finals ? Who won the MVP’s? Do you know without looking it up at the ISC Website ? Were you at the tournament? If so, send me an email and tell me what you recall about the tournament. Email to: jim (at) fastpitchwest.com
Update/Editor’s note: This post seems to have generated quite a bit of interest, judging from the e-mails coming in. The “bonus points” go to John Younger, who was the first to note Penn Corp as the winner of the 1988 ISC World Tournament, and and MVPs Jimmy Seaman and Mark Sorenson, both members of the Penn Corp team.
Sioux City IA Penn Corp beat Lexington MO Harolds Supermarket twice in the finals, I think Jim Seaman was MVPitcher & Mark Sorenson MVPlayer,I didn’t stay for finals.I remember it was very hot that week in Decatur,I was glad I wasn’t playing. Harolds played in our city league in St Joseph MO at that time & I played with them in the 86 ASA national. They beat Penn Corp early in the 88 ISC & went undefeated to the finals, but Penn Corp came back with it’s great pitching staff: Jim Seaman, Steve Schults, Pete Sandman& I beleave Paul Magan