Our friend Brian McNaughton has been hospitalized in his battle with cancer. For more information, click this link. If you have a moment, perhaps you can post a note to him. We’ll forward a printed copy to him.
For a bit more about Brian, click here, then follow the links on the subsequent page.
It was just three years ago, that Bob Otto was writing about Brian’s work organizing the Ron Ortega Memorial tournament with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society:
Dynamic duo keeps men’s fastpitch alive in Oceanside
By Bob Otto / Yucaipa, CA
Brian McNaughton and his sidekick, Mel Johnson, surely could find other things to do than hang around fastpitch softball. But since the sport has consumed much of their lives for over 100 years, why find a new passion now?
McNaughton began pitching softball in Canada at 15. That was back in 1947. Still youthful at 71, he pitches in the San Diego Men’s Fastpitch League and plays tournament ball with the Corona Rebels.
Johnson, 68, began twirling in 1948. He retired from the game in the mid 1970s, but last year was pulled off his cozy couch. All do to McNaughton who lured Johnson out of retirement to help him run the Ron Ortega Memorial Men’s Fastpitch Tournament.
And what a dynamic duo these two make. Kind of along the lines of the Odd Couple, but one effective couple when it comes to running tournaments. McNaughton, ever the salesman, makes the calls and lines up the teams. While Johnson, the politician, makes pilgrimages to Oceanside, Calif. officials, sweet talking them into the use of ball diamonds and sealing down tournament dates.
At an age when most retirees spend time on the golf course, traveling or fiddling around with hobbies, these two toil to make the Ron Ortega Memorial a top-flight tournament. But why? Especially when signing up Open and Class A level ball clubs is becoming ever more difficult and scarce to find. “I do it for a selfish reason,†said McNaughton. “I like to see good caliber men’s fastpitch and you don’t see much of it anymore.â€