“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.” 

 McNaughton and Johnson host the tournament – now in its fourth year – in honor of their friend and to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The past three tournaments have raised over $2,100 for the organization.

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.” 

For Johnson, who commandeered Oceanside Open tournaments from the late 1960s to the early 70s, it’s the challenge. The enjoyment of bringing the best ball clubs together.

But more importantly, it’s for Ronnie, say both men.  “I met Ron in 1948,” said Johnson. “We grew up together. At that time there was no little league (baseball) in Oceanside, so they had an Under-16 fastpitch league. Ronnie played and I met him. He wasn’t much of a player at that time.”

But in a few short years Ortega rose from a marginally talented player to one “just a half-notch below the best, like Bob Todd, Jimmy Hines, or a Ted Brown,” said Johnson. Over the years McNaughton sided with and against Ortega. Often times fierce opponents in the Oceanside city leagues. But in some tournaments, and in some years, the two teamed up to form a solid one-two pitching staff. One constant McNaughton could always count on from Ortega, he said was, “fairness.”

“Ronnie never let his ego get in the way of fairness,” said McNaughton. “He kept me in the rotation when he could have said, ‘I’ll pitch this (big) game.’ I remember in the ISC state tournament one year, we were getting ready to play the Long Beach Nitehawks. It was my turn. Ronnie could have said he would pitch. He told me, ‘it’s your turn, here’s the ball.’”

But make no mistake, Ortega had an ego, said Johnson with a laugh. And rightfully earned. “He played all the sports in Oceanside,” said Johnson. “He became such a landmark pitcher. He was Mr. Softball in Oceanside.” And one of the sport’s nice guys.   “He was a genuine good guy,” said Johnson. “Most good pitchers you had to pay. Ronnie would pay you to let him play. He never expected a handout.”

Along with the softball talent, Ortega had a big heart. He was instrumental in bringing youth baseball to Oceanside and coached boys baseball for years, said Johnson. And, said McNaughton, Ortega lent his heart and his time to the Special Olympics. “He was loved and respected by many people in Oceanside,” said McNaughton.  For those commendable character traits, Ortega received an honor that makes both his friends proud to have known him. The City of Oceanside re-named its sports complex the Ron Ortega Recreational Park.

Ortega died May 14, 2000 from cancer. McNaughton and Johnson host the tournament – now in its fourth year – in honor of their friend and to raise money for the American Cancer Society. The past three tournaments have raised over $2,100 for the organization.

Both men want the tournament to get bigger and better. With the bigger comes more money to help in the fight against cancer. With the better comes more top-level teams to their tournament. But the battle to bring good fastpitch to Oceanside hasn’t been easy.

“It was easy for me to bring good teams to Oceanside in the 60s and 70s,” said Johnson. “I could get 20 teams in a week’s time. We packed in the fans. You couldn’t get a seat. People lined up around the fences. We had full-page spreads and pictures in the newspaper. ”

But not anymore. The salesman finds recruiting teams a full time job. McNaughton says he’s on the phone nearly every day, talking with managers and sponsors. He travels to tournaments handing out fliers. He mails out fliers. He pitches the quality ball diamonds, the great weather, Sea World, Legoland, the near by beaches, low cost hotels, and great restaurants.

Ever the thought of giving up? "No,” said McNaughton. “We’re going to make this tournament bigger and better. We are going to attract the Open and A teams. We are trying to at least get one team from Canada – maybe not this year, but officials in Canada are working hard on it for next year.”

But the teams coming this year are a formidable bunch. 2002 tournament champion, Mexicali, returns along with runner-up San Diego Fastpitch. The SOCAL Bucks, an annual ISC World Tournament team, is also locked. And the Blackhawks, Yucaipa Bombers, Tijuana All-Stars, and Russ Snow’s Over-40 ASA Masters team have committed, said McNaughton. The search continues for the eighth team, but McNaughton says a highly ranked ISC team from Arizona has shown interest in attending to prepare itself for the ISC World Tournament.

To make the tournament a success, full time scorekeepers will man each diamond, and a grounds crew will prep the fields between games. To make things a bit more interesting and rewarding for team’s sponsors, a new payoff system for the top two teams is planned.

“We are giving cash prizes for first and second place,” said McNaughton. The amount hasn’t been determined yet, because said Johnson, the primary goal is to raise money for Cancer. “We want to at least give $500 to fight cancer,” said McNaughton.

Looking to the future, McNaughton says that possibly aligning with the ISC and making the tournament an ISC and ISC II qualifier is a possibility. “I would be open to talking with them (ISC) to learn more about it,” he said.

To enhance the tourney’s image and create more awareness, next years tournament will be renamed the Ron Ortega Memorial International tournament. “We want to get more teams from Canada, Mexico and across the country,” said McNaughton. “If we can bring in more teams by offering cash, we can raise more money to fight cancer.”

“I would like this tournament to reach the level like we had in Poway a few years a go,” said McNaughton, “when every team was Open.”

That same Festival of Champions tournament that left a sour taste with some teams?  “The Festival had poor management, that’s why it failed,” said McNaughton. “I’m not making promises I can’t keep. That was the biggest problem with the Festival.”

The Ron Ortega Memorial will be held at the Martin Luther King Recreation Park in Oceanside on July 19 – 20. But next year city officials have promised the duo a weekend at the currently-under-construction, softball complex near the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base.

And what a softball facility in the making. Two ball diamonds, kids recreation area, tennis courts, spacious concessions, plenty of seating and parking. And all so close to what makes the Oceanside - San Diego area a popular tourist attraction.

To learn more about the Ron Ortega Memorial, call Brian McNaughton at home (760) 751-1774, or his cell phone (760) 212-6774.