Calgary Diamonds
Calgary, Canada
These Diamonds Are
Very Rough
Well, it has been a while since the ISF, and we have all heard the rundown
on the Kiwi Club Championships, congrats to PK and to the Black Sox, both.
Also congrats to the worthy teams that have announced their rosters for
the coming year, you look like very formidable opposition. The Calgary
Diamonds join you ranks tonight and throws down the gauntlet, even as we
salute you.
But before I do, please be advised I have to make a comment about a
situation that passed and was not bantered about very much, and was
actually very tactfully squashed. It happened at the ISF and caused
a stir. Now I certainly have not ever coached in an ISF, although I was
invited to coach the bases with the British National Team, and I am proud
to have had the opportunity. I am telling you all, that Mark Berman is a
force and a visionary, more idealistic than even I was with the Smokers,
but has the potential to turn Europe on its ear with his plans for
tourneys in England over the next few years. You will hear more about
this, but in the meantime, back to the ISF.
As I say, I have never coached in the ISF so I cannot speak for what did
and did not happen. But what I can speak for is a man I know well. Harvey
Stevenson. He does not make things up, and he does not see ghosts. I trust
Harvey Stevenson.
Coaching in western Canada has been a blast. And nothing is more exciting
that the rebound of Fastball competition over the last few years. Granted
the demise of Victoria after their second place finish in 1997 has been a
heartbreaker, since they are the “Titletown” over the years of their
entire country in our sport, if you really think about it.
They are back with a vengeance. And look who is taking the lead in the
latest “new” strategy to emerge since the Smokers first registered Darren
Zack as a Florida resident and an in-area pitcher in 1998? What I am
talking about is the new practice of a player playing the season with one
major fastpitch team, only to commit to another for the ISC. Notice that
Mark Mackereth did not say that Craig Crawford would be with Vic for the
entire season, just for the ISC. Victoria already has the talent and
leadership of CO-National Team player Harvey Stevenson Jr. (Sipowicsz) but
still signs Crawford. This is both new and novel. It would have never been
considered by players before, but now it is the new strategy to replace
lost budgets with a solution that will keep a contender a contender
without the expense. We know Craig did not do it for the money and he is
not afraid to do exactly what he thinks is right. He is an ISC official
participating on a new slant of working within the existing rules to gain
an advantage. It is an expansion of the “Mark Sorenson, Jazza Martin, and
Thomas Makea arriving in July” strategy only taken to its most extreme and
efficient use. Show for the ISC but play with another team so you have the
best of both worlds. I predict there will be a lot more of this over time.
That is not all that is new in Western Canada. You have to include
Portland and Seattle, and I personally love the growth of the DeMarini
Portland team, and the way they keep on improving. Add to that the always
competitive and maybe even contending Vancouver Grey Sox, and Conrad
Margolis’ star studded lineup boasting Jeff Galley and Fireballer Nick
Underhill. We have some of the best competition out there.
The goal of the Calgary Diamonds has been to become the second Canadian
Team to win the coveted ISC World Title. We know this quest started last
year with the goal being to become competitive the first year. We achieved
that goal with a twelfth place finish in the World Rankings. It was
disappointing, but the best Calgary has ever done. The goal the second
year is to become contenders for the world title and win it if we can. In
order to do that you have to have the players. I truly don’t believe we
have all the best players.
But I do know, after long and tiring hours, after many works of art by
Kelly Wenstrom, pulling off acquisition of talent after acquisition,
raising eyebrows and stunning many with what he was able to accomplish as
our General Manager, after much begging by me to get particular players,
and a collaborative effort by players to influence targets of our
recruiting, and quite unselfishly on their part, ……. I almost giggle when
I tell you I think we may not have the best players, but I do believe
quite fervently, that we have the “Right Players” to win it all this year!
So without further adieu, here are the Calgary Diamonds for 2004.
We start the year in Victoria, and our pitchers will be Sean Whitten
returning after his first year pitching for me and his second with
Calgary. Whitty is top competitor a young and talented athlete as well as
intellectually gifted who is ready for the big title. Being from
Newfoundland, he brings certain intangibles to the table also.
Andrew Kirkpatrick, I have always known him as “Cheesy” is the “Marquise
Cut” centerpiece of the Diamonds this year and may be the man who leads us
to the promised land. If he does, there will be a lot of “I told you so’s,”
being handed out. That in a nutshell, is the fairest and most succinct way
of portraying this pitcher and hitter. That is right, I say right now that
Andrew will get a chance to hit, and I never even thought in those terms
until I saw the remarkable job he did for the Steelers in the ISF. I was
more than willing to be happy with him just as a pitcher!
We also boast the greatest pitcher of my time, Darren Zack, who we will
have until the end of June. Z man is reunited with several of the guys who
have played with him and now play with Calgary, and I will have the
pleasure of having coached him on three distinct teams! “La Foca,” as they
call him in the Dominican, will again be reunited with us when we finish
our season in Nova Scotia at the Canadian Nationals, which is my third
shot at a once in a lifetime experience, coaching in this revered and
proud championship that is played in a way that is never duplicated
anywhere else. At the Canadians, the Diamonds will also welcome Darren Box
as a teammate. These two Darrens are Diamonds extraordinaire! You tell me
what cut. A cut above most, I say…And that is an understatement. And you
thought only Cheesy was down under!
Catching has seen the torch passed from the capable leadership of Kelly
Wenstrom, to the capable hands of our new starter, Craig Horswell. It was
the thought of coaching Craig that I most identified with when considering
the British National Team, Craig is their catcher. He has also caught for
the Canadian National Baseball team, and will challenge for that mantle
that Sean O’Brien has set the bar so high for, as of late. Kelly becomes
the backup catcher and will challenge for the DH position as his primary
contribution to the lineup. Kelly is a long ball threat always and is in
excellent condition and among the most crafty in his mental game. He is
also the Diamonds’ “ticket” as a level three coach in Canada.
We are now finishing the battery. Because Zack will not be with us for the
ISC, we need a third rostered pitcher, but not a number three. I make no
bones about wanting Trevor Ethier, he is about everything I like, but
honestly do not know what his status is. I do know that he is from my
area, but frankly, I am still thrilled with the talent of our young in
area pitcher, Brian Newton. Brian has paralysis as his main weapon, and he
makes us all shake our heads with that devastating change up.
Why all of this? Well, Mr. Kenny Hackmeister has shown us all the
consistency of that famous geyser, so I say in about three weeks he will
have the preseason rankings up and at ‘em and this juggernaut is underway!
At first base we have Trent Rubley. His fielding is legendary, his hitting
always among the elite in the game and his leadership and experience with
at least ten championship rings in his resume tells you this guy knows how
to win. In fact it is merely a reminder, we are not so disrespectful to
think that you did not already know this.
We have three shortstops and a third baseman. David Boys will be our
shortstop, make no mistake about that. But another excellent shortstop we
have, Keith Mackintosh will play second for us with the departure of Jaybo
Hanson, and represents a new course for me since I am finally able to call
Tosh51 my teammate. I am thrilled and lucky both.
David will go down as the greatest shortstop of our time and that has
spanned at least three decades. Guys like this always go out on top. Check
the story book. David has at least ten rings too. I don’t think you have
seen the last of David as a World Champ. He is good for one more.
One of the greatest Athletes and most versatile players, who could be an
ISC MVP is Darrell Joy. He can lead off, he can bunt and bat second. He
can hit in the meat of the lineup. He can steal bases regularly. He can
play the outfield and cover western Canada. He can play the hot corner and
absolutely take away the bunt. He is an excellent shortstop. He plays
second with the best. He can blast home runs. Don’t ask me where he is
playing and where he is hitting. Opponents, You will see for yourself how
I choose him for your poison.
Rick Rosychuk is our third baseman, a clutch hitter and a very steady
outfielder. I can tell you Rozi was the steady eddy of the infield last
year, and he leads this team in many ways both on and off the field. He is
one of the funniest and most witty, a real man’s man, and is THE GUY you
can always count on for the truth, whenever you get confused, go to Rozie,
but be ready to hear the truth and maybe even walk away more confused!
I covered Tony Cross and Greg Crawford in my last story on the Diamonds,
and I can tell you that they are ready to roar as we hit our opponents
with everything we have. Those guys will be stinging our adversaries every
way along the road to the final day in the ISC and then at the Canadians!
Just as noteworthy as the two preceding bookends, are the two Kazuiks,
Garnet and Sheldon. Now here you have two of the most competitive
personalities and athletes you will ever experience. And they boast
excellent, albeit different talent. Shelly, the younger, is smart, blazing
fast and took Dean Holoien out of the park at last year’s Canadian
Championships. We are looking for big things from Shelly. Garnet, on the
other hand, is a most unusual combination of qualities. He is the glue
that holds myself, Kelly the G.M. and the rest of the team together, yet
he holds no title on the team. He is the ultimate team player with pro
hockey experience and the leadership of a veteran player in Fastball, yet
he does not see himself competing for a starting role. However, in my one
year of experience, he is always the player I have turned to when I had
someone go down and he has always played above what you could reasonably
hope for in a substitute player and what is astonishing is that Garnet was
never victimized in any of the losses we suffered last year. That means
there was no drop off in play quality we got from whatever position he
played. That is extraordinary!
Pat Mackintosh is a clutch hitter that will be with his brother on the
same roster and appear wearing the same uniform as Keith at the ISC for
the first time in my 12 years in this sport as a coach. This Tosh has all
the trappings of the type of guy I was referring to when I said we have
the right guys to win it all this year. Tosh is a big reason why.
If you have not heard enough already to say we have much more than our
share, or you simply want to know where this stops, don’t look now, but we
also boast, perhaps one of the best pure hitters in the game in Evan
Potskin. Potsy is in the company of the Jarrad Martin’s and the Jody
Eidt’s of the world when it comes to today's superstars in their prime.
This proud and talented Prince George Native American wowed the crowd in
Victoria last year in the Neil Leard Memorial Tourney as his nine
consecutive hits, including three in the Championship game is a record
that may not be broken for the next fifty years.
I am down to my last two. The best home run hitter over the past fifteen
years, certainly one of the greatest hitters ever to play the game and
maybe a starter on the all time best lineup is without a doubt, Boomer
Brush. I know for certain that there is not a coach or manager who would
not scuttle his entire roster if God promised him nine Boomer Brush’s in
their lineup in return for those players. That speaks for itself. Boomer
plays for a Canadian Team for the first time in his career. Which diamond
is he? I call him “Boomer the Baguette.”
As for me, I am the pear shaped one who will merely shine with pride as I
announce the final stud of our roster. He is the “square cut diamond” the
square jaw that represents one of the most dangerous hitters in the sport,
Frankie Perez. Frankie is my Craig Crawford! Frankie will play the season
with Heflin, but play the ISC with Calgary. He has chosen this himself and
we are very lucky to have him. He will join us in Monkton and in Grand
Island if world champ Doc Simmons will add our team this late in the
scheduling. We hope he will consider us. Kooz: please call Kelly or me, we
wanna come to Grand Island! The date with the Canuck National Development
team if off! Back to Frankie. I hope you did not think I was going to
stand by while others utilized the new strategy of stacking for the ISC
alone, did you?
Well, time for predictions. We will be playing on the final day. From
there anything can happen. That means among the Spirit, the Farm, the John
Becker team, (the most talent in my estimation) and Denny Bruckert at Tap
(the most dangerous), half of you are gonna be mighty disappointed before
morning of that last day. Don’t worry, we know this will make you circle
our game when you play us this year. We know that. Thing is though, if we
win it, these 2004 Diamonds will be “Forever.” Let the games begin!
Peter J. Porcelli, II
Field Manager
Calgary Diamonds Fastball Club
Reply to:
PeterJPorcelli@Aol.com
