Pat Payton – Sports Editor
TAVISTOCK – Ten teams, including the Argentina Junior men’s national squad, and 26 games over four days.
For those wishing to see high-calibre men’s fastball, the village of Tavistock will be the place to be on the July 14-17 weekend.
Tourney chairman Dave Bailey also reports that the 2nd annual event, hosted by Tavistock minor ball, has a new name: The Cephas Roth Memorial fastball tournament.
“We’ve dedicated the tournament to a gentlemen who recently passed away from our community,” Bailey said.Roth was involved in all sports in Tavistock, the Optimist Club and the Agricultural Society. He sat on the Tavistock Arena Board, and he was an active member of the Tavistock Curling Club. He was also a member of the Arena Fundraising Committee and Tavistock Community Health.
Last year’s successful inaugural tourney in Tavistock featured six teams. The touring Argentina Juniors, who are playing exhibition games in Michigan and Ontario, will add a little international flavour this year.
Senior teams include: Jarvis, the defending world champs, Owen Sound, Midland, Mich. and the Quyon Flyers from Quebec. Big outfielder Dale Levy, a St. Marys resident, is a member of the Midland Explorers.
Five Intermediate teams are also taking part: Shakespeare Falcons, Elmira Expos and Kitchener-Waterloo Cubs from the South Perth Fastball League, the Ingersoll Crush and the East York Leafs from Toronto.
Similar to last summer, the majority of the games will be held at the Queens ball park (adjacent to the Tavistock arena). A handful of games will also be played at the Optimist diamond on the outskirts of town.
The teams will be divided into two pools for round-robin games. All teams are guaranteed four games, reports Bailey, a Tavistock resident, past president of minor ball, and long-time Senior fastball player.