2009 OASA Masters Championship

July 17,18,19  Niagara Falls, Ontario

All Games @ Ker Park 

Red Division                      Blue Division

Cobourg                            Niagara Chili Pepper

Waterloo                          Niagara Fury

Aurora                              Waterdown                                           

                                          Mitchell

Ker Park 1    Fri. 17^th

7.30pm Chili Pepper vs Fury

Sat. 18^th

9:00am Waterdown vs Chili Pepper             

10:00 am Mitchell vs Fury KER Park 2             

11.00am Cobourg vs Aurora               

1.00pm Waterdown vs Mitchell               

3.00pm Waterloo vs Aurora                

5.00 pm Mitchell vs Chili Pepper               

7.00pm Waterloo vs Cobourg               

9.00 pm Waterdown vs Fury                                    

Sun. 19^th          Ker Park 1                            Ker Park 2

10.00am    3 RED vs 2 Blue  (A)            3 Blue vs 2 RED  (B)

12.00 pm    1 RED vs Winner (A)            1 Blue vs Winner (B)

Championship 

2.00 pm      Winner  12.00pm  vs  Winner 12.00pm

2009  OASA Masters Tournament Rules 

NAFA Masters East World Series  55-Over, 50-Over, 45-Over, 40-over, 35-Over, Womens 35-Over

Rockford, Illinois(near Chicago)

September 11-13, 2009, Friday evening to Sunday afternoon

Format - 4 game guarantee, 3 round robin games that seed all teams into a single elimination (If the number of teams is significant in any age class, teams will break into the single elimination portion in Upper and Lower Brackets on Sunday)

First game Friday evening 5 PM or later or Saturday Morning at 8 am with the championship at 3 PM on Sunday

Entry Fee - $410

Ball - the new NAFA 120 stitch white cover, white stitch, cork center 47 core, .375 compression

Host Motels   Motel 6    815-397-8000     Location I-90 at US 20

NAFA Masters West World Series  50-Over, 45-Over, 40-over, 35-Over, Women's 35-Over

Carson City, Nevada(fly to Reno)

September 18-20, 2009, Friday evening or Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon

Format - 4 game guarantee, 3 round robin games that seed all teams into a single elimination (If the number of teams is significant in any age class, teams will break into the single elimination portion in Upper and Lower Brackets on Sunday)

First Game Friday evening at 5pm or later or Saturday Morning at 8 AM with the championship game at 3 PM on Sunday

Entry Fee - $405

Ball - the new NAFA 120 stitch white cover, white stitch, cork center 47 core, .375 compression

Host Motels Gold Dust West Casino 775-885-9000    Close to park on Hwy 50 East

NAFA Masters East vs West Masters Champions World Championships

Las Vegas, Nevada

October 17-18, 2009,  Saturday to Sunday afternoon

Format - 4 game guarantee, East Champions vs West Champions battle for supremacy in the Masters Program

Entry Fee - $400

Ball - the new NAFA 120 stitch white cover, white stitch, cork center 47 core, .375 compression

Host Motels

The following item is courtesy of the Fitzroy Fastball Blog web site.

Fitzroy Fastball's Travel Tip

The following is courtesy of the Fastpitchwest Morning Brief website.

Less Dough, More Show

The following is courtesy of the Fastpitchwest Morning Brief website.

ISC Appoints Rick Boyd as Canada East Regional Commissioner

Looking for some fastball news, well look no further, every fastball link you'll ever need is located on the links page on the Golden Horseshoe Fastball League web site. Go to www.ghfl.ca then click the "Fastball Links" page.

Some of my favourite web sites in no particular order.

 Al's Fastball : http://www.alsfastball.com/

Golden Horseshoe Fastball League : http://www.ghfl.ca/

Fastpitchwest : http://www.fastpitchwest.com/

Eastern Ontario Fastball Blog : http://fitzroyfastball.blogspot.com/

International Softball Congress : http://www.iscfastpitch.com/

1)         Family ? I have been married for 13 years to my wife Astrid. We have 2 daughters, Inga 12 and Greta 2. Plus the extended family of birds, dogs, cats, fish and geckos. 

 2)         Age ? I will be 43 in September.  

3)         Occupation ? I work as an Actuarial Analyst for United Health Care.

4)         Education ? I have B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota. I have also passed several Actuarial exams, but never finished the exam process.

5)         What positions have you held in Fastball ?   Have always been just a player. Although I guess I could be thought of as a sponsor as well.

6)         How long have you been involved in Fastball ? I didn't start playing Fastpitch until I was in my mid twenties. A friend of mine's dad had throw when he was younger and rounded up the neighborhood kids to make a team. I generally played catcher or outfield. After a couple years I tried my hand at pitching and have pretty much pitched exclusively ever since. Although it took a couple years before anyone got up the courage to get in the batters box and actually let me pitch to them. 

 7)         Other sports / interests you’ve been involved in and accomplishments ? In high school I ran track and cross country. We were the 1983 Minnesota state cross country champions, although I got hurt just before the meet and couldn't compete. Did not compete in sports at all at the collegiate level. Never played organized hockey, but skated all the time as a kid. Tried playing bandy for a couple years but the team folded. Now I just play pick up basketball to stay "in shape" in the off season.

   8)         What are some of your fastball career highlights & accomplishments ? 2003 NAFA Class "A" Champions (Jeraldine's), I was selected to the First Team All World. 2007 NAFA Masters 40+ East Champions(Jordan Realty) I was selected the MV Pitcher. My team, Jordan Realty, is also the 3 time defending Minnesota State Masters champions and after more than 15 years of trying we finally won the Minnesota State ASA Class "B" championship in 2007. There is no Class "A" or Major ball left in Minnesota, so I guess that makes us the best team in the state for the year. I would have to say that playing with Team Minnesota for 2 years in the AAU tournament in Orlando was another career highlight. Sharing the field with high level ISC players and a few US and Canadian National teams members was an absolute treat for me. 

10)      Favourite tournament ? Besides the National tournaments, I would have to say that my favorite tournament to participate in was the Eau Claire tournament. It was an invitational tournament, so I have only played on a few occasions, generally on teams that were called at the last minute to fill out the draw. To be able to watch teams like The Farm, County Concrete, Decatur Pride, Circle Tap, Townline play each other was amazing. To actually play against them was even more fun. We never did very well, in fact we have only won a couple games that I can remember, but it is was always a great time.

In the 1990's the Minnesota State ASA tournament used to be 60+ teams strong. It would start on Friday night and end on Sunday night. Quite a grind.

11)      Plans for 2008 & beyond ? I am hoping to make a return to the ISC2 tournament this year. We will definitely be defending out State titles as well as the NAFA Masters title. We made a pathetic showing at the NAFA Worlds last year, but it is being held right in our backyard so we may give it another go. Definitely depends on the dates and at what level we will have to play. Beyond 2008 is hard to say. Our team has become mainly a Masters team and I was the youngest of the bunch. We definitely have a couple more good years under our belts but a lot of the guys have kids that play sports now, wife's reminding us that we aren't getting any younger and other commitments that make staying a competitive team difficult. Hopefully we can ride this wave a little longer. 

  1)                 Family  ?  

one son Robert ,granddaughter Samantha(17) grandson Tyler (16) 

2)         Age ?

65 

3)         Occupation ?

Home daycare provider for 20 years fostered for 12 years before that 

4)         Education :

W.A.Porter Collegiate Institute 

5)         What positions have you held in Fastball ?   Player / Coach / Executive etc.

President Oshawa City and District Fastball League  (present)

Manager Claremont Rebels 32 years

Manager Durham Heat 2004-05-06

Canadian Masters Executive

Manager Peterboro Pros

Manager Cobourg Force  (present)

Manager Peterborough Murphy Windmillers

Asst Manager Oshawa Double “B” Juniors  (present)

Asst Manager Oshawa Double “B” Int.  (present)

Secretary/Treasurer Oshawa City and District Fastball League

Treasurer Oshawa Double “B” Sports Club  (present)

OASA Executive  (present)

OASA Expo Committee (present)

Editor OASA High & Inside newsletter (present)  

6)         How long have you been involved in Fastball ?

35 years 

7)                 Other sports / interests you’ve been involved in and accomplishments ?

     Love Motorhoming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

8)         What are some of your fastball career highlights & accomplishments ?

1979 Pee-Wee OASA Champions,

1981 Bantam OASA Champions,

1984 Midget OASA Champions,

1999-2000-2001-2003 OCDFL Champions,

2001 World Tournament,

2004-05-06 Canadian Masters Executive,

2004 Canadian Senior Men 5^th place finish Peterborough Ricart Pros,

2004 World Tournament,

2006 Feaver Award winner  OASA (first woman to win award,)

2006 Iris Yahn award winner OCDFL,

2007 Ontario Masters Champions with the Cobourg Force,

2007 OASA Intermediate B Champions with Cobourg Force, 

2007 World Tournament Peterborough Murphy Windmillers 20^th place finish, 

2007 NAFA Masters World Series Cobourg Force 5^th place, 

2008  OASA Mens Champions (Cobourg Force,) 

2008  ISC II second place finish  Appleton Wisconsin with Waterdown Hammer            

9)     Who are some of your favourite teammates / associates and opposing players to play with and against over the years.

Bob Ryan, Frank Hendy ,Ken Leonard, John Mather, Jim Spiers,Wayne Wells, Troy Gilmour, Craig Minifie, Dave Waldie, Mike Crawford, Bll Fairney, Dave Birnie, Sam Forbes, Jodie Schnarr, Mike Kelly,  Kyle Davis, Todd Martin , Paul Koert Rino Dambrosio, Jamie Baker, Brad Bricknell, Ted Conway, Chris McColl, Swift boys,(Ryan,Matt,Jason,) Mike Samways, Pat Humphries Scott Evans,Rob & Tom Watson,  John Kemp, Steve Ketchell, Brian McGuire, Jim Flanagan, Dave Reynolds, Bob Abbott, Alex Rutherford 

10)      Favourite tournament ?

1984 Midget OASA Stittsville Ontario,

2001 World Tournament,

2005 AAU Tournament Orlando Florida,

2007 Ontario Masters Championship, 

2006 North Bay Masters Tournament,

2007 NAFA Masters World Series Rockford Illinois,

2008 OASA Mens Cobourg On, 2008 ISC II Appleton Wisconsin 

10) Plans for 2008 & beyond ?

Looking forward to the 2009 AAU Tournament  in Florida with the Cobourg Force            

11) Any additional thoughts ?

I have met so many great people through fastball, Fastball is my life , I hope to continue to be involved for many more years.

1)         Family ? Widowed- Daughter Heather (29) Son Connor (15) Grandson Marty (4) 

2)         Age ? 51 

3)         Occupation ? Business Development Manager ( Palmac Truck Bodies) 

4)         Education ? Birchmount Park C.I. (Scarborough) Durham College (Oshawa) 

5)         What positions have you held in Fastball ?   Player / Coach / Executive etc.           Player/Coach & "Food & Beverage Manager" 

6)         How long have you been involved in Fastball ?             40 yrs (give or take an innning) 

7)         Other sports / interests you’ve been involved in and accomplishments ?             Golf/Squash, Ball Hockey/Floor Hockey City & Provincial Champs 

8)         What are some of your fastball career highlights & accomplishments ?             Beaches Fastball (Toronto) through the 80's/90's-Batting title-1992            Dieppe Park (Toronto) 80's/90's League Champs ( Hollingers 1988)            Scarborough Mens Fastpitch/ I.S.C. (Scarborough Royals 1995-1998)            League Champs/World Champs NAFA-Kansas (1996)            Represented Canada ( Bill Jefferies Tournament 1998)                       Oshawa City & District League/I.S.C/Masters. ( Oshawa Fastpitch 1999-2005)            League Champs/NorthBay Champs            World Masters Games ( Edmonton 2005) Bronze Medal (Australia Redbacks)           

9)         Who are some of your favourite teammates / associates and opposing players to play with and against over the years ?                        All the Scarborough/Oshawa Boy's & met some great people associated with this great game. 

10)      Favourite tournament ?                     Holland/Minden/NorthBay 

11)      Plans for 2008 & beyond ?             Stepped away from Fastpitch 2005.Working out hard to come back to Masters for             summer 08.Looking to hook up with Ontario team for Sydney 2009. 

You tube video of Eddie Feigner and the King & His Court.

Eddie is 32 years old in the video which would make the video from 1958.

 Click here to watch the video.

Adrian "Bob" Smith is the Player / Manager for the Toronto Bingo Senior Fastball team and has been very supportive of the World Senior Men’s Fastball Tournament for many years

Article courtesy of Jordan Ercit, North Bay Nugget  

Fastball 'was his life'

Fastball tourney honours fallen comrade with award

Posted By JORDAN ERCIT, THE NUGGET

Posted 17 mins ago

Roland Williamson never got to shake hands or compare pitching strategies with Rob Gilmore, but he was nonetheless quite honoured" Sunday to be holding a most valuable pitcher award handed out in Gilmore's name.

It's special for sure," said Williamson, the 45-year-old hurler for the Stratford-based Shakespeare Isotopes, winners of the 'A' Division championship Sunday at the World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament at Troy Field -- a 5-1 four-hit victory over the Hamilton Stingers.

Especially when you get to shake the hand of someone in his family, it's

certainly quite the honour."

For the first time in the 22-year history of North Bay's Labour Day fastball tradition, the 'A' and 'AA' c h amp i o n s h i p MVP and most valuable pitcher awards were doled out in the honour of one man --

Gilmore, a former competitor at the tournament in 2000 and 2001 with the Stoney Creek Gators masters' team.

The idea, said tournament volunteer Dave Cerisano, arose when the Gators' Dave Birnie contacted the North Bay Senior Men's Fastball League, the organizers of the tournament. Birnie wondered if the awards could be named in honour of their former teammate, who passed away two years ago at the age of 48 following a battle with cancer.

The league gladly obliged, Cerisano said.

We couldn't have been more honoured," he said.

Friendships formed

Gilmore, who helped steer the Gators to the 2002 Ontario and Eastern Canadian masters' championships, also had more of a connection to North Bay than just a love for wind-milling bullets across the plate during the final long weekend of the summer. He also spent most of his summers at the family cottage in Callander.

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Gilmore's widow, Cathy, said her husband would have been honoured to know his love for the game of fastball would be remembered.

It was his life," Cathy Gilmore said of her husband who grew up in the town of Wainfleet, on Ontario's Niagara peninsula.

I think he was still in diapers when he began playing.

But what he enjoyed most about playing masters was the friendships he formed after the games and the guys he met across the province from the various tournaments."

Gilmore may have had one final bit of business to take care of this weekend, though. Compared to the rest of the summer, the weekend weather was perfect for the tournament, making it seem like there may have been some help from above.

We might have had an extra contact up there (in heaven)," she said.

Article courtesy of the North Bay Nugget

Southern squads sizzle on Sunday

Posted By JORDAN ERCIT, THE NUGGET

Posted 8 hours ago

Pitching certainly won the day Sunday at the 22-annual World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament.

That and teams from southern Ontario.

Led by the masterful pitching of 41- year-old drop-baller Todd Uhrig, the Cobourg-based Cold Spring Cats won their third World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament in four years, shutting down the Toronto Bingos 3-0 in Sunday's 'AA' Division championship. It was the Cats fourth title overall.

Uhrig, from Elora, Ont., pitched a pair of one-hitters when it counted the most -- the semifinals and final -- Sunday afternoon, mixing in his patented drop ball with some well-placed heat, finishing with 12 strikeouts in the championship game as the tournament's most valuable pitcher in the 'AA' Division.

For Uhrig, it all came down to a breakfast of champions.

A couple of Tim Hortons breakfast sandwiches," he said with a laugh, choosing to forgo the more-conventional bowl of Wheaties.

About all the offence Uhrig needed all came in the top of the third inning, when the Cats capped a three-hit, three-run inning with a line-drive dinger to left field off the bat of tournament MVP Rob Ellis. Uhrig shut down the Bingos the rest of the way after allowing his only hit against in the first two innings.

And despite a couple of complete-game no-hitters, Uhrig's arm was feeling just fine.

My shoulder gets sore, but it's nice weather," he said. So once it gets some use, then it's not too bad."

In the 'A' final, Stratford's Shakespeare Isotopes , who eliminated the Bear Island Braves in the semifinals, scored two runs in both the third and fourth innings as they downed the Hamilton Stingers 5-1. Starting pitcher Roland Williamson pitched a four-hitter and struck out six.

For Williamson, it was his first time competing in North Bay's Labour Day classic. He hopes it won't be the last.

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The Mississauga resident, who is originally from Cape Breton, on the northern tip of Nova Scotia, said it is tournaments like this that keep fastball alive in Canada.

It's (fastball) dying in Cape Breton, but they're trying to keep it going," he said while enjoying a post-game beverage while his teammates laughed and traded jokes in the background, some at Williamson's expense.

It's tournament's like this that keep the game going."

Locally, the top finisher in the 'AA' Division was Howard's Plumbing, eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Oshawa Ravens. The Bear Island Braves were the top finishers in the 'A' Division, falling to the Isotopes.

Last year, two local teams swept the championships -- Casey's and Sundridge's Kent Trusses.

In all, 28 teams took part in the four-day tournament.

The Cold Springs Cats won the "AA" Championship at the 22nd Annual World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament.

 "AA" Championship

Cold Springs - 4 vs. Toronto Bingos - 0

Winning Pitcher Todd Uhrig 1 hitter

Championship Game Awards

Most Valuable Pitcher - Todd Uhrig ( Cold Springs)

Most Valuable Player - Rob Ellis ( Cold Springs )

One of the North Bay area's top softball pitchers has been named the 2007 winner of the Al Knapp Memorial Trophy for contribution to the sports of softball and baseball.

Ken Besner, who began playing softball as a 13-year-old 32 years ago with the Bonfield 7 Ups of the East Nipissing Fastball League, before continuing up the ladder through the intermediate and oldtimer levels, was recently named winner of the annual award, which honours the memory of longtime softball/fastball great Al Knapp.

During his early years, Besner played several seasons with the 7 Ups, winning a pair of championships, while handling pitching duties and also doing some catching.

After graduating from the ENFL, Besner played for 13 seasons in the Gateway Major Fastball Association with Father's, Kent Trusses, North Bay Merchants and Northern Honda, winning 10 league championships, as well as 10 top pitcher awards.

He was also honoured as the loop's most valuable player on two occasions.

During his time with the Northern Honda, Besner and his teammates also won five Northern Softball Association championships and an Ontario Amateur Softball Association title in 1991, when Besner pitched the North Bay squad to a 2-0 win over Owen Sound in the championship game.

During the 1991 season Northern Honda boasted an impressive 44-4 record, including a perfect 4-0 in the provincial championship.

A year earlier (1990) in Sheddon, Ont., Northern Honda, also in an OASA final reached the championship game before bowing out despite a two-hitter by Besner.

Besner pitched five games during the final day of that tournament and was presented with a "Merit of Achievement Award" by the OASA to honour a player's outstanding performance.

In the 1998 GMFA final, Besner suffered a serious (torn ligaments) bicep injury that prevented him from playing the following season. He was forced to take the next year off, before returning to complete his career.

After concluding his GMFA career, Besner played seven seasons with Overtime Lounge and Casey's of the North Bay Senior's Fastball League (oldtimers), four of which he was eligible to pitch. During that time he compiled a 36-1-1 record while winning four league titles.

During his tenure with Casey's and Overtime, Besner hurled his team to a pair of World Senior's Fastball tournament titles (2003, 2007), compiling a 7-0 record.

Besner will receive the Knapp award at the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner at Best Western North Bay, April 26th.

World fastball tourney hits 22 seasons

Posted By NUGGET STAFF

Posted 2 days ago

North Bay's growing Labour Day weekend tradition continues this week with 28 teams from across Ontario gathering for the 22nd annual World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament.

The tournament, staged at four fields in the city (Troy, Johnson, CFB and Centennial) opens Thursday with action between eight teams from the North Bay Senior Fastball League and continues through Sunday.

The senior fastball tournament, for players aged 35 and over, started in 1987 and has grown to become the largest in the province, with teams coming from places such as Toronto, Oshawa, Hamilton, Peterborough, Sudbury, Scarborough, Lindsay, Stratford, Porquis Junction and Moosonee.

Last year's 'AA' championship was won by North Bay's Casey's, the first local team to win the tournament since 1997.However, several players from the team hung up the cleats after the tournament and Casey's is no longer together.

The Cold Spring Cats, from Cobourg, Ont., the tournament's 'AA' champions in 2005 and 2006,will return seeking another championship.

The Toronto Bingos, who have been travelling north for the over-35 tournament for several years, will feature a big name on the roster for the weekend.

Peter Landers, a legendary left-handed pitcher and member of Softball Canada's Hall of Fame, is joining the Bingos for the weekend.

Locally, Boston Pizza won the regular- season championship in North Bay's nine-team senior league this summer, led by big hitters such as Richard and Ron Gribbons. Other area teams include The Fraser, North Bay Legion, Hopper's, Callander Legion, Howard's Plumbing, Powassan Legion, CFB Silver Foxes, Mattawa Legion, Bear Island Braves and last year's 'A' division champions, Kent Trusses of Sundridge.

The 28 teams will mix together in round robin play, with the Top 14 after the round robin moving on to the 'AA' playoffs and the next 14 playing for the 'A' title.

Playoffs begin Saturday evening, with quarter-finals, semifinals and finals to be played Sunday.

The 'A' championship game goes Sunday at 2:30 p. m. and the 'AA' championship at 4 p. m., both at Troy Field.

The 2008 NAFA Masters World Series has moved to a new location due to flooding at the sports complex in Rockford Illinois.

 Masters East Coaches:

Due to the Sportscore sports complex in Rockford, Illinois being flooded, we have moved the East Masters location less than 60 minutes away just North
in Middleton(near Madison), Wisconsin at the Bowling Green Softball
Complex and the Elvers Complex. 8 fields total.

We are staying on the Same date  Sept. 13-14  but do to coaches
requests we will not be playing any games friday night. We will also
use the same format as in all previous years which is 2 round robin
seeding games on Saturday that seeds all teams into as single
elimination on Sunday.

As of today we have the following numbers in each class:
35-8, 40-12, 45-12, 50-12, 55-7

Remember you can have 3 players three years too young that are not pitchers.

Everyone please confirm that you received this email and confirm the
age division or divisions you are playing in.

If you have not mailed your entry fee it is due so mail it now to:
NAFA, PO Box 566, Dayton, Oregon 97114

Motel List for Middleton, Madison Wisconsin

Here is the motel list for Middleton, Madison or you can find your own
on the internet but this list should save you some time:

Roadstar(host motel) 608-274-6900
Colonial Inn  608-836-1131
Best Western  608-833-4200
Super 8       608-848-7829

If these are full by the time you call. email me and I will send you
the complete list.

Thanks for your patience and we look forward to the best Masters event
ever and we look forward to seeing the 32 West Masters teams in Carson
City Sept. 20-21...We will send out a motel list for Carson City this
week.

Benjie Hedgecock
NAFA Executive Director

22nd. Annual World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament

Aug. 29-31  / 2008   North Bay, Ont.

Current and former master's players and coaches were in action at the recent Oshawa City & District Fastball League All Star Game.

Norm Estabrooks won the home run derby held during the All Star festivities, Norm competed in the recent OASA Masters Provincial Championship with Aurora.

Ontario Fastball Legend, Sylvia " Sparky" Ryan threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

 Dean Begley ( Aurora Sholess Joes ) played right field for the North squad.

John Kemp ( Lake Simcoe Lightning ) played centerfield for the North All Star Team.

Jim Trimm & Blair McBratney ( from Oshawa Ravens ) were both on the coaching staff for the South All Star Team.

Norm Estabrooks & Bill "Rookie" Fairney ( Toronto Celtics ) played for the winning South All Star Team.

Jim Trimm was awarded the prestigious Buddy Yahn Memorial Trophy. The following is submitted courtesy of the Oshawa City & District Fastball League web site.

The 2008 recipient started his fastball career at the age of six playing for Kedron in the park system. He played together with a bunch of his friends on the same team up until 1978 when he joined the Millwork fastball team in the Brady Division of the Oshawa City & District. 

In 82 he went to the Campbell Division with Whitby merchants until 84 when he joined Oshawa Caseys Sr B Team who went 22 and 2 in the City & District. The following year he played in the OFL with the Oshawa Blues. He continued his playing career playing with OASA and ISC affiliated teams such as Oshawa Merchants Seniors, ACL, O’Tooles and Mickey Finns Intermediates. 

Most of his over 28 year history in Oshawa Fastball were spent as a Player but in 92 he added player coach to his credentials He then added yet another roll of manager/coach to his impressive list, a roll which he continues to carry out with the present day Oshawa Ravens. The 2008 Buddy Yahn Memorial Trophy recipient this evening is Jim Trimm.

          O.A.S.A Mens Open Finalists in 93.   

          A fourth place and a seventh place finish at the N.A.F.A. world fastball Championships in 1994 and 95.

          4 World Senior Masters Championships in North Bay.

          O.A.S.A. Provincial Masters Champs in 03,

          O.A.S.A Masters Silver Medalists in 05, 

          Oshawa City & District champs in 84,92,06,07.

          Durham men’s fastball league champs from 99-02.

Waterloo Classics Win OASA Masters Provincial Championship

Waterloo, Ontario – The Waterloo Classics won the Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA) Masters Provincial Fastball Championship with a 6-0 victory over two-time provincial champion Alvinston Indians Sunday (July 20) in Niagara Falls. 

The Waterloo team, managed by local fastball enthusiast Sam Forbes, got off to a slow start Friday night, losing 2-1 to the host Niagara Storm’s Fury, but bounced back with a convincing 9-2 victory Saturday afternoon over Aurora Shoeless Joes. With three teams ties at a win and a loss apiece, the tiebreaker rule awarded the Classics first place in their division and a bye into Sunday morning’s semi-final game. 

After defeating Waterdown Hammer in their quarterfinal game Saturday night, the Niagara team earned the chance to qualify for the final by meeting the Classics again. This time the Waterloo bats came alive as the 2007 provincial runner-up team won the game handily by a 14-2 score Sunday morning. 

The championship game Sunday afternoon was a classic matchup between the two long-time, friendly rivals, Waterloo Classics and Alvinston Indians. Alvinston made it to the championship by defeating Aurora in the other semi-final on Sunday. The Classics prevailed 6-0 behind strong pitching from Todd Uhrig, timely hitting and errorless defense. After playing in the annual tournament for 11 years, it was the Classics first OASA provincial championship. 

Each year, OASA presents the Jack Cook award to the Masters player, manager or coach who best exemplifies the sportsmanship, leadership and competitive spirit of Masters fastball in Ontario. Bob Abbott, OASA Executive Vice President, presented the award to Dana Seiling of the Waterloo Classics. It was the third time in four years that a member of the Classics received the award. Sam Forbes (2005) and Jodie Schnarr (2007) were the previous recipients.

 2008 OASA Masters Provincial Championship

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Fri. July 18 - Sun July 20th  /  2008

July 18th – Fri. 1) 8:00 pm DIA. I - Niagara – Waterloo

Niagara 2
Waterloo 1

WP - Rich Vassos in relief of Rick Provost
LP - Sean Geehan in relief of Don Steebing

Niagara - Mark Hall 1/3 RBI, Joe McMaster 1/3 Rbi, Jeff Kranyk 2-3, Rob Greatrix 1/3 run scored, Ron Winger 2/3

Waterloo - Jodie Shnarr 2/3, Greg Scheel 1/3, Todd Uhrig 1/3, Paul Clemons 1/3

July 19th - Sat. 2) 9:00am DIA. I - Kanata – Waterdown

Kanata 4
Waterdown 0

WP - Billy Gerber
LP - Brian Lisk
Kanta - Paul Priest and Tommy Watkinson 2 hits each. great D from 3rd base Hugh Murray
Waterdown - Kres Andersdon, Kyle Davis, Paul Hird and Brett Duggan singles

3) 11:00am DIA. I - Niagara – Aurora

Aurora 13
Niagara 6

WP - Norm Estabrooks
LP - Ron Winger

Aurora - Marty Greenhop 2/4 Norm Estabrooks 2/4 4rbi, Peter Seto 3/4
4) 1:00pm DIA. I - Alvinston – Kanata

Alvinston 9
Kanata 1

WP - Dave Martin
LP - Trevor Wood

Alvinston - Brian Prowse 2 hits, Jason Hope 2 run HR
Kanata - Mike Money triple and single

5) 3:00pm DIA. I - Waterloo – Aurora

Waterloo 9
Aurora 2

WP - Todd Uhrig
LP - Norm Estabrooks

Waterloo - Jodie Schnarr, Greg Scheel, Dan Ferrede and Paul Clemons 2 hits each
Aurora - Norm Estabrooks 2/3 2 runs

6) 5:00pm DIA. I - Alvinston – Waterdown 

Waterdown 3
Alvinston 1

WP - Rick Hames
LP - Doug Charlton

Waterdown - Marcel Bilodeau 2/3, Lance Winn 2/4
Alvinston - Chris Drew 2/3 Murray McLean 2/3

End of preliminary play, Alvinston and Waterloo receive byes to tomorrows semi's

7) 7:00pm DIA. I - 2nd Red - 3rd Blue

Quarter final 1
Aurora 2
Kanata 1

WP - George Karkumbasis, save Steve Ketchell
LP - Bill Gerber

Aurora - Peter Seto 2/3 2 runs scored
Kanata - Duane Bromley, double

8) 9:00pm DIA. I - 2nd Blue - 3rd Red

Quarter final 2
Niagara 4
Waterdown 2

WP- Butch Provost, relief Rick Provost, save Rich Vassos
LP - Jim Hurst

Niagara - Jeff Kranyk 4/4 run scored, Rob Greatrix triple 2 runs scored, Dave Taylor single 2 rbi's
Waterdown - Rick Hames 1/3 run scored

July 20th Sun. 9) 10:00am DIA. I - 1st Red - Winner gm 8

Semi final 1
Waterloo 12
Niagara 2

WP - Todd Uhrig
LP - Rich Vassos

Niagara - Todd Uhrig 3/4 HR, Mike Kelly 2/4 HR, Jodie Schnarr HR, Ross Herold 3/4
Niagara - Dave Taylor and Mark Hall each with a HR

This one was over early, Uhrig was throwing darts, the only bright spots for Niagara were the two solo shots.

10) 10:00am DIA. II - 1st Blue - Winner gm 7

Semi final 2
Alvinston 10
Aurora 1

WP - Dave Martin
LP - Steve Ketchell

11) 1:00pm DIA. I - Winner game 9 - Winner game 10

Championship Game
Waterloo - 6
Alvinston - 0

WP - Todd Uhrig, two hit shutout
LP - Doug Charlton

Waterloo - Mike Kelly 2/3, Todd Uhrig 1/3 and Greg Scheel 2/3
Alvinston - Joe Triest and Brian Prowse one hit each

Uhrig again was virtually unhittable, congratulations to your 2008 Provincial Masters Champs Waterloo Classics for an impressive weekend and to Alvinston for their runner up finish. Gold and Silver medals were presented to each team.

SENIOR MEN'S FASTBALL TOURNAMENT

AUG. 29th, 30th, 31st, 2008

OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM

TEAM NAME                                                                                                                                                                                           

CONTACT PERSON                                                                                                                                                                                        

ADDRESS                                                                                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                                                                     

TELEPHONE                                                      FAX                                                  EMAIL                                                                         

TEAM RATING (see note 1.) check one:                                                                                                                   

                                                                   A          AA

* PREFERRED TIMES (indicate 2 choices):                                                                             

(see note below..times may vary if 5 full innings adapted)    6:00         7:15       8:30       9:45

A vs AA Double A teams have indicated a desire for more competition. They will be grouped to provide more equitable preliminary games. Please be fair to enable this format to succeed. If you have a fairly decent pitcher you are likely a AA team.

ROOMS:   PLEASE ALLOW US TO BOOK FOR YOU. THE BEST RATES HAVE BEEN ARRANGED AT LOCAL HOTELS THAT SUPPORT OUR TOURNAMENT. GIVE DAVE A CALL AND HE WILL ARRANGE ROOMS FOR YOU.

---

---

TEAM MEMBERS

(    This is the list for the Official Program only. The Offical team list is to be provided at the Registration Tent when you arive)

PLEASE PRINT NAMES CLEARLY

1.                                                                                                      9.                                                                                 

2.                                                                                                    10.                                                                                 

3.                                                                                                    11.                                                                                 

4.                                                                                                    12.                                                                                 

5.                                                                                                    13.                                                                                 

6.                                                                                                    14.                                                                                 

7.                                                                                                    15.                                                                                 

8.                                                                                   

Player Age Restrictions

MUST BE 35 TO PLAY AND 40 TO PITCH

(the committee reserves the right to request proof of age if necessary)

REGISTRATION

1. Enclose cheque for $400 payable to WORLD SENIOR FASTBALL ($450 after July 1st, no exceptions)

                        - entry includes free "T" shirt and 15 free draw tickets for $500

2.  Fill in team roster (no players under 35 and no pitchers under 40)

3.  Once your team is registered you will be contacted and supplied with a list of rooms that have been blocked for this event.

                        - We recommend that you allow us to book for you. We have the best rates available and also get a rebate for all rooms used.

4.  Read basic rules below

5.  Submit information to:

                        DAVE CERISANO

                        552 GREENWOOD AVE.,

                        NORTH BAY ON P1B 5G4

                        tel. 705-474-4878         fax 705-474-6819       dave.cerisano@sympatico.ca

BASIC RULES

1. NO METAL CLEATS - NO EXCEPTIONS - INCLUDING PITCHERS

2.  Final team roster must be handed in at the Registration Tent prior to first game. (maximum 15 prizes per team to winners)

3.  Unlimited defensive re-entry.

4.  Unlimited pinch runners...some exceptions do apply....check final rules in event program.

5.  Double flap helmets must be worn by all batters and base runners

6.  Absolutely no jewelrey allowed to be worn.

7.  Time limits for games:       * Preliminary Round      - 5 innings with time limit and mercy rule

                                                     All games after Preliminary Round to be 5 full innings

* NOTE:  THE COMMITTEE IS REVIEWING THE FEASIBILITY OF PLAYING 5 FULL INNINGS

                  FOR ALL GAMES.  FIELD AVAILABLILITY WILL BE THE DETERMINING FACTOR.

1)         Family ?  Wife Kathy, married for 22 years, Daughter Alexandra, Son Scott, Was too busy thinking and making plans for the 2007 NAFA Masters East World Series that I completely forgot our 22^nd wedding anniversary, yikes ! 

2)         Age ?  48 

3)         Occupation ?  Industrial Contractor working at Stelco, Dofasco, Ontario Hydro,Petro Canada, Ford etc.Vice President USWA Local 3692 Hamilton 

4)         Education : Westdale High School Hamilton  Famous Westdale Alumni : Comedian Martin Short, CFL Quarterback & Coach Ron Lancaster, Comedian Eugene Levy, The Honourable Lincoln Alexander, CFL Legend Russ Jackson, Steve Staios Edmonton Oilers, Gord Lewis Teenage Head Band, David Braley owner of the BC Lions, NHL Legend Harry Howell, Brian Williams CBC & TSN Sports Broadcaster 

5)         What positions have you held in Fastball ?   Player / Coach / Executive etc.  Didn’t get involved in fastball until I was 32 years old, played a little but always enjoyed being involved with the administrative part of a team, recruiting, uniforms, waterboy, etc.  2006 ISC II Game Controller, Vice President and founding member Canadian Masters Fastball Association, 2008 OASA Men’s Committee, 2008 Co Chair & Eastern Canadian Rep. NAFA Masters World Series Committee, Web Site Administrator - Ontario Masters Fastball web site.  

6)         How long have you been involved in Fastball ? 16 years, primarily masters teams 

7)         Other sports / interests you’ve been involved in and accomplishments ?  Hockey, boating, coaching my Son’s Special Olympics basketball team, amateur wrestling, track & field, baseball, MMA : City of Hamilton wrestling Champion. Track & field athlete of the year at Westdale High School Hamilton.  Joined the Niagara Falls Optimists Track Club after high school. When not at a fastball tournament I like to be at the cottage cruising around on my boat. Enjoy running my annual hockey pool which I have been doing for 23 years, 171 entries in the pool this year.  

8)         What are some of your fastball career highlights & accomplishments ? Hamilton Men’s League Champions 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001 NAFA “ A “ Ontario Qualifier Champions with Hamilton Gators ( Innerkip, Ont. )   2001 Played against Eddie Feigner’s The King & His Court ( Beamsville, Ont. )    2002 Ontario Masters Champions Stoney Creek Gators. ( Ingersoll, Ont. )  2002 Eastern Canadian Masters Champions Stoney Creek Gators ( Fredericton, NB )2004 Canadian Masters Silver Medalists Stoney Creek Gators ( Cobourg, Ont. )  2005 OASA Bronze Medals with Waterdown Hammer Masters ( Port Perry, Ont. )  2007 Ontario Masters Champions with the Cobourg Force ( Cobourg, Ont. )  2007 OASA Intermediate B Champions with Cobourg Force ( Newmarket, Ont. )   20^th place @ 2007 ISC World Tournament Peterborough Windmillers ( Kitchener, Ont. )   5^th Place @ 2007 NAFA Masters World Series Cobourg Force ( Rockford, Illinois ) 

9)         Who are some of your favourite teammates / associates and opposing players to play with and against over the years ?  Fred Clyke, Mike Crawford, Sam Forbes, Jodie Schnarr, Mike Kelly, Dave Kingdon, Rory Hustler, Brian Prowse, Dan Duemo, Cam Emerson, Henry Donders, Kyle Davis, Joe Reeve, Dave Benallick, Ron Chambers, Harold Passmore, Rod Fevreau, Carl Boomhouwer, Lance Winn, Rob Gilmour, Pete Kucharuck, Brain French, Dean Carr, Pete Spitzig, Sally and Fossil, Sylvia Ryan, Craig Minifie, Al Ball, Troy Gilmour, Wayne Wells, Doug Charlton, Dave Reynolds, Blair Setford, Glenn Inglehart, Doug Levy, Benjie Hedgecock, Alex Rutherford, Gary Wren, George Ryder, Bernie Pollock, Blair McBratney, Rob & Tom Watson, Dana Seiling, Chris McSorley, Greg Bacher, Mark McEachern, Shawn Steinhoff, Mark Young, Brad Reinguette, John Kemp, Oliver brothers, Rick Hames, Brad Meldrum, Dave Martin, Steve Ketchell, Brian McGuire, Jim Flanagan & Al Doran. 

10)      Favourite tournament ? 2002 OASA Masters Championship, 2004 Canadian Masters Championship, North Bay Masters Tournament, NAFA Masters World Series 

11)      Plans for 2008 & beyond ?   Retired from fastball

12)      Any additional thoughts ?  Thanks to some very generous sponsors over the years, Bob Litzen, Litzen’s Source for Sports, Jeff “Newf” Murphy, Bill ‘Rookie” Fairney. Probably the greatest fastball person I’ve EVER met is Sylvia “Sparky” Ryan.

 2008 OASA Masters "A" & B" Provincial  Championships

 July 18, 19, 20  / 2008  Niagara Falls, Ont.                                     

Here are the eligibilty rules as found on the OASA web site ...

OASA Masters

The OASA has confirmed Niagara Falls as the official host for the 2008 OASA Masters "A" & "B" Championship.  Stay tuned for further information including accomodations etc.

Location : Ker Park, Niagara Falls

Date : Fri. July 18, Sat. July 19th & Sun. July 20th

One new team so far : Niagara Falls
2 teams returning after a 1 year absence : Waterdown and Alvinston.

http://www.infoniagara.com/

http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/ 

See the attached Q & A survey form.

Please consider filling out the following questionnaire, I'm looking for ANYONE associated with Masters fastball in Ontario & beyond, players, coaches, executives, umpires, sponsors etc.     Got an interesting story to tell ?  If you would like to be featured please answer the 12 questions on the Q & A survey and forward your answers to ontariomasters(at)hotmail(dot)com You don't need to answer any of the questions you don't want to. Please remember this is to promote you and masters fastball in a positive way. Try to put the emphasis on masters fastball as much as possible. Returned questionnaires will be featured on the Ontario Masters Fastball web site.

I did some research on the history of the OASA Masters Championship including past champions, Jack Cook Award winners and individual award winners. Some information is missing, if you can fill in the missing pieces please contact me.

Check out the photo slideshow from the 2007 NAFA Masters World Series in Carson City Nevada, photos by Maddy Flanagan.

Click the following link and scroll down to the bottom of the page to the photo and then click on the photo to start the slideshow : http://fastpitchwest.com/morningbrief/?p=2181

2007 NAFA Masters World Series web site : www.masters.nafafastpitch.com

First round game times for the Eastern Zone Championship now posted.

 Cobourg Force are Ontario Champions !

The Cobourg Force Men's Fastball Team won the Ontario (OASA) Intermediate Men's "B" Provincial Championship over the Labour Day long weekend. The 8 team tournament was held in Sharon/ Queensville ( Newmarket area. )

The Force, primarily a master's team went throught the tournament with a 4-0 record.

21st ANNUAL WORLD SENIOR MEN’S FASTBALL TOURNAMENT
AUG. 31st, SEPT. 1st, 2nd, 2007  North Bay, Ontario

Casey's comes back for title; Championship win follows dramatic rally in semifinal.

Ken Pagan  /  The Nugget
Sports - Monday, September 03, 2007 

As Hall of Famer Yogi Berra once said, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

With Casey's trailing by six runs and down to their final three outs in the semifinal, many of the 200 fans at Johnson Field left to see the other game at Troy Field - and they missed one of the most exciting comebacks in local fastball annals.

Casey's scored six runs to force extra innings before pulling out a dramatic 12-11 semifinal win over the Oshawa Ravens, leaving enough left in the tank for a 3-1 win over the Porquis Junction KC Trappers to become the first local team in 10 years to win the World Senior Men's Fastball Tournament 'AA' championship.

A few members of Casey's - including pitchers Ken Besner and Mark Schledewitz, catcher Jim Lisk and third baseman Terry Vendetti - also played for the last local team to win, the TCR Bullets, in 1997.

But the odds of Casey's even getting to the final weren't good after they committed five errors and allowed six runs in the top of the fifth inning in the semifinal, handing Oshawa a 10-4 lead.

'Play right to the end'

But Casey's still had three outs to go and there were a lot of guys eager to make up for a bad inning.

"You never give up, not with this batting lineup," Besner said. "We had really good sticks all weekend and the guys were hitting well, so you've got to play right to the end."

Lisk smashed a two-run homer with none out.

Three batters later, left-fielder Luc 'Red' Gagnon made amends for a couple of earlier mistakes with another monster shot over the centre-field fence.

Second baseman Reg Reichstein, who was drilled on the hand by a pitch, later came around to score and send the game to extra innings.

After the Ravens went up 11-10 in the top of the sixth, speedy centre-fielder Bill Reid of Casey's drove home Vendetti for the tying run and Reid came around to score the winning run on Lisk's lined shot into the gap to cap the dramatic comeback.
"We were down six runs (in the fifth), but we had the top of the order coming up and all you have to do is get a couple runners on - we had a couple of home runs and we were right back in it," Lisk said. "That was probably one of the best games I've ever played in." The Porquis Junction KC Trappers, led by hard-throwing pitcher Frank Kujawinski, knocked off the two-time defending champion Cold Spring Cats in the other semifinal.

But Casey's, the North Bay Senior Men's Fastball League champions, carried their semifinal momentum into the championship game.

In the second inning, seeing his first pitch of the game, Gagnon crushed another long home run to centre-field to give Casey's a 1-0 lead.

Leading off the third inning, Casey's shortstop Ed Roy uncoiled like Reggie Jackson and crushed the first pitch over the right-centre field fence for a 2-0 lead. The next batter, Reid, followed with a triple and came around to score on Lisk's single.

The Trappers answered in the top of the fourth when Pete Barber had his second hit to drive in Mike Bourgeois, but Besner dug deep to grind out the final five outs - he surrendered a couple lined rockets in the fifth, but one was snared by Vendetti at third base and the other by Gagnon in left field.

Besner, named most valuable player of the championship game, pitched six of the seven games on the weekend - including all four in the playoffs after Schledewitz, who was picked up to provide some weekend relief, injured a hamstring Friday.

"If Sledge would have been able to keep pitching, we would have been in really good shape, but after you get going, you don't feel it too much," Besner said of the weekend workload.

Both Besner and Lisk, who have played together for more than 20 years, credited some weekend additions to the lineup for helping put Casey's over the top.

"This year, we picked up a couple of guys - Serge Violette at first base and Eddie Roy (who usually plays with a Garson team in tournaments) at shortstop - so that really helped us defensively and offensively," Besner said. "And our team was already close, so I think it just all came together."

"We brought Schledewitz out of retirement to throw a few innings to help Kenny stay fresh and it was appreciated," Lisk said. "Kenny was (fading) at the end, but those extra innings helped us a lot."

Kent Trusses 8, Peterborough 4

In the 32-team tournament's 'A' division final, Kent Trusses from South River made it a regional sweep with an 8-4 win over the defending 'A' division champions from Peterborough.

Don Folliott, named most valuable player in the championship game, had a two-run triple that broke the game open, while Darryl Percival also had two hits and two RBIs. Pitcher Steve Attwell, who combined on the mound with Folliot during the weekend's seven games, earned the win in the final game.

"I think it was a real team effort," said team captain Eldy MacIntosh, one of five members of the South River team who have played together since 1979. "Don (Folliot) logged a lot of innings, he's our horse. But he knows when he runs out of gas and we were able to save Steve (Attwell) for when it counted in this game."

The South River team no longer plays regularly in a league, instead getting together for weekly practices and playing three tournaments each summer.

But they play hard, evidenced by a takeout slide at second base which knocked down the Farquhar Chrysler shortstop and broke up a double play in the quarter-final, Sunday morning.

"For us, playing seven games is pretty tough, so it was huge - the guys gave a great effort," MacIntosh said. "I really have to commend the guys, because when you only practise, it's tough. It's not the same as playing games."

Smith named honorary chairman

Longtime local fastball supporter Karl Smith served as honorary chairman for the 2007 tournament.

Smith, who plays with Farquhar Chrysler, was a founding member of the North Bay Senior Fastball league and has been in all 21 world tournaments as well as 27 CFB Silver Fox tournaments.

Earlier this season, Smith took a line drive on the shin that later became infected and left him on crutches for much of the summer. But he made a return to the plate in Friday's feature game, helping Farquhar Chrysler to a 7-0 win over the Hamilton Pirates.

Crouching for love of the game; Ricci in 31st year of calling North Bay balls and strikes

Ken Pagan
For: www.nugget.ca

- Saturday, September 01, 2007 @ 08:00

He's been right in the thick of things with all the best ballplayers in North Bay for the past 30 years, but he's never swung a bat or fielded a ball.

Still, nobody has seen North Bay's best hitters and pitchers over the years the way Lui Ricci has from behind home plate.

Ricci, 44, is in his 31st year of umpiring local baseball/fastball and he's still going strong - working 16 games this weekend during the World Senior Men's fastball tournament, in fact.

He started umpiring hardball as a 13-year-old in 1977 and when umpires Wally Patterson and Darryl Laxton needed another official for a Gateway Major Fastball Association tournament, they coaxed the 13-year-old into working the bases.

He soon began working games behind the plate and never looked back - although it was intimidating at first.

"I remember doing a game between the Merchants and Mr. Transmission and Don Grierson was the batter," Ricci says of one of his first games. "He'd always let the first couple pitches go by and I remember calling a strike like Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun - 'Strike?' - and he'd look back and shake his head.

"But that gave me confidence, calling strikes with guys like Don Grierson at bat."

There were also times third base coaches such as the late Ron Duffy would come and question a call.

"He was something like six-foot-six and it was like I was looking up to the friendly giant," says Ricci, who stands five-foot-two. "It was intimidating, but afterwards, they'd say, 'Good game, ump' and from then on it was awesome."

When Ricci first started behind the plate in 1977, he wore only a mask and soccer shin pads - not the inflatable chest and neck pads that umpires are equipped with today.

"I don't know how we did it," he says, noting he still regularly takes foul balls off the wrists, shoulders, legs and other body parts.

Youth baseball and fastball participation in North Bay has dwindled from when he first started, but Ricci still holds down a schedule that has him on a field five nights a week with ladies and senior men's fastball or senior baseball.

Umpiring can be a thankless job - with any call, half the players on the field and half the fans might suggest new prescription eyeglasses.

But even after 30 years, Ricci loves coming to the park every night. "It's enthusiasm," says Ricci, who has also coached local hockey for 30 years, starting as a teenager because he was "too small" as a player.

"If you're enthusiastic, you'll be respected by the players. If they have a question, they can come talk to the umpire and we'll give you an answer back. It's all about respect.

"That comes with experience. If you're umpiring every night and the players know how you umpire, you'll get that respect. If you show hustle on and off the field as an umpire, the ballplayers will, too. If you don't show that, the ballplayers will think, 'Ah, the umpire doesn't care.'"

Ricci also isn't shy to come clean about something North Bay players might have suspected at one time or another over the years - yes, he has missed a call.

'We're not perfect'

In one instance, Ricci called a runner out on second on what he mistakenly thought was a force play, but the runner should have been safe because no tag was applied.

"I remember saying, 'Geez, I blew the call' so they put the game under protest and we had to play the whole game over from there on. "Hey, it happens. We're not perfect."

It's how he deals with the questionable calls and the sometimes-friendly taunts that has helped him survive 30 years and enables him to keep showing up with a smile on his face.

"I hear it all the time," he says of the heckling, usually good-natured. "They'll say, 'Hey umpie, stand up' (a crack at his vertically challenged stature) and I just chuckle. You have to give them a little smile.

"Because really, what are we here for? I'm here because I want to be around the ballplayers. I never played baseball, but here's my chance to give something back. You have to like the game. That's the bottom line."

The heckling they can handle, but the biggest problem umpires are facing is there are not enough of them.

"Boy, oh boy, do we need help," says Ricci, who won the Al Knapp Award for contribution to North Bay baseball in 1999.

There are few up-and-coming umpires getting involved, leaving veterans stretched to meet demand from various leagues.

"We're always scrambling," says Angie Cerisano, umpire-in-chief for both the senior men's fastball league and Softball Ontario's Zone 11.

Cerisano says there are eight to 12 senior men's fastball umpires through the season, but some nights are a stretch with various leagues playing at the same time.

Often, new umpires are former players looking to stay involved, rather than up-and-coming youngsters.

"I don't know whether it's the frustration from players, coaches or fans getting on umpires or whether it's a time factor - a lot of kids have other things to do these days," Cerisano says, noting it's a concern associations are dealing with throughout Ontario.

Cerisano started umpiring hardball in 1991, and was lured to fastball six years ago when Ricci came calling.

"We enjoy doing games together, because we both do it for the simple fact that we enjoy umpiring," Cerisano says. "It's not for the money, or anything else - we enjoy the game."

For Ricci and Cerisano, the adventure continues this weekend with the 32-team senior men's fastball tournament, for which 14 umpires have been enlisted, including four from Sudbury and one from Sault Ste. Marie.

Over the years, Ricci has seen first-hand the best players and teams, having worked a dozen provincial championship events. He watched the Fraser Tavern win provincial fastball championships in the 1980s and the King and His Court visit twice for exhibitions - Ricci even hosted a visiting team of bantam hardball players from Italy in the 1980s and showed them the hot Italian spots around North Bay.

"There's been some fantastic ball," Ricci says. "If my health is good, and I'm still enthusiastic and love it, I hope to do this another 20 years."

Derek Mayson of the Vancouver Grey Sox slams his elbow to the face of Troy Gilmour but Gilley hangs on and applies the tag for the out. Vancouver ( # 10 ISC ranked ) won the game 7-0. Several players from the Cobourg Force Masters Team are competing at the 2007 ISC World Tournament with the unranked Peterborough Murphy Windmillers.   

Click the following link for Game # 1 stats : 

http://www.iscfastpitch.com/uploads/File/2007%20ISC%20Files/12.htm

Peterborough rebounded in Game # 2 beating the # 17 ranked Bloomington Stix of Bloomington Illinois.

Click the following link for the Game # 2 stats :

http://www.iscfastpitch.com/uploads/File/2007%20ISC%20Files/24.htm

Peterborough picks up another win defeating the unranked Scarborough Royals, click the following link for Game # 3 stats.

http://www.iscfastpitch.com/uploads/File/2007%20ISC%20Files/38.htm

Game # 4 : Peterborough bows out of the tournament with a 9-1 mercy loss to the 20th. ranked Innerkip Eagles. Click the following link for Game # 4 stats.

http://www.iscfastpitch.com/uploads/File/2007%20ISC%20Files/55.htm

Peterborough ends the tournament with 2 wins and 2 losses.

Back row ( left to right )
Wayne Wells, Troy Gilmour, Craig Minifie, Joe Reeve, Kyle Davis, Dave Birnie, Bill Fairney, Fred Clyke, Mike Harnish, Rob Doncaster, John Garland, Dave Hedger
Front row ( left to right )
Rory Hustler, Al Ball, Scott Wasson, Steve Connelly, Dave Waldie, Brian McGuire, Mike Crawford, Ted Conway

Absent from photo - Sylvia Ryan, Manager

2007 OASA Masters Provincial Championship
Cobourg, Ontario
Legion Fields
Sat. July 21st. & Sunday July 22nd.

Red Division
Cobourg                                       
Ingersoll
Oshawa

Blue Division
Cold Springs
Waterloo
Minesing

Sat. 10:00 am

Cobourg - 11 ( 6 inns )
Oshawa - 4

WP - Wayne Wells
LP - Rick May

Game MVP'S

Cobourg - Scott Wasson
Oshawa - Bill Brady
               
Waterloo - 2
Minesing - 0

WP - Pete Spitzig relief by Doug Charlton
LP - Paul Priest

Game MVP'S
Minesing - Gord Zeggil
Waterloo - Jodie Schnarr ( HR )

1:00 pm

Oshawa - 9
Ingersoll - 2

WP - Mark Coutu
LP - Doug Jackson

Game MVP'S
Ingersoll - Chuck Davies
Oshawa - Mike Haddon               

Cold Springs - 0
Waterloo - 9

WP - Don Stebbings
LP - Steve Ketchell relief by Gary Vowles

Game MVP'S

Cold Springs - Darren Crouter
Waterloo - Sam Forbes ( HR )

Andy Dalgarno also had a home run for Waterloo

4:00 pm   

Cobourg - 8
Ingersoll - 5

WP - Mike Crawford relief by Wayne Wells
LP - Larry Cox

Game MVP'S
Ingersoll - Kevin Roulston
Cobourg - Ted Conway ( Grand Slam )
               
Minesing - 3
Cold Springs - 2

WP - Eric Rosenquist
LP - Gary Vowles

Game MVP'S
Cold Springs - Steve Parker
Minesing - Richard Thompson

7:00 pm   

#2 Red Cold Springs - 8 ( 8 inns )
#3 Blue Oshawa - 7

WP - Gary Vowles in relief of Steve Ketchell
LP - Mark Coutu in relief of Blair McBratney

Game MVP'S
Oshawa - Paul Papulkas
Cold Springs - Steve Mitts

#2 Blue Minesing - 3
#3 Red Ingersoll - 1

WP - Paul Priest with relief by Eric Rosenquist
LP - Doug Jackson

Game MVP'S
Ingersoll - Larry Lowes
Minesing - Paul Priest ( HR )

Sun. 10:00 am
   
Cobourg - 6
Minesing - 1

WP - Wayne Wells
LP - Kurt Glover

Game MVP'S
Minesing - Greg McLean
Cobourg - Kyle Davis 3 x 3, HR, 3 runs scored   

Waterloo - 12
Cold Springs - 4

WP - Doug Charlton
LP - Roger Cole with relief by Gary Vowles

Game MVP'S
Cold Springs - Paul Foucault
Waterloo - Andy Dalgarno


12:00 pm BRONZE

Minesing - 9 ( 6 inns )
Cold Springs - 2

WP - Paul Priest relief by Eric Rosenquist
LP - Steve Ketchell relief by Gary Vowles

2:00 pm GOLD MEDAL GAME

Waterloo Classics Starting Lineup

1. Paul Clemons
2. Jodie Schnarr
3. Jason Hope
4. Sam Forbes
5. Mike Kelly
6. Andy Dalgarno
7. Ron McWhirter
8. Don Stebbings
9. Todd Hay
10.Pete Spitzig

Substitutes

Lloyd Evans
Paul McCart
Doug Charlton
Dan Ferrede

Coaches

Paul McCart - 1b
Dana Seiling - 3b & Mgr.

Cobourg Force Starting Lineup

1. Scott Wasson 8
2. Steve Connelly 4
3. Kyle Davis 9
4. Craig Minifie 3
5. Troy Gilmour 2
6. Fred Clyke DP
7. Rob Doncaster 5
8. Ted Conway 7
9. Joe Reeve 6
10. Wayne Wells 1
11. Mike Harnish DR

Substitutes

Mike Crawford
Dave Hedger
John Garland
Al Ball
Bill Fairney
Dave Waldie
Brian McGuire
Rory Hustler

Coaching Staff

Sylvia Ryan - Manager
Dave Birnie - Coach
Brian McGuire - 3b coach
Dave Hedger - 1b coach

Umpires

Plate - Doug Cundall
1b - Gary Kipfer
3b - Brian Sharples
UIC - Steve Bedard

OASA Tournament Organizers / Convenors

Bob Abbot
George Ryder
Paddy Fitzgerald Nolan   


Cobourg Force - 17 ( 5 inns )
Waterloo Classics - 2

WP - Wayne Wells 5inns, 3hits, 11k, 1bb, 1hbp,
LP - Don Stebbings with relief by Doug Charlton & Pete Spitzig

Waterloo - Andy Dalgarno 1x1
Cobourg - Kyle Davis 4x5, HR,
Troy Gilmour 2x3, 1bb, HR

Cobourg Force are the 2007 Ontario Masters Champions

Gold - Cobourg Force
Silver - Waterloo Classics
Bronze - Minesing

Jack Cook Award - Jodie Schnarr, Waterloo

Waterloo Classics, 2007 OASA Silver Medalists