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 My Site News: Veteran Pitcher Cole Retires |
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Veteran Pitcher Cole Retires
VETERAN HURLER COLE RETIRES FROM PITCHING
Courtesy : OASA High & Inside Newsletter & Cobourg Star Aug. 10 / 2004
The most prominent and dominant homespun fastball pitcher has thrown his last pitch. Suddenly. Regrettably. Wisely.
Roger Cole of R.R. #2 Bewdley informed Cobourg Men's Softball League executive members and team representatives at a meeting last week that he had retired from pitching after a career covering 33 seasons rather than risk any further damage to his upper right arm and/or to avoid surgery.
Cole was injured early at the 2004 Ontario (Ontario Amateur Softball Association) Masters Eliminations in Port Perry on the July 23 to 25 weekend. Since then, Cole's been told by local chiropractor and well-regarded sports injuries expert Dr. Wayne Woodland that his pitching days, in all likelihood, were over.
Ironically, the decision to stop pitching competitively came only a couple of days before Cole's 50th birthday and a little more than a month in advance of the Cold Springs Cats 29 year anniversary reunion.
A late bloomer, Cole didn't take up pitching until age 18. While healthy and in his heyday, he pitched for three different teams in the same summer and always capable of raising the level of play to meet the most formidable of challenges often as the mainstay of the Cats' pitching staff. He and his teammates reached the pinnacle of success in 1980 when Cold Springs stunned the fastball fraternity in the province by winning the OASA Eliminations and thereby representing Ontario in the Canadian Senior Men's fastpitch championships in Saskatoon, Sask., finishing fifth and putting the hamlet of Cold Springs on the fastball map. Altogether, Cole pitched on nine OASA championship clubs over the years starting with a Juvenile B title by Cobourg in 1973, followed by two consecutive Intermediate C crowns in the mid-1970s, a pair of provincial Intermediate B red pennants (one with Baltimore and the other with the Cats) later, then three Ontario Masters honours. The Cats also took Canadian Masters laurels in both 1997 and 1998, besides attaining the Eastern Canadian Masters title in 2000.
That doesn't even take into account the 1976 and 1978 Eastern Ontario Fastball League championships the Cats captured or Cole-led teams emerging triumphant in numerous township and town league playoffs. Of course, Cole makes it clear none of this would not have been possible without the support of talented teammates.
Not too shabby of a fastball legacy for a hard-working farmer with 1,700 acres of land, father of two sharp and singing daughters (Angle and Shannon) and husband of an intelligent, active and supportive sweetheart of a wife, Donna.
Cole finished his final year of pitching in the CMSL with a fine 7-3 record and undoubtedly will miss being on the firing line, but the good news is that he plans to remain connected with the Eagle.ca squad, probably as the coach who likely will turn over some responsibilities to a couple of his trusted players. After all, Cole still is competitive and enjoys the camaraderie. Widely admired and respected by his players, the opposition and even most umpires because of the way he treats his personnel, his grasp of the game, his ability to do what is best for the complete team and the entire league for that matter. Roger Cole is very knowledgeable and very unique.
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