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Via 
Here is the roster for Cutro Professional Inspections for the 2008 AAU
Cutro Professional Inspections AAU roster
Pitchers:
Shaun Winship
jason Smith
Jeff Murphy
Catchers:
Mike Cutro
Mark McCallum
Utility:
Jeff Lane
Josh Horton
Infield:
Mike Mckie
Kip Adams
Chris Adams
Lyle Brown
Todd Lutinski
Outfield:
Charlie Walseman
Mike Sorzickas
Mike Riley
Doug Gee
michael cutro
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Via
The Millwood Logistics Countrymen from Barrie, Ontario will be making their second trip to the AAU in January. After finishing 6th in 2007, behind the arm of Scott Wager, the team is looking to play some good ball and spend time in the sun.
Countrymen Lineup
Scott Wager P/DP
Jayme Amos P/DP
Jamie Simpson P
Dwayne McKenzie C
Brad Robinson 1B
Derek Martin 2B
Mike Pullin SS
Adam Dearborne 3B
Steph Walma IF/OF
Craig Fletcher OF
Jamie Robinson OF
Jim Culling OF
Jamie Simpson Coach
simper7@sympatico.ca
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Via
The Thomson Merchants AAU roster of 2008
Thomson, IL
Manager— Bob Clark
Todd Baber–C/OF
Bruce Bielema–IF
“Doc” Brown–IF
Tom Crouch–IF/OF
Scott Glazier–IN/OF
Chris Hammick–OF
Mike House–OF
George Jiminez–C/IF
Daryn Miller–IF
John Sudges–IF/DP
Brian Tobin–IF/DP
Victor Flores–P
Bobby Ginger–P
Earl Rutledge–P
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The roster for Niagara Storm’s Fury for the upcoming AAU tournament at Disney in January
Attendees:
Coaches – Herb Beckman, Al Greatrix, Butch Provost
Sponsor – Mark Balice, Storm’s Deli
Jeff Wilson, P/DP
Tom Berube, P/DP
Rich Vassos, P
Lee Hopkins, P/OF
Ray Carr, C/OF
Glen Crocker C/OF
Tom Watkinson, IF
Mark Korten, IF
Rob Greatrix, IF
Blair Setford, IF
Luke Hopkins, IF
Phil John, OF
Marcel Bilodeau, OF
Contributor’s Note: The Storm’s Fury play in the Golden Horseshoe Fastball League and the local Niagara Falls Men’s Fastball League, winning the championship in both leagues in 2008 behind the pitching of Scott Wagar. With Wagar already committed to the AAU with another team, the Fury have added veteran Tom “Bullets” Berube and 2007 ISC First Team DH Jeff Wilson to handle the bulk of the pitching in Florida. These two teamed up to lead Ashland, OH Mets to a surprising top 16 finish at the 2007 ISC World Tournament.
Editor’s note: Can you identify the “mystery batter” in the photo below? Hint: He’s on the roster above. Hint # 2: the photo was taken 10 years ago.
From Hawkes Bay Today, New Zealand:
SOFTBALL – Pitching for top spot
SHANE HURNDELL
Jordan Waterhouse’s surname is the biggest clue … he was always going to feature on the national softball scene.
The Lindisfarne College year 11 pupil is the son of former Softball New Zealand board member Craig Waterhouse, one of the code’s top administrators and long-time organiser of two of the Bay’s biggest tournaments: the annual Fun in the Sun and the annual men’s Lion Red North Island Classic, which will be played at Akina Park, Hastings.
Waterhouse, 15, started playing teeball when he was five. But long before that he was “running errands” for his father and mother Diane as they ran various tournaments.
“Putting numbers on diamonds and other little jobs like that,” he recalled.
His days of being a gofer have ended. This weekend’s 10-team Classic will be his second on the Fast Pitch side’s playing roster.
Waterhouse is aiming to get more game time than he got last year when he appeared in one game as an outfielder. The pitcher for the Hawke’s Bay under-15s who finished second to Hutt Valley at their North Island tournament in Tauranga last summer doesn’t expect too much time on the mound.
“I might get some if we establish a big lead in a game … but any game time in any role will be welcomed,” said Waterhouse, who joins Hastings Boys’ High School’s Kane Herbert as the youngest players on the Fast Pitch roster.
He is one of three back-up pitchers to player-coach Rayner Te Wake who he spends an hour training with each day at his family’s Meeanee home, which is equipped with a batting machine and pitcher’s mats.
It’s all part of his long-term goals – to secure Junior Black Sox and Black Sox berths in the future. Waterhouse is also keen to have a stint in either the United States or Canada when he finishes school.
That’s in the future. His immediate goal is to help Fast Pitch improve on last summer’s efforts in the Classic which saw them win the plate.
“I would like to think we can have a crack at the top four in the championship section this time,” he said.
A centre in the Lindisfarne College E grade rugby team, Waterhouse tips Porirua United and Hutt City United as the teams to beat this weekend. Former Hawke’s Bay pitcher Regan Manley is Hutt City United’s top pitcher and defending champions Porirua United will again be spearheaded by former Bay star and former Black Sox outfielder Fabian Makea.
Other visiting teams are Hutt Valley Cardinals, Wairarapa Giants and Newlands. Along with Fast Pitch, Scarfe Builders Tamatea, Dodgers, Maraenui Pumas and Saints are the Bay’s hopes.
Waterhouse was quick to reply when asked who will have the gofer’s role this weekend. “It looks like its Lachie’s turn,” he said, referring to his 3-year-old nephew Lachlan.
Like his uncle, Lachlan took an early liking to the code and had a glove in his hand when he was just a week old.
SportToday won’t be surprised if he, like his uncle, is on the Fast Pitch playing roster when he’s 15. As we said … it’s all in the surname
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We send along our birthday greetings to Hall of Fame Baseball announcer, Vin Scully, who celebrates his 80th birthday today, with fifty-seven (57) years behind the mike for the Dodgers. Remarkable. Happy Birthday, Vin.
For a bit more on his illustrious career, click here.
(He is an honorary member of the Ballparkradio broadcast crew)
There are many, many audio clips of Vin Scully’s fine work. Click here to listen to one of my favorites from a game I was lucky enough to see in person, between the Dodgers and the Yankees in June 2004. It’s a large file, so please be patient while it download to play.
Certainly another game that often comes to mind when thinking of Vin’s best work was his call of Kirk Gibson’s home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.
“And, he (relief pitcher Dennis Eckersley) walked him (pinch-hitter Mike Davis)… and look who’s comin’ up!
(36 seconds of crowd cheering)
“All year long, they looked to him to light the fire, and all year long, he answered the demands, until he was physically unable to start tonight— with two bad legs: The bad left hamstring, and the swollen right knee. And, with two out, you talk about a roll of the dice…this is it. If he hits the ball on the ground, I would imagine he would be running 50 percent to first base. So, the Dodgers trying to catch lightning right now!
“Fouled away.
“He was, you know, complaining about the fact that, with the left knee bothering him, he can’t push off. Well, now, he can’t push off and he can’t land…4-3 A’s, two out, ninth inning, not a bad opening act!
“Mike Davis, by the way, has stolen 7 out of 10, if you’re wondering about Lasorda throwing the dice again. 0-and-1.
“Fouled away again…0-and-2 to Gibson, the infield is back, with two out and Davis at first. Now Gibson, during the year, not necessarily in this spot, but he was a threat to bunt. No way tonight, no wheels.
“No balls, two strikes, two out.
“Little nubber… foul—and, it had to be an effort to run that far. Gibson was so banged up, he was not introduced; he did not come out onto the field before the game. … It’s one thing to favor one leg, but you can’t favor two. 0-and-2 to Gibson.
“Ball one. And, a throw down to first, Davis just did get back. Good play by Ron Hassey using Gibson as a screen; he took a shot at the runner, and Mike Davis didn’t see it for that split-second and that made it close.
“There goes Davis, and it’s fouled away! So, Mike Davis, who had stolen 7 out of 10, and carrying the tying run, was on the move.
“Gibson, shaking his left leg, making it quiver, like a horse trying to get rid of a troublesome fly. 2-and-2! Tony LaRussa is one out away from win number one…two balls and two strikes, with two out.
“There he goes! Wa-a-ay outside, he’s stolen it!…So, Mike Davis, the tying run, is at second base with two out. Now, the Dodgers don’t need the muscle of Gibson, as much as a base hit, and on deck is the lead-off man, Steve Sax. 3-and-2. Sax waiting on deck, but the game right now is at the plate.
“High fly ball into right field, she i-i-i-is… gone!!
(67 seconds of cheering)
“In a year that has been so improbable… the impossible has happened!
“And, now, the only question was, could he make it around the base paths unassisted?!
“You know, I said it once before, a few days ago, that Kirk Gibson was not the Most Valuable Player; that the Most Valuable Player for the Dodgers was Tinkerbell. But, tonight, I think Tinkerbell backed off for Kirk Gibson. And, look at Eckersley —shocked to his toes!
“They are going wild at Dodger Stadium. No one wants to leave!”
“Dennis Eckersley allowed five home runs all year. We’ll be back.”
Speaking of Mike Davis, it was his brother Johnny Davis who helped lead his Seattle Fastpitch team to the NAFA 50+ National title this year, in Carson City, Nevada. Johnny was a one-man wrecking crew against the editor’s own Deadwood team, hitting not one, but two home runs. A payback for a wisecrack I made about him during a broadcast back in 2002. Not that he remembered 😉
Speaking of radio broadcasts, Ballparkradio will be on the air again in Orlando – 2008 being our fifth consecutive year of bringing you live AAU broadcasts. This year’s crew will be the largest yet, and looking remarkably like the ISC II crew. Rising young star Kyle Smith will be front and center, back for his second year, while ISC II commish and ISC II broadcast crew chief Blair Setford will be on hand — both as a player and broadcasters. Blair and Kyle arrive earlier than I, and are making arrangements to broadcast a Thursday game or two, giving us 4 days of broadcasts instead of the usual three. Bill Hillhouse, one of the listeners’ favorite analysts will likely be on hand, and waiting to hear from the ISC II’s original broadcaster Joe Todd, to see if he will join us again. All in all, it figures to give you plenty to do at work on Thursday and Friday instead of working, leading into the weekend playoff round. Don’t miss it !
(click logo to visit Ballparkradio.com website)
(click logo to visit official ISC website)
Editor’s Note: Many additions have been made since the first calendar was distributed earlier in November and more additions will be made in upcoming weeks. Note the issue date below the heading on page 1 is now November 21, 2007. It is the intent of the ISC to provide teams with early information so they can use it to make tournament arrangements early for 2008 competition. Even if some info is missing, they are at least providing the information needed to consider various tournaments, who to contact, location and tournament dates.
Click here for webpage with this same information with “clickable email links”.
From Quad Cities Online:
International Softball Congress World Tournament representative Larry Koberg, of Walcott, Iowa, is all smiles after receiving a coffee mug from Joe Taylor, President/CEO of the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, during a press conference announcing the Quad-Cities will host the 2009 International Softball Congress World Tournament. In the background are Moline Mayor Don Welvaert, left, and VP of sales for QCCVB Lynn Hunt. Mr. Taylor said he was giving Mr. Koberg the coffee mug that Mr. Koberg used when they first met over coffee to discuss the possibility of bringing the tournament to the QCA.
As Reported from the Quad Cities:
All four TV stations were there with significant play during the evening news and again this morning. Front page story for Moline Dispatch with photo. Inside sports section story in Quad City Times with photo since Times broke the story and ran with it on Friday. Moline Mayor Don Welvaert and Davenport Mayor Elect Bill Gluba attended and spoke about the great event coming to the Quad Cities. The media conference went very, very well. All four TV stations were there with significant play during the evening news and again this morning. Front page story for Moline Dispatch with photo. Inside sports section story in Quad City Times with photo since Times broke the story and ran with it on Friday. Moline Mayor Don Welvaert and Davenport Mayor Elect Bill Gluba attended and spoke about the great event coming to the Quad Cities.
Continuing the ASA theme of today’s posts, here is the list of 2008 National tournaments:
ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch
7/31/2008 – 8/3/2008 Stevens Point, WisconsinASA Men’s 23-Under Fast Pitch
7/31/2008 – 8/3/2008 Brandon, South DakotaASA Men’s Class A Fast Pitch
9/4/2008 – 9/8/2008 Gladstone, MissouriASA Men’s Class B Fast Pitch
8/27/2008 – 9/1/2008 McAllen, TexasASA Men’s Class C Fast Pitch
8/27/2008 – 9/1/2008 Prescott, ArizonaASA Men’s Masters 40-Over Fast Pitch
8/20/2008 – 8/24/2008 Minot, North DakotaASA Men’s Masters 45-Over Fast Pitch
9/11/2008 – 9/14/2008 Springfield, MissouriASA Men’s Senior* 50-Over Fast Pitch
9/26/2008 – 9/28/2008 Fort Worth, Texas
* ASA continues to refer to 50+ fastballers as “seniors”. Someone tell them that the “seniors” are over playing slow pitch.
Editor’s notes: Speaking of date changes, ASA has moved the 50+ tournament to the last weekend in September instead of the heat of the summer in early July. I wonder if the 40+ will follow, instead of continuing to lose teams and players because they are involved in the ISC World Tournament, and NAFA World Series. Readers will recall that last year’s ASA 40+ and 45+ Nationals in Alabama were canceled due to “lack of interest”.
Courtesy of the ASA’s Vanessa Woodmansee:
Effective 2010 the dates of the Men’s A, B and C Fastpitch National Championships will be moved to the weekend that includes the last Saturday in July. This change submitted to the ASA Council by Oakland ASA Commissioner John Gouveia after receiving feedback from many of the dedicated players in the men’s fastpitch game was approved unanimously. The basis of the change submitted included the reasoning that it was getting increasingly difficult for participants to get time off around the Labor Day weekend and the recent drop in the number of teams participating in the Nationals. We hope that the change will be one that benefits the great game of men’s fastpitch
Editor’s note: The change from Labor Day to late July is a big one, in apparent response to the dwindling number of teams at their National tournaments. It follows a date change by the ASA Major tournament a few years back, when that tournament was down to a paltry half dozen teams, and seems to have increased the numbers, along with the rule change allowing foreign born players to compete.