The Houston Aces have added Luis Joglar and and Omar Moraga to their Red Rock roster. The addition of these two will improve the Aces lineup and our quest to improve on or second place finish at last years tourney. Thanks to both Luis and Omar for joining the Houston Aces Fastpitch Team.
“Anselmo Zamorategui”
Al and readers – I have been cleaning out items from the storage area of The Fastpitch Chronicle newspaper (1987-2002). In the process, I have tossed hundreds of items including copies of the issues, tournament programs, other newspaper clippings, pictures and more.
I’ve decided to add a page to The Fastpitch Chronicle website at
http://www.fastpitchchronicle.com/historical.html
where I will post articles from those great days of fastpitch covered by “The Chronicle.” The page is called Turning Back Pages and is dedicated to Irv Kawarsky, the longtime historian for both Ray Anderson’s Faspitch Softball News Bulletin and for The Fastpitch Chronicle newspaper.The first few articles are now posted on the site and include “The Chronicle’s” front page story from September 1993 when Jack Fireman’s Toronto Gators stunned National Health Care Discount by winning 6-1 and 4-1 in the two final games. Once there, readers can also find out who the fans in the stands chose as their favorite players at that tournament.
After publishing The Chronicle for 14 years, I know that most fastpitch fans thirst for material on and about the game. I’ll also be firing up a Mens Fastpitch Trivia page on the site where fans can click into and try to answer the myriad of trivia questions that will be there. The trivia questions will probably change weekly in order to satisfy everyone’s thirst.
Keep up the great job service that you have been providing since 1995 Al.
Bob Tomlinson
The Fastpitch Chronicle
mail to: faspich1@aol.com
http://www.fastpitchchronicle.com
Editor’s note: For those of you who might be too young to remember, before the internet and Al’s Fastball, there was Bob Tomlinson and his “Fastpitch Chronicle”, a hard copy newspaper, with the latest news and photos that came out monthly. When Fastpitchwest.com was established in 1998, it was following in three big footprints showing the way: (1) Ray Anderson’s “Fastpitch Bulletin” (1970’s & 80’s) , Bob Tomlinson’s “Fastpitch Chronicle” (1980’s), and Al Doran’s “Al’s Fastball” (1990’s to present). Bob Tomlinson provided news and information in the world of men’s fastpitch for a generation of ballplayers. We heartily recommend his “history” page for some great stories on players and teams of another era.
Some great old footage in a YouTube video. Click that little arrow on the “screen” above to view the video. Recognize any of those faces? 😉 Didn’t get a chance to see Darren Zack pitch a few years back? Say “Hello Mr. Riseball”. “Good morning, good afternoon and Good Night!” Anyone know what year those games were played? Email us at jim (at) fastpitchwest.com
Cap tip to Cary Weiler for the link!
Sonny Perkins tells us the video was from the “Fastpitch” DVD, filmed in 1995, except that news footage from New York.
More: We heard from the producer of this footage, Jeremy Spear, producer of the feature length film, “Fastpitch”. He tells us this YouTube video is a promotional video he did for the ISC in 2002, along with Steve Schucker and Michael Groves, to help promote the Men’s game. (The original is in color) Most of the footage came from his film, “Fastpitch”.
The following appeared in today’s edition of The Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
A memorial service will be held Friday in Santa Rosa for Ray Guanella, who along with his brother sponsored the two-time Amateur Softball Association champion Guanella Bros. fastpitch softball team.
Guanella, who suffered from lung cancer, died Friday at his Santa Rosa home. He was 77.
For 24 years, Guanella and his brother, Walt, who died in 2000, oversaw one of the most successful amateur sports dynasties in the United States, a team so intimidating that others feared to play them.
Guanella Bros., named after the two brothers’ flooring company, won Amateur Softball Association national championships in 1974 and 1991. The team also won a gold medal in the World Games in 1981 and the Gold Medal in the 1993 Sports Festival in San Antonio, TX
Walt Guanella, who is credited with starting the team, received more attention than his brother, who preferred a more low-key role. The arrangement seemed to suit them.
“They had totally different personalities, but they got along beautifully,” said Beverly Guanella, Ray’s wife.
She described her husband as an accomplished businessman who liked to tell stories, play golf and card games, and spend time with his children – five from a previous marriage and three stepchildren.
Sponsoring the softball team was another passion.
In the 24 years of Guanella Bros., the team posted a record of 1,563 wins and just 401 losses, for a .796 winning percentage. The team, which played most of its home games at Santa Rosa’s Howarth Park, became such a juggernaut that other managers were reluctant to schedule against them for fear of hurting their own chances at post-season play.
Both brothers were selected to the Hall of Honor at the softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City as sponsors in 1998.
“He was very proud,” Beverly Guanella said.
Ray was born in Somers, Mont., in 1927 to Louie and Lucy Guanella, who immigrated to the United States from Italy. When he was 3, the family moved to Santa Rosa, where they bought a ranch and raised chickens.
Guanella graduated from Santa Rosa High School in 1949. He worked for PG&E for a time before learning the flooring business and opening the Roberts Avenue store with his brother.
They managed the business successfully before retiring in 1997.
Guanella is survived by his wife, Beverly Guanella of Santa Rosa, and sisters Erma Bridget of San Anselmo and Rena Sieboldt of San Rafael.
He also is survived by five children: Gary Guanella of Santa Rosa, Debbie Elzey of Sebastopol, Rick Guanella of Santa Rosa, Diane Sealey of Santa Rosa and Sharon Farnsworth of Trail, Ore.
Friday’s memorial service is at 1 p.m. at St. Eugene’s Church. The family suggests memorial donations be made to Santa Rosa High School.
– Derek Moore
From the ASA National office, courtesy of JRWiliamson:
OKLAHOMA CITY – Herb Dudley, who had a fast-pitch softball career that defied imagination, passed away early Friday morning, March 16th, of congestive heart failure at Lynchburg General Hospital in Lynchburg, Va. Dudley was 87 years-old.
Dudley’s career in fast pitch spanned five decades, starting in 1940 and ending in 1981. Ironically, he started and ended his career with the same team—the Clearwater Bombers of Clearwater, Fla., who won 10-ASA national championships. In addition to the Bombers, Dudley played for teams in Atlanta, Ga., Ashland, Ohio, Levittown, N.Y., Long Island, N.Y., Fort Wayne, Ind., Miami, Fla., Mountain View, Calif., Rising Sun, Md., and Allentown, Pa.
It is estimated Dudley won more than 1,000 games during his career and compiled a record of 28-9 in 16 ASA national championships. Five times he earned ASA All-America honors and was named as the most valuable player in the 1949 and 1957 ASA National Championships.
In 1949 he established the ASA national tourney single-game strikeout record when he fanned 55 batters in 21 innings against Okmulgee, Okla., in the ASA National Championship in Little Rock, Ark. After beating Okmulgee, 1-0, Dudley hurled the next game, fanning 12 more batters in a 4-0 win against Mercedes, Texas. During the six games Dudley hurled in the tournament, he fanned 130 batters, including 89 in 46 innings the last two nights.
That season was part of a five-year period in which Dudley won 142 games and lost only 10 for the Bombers, striking out 2,475 batters, hurling 110 shutouts and 45 no-hitters. He hurled more than 100 no-hitters during his career. Dudley was so well respected by the Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball, that each year at the conclusion of the ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship the Herb Dudley Outstanding Pitching Award is given to the tournaments most outstanding pitcher.
After retiring as an active player, Dudley worked for the Dudley Sports Company (no relation) until 1995 and was employed by the Clearwater Senior High School for 30 years as a teacher. He also gave pitching clinics throughout the United States during the summers.
Dudley, who was born December 19, 1919, was inducted into the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame in 1986 in the men’s fast pitch category. He has also been enshrined in the Stetson University Sports Hall of Fame, Indianapolis Indiana Hall of Fame and the Florida Sports Writers and Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Dudley is survived by his wife, Lucille, two sons, David and Tommy, three daughters, Susan, Becky and Sharon, 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held March 23, 2007 at the Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Clearwater, Fla.
G’day Al
CANBERRA, AU
As per our phone conversation we are running our 18th consecutive men’s tournament in Canberra November 30 – December2 2007.
This tournament has now taken on a skins format with upwards of $20,000 in prize money. It is a club format but as you know all clubs try to strengthen themselves. Each team is guaranteed 2 games and the final game is the two teams who have earned the most prize money in the pool games.
We would sure love to see our first team from North America. Teams can contact me at theharrows(at)optusnet.com.au
To continue our big week of softball we’re hosting the South Pacific Classic in Canberra at the Hawker International Softball Complex. It starts on Wednesday 5th December and runs until Saturday 8th December. It will consist of 5 teams (Nationals) – Japan, Samoa, World Champs New Zealand and Australia will put two teams in, consisting of the top 34 Australian players.
The Skins Tournament is used as part of our selection process so you can see the calibre of ball it generates. My main point of this whole exercise was to try and promote our game across Australia and hopefully like you do so well across the world.
Yours in Fastpitch Softball
Bob Harrow.
theharrows(at)optusnet.com.au
Best of West to Provide Berths to ISC World Tournament and ISC II Tournament of Champions
Fields 1 & 2 at Pershing Park, Santa Barbara, CA, June 2 – 3, 2007
The 17th Annual Best of The West Men’s Open Fastpitch Tournament will take place in Santa Barbara on the weekend of June 2–3, 2007, which is much earlier this year, than in previous years.
This year, for the first time, The Best of The West will provide a berth into the 2007 ISC World Tournament in Kitchener, Ontario Canada and a berth to the 2007 ISC II Tournament of Champions.
Entry Fee will be $400, with a deadline for entry fees of April 15th. We will accept the first 8 teams with entry fees committed by that date.
Note: Any team can play but only US West Region teams that play with their ISC roster are eligible to win a berth.
Make entry fee checks out to “Dave Blackburn†and mail to:
Dave Blackburn
Tournament Director
Best of The West
1720 Pacific Ave. #106
Venice, CA 90291
Roy Stout will again serve as “Umpire in Chiefâ€.
RULES IN EFFECT:
ISC Pitching Rule
No innings start after 1 hour 30 min time limit
7 Runs after 5 innings
Tie breaker in the 8th
ONLY STARTERS may re-enter
5 warm-up pitches to start the game, then 3 / inning
Speedup rule for Catcher on base, with 2 outs – last out can run
DR must be designated at start of game, but is not considered a starter for re-entry purposes
Sunday games – no time limit
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
Coming South on Hwy 101, from Northern California, exit at Castillo. Go right on Castillo two blocks. The two fields at Pershing Park are on the right.
Coming North on Hwy 101, from Southern California, exit at the Garden Street off ramp. Go left to Cabrillo. Go right on Cabrillo about a half mile.
At Castillo, go right, about 1 block, and the two fields at Pershing Park are on the left.
Info on 3 Affordable Hotels Below:
Motel 6 – Santa Barbara/Carpinteria North – $68.99 + Tax for two Adults, 2 beds
4200 Via Real
US 101 at Santa Monica Road/Santa Claus Lane
Carpinteria, California, United States, 93013
Phone: (805) 684-6921
Motel 6 – Santa Barbara/Carpinteria South – $68.99 + Tax for two adults, 2 beds
5550 Carpinteria Avenue
US 101 at Bailard Avenue/Casitas Pass Road
Carpinteria, California, United States, 93013
Phone: (805) 684-8602
Motel 6 – Santa Barbara – State Street – $95.99 + Tax
3505 State Street
US 101 at SR 225/State Street
Santa Barbara, California, United States, 93105
Phone: (805) 687-5400
See you in Sunny Santa Barbara…
Dave Blackburn
310-266-7803
daveb@virtvent.com
Editor’s note: Santa Barbara is an extremely popular summer getaway, so hotels book up fast. Make your reservations EARLY.
A bit more on the Best of the West:
The image above is from an old T-shirt from the 2nd Best of the West in 1992, in the days when the “Bombers” were from Vista 😉 Recognize any of those other teams?
The tournament was started by Al Ruegsegger and originally played at Joe Rodgers Field in Long Beach, and now enters its 17th year in a row, the longest running men’s open tournament in California. For many years now, the tournament has been headed up for years by the ISC’s streaming media maven, David Blackburn. It’s been played at Palmdate, Soboba, Winchester, and last year and this year in beautiful Santa Barbara.
The ballpark is a few blocks from the ocean. Want to go to the tournament but don’t feel like driving? Catch Amtrak. . Union Station in downtown LA is an easy drive on the weekend, and you can enjoy a cold one enroute, and snooze on the way home. The Sunday morning trains will get you there in time for the semis and finals. (That’s what Maddy and I did last year) The train station is just .7 of a mile from the fields. .Click here to see the ballpark. .
Special deal for fastpitch teams
The regular price for this touramnet is $125 per player. If you come in as a foursome from your fastpitch team the price is $400, a saving of $100 bucks. If your team is interested call me. Clyde at 805-895-9007
Click here for more details and entry form.
2007 Dixie Classic Fastpitch Tournament
Friday, April 20; Saturday, April 21; (&Sunday, April 22 if necessary)
Classes: C & B
Entry fee: $325—make checks payable to City of St. George
Deadline: April 16
Four games guaranteed!
Games to be played at: The Canyons Complex
1890 West 2000 North
Contact person: Josh Olmstead
Phone # (435) 634-5860
2nd contact person: Larry Wachter (Castlewood II)
(801) 566-6808 (business)
(801) 785-4363 (home)
Important! Hotels are filling up for this weekend.
You need to make reservations soon or both St. George and Mesquite will be full.
