Correction to earlier Morning Brief item:

After running the post below about the upcoming “Best of the West” with a headline of “Longest Running Tournament in California”, we received the following correction, which is duly noted:

In your morning brief column their is a story about the Best of The West tournament and this been its 16 th year. It also states that it is the longest running tournament in California. I must correct you on this. Although 16 years is a long time, the Labor Tournament in Colfax California will enter its 41st year this August 18, 19 and 20th. It has moved from a week long tournament down to 3 days but nonetheless, it has not missed an August weekend in 41 years.

We stand corrected. 41 years is nothing to sneeze at ! Best of the West remains the longest running open tournament, but Colifax’s B/C event has set a record that appears to be out of reach, especially, as it continues each year 🙂

From Al’s Fastball:

NOTHING OFFICIAL AT ALL!

Latest Results. Games are only 5 innings long due to weather.

Helfin 5
Hallman Twins 4

WP: Blair Ezekiel
LP: Paul Koert in relief of Todd Martin

Orillia 3
Keatings 1

WP: White
LP: Hillhouse

County 4
SoCal Bombers 0

WP: Kirkpatrick
LP: Zack

Thanks to Bernie Lopez for this article. (For our earlier feature on Guernsey Island, click here.)

I first visited Guernsey Island back in 1989. The group of Alconbury misfits I was playing ball with crossed the English Channel via ferry boat. In a borrowed Air Force van loaded with Spam, cases of Heineken beer and bags of old softball equipment, we were ready for battle. Looking back at my first summer in Guernsey seems ages ago. Meeting friendly locals for the first time and remaining friends all these years is one of the things I consider special in my life. And going back this year to celebrate their 70th anniversary of fastpitch softball on the Island makes me feel a bit melancholy yet excited, and happy for the locals who have preserved the sport and kept it alive since its birth on the Island 70 years ago, way back in 1936.

It all began in 1935 when Canadian Duncan McMillan moved to the Island and introduced baseball to the locals. They eagerly took up the sport and soon the “Big Nine Baseball Club” was born. A year later in 1936 the move to softball was made and the Guernsey Softball Association (GSA) was established. Currently it remains one of the oldest and longest running softball associations in existence.

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Coming soon, the ASA Major tournament from South Bend, Indiana. We hear that there are 17 teams committed for the tournament.

Western Region Teams – First Round Draws:
First Round Games Friday August 11 or Saturday August 12, 2006
All times EST (three hours ahead of west coast time);

# 6 Vancouver Grey Sox – Sat 11am vs. Ashland MVD, OH (#31) – (Sat/8am PST)

# 7 So Cal Bombers – Sat 3pm vs. Innerkip, ON, Canada (#21) – (Sat/12noon PST)

#16 Pueblo Bandits – Friday 6pm vs. Jarvis Merchants (#19) – (Friday/3pm PST)

#16* CR/Portland – Sat 3pm vs. Albaugh, IA (#15) – (Sat/12noon PST)

#23 Houston Aces – Sat 11am vs. Circle Tap (#13) – (Sat/8am PST)

#24 Team Rainey – Sat 5pm vs. Kegel Black Knights (#9) – (Sat/2pm PST)

*Portland was ranked #16 in the last set of full rankings, June 21, but not in the final “Top 16” rankings.

We pass along this note from Kevin Liguore, regarding a great way to help out the family of the late Travis Law:

As you guys already know, we lost a great friend, teammate, and most important, husband and father, a few weeks ago in the passing of Travis Law. As you may or may not know, Travis has left a family which consists of his wife Lisa, and 4 sons(Matt 20 yrs, Dayton 8 yrs, and twin 4 year olds – Darius and Donovan).

His death was so sudden that there are now decisions that have to be made that are not easy for Lisa. She is in the process of getting her house ready to sell, a house that she and Travis bought 2 years ago in Gilroy. She plans to stay in the area but cannot afford the payments
for this house. There are many people in the community that have come to her aid. We(Country Club Softball) have been going over on weekends working on the house, doing what we can to get it ready to sell. They are very active in the school district, which have also helped them in different ways.

On Friday, August 4th, there will be a San Jose Giants game dedicated to the memory of Travis.
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