Ran across a quote today from former baseball commissioner, the late A. Bartlett Giamatti, talking about baseball, words that apply equally to fastball, especially during this off season:
“It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings,
and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.”
If you noticed that the Morning Brief has gone “blue”, it’s temporary only. We’ve upgraded to the latest version of the WordPress blogging software used for the site, and working on resintalling our black/olive modifications. Should be back to normal soon. Update: Ok, things are back to normal again, after upgrading our blogging software.
Well, sort of. Just a note to let you know that our friend David Bell (player-manager, Las Vegas Hitmen and host of the Las Vegas Spring Swing and Fall Classic fastball tournaments) is broadcasting high school football these days, and will be on the air (via streaming audio), doing play-by-play of the Sunset Region Championship Football game tonight on Click here for the link to Networksports1 website. At their website, you can also click the “IM” button and Instant Message David while he’s on the air. Remind him, as I did, that he’s too young to retire from fastball, and not likely to earn that PGA card 🙂
The ‘hammer is pounding away again in “Rumor Central 2006”, like a meat tenderizer on some juicy steaks. The Fastpitchwest Forum‘s undisputed “Page View King” has racked up 1200+ page views in just one week.
Update: 5 hours later, make that over 2200+ page views.
“Fastball. Fastpitch. It’s hard to explain, some people say, how the game gets hold of you. But I always say, nah mon……it’s not hard to explain at all. Anyone who has a competitive bone in his body, and passion, and an understanding of this thing called Life……..they get it. They know. Deep down, in the gut, they know. Even as winter sweeps over the North American landscape, they intuitively understand. You step back and you close your eyes and you remember and you know……..you do know………”- Michael Groves
Courtesy of Al’s Fastball, we share some thoughts from the pen of Michael Groves. About fastball, and a bit more about life.
For those readers who may not know Michael, he was the player, manager, GM, sponsor for the Fedlock Falcons, a top ISC World Tournament team which shuttered operations a year ago. Outspoken at times, thought provoking at others, his writings never disappoint.
If you can make the time, read it. Read it all. There is no one that says it quite like Michael.
(Click link to read):
After more than 10,000 page views at the most popular Fastpitchwest Forum section “Rumor Central 2005”, Sledgehammer22 sounds the opening bell for “Rumor Central 2006”.
Read, post, confirm or deny. Just don’t miss it ! The ‘hammer is back !
California Chaos reeled off four straight wins Sunday, to finish a perfect 7-0 on the weekend, and capture the 2nd Annual Cal Cup tournament, at Palm Springs, Sunday, including a 6-1 championship game win over the So Cal Hustlers. Chaos ousted Sun Fastpitch in the semi-finals while the Hustlers reached the title game with a win over Quicksilver. The Chaos accepted the Cal Cup, taking over from last year’s inaugural winner, Fred Hanker’s Long Beach Black Sox. The Cal Cup is a perpetual trophy, handed off each year from the previous winner, a la Stanley Cup.
Scott Harrison of California Chaos was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, hitting a home run in the semi-final and championship game, the difference maker in both games and made a diving catch in centerfield with two on in the 7th of the semi-final game against Sun Fastpitch to preserve the win. Chaos pitchers Robby Epp and Brett Pobantz were selected as co-Most Valuable Pitchers, posting identical 3-0 records.
The Cal Cup tournament travels to one of California’s three fastball regions each year, North, Central or South. The first Cal Cup was hosted in 2004 by Central California, in Fresno, California. This year’s tournament was hosted by Vicki Oltean and the City of Palm Springs, in Southern California, so the tournament heads north next year to a site to be determined. Those teams or cities in Northern California interested in hosting the tournament can email us, calcup [at] fastpitchwest.com
Click here for complete scoreboard, standings, seeding, a few photos, and Sunday’s schedule of games.
Full story to follow.
Have you posted your flag at the Frappr Fastball Map? Click here for details
Catch up on the latest news from Softball Canada, in their November 2005 edition of their newsletter, “Around the Horn”, at the Softball Canada website.
Cap tip to Al Doran of Al’s Fastball and Al’s Fastball Mailing List Archive.
Have you posted your flag at the Frappr Fastball Map? Click here for details
Have you voted in BigYogie18‘s Pick-the-Winner Cal Cup poll? If not, click here.. Defending Cal Cup champs, the Black Sox won’t be there, so there will be a new Cal Cup champion crowned.
The “B” and “C”/Cal Cup tournaments are set for this weekend in Palm Springs, November 5-6, 2005. Once again, Vicki Oltean and her crew in Palm Springs come through for men’s fastball, offering a well run tournament, good competition, at good fields in a great town. This one figures to be the final hurrah for most teams for 2005. Eighteen teams in all, with games starting early Saturday morning. No plans for the weekend? Come down and watch some ball, root for your favorite team, relax by the pool, play some golf, take your wife out to dinner, (earn some points for next season). See the links in the Morning Brief post below for map, directions, and help with your travel planning. Temperatures expected in the low 80’s during the day, high 50’s at night.
Have you posted your flag at the Frappr Fastball Map? Click here for details
