The So Cal Bombers came up winners in the first matchup against Team Rainey in the Panteras Valentines Tournament in Norwalk, California on February 25-26, 2005. The two teams are generally regarded as the top two teams in California. Team Rainey has been the California area representative at the ISC World Tournament the last two years, and was ranked in the top 20 teams in the world, all of last year, but the Bombers have bolstered their roster for 2005, and appear ready to challenge for the top spot. Stay tuned, as this rivalry is just beginning.
Archive for the ‘So Cal’ Category
So Cal Bombers top Rainey in First 2005 Matchup
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2005So Cal Season Gets Underway in Norwalk, CA
Saturday, February 26th, 2005After a one week delay due to rain, the Southern California fastball season gets underway in Norwalk, California today, at Holyfield Park, 12500 Excelsior Drive, Norwalk, CA. The field of teams is down to 12 from the original 20, with a number of teams unable to make the rescheduled date. The format has changed as a result, with the double elimination bracket being replaced by a 3 game round robin, followed by a single elimination bracket which gets started late Saturday afternoon, and continues on to Sunday.
The field of teams includes the two teams that can arguably raise the claim to being the best team in Southern, if not all of California, Team Rainey and the So Cal Bombers. The two teams faced each other in last year’s final at the Norwalk Tournament, with Team Rainey coming away with the championship trophy.
Team Rainey is the reigning ISC California Area champion, having represented the southland at the ISC World Tournament for the past two years in a row. Team Rainey played the most ambitious schedule for any California team in more than a decade last year, playing a number of top 10 teams, and notching some upsets, including an impressive 9-2 win over Victoria Travelers Inn at the Rose Cup tournament in Portland, OR.
As many of our readers know, the roster has undergone some big changes, with a number of former Rainey players moving over to the So Cal Bombers, including the 1-2 pitching tandem of Travis Price and Tony Peeples, and starters Jason Porto, Nate Devine and Mike Butler.
But with Captain Dan’s shuttering its operation after many years, Team Rainey has reloaded, signing former Dan team members Dwayne Fowler, Neil Sauerheber, and skipper Don Didion. In addition, Rainey has signed British Columbian ace, Bricklen Anderson, who was among the best pitchers on the west coast last year, along with Tony Hunhoff and Sonny Perkins, and looks to be in good shape, despite the loss of Price and Peeples.
The roster changes will make for a great rivalry between the two teams, who are scheduled to play each other today in the round robin portion of the tournament at 3:30pm PST. Tomorrow’s championship game in the single elimination bracket is set for 1:45pm.
Rainy, not Rainey Weekend in Southern California
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2005Just a short note for those out of area readers who’ve been asking: The Panteras Valentine Tournament (Norwalk, CA) was not played this past weekend, due to rain. Plenty of rain, not enough Rainey. As of this morning, (not so) sunny Southern California is approaching an all time record for rain set in 1883-84. (38 inches) We have 32 inches and counting, whereas the norm is 9. Believe it or not, that’s more rain than San Francisco, or SEATTLE! It’s not the first time the tournament has been delayed by rain, but this year’s deluge will certainly challenge the grounds crew once the rain finally stops. The tournament had previously announced this coming weekend (February 26-27) as the rain-make-up date, but the weatherman says more rain due here through Thursday morning, and the ground around here is pretty soggy. No fish in the streets yet, but another few days and who knows.
Maccabi Fastpitch Fundraiser – Poker at the Queen Mary in Long Beach
Monday, February 14th, 2005As many of you know, David Blackburn is a longtime member of the Maccabi Fastpitch team. They played at the AAU International Tournament in Orlando last month and are preparing to compete in Israel this summer. Here is a note from David Blackburn about an upcoming fund raiser on February 26th:
Attached is a (PDF) flyer for a Texas Hold-Em Poker Tournament and Maccabi USA Fundraising Event, held on the Queen Mary in Long Beach.
Please send in your application to reserve your space ASAP. This Poker Tournament should be a lot of fun, and the fundraiser event is for a great cause, that I have been involved with for two decades.
Mark your calendar for Saturday February 26th, 11:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
Space is filling up fast. All of the Info needed is on the
attached Flyer. Please feel free to forward it to anyone who
might be interested in participating in the Poker Tournament.
I hope to see you in Long Beach! Call if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Dave Blackburn
Player / Coach
Maccabi USA
Men’s Fastpitch Softball Club
17th World Maccabiah Games
July 10 – 21, 2005
310-266-2803
daveb@virtvent.com
Tony Acedo Named I.S.C. California Area Commissioner
Thursday, February 10th, 2005We share a note from the folks at the ISC, and send along our best wishes to Tony Acedo in his new position as California Area Commissioner for the ISC:
Ken Hackmeister, Executive Director of the International Softball Congress, has announced the appointment of Tony Acedo of Fullerton, CA., to the post of California Area Commissioner. “Tony is a fine fastball man”, says Hackmeister, “He is well-known and widely respected in Calfornia fastball circles.” Acedo will replace Clyde Bennett as the Area Commissioner for California.
A native California and a catcher, Tony began playing the game in 1991 with Rod Rainey and a few nucleus players who were to become Team Rainey. Tony Acedo is raring to go in his new position with the I.S.C. “I am really looking forward to being an ISC Commissioner. One of my true passions in life is to keep the game alive throughout all of California,” says the newest member of the organization’s commissioner group.
Tony has received pledges of cooperation and assistance from many team managers from his area as well as California ISC personnel Dave Blackburn, Jim Flanagan, and Roy Stout. Acedo owns his own construction business which specializes in high rise buildings. He is married (wife – Brenda) with two children ages 22 and 18. Please give a warm ISC welcome to Tony Acedo as he assumes the crucial post of Area Commissioner for the state of California.
Contact information for Tony:
Tony Acedo
reneacedo@sbcglobal.net
Team Rainey Alive and Well
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2005To borrow a phrase from Mark Twain “the reports of the demise of Team Rainey have been greatly exaggerated.” Make no mistake, it was big news to hear that longtime Team Rainey ace Travis Price was moving over to cross-town rivals, the Bombers. Along with their other ace, Tony Peeples. And starters Jason Porto, Mike Butler and Nate Devine. Not surprising then, that rumors would start to circulate that Team Rainey was folding. But the rumors were just that — Team Rainey is alive and well, having reloaded their roster for the upcoming 2005 campaign.
For their pitching staff, they’ve signed British Columbian, Bricklen Anderson, Tony Hunoff and Sonny Perkins. Anderson, who hails from Duncan, British Columbia actually pitched in a tournament with Team Rainey last year, no doubt getting notice from sponsor Rod Rainey for the way he pitched in last year’s Portland Rose Cup tournament, a 1-0 shutout of Team Rainey, and the 3-hit performance against two-time world champion ISC World Champions Broken Bow, in a 3-1 loss. We first saw “Brick” in Salem, Oregon, in 2002, when he tossed a perfect game in the NAFA World Series. He can pitch with the best of them, and will provide Team Rainey with a front line ace. Hunoff is no stranger to ISC caliber competition, having pitched for such teams as the Long Beach Painters in the 90’s. And Sonny Perkins is as dangerous at the plate as he is on the mound. Perkins notched a win over Team Rainey in last year’s ISC qualifying tournament, nearly costing them a trip to the ISC World. Perkins is one of the more talented players out west, and will get an opportunity to display his talents on a larger stage.
Team Rainey will also add a trio of players from longtime local rival, Captain Dan’s, which shuttered its operation after many years of play, adding Dwayne Fowler, Chad Hardesty and Neil Sauerheber. Hardesty is more than capable as a pitcher, should the need arise, but was signed as an outfielder. It was Hardesty that had fans talking at last year’s Red Rock tournament in St. George Utah with a monstrous home run against eventual champion (and ISC World Champion) Broken Bow. Don Didion, Captain Dan’s player/manager will get the reigns from Rod Rainey to manage the club in 2005.
Returning players will include unofficial captain Tony Acedo behind the plate, Jesse Duncan, Roy Guinaldo, Chris Hunt, Dee Nieblas, Ralph Salcido, and of course, the team’s namesake, Rod Rainey. Stan Grebeck will re-join the club after a one-year hiatus. A talented fastpitch veteran, Stan was named to the “All Decade” team for NAFA for his accomplishments from 1993-2003.
Youth will be served as well, with young Josh Hunoff joining his dad on the team, as well as Jason Obregon (“J-Rod” to his former teammates on Raymar Fastpitch). Obregon is an outstanding infielder, with great hands, good speed and a quick bat at the plate. Though only 22, Jason is almost a veteran in local fastpitch circles. More talented than his years, he will enjoy a chance to take his game to the next level. Josh Hunoff is 26, making the transition from college and semi-pro baseball where he was quite a pitcher.
There have been plenty of roster changes on both Team Rainey and the So Cal Bombers to be sure, which should make for a budding local rivalry the likes of which we have not seen since the days of the Nitehawks and the Jets, starting in just two weeks, at So Cal’s first Tournament, the Panteras Valentine’s tournament, in Norwalk, California. Wouldn’t that be a great Friday night matchup ?
New Look So Cal Bombers in 2005
Monday, January 31st, 2005What has been a well know rumor in Southern California for some time, is now officially “news”, with the So Cal Bombers releasing their roster for the 2005 season. The rumor, of course, was that Team Rainey’s 2004 pitching staff of Travis Price and Tony Peeples were moving over to the So Cal Bombers, along with a number of Rainey regulars, including Jason Porto, Nate Devine and Mike Butler. The Bombers will also add former Team Lyons teammates Dean Waltier and Troy Morrison, both members of the 2003 NAFA “AAA” World Champions. Peeples and Porto were also members of that squad, along with one more player that has been rumored, but missing from the official press release: all world catcher Todd Garcia, who spent last year with the ASA Major Champions, The Farm from Madison, Wisconsin. Panfilo Valdez will return for 2005 to round out the strong trio of pitchers, with longtime pitcher Lonnie Brooks moving to the coaching staff. For the complete roster, click the title of this article.
And so the speculation continues — what of Team Rainey? Well, to paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of their demise are greatly exaggerated. Stay tuned.
A Tale of Two Todds
Tuesday, August 10th, 2004For those of you who might have missed it, Rod Petersen’s Farm Tavern team of Madison, Wisconsin won its second consecutive ASA Men’s Major title over the weekend, with a 6-0 win over the Broken Bow Spirit of New York. Petersen waited 37 years to get his first ever title last year, but had a much shorter wait for the second. Thirty-five year old pitcher Dean Holoien of Surrey, British Columbia earned Most Valuable Pitcher honors, pitching a no-hitter in the championship game. It marked the first time in the ASA Major tournament that foreign born players were allowed (2 per team).
Playing key roles in the Farm’s National Championship victory were a couple of California natives, “the two Todds”, Todd Budke and Todd Garcia.
Budke was a member of last year’s championship team, while Garcia joined the squad this year after Team Lyons folded. (Lyons had finished third in last year’s tournament, the highest finish by a California team in recent memory). Garcia anchored the NAFA AAA World Series champion Team Lyon squad last year in Wisconsin, earning MVP honors for his contributions, which included a dramatic 12th inning home run against RWP, MN, which is depicted in the photo link above. Todd Garcia later travelled to Christchurch as the starting catcher for Team USA in the ISF World Championships. (Budke is a former Team USA player himself) Neither Budke nor Garcia are strangers to championship caliber play, and will be back on the field when the ISC World Tournament gets underway next week.
The Farm opened the season as the number 3 team in the ISC rankings, and finished up at number 2. Along with #1 County Materials and #3 Broken Bow, the Farm will be among the favorites to add an ISC World title to their resume in this year’s tournament at Fargo-Moorehead, North Dakota.
With most of the major tournaments taking place east of the Rockies, we don’t get a chance to see “the two Todds” play in person too much during the season, but California’s favorite sons continue to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Garcia doubled in the championship game, while Budke homered. Both earned First team All American honors (see below) We wish them well in Fargo. (Click title of this article above for more details on the game).
We hope to get a chance to see them in person in the upcoming ISC World Tournament next week.
Championship Final
The Farm Tavern 200 202 0 – 6 11 0
Broken Bow Spirit 000 000 0 – 0 0 3
Dean Holoien and Todd Garcia. Doug Middleton, Frank Cox (5) and Gerald Muizelaar (7th) and John Wodtke. W-Holoien. L-Middleton. 2B: The Farm Tavern – Todd Garcia 3B: The Farm Tavern: Boomer Brush. HR: The Farm Tavern: Todd Budke.
First Team All-Americans 1B – Tim Hatten, Blackhawk Athletic Club. 2B – Bill McDonald, Heflin Builders. 3B – Todd Budke, The Farm Tavern. SS – David Boys, The Farm Tavern. Outfield – Tony Gabriel, Heflin Builders; Rob Gray, The Farm Tavern; Chad Maxon, Blackhawk Athletic Club and Steve Schott, Broken Bow Spirit.Utility – Chris Delarwelle, Circle Tap; Chris Delorit, The Bull/Townline; Steve Price, Heflin Builders. Catcher – Todd Garcia, The Farm Tavern. Pitchers – Dean Holoien, The Farm Tavern; Gerald Muizelaar, Broken Bow Spirit and Rob O’Brien, Circle Tap.
Best of the West 2004, Postscript
Friday, August 6th, 2004The 14th annual Best of the West Tournament is in the books now, with Team Rainey coming out on top for the third consecutive year. Chris Wright earned MVP honors with an 8-hit, 5 RBI Sunday, while Tony Peeples garnered Most Valuable Pitcher honors, on the strength of his 9 inning championship game win over Casa Trejo.
Casa Trejo’s Mark Bennett had a fine tournament as well, pitching 28 innings, going 3-1 with a no decision. Mark gave up only 3 earned runs in the entire tournament, and walked two, both in the final game. He gave way in the 8th inning of the title game, a bit weary for all the innings pitched.
The new facility at Winchester, CA (near Hemet) was a last minute replacement for the Soboba Sports complex, and got good reviews from those in attendance. (especially the concession manned by Ralph Trejo, Jr. whose culinary skills were on display) Kudos to David Blackburn for pulling this one off, under difficult circumstances, and spending a few hundred extra dollars for “field preps” to make sure the fields were in top shape for each game. The only criticism I heard was the long fences which stole a home run or three. (Didn’t prevent Ralph Salcido from going yard, or Keith Barker from reaching the centerfield fence on a fly, no easy feat). And that is easily remedied by portable fencing. The facility is new, but has modern clean restrooms and three good diamonds, making it tournament friendly. Once the trees around the park mature a bit, there will be shade as well. For this one, it was “umbrella city”.
One final note, was that we ran into an old friend we hadn’t seen in a while, Bob Otto. Bobby, as most of you know is a guest writer and photographer for Fastpitchwest, after giving up his duties as the official photographer for the ISC. (Maddy’s idol, as she often says.) Bob was kind enough to share some of his handiwork with us, which we have posted at the Best of the West pages. (click the title of this story, then the menu buttons at left) The photo collages he did for this one are some of my favorites.
Well, OK, I guess it was more than just one old friend that I ran into at Winchester…..it was good to run into an old Vista Bomber teammate of mine, Russ Snow, who is still winging it, in this tournament for the Edge. Russ spends most of his time on the other side of “the pond”, in England, where he and his family reside. He is still involved with fastpitch in Europe, and makes a few trips a year stateside, finding time to pitch in the Best of the West and the 45+ Nationals. Russ has played for the Vista Bombers, Long Beach Painters, Larry Miller Toyota and most recently, the California Painter team with another former Vista pitcher, Cary Weiler.
Next year will be the 15th Annual Best of the West.
Jr. Men in Camp Today, Corona CA for the weekend
Friday, July 23rd, 2004Head coach Tim Lyon and assistants Scott Standerfer and (So Cal’s) Gary Mullican have the USA Jr. Men’s team in camp this week, at the Olympic training facility in Chula Vista, CA (near San Diego, by the border with Mexico) for it’s second summer camp in preparation for next year’s international competition at Prince Edward Island. The team will travel to Corona, California this weekend, to compete for the second time against teams in the ASA So Cal Alliance league, which consists of ASA “C” level teams. The Jr. Men’s team competed in an earlier tournament in Lancaster, California last month, finishing the week of play with an admirable 3-2 record. This weekend, the team will feature a couple of “favorite sons”, literally, with the offspring of Jerry Leavitt and Paul Castillo vying for spots on the team. Jerry, as many of you know, anchored the ISC World Champion Camarillo Kings, catching Hall of Fame pitcher Mark Smith in the early ’80’s. Paul Castillo continues to play in the local So Cal leagues, after retiring as a teammate of the editor, on the El Segundo Rounders. We wish both of them well. (Click here to view photo of Paul’s son, Kevin, playing for USA Jr. Men in So Cal ASA Alliance tournament.)
The team’s games this weekend are 9:45am, 11:30am and 3:00 p.m. For the complete schedule of games, click the title of this story above. For a map or driving directions to the fields in Corona, click here.
For more on the team, visit our Jr. Men’s team pages by clicking here.