Archive for January, 2007

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2007 – Fastpitchwest’s 10th Anniversary

Saturday, January 6th, 2007

Hard to believe, but 2007 will be our tenth (10th) year on the internet, starting with those early days in 1998, when the site consisted of little more than a few pages of local news and standings, operated as an adjunct to my law firm website.

A brief look back:

In 2001, we moved the site over to its own domain, www.fastpitchwest.com.

In 2002, we added our email newsletter, “Thefastpitch”, that so many of you still subscribe to, and greatly expanded our photo galleries, thanks to Maddy’s handiwork. We also served as the Official Website for the 2002 NAFA World Series, in Salem, Oregon.

In 2003, we rolled out the “new look” site (the current black and olive design), with improved navigation buttons, and reorganized the content, to make the site more convenient for our readers. The reader response to that was nothing short of amazing. We continued our start-to-finish coverage of the 2003 NAFA World Series at Chippewa, WI, where we undertook our first ever live audio broadcast, streaming the championship game of the NAFA “AAA” World Series over the internet. “Maddy’s Photo Galleries” became the most frequently visited pages at the website. Late in 2003, we also added the “Free Agent Central”section to the Fastpitchwest Forum, to assist teams to connect with players and players to find teams to play on.

For 2004, we added the “Fastpitchwest Forum” bulletin board where our readers can post their comments and announcements directly, and created FPWN, the “FastPitchWest Network”, expanding our live audio broadcasts to three dozen games during the course of the season, including the AAU International Tournament in Orlando FL, Red Rock at St. George UT, Rose Cup at Portland OR, and the ISC II Tournament of Champions at Fargo, North Dakota. 2004 also saw the addition of what has become one of the most popular original content features, “Morning Brief”, our own blog for miscellaneous news in the world of fastpitch and the musings of yours truly, as well as “The Deuce”, our special blog devoted to coverage of ISC II competition. The year also saw Fastpitchwest feature stories published by Softball Magazine, the “Sports Illustrated of Softball”, including photo layouts by FPW’s own, Maddy Flanagan and four full page fastpitch covers in the magazine. Finally, for 2004, we rolled out our first FPW “gear”, T-shirts sold online and elsewhere.

In 2005, we rolled out our companion website, “Ballparkradio.com”, providing an online home for streaming audio broadcasts of fastpitch/fastball games, making it easier than ever for fans of the game to find the broadcast links. We were also honored to serve as the host for the archives of Al’s Fastball, everyone’s # 1 site for men’s fastball, which we affectionately refer to as the “Holy Grail” of Men’s Fastball.

In 2006, Maddy’s Photos overflowed into her own website, “Maddysphotos”, www.maddysphotos.com culminating with hundreds of shots from the ISC II Tournament of Champions, and a bit of photojournalism at the ISC World Tournament. In 2006, Fastpitchwest also served as the host for the ISC forum, separate and distinct from regional Fastpitchwest Forums. The year concluded with the Illinois Forum moving to a new home at Fastpitchwest, where is remains, along with California Forum (spearheaded by the ever-popular moderator “Sledgehammer”) among the busiest forums around.

2007, our Tenth Anniversary season promises some new and exciting projects, so stay tuned. We are humbled to hear from so many people all over the world, appreciate all of the kind words, and hope you will continue to enjoy our trio of websites covering the world of Men’s Fastball.

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2007 AAU Roster – Houston Aces

Friday, January 5th, 2007


From Al’s Fastball:

The Houston Aces will make their second trip to Orlando to play in the annual AAU tournament. The Aces will look to improve on last years record at the AAU and have added key players to help the team do so. The Aces look foward to playing early at the AAU and will release a full schedule and roster in the upcoming weeks. Good Luck to all teams attending in Orlando see you there!!!

Houston Aces Roster
(pitchers in bold)

Jose Aguila C
Rick Barajas 1B
Craig Buttar Ut
Ben Duran OF
Abel Davila Ut
Moises Davila 3B
Saul Davila DH
Guillermo Echave SS
Scott Evans P
Ward Gosse P
Troy Gilmour C
Mario Perez 2B
Ramiro Riojas Ut
Wayne Wells P
Anselmo Zamorategui Jr. OF

Javier Cruz Coach
Arturo Davila Asst. Coach

Posted in ISC, Teams, Tournaments | No Comments »

2007 AAU Roster – Hallman Twins, Kitchener, ON

Thursday, January 4th, 2007


From Al’s Fastball:

Final Four Team in 2006, Twins Vie for AAU Title in 2007

Hallman Twins Roster for the 2007 AAU Tournament.

Pitchers shown in bold

Todd Martin P
Don Scott P
Paul Koert P
Dan Martin P

Dave Bailey C/DP
Pat Humphries C

Jody Eidt IF
Blake Miller IF
Todd Budke IF
Derek Shackleton IF
Evan Boyd IF
Chuck Chessell IF

Dale Levy OF
Rino Dambrosio OF
Greg Miller OF
Teddy Kosciesza OF

Doug Eidt Coach

Regards,
Dave Bailey
Kitchener Hallman Twins
davebailey@baileyconstruction.ca

Click here to see team photo of the 2006 AAU squad.

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2007 AAU Roster – Team Minnesota

Thursday, January 4th, 2007



(Photo: Gerald Muizellaar, regarded as one of the best pitchers in the world, shown pitching for Team Minnesota at the 2006 AAU, where they took 2nd among 28 teams)

Last Year’s Runner-up to Return to AAU

Team Minnesota is pleased to announce it’s roster for the 2007 AAU International Tournament. Team Minnesota is looking to improve upon it’s Runner-Up finish in last year’s event, losing to Team USA in the Championship Game. Team Minnesota returns 10 players from last year’s team and adds four players for next month’s event in Orlando, Florida. Additions to the 2007 roster are Chad Boom and Frank DeGroat, Jr. (who were members of the 2006 AAU Championship team, Team USA that beat Minnesota), as well as BJ Boom and Tony Kunka.

Editor’s notes: Team Minnesota was unknown to many at the 2006 AAU, though their players were not. Certainly anytime Gerald Muizellaar takes the mound, you are capable of beating anyone. The 2006 squad was a combination of veterans like Roman Foore and youngsters like the Goring brothers, Zach and Lucas. Fiore launched what may have been the longest home run ever hit at the Disney complex in Orlando at the 2006 tournament, a towering, moon-shot that cleared both the regulation and slo-pitch fence. In 2006, Team Minnesota knocked off an ISC World class Hallman Twins team to reach the finals, and look to be among the pre-tourney favorites to do so in 2007, adding two members of last year’s championship TEAM USA squad, Chad Boom, and Frank DeGroat, Jr. Boom is perhaps the most consistent hitter on Team USA, a veteran of several ISF campaigns, while DeGroat, Jr. was a one-man wrecking crew, earning Most Valuable Player at last year’s tournament.

Team Minnesota’s full roster can be found online at http://www.teamminn.minnesotafastpitch.com

Roster
Pitchers shown in bold

# Name Pos. B – T
1 Zach Goring Uti R – R
2 Lucas Goring OF L – R
4 Scott Deutsch DH L – L
5 Gregg Cascaes SS L – R
7 Jason Wandler IF L – R
8 Frank DeGroat, Jr. C R – R
10 Gerald Muizelaar P R – R
16 Chad Boom Inf R – R
18 Rick Lang P R – R
21 Chris Diethert IF L – R
31 Tony Kunka 1B, OF L – L
36 Kevin Kammueller P R – R
41 BJ Boom Uti R – R
44 Roman Foore 1B L – R

12 Darrell Goring Manager
33 Brett Bresnahan Asst. Coach

Posted in ISC, ISC-II, Teams, Tournaments | No Comments »

A Fan’s View of the AAU Int’l Tournament

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007


This email was received in January 2005, and offers a fan’s perspective on the AAU International Tournament. We thought it worthy of reprinting, as the 2007 tournament approaches:

Received: 1/26/05 2:02:27 PM
From: “DAN KARWOSKI” karwoski at ucnsb.net
Subject: AAU INTERNATIONL FASTPITCH TOURNAMENT
——————————————————————————–

The Seventh Annual AAU Invitational Fastpitch Tournament was
played 20-23 January at Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in
Kissimmee, Florida. Four beautiful, sunny days, ideal for fastpitch
players; twenty-four teams from eight different countries and
eight states competed on six manicured diamonds. This is the
fifth year I have attended this tournament and it gets better
each year. This tournament was far better than any of the ASA
major tournaments for the past ten years. Many of the top players
from Canada and the USA participated. Each year I am amazed
of how well the teams from the Caribbean, Central and South America
play. Most could easily compete in the ISC Major Championship.

This tournament has evolved into one of the better tournaments
played in North America and I am certain that the participants
and fans appreciate the TIME and EFFORT that Ken Hackmeister
and Alex Linares gave to create so successful and endeavor.

I stayed at the Howard Johnson Parkside several miles from the
ballfields, in an excellent, very quiet room costing $36.00 a
night, total, which included a large continental breakfast. A
tournament pass cost only $17.50 and the parking was free. Many
reasonably priced restaurants near the hotel.

Dan Karwoski
just an old fastpitch fan

Posted in General, Tournaments | No Comments »

AAU Roster – Texaco Pirates, Bahamas

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007


The first in a continuing series of team profiles leading up to this month’s AAU International tournament, January 18-21, 2007 in Orlando, FL.

The Texaco Pirates of the Bahamas will return to Orlando once again for this year’s AAU International. The Pirates have done well in past tournaments and continue to improve their roster each year. In 2004, they were the Consolation champions. In 2005, they came within a hair’s breath (one run) of knocking off eventual 2005 Champions, Circle Tap of Wisconsin, in a see-saw battle. This past summer, the Pirates travelled to Kitchener, Ontario, Canada for their first trip to “The Show”, the ISC World Tournament.

Roster additions for 2007 include two pitchers from that 2005 Circle Tap championship team, Dewey Dyck and Rob Scheller, along with Doug Sleep, to go with their resident ace, Edney Bethel. Bethel (featured on the cover of fastpitchwest.com at the moment) swings a good stick as well, so look for his bat to be in the lineup when he’s not pitching. Keep an eye on William Weatherford as well, as he has shown that he can hit the best pitching the tournament has to offer. Circle Tap’s Kyle Magnusson will also join the Pirates for the AAU, and makes the team a solid contender for the 2007 title.

The Pirates will be hosting their own tournament in May, 2007, at their home field on “Man-o-War” Cay, in the Bahamas. Teams interested can contact Haziel McDonald, the Pirates manager.

Texaco Pirates AAU Roster
(pitchers shown in bold)

Andrew Albury
Darren Rogers
William Weatherford
Doug Sleep
Dewey Dyck
Rob Scheller
Edney Bethel
Fred Sweeting
Kyle Magnasson
Lyle Sawyer
Nathanial Malone
Grant Albury
Greg Gardiner
Haziel Mcdonald-manager

—

Headed to the AAU and want your team profiled here? Send info to jim (at) fastpitchwest (dot) com.

Posted in ISC, ISC-II, Tournaments | No Comments »

Portland DeMarini Rose Cup – June 23-24, 2007

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007

$5000 in Prize/Travel Money at 2007 Rose Cup

From Al’s Fastball:

[Portland, Oregon] – The 2007 Portland DeMarini Rose Cup is scheduled for June 23-24 at Delta Park in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Metropolitan Softball Association (PMSA) is proud to announce that this years event will have 5k in prize/travel money for the top four finishers. see below for breakdown.

Dates: June 23 & 24th – 2007

Address: East Delta Park – attn: Ron Boley
10737 N. Union Ct.
Portland, OR 97217

Classification: Men’s Major Invitational

Number of teams: 16 (top 12 advance to Sunday money round)

Number of games: 4gg

An ASA sanctioned event – ISC pitching rules

Tournament Hosts: PMSA – www.Portlandsoftball.com or pkronb@ci.portland.or.us

Prize/Travel Money: top 4 finishers

1st place $2,500
2nd place $1,500
3rd place-$500. (two third place finishers).

Entry fee: $400.00(US dollars) per team payable to PMSA at above address.

Tournament Director: tba

Host Team: Portland DeMarini e-mail: bree10@comcast.net

Host Hotels: Portlander Inn (503)345-0300 ext. 5870 ask for Claudia
Country Inn Suites (503)255-2700 ext. 118 ask for Allison

(mention Rose Cup when reserving rooms)

For additional info contact:

Brian Ree at bree10@comcast.net
Ron Boley at pkronb@ci.portland.or.us
Tom Ree at ree1837@comcast.net

Posted in ISC, ISC-II, Tournaments | No Comments »

Port Elgin Blue Devils Looking for Pitcher

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007

The 2005 ISC II runner-up Port Elgin Blue Devils are looking for an ISC II pitcher. Read more over at our ISC II blog, “The Deuce”:

Posted in ISC-II, Players, Teams | No Comments »

Tournament Champions for 2006

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007

As we head into 2007, a salute to all of the champions (and runner-ups) for tournaments held in 2006. If you don’t see your tournament listed, or catch an error, email us: jim (at) fastpitchwest (dot) com.

Click here for list of Tournament Champions for 2006.

We’ve sorted the chart by tournament name, location, champions, and runner-ups. Click link above, then menu buttons at left for the list you want to view.

Want to be impressed? Click the menu button for the list sorted by “champions”, then see list for County Materials. All they did in 2006 was win the tournaments listed below:

ISC World Tournament
Bob Walsh Memorial
Boys of Summer
Eau Claire Classic
Farm Tavern Tournament
World Fastball Invitational
Casino Rama

Posted in ASA, ISC, ISC-II, NAFA, Tournaments | No Comments »

Ring In the New….

Monday, January 1st, 2007

We wish all of you a prosperous and successful 2007. Back from the holidays, we’re gearing up for coverage of the 2007 AAU International Tournament from the Disney complex in Orlando, Florida, less than three weeks away.

Posted in General | No Comments »

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