From 
Legends Classic Moves Back to Kitchener
After 4 very successful years in the beautiful Woodstock and District Community Complex, theLegends Classic is moving east. The Woodstock organizing committee has had some challenges since last years event and rather than fold another major stop on many club teams tournament schedule it was decided to take advantage of the strong volunteer base in Kitchener to keep the Legends alive. The game owes a debt of gratitude to legendary players Brian Paton and Chuck Hendricks, theirspouses Suzy and Pat, and tournament driving force Brad Janssen and his wife Margaret, for bring fastball back to a city that owned the Ontario game for many years in the 70’s 80’s and early 90’s.
After a 4 year hiatus the Peter Hallman Legends Classic will returns to Kitchener May 30 to June 1 at Peter Hallman Ball Yard. This tournament is the oldest major men’s club event in Canada and along with host team the Kitchener Rivershark Twins, will celebrate its 41st anniversary this year.
As always the Legends Classic brings a ninternational field to the Ball Yard. The 10 team, 2 division format will see each team guaranteed 4 games, with the top 3 in each division advancing to a single elimination playoff. The top 4 teams will share a travel purse of $5500.
This years lineup includes the Kitchener Rivershark Twins, St.Thomas Evergreen Centennials, Jarvis Gamblers, Midland (Michigan ) Explorers, Ashland ( Ohio ) Mets, CPI ( New York ), Scarborough Wolverines, Niagara Snappers, Bridgeport Braves and the Elmira Cubs.
This tournament, in addition to providing great early season excitement, will also be a qualifying event for the 2008 International Softball Congress World Tournament slated for Kimberly, Wisconsinin August.
The Legends Classic is expected to draw 5000 fans to the fastball fanatical Kitchener – Waterloo community. Organizers will be counting on long time volunteer staff and the Children’s Wish Foundation to supplythe labour force to run this always successful event. Long time sponsors The Hawk Radio103.9, Molson’s, MTE Consultants Inc., Residence and Conference Centre and the City of Kitchener will again be major supporters of “big time fastball”.
A unique feature of the Legends event is the honouring of retired players, coaches and administrators in a fitting ceremony on Saturday May 31. Six more “fastball legends” will be added to the tournament honour role this year and for those honourees it is one more chance to share the memories and comraderie that makes this game special.
The Rivershark Twins are Canada’s longest continuously running major men’s fastball team. Their lineup features 9 Canadian National team pool players, a member of the USA National Team and the catcher of the reigning ISF World Champion New Zealand Black Sox. Coach Larry Lynch was inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame in 2007 and his counterpart Denny Bruckertwill be inducted in 2008. With a lineup that includes legendary names like RyanWolfe, Frank Cox, Todd Martin and Jody Eidt, the Peter Hallman Legends Classicis sure to be a highlight in the local fastball scene in 2008.
For more information contact Tournament Director Larry Lynch at 519 579 2903 or by e-mail at llynch9@rogers.com
With respect to the host team Kitchener Rivershark Twins claim to being Canada’s longest continuously running major men’steam, that claim is based on the Kitchener-Waterloo community sponsoring a competitive team at the highest level of the game for 41 straight years,beginning in 1967. There have been many sponsorship changes over 41 years but the primary sponsorship has remained local that entire time. The following is the chronology of sponsorship changes :
1967 – 69 , Bridge Sport Shop – Team name BridgeSports
1970 – 1990, Radio Station CHYM – Team name Waterloo Chym’rs
1991 – 1996 , Twin City Trophies – Team name Waterloo Twins
1997, Brick Brewing Company – Team name Waterloo Brick Brewery Twins
1998 – 2008, Hallman Family partnership (including Jack Fireman in 2002, 2003 ) – Team name Waterloo Hallman Twins 1998 –2001, Kitchener-Waterloo Hallman Twins in 2002, 2003, Kitchener Hallman Twins2004-2007 NOTE – In 2004 the Hallman sponsorship took a new direction and with a nucleus of players from the Sebringville Sting began a new era of Twins fastball. That 2004 group has 6 players on the 2008 roster.
2008 – Jim Hallman, Bob Nydick sponsors, Team name Kitchener Rivershark Twins
The faces and the names have gone through many changes over the years but there are players such as Brian Stere who wore a Twins emblem for16 straight seasons. The Twins did join forces with the Fingal 99’rs in2000 and players like Tex Lessard, Chris Payne Trevor Wardell and coach Bill Horne all wore the Twins emblem for 4 years before forming the St.Thomas Evergreen Centennials in 2005.
The 2008 edition of Kitchener-Waterloo based fastball sees the partnering of 8 members of the 2007 Twins squad with 8 members of the Orillia Riversharks. Two additional players will join the club and the coaching staff will be a partnership of members of both staff from 2007.
The faces, the sponsorships and the names have changed but few teams can boast a 5 decade run of big time fastball in one community. Certainly not in Canada.
Larry Lynch
llynch9@rogers.com