Al Doran featured on Saskatoon TV

July 24th, 2009


(Al Doran, fastball’s “go to” guy for all of the information on the XII World Championships


Al Doran featured on Saskatoon TV
By John Thompson, Champ’s Chatter/Diamond Dirt

In a newsclip on the local affiliate of CTV, the citizens of Saskatoon, and specifically softball fans among the thousands who are crowding into Bob Van Impe stadium for the XII International Softball Federation men’s world championships, had a glimpse of the man behind the global collection of softball information, data and minutae.

Al Doran, webmaster for the International Softball Congress, and creator and communications guru on the popular Al’s Fastball website (www.alsfastball.com) took a few minutes between games to be interviewed by CTV Saskatoon. The clip was featured on the 11:30 news Thursday night.

Al, from the greater Toronto area in Ontario, is a daily fixture in the media centre at field level beneath the stands, about 25′ from home plate… His perch provides excellent sightlines to the heart of the on-field action. The ardent fastball fan combines his technical wizardry with his deep devotion to the sport, serving as a lightning rod internationally for men’s softball throughout the world.

Each game at BVI is instantly and meticulously recorded in print form as it happens, and fans throughout the softball world can follow the action based on Al’s descriptions, and frequent literary observations and insights. The softball world is indeed totally ’round the globe as he receives frequent e-mails from fans following the action. Earlier this week, feedback was received from a fan listening on-board an ocean-going vessel on the other side of the planet, 10-12 time zones distant, and feedback from Australia and New Zealand is not uncommon.

Following his attendance as a fan at the successful ISC Championships in 1994 in Summerside, PEI, Canada, he was appalled to find no news coveage of that excellent international sporting event. Protestations would likely have fallen on deaf ears, so rather than complain, Al undertook to utilize available technology – the growing facination with the internet – to strive to simply get the message out.

Fifteen years later, Al’s Fastball is one of, if not the best source, of information. His style is to encourage, and a times cajole, tournament organizers to take the time to use his website as a popular means to inform the fans… and its workng! Each day, year-round, a combination or media releases, tidbits of facts and on occasion speculative softball innuendo are available for viewing.

Al attends the major mens’ fastball (softball) events throughout North America and will be providing service at the upcoming ISC club worlds in Quad Cites, USA (August 14-22) as well as the Softball Canada Nationals in St.Thomas, ON during the last week of summer (August 28 – September 6). At those championships, players competing on their national squads will be suiting up as team-mates with their club teams.

Al is a member of the ISC Hall of Fame, inducted as an honoured member of the Class of 2008 in Kimberly, Wisconsin.

John

John Thompson
519-884-4050
sstj99@yahoo.com

Interview by:
Veronica Jubinville | Reporter/Anchor

CTV Saskatoon | t 306.665.9243 | f 306.664.6403 |
216 First Avenue North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 3W3

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Champs Chatter – The official Newsletter of the ISF XII Men’s World Championship – Day 8 – July 24, 2009

July 24th, 2009

PLAYOFF EDITION

Click here to view PDF version of “Champs Chatter”, the official Newsletter of the ISF XII Men’s World Championship – Day 8- July 24, 2009.

Text version after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

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ISF Standings After Day 7

July 23rd, 2009


(click logo to visit the official ISF XII World Championships website)

Pool A

New Zealand 7-0
United States 6-1
Japan 4-3
Great Britain 3-4 (winner of tie breaker)

Philippines 3-4
Denmark 3-4
Mexico 1-6
Botswana 1-6


Pool B

Canada 7-0
Australia 6-1
Venezuela 5-2
Argentina 4-3
Puerto Rico 2-5
Czech Republic 2-5
South Africa 1-6
Indonesia 0-7

(Top 4 teams from each pool qualify for the medal round; teams in bold earned double lifes)

Playoff teams shown in bold

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XII ISF World Championship – Day 7 – July 23

July 23rd, 2009

FINAL DAY FOR POOL PLAY


(click logo to visit the official ISF XII World Championships website)

Digital clock shows local Saskatoon time.

THURSDAY JULY 23 (last day of pool play – playoffs begin Friday)

(Game detail links become active once games are underway)

49 11:30AM DENMARK 2, PHILIPPINES 0
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball
50 1:00PM CZECH REPUBLIC VS INDONESIA
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball
51 1:30PM UNITED STATES 10, MEXICO 5
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball
52 3:00PM BOTSWANA 5, GREAT BRITAIN 1
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball
53 3:30PM AUSTRALIA 8, ARGENTINA 0
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball
54 5:30PM VENEZUELA 10, SOUTH AFRICA 1
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball
55 6:30PM CANADA 8, PUERTO RICO 1
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball
56 8:30PM JAPAN VS NEW ZEALAND
Click here for details at Al’s Fastball

Follow all the action on Al’s Fastball. Al Doran is in Saskatoon, has the best seat in the house and is posting play-by-play updates throughout the tournament. Click logo below to go to his website, then click the links on the left hand side for each game.

Click here to see the view of the playing field that Al Doran enjoys.


(Al Doran, fastball’s “go to” guy for all of the information on the XII World Championships, sitting right by home plate)

Previous scores after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

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Canada romps at men’s softball worlds

July 23rd, 2009

From The Canadian Press

Todd Martin had 10 strikeouts over five innings as Canada routed South Africa 7-0 on Wednesday at the world men’s softball championship in Saskatoon.

Martin of Bracebridge, Ont., gave up only one hit and two walks as Canada stayed undefeated at 6-0 to remain one game ahead of Australia atop Pool B.

Canada went ahead 3-0 in the third inning and closed out South Africa with another four runs in the fifth.

Sean O’Brien of St. John’s, N.L., led Canada with two hits and three RBIs. Derek Mayson of North Vancouver, B.C., and Dale Levy of St. Mary’s, Ont., each added two hits and one run batted in.

In the fifth, Kevin Schellenberg of Squamish, B.C., Ian Fehrman of Townsend, Ont., and Mayson each hit home runs, while O’Brien’s RBI finished the game on the run rule.

South African starter Tidima Kekana was pulled after giving up three runs and six hits over four innings. Reliever Monte Sadler fared no better against the Canadians, giving up four runs and five hits.

In other scores it was: Argentina 15, Indonesia 1; Philippines 7, Botswana 5; Australia 5, Czech Republic 1; Japan 14, Denmark 7; Venezuela 13, Puerto Rico 2; and New Zealand 13, Mexico 1. The United States faced Britain in the late game.

Canada will finish the round-robin portion of their schedule against Puerto Rico (2-4) on Thursday.

The playoff round will begin on Friday.

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YouTube Video – The Haka by New Zealand Black Sox

July 23rd, 2009

Link courtesy of Marty Grant:

The Haka – New Zealand Black Sox

Performed on Friday, July 17, before their first game of the XII ISF World Championship, vs. Team USA.

Remember to hit that HQ button for best quality video. (Click YouTube logo, to open larger, then hit HQ)

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Champs Chatter – The official Newsletter of the ISF XII Men’s World Championship – Day 7 – July 23, 2009

July 23rd, 2009

Click here to view PDF version of “Champs Chatter”, the official Newsletter of the ISF XII Men’s World Championship – Day 7 – July 23, 2009.

Here is a short overview of today’s playoff implications for Pool A by Champs Chatter editor, John Thompson:

If the favorites prevail, that is Great Britain beats Botswana, Philippines beat Denmark and Japan loses to New Zealand then a three way tie win ensue. With runs against in the games amongst them, being the tiebreaking criteria, Japan will finish third and Great Britain fourth. What we have here is a glorious opportunity for winless Botswana to play spoilers and push the Brits out of the championship. If they beat Denmark at 11:30 you can bet on the Philippines’ players marching over to Gordie Park to cheer on Botswana at 3:00.

As for Pool B, he says it in one sentence:

It would take an Argentinean upset over Australia to mix things up.

Editor’s note: (Otherwise, it’s Canada, Australia, Venezuela and Argentina, in that order)

Text version after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

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ISF Standings After Day 6

July 22nd, 2009


(click logo to visit the official ISF XII World Championships website)

One game to go in Pool Play !

Pool A

New Zealand 6-0
United States 5-1
Japan 4-2
Great Britain 3-3
Philippines 3-3

Denmark 2-4
Mexico 1-5
Botswana 0-6


Pool B

Canada 6-0
Australia 5-1
Venezuela 4-2
Argentina 4-2

Puerto Rico 2-4
Czech Republic 2-4
South Africa 1-5
Indonesia 0-6

(Top 4 teams from each pool qualify for the medal round; teams in bold earned double lifes)

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USA wins 5th in a row at ISF Worlds

July 22nd, 2009

Matt Palazzo comes up big with home run and 3 RBI


(Matt Palazzo)

Team USA jumped out to a 7-3 lead against Great Britain tonight, and hung on for the 7-6 victory. Coach Pete Turner used three pitchers to stem the tide of British offense, starting with Paul Koert, then Terry Luster, and finished with Travis Price.

The game was a pivotal one in Pool A, and gives the USA a lock on 2nd place – and with it, the coveted “double life”. Great Britain drops to 3-3 and will finish up tomorrow against Botswana. Despite being winless, Botswana has been very competitive, narrowly losing to the USA, 2-1 just yesterday.

Meanwhile the USA will finish up Thursday against Mexico in a game that will not affect the team’s playoff spot or seeeding, but one important nonetheless, to continue the momentum building since the opening night drubbing by New Zealand. New Zealand earned the other “double life” for Pool A.

Three teams in Pool A will vie for 3rd and 4th place, and the remaining playoff spots.

Japan (4-2), will face New Zealand
Great Britain (3-3), will play Botswana
Philippines (3-3), will play Denmark

* Should all three win, Japan would be 5-2 and go as the third place team; Philippines would go as the 4th place team, as they beat Great Britain. Same result if all three lose.

* Should Japan lose but Great Britain and Philippines win, it’s a 3 way tie. Consult the tie breaker.

If two teams tie, head to head as follows:

* Philippines over Great Britain
* Great Britain over Japan
* Japan over Philippins
*

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USA vs. Great Britain Tonight !

July 22nd, 2009

The USA (4-1) and Great Britain (3-2) square off tonight at 8:30 p.m. Saskatoon time, in a big game for both clubs. The game has playoff implications for the two, as well as two other teams in their pool, Pool A, Japan and the Phillipines.

Follow the text play-by-play with Al Doran of Al’s Fastball, by clicking here.

The game is just underway at press time, with Paul Koert toeing the rubber for the USA and Rich Haldane for Great Britain.

The USA lost their first game to New Zealand, but has won four straight.
Great Britain lost their first two, to the Philippines and New Zealand, but has won three in a row, including an upset win over Japan to pull to within one game of the USA.

If the USA wins, they would clinch 2nd place within Pool A, and grab a “double life” for the playoff round, along with New Zealand.

If Great Britain wins, they could wind up in sole possession of second place, with three other teams (likely) tied for third, with 4-3 records. (assuming GB and USA win their games tomorrow and New Zealand beats Japan).

1. New Zealand is 6-0
2. USA is 4-1
3. Japan is 4-2
4. Great Britain is 3-2
5. The Philippines are 3-3

Only four teams qualify for the playoffs.

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