PRESS RELEASE
2009 Kitchener Rivershark Twins
The Kitchener Rivershark Twins will embark on their defense of the 2008 ISC World Championship when they host the Legends of Fastball Classic, June 5-7, at beautiful Peter Hallman Ballyard. The announcement this weekend that the 2011 ISC World Tournament will also return to Kitchener is just one more indication that this is the ‘Capital City’ of major men’s fastball.
The Rivershark Twins have been busy in the off – season, tweaking a lineup that proved team chemistry, as much as talent, is the key to success. As is inevitable, some of the 2008 squad have moved on and will no doubt bring talent and leadership to their new clubs. Frank Cox and Jason Sanford will take their pitching and catching tools to The Farm this summer while Ian Fehrman will return to Jarvis where he will re-join his hometown teammates and friends after a 3 year absence. Jeff Ellsworth will also be joining the Jarvis team after 3 very rewarding years in a Shark uniform.
Losing 4 quality players would normally handicap a contending team however GM Bob Nydick and Field Manager Denny Bruckert are confident they have filled all the holes with the addition of 4 proven veterans, and one emerging star. Team Canada battery mates Dean Holoien from Saskatoon, and long time Twins backstop Craig Crawford will suit up in the red, white and blue Kitchener uniform this year. “Deano” and “Crawf” were teammates in 2004 when the Saskatoon Aspen Black Sox went 10-0 to win the Canadian National championship. They have played together on the Canadian National Team for many years and bring strong leadership skill and offensive prowess to their respective roles as pitcher and catcher.
The never ending “fastball factory” of Newfoundland will send two more spirited performers to Kitchener’s potent lineup this summer. Brad Ezekiel will be united with his sweet swinging big brother Blair after a great rookie season patrolling the outfield in Midland last year. Brad brings all the tools to his game, speed, power, average and he is a bonafied fly-catcher in the outfield. An unexpected last minute addition to the roster comes with another solid piece of the “rock”, infielder Darrell Joy. Darrell has been a versatile infielder and lead-off hitter with a number of teams and brings a quite, confident demeanor to the park every time out. He will help fill a big void left by shortstop Ian Fehrman, and will certainly compliment the already tough Shark hitting lineup.
The final new comer, hard throwing pitcher Grant Patterson, will make the relatively short trek down Highway 401, from Toronto, to join his catcher of the past 5 seasons Craig Crawford, in Kitchener. Grant has come of age under Crawford’s tutelage and will give Kitchener arguably one of the best pitching staffs in the game.
Any question of impact with the changing of the guard of 4 or 5 players will be quickly put to rest with the leadership of the returning World Champion player personnel. Team co-captains, Jody Eidt, Ryan Wolfe and Patrick Shannon have been at the center of some of the greatest teams the ISC has ever known, and they will certainly be poised to lead the R-Twins back to defend their crown. The fourth co-captain, Dave Bailey, will add a coaching role to his duties as catcher and DH. Bailey will also work as a bullpen coach, providing Field Manager Bruckert with insight on the preparation and readiness of his pitching staff.
Eight time ISC All-World and 3 time Most Valuable Pitcher Todd Martin, and hard throwing right hander Don Scott would be a formidable pitching staff for any defending champion to build on. The addition of Holoien and Patterson gives the Riversharks a multitude of pitching options and will certainly make the bullpen as strong as the starting staff.
The balance of the roster returning from 2008 includes infielders Derek Shackleton, Evan Boyd, and USA National Team member Blake Miller. The returning outfielders include Dan Loney, Matt Lynch and Team Canada member Steve Mullaley. “Lolly” had the misfortune of injuring himself in the World Tournament semi-final in 2008, and watched from the sidelines as the Rivershark Twins became only Canada’s second team to claim the coveted ISC crown. He will certainly be looking forward to another championship Saturday in 2009.
With the Canadian National’s in Ontario this summer Kitchener is clearly looking to claim their first ever National Championship. Since the roster is limited to only Canadian citizens the Sharks will lose the services of ‘Kiwi’ Patrick Shannon and ‘Yankee’ Blake Miller for that season ending event. To fill those rather large shoes GM Bob Nydick has secure the services of multi-time National’s winners, Sean O’Brien and Dale Levy to bolster the Sharks lineup.
Team sponsors Nydick and Jim Hallman will again rely on the decades of coaching experience in ISC Hall of Fame managers Denny Bruckert and Larry Lynch to chart the course for the summer of 2009. With many of the players committed to National teams and the ISF World Series in July, the R-Twins schedule has been compressed somewhat this year.
The season schedule is as follows :
June 5th – 7th, Legends Classic. Kitchener, Ontario
June 26th – 28th , Jarvis Tournament, Jarvis Ontario
July 2nd – 5th, World Fastball Invitational, Monkton, Ontario
July 31st – August 2nd , Ontario ( OASA ) Eliminations, Waterloo, Ontario
August 5th – 7th , NAFA “Open” , Madison Wisconsin
August 14th – 22nd , ISC World Tournament, Quad Cities IL and IA
August 30th – September 6th , Canadian Championship , St.Thomas, Ontario
For detailed player profiles, results, photos and links check out the Kitchener Rivershark Twins web site at: