[Alsfastball] Calgary at the ISC & Where is Andrew K going next year?

[Al Doran]

From: PeterJPorcelli at aol.com
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 2004 01:25:57 EDT
Subject: Calgary at the ISC & Where is Andrew K going next year?




Calgary at the ISC & Where is Andrew K going next year?


QUESTION: What do Broken Bow and Calgary have in common? ANSWER: They both 
finished two places up from where they were ranked. Congratulations to Doc 
Simmons and Bob Quick for showing the greatest of grace under fire 
(Hemingway) and proving again that they are the greatest show in the sport. 
With the greatest respect to the Farm, The Spirit did everything right to 
put them into position to win, and then Ryan Wolfe, one, beautiful athlete 
and the definition of the term, "clutch" (just like Rob Gray) came up big. 
Jody Eidt, the ultimate clutch, did the rest.

      I am no newcomer to drama at the World Tourney. I have always thought 
Jason Hanson's "Shot heard 'round the Softball World" was in a class of its 
own, as it propelled the Smokers to their first World Title. But Jaybo has 
a roommate now, at least in my book. Doc calls it luck. I call it the 
outcome of preparing to win. Finding a way to win. True Champions do that. 
Bow did.

      Against that backdrop, how could anything compare, right? Well, you 
are right. Nothing can. However, (and you knew 'however' was coming) 
Calgary can say it had its thrill, and that is what I would like to recount 
one month after having finished a well placed third at the ISC.

      But first, I would like to share with you the inundation that I am 
receiving all asking the same thing. Where is Andrew going next year? Well, 
I am sure that as high a percentage of the softball GMs and Coaches dream 
of coaching Cheezy, as do men dream of kissing Jessica Simpson. That said, 
let me assure you that Andrew knows how I feel about the issue, and that is 
that.

      Calgary had its most challenging season in 2004 with the arrival of 
Andrew and the ranking of 5 in the polls. We also did not have a budget 
that permitted much of a regular season with a full squad. Whereas nothing 
can possibly substitute for being at every game together, i feel the guys 
who could not be there much but gave their best and came through when they 
were there and did the next best thing when they could not,  For the Tony 
Cross' of the team and the Darrell Joys, they stuck to their teammates like 
glue, bonding and being together talking ball and team and what we had next 
on our checklist for almost every minute they were together. This team 
truly likes one another.

      You recall the other half of the "Tony Cross" article I wrote last 
year, Greg "Scrappy" Crawford? Scrappy was first team ALL WORLD this year. 
The guy throws all our BP and takes responsibility for the nutrition as 
well. He also is the guy who will see to it that all the single players are 
hustled into the van right after the last game on nights they can party and 
make sure they are outta the park in time to get on the town ASAP.

      Then there is Patty Mack. Most Valuable Player for the regular 
season. We all tip our hat to Patty. He shared something with me today, but 
did not tell me to keep it to myself: Patty will get a well deserved shot 
with the Canadian National Team. Good for you, Smitty, you get a true 
"Diamond."

      Now Devo Neelands. This is a great team guy who got the bunt down 
every time he was called on and it is so emblematic of this player's self 
sacrifice I have to recount one of the more humorous moments for me this 
year. It seems we were in the midst of making a run at seven unanswered 
runs against an opponent in the round robin, (I always thought it was kinda 
egg shaped 'cause you can't play against yourself) but I go to put Devo in 
the game. Call to the bench and Keith Mack is already in the dugout after 
hitting a double and getting time out. No Devo. So I yell to the bench as I 
have a blue going from one foot with his weight to the other, back and 
forth, staring at his lineup card waiting. "He is in the porta john!" 
Umpire roars, "I aint waiting for that, re-enter your guy or give me 
another player, Devo is burned."  Keith slowly walks out to second. Turns 
out that Devo was not in the can, but warming up a pitcher who wanted to 
get some work. Great Team Guy, Devo.......Bad luck.

     Horsey, Craig Horswell. Everyone talks about his defensive skills, 
right? Well, what I remember most about Craig, is the fact his 3 RBI Home 
Run against Circle Tap may be the biggest hit of the season for any of us.

      Garnett Kazuik, true Calgary Diamond fabric. We would not be the 
weave we are without Garnett. The guy you call the unofficial captain. The 
guy who we all would go to when we want the truth and the reality of how 
the world turns. He hit very well. I did not let him hit nearly enough. My bad.

      Sheldon Kazuik.(Kazook) I had to put that next to these guy's names 
on the lineup card to put away the cleaver every P.A. announcer had. Boxy 
told me to put it in parenthesis so I did not offend. Thanks, 
Boxy.  Blazing speed and a great athlete. Wish he had more time to devote. 
The "Go to guy" on the basepaths for the team.

    Rick Rosychuk. Good Player, consistent and a rare sense of humor. Made 
sure that I did not have to wait for five years before getting my pullover. 
Thanks, Rozi. Wish you had not been called back home in the middle of the 
tourney. God speed, my friend.

      SeanWhitten: Goofy Newfie, right? Maybe herky jerky in his delivery, 
but threw hard and got outs, pop, pop. Nobody worked harder to prepare for 
the ISC.

      We almost got to Keith Mackintosh earlier but I wanted to wait to say 
something about a friend I have had for a long time. Keith and I wanted to 
team up together for a long time and this year we got our chance. It was 
great having he and Patty at the top of the order, two great contact 
hitters. More than once as I read the lineup to the team starting with pat 
and continuing with Keith I put the name,"Mackintosh" after the next three 
first names in the lineup, it just seemed so right. Keith is a master who 
places the ball "Where they aint!" Having both Mackintoshs on the same team 
happens as often as we see Haley's Comet, so it is no shock that he will be 
playing second for the Farm next year. We wish Tosh the best.

      It is hard to come up with something original to say about David 
Boys. So I will go to the best place to get it, David himself. He is the 
epitome of "Hit the ball to me." I once roared with laughter when telling 
him about this player who could hit the ball on a roll to the shortstop but 
was so fast that no one could throw him out. David immediately responded 
with," i know a shortstop who can!" I was so unprepared for that. But David 
rarely is. This time I was telling him how DarrellJoy will move to second 
base next year and with Rozi gone we will need a new third baseman. His 
response, "I can make whomever you choose a great one, Pete, I will tell 
them not to take anything to their left!" David is the definition of 
leading by example. That is confidence, not conceit speaking there.

      Kelly Wenstrom. Forget the fact he gets my vote for GM of the decade. 
He was quite unfamiliar with the role of a reserve. Yet what he did at the 
ISC was nothing less than take charge of tracking the pitchers, handling 
the book on the hitters, and coming through with key hits throughout every 
game he played in.
Sat on his perch in the dugout and showed how to fulfill your role and then 
some. We woulda been much less focused without Kelly's leadership.

      Boomer Brush proved he is one of the most dangerous hitters around, 
still, and made a throw from right field to third base against Circle Tap 
that had as much on it, as it had precision; hit the mitt without DJ's 
moving a muscle. Amazing. Calgary reaching base against the Z man was as 
rare as suntans in Hurricane Ivan. Yet it was Boomer's potential run that 
died in scoring position when the Diamonds were denied a trip to the final 
in our second game against County.

      Marlon Brando passed away this summer, and Ryan Brand joined us, 
pitched fabulous ball, and then quietly announced his retirement at the end 
of the tourney. Ryan has as much talent in this sport as Brando had in 
acting. One of them gets a chance to return if he chooses. We hope he 
decides to.

      I have long said that Evan Potskin is the second coming of Boomer 
Brush. You should have seen what it was like when those two were shoulder 
to shoulder examining a bat and talking over the various ways they use the 
weapons in their bat bag.  Evan played hurt all season and the travel from 
Prince George to Calgary has taken its toll on his family situation. We 
wish Evan well, he is bound to make someone a much better hitting team.

I saved Trent Rubley for last. Best hitter in the tourney, out of what, the 
best 720 players in North America? Forty teams. eighteen per squad, or 
slightly less, depending...Rubes never had a bad weekend for two years. He 
was the best, save Rhys Cassley (Way to go, Rhys!). Enough said except for 
maybe one thing. You always know where you stand with Rubes, whether you be 
player, coach, umpire or fan. I respect that.

     Thanks to Billy Hillhouse for coaching with us and contributing in 
practice.

     We had a great run. Most of this occurred during the ISC.  Thanks for 
sharing it with me, guys. And thank you, readers, for indulging me, yet one 
more time!

PeterJ.Porcelli,II
Reply to: PETERJPORCELLI at AOL.COM
Peter J. Porcelli, II, LLC.
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