[Alsfastball] Legends of Fastball Classic Update

[Al Doran]

Woodstock, ON


While the past two weekends in Southern Ontario have been punctuated with 
snow, the organizing committee of the Legends of Fastball Classic are 
turning up the heat on preparation for the first major fastball event of 
2005. The  Legends Classic is scheduled for June 3, 4 and 5 at the 
Woodstock and District Community Complex ball park, and the quality of 
participating teams continues to grow.

Ontario has always been recognized for the unlimited stable of world class 
fastball pitchers it has supplied to major teams across North America. 
Three recent additions to the areas first jostle in June, includes not only 
returning world class pitchers but confirms what this province has always 
known, some of the greatest all round hitters and ball players in the game.

The Quaker River Sharks from Lebanon , Pennsylvania, the Kitchener Hallman 
Twins  and the St.Thomas Evergreen Centennials will bring fans a great 
combination of power from both the circle and the box, and a chance to see 
some of the best of local homegrown talent.

The River Sharks were a tremendous surprise at the 2004 ISC World 
Tournament and played their best ball of the season en route to an 11th 
place finish in Fargo. Their pitching staff includes Andy Jackson who can 
take the ball out of the yard as easily as his right arm can harness 
opposition hitters. Andy is no stranger to the area after a great junior 
career and a history of  success in the senior men's ranks. His partner on 
the River Sharks mound is another Ontario success story in lefty Paul 
Koert. He too parlayed a great junior career into the senior ranks, where 
he has won National Championships at both levels, most recently as a member 
of the Owen Sound Selects. Hopefully these two will keep the opposing 
offense in check, but they can also rely on some great run production from 
a nickels worth of Ontario power of their own. Speedster and center fielder 
Dan Loney will set the table from the lead off spot, and Pat Graham, Chris 
Shewfelt and Ryan Thompson will give opposition pitchers nightmares when 
they are all clicking. Perhaps the most underrated and explosive hitter in 
their lineup is John Brunton who was a mainstay in the old Selects lineup 
and a clutch hitter with men on base. The River Sharks Gm Bob Nydick and 
veteran coach Chip Savini are certainly excited about the opportunity to 
move up into the elite class of ISC teams in 2005, and kick start that ride 
in Woodstock.

The St.Thomas Evergreen Centennials are the host team for Canada's Sr. 
Men's Fastball Championship in 2005, and bring to the ballyard a lineup of 
veterans, and a chance for field boss Bill Horne to showcase his hometown 
team. While he may not have the services of  key players like Ryan Wolfe, 
Frank Cox, Butch Taylor, and the brothers O'Brien in Woodstock, he will 
have a lineup of household names that could spell success. Chris Payne, Tex 
Lessard, Chris Jones, Jeff Seed and Trevor Wardell were all starters with 
Horne as members of the Waterloo Twins. Jones, Seed and Wardell have all 
worn Canadian National Team uniforms will bring tremendous leadership to 
the Evergreen Centennials lineup. Outfielder Kevin Lynch and pitcher Ryan 
Cummings are promising juniors who will join the big club in Woodstock and 
hope for a chance to crack the final roster spots heading into the National's.

The Kitchener Hallman Twins are a definite threat to earn early season 
success in Woodstock. Their fortunes may well ride on the big right arm and 
powerful upper body of their newest roster addition for 2005, Todd Martin. 
After a number of years with the legendary Farm Tavern and prior to that 
his first ISC World Championship as a Tampa Bay Smoker, Martin has returned 
to Ontario and the Twins are happy he did. Martin will toe the rubber with 
hard throwing Don Scott and former Twin and Fedlock Falcon, Jeremy de 
Belleval. These three will give coach Doug Eidt some real options in 
pitching assignments, and will definitely make scoring against the Twins a 
lot tougher.

While the Twinkies have shored up their pitching staff, their offensive 
will continue to be bolstered by a solid group of veterans. Brian Stere 
enters his 16 season in a Twins uniform and has taken the greatest pitchers 
of his era out of the yard. Over the past few seasons he has moved away 
from his primary role as a DH , and assumed a much bigger role behind the 
dish. He earned All-Canadian catcher honours at the 2004 Canadian 
National's. Ironically 10 years earlier he earned similar catching honours 
at the ISC World's in Summerside.

A number of veterans will make scoring runs easy for the Twins, with Ronnie 
White, Dale Levy, Dave Bailey and Grant Baechler all capable of doing some 
big league damage to opposing pitchers. The real fire-cracker in the Twins 
line-up will be diminutive left fielder, Billy Simmons. One of the few 
remaining real fly chasers in the game , Simmons brings speed, high on-base 
percentage and surprising power to his own high intensity brand of 
fastball. He will be the catalyst for the big run innings and he will 
certainly race down any ball hit to his side of the diamond.

With previously announced ISC World Champion Broken Bow Spirit, the Midland 
Explorers, host Innerkip Eagles and Darren Zack's Six Nation Chiefs already 
committed, the River Sharks, Evergreen Centennials and the Twins have 
certainly made the Legends of Fastball Classic a 'must" stop on the summer 
tournament horizon.

The final tournament entries and the tournament draw is scheduled for 
release next week, along with the individuals who will be honoured as 
Legends of Fastball.

Tickets will be sold at the gate beginning Friday night June 3, at $5 for 
Friday night, $10 all day Saturday and $10 all day on Championship Sunday. 
A weekend pass will be available for $20 , and will include all 25 games 
throughout the weekend. The Legends introduction will go at noon hour on 
Saturday June 4.

Larry Lynce
mailto:larry.lynch at city.kitchener.on.ca


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