Courtesy Mitchell Advocate
Men’s fastball league declines
Sixteen teams to play in South Perth Men’s Fastball League; new Mitchell
team joinsBy Andy Bader
Wednesday May 02, 2007
The decline in men’s fastpitch softball is starting to reflect in the number
of teams in the South Perth Men’s Fastball League (SPMFL), as 16 teams will
compete for the 2007 championship this September.
Another two teams ceased operations for this upcoming season, the longtime
Fullarton A’s as well as the Milverton AW Millwrights, while the SPMFL
welcomed back the Waterloo Jr. Hallman Twins from a year’s hiatus. The St.
Pauls Generals, another longtime franchise, ceased operations one year ago
as well.
Also new to the league this season is the Mitchell Jr. Chiefs, a team of
almost entirely first-year junior-aged players who have played together, for
the most part, since they were mite age. Coach/manager Calvin Annis has a
number of players eager to play with the newfound junior club, and their
early team fundraising initiatives have proven successful thus far.
The Jr. Chiefs will play their home games on Monday nights, and bring back
to two the number of Mitchell teams in the SPMFL, joining the Mets, who once
again will play their home games Wednesdays.The SPMFL regular season doesn’t begin until May 22, with each team in the
league playing 22 games, capped, as usual, by the playoff tournament in
Mitchell Sept. 14-16th.
The league also has four teams amalgamating for 2007, the Linwood Chiefs and
the Moorefield Dukes are joining forces and will be known as the Linwood
86ers. Another merging of two established clubs, the Tavistock Merchants and
the St. Marys Gunners, will see the team be known as Tavistock, but they
will play half of their home games in St. Marys to keep the game’s presence
alive with the future hope of recessitating their own team once again.
There will be two eight-team divisions in the league this year – the
Smith/Egli Division, who will have the two Mitchell teams, Sebringville,
Monkton, Shakespeare Falcons, Shakespeare Colts, Hickson and Tavistock play.
The other eight-team division, known as the Arand/Thomson Division, will
feature Bridgeport (the two-time defending champions), Breslau, two Elmira
teams, the Cubs and Juniors, Linwood, Harriston, Wellington (formerly known
as Elora) and Waterloo Jrs.
Other meaningful fastball dates to mark on your local calendar include the
17th annual Mitchell Mets tournament June 8-10 which will feature 16 men’s
teams (including the hosts and the Jr. Chiefs) and eight ladies clubs; a
doubleheader in Sebringville on June 15 which will see the Canadian national
team take on New Zealand; an eight-team junior men’s tournament June 22-24
hosted by the Jr. Chiefs, in conjunction with a bantam baseball tournament;
and the 4th World Fastball Invitational in Monkton Canada Day long weekend.
More details on these local events will be available closer to the dates.