National softball team not mentally prepared to play their best ball at world championships: Boland In the end, says St. John’s native Ryan Boland, Team Canada wasn’t as mentally sharp as they needed to be at the 2013 ISF XIII Men's World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this month. Boland, along with Newfoundlanders Jason Hill of St. John’s, Sean Cleary and … [Read more...]
Umpires selected for 2013 X World Junior Women’s Championship
Information from ISF UIC Bob Stanton The International Softball Federation is pleased to announced that that the following 24 umpires (8 females and 16 males) and 3 supervisors have been selected to the 2013 X World Junior Women’s Championship to be held in Brampton, Ontario, Canada from July 1st – 7th. Umpires: Australia Phil WALLER Amanda HOUISON Botswana Abel … [Read more...]
New Zealand Black Sox in Sports Illustrated
Cap tip and photo from Vahram Mateosian, self-described on his Twitter page as "Master tailor and debater. Little used softball substitute." Big time ink for the 2013 ISF World Champion New Zealand Black Sox. A double-truck centerfold on page 7 of Sports Illustrated. At your newstands now. Grab one before they're all gone! I recall a small head shot of former USA … [Read more...]
Great chance to build on Black Sox status
By TONY SMITH OPINION: Retiring catcher Paddy Shannon summed up the challenge facing softball now when he said the Black Sox were "famous for an hour-and-a-half a night". "People like winning teams and the Black Sox are lucky to have a winning tradition." Live coverage of the New Zealand softball team's record sixth world championship success clearly struck a chord … [Read more...]
Black Sox back to day jobs after triumph
Veteran Jarrad Martin, 40, is a father of five and an electrician. Fellow old-timer Thomas Makea is a drainlayer, injured pitcher Heinie Shannon a panelbeater (needing some work himself) and brother Patrick is a cellarmaster. So much for being labelled too old, out of form and hardly befitting a million dollars of high-performance funding. "We were in a slump for a few … [Read more...]
Bartorillo bats aside irate former team-mates
By TONY SMITH Tyron Bartorillo says winning a gold medal with the Black Sox is sweeter than taking the title with his native Australia after being targeted during the tournament by his former team-mates. The Queensland-born Canterbury third baseman became only the second player in International Softball Federation history to win a world championship with different nations … [Read more...]
ISF World Champion Black Sox face exodus of talent
By Tony Smith Black Sox mentor Eddie Kohlhase is set to bow out as a world champion but the record-breaking team's two most decorated players might put up their hands as future coaches. The Black Sox, who beat Venezuela 4-1 in yesterday's final in Auckland, embellished their reputation as one of the most successful teams in New Zealand sport, winning their sixth gold medal … [Read more...]