THIS LEAGUE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1993. THE 1^ST. GAMES WERE PLAYED IN 1994, WITH 4 TEAMS

IN 1995, WE HAD 6 TEAMS, 1996-97-98 8 TEAMS THEN IN 1999 WE HAD A TOTAL OF 11 TEAMS.

SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD 7 OR 8 TEAMS EVERY SEASON. SO THE LEAGUE, AS YOU CAN SEE HAS WORKED OUT WELL.

AS THE YEARS MOVED ALONG WE PICKED UP MANY NEW FRIENDS AND BALL PLAYERS,

UNFORTUNATELY, WE ALSO STARTED TO LOSE SOME MEMBERS THRU RETIREMENT.

THE OLD BODIES STARTED TO WEAR OUT AND INJURIES STARTED TO TAKE THEIR TOLL ON INDIVIDUALS.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO SENIORS MORE THAN ANY OTHER AGE GROUP, - PEOPLE PASS AWAY

AND WE STARTED TO LOSE OUR FRIENDS WELL THEY WERE STILL PLAYING IN OUR LEAGUE.

ALSO. WELL WE WERE GROWING AS A LEAGUE, OTHER LEAGUES RECONIZED US AND STARTED

INVIDING US TO TOURNAMENTS AND WE ORGANIZED TOURNAMENTS AND INVIDED THEM.

NOW THESE TOURNAMENTS WERE QUITE COMPETATIVE AND ONLY OUR MORE COMPETATIVE PLAYERS COMPETED.

SO IN 2006 OUR LEAGUE DECIDED TO RUN AN ANNUAL TOURNAMENT EVERY YEAR ON THE 1^ST., OR 2^ND., FRIDAY IN JUNE AND CALL IT OUR “MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT”. THIS TOURNAMENT IS OPEN ONLY TO OUR OWN PLAYERS, PRESENT AND PASS AND ANY SPECIAL GUESTS, REGARDLESS OF TALENT. WE ALSO HONOUR ANY OF OUR PLAYERS, WHILE STILL REGISTERED AS A PLAYERS, OR LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVES WHO PASSED AWAY WITHIN THE LAST YEAR OR SO. WE HAVE PLAGUE AND THE DECEASED NAMES’ ARE ADDED DURING OUR OPENING OF THE TOURNAMENT.

WE HAVE 5 PLAYERS TODAY THAT WERE HERE AT THE BEGINNING, AS WELL AS THE LEAGUE FOUNDER, STILL PLAYING IN THE LEAUGE. THEY ARE LORNE CHRISTIE, CLARE JONES, BERT CHALMERS, JOHN HUSTON AND RALPH CURRIE, AND THE LEAGUE FOUNDER ANNE COLHOUN AND TWO PLAYERS JUST RETIRED THIS YEAR, MIKE FORESTELL AND BOB GODDARD,

TO DAY, WE ARE HONOURING 4 PLAYERS

DON SPROLLA, PLAYED FOR 7 YEARS, 2005 – 2011 DON PLAYED

CATCHER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. HE WAS AMEMBER OF THE

TORONTO CRICKET, SKATING AND CURLING CLUB, AS WELL AS

THE ROYAL CANADIAN YACHT CLUB. DON LOVED PLAYING AND TALKING

BASEBALL. BEFORE WE HAD PINCH RUNNERS HE WOULD HOBLE FROM BASE TO BASE.

HIS WIFE OF 53 YEARS, CATHY IS HERE TODAY .

BILL JOSEPH, PLAYED FOR 8 YEARS, 2002 – 2009, BILL ALSO PLAYED

CACHER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BILL LOVED TO YELL OUT ORDERS TO HIS TEAM MATES,

WERE TO STAND WERE TO GO HE WAS LIKE A TRAFFIC COP BACK IN HIS POSITION. I DON’T KNOW

IF EVERY BODY LISENED, HE ALSO CARRIED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CROWD.

HIS WIFE OF 44 YEARS CHRISTA, IS HERE TODAY.

DANNY MCRAY, PLAYED FOR 9 YEARS, 1997 – 2006, ALSO A CATCHER.

HE WAS A GREAT GUY TO HAVE ON YOUR TEAM, IN THE LATE YEARS WHEN HE PLAYED WITH US

HE WOULD DRIVE DOWN FROM BRADFORD ONT., A GOOD HOUR BEFORE THE GAME AND HE WOULD

SET OUT THE BASES, HAVE THE SCORBOARD SET UP, THE STRIKE BOARD IN PLACE AND

WORK ON THE DIAMOND. HE ALWAYS HAD A PERFECT LOOKING HAIR CUT CALLED A BRUSH CUT,

HE WAS A QUIET MAN AND A VERY NICE GENTLEMAN. HIS WIFE ELEANOR IS HERE TODAY.

BUBA PICKERING, PLAYED 13 YEARS, 1994 – 2006 CAME BACK TO PLAY A LITTLE IN 2010.

BUBBA LOVED TO PLAY BASEBALL IN THIS LEAGUE. HE WAS VERY COMPETATIVE BUT HE WAS ALWAYS

A GENTLEMAN. HE WAS AN OUTFIELDER AT THE END. WE USED TO GO TO BOBCAGEON ON A YEARLY

TOURNAMENT TRIP AND IT WAS THERE WERE I GOT TO KNOW BUBBA AND HIS WIFE GLORIA, WHO STILL KEEPS SCORE IN THE LEAGUE, VERY WELL. A LOT OF HIS RELATIVES ARE HERE FROM B.C. AND

I BELIVE HIS GRANDSON IS GOING TO PLAY IN OUR TOURNAMENT TO DAY USING BUBBAS’ GLOVE AND SWEATER THAT HE FIRST USED IN OUR LEAGUE WHEN HE STARTED.

BEFORE WE GO TO PLAY TO DAY THERE ARE THREE OF OUR TEAMATES WE SHOULD REMEMBER.

TWO OF THEM HAVE HAD STROKES AND ONE HAD A HEART ATTACK THAT HAS CUT THEIR BASEBALL PLAYING DAY SHORT.

ALEX COSTENUCK WHO PLAYED IN THE LEAGUE FOR 6 YEARS, 2006 2013, HIS WIFE GLORIA

SAYS HE IS COMING ALONG. HE IS AT THE CAWTHRA GARDENS REHAB. JOE PARISANI THE

CAPTAIN OF THE MUDHENS AND A GOOD FRIEND OF THE COSTENCKS’ AND VISITS ALEXS’ WEEKLY

JOHN HAGERMAN PLAYED IN THE LEAGUE FOR 9 YEARS, 1998 – 2006 HE IS ABLE TO GET AROUND

AND HAS COME TO MANY OF OUR GAMES AND HAS TAKEN THE POSITION OF TREASURER.

BOB STEWARD PLAYED IN THE LEAGUE FOR 16 YEARS, 1998 – 2013 HE SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK IN LATE MAY 2014, HE WAS THE CAPTAIN, BUT NOT PLAYING THIS SEASON, OF THE WESTOWNE PLAZA TEAM, HIS WIFE, KIENIE STILL PLAYS ON WESTOWNE MAZDA.