THIS
LEAGUE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1993. THE 1ST. 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 1ST., OR 2ND., 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.