Cobourg Angels

 

 

JIM MORROW: LARGER THAN LIFE SPORTS FIGURE

 

There has been an extensive amount written about the impressive success of The Cobourg Angels organization. Teaching, practicing, organizing, high expectations and the capacity to attract talent are all factors that have been highlighted in the substantial historical record preserved by the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame.

 

During my years with the Senior Angels, I was fortunate to witness all of those factors at play. Yet, my experience tells me that one element has received less attention because it is very difficult to measure. Of the many outstanding athletes, builders and coaches from the past and present in the area, I only recall a few individuals that outwardly projected an animated love of the game and the sheer joy of being immersed in the competitive moment.

 

If you followed Major League Baseball in the 1960’s, you would recall how Willie Mays and Ernie Banks projected a radiant joy and enthusiasm for the game. In the current era, Blue Jays George Springer and Vladi Guerrero project a similar energy. Local outstanding athletes that had similar qualities would be Margie Matthews, Jim Bradford, Ewart Timlin and Ross Quigley.

 

Most of the Angels players of the Paul Currelly era, fondly remember Jim Morrow’s influence. Jim consistently provided encouragement, good humour and friendship to players, coaches and supporters alike. I believe that Jim had a huge impact upon the year-to-year loyalty and commitment of the players. The team environment was happy and easygoing until the first pitch. Their cohesiveness allowed the team to maximize their talent and sustain a rare level of excellence throughout the years that Mr. Morrow was associated with the Paul Currelly Angels.

 

It is also my impression that Jim’s out sized personality overshadowed the fact that he was an absolutely outstanding athlete in his own right and his accomplishments in and around the Hastings and Peterborough area are significant but less well known even to many of the Angels players he coached.

 

So how did Jim Morrow, a first-rate athlete, become such a significant and long-term contributor to the Paul Currelly Angels? The explanation begins with Jim’s formative years in and around Hastings, Ontario.

 

As Jim never spoke much about himself beyond family members and close friends, he perhaps left the impression with us that enthusiasm was his only strength. As a youth in the 1950’s, it became evident that Jim Morrow was a highly talented athlete. Hockey and fast pitch softball, as it was for most male athletes of the era, were Jim’s main athletic pursuits.

 

During his teenage years, Jim was the captain of the 1948-1949 provincial champion Hastings Midget hockey team and he followed up in 1949 as a major contributor to the local fast pitch Junior provincial championship team. It soon became evident that Jim’s talents and successes would lead to expanded opportunities in nearby Peterborough. As his local nickname suggested (later to be revealed), he brought a rare talent to the Peterborough fastball league.

 

During the 1950’s, Jim played Junior hockey with Peterborough and was a fixture as a player in the first rate Peterborough City Softball League. This league played its games at the East City Bowl (a softball facility that was constructed in a natural amphitheatre beside the Otonobee River). The unique facility soon became a hub that attracted some of the very best fast pitch softball players in Ontario and beyond. Pitching was elite during this era.

 

One of Jim’s favourite stories from his playing days in Peterborough was his fence clearing homer off of legendary hurler and American Mormon missionary Ray Judd. This was a very rare accomplishment as Judd only had apparently one recorded loss during his 5 year local tenure.

 

Unofficially, the league was such a good draw, that fans gathered in very large numbers sometimes exceeding a thousand fans for highly anticipated games. During an interview with the Peterborough Examiner well after his retirement, Judd said that for some games, fans climbed the trees lining one side of field while others climbed to the rooftop of the adjacent Quaker Oats building on Hunter Street.

 

Jim Morrow’s career in the league spanned the late 1940’s into the mid 1950’s. Many in the Peterborough area that attended games as players, officials and fans returned to celebrate the 90^th anniversary of the league. After a stellar career south of the border and internationally, Judd returned for the festivities as did many of his contemporaries.

 

Jim Morrow belonged in very esteemed company indeed and given his warm and outgoing personality, his family agreed that he would have been in his glory during the celebration. Jim passed a year prior to the event.

 

Later on, after Jim ended his playing career, he shifted his focus to coaching in the Hastings area and directed an OASA Intermediate team to a provincial championship. The accomplishment foreshadowed what was to be his most successful coaching stint of his fine career.

 

The development of a young player often rests upon natural talents, early coaching and parent encouragement. Jim and Marg Morrow’s daughter Su had benefited from all of these advantages and when it became evident that she was an outstanding fastball talent in her own right, she joined the Angels as a teenager and predictably Mom and Dad came too and eventually took up residence in Cobourg.

 

Most local sports fans would agree that very little ever escaped Paul Currelly’s eye when it came to talent. Currelly found a gem in Jim Morrow! In very short order, Jim became the Angels’ first base coach and formed an enduring on field partnership with Paul. Over the years, a very close friendship also emerged between Paul and Marian Currelly and Jim and Marg Morrow.

 

I want to leave the anecdotes and stories for the former players to tell. For me, I often remember the times when Jim would roll up to our house and take my 2–3-year-old son for a ride in his transport truck. While not anything to do with fastball, it was everything to do with kindness and generosity. A big truck rolled in but it was a giant of a man who drove it.

John Hayden Sr.

ADDENDUM:

Jim Morrow Memoirs

Margie Matthews:

When I think of what Jim Morrow meant to our Angel softball teams, the first two words that come to mind are dedication and support.
He was all about 'team'. Depending on where our games would be, he would sometimes show up in his truck tractor. He always wanted the players to succeed. His enthusiasm with his big personality and fun nature made him and Paul Currelly a magnificent coaching match.

Fond memories indeed of Jim 'Long-Ball' Morrow.

 

Nancy Cronin:

Jim Morrow or Jim Bob as I liked to call him was a special man and great coach of the Cobourg Angels. It is really hard to come up with a few words to describe the impact he had on me as a ball player and as a person. For a kid from Belleville who had an opportunity to experience the culture of the Angels that he and Mr. Currelly nurtured was life changing for me.

It was so evident from my first season with the Angels that Jim loved life, loved Margaret and his kids and his other family the Angels. His dedication to the team was unwavering. On a number of occasions he would pull up to the diamond in his transport truck in the middle of a delivery run.  I remember the first time I witnessed this and I was totally blown away. 

If I had to name Jim's best qualities I would say hard work, loyalty and his sense of humor.  He incorporated all of these qualities into his coaching style. I like to think that he helped to instill those same qualities in me as a person.

Nancy Cronin Angels 1980-1991

 

Jennifer (Dalgarno) Ashley:

It’s impossible to think of Mr. Morrow without a big smile coming to my face. He was such a breath of fresh air to be around. When coaching, he was always very helpful and positive and made everyone feel like they mattered. His fun-loving sense of humour helped to bring the team together and build team chemistry. He constantly had us in stitches. His knowledge of the game and his coaching expertise made us all better players. I will always cherish the many years I was able to spend playing for Jim Morrow and Paul Currelly.

Jen (Dalgarno) Ashley, Cobourg Angels 1989-1990

 

Jackie Dusenbury:

Mr. Morrow was one big kid!  And that’s one of many reasons why we loved him.

He made coming to the ball park fun. He always had a smile on his face, except when he was yelling at his daughter Su! Ha! He was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and cared about his players to the point that he would play caps with them at tournaments! Lol

He was the type of coach that you would do anything for because you wanted to win so badly for him…. He was a one of a kind😊

 

Nancy Jane Dalgarno:

Mr. Morrow helped raise me and for that I am so very grateful. As a player on the Cobourg Angels, I spent many years being coached by him both on and off the field. He helped instill in me a moral compass that included respect, humility, teamwork, and a love of life which continues to guide me in all I do. I look back on my Cobourg Angel’s days with such love, fondness, and always with a smile. I feel privileged to have been able to spend my youth and early adulthood with my Angel family and to be a part of the amazing (and sometime crazy) experiences we had with Mr. Morrow. He was a truly wonderful coach and friend—one who always made me laugh while encouraging me work hard. To this day, I consider Mr. Morrow one of the most influential people in my life.

 

Patsy Currelly Hand:

It is an honour to add to my reflections of Jim Morrow or as I called him, Mr. Morrow. 

I first met Mr. Morrow when he came to his daughter Suzanne’s first game with the Cobourg Angels (1977) in Trenton.  He started the year as a parent and by the end of the year had a spot on the bench as assistant coach.  He was a wonderful addition to our team not only because of his knowledge of the game but because of his larger-than-life personality.  Over the years, we would learn about his own athletic abilities in both Hockey and Softball.  As the story goes, while playing softball in Hastings he was known to hit many out of the park home runs earning him the title of “Long Ball Morrow”. 

 Mr. Morrow lived life to the fullest! He was committed and dedicated to our team, to his family and to his job.  His voracious laugh could be heard anywhere on the diamond and his personality uplifted and melded our team into a family.  Now, on the other side of this joyous, wonderful man was the ferocious intensity that would sometimes be directed at the umpires (On more than one occasion, he was tossed from the game).  This intensity was of course justifiably supported by his fellow coaches and his players.  As a player, having your coaches stand up for you in this matter made you feel respected and protected and again, reinforced the feeling of family. 

Mr. Morrow drove transport for a living.  His route was from Toronto to Ottawa.  I distinctly remember walking with him after a game at Victoria Park to where the Y is now, to his truck that was parked and still running (to keep his load cool).  He had timed it so that he could stop on route to come coach the game and then continue to his destination.  I was stunned to think that he had so many more hours of work ahead of him. 

 

Dedication, Commitment.   In those days the truckers would be on their CB radios and he told me that after a game, he would get on the radio and transmit how the Angels had done.   His trucker buddies would enquire about the games and Mr. Morrow could go on for hours about his beloved Angels.   He said, “Everyone knows about the Angels”. 

Mr. Morrow was One-of-a-Kind.  He was a second father to many of his players.  His personality complimented my dad’s and they not only had a very successful team, they just enjoyed being around each other, on and off the field.  During the off-season once the Morrows were back from the Cottage, every Saturday night would be spent together watching the Leafs and enjoying treats made by the wives.  They travelled together to both coasts in Canada, seeing the sights and of course watching a few amateur ball games! 

Their friendship and the cohesiveness of their qualities, established the foundation for the success of the Cobourg Angels.

 

 

 

 

Elaine Devlin

 

Elaine Devlin was born in Indian River, a rural area of Peterborough, the eldest of six children.  Her parents made things work, providing their children with various opportunities, including playing sports.  She played City League Softball in Peterborough and played in the Ontario Rural Softball Association. 

As a teenager, Elaine would go to watch the Cobourg Angels play against the Lakefield Kingdon Lumber Ladies. It was amazing to watch and she hoped that one day she would be a good enough softball player to play at that level. She couldn’t believe it when she got invited by Paul Currelly & Jim Morrow to play for the Cobourg Angels, starting in 1984. She was apprehensive, not sure if she was good enough, but thanks to an amazing coaching staff, fantastic catchers, and supportive team members and her own personal commitment to the sport she loved, she thrived in Cobourg.

Elaine Devlin’s contributions to sports locally and her astounding athletic accomplishments, both in our area and elsewhere, have been exceptional.

 

Elaine resided in our area for a total of 10 years (Cobourg, Colborne, and Grafton), and has maintained athletic connections to our community throughout her life. She also worked in local schools for 6 years – 3 at St. Joseph’s, in Cobourg, and 3 at St. Mary’s, in Grafton. During these years, she coached many school teams in a variety of different sports. Elaine is a character in Judy Peers children’s book “Shark Attack”, which features a few other local softball legends, too, such as Marty Kernaghan, and is dedicated to Elaine’s favourite coach, Paul Currelly.

Her competitive softball career was catapulted in 1984 when she was recruited by Paul Currelly and became a Cobourg Angel. She played for the Angels from 1984-1989. She was recruited by Sam Houston State University, in Texas, where she played out her 2 years of eligibility and set season records for saves, shutouts, and ERA as well as a career record for ERA’s (which stands as of 2019). She still holds top 7 records for Sam Houston pitching in seven categories despite the fact she only played for 2 years, where most pitchers play for 4.

 

Needless to say, Elaine has earned many MVP awards and was, and continues to be, recognized both locally and provincially over the years for her incredible talents. One of her most prestigious MVP awards was at the Canadian Championships where she was tournament MVP and had an ERA of 0.00. During her time playing with the Cobourg Angels, the team medaled 9 times at provincials, including 3 golds, largely influenced by the fact that her pitching was phenomenal. During these years, she was picked up by other teams 3 times to represent Ontario at the Canadian Championships. She pitched many no-hitters.

Since the 1980’s, she has coached and run pitching clinics, helping the Junior Angels organization.   Elaine was instrumental in developing the Colborne Ladies team, while living in the Grafton area.

 

“Dev” has competed in 34 provincial championships, 17 Canadian championships, and at least 5 World Championships/International competitions (1 gold, 1 bronze) and has coached at 20 Provincial championships (5 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze), 12 Canadian championships (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze), and 3 World Championships/International competitions (3 gold). Phenomenal!

Elaine is the kindest person off the field. She would literally give you the shirt off her back. However, on the field there is a different person on the mound.  She is sportsmanlike but is very competitive and very hard on herself to be perfect.  It was this conviction for perfection that literally made her appear as a bull with fire coming out of her nostrils!!  Angels catcher, Patsy Currelly states, “That was an intimidating face to confront as a batter. 

As a catcher, it was perfect!  The batters were literally shaking in the batter's box and to top it off, she could hit the target nearly 100% of the time.  She was a catcher’s dream (although a couple of times I would have to come to the mound to slow her down and also for my own protection – she sometimes had a habit of throwing her mid-60 mph fastball over the plate after the signal was called but before I could get the glove up and get set!).  She never shook off a call – Never –(which is unheard of), and was the best pitcher I ever caught.  Ever.  She is someone I can call a forever friend.  Her determination, commitment to team play, to teammates, to coaches and the art of her sport are unheard of.” 

 

Elaine also played hockey (goalie) for both the Rice Lake Rebels and Baltimore Predators, winning an OWHA provincials with Baltimore, in 1989. When she played with Rice Lake, it was “Sr. A” which was the highest level of women’s hockey at the time. All the national team players played in this league so she was participating at a very high level. In 2019, she coached the District 12 55+ women’s hockey team (which includes CDSHF catchment area) to a provincial championship victory, in Huntsville, and will be attending the Canadian Championships in Kamloops, B.C., with the team in August 2022.

In 2011, Elaine was involved in a horrific car accident and suffered a head injury which ended her playing career. She still stays involved in sports as much as her injury allows her to, including coaching. Since her injury, as a coach, she was won 2 World Masters Games championships (softball), a PWSA bronze medal, and a hockey provincial championship with a local team in the 55+ Ontario Winter Games.

She still volunteers in schools when she is able and volunteers with the Ontario Brain Injury Association in supporting others in their brain injury recovery. She sits on their board of Directors (which includes the Cobourg catchment area). She also sits on the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board First Nation, Metis and Inuit Advisory Committee.  Her motto is “Passion, Determination, Caring”. Elaine believes everyone has gifts and it is important to share the gifts with which we are blessed.

 

ADDENDUM: Angels Stats

1984 – Elaine is visited at her home by coaches Paul Currelly and Jim Morrow (knowing dad it was probably in the Fall of 1983 that he went to visit but not sure of that).  I know that Elaine was a little apprehensive and not sure if she was “qualified”.  I know that they told her not to worry and that “all she had to do was throw strikes, they had the team to field whatever came their way”.    1984 was the Angels first ever Senior Tier II Ontario Title with a record of 44 wins and 6 losses including a 34 game winning streak to start the season and included the Ontario Title.

        - Elaine threw a no-hitter that year and had a grand slam home run.  She pitched a 17 inning game vs Agincourt Senior Tier I winning the game and was upset when she wasn’t slotted as the starting pitcher for the next game which was less than 30 minutes to start time. She said she was “in a groove” and that she was!! She was voted the teams MVP that year.

1985 - Ontario Senior Tier II gold medal Champions over Norwich.  The Angels go undefeated in the Provincial tournament. Elaine allows only 2 runs in 20 innings.  She is selected for the Ontario Junior Summer Games Team and receives a scholarship to Sam Houston University in Texas.

1986 - Silver medalists Ontario Senior Tier II championships loss to Sarnia, finalists Mildor Classic tournament.  Winners of Metro League regular season.

1987 - Ontario Senior Tier II Gold medalist vs Sarnia, Elaine pitches all four games and gives up 16 hits, has 30 strike-outs and 6 walks. 

 - Ontario Senior Tier I finalist vs Dorchester (after playing 3 back-to-back games). Elaine Devlin MVP of Tier I tournament after pitching 43 innings .

Team also were Ontario Regional Gold Medalist vs Belleville, Metro League Champions. In a Metro League game she pitches 14 strike-outs in a row and totals 20 strike-outs for the game. 

1988 - The team moves up to Senior Tier I and play in a 14 team league.  Teams are as close as Pickering and as far away as upper New York State.  Many weekends spent playing double headers.  The Angels have a successful season including Ontario Senior Tier I Silver Medalists vs Oakville and Ottawa Tournament Champions.  Elaine Devlin is named MVP of the Tier I tournament with a 0.64 ERA over 42 innings.  She is picked up by Oakville to go to the Canadians in Newfoundland. 

1989 - Eastern Division Senior Tier I League Champions, Milverton Classic tournament champions vs St. Catharines.  Elaine Devlin is picked up by a BC team to play in an International Tournament in New Zealand.