Softball

Layton Dodge Loved His Home Town, Sports

By Cecilia Nasmith Dec 10, 2013 Northumberland Today

Layton Dodge's chair at Sommerville's is empty.
Dave Sommerville, owner of the downtown Cobourg sporting goods store, has been reflecting on what to do with it since hearing of Dodge's passing on Sunday.

Since his retirement as Cobourg's premier sports reporter, Dodge has been a regular in the store, taking the chair Sommerville's father Clarke used to occupy. It started out as a chance to enlist the Sommervilles' help in identifying the rafts of old sports photos he was giving away, and evolved into one of his favourite places just to hang out and visit with people.

Sommerville was one of those legions of Cobourg kids who grew up looking forward to the Wednesday paper because of Dodge.

"We ran home, grabbed the paper and opened it to the sports page to see if our name was there," he recalled.
Born March 14, 1937 to parents William and Kathleen, Layton Dodge grew up in Cobourg and attended Cobourg District Collegiate Institute (currently CDCI West) when it was the only high school in town. He went directly from high school to working for the Cobourg Sentinel Star, a precursor of Northumberland Today, his friend Rosie Bateman said.

By virtue of his life-long attachment to his home town, Bateman added, he always had a story to share — such as the fact that Col. Gordon King, after whom the library is named, was his Latin teacher.

Retired councilor Bob Spooner first encountered Dodge as a reader. He had been involved in sports reporting himself before he and his wife began looking to move to Cobourg in 1970. They picked up a copy of what was then the weekly Cobourg paper and, turning to the sports page, Spooner recalled, thinking, "Whoever is writing this is really doing the community a service."

Little kids hitting a home run, young goalies making a save, minor athletes who might never rate a mention in a bigger paper had their names there in print, Spooner said. "I thought, 'I have to meet this guy, because he writes so honestly and his information is really accurate.'"

That winter, Spooner got his chance when he began coaching minor hockey. They became instant friends, he reported.
Doing play-by-play hockey coverage for the local radio station in 1972, Spooner often met up with Dodge. Together, they broke down the barrier between print and electronic media when Dodge began doing occasional guest commentary.

"The public liked his analysis, his accuracy, his honesty. He never had a bias if he liked a coach or a player from the other team," Spooner said.

Longtime close friend Rod Baker remembers Dodge's support of the Cobourg Cougars Junior A hockey group, as well as for the young people in town. He remembers how much Dodge contributed to his own three children's lives when they were growing up in Cobourg through his work at the home-town newspaper.

"I think he was one of the best sports writers in this area and could have gone further. But he was very happy in Cobourg," Baker said.

"Layton was probably the biggest promoter of a lot of good athletes in Cobourg, but he would always find a way to get the average athlete — the kid who would never get noticed — to get his name in the paper if they had a good hockey game or made a good catch playing ball. He made the average athlete important. He had an uncanny way of doing that," Sommerville said.

He was also impressed with the range of sports his friend covered.
"If it was out there, he covered it," Sommerville stated.

Dodge would even hold off on his summer holidays so as not to miss covering the giant annual ball tournament in Grafton, where he would help with the announcing or do whatever else they needed.
"The only way you knew Layton was on vacation is, there was no sports in the paper. He would still be at all the games, but no sports in the paper.

"Cobourg has been so fortunate to have someone who cared so passionately about the town, so passionately about the youth of the town, and he showed it in many different forms," Sommerville said.

A modest individual, Dodge made substantial donations to organizations but also made the quieter substantial donations — paying for the high school wrestling tournament, for example, or even making significant contributions to the university and college educations of young people in need.

"He did so many things for so many people behind the scenes, the stories could be endless," Sommerville said.
A few years before Dodge was forced to retire earlier than he perhaps would have liked for health reasons, the editor combed old newspapers for a compilation of his best work for a book that was titled Spotlight On Sports.

A later publisher, Darren Murphy, found that Dodge remained deeply involved in the newspaper regardless.
“He would stop by regularly with some kind of a news tip or just to say hello to everyone," said Murphy, who is now publisher and regional advertising director of Eastern Ontario for Sun Media.

"He had a way of brightening up the entire building when he entered, and his contributions to the Cobourg sports community will never be forgotten.”

Cobourg Mayor Gil Brocanier said Dodge was an icon in the town.
"For so many years, he gave so much to so many people," Brocanier said.
"It's incredible, the work he did and the way he made so many young people growing up in Cobourg playing all sports feel important. He made it his mission to give almost every athlete — regardless of the level they were playing in — he made every effort to give them their 15 minutes of fame by mentioning them or something they had done in a particular game.

"It's a terrible loss to the sports community, and the community as a whole," the mayor stated.
"What really makes me happy is that he lived long enough to see the new sports complex," Spooner said.

As council's parks and recreation head during the project, he recalls how thrilled Dodge was with news of the facility and how he supported it with a donation that paid for the press box.

The Layton Dodge Press Box is the second town amenity that bears his name. Spooner recalls sitting down with the parks and recreation advisory committee prior to the opening of Legion Fields in July 1996 to name the three diamonds.

"The first name that cropped up for one of the diamonds was Layton Dodge," Spooner said.

In the end, the vote was unanimous to name the diamonds after Dodge, Clarke Sommerville and Jack Bevan.
Dodge will be missed very much, Bateman said. "I know how devoted he was to the youth of the town, and sport and the community. I think his legacy is that he inspired the youth of our town to be the best they could be in sports, and in life in general," she stated.

From seeing his friend spend so many pleasant days in that special chair in his store, Sommerville would characterize Dodge as the voice of reason.

"He could always find some middle ground and come up with a logical and reasonable solution. It's something I saw a lot of times that I found fascinating. He would sit back and watch it all and, in a heartbeat, come up with the right answer," he said.

Fairness extended to his sports coverage, which would occasionally single out a visiting player from a big city like Toronto. If a friend or relative sent a clipping to the young player, Sommerville said he would get a call to ask for 15 more copies, because that player would never get that kind of recognition in a bigger community.

And when a local player deserved a wake-up call or a slap on the wrist for any reason, Sommerville added, Dodge could deliver it in such a way that the player would remain on friendly terms with him afterwards.

"I think that gift was born out of his love for the community," he said.
In the end, he said, Dodge earned a singular honour — being known by a single name.

"In Cobourg, everybody knows Layton. It doesn't matter if you're 12 or 100, everybody knows Layton as Layton — or, in our case, Scoop. Nobody asks about Layton Dodge. It's Layton or Scoop. I think, over the course of time, with everything he's done for this community, he has gained that kind of recognition," Sommerville said.

"He deeply loved his mother and his family. He deeply loved Cobourg — the sports community and Cobourg in general.
"His legacy will live on and on and on, not only as a sports writer and member of the community, but also as a human being. There are not many people like Layton."

At Dodge's request, there will be a private graveside service at Cobourg Union Cemetery. A funeral service will be held in Trinity United Church Thursday at 1 p.m., and a celebration of his life will be held at the Cobourg Community Centre at a later date.

Reviewed August 2020

By Jack Kernaghan – written by Doug Johnson approx. 2010

During the 1930’s, before the war started, the East Northumberland Baseball League was in operation and consisted of four teams – Grafton, Colborne, Brighton and Warkworth. Members of the Grafton team included Jim McMahon, Jack Reymes, Harry Landymore, Max Smith, Hart Immel, Harold Sabins, Lloyd Sabins, Ed Lawless, Roy Goody, Chick Cochrane, Jerry Simmons, and Walter Johnston. Grafton games were played in Rogers Field which was located on the west side of the existing ball field.

Although the East Northumberland Baseball League still existed in the 40’s and early 50’s all of the teams were depleted due to war service. From this period on, all Grafton games were played on the present-day fields, but it should be noted there is no baseball field in Grafton at the present time as all (5) five diamonds in the Complex are for softball.

During the late 50’s and early 60’s the South Durham Baseball League was formed consisting mostly of semi-rural teams. They were Welcome, Kendal, Garden Hill, Newcastle, Newtonville, Coverdale and Camborne. Coverdale consisted of the east end of Cobourg and their games were played in Grafton.

Members of the Coverdale team included Bobby Parnell, Fred Goody, Fred McMillan, Dick Turpin, Jack Kernaghan, Paul Currelly, Ross Beatty, Jim Irvine, Bob Bazay, Jim Ingemalls, Jerry Lawless, Fred Maybee and Don Ball. The Camborne team was put together by Norm Dolley but folded later due to a shortage of players.

Some members of the Welcome team were Barney Mills, Don Lord, John Choiniere, Floyd Bebee and Vern Meadows. Long John Holman and Jim Gilmer played for Newtonville.

There was also a girls’ softball team out of Cobourg sponsored by Town Cleaners which was owned by Mr. Hobbs and the team was managed by Alf Minaker and coached by Bus Cane. This team also included at least three members from Haldimand Township who were Pat and Shirley Harnden and Jean Clouston. Some of the girls from Cobourg were Toots Brisbin, Maizie Jenkinson, Ivy Cockburn, Helen Caine, Eileen Goody, Reta Slater, Ruth Brooks, Winnie Twitchett, Ruth Stillwell, Alice Guy, Jean Allen was Captain, Ruth Bolderstone, Jackie Kadan and Marilyn Jenkinson was the mascot.

In 1946 the Town Cleaners team won the Eastern Ontario Intermediate Softball Championship over Belleville. They eventually went on to play for the Ontario Championship where they won the first game in Sunnyside (Toronto) but lost the last game back in Cobourg.

There was also a Haldimand Township softball team which included Pat and Shirley Harnden and Jean Clouston, Marg and Kathleen Tunney, Ann Heenan, Florian, Mary, Kathleen and Ann Lawless. This was strictly a fun team.

During the late 30’s and early 40’s, I believe, Grafton, Colborne, Warkworth and Baltimore each iced an intermediate hockey team. Members of the Grafton team were Manager Roy Bone, Gordon Locke, Jack Turpin, Wib Thomas, Jack Heenan, Cam Harnden, Hart Immel, Jack Beatty, Mike Heenan, Harold Knight, Jack Kernaghan, Jack Reymes, Dick Beatty, Ed and Mike Spears, Tom Walsh and Tommy Hogan. In the early years, games were played on outdoor rinks, but in later years, they moved to covered areas such as church sheds and eventually to artificial ice in proper arenas.

Reviewed August 2020

By the Currelly sisters, Nancy, Patsy and Carol

Women’s softball began in Cobourg on Labour Day, in 1926.  Mrs. Arthur Bulger gathered a group of girls for a last-minute game against a visiting team from Toronto.  Long skirts were the attire for the game.  Cobourg won and the history of girls’ softball began.    

In 1928, a church league was formed; this included St. Andrew's, Trinity, St. Michael's, Baptist and St. Peter’s.  This league continued to run until the mid 1930s.  In 1931, a new girl’s team was formed. It was initially called the Cobourg Lakesides but later in the season they changed the name to the Cobourg All-Stars. They played in a league which included Peterborough, Bowmanville, Baltimore and Bailieboro.

The Cobourg All-Stars were highly successful and ended the season with 26 wins and 0 losses.  The highlight of the year was an exhibition game held at Victoria Park, on Labour Day, against the Toronto Lansing Athletic Club who were Intermediate League champions.  Cobourg beat them 8-7 in the bottom of the 9th.   

Members of this team included:  Rita Oliver (P), Helen Slater(C), Grace Maher(3B), Felicia Brinning (SS), Marion Clapper (2B &CF), M. Harper (RF), Agnes Mundy (CF), Dorothy Sloper (2B), Lillian Roberts (1B), Marion Ovens (LF), D. Sloper (P), H. Mann (C), K. Turpin(CF), H. Campbell (2B), Helen Pellow (RF), Ms. Lean.  This team was celebrated for their accomplishments by the town and a banquet was held in their honour, where the Mayor stated the ball players had “put Cobourg on the map in Sports” (Cobourg Sentinel Star, Sept.17, 1931).  

The tradition of hosting Toronto teams on Labour Day continued until the mid 1940’s. As there was no established provincial play-off, the Cobourg All-Stars team reached the highest pinnacle they could achieve. (The provincial women’s softball association/union (PWSU/PWSA) began in 1931 and until 1942 only had an Intermediate A division).

In 1932, softball flourished. The inter-church league continued and the Cobourg All-Stars played in a league with Port Hope, 2 Peterborough teams, Keene, Lakefield, and Belleville.  They also played games against Kingston and the Toronto Alerts, beating both.  It appears that star pitcher Rita Oliver from Cobourg played for Port Hope this season, reason unknown, and Helen Slater became the main pitcher for Cobourg.  In 1933, there is the first mention of the Hamilton Township League including teams from Gores Landing, Harwood, Camborne, Baltimore and Plainville.  The Cobourg All-Stars played in a league against Belleville, Peterborough and Kingston.  

In 1936, there were three women’s softball leagues – the Cobourg Inter-Church League, the Lakeshore League and the Hamilton Township League.  Under the direction of “Hoot” Gibson, the Cobourg Combines (rep team) were looking strong.  Reta Slater was their star pitcher, who not only pitched but also helped with the finances and transportation.  The team played in the Lakeshore League against Bowmanville and Oshawa and lost to Oshawa in the playoffs.  They had a successful season with exhibition game wins against Peterborough, Keene and the Hamilton Township Champion, Gores Landing.   

With WWII spanning from 1939-45, there was not much documentation during most of those years. 1944 brought a strong presence of Girls Softball in the area.  There was a Girls Softball Town League flourishing in Cobourg including both minor and senior divisions.  Some of the teams were:  the Ontario Training School Gliders, Campbell’s, Cooey’s, CYO (Catholic Youth Organization), Matting, Cobourg Lumber Company, Mrs. Pender’s Schoolgirls, Fowlers Wholesale, and Shaw’s Shamrocks.  There was also a rep team called the Cobourg Combines.  These teams continued to play throughout 1945.

Girls softball was a popular past-time in 1946. There were opportunities to play in the Intermediate Lakeshore League and the local town league. In the town league was Cobourg Lumber, Cooey’s Arms, Shaws Shamrocks, The Ontario Training School and Fowler’s Wholesale.  Playing in the “rep” league were the Cobourg Towne Cleaners, Collacutt, Port Hope Bata Shoe, Colborne, CYO and Shaw Combine. The Cobourg Towne Cleaners were the successful winners out of the league with a record of 11 wins and 1 loss. As a result, they qualified to compete for the provincial title.  

They won the Eastern Ontario Intermediate Championship. They beat Belleville in 2 straight wins but lost to Toronto Crofton’s at the Provincials. Members of this team, coached by Lorne (Bus) Cane and Frank Hubbs and managed by Alf Minaker, were:  Reta Slater, Pat Harnden (Kernaghan), Ruth Brooks (Minifie), Evelyn Brisbin (Heriot), Winnie Twitchett (Smith), Shirley Harnden (Johnston), Ruth Stillwell (Medurst), Maizie Jenkinson, Alice Guy (Wilson), Jean Allen, Ivy Cockburn, Ruth Bolderstone (Cane), Jackie Kadan, Ilene Goody (Cherry) and mascot Marilyn Jenkinson.  

The number of teams playing in 1947 reflects 1946 however there was a new team named The Cobourg Pavilions.   They were an Intermediate B team playing in the Lakeshore League with Grafton, Colborne, 2 Port Hope teams, Peterborough and Trenton.  The “Pavs” played Port Hope in the final playoff of this league to earn the berth into the provincial playoffs.  They met Port Credit in the first round and beat them.

They were to play Newmarket next.  However, because of a violation of a rule which stipulated the league playoffs (vs Port Hope), had to be completed 48 hours before beginning provincial playoffs, they are disqualified (the violation occurred because of scheduling difficulties due to weather and schooling).  Most of the girls were at the park in Newmarket when they heard of the protest by Port Credit thereby ending their season.

The Lakeshore League and Church League continued to thrive in 1948. There were 3 Cobourg rep teams playing that year - CGE, the Pavs and Shaws Shamrocks. This was the first year mentioned that the girls were playing under the lights at Victoria Park.  The teams in the Lakeshore League were:  3 Cobourg teams, Peterborough, Grafton and Colborne.  The Pavilions won this league under the direction of Bus Cane. Eleanor Brown pitched a perfect game during regular season play against CGE (walks 1 – the score 41-0).  The Pavs beat Grafton to go into the Provincial Playdowns. They beat Lindsay in the first round, Newmarket in the second and Midland in the third round.  They proceeded to the semi-finals but lost the next round to Welland (1W and 2L) on September 16, 1948.  

The 1949 season was a repeat of the previous year with the Pavs winning the League.  The Baltimore Blue Birds join the Lakeshore league, the Pavs won the league against Grafton and proceeded to beat Newmarket and Belleville in Provincial playoffs but then lost to Midland in 2 straight games.  The Hamilton Township Girls Softball League was active and included teams from Precious Corners, Cold Springs, Plainville and Harwood.  

In 1950, Thomas “Shammy” Shaw became the new President of the Lakeshore League.  He actively promoted girl’s softball in Cobourg by trying to organize a Junior Division so girls of all ages could play.  He not only sat as President but he also wrote newspaper articles which appeared in the local papers where he recounted the games and highlighted players.  He expanded the league by including Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Bowmanville, Baltimore, Trenton, Belleville, Grafton, Westmount and Cobourg.  The Cobourg Pavs won this league but lost to Agincourt in the Provincials.  The Hamilton Township League also was running and included teams from Cold Springs, Harwood and Plainville.

1951 was a successful year for the Cobourg Pavilions as they brought home the Ontario AA Championship.  This year the team played in the Peterborough City League and was coached by Shammy Shaw.  It is unclear how they did in the league but they continued to the provincial playoffs and won against Woodstock.  They captured the provincial crown after defeating Sault Ste Marie in two games straight. This was Cobourg’s first Provincial Championship. Members of the team included:  Isobelle Reedy (C), Noreen Hart (1B), Helen Cane (2B), Rosemary Bulger (SS), Betty Fisher (3B), S. Huffman (RF), R. Hills (CF), Georgina Hebert (LF), Shirley Slater (P), June Davis (P), Audrey Dufton, Betty Slater, and Jackie Stothart.

In 1952, Shammy Shaw’s team changed their name from the Pavilions to the Victorias.  They again entered the Peterborough league with Peterborough (3 teams), Lindsay and Belleville. They once again won the league and were ready for the Provincial playoffs. They were awarded the PWSU AA title without playing a single game, the reason not being stated in the Cobourg Sentinel Star, August 21, 1952.  

This championship gave the team back-to-back Ontario AA titles.  Members included:  pitchers, Shirley Slater, June Davis, Barbara Bailey, Betty Slater; catcher Isobelle Reedy; 1st base, Noreen Hart and Rosemary Throop; 2nd Ivy Cockburn; 3rd Betty Fisher; SS Rosemary Bulger, Lois Shaw, Beth McGuire; OF Carol Mellis, Anne Bulger and R. Hills.

In 1953, a revision was made to the classification of women’s softball based on population and zones. Cobourg and Port Hope were considered one zone, combining their populations and putting them in the same category as the bigger centres.  On May 7, 1953, an article was written describing this move and the need to revitalize the minor divisions of girl’s ball.  There aren’t any further articles written about women’s softball until the early 60’s when once again the girls “hit the field”.

Updated August 2020

OASA AGM was held in Cobourg November 2007

NOTES FROM NEW PRESIDENT LARRY SHERWIN
I would like to welcome all of you to a new season of hope and growth.

We are starting down a road where growth is our only option, and we will grow. You will see a new program starting under the guidance of our Out Reach Program, where new ideas will be brought forth to help the grassroots of our game grow.

A lot of you barely know me. You will find that I am a great supporter of this game having played and coached it for many years. So, over this season, I hope to be at most of our tournaments to meet with you and find out ways to help you and the OASA make this game better, not only for the men but also the minor players. Our men's and minor committees are moving ahead with many great programs, so please join with them to make them succeed.

Our convenors are going to be asked to take a more active role, and more details will follow at a later date. There are a number of new executive members joining us this year in expanded roles, and some of our longer serving ones are stepping back. They are not gone, and they will be leaned on from time to time for guidance, because you cannot lose this experience, it is too valuable.

We lost many great people last year and their loss has touched us all. If you have any local stories or happenings, please forward them to our H&I editor, or our secretary for publication.

So once again, welcome, and if you have any ideas please contact our men's or minor committees, myself, or any of our executive, because it is your game. We are only here to assist you in the running of it.

Regards.
President
OASA
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SHERWIN, ABBOT HEADLINE OASA 2008 EXECUTIVE
Soft spoken Larry Sherwin of Cobourg was acclaimed President of the Ontario Amateur Softball Association at the 85th AGM in Cobourg in November. Sherwin, the 47th individual to head the Association joined the OASA in 2003 when he was appointed registrar, a slot he held for two years. He was elected to the executive in 2004 and 2005, became a Vice President in 2006 and was the group’s first Executive VP in 2007.

He has extensive ball and executive experience beyond the OASA and will need it as softball has fallen on hard times in the past number of years. He emphasizes the use of teamwork to solve problems.

Bob Abbot of Huntsville will enter his 28th year on the Executive as the Executive Vice President. The veteran Treasurer of the OASA announced his intention of giving up that post last year and spent 2007 coaching Paddy Fitzgerald-Nolan of Warkworth, who officially succeeded Abbot at the 35th AGM.

Abbot, an extremely skilled and knowledgeable money manager, served as Treasurer for a total of 21 years handling the post from 1984 through 1989 and then again from 1993 through 2007, after a tenure as President in 1991 and 1992. All told he was the second longest serving OASA Treasurer after Lloyd Alguire of St. Catherines, who held the post for 35 years (1937-1971) Abbot was acclaimed to his new position on the Executive.

Four delegates allowed their names to stand for the two Vice Presidents positions with Gary Wren of St. Thomas and Roy Patenaude of Toanche/Penetang being the successful candidates. Wren is returning as a VP while Patenaude served as a director in 2007. Christine Patenaude of Toanche/Penetang was acclaimed as Secretary a position she has held since 2005.

Seven individuals competed for the six directors posts and the second election of the afternoon saw Jeff Geddes of Ridgetown, Bill Horne of St. Thomas, Sylvia Ryan of Whitby George Ryder of Port Dover, Scott Tuttle of Cobourg and Bruce Young of Waterloo elected. Five of the six are returning to the elected executive while Horne is returning to the Executive after a one year absence.

Dave Reynolds of Napanee, President in 2006 and 2007, will be the Immediate Past President while Mary Myers of Gormley will again be the Registrar. Ron and Sharon Taylor of Havelock will handle the Insurance program again and Roy Patenaude has assumed control of the Constitution and By-Laws book.

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BILL O’NEILL - OCTAGENARIAN HONOURED WITH FEAVER
"I started paying softball in public school when I was ten years of age and I've been with the game ever since, as player, manager, coach, executive, and I was even an umpire for thirty years". The speaker was Cobourg's Bill O'Neill and he had just been named the 2007 winner of the F.R. Feaver Memorial Trophy for his extensive services to the game. "I'm very happy" he continued, "this is the nicest award I've ever received." O'Neill, is the possessor of an iron handshake ("I like a man with a firm grip"), a transforming smile and an excellent memory.

Most enjoyed his twenty-nine years of coaching which began in 1963 when he arrived in Cobourg from Windsor to work at General Foods. That same year he started coaching the General Foods entry in the Cobourg Men's League. In 1970 he began coaching Juvenile and Junior teams and he mentored clubs in those age brackets for nineteen seasons. From 1970 through 1975 he piloted Cobourg to four OASA Juvenile 'B' titles in five seasons. "We should have won it in 1974 too" he confides, "we had a 3-1 lead in the final game in the 9th inning, back then we played nine innings, but we lost it (to Binbrook) in the 13”.

When H & I asked the white haired O'Neill why he stuck with the game, and played so many roles in its development, he replied "I guess it was dedication to the sport and a passion for the game - but you know, those kids I coached had respect and I think they turned out better citizens for having played the game - overall I think, looking at it thirty years later it was a worthwhile effort.

O'Neill, who reportedly was never ejected from a game in 29 years of coaching, also served his local association as treasurer for almost 40 years and performed many other duties, such as checking field conditions and re-scheduling matches. He helped to organize Peewee ball tournaments for a decade and umpired ladies and youth ball as well as men's slow-pitch until age 79.

All told O'Neill devoted some 42 years to the development of softball in Cobourg and area and as his nominator wrote "He is disciplined, responsible, reliable, accountable, honest and is known for his integrity."

The Feaver award was instituted in 1972 and is named in honour of Frank Feaver, OASA Secretary from 1943-1956 who was renowned for his hard work, dedication and devotion to the sport. There is no question that Bill O'Neill is in the Feaver mould and is an excellent winner of this prestigious award - he has truly made an outstanding contribution to the game for over four decades.

The OASA invites individuals, league or associations to nominate any player, coach, executive, or official who has made an outstanding contribution to softball. Information and documentation supporting the nominee should be included.

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85 & 50 ADD UP TO MUCH MORE THAN 140
The 85th OASA Annual General Meeting was held in Cobourg, where the community was celebrating 50 years of ball with the Cobourg Legion Minor Softball Organization.

Several speakers at the celebratory banquet held Saturday evening November 24th, after the afternoon business session, pointed out the value of both organizations in the life of the province and the community. Mayor Peter Delanty remarked that "three generations of Cobourg children learned the skills of life " through the Legion ball system.

MP Rick Norlock (referred to as "Dr. Phil" by MC Rob Faulds of Sportsnet-and there is a resemblance!) presented a letter from P.M. Stephen Harper to the OASA for 85 years of service. Later in the evening a communique from Governor General Jean was read, celebrating 50 years of community work by the Cobourg Legion Ball system.

Host chair Rory Quigley took the some 150 in attendance back fifty years and credited an article by veteran sportswriter Layton Dodge with triggering the start of the Legion Minor Ball organization. Dodge, the 1987 winner of the F. R. Feaver award, was in attendance at the dinner, seated almost beside the 2007 winner, Cobourg's Bill O'Neill. Quigley pointed out the CLMSO is "truly family" and remarked that the night before some 50 championship teams had been invited to a celebration of a half century of softball in Cobourg.

Outgoing President Dave Reynolds of Napanee presented Presidents' Merit awards to Agnes Cole of Churchill and Bob Abbot of Huntsville. In Reynolds words "Agnes works behind the scene and has always been available to help the OASA and that help has been extremely important to the Association".

With regard to Abbot, Reynolds called the life member his mentor and alluded to many conversations at all hours where Abbot helped him see his way through some tricky situations. "He likely won't be pleased getting this award but he's getting it anyway", Reynolds remarked-but Abbot's wide smile belied that emphatically.

The Association of the year award was presented to the Waterloo Minor Fastball Association and Gil Read Coaches Honor Roll plaques went to Richard Venne and Rob Way. The evening concluded with an extensive prize draw and a dance;

Reviewed August 2020

July 1973 – July 2012
The institution known as the Grafton Annual Ball Tournament started as a result of Paul McIntosh retiring the tournament he hosted in Cold Springs. Ann and Dick Raymond met with Pat & Jack Kernaghan in the spring of 1973 and a fastball tournament became the topic of discussion. With no local tournament, a good facility and avid fastball fans why couldn’t we host a tournament.

With this in mind we approached the local arena and park board for support. They did not feel that this would be a financial success and so declined our offer. Still feeling we had a good idea Ann and Dick would take on the financial responsibility for the first tournament.

The intention of this tournament was to attract local teams and their families to our facility. We were interested in promoting our community and facility. The last weekend in July 1973 saw 12 men’s teams compete, between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon, on two diamonds (now known as Diamond # 1 & # 3) for a nominal prize of $100.00. Over the years the main tournament prize was “Bragging Rights”.

The first tournament was deemed to be a success so why not add a ladies’ division. The 1974 event hosted 18 teams including 7 ladies’ teams.
In 1975 the tournament was rained out and the final 4 games were played on the following Sunday afternoon. (The only time in the history of the tournament that this happened.)

By 1976 the tournament had grown to 34 teams, therefore, a third ball diamond was added to the park. That diamond is now known as Diamond # 2 to the north of the arena. This area had been used by the soccer players, however, in the previous years the game of soccer had been moved to new facilities in Colborne.

In 1976 the tournament introduced a “Dance” event on the Saturday night. This event turned into a social time for participants to visit and reminisce. Many of those years saw over 1,000 people converge on the floor of the arena. In those years the alcohol would be served from the north east corner of the facility and the beer would be served from the north west corner. A multitude of cases of various brands of beer would be cooled in a reefer outside the building. For many years Don Hare and the Wicklow Warriors Ball team would be responsible for managing the liquor sales. The dances continued until 1991.

The tournament by 1980, had grown to 48 teams. It was going to be almost impossible to host all the games in Grafton so that year a number of games were played in the Baltimore Ball park. We like to support other facilities in our area, however, one of the objectives was to support our own facility so Diamond # 4 was built in the north east corner of the property.

During the life of the tournament many people stayed at local camp grounds, hotels and motels, purchased sporting goods in Cobourg, and ate in the local restaurants. The list of services offered goes on and on.

A multitude of local businesses supported this tournament through program advertising and team awards. There are thousands of ball tournament hats and tee shirts being worn in Southern Ontario. In 1981 Labatt’s Brewery came on board. In 1982 the Labatt’s Skydiving Team dropped onto Diamond # 1 at noon on Saturday. In 1983 the Labatt’s Hot Air Balloon took spectators for a ride to see the park from new heights. We enjoyed their sponsorship for many years.

As the years went by the tournament continued to grow and in 1984 boasted the largest number of participants with 32 men’s and 20 ladies’ teams playing 96 games on 5 diamonds starting on Thursday evening and concluding Sunday night. The new Diamond # 5 was created in the south west corner of the property.

The tournament was now known as one of the largest fastball tournaments in Southern Ontario in what was deemed to be one of the best facilities. Over these years the Raymond’s and the Kernaghan’s had followed Marty Kernaghan’s softball career to various facilities in both Canada and the USA. When attending other ball fields Jack and Dick would always be checking out the facility to see if they had something we could add to ours. Jack always wanted dugouts on diamond # 1. Never happened. After years of operating a canteen out of makeshift buildings we did get an appropriate outdoor facility. Numerous players were amazed to see such a facility in a small community. This was a ”Compliment” to everyone who had been involved over the years.

By 1990, Marty Kernaghan, a well-known Grafton Softball player, was touted as one of the best fastball players in the world. He was playing ball for Penn Corp based in Sioux City, Iowa. The team was going to be in Ontario during the time of the Grafton Tournament and we arranged for that team to compete against a team of “Select” players coached by Bill Elliott. Much to the amazement of the hundreds of spectators in the park on Friday July 20th Bill Elliott’s Select Team defeated Penn Corp by a score of 5–4.

In 1992 Marty Kernaghan and the Penn Corp team were invited back to Grafton to challenge Elliott Bros. Cleaners one more time. This time Penn Corp defeated Elliott Bros. Cleaners 5–2.

Things did not always go as planned: very rarely did we finish at the advertised time, many games were re-scheduled due to rain and maybe you played in Centreton in the wee hours on a Sunday morning in order to get everything back on track. Ball players understand that ball diamonds do not come with a roof – you play in all sorts of weather conditions.

As mentioned previously, with the increased interest in the tournament the facility grew to accommodate the event. Diamonds were added. Temporary snow fencing was replaced with permanent fencing. Lights on diamond # 1 were upgraded. A score keeping facility was built. Over the years an electronic scoreboard was erected on diamond # 1 and the field known as diamond #2 got lights. The cost of all of these upgrades was paid for from tournament profit and volunteer help. We now had a premier facility in the hamlet of Grafton. Layton Dodge while sports editor for the Cobourg Star (Northumberland Today and then no daily newspaper) used the quote “On the third weekend in July all roads lead to Grafton”.

The tournament exceeded our original expectations and over the years numerous people came on board to look after the diamonds, collect money at the gate, score keep, help at the bar and canteen facilities and manage the administration during the event. When you joined this team you signed on for life. Over the years we had to say goodbye to a number of faithful volunteers and supporters.

At the first tournament Jim Spiers volunteered as the chief umpire. During those first few years many local umpires volunteered their support. As the tournament grew and at least 10 umpires were needed for every hour of tournament this responsibility was turned over to the local association.

As stated previously Layton Dodge was the sports editor at the Cobourg Star when the tournament started. Layton always took holidays in July and still continued to promote and report the event by Wednesday of the following week. The local coverage was never the same after Layton’s retirement. He took great pride in showcasing all local athletes. He was a scorekeeper/announcer in each of the 40 years of the tournament.

With the turn of the century we were experiencing a decline in fastball participation by both men and women. The local leagues were forced to fold and players had to travel outside the area in order to continue enjoying the game. With the decline in interest it was becoming extremely difficult to host an event that would attract both players and spectators.

In the spring of 2012, it was decided that 40 years was a great run. The volunteers were aging but did not want to quit so we made a difficult but necessary decision. As word spread that this would be the final tournament many ballplayers contacted friends and made up teams so that they could say that they played in the Last Grafton Tournament. One person played in the first and last tournament. A total of 16 mens’ teams and 6 ladies’ teams competed in 2012.

At the final tournament only Jack Kernaghan, Ann & Dick Raymond and Layton Dodge could say that they had been involved for every event. However, Tanya Stittle (Raymond) and Tara Raymond had been at every tournament since the day of their birth. At first they had no choice but then they caught the fever and along with the rest of us have many wonderful memories.

Submitted By Ann & Dick Raymond

Updated August 2020

By Patsy Currelly Hand

In April of 1963, the Cobourg Recreation Commission’s John Thorsen published an article in the Cobourg Sentinel-Star to survey an interest in girls playing softball. The article stated, “Some years ago, girls’ softball was a major activity in Cobourg, and recently there has been some interest in its revival”.  Those interested were to contact the Recreation Office. The Commission also asked for interested coaches and officiants to respond.  

A core group of softball builders stepped forward representing their respective neighbourhoods/parks:  Paul Currelly, Max Smith (Coverdale Aces), Jack Bevan, Garry Jones (Central), Donald Dunn, John Copeland (Sinclair) and Ross Burgess (Donegan).  The league was formed for girls 13 years and under (Peewee).  They played a 12 game schedule. Pitchers pitched from 33 feet and teams played 7 innings with a 3 inning minimum.  Central were the overall winners the first year, beating Coverdale in the final game, 38-37!

In 1964, the league expanded to include a Bantam division.  The Bantam division not only had Cobourg teams from Central, Donegan, Sinclair and the Coverdale Angels, but also included Colborne. In the Novice division were Central, Coverdale Aces, Sinclair, Grafton and Baltimore.  Jack Bevan’s Central Peewee team won that year and it is unclear who won the Bantam division – Sinclair, Colborne or Donegan.  

In 1965, the Bantam division expanded further and included Welcome, East Port Hope, and West Port Hope, as well as the Cobourg teams - Sinclair Miskelly Realtors (who won the league), Coverdale Angels and Central.  In the Peewee division were the Coverdale Aces (who won the league, 15-0), Sinclair, Central and Baltimore.

1966 included 4 Cobourg teams (Coverdale Aces, Central, Sinclair and Donegan) in the Peewee division and 4 Bantam teams (Central, Coverdale Angels, Port Hope Dairy Queens and Sinclair Miskelly Realtors).  Coverdale topped both divisions that year. The Bantam Angels, who were coached by George Green and Dave Stewart, beat Sinclair Miskelly Realtors in the Bantam finals. Meanwhile, the Peewee Aces, coached by Paul Currelly & Max Smith, defeated the Sinclair Peewees, completing another undefeated season of 20(W)-0(L) in league play.

The Coverdale Angels and Aces repeated as league champions in 1967, beating teams in the Peewee division from Central, Sinclair, Donegan and Welcome and in Bantam division from Colborne, Central, Welcome, Sinclair and Donegan.  The Coverdale Peewee Aces (Currelly & Ev Walters) complete their third undefeated season in league play with an impressive record of 52 straight wins over 3 years!

As the 1968 softball season approached, Paul Currelly made the decision to combine his existing Coverdale Aces team with the Coverdale Angels team.  He took the colours of the Aces (green and gold) and the name of the Angels.  An all-star Juvenile team was created, which included the top players from the existing town league. The Angels were ready to take flight into the history books!

Reviewed August 2020

By Ewart Timlin, Manager   Edited by Donna Cole

2000
The Scarborough Blues won four straight games to capture the OASA Masters Elimination Tournament at Mitchell for the second consecutive year. The Blues and the runner-up Kitchener Waterloo Classics qualified to represent Ontario in the Eastern Canadian Masters competition in August of 2000.

The Cats won our opener 8-1 over Sudbury and then lost to Scarborough. We rebounded from the loss to win the next three straight: 8-0 over Cobourg, 9-5 over Sudbury again, and 4-1 over Mitchell. However, we were eliminated by K.W. Classics in the semi-final. Roger Cole, who hurled in all or part of the club's six matches, was named the Most Valuable Player in the tournament.

2001
Toronto McMurphys won all four of their starts to take the OASA Masters Elimination tournament in Mitchell this year. Nine teams took part and it marked the first time a Toronto team had won the event. In 2000, the title was taken by the Scarborough Blues, and the Cold Springs Cats won the championship the first three years the category was offered by the OASA.

In 2001, we finished third in the nine-team event with a 3-2 record. The Cats nipped Scarborough Blues 2-1 in the opener but then lost to Toronto before coming back to blank Mitchell Masters 5-0 and squeeze past the Blues again 5-4. Then we were eliminated by Oshawa in the semi-final.

Although we finished out of the money in Mitchell, Chris Calbury, Roger Cole and I decided to host the Eastern Canadian Masters Championship in Baltimore in September. After several telephone calls and meetings, we managed to engage two teams from out-of-province, namely Fredericton, N.B. and Calgary, Alberta. They joined the Ontario teams of Cobourg, Oshawa, Scarborough, Fingal, Toronto, and of course the host Cats. On a bright, warm weekend the Cold Springs team went undefeated in the competition as we won our three round robin matches 3-1 over Fredericton, 9-0 over Fingal, and 1-0 over Oshawa.

In the gold medal game against Oshawa in the seventh frame, Roger Cole fired a 1-2-3 punch to send the 1-1 tie into the eighth inning. In the bottom of the eighth, Bill Shannon laid down a perfect bunt single before advancing to second on a Stephen Mitts sacrifice bunt. Shannon then charged to third on a wild pitch. With only one out, Oshawa decided to walk the next two Cold Springs batters, loading the bases and hoping to force the Cats into a double play.

However, things didn't work out as planned. With two strikes against Ray Bickle and the bases loaded, another errant Oshawa pitch sent Shannon racing for home, but he never made it there. He was tripped and tagged out but the umpire called interference and the run counted, giving the Cats a 2-1 championship victory. Another dramatic finish! Besides winning the title on the field, the Cats helped to provide a good sum of money for the new Baltimore Arena as well.

2002
In 2002, the Stoney Creek Gators won six straight games to win their first OASA Masters Championship in a ten-team tournament at Ingersoll. Later in the summer, the Gators won the Eastern Canadian Masters Championship at Fredericton, N.B.! According to the tournament director Bruce Wills, the total number of teams dropped to four because the Ontario club was allowed 35-40 year olds and the Maritime teams had older players. Thus, two teams decided not to participate.

In the Ontario Championship this year, the Cats defeated Ingersoll and Mount Elgin. However, we were eliminated with two losses to Mitchell 6-2 and Stoney Creek 9-4.

2003
In the winter of2002-2003, Roger Cole and I decided that the Cats would probably fold because of the diminishing supply of appropriately-aged players in the area. Consequently, I helped Alec Rutherford with another Masters team, namely the Colborne Merchants. We worked along with Harry Jeschke, Legion Fields manager, to bring the OASA Masters Championship to Cobourg, where the Cold Springs club had hosted it in 1997.

Later in the spring, Roger made last minute phone calls to Gary Latchford and Mike O'Hearn to try to muster up players from the defunct Scarborough Blues team. Gary and Michael were successful in recruiting two valuable players - namely Mike Raccioppio and Mark Thompson - from the former Scarborough team. Also, another significant addition was Mike McCaw, whom Don Goodfellow recruited out of Belleville. Thus, along with the old stalwarts and new bodies, the Cats were rebuilt in 2003, and I was wearing two hats.

The Masters Championship schedule that materialized was composed of teams in three distinct divisions. In Division B, the Cats dominated by winning all three of their starts: 4-3 over Waterloo on a sixth inning home run by Mike McCaw and a four-hitter by Gary Vowles, 11-9 over Stoney Creek, and 15-0 over Fingal.

In quarter-final play, Cold Springs advanced with a 6-0 victory over Cobourg, behind Gary Vowles who gave up just four hits in recording the shutout. The Cats reached the final with a 5-2 decision over Stoney Creek, thanks to a grand slam in the fifth by Mike McCaw. Gary Vowles threw five innings for the win and held Stoney Creek runless.

The Cats seemed to "run out of gas" in the gold medal final against Oshawa. As I recalled in the 2001 Eastern Canadian Masters Championship game against the same team, we were victorious. This, perhaps, gave the Oshawa team the incentive to win the rematch in front of 350 fans at Legion Fields. The final outcome was a resounding win by Oshawa: 8-1.

Nevertheless, the Cold Springs club qualified, along with Oshawa, to play in the Eastern Canadian Championship at Truro, N.S. in September. In the Ontario tournament the Top Pitcher award was presented to Gary Vowles, who threw 21 innings with a 1.0209 ERA. Mike Raccioppio was the top hitter batting 9 for 18 at the plate.

Four Cats players from the silver medal winning squad - Mike McIvor, Ray Bickle, Mark Thompson, and Gary Latchford - did not travel east to the Maritimes that year. In their place we chose Ron Rosengren of Mississauga and Tim Chant of Cobourg, both members of the Colborne Merchants, as well as Cobourg Masters player Robbie Ellis, of Campbellford. I felt that these players would add the extra hitting depth to the club. We already had solid pitching with Roger Cole, Gary Vowles and Jim Oakman making the road trip east.

The Cold Springs Cats captured the bronze medal at the 2003 Eastern Canadian Masters Championship, held in Truro. We opened the tournament on Friday with a 1-0 setback against Durham, N.S.. However, Roger Cole pitched a gem and was named the Cats Most Valuable Player with a two-hitter.

On Saturday, the Cats rebounded with a 7-0 mercy victory over Glasgow, N.S.. Gary Vowles, with some fine hitting and pitching, was named the game's MVP. In game three, Cold Springs defeated Fredericton, N.B. 7-6. In the bottom of the seventh inning with two out and the game deadlocked at 6-6, Tim Chant cracked a homerun to give the Cats the win. Tim was named the game MVP while Jim Oakman and Gary Vowles combined for the win on the mound.

Cold Springs posted their third straight victory of the day, another 7-6 decision, over Calgary, Alberta in game four. With his fine fielding play and strong hitting, Chant earned the second MVP nod of the tournament. Vowles and Cole combined for the victory, Cold Springs' 3-1 record tied us for first in our pool with Minesing, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta. In the Cats first playoff game on Sunday, our bats were silenced when Calgary mercied us 7-0. Calgary went on to win the Eastern Canadian Championship, defeating Minesing 2-0 in the gold medal final. Thus, the Cats gained a third-place finish. Another highlight of the tournament was the hitting of a true Cats stalwart - Stephen Mitts. He finished the round robin play with an amazing .769 batting average.

On the East Coast we had an excellent time in rekindling old acquaintances. However, on the field our power hitters didn't come through in key situations, which accounted for our flat finish in the tournament.

2004
In 2004, after staging two fund-raising events with the great help of Bill Elliott, Barry Dawe, and Roger Cole the Cats planned to compete in at least 2 fastball tournaments. One was basically an intermediate tournament (The Jim Bradford Classic) held in Baltimore during June. The other was the Masters Eliminations (The Jack Cook Classic) held in Port Perry in July. The OASA elimination tournament in Port Perry is staged in honour of the late Jack Cook, who was an ardent worker in the OASA as a president, secretary and convenor.

I remember Jack distinctly one September in the mid 1990's after the Eastern Canadian Championship in his hometown, when he greeted me with the usual "old farmer" salutation. Then we discussed the current status of the softball world, after which Jack walked to Diamond One, where he succumbed to a major heart attack. What a tragic ending for such a fine person.

At the Masters level, especially, a manager requires a great deal of help in enlisting players from year to year. In this regard, I discovered that Mike McCaw and Mike O'Hearn fit the bill to a "T". The former was responsible for recruiting a fine fielding catcher - Darren Crouter, and the latter a fleet footed outfielder, Steve Mo.
We entered the Jim Bradford Classic with two basic goals in mid-June. One was to practice together as a team and the second was to have fun while participating.

Consequently, we achieved both goals in Baltimore. On Friday, we started the tournament slowly as Cobourg Stingers humbled us 11-3. But then we roared back on Saturday with wins over Peterborough Juniors 8-1 and Stittsville 7-3. This placed us in the playoffs against Belleville on Sunday, when unfortunately, because of base running miscues in the early frames, we didn't score a run and were defeated 3-0.

Our second tournament occurred in Port Perry where we began the Masters Eliminations on Friday with a convincing victory 9-2 over Cloyne (comprised mainly of former fastball superstars). On Saturday we suffered our first loss at the hands of Kitchener-Waterloo (4-3) and a major setback to our long-time pitching ace Roger Cole when he severely injured his arm. Later that same day, the Cats clobbered Chepstow (8-2).

In the preliminary round, because of our wins and our hefty plus, minus aggregate we gained a first-place finish in our division. This standing meant we crossed over Sunday to meet our long-standing rivals, Oshawa in our first playoff game. We gained some revenge for the 2003 loss to Winchester-Arms in the final by defeating Oshawa 5-1. Later that morning we were defeated by Colborne 3-1 which placed us in the bronze medal game with Stoney Creek. Luckily, in the 7th inning we scrambled back to beat the Gators 3-1 and gain a 3rd place finish in the 15 team elimination tournament. In the tournament Gary Vowles came to the forefront and pitched stupendously during 5 and ½ games.

At the time of this writing, the Cats are preparing to attend the World Senior Fastball Tournament in North Bay on Labour Day Weekend. In one regard, it has been a disastrous summer of '04 in the fact that because of a serious arm injury, Roger Cole has been forced to hang up his pitching shoes after a long and illustrious career. I've told Roger, on a few occasions that when he retires from pitching, I'll retire from managing. This is perhaps, the cue to disappear from the fastball scene. However, that World's Masters Tournament in Edmonton in 2005 sounds very appealing. Well! That belongs to another chapter in a future book. Perhaps .... maybe .... I'll think about it.

During the last 30 years, I was fortunate enough to have been surrounded by several great ball players. This has resulted in winning 7 Ontarios, 2 Canadians, 1 Eastern Canadian, 1 Finalist, and at least 2 third place finishes. However, as I have stated before winning laurels is only one aspect of participating in this great game of fastball.

Another very important aspect is making and rebuilding friendships. In competing against eight provinces and territories, and US teams from states such as Ohio and New York, I have acquired relationships that will certainly last a lifetime.

My sincere appreciation is extended to Shannon Cole and Donna Cole for proofreading and transcribing my ramblings. Also, a great deal of thanks goes to the following people, publications, and facilities for providing reference material: Layton Dodge, Peter Handley, Darryl Thompson, Bonnie Timlin, Ray Bickle, Cobourg Star, "High and Inside", New Brunswick Telegraph and Journal, Softball Ontario News, and the Gordon King Centre.

Cold Springs Cats - Players and Management    "Through The Years"    
   
Rick Ainsworth               Rob Ellis                             Stan McKnight

Maurice Alderson          Gary Ferguson                   Craig Minifie
Roger Alexander            Ivan Ferguson                   Steve Mitts
Brian Beatty                   Wayne Ferguson               Steve Mo         
Phil Beatty                      Neil Francis                       Howie Mouncey 
Dave Bemma                 Murray Garrick                   Steve Neeley                
Ray Bickle                      Mike Gibson                      Tim Neron            
                                       Don Goodfellow                 Bernie Nicholls
Perry Bowles                 Paul Goodfellow                Jim Oakman                       
Terry Bowles                  Craig Gray                         Dave O'Connell               
Jim Bradford                  Rob Hardy                          Mike O'Hearn                            
Les Brill                          Dave Hare                         Gord Oosterhoff                   
 Don Burkitt                    Kent Harper                       Rick Palmateer                      
Jim Burkitt                      Paul Hasson                      Mike Raccippio                           
Allan Burnham               Dave Hedger                     Ed Ristan                                 
Eric Buttars                                           
Bill Buys                        Ron Herriot                         Bill Rollings
Chris Calbury                Rob Hook                           Pat Rutherford
Bill Campbell                Gary Hope                          Dave Ruthowsky
Doug Campbell             Mike Irwin                           Bill Ryan
Bill Cane                       Terry Irwin                           Frank Schram
John Cane                     Lorne Jamieson                 Bill Shannon
Peter Cane                    Rick Jaynes                        Phil Solomon
Bill Carrigan                  Marty Kernaghan                Randy Sughrue
Tim Chant                      Pete Landers                     Lynn Thackeray
Jim Chase                      Larry Landry                      Mark Thompson
Rick Clark                       Harold Lang                       Ewart Timlin
Roger Cole                     Scott Lang                         Greg Timlin
Brian  Condon                Gary Latchford                  Jeff Timlin
Mike Connolley              Terry Lewis                         Ross Timlin
Chris Cook                     Stu Little                             Dave Tinney
Darren Crouter               Don MacDonald                 Steve Virag
Phil Crouter                    Bryan Madge                     Gary Vowles
Andy Dalgarno               Todd March                        Roger Wakeman
Barry Dawe                    Paul Marineau                    Dave Waldie
Brain Dolley                   John Maughan                   Scott Wasson
Dan Donahue                 Mike May                           Joe Watters
Rob Doncaster               Mike McCaw                      Wayne Wells
Terry Elinsky                   Roger Mcintosh                 Kevin Woodward
Bill Elliott                         Mike McIvor    
Don Elliott        

Reviewed August 2020

By Ewart Timlin, Manager   Edited by Donna Cole

1990-1995
From 1990 until 1992 the Cats played in a number of fastball tournaments. Although there was a great deal of camaraderie and good fellowship during those years, the executive decided it was time to take a break from the competitive softball world. Consequently, the team folded for three years.

In 1993 until 1995, ex-Cats such as Roger Cole, Ron Herriott, and GM Ewart Timlin joined the Baltimore Rockets fastball club. During 1994, the Rockets were finalists in Chelmsford in the Intermediate A category. Then in 1995, the team progressed to the OASA Men's Championship title in Sturgeon Falls.

1996
In the winter of 1995-96, I had the opportunity to become a member of the OASA Men's Committee. It was an entertaining and certainly rewarding experience in the fact that a new OASA category was formed. That was, of course, the creation of the Masters level in fastball, for players who had achieved a certain maturity in physical and mental outlook in this great game. Thus, the Cats were reunited in 1996, which prolonged the interest in the sport for several years.

Eleven of the former Senior A champions who represented Ontario in the Nationals were involved in the new, mature Masters club. The members were: Roger Cole, Bill Elliott, Ray Bickle, Don Elliott, Barry Dawe, John Maughan, Stephen Mitts, Paul Goodfellow, Mike McIvor, Ross Timlin, and Ewart Timlin. Other key elements of that '96 team included Gary Latchford, Dan Donahue, Dave Ruthowsky, Jeff Timlin, Mike O'Hearn, Tim Neron, John Cane, Harold Lang, Pete Harrison, and coach Steve Nealy.

In the '96 OASA Masters Championship in St. Thomas, the Cats opened up with a 5-0 win over St. Thomas Rusty Spikes as Roger Cole threw a nifty two-hitter. In their next start they came from behind with four runs in the sixth to take a 7-3 verdict from the Toronto Force. Lefty Gary Latchford gave up only four hits to record the win. In the final, these same two teams hooked up again, with Cold Springs taking a 9-3 decision. Dave Ruthowsky was the winning hurler. Cold Springs carried the OASA banner north over the Labour Day weekend as they traveled to North Bay and won the prestigious 32 team World Old-Timers Tournament.

1997
During the winter of 1996-97, Harry Jeschke and I planned to make history in the fastball world by hosting the first ever Canadian Amateur Softball Association Masters Championship at Cobourg's newly opened Legion Fields. What fantastic facilities to showcase the event!

After planning the championship series over the course of several months, the tournament finally came to fruition in August, but it involved several problems in the beginning stages, which I will outline after I discuss the OASA Masters Championship. The Ontario Masters was also staged in Cobourg during July of 1997, when eleven teams answered the call. As defending provincial champions, the Cats already owned a berth in the upcoming Nationals. But rather than accepting the free pass, our team chose to walk through the front door, winning five straight games and taking the first of three qualifying spots.

In the first game of the Ontario's we managed to beat Toronto's Chick 'n Deli 8-5 in 10 innings, followed by wins over Scarborough 4-2, Mississauga Masters 11-3 in a mercy game, 10-2 over Wellesly/Wilmot in a mercy game, and 11-5 over Wellesly in the final game. All three finalists qualified to compete in the Nationals. Also competing in 1997 were teams from Grafton, Trenton, Ottawa, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, North Bay, and a second team from Mississauga. Roger Cole was the obvious choice for the Top Pitcher award at the Masters tournament in July.

As I stated earlier, in August there were some problems in the scheduling of the Nationals. Just two days before the largest ball tournament ever held in Cobourg, Harry Jeschke was informed by a telephone call that a second team from Nova Scotia - namely Sydney- was on its way to the Canadians. Due to a mix-up, Harry had not been told earlier. Needless to say, Mr. Jeschke scrambled to accommodate the Sydney team into the schedule. This left the tourney with an odd number of teams. Therefore, he added Cobourg Thomas Pontiac to increase the entries to ten.

Also, due to inclement weather, some of the games had to be re-routed to Baltimore where there were well-drained diamonds.
Branch 133 of the Royal Canadian Legion in Cobourg was an enormous aid in 1997 as they provided the facilities, food and refreshments for our welcoming party on a wet Wednesday evening in August. All the participants from British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as officials and local dignitaries were entertained by the Cold Springs Cats and their wives. This set a positive tone for the whole tournament.

The Cold Springs Cats won seven consecutive games and captured the First Canadian Masters Fastpitch Championship at Cobourg in '97, in the inaugural event. What a fantastic ending for the final game! I couldn't have written a better script for the dramatic action-packed conclusion. The Cats won four in a row in pool play as they handled Sydney, N.S. 8-1 and mercied Bass River, N.B. 7-0. Their third and fourth wins were by 7-1 scores over Manitoba and Mississauga.

Advancing to the playoff round, the Cats dropped Wellesly, the same club they downed to win the Ontario title. Roger Cole recorded the victory. Cold Springs went into the next playoff match with Halifax, N.S. and edged the maritime crew 3-2. Dave Ruthowsky held Halifax to just five hits, although he gave up a 2-run homer in the first. Nevertheless, the Cats clawed back with three runs in innings l, 2 and 6.

In the exciting final, Cold Springs were leading 2-1 going into the bottom of the seventh against Victoria Payless. With one away and a runner on first base, B.C.'s Victor Malli slammed a double to right-centre. Tim Neron fielded the ball and relayed it to second baseman Stephen Mitts, who in tum fired it to catcher Bill Elliott, who tagged the oncoming runner and threw to Harold Lang at third who tagged Malli for the game-ending out. In that championship game Terry Lewis went the distance for the winner. Mike McIvor drove in both runs.

Ray Bickle was named the tourney's Top Hitter - he hit .700 plus in the round robin and then kept on the playoffs, finishing with a .583 mark. Mike McIvor, by the way, had three home runs and went 10 for 24, and he also drove in eight runs. The Cats batted .333 for the tournament.

Terry Lewis was named the Top Pitcher of the event as he allowed just two earned runs in 14 innings. The strong three-man staff of Lewis, Ruthowsky, and Cole allowed just nine earned runs in 46 innings for an ERA of 1.37. Even though we battled rain and unexpected teams at the beginning of the week, we felt that the tournament was a fantastic success for not only the Cats but also the throngs of fans who attended the inaugural event.

However, we weren't exactly perfect in '97 as we attempted to retain the World Old-Timer title we won in '96. With a small crew of twelve we lost in the final game in North Bay to Total Cleaning and Restoration in two extra innings. Bill Jacko was the winner while Dave Ruthowsky took the loss. Roger Cole had a two-run double for the Cats.

1998
In 1998 the Cats recorded our third straight Masters Elimination Championship, the tournament for which was held in Mitchell. This qualified us to defend our Canadian title in St. John, N.B.. We didn't have the easy road that we traveled in 1997, as we had to come from the loser's bracket to challenge for the OASA crown.

The Cats won our first two games 12-4 over Kitchener-Waterloo and 13-6 over Mitchell before being nosed out by Scarborough 1-0. In the final, the Cold Springs Club had to win to survive and we came up with a 2-1 victory over the Scarborough Blues and then won the sudden death rematch 7-0 to emerge as champions for the third consecutive year. Cold Springs (as defending champions), Scarborough, Sarnia, and Mitchell all qualified for the Canadian Masters Championship in New Brunswick.

Bill "Cowboy" Elliott has always been a great catcher and cheerleader for the team. However, in 1998 he particularly shone as a fundraiser. Bill began the year by staging a 29-table euchre tournament in February, helped organize our first annual golf tournament in May, staged a yard sale, meat roll and raffles in the summer. As a result of his efforts, sufficient money was raised to pay for all the room reservations at the gorgeous Delta Brunswick Hotel in St. John, N.B. at the Nationals. What a year we had!

The Cold Springs Cats won their second Canadian Masters Fastpitch Championship in a row, but it was far from a cakewalk. In the Nationals at St. John, Cold Springs took top spot, followed by Mitchell, with Sarnia third and St. John Whistle Shop placing fourth. In the round robin series the Cats lost their opener 4-1 to Nova Scotia's Captain Eli's. They came back to take their next four games to win the Spalding Division. The Cats blitzed Sarnia 12-1, beat York Sunbury Minglers 4-1, and blanked Dairy Queen 7-0 with Landers fanning a dozen and giving up only two hits. They took the division title with an 8-0 win over Bass River, N.B. as Roger Cole gave up only one hit.

The Cats opened up the playoff round the same way they opened the round robin set-with a loss. Labatt’s Division winner Mitchell came up with a 4-2 decision. That win threw Mitchell into the final and Cold Springs against Sarnia in the semis. In the semi-finals, the Cold Springs crew nipped Sarnia 2-0 as Dave Ruthowsky fired a one-hitter. In the final the Cats blanked Mitchell 7-0 with 50 year-old Canadian Softball Hall of Famer Pete Landers tossing a neat no-hitter, fanning ten and walking just one man.

In '98 we had a plethora of splendid pitchers and great swatters as well. However, we needed every one to capture our second Canadian Masters Championship. The question at that time was, can we make it three in a row? Little did we know then that there would be no more Canadians staged at the Masters level.

The Cats had won the title in '97 and '98 - the only years this championship has ever been held. Therefore, some type of historical softball record has been set by our team. To conclude our successful activities in '98, Barry Dawe once again organized a golf tournament at Ashbrook in September, followed by a year-end party at E.T. 's, We certainly had lots to celebrate!

1999
In 1999, I felt that one of the main reasons for the Canadians not continuing was the lack of dissemination of information by Softball Canada and its provincial bodies, such as Softball Alberta and Softball British Columbia. In discussing the national tournament, for example, with players from Western Canada, I discovered that many were unaware that the Canadians even existed in '97 and '98. Thus, the Cats decided to enter both the Western Canadians and Eastern Canadians this year. Our team made history again by becoming the first OASA club to be allowed to compete in a Western Canadian Softball Championship, which was held in Calgary.

We got off to a slow start in the event as we lost our first two games: 8-2 to Victoria, B.C. and 9-7 to Manitoba #1. To have a chance at the playoffs the Cats had to win their next three games, which we did: 8-4 over Saskatchewan #2, 9-3 over Calgary Rockies, and 4-3 over Northwest Territories. That left us tied with the host Rockies and Manitoba# I for the second playoff spot in our division.

We defeated the Rockies again 7-4 but lost out to Manitoba 4-0. Hall of Famer Cliff Bishop was on the mound in the second tiebreaker, and he shut down the Cats. Bishop had previously beaten the club in 1980 in the Canadian Senior Championship in Saskatoon. Victoria, B.C. eventually won the Western Canadian Masters title by defeating Saskatoon in the final. The B.C. team reached the Canadian finals in '97 but were beaten 2-1 by the host Cold Springs Cats.

In September of '99, because of a lack of interest and the cost of the trip to the Maritimes, we could muster only a skeleton crew in the Eastern Canadians. Four Mitchell players bolstered our ranks, which included the stalwart members of Roger Cole, Ray Bickle, Stephen Mitts, John Maughan, Jeff Timlin, Dave Ruthowsky, Mike Gibson, and myself(that was pretty scary!) As a result, we managed only two wins and lost two games. One of the wins was a default, by the way. Nevertheless, we enjoyed ourselves in the friendly city of Fredericton and renewed old friendships with players and coaches that we had met over the last three years.

Loyal Fans
Tom and Elsie Massey have been loyal Cats fans since the mid-seventies. You could always recognize Tom in his cowboy hat and high boots leaning over the fence beside the first or third base lines, taunting the opposing team's defense. In 1999, with their little red Honda, they roared into Calgary and then on to Fredericton to cheer on their team. They had little difficulty finding Calgary and the appropriate ball field because their son Tim lived nearby. However, traveling to Fredericton was another story.

I drew a map for Tom to follow through Montreal. Unfortunately, he drove through the tunnel and returned via the bridge, returning to about the same spot where he had started. He finally found the #20 highway and proceeded towards New Brunswick. I reserved a room for Tom and Elsie in the Lord Beaverbrook in Fredericton, but when they hadn't arrived at 11:30pm I cancelled the room. At 11:45pm Tom came lumbering into the hotel and I hustled to the front desk and luckily obtained a room for the couple.

After the tournament, Tom and Elsie left the hotel at 1:00am to avoid traffic and routing problems, especially while traveling through Montreal. Fortunately, they arrived home safely.

Updated August 2020

By Ewart Timlin, Manager   Edited by Donna Cole

Pre-Cats (1973)
Where the h--- is Cold Springs? That was a common question people asked about our ball team in the 80's and 90's, especially when we traveled out of province. However, in the 60's and early 70's everyone usually played for their own team in Cobourg or Port Hope, or their village such as Bewdley, Harwood, Baltimore, Plainville, or Cold Springs. Therefore, everyone knew everyone else who played softball.

And there were several local leagues in which to participate, such as the Port Hope Town League, Cobourg Town League, Haldimand League, Cobourg Industrial League, and of course the Hamilton Township League. All the leagues were well organized and highly entertaining, as witnessed by the huge crowds at playoff time, when I've seen the parks in places such as Cold Springs and Plainville packed with exuberant fans.

The executive of each league controlled the player eligibility of each locale as well. For example, in the Hamilton Township League for several years, we were only allowed two imports. An import, at that time, might come all the way from Cobourg, Port Hope, or a different township.

After participating in the Hamilton Township League for a number of years, the team decided to go one step further and try OASA Championship play. We chose a few pickups from the Hamilton Township League in order to participate in the OASA Men's C playdowns, and we were fairly successful.

Even though the township league was great locally, we realized that in order to meet good playmanship every night, we should proceed to another league, perhaps the Peterborough City League. Nevertheless, there were several key questions about the change.

Another key query that has been asked is "How did the name Cats originate?" In the mid-seventies, Keith Ferguson, who followed our team as his brother Ivan played with us, was continually cheering us on by shouting, "Let's go Cats!" This title permeated throughout the years for Cold Springs.

Cats History (1975-2004)
Is this team competitive enough to enter our league? This was the question that the executive officers of the Peterborough City League asked Ross and I when we attended their inaugural meeting in the winter of '74-'75. We certainly proved that we were competitive enough because we finished in first place in the league that summer, and also won the OASA Intermediate C title on a bitter October weekend in Capreol. Thus, the Cats came into existence in 1975, but little did we know that we would continue in the great game of fastball for approximately the next 30 years.

The nucleus of the Cats in 1975 hailed from Cold Springs and other areas of Hamilton Township. It included John Maughan, Harold Lang, Ivan Ferguson, Jeff Timlin, Lorne Jamieson, Ewart Timlin, Lynn Thackeray, John Cane, Bill Cane, Don McDonald, Paul Hasson, Jim Bradford, Roger Cole, Ray Bickle and Allan Burnham. Doug Alderson and Craig Gray acted as coaches while Ivan West served as manager.

1976
In 1976 the Cats participated in a new league called the Eastern Ontario Fastball League. Along with Cold Springs it included teams from Belleville, Trenton, Picton, Brighton, Campbellford, Cobourg, and Peterborough. The Springs played well and earned a first-place finish. However, in league play-offs the team was defeated by Belleville Devolins. Nevertheless, we successfully defended our Intermediate C crown by defeating teams from Brighton, Campbellford, Elgin, Port Elgin, and finally Capreol.

1977
The Cats had a poor year participation-wise. We finished in fourth position in the E.O.F.L. and were knocked out of provincial play-downs by Campbellford.

1978
There was new hope and several new faces in our line-up in 1978. Additions to our roster included Mike Mclvor, Ed Ristan, Phil Krauter, Neil Francis, Marty Kernaghan, Bill Ryan, Roger Mcintosh and Terry Irwin. Jim Chase was our new coach replacing Bill Rollings, who acted in this capacity in 1976 and 1977. Ewart Timlin served as manager again. In the E.O.F.L. not only were we pennant winners but also play-off champions. In Intermediate B play-offs we conquered Braeside (near Pembroke) and Bradford. Nevertheless, in a close series, the Cats were eliminated by Port Elgin.

1979
This was our final year in the E.O.F. L. as the league folded that fall. New players included the following: Bill Elliott, Don Elliott, Roger Alexander, Rick Palmateer, Jim Flesch, Terry Lewis, and Barry Dawe. Jim Chase again acted as coach and Ewart Timlin as manager. Our fortunes seemed to rise this season and we finished in first place. Unfortunately, the Cats were defeated in league play-offs and Ontario play-downs by Picton who went on to become Ontario Champions.

1980
In 1980, we participated, for the first time, in the Oshawa City and District League. In order to strengthen our team for senior play-offs we added several new players. They included Don and Jim Burkitt, Stephen Mitts and Paul Goodfellow. The Oshawa City and District League included teams from Oshawa, Whitby, Stouffville, and of course, Cold Springs. We were successful in finishing in first place during the regular season but were eliminated in play-offs by the Oshawa Merchants.

In the Senior A Ontario Eliminations in London, twenty six teams competed for the Gold Medal. The Cats defeated Toronto Fred's Sports 2-0, Sault Ste. Marie 1-0, Sarnia Gils 3-2, Oshawa Motor Carriers 3-0, and in the final game, Sarnia Gils 3-0. Mike Mclvor was declared the Most Valuable Player when he hit three home runs during the tournament.

Roger Cole and Jim Burkitt shared the pitching duties. They had only two runs scored on them during the tournament and they were both unearned. In being declared the Sr. A Champions, the Cats earned the right to represent Ontario.in the Canadian National Softball Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. To reinforce our roster, we added a powerful hitting pitcher - Steve Virag from London and brutal batter Phil Solomon from Oshawa.

In Saskatoon the Cats did themselves, their fans and Ontario proud. We finished with a 4-2 record in the national event. No team won more games in the preliminary round than Cold Springs. Six clubs had 3-1 credentials and the tie had to be broken by comparing the runs for and against differential. Winnipeg earned first place with a plus 9 and Cold Springs had a plus 5 for a fifth-place finish.

Cats were the only team in the entire tournament to beat the eventual Canadian Champions from Nova Scotia. They nipped the Elks, 2-1, in an extra inning on Friday in their final game of the preliminary round. The irony of the situation was it cost Cats to be the home team in this case. Two men were on base when Al Burnham cracked a double in the bottom of the eighth inning and both would have scored had the game not been over as soon as the first runner (Terry Lewis) crossed the plate with the winning run. If the Cats had been the visitors, both runs would have counted, elevating them into the top four in the standings. That would have qualified Cold Springs for the double knockout elimination round rather than the single knockout section.

It should also be noted that Cold Springs also beat the silver medal team in the preliminary round. The Cats faced the legendary Gene McWillie from Saskatoon All-0-Matics, representing Saskatchewan, and tagged him with the defeat.
In all the games played in the Nationals, the Springs finished No. I in defensive play. However, our hitting was suspect and we finished 8th in this category.

Cold Springs felt the loss of Paul Goodfellow early in the tournament when a base runner collided with him and cracked his ribs. Bill Elliott got a standing ovation from the crowd on his last trip to bat. What an amazing year!

1981
During 1981, we played for our last time in the Oshawa City and District League. Additions to our line-up included Dave Ruthowsky, Bryan Madge and Doug Christie. We attained the league pennant and play-off championship this year. In the Ontario Sr. B Play downs we were eliminated by the host club Sault Ste. Marie.

1982
In 1982 Cats took a major step and joined the Ontario Fastball League (OFL). In the league itself we did very well for a rookie team and finished in 3rd place. During playoff competition, the Cats eliminated Owen Sound (led by pitcher Brad Underwood) but in turn were defeated by Agincourt (pitcher Jim Cowdrey), who were the Ontario Sr. A Champions for 1982.

1983
Cats moved up to second spot in the OFL in a problem-plagued 1983 and pushed Agincourt to the very limit in playoffs to lose by a single run in the final game.

1984
In 1984, the Cold Springs Cats team folded and consequently several members - namely John Maughan, Ivan Ferguson, Gary Vowles, Harold Lang and I joined the Cobourg's Bruce and Rick's OASA Intermediate B squad (Other members such as Pete Harrison, Dave Ruthowsky, Paul Marineau, and Roger Cole joined Tex's Rangers as a Senior B squad). In the OASA Championship game Trenton defeated Bruce and Rick's with Jim Burkitt, another ex-Cat, the victorious pitcher.

1985
After a one-year hiatus in 1984, life was rekindled in 1985, when the Cold Springs Cats elected to return to the Oshawa City Softball League rather than return to the shaky Ontario Fastball League. Cats, who once upon a time belonged to the Oshawa group, participated in a league comprised of Oshawa Copperfields, Port Perry, Whitby, Durham Merchants, and Oshawa Juniors.

Playing for the Senior B Cats that year were Bill Elliott, Perry Bowles, Brian Condon, Roger Cole, Wayne Wells, Stephen Mitts, Gary Hope, Terry Bowles, Jeff Timlin, John Maughan, Mike Mclvor, Paul Marineau, Marvin Moore, Ray Bickle, John MacDonald and Peter Harrison.

In 1985 the Cats signed their second "King" when they acquired National Hockey League star Bernie Nicholls. Nicholls, who played for the Los Angeles Kings, added a great deal of flair and depth to the shortstop position. At Kemptville, during the Senior A Eliminations, I offered to pay Bernie for his hotel reservations, along with the other players. Bernie replied nonchalantly, "That's okay E.T.; I sleep in a pup tent."

1986, 1987
In 1986 and 1987 the Cats were mainly a tournament team. They were quite successful in winning the annual tournaments in Hastings and Port Perry. However, in 1986, in the Intermediate B Championship tournament in Mitchell and in the Intermediate A tournament in Norwich the following year, the club achieved limited success.

1988
The executive of our team decided to host the OASA Intermediate A Championship tournament in Baltimore in the summer of 1988. After a great deal of planning, the weekend tourney was blessed with super weather and fine fastball involving eight teams from North Bay to Caledonia. Nevertheless, the Cats finished with a 2 and 2 record, but acquired loads of great memories in off-the-field activities.

1989
The Cold Springs Cats, who started the eighties by dropping a bombshell in winning the Ontario Senior Elimination Tournament, finished the decade with another startling explosion in North Fredricksburgh in September, by claiming the 1989 OASA Men's B Championship title. Cats surprised everyone, including themselves, by scratching and clawing for all their worth to reel off four straight wins in the eight-team, double knockout tournament and become all-Ontario title holders.

En route to earning the area's first ever Men's B title, Cats blanked Wahnapotae 5-0 and nipped Petrolia Squire Tavern 4-3 in 10 innings on Saturday, shaded Kirkland Lake Federal Tavern 1-0 in two extra innings Sunday morning, and then climaxed the weekend with a 2-0 verdict over the same Kirkland Lake team in the afternoon final.

The Cats now claim to having won provincial crowns in three different categories in our history: Men's C in 1975 and '76, Senior A in 1980, and Men's B in 1989. Roger Cole, John Maughan, GM Ewart Timlin, and director Ross Timlin are the only four men to have been part of all four of these Ontario championships by Cold Springs.

Veteran pitcher Roger Cole, named the Most Valuable Player in the tournament, said that he'd never before played on a team where there were no dominant figures and where all of the players had pitched in to contribute something significant to the cause. ln his estimation, the Cats performed as well as they possibly could as a team to make the fantasy come true.

Updated August 2020

Softball for kids began in Cobourg in 1958 when Cobourg Branch 133 Royal Canadian Legion stepped up as a sponsor. That support continues to this day providing boys and girls an opportunity to play and have fun with this wonderful game. That first year just over 60 boys participated spread over 4 teams, all in the squirt division (kids under 10 years).

The league organizer and head of the squirt division was Jack Bevan. Among the coaches were long-time star softball players Burke Clarey and Dick Turpin. At the end of the season the Legion hosted a season-ending banquet for the players and coaches. That tradition continued for many years.

In 1959 some 125 youth signed up to play squirt and peewee softball. In 1960, with the age limit raised, the number registered had risen to 380. It was decided that a formal executive was needed. Lionel Gutteridge was elected President. He would hold that position for 7 years.

In 1961 it was decided that all players and coaches would assemble at the Legion on Orr Street and then parade down King Street to Victoria Park. Once there, opening ceremonies were held. The parade became a tradition and in 1978 all the other summer sports teams were invited to join the parade. It became Cobourg’s “All Summer Sports Parade”.

By the summer of 1962 the Legion Minor softball Program had grown to 500 youth participating in the league. And in 1964 the number of youth participating would be 560. That would be the highest number of participants the league would reach.

In 1966 Lionel Gutteridge who had served as President for 7 years stepped down. Cedric Smith became President. He was another war veteran and a long-time supporter of Legion softball. In 1968 Bill Robbins, who had been the PeeWee Governor, took over as President. He declined to run in 1969 and Lionel Gutteridge was re-elected as President. Since then many well-known softball and Legion enthusiasts have held the prestigious role of President of Cobourg Legion Minor Softball.

As the organization grew, it became more aware of what it takes to keep an organization of this kind strong and healthy. Part of their mission was to give structure and direction to future Executive Boards. To that end, the 1978-79 Cobourg Legion Minor Softball executive created and approved a constitution. It would later become the blueprint that Napanee used when they started their minor softball program.

On the diamond, Legion Rep Teams have competed in many Ontario Amateur Softball Association Provincial Playdowns, and brought home several championships. Individually, Marty Kernaghan has to be the most successful alumnus. He has been recognized as one of the best fastball players in the world and was inducted into the International Softball Association’s Hall of Fame and the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame.

In recent years, the first-class Legion Fields Park was developed and has become the home of Cobourg softball. One of its three diamonds is named after Jack Bevan, who started it all in 1958.

From 1958 until the present day, the Cobourg Legion has faithfully sponsored youth softball in our town.

Thank you Branch 133 and all of your volunteers.

Updated August 2020