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Issue
No.10
Tuesday, July 26th 2005
Rough
Couple of Weeks
The last couple of weeks for your Newmarket Hawks
have not been the greatest to say the least. In
an effort to prepare for the Ontario Eliminations
Tournament this upcoming weekend in Sarnia, the
Hawks have struggled to get it going. In league
play, we are a dismal 1-4 over the past two weeks,
losing to Northumberland, Peterborough, Markham
and East York. Our lone victory was at the hands
of Thornhill last Wednesday night. Although the
past couple of weeks have been tough, there are
some positives to take from it. The Hawks have shown
a never gonna quit attitude always seeming to find
a way to battle back when they are down. Closer
Mark West was overheard saying, “It’s
tough battling back and still wind up losing. We
can’t just be happy fighting back, we have
to be able to use that momentum, complete the comeback
and get the W.” With the Eliminations less
than a week away, there’s one thing to keep
in mind when making that long drive to Sarnia…GO
TO WIN OR STAY HOME!
Bowling down the express lane to St. Catherines
The weekend of July 16th, the Newmarket Hawks made
the trip down the QEW to St. Catherines for what
appeared to be a promising showing. The Hawks started
the tournament of losing a tough battle to the eventual
tournament champs St. Clair. Once again, we battled
from behind but came up a bit short in the end.
The second game saw us take on last years champions,
Etobicoke. When asked what it would take to get
a win this game, Doug Lunney responded, “Heart…heart…
miles and miles of heart.” Looking within,
the Hawks came out hard and tough right from the
get-go. Taking control of the game from the start
and not relinquishing it until it was over, we got
the W. A third game was due to be played against
Ajax but the rain and poor convening resulted in
the game being cancelled. Since only the division
winner advanced and St. Clair managed to finish
3-0 in the pool, our game held no value so to keep
the tournament moving the game was cancelled. Much
of the team wasn’t satisfied to have played
only two games so they decided to roll on down to
the bowling alley for an old fashion duel. The game
was on with Matt Richard, Neal Baker, Mark West
and Bryan Steinberg taking on Matty D, Wes Bristol,
Tommy Fitz and Elliot Lew. There was a lot riding
on this game, more than we can talk about in this
family edition but Lets just say Team Weststienrichbak
made it happen and completely dominated.
Tangiers
Away on Business…
First off, the Trailhead Tangiers would like to
apologize for failing to publish last weeks issue
of the Hawks’ Hot Corner. Due to circumstances
beyond our control, we did not have sufficient time
to prepare the newsletter. It’s a tough life
for the Tangiers, what with the constant public
demand, so from time to time, we have to take a
step back to reflect and relax. This situation was
really out of our control, “when personally
asked by the 6 models currently boarding at the
tangiers, we couldn’t say no!” Jeff
stated. Both Mark and Jeff are back from Miami after
judging the sunscreen application contest held this
past week for underprivileged models. Although the
time in the sun was tough these gentlemen, both
learned valuable life lessons and re assessed the
importance of giving back to the female community.
“We would like thank Tropicana and the city
of Miami for their hospitality, donating our time
to such a great cause is what we are all about.
Giving, giving and giving, feels so good that it
was hard to tear ourselves away from the event.”
Mark added. Mark and Jeff wanted to let the team
and fans know that although the issue was missed,
we have already apologized and if there are any
further questions or concerns, you know exactly
what you can do with your hat!
THE TIME
IS NOW!
The time has come for to either put up or shut up.
The Ontario Eliminations will be held in Sarnia
this upcoming long weekend, with the victors moving
on to the Nationals in Kamloops, B.C. in August.
This is pretty much what every Senior team in Ontario
works toward. Sure it’s great to win the league
but we all play the game because we love the sport
and the chance to go to the Nationals. Few Hawks
have had the opportunity to find out what that experience
is like and this year we would like to change that.
We want all the Hawks as well as the town of Newmarket
to experience what it’s like to represent
your town and province.
In order to with the Elims, you pretty much have
to be perfect. You will probably have to win 7 games
in 4 days, no easy task. All the breaks will have
to fall your way, everyone will have to be at their
best. Taken from the movie, Friday Night Lights,
we believe this quote says it all, “Being
perfect is not about that scoreboard out there.
It's not about winning. It's about you and your
relationship with yourself, your family and your
friends. Being perfect is about being able to look
your friends in the eye and know that you didn’t
let them down because you told them the truth. And
that truth is you did everything you could. There
wasn’t one more thing you could've done. Can
you live in that moment as best you can, with clear
eyes, and love in your heart, with joy in your heart?
If you can do that gentleman-you're perfect!
You owe it to yourself to be the best you can possible
be - in baseball and in life.
- Pete Rose
You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living,
but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you.
- Roy Campanella
"Sooner or later, those who win are those who
think they can."
- Richard Bach
Issue
No.9
Tuesday, July 12th 2005
East
York Vengeance…
Last week, the Hawks had some work to do. As a
team, the guys are tight, confidant and talented;
however, it was not showing. Tuesday night saw
East York come to town for a double header. Starting
the first game was Ryan Aida (1-2), “I just
wanted to get out there and throw strikes”
said Aida, “Lately our pitching has lulled
us to sleep, I wanted to go out and have the defense
work for me” he added. Ryan did just that,
he held East York to 4 runs in 4 innings. “Ryan
pitched well, he worked fast, stayed focused and
got the outs when he needed them” explained
Billy Newton. Ryan gave way to Neal Baker (1-2).
Baker battled sickness out on the mound in an
attempt to stop the red hot Bulldog bats. He ate
up 2 middle innings before giving way to newcomer
Clint Gore. Clint made up for past experiences,
having not seen game action in 4 years, Clint
was a little rusty but showed us he could flat
out deal by shutting down any thought of more
runs. Enter Newmarket offense…To say that
Jeff Chan had a day would be an understatement.
Channer decided enough was enough and hammered
out 4 hits in the first game. Channer was also
responsible for ALL of the Newmarket runs (single,
2 doubles, homerun and 6 RBI). The runs were not
enough though, as East York hammered out 9 runs
of their own, defeating the Hawks 9-6. Positive
things did happen in this game, not only did Channer
have a solid day at the dish, defensively, the
guys were near flawless. At the plate, although
the box score did not show it, guys had great
at bats and battled in tough counts. It also showed
us that even when we were down 9-2, in the 6th
and 7th inning we clawed back to make it a game.
Channer having 6 RBI is one thing but it takes
guys to get on base to get those RBI. Brittany
Steinberg also hit the ball hard but it seemed
that whenever he smashed the ball, it was right
at someone. Overall, the loss was a good one (if
you can call a loss good). We showed potential
that we knew was there and the grit came out.
GAME
TWO…Time to Dominate…
Game two saw Nathan Robinson (1-2) take the mound
for the boys in green. Nathan, who spends his
days working with autistic children and Matt Richard,
came out firing. Nathan threw 4 innings of great
baseball and although he was touched for some
bloopers, Nathan left the game in the 4th with
a 1-1 tie in place. Neal Baker, obviously hungry
from being sick came in to eat up the rest of
the 4th inning. Neal gave up a two out hit that
allowed 2 more runs to score but then slammed
the door, giving way to the Newmarket offence.
This set the stage for a great at bat. With two
out and the bases loaded, Elliot Lew came to the
dish looking for a spring roll or a chicken ball
to smash and break the game open. Elliot had a
great at bat, waiting for a fastball he could
drive. Unfortunately, Elliot ended up getting
mostly curveballs and sitting on a 3-2 count.
This was a make or break moment. In came the pitch,
another deuce…this time however Lew sat
back and hammered a big fly out to the top of
the fence in left field, missing a grand slam
by inches. The three run double put the hawks
up 4-3 as J.R. (3-1) came on to take the mound.
Jason threw lights out for two innings, not allowing
the bulldogs any chance to get back on top and
setting up league save leader Mark West. (2-1,
4 saves) West came on in the 7th inning and as
usual it was automatic. 2 strikeouts and a lazy
line drive was all it took to put this one in
the books at 4-3. To take this game was very important
to the Hawks. After the disgusting display last
week the gut check was a success. Although we
took a split, the way we played made up for it.
This week we have some well deserved time off
and get right back into with 2 league games and
a tournament in St. Kitts. See you there!
Spending
Time on the Bayou
Everyone knows a team’s success depends
on many factors such as team chemistry, talent,
working together and many more. Well the past
few weeks have been interesting for the Hawks,
something had definitely been lacking whether
it be intensity, determination, desire or plain
and simple…nutz. Before the East York doubleheader,
the Hawks decided to do something about it. Some
brain storming was done and the entire team agreed
that what the Hawks really need was intense game
of PSYCHO PEPPER. Now for those of you who don’t
know what psycho pepper is…it’s game
that works on one’s quickness, hand-eye
coordination and guts. If you lack any of these
skills, chances are you are going to be a casual
victim as well as a newly registered patient at
your local hospital. The exact details of the
game vary on the participants but if you’re
wondering how to play simply pull any Hawk aside
and he will explain or you may see it being played
during down time before games. The game was intense
and even dirty at times but in the end everyone
was closer and more willing than ever to do whatever
it takes to get to the top as an individual and
a team. It began as a time filler in tournaments,
co created by legendary GTMBL outfielder Steve
Foley and Pitcher Mark West while they played
together in Galveston. Steve was quoted “In
taking the age old game of pepper, we created
Psycho pepper or “BY YOU” for a little
more intensity. In this game, guys who are hitting
take full hacks and the guys who are fielding
simply try to get in the way of whatever they
can.” Many coaches have cringed when they
hear the words, it is not rare to see someone
limp off the field or run to the bench with a
bloody nose. In the end, we feel the game was
a success, there were no casualties and the boys
really pulled together. Special notes go Billy
Newton who finally got down and blocked a ball,
risking his newly acquired modeling contract.
Also showing the right moves was R-dub, although
his elbow may be holding him back for a few weeks,
the seam marks on his throwing hand have finally
healed and he showed he was worth his weight in
pepper. At one point during the game, a sharp
line drive off the bat of Wes Bristol almost sawed
Neal “The fungoe” Baker in half, who
knew Neal had the hands of a digital clock. Luckily
for Neal, he turned sideways and the ball missed
him by a country mile. All in all it was a good
game, well played and enjoyed by all. Keep your
eyes on the sideline during pregame and try to
keep up!
Issue
No.7
Tuesday, June 28th 2005
Hawks
Take One from Markham
It has been a while since a significant game has
been played and Tuesday night was an important
one. The Markham Pioneers came into town to do
battle and improve on an impressive season. Starting
for the Pioneers was Mark Cheesman while the Hawks
countered with the ever effective Ryan Aida. Ryan
showed a great effort holding the Pioneers down
and throwing four strong innings. As has happened
in the past, much of the memory from the game
has gone, partly due to the heat but more than
likely due to the Jack and Jill for Darryll and
Becky on the weekend. The offense for the Hawks
was solid and came up with three important runs.
Three runs was all we would need as our pitching
was pure magic. “Those guys went out there
and threw the lights out.” said Andy Richard.
Ryan gave way to J.R. who held the markham bats
in check until Mark West came in for the save.
The three long arms absolutely shattered the hearts
of the Pioneers, facing an incredibly low number
of batters (25 in total) Defensively the Hawks
were stellar as well, only making one error. When
it came to getting some runs, long time Hawk,
(really really long time hawk) Tom Fitzgerald
came through in the clutch HAMMERING a 2 run double
into the left field corner. That tied the game
at 2, setting the table for Sean Bush who lifted
a sac fly to put the hawks ahead to stay.
Schweaty,
Schweaty Night in EY...
Last night the boys took on the East York Bulldogs.
With their season in question and just receiving
notice that they will not be attending the elimination
tournament in Sarnia, the Bulldogs looked flat
and out of it just 10 min before the game. Newmarket
sent veteran starter Nathan Robinson to the mound
to get things done. Log jammed in a four way tie
for 1st place, the Hawks needed a strong showing
to take sole possession. Missing 6 starters on
the night, it would be a test for the rest of
the team to show what they are made of. Nathan
threw well through 4 innings. Unfortunately in
the 4th things unraveled, Nate allowed his league
leading 27th bloop single last night, showing
that he is so baffling that a hard hit balls when
he is pitching rarely happen. “He gets things
done however he is the only pitcher on this squad
that has so many unlucky breaks.” said Adam
Beck. After the 3 bloopers and a few solid knocks,
the bulldogs seemed to be taking control. Nate
came out of the game down 6 runs and the Hawks
looked to their offence to bail them out. There
were some chances to get back into the game but
time after time, the Bulldog defense came through
when it counted and held us to only 2 runs. A
positive note from the game was the debut of newly
aquired Clint Tellyasoon. Clint came to the team
last Tuesday as a middle relief pitcher and possible
spot starter. Although he had a rough outing,
Clint showed us that he can throw it and will
be a great addition to the squad.
Deacon Gone for Season, Clint Eastwood to Play
Tim Deacon has been placed on the 30 day DL with
4 broken ribs, road rash and a mean headache.
Tim was traveling south on Baview ave. last week
and was cut off by a car. In an attempt to avoid
the accident, Tim ended up going over the handlebars
and wrecking his new motorcycle. The Hawks family
is grateful that Tim is OK and we wish him a speedy
recovery. “If Tim had thought it through,
he would have landed on his HUGE ass. That thing
would have at least protected him from injury.”
Hang in there Tim, see ya soon.
Clint Tellyalater has joined the Hawks for the
remainder of the season. A hard throwing right
handed pitcher made his debut last night, although
the outcome was less impressive than he wanted,
Clint showed that he was a team player and a threat
to the opposition. “Clint will do whatever
it takes, he is a solid addition to any team”
– Billy Ray Krunk. With the addition of
Clint, the Hawks get even deeper in the pitching
department. Although he has brought down the beauty
of the team, we are happy to welcome him with
open arms.
Eating
Dim Sum with Lew
The Trailhead Tangiers quickly accepted their
recent invitation from Elliot Lew for a bite to
eat with the hopes maybe learning some Chinese.
Although one of the Tangiers is half asian, we
all know he’s about as Chinese as Baker
is beautiful. We started off by congratulating
Lew on his recent birthday. When asked how he
felt turning 30, he had this to say,
“Bauwe bauwe bauwe.”
We were a bit confused by his answer but decided
to continue on and ask him about how the team
is coming together. Always one to never hold back,
Lew fired back “
Bauwe bauwe bauwe bauwe!”
Let me tell you, his answers were starting to
annoy us, speak English will you?!? We had one
final question for him,
"Where did you get those god awful white
capri pants and green striped shirt you’re
wearing?"
A bit surprised by the question, Erriot mumbled
“Bauwe bauwe bauwe.”
Anyways, completely confused and irritated by
whatever language he was speaking, we’d
had enough of him. Thankfully Glenn the Navajo
jumped in and said he could translate to calm
down the Tangiers. He informed us that Lew was
speaking Chinese. Having been to China and Markham,
Jeff wasn’t really convinced but how could
you not trust an Indian. Apparently he said something
like,
“I’m not 30, I’m 42, at 30 I
was 6’9”, you know how Asians shrink
with age.”
About the team and his outfit, Lew apparently
said,
“We are coming together nicely, guys are
stepping it up, I’ve decided to stop walking
people, I think we’re close…real close.
Don’t you recognize these outfits from Buffalo,
they were your retarded idea! I thought we were
all going to wear them again today.”
Whatever Lew, we don’t know what you are
talking about, we were never in Buffalo.
Issue
No.6
Tuesday, June 21st 2005
Tuesday Night Battle
The Thornhill Reds came to town Last week holding
the rights to first place in the league. After dropping
two in Coburg on the weekend, the Hawks intended
on taking out some frustration on the Visiting Reds.
The Reds were equally angry with the Hawks for the
14-10 defeat handed to them at their home diamond.
Much of the memory from the game was lost across
the border this past weekend but here goes. With
the tournament coming up in Buffalo, the Hawks were
going to have to win this one as a team, using different
arms throughout the game. Adam Beck, Nathan Robinson,
Neal Baker and Mark West took the hill for the hawks
and each pitched well, Adam didn’t pick anyone
off, (legally that is) Nate threw and Baker ate
some more. West, well, he was West. Besides striking
out the last batter of the game on what some called
“The dirtiest change piece EVER”, he
threw a ball perfectly off the sweet spot of Thornhill
first basemen Steve Wilson’s bat giving up
a monster shot that almost knocked over the right
center field fence. Offense is where the game was
won. Trailing 5-1 heading into the 6th inning, the
boys put up three more runs that closed the gap
to 5-4. In the bottom of the 7th, the game was ours
to be won. Leading off the inning was someone, this
person got on with either a single, an error or
a walk. We would give you a little more info but
due to Chippawa St. that information is now gone.
Darryl Blencowe then came to the dish and everyone
in the park knew the sac bunt was coming. The Thornhill
pitcher could not locate the strike zone and walked
Darryl setting up 1st and 2nd for world class bunter
and famed helmet tosser Dug Lunney. Dug laid down
the prettiest bunt known to man and it was thrown
away at first base allowing that guy who lead off
the inning to score. The right fielder then picked
up the ball and fired a moon shot to the plate to
stop D-Butt from scoring. The throw sailed up up
and away, almost clearing the backstop and putting
an end to this game. Brittany Steinberg then came
to the dish with no out and runners on 2nd and 3rd.
He promptly walked on four pitches, setting up Jeff
Chan for the hero role. The Reds made a pitching
change and this turned out to be the wrong time
to change. The reliever came in to sit Chan down
but this angry Asian was in no mood to go quietly.
With a 3-0 count, Chan was sitting fastball middle
in. “I saw the fastball coming, I knew it
was coming. I knew the situation and I had to do
something about it.” Said Chan. “Everyone
in the park knew that a fastball was coming. Chan
is the guy you want up there in this situation.
He already leads the team in homeruns and RBI’s,
what else to do but add to those totals.”
– Elliot Lew. Rich Lunney was coaching 3rd
base when the pitch came in and he had this to say
“I knew when the pitcher released the ball
that the game was over.” Chan took the 3-0
fastball. Watched it go right by and since it was
low, he walked and we won.
Wha
Happen?
To put it simple, Buffalo was a time to remember.
Just not the next day. Entering the tournament with
two goals (Win it and come together as a team),
the Hawks traveled to Orchard Park N.Y. for the
Friday night game. Not knowing what to expect, Jason
Robinson took the hill and threw what began as a
gem. O.P. countered with former Canisius Graduate
Jeremy Dracup. The two pitchers battled for the
better part of 5 innings when O.P. finally broke
out for 5 runs. The Hawks’ bats however remained
silent. The game was well played by the US team
and ended in a 5-0 final, sending the Hawks back
to the dorms 0-1. Friday night the boys decided
to get started at the bonding activities. In a different
town with nothing to lose, Chippawa was calling
our names and tour guides Mark West and Matt Richard
were determined to show the guys a good time. One
thing led to another and we are pretty sure EVERYONE
KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP. (See photos below) Game two
was set for 3:00pm Saturday morning at Erie Community
College (ECC). It was obvious that something must
have been in the water the day before as the Hawks
came out a little flat. For some reason the team’s
“Motor Skills” were not working at the
level they wanted them to. “I’d tell
my body to do something but it just wouldn’t
listen” noted Jason Robinson. Ryan Aida took
the hill for the Hawks, he was rested and solid
for his start. The Defense was a little shaky but
the offense was what kept us in the game. At 0-1,
it was pretty much do or die. With a win, the playoff
hopes were alive whereas a loss would more than
likely end the weekend for the boys. When Aida came
out of the game in the 5th, Baker came in. “I
wanted to keep us in the game, I have been training
with “Tea Bag” Therapy a lot lately
under the close supervision of Matt Richard, it
finally came into play this weekend.” Baker
was lights out, keeping us in the game and working
his magic on the mound. The Hawks entered the 7th
inning in a tie with the opposition and played the
8th flawlessly. In the top of the 9th we made the
decision that this has gone on long enough. Someone
hit the ball, followed by someone else scoring and
our record quickly improved to 1-1. 20 min later,
game two began. West-Herr was our opponent and on
the hill for them was Mark Muio. (another Canisius
College Grad and all time appearance leader for
the Griffs) Muio gave up a run in the first inning
but then silenced the bats. Adam Beck who arrived
Saturday for the start) threw well but took the
loss. At this time the Hawks were in their mind
eliminated from playoff contention but one phone
call changed everything. Having the second best
record (1-2) in the division, we were granted a
spot in the semi-final game Sunday morning. Looking
for a door, we took it. This would be our chance.
Hungry and ready to win, the Hawks woke up Sunday
morning and headed to the park. In the end, we finished
in 1st place! Taking home $450.00 (USD) Sure, the
games were all rained out and the prize was split
between the four remaining teams but hey, we would
have won! Overall, the weekend was a success. Although
we did not put our best product on the field (we
save that for you), leaps and bounds were made between
games. New guys got to know old guys, operation
slider was a complete success, team unity and memories
have never been stronger. Baseball was important
this weekend but it made way for getting together
with the team.
Issue No.5
Tuesday, June 7th, 2005
You
Throw the Ball, You Catch the Ball,
You Hit the Ball!
Last week, the Hawks faced a much improved and hungry
Leaside team. Coming off a huge win in Coburg,
the pitching staff felt it was time to put on a
little clinic! J.R. (1-0) took the hill on
this wonderful sunny day and was nothing less than
masterful, throwing 4 shutout innings and painting
corners better than Dave paints murals. Neal
(The Buddah) Baker (?-?) came on in the 5th to eat
some more (innings) as well as protect a 1-0 lead
and he too managed to silence the Leaf bats.
The bottom of the sixth was the high point for the
Hawks offense when Sean Bush took a 2-1 fastball
deep into the night to put the Hawks up 2-0. Enter
Mark West (1-1). West took the hill in the seventh
to shut the door on the game and instead of shutting
it, he SLAMMED IT! Looking like the West of
old, Mark seemed to have some sort of hidden incentive
to do well. “Sean Bush gave me some
information that would help me pitch well”
said West. “I had more than enough reason
to strike out the side” he added. When
asked about the incident, Bush replied “Mark
is a good guy, a nice guy, the kind of guy you would
love to see as a brother in law!” Sean
was obviously pleased with the game, adding “Sometimes
you are the windshield, sometimes you are the bug…tonight,
we were the windshield and we squashed some Leaside
bugs!”
Pitcher’s
Duel Gone Bad…
Traveling to Thornhill the night after a gem of
a game, the Hawks would run into yet another high
scoring contest. The lead changed hands several
times in the first few innings as both teams wanted
to take control of First Place in the league standings.
Nathan Robinson (0-1) took to the bump for the Hawks
and managed to work his way out of jams for four
strong innings. As he worked his magic on
the mound, the offense had a need to mash some rawlings
and put up 14 runs in the process. Noted on
the night was DH, D-butt Blencowe, who strung together
3 hits, while reaching base 5 times. Heads
up base running and strong and fundamental hitting
helped Hawks put up the runs. Neil baker ate
some more and Adam “R-Dub” Beck came
in for an odd relief appearance to conserve the
win for the boys in green. When asked about
the effort put out on the field, R-Dub was quick
to reply, “This game was one for the ages,
it seemed like it would never end.”
As Adam was walking away, he could be heard saying
“…for R-Dub, its like sliding off a
greasy log backwards.” The Tangiers
really has no idea what he meant by that little
tangent but as long as he keeps throwing well, we
feel we will leave him alone.
Coburg…a
Town to Forget!
Only 2 things come to mind when trying to describe
what occurred in Coburg this past Sunday: 1) What
happens in Coburg stays in Coburg and 2) Mom always
said that if you have nothing good to say than say
nothing at all…enough said.
On
the Record with Matt Richard…
Most of the fellas have a vast knowledge of useless
information but no one has more than our utility
man Matt Richard. We compiled a list of the top
ten quotes that come out of Matt’s mouth and
some he may not have said but probably would have.
#10 “That’s funny for a bunch of reasons”
#9 “Its not that I don’t like baseball,
there’s not much to dislike, its great for
people who get winded playing croquet.”
#8 “How can you hit and think at the same
time?”
#7 “Wanna come to the pants party?”
#6 “Take off your pants and jacket”
#5 “There must be thousands of them out there…Maybe
even hundreds”
#4 “When I grow up, I wanna be a thousandaire”
#3 “When I was a little boy, I wanted to be
a ball player and join the circus. With the Hawks,
I accomplished both.”
#2 “If I’m breaking bats, they’re
dying in style”
#1 “I’m Not Done Yet” (as heard
in such films as “Fountains on Oulette St.”
and “Windsor, what a wonderful place”
News
Around the Hawks’ Nest
We’d like to wish a very special Happy Birthday
to Dianne Leitch...one of the Hawks' most loyal
and valued fans. Celebrating her birthday at the
ballpark shows how great a fan she really fan is.
On behalf of all the Hawks’ family, we’d
like to thank your for your support!
Happy Birthday Grandma!
Finally, the Can Am tournament in Buffalo is this
weekend. It should be a good time for all to be
had. All we can hope for is some quality baseball,
good team bonding and the absence of those darn
Russians in their Lada. The Russians were last spotted
some were in Windsor but pop up when you least expect
it. Should you come face to face with the characters,
our recommendation is to turn and run away as fast
as you can cause they attack in bunches and leave
you struggling the next day.
In other news, come and help celebrate the beginning
of the end of Darryll Blencowe’s life as we
know it at his Jack and Jill June 18th at ?????
Darryll and his finance, Becky ???, have a tentative
wedding date of ??? unless someone steps up to the
dish and helps him out.
Issue No.4
Tuesday, May 31st, 2005
Hawks
Bite Bulldogs to the Bone!
Tuesday night at the “grounds” the Hawks
battled the East York Bulldogs in a 7 inning contest
that brought the team back to .500 ball. Coming
into the night after a sweep of the Peterborough
Riverdogs the night before, the Hawks were primed
and ready to take it to the next level with the
man known simply as R-dubb (0-0) taking the hill.
R-dubb (Adam Beck), a native of Yemen came to Newmarket
early this winter to avoid political persecution.
His crimes, although frowned upon in Yemen, were
welcomed with open arms here in Canada. Adam took
the hill with confidence and stuck it to the bulldogs
giving them nothing to sniff at. The trickster worked
through 5 inninngs, allowing only one run, until
giving way to Tim Deacon (1-0). Tim came into the
game with a 2-1 lead and promptly and in a criminal
fashion, the auxiliary Police officer gave up the
lead allowing Easy York to tie the game. Enter Tom
Fitzgerald. Tommy, the 93 year old ageless wonder,
came to the plate batting in place of the highly
touted Mark West and deposited an East York fastball
over the left field fence putting the hawks up 3-2.
In a post game interview with Tommy, he had this
to say “I’m an angry yet gentle man,
I am just glad I could get good wood on the ball,
it’s not too often you get a good pitch to
hit in a tight situation but I took full advantage
of what came my way.” When asked about the
pressure of the situation, he continued on to say,
“I’ve seen and done it all on the ball
field. At my age, pressure is trying to roll out
of bed in the morning and not pull a muscle.”
Softer words have never been spoken. Tim (.400)
Deacon then came back out to close out the game
and conserve his well stolen win.
Long Drive Gives the Hawks the Runs!
Spending the better part of 3 hours traveling to
Coburg somehow allowed the Hawks bats to get a spark.
The game was a battle that began with Matt DiLullo
on the hill, attempting to freeze the hot bats of
the Whiskey Jacks. Matty learned the hard way that
mistakes can travel further than the average person’s
vacation. Although he gave up a MONSTER HOME RUN,
he battled hard and managed to keep the boys in
the game. Down 3-1 Matt gave way to Neal Baker,
a veteran pitcher and inning eater better known
to some as Buda. Neal threw the ball with ease and
allowed the hitters to take center stage. The TSN
turning point of the game was in the 5th inning
when our boys sent 10 batters to the plate changing
the score from 3-1 to 11-3. Neal noted “When
the boys get out there and hammer away at the opposing
pitcher, it makes it easier to go out and throw
according to my game plan. I try to pitch to my
strengths, throw strikes and get guys out. Except
in the last inning where I try to throw lots of
breaking balls miss the strike a bunch when we have
a big lead. I am to make those pesty middle innings
disappear not a closer. I’ll leave that duty
to the Mark.” D-boy (Neal) has made a solid
impact and is a valued member of the pitching staff
with his intense game play and his ability to consume
an entire bag of twizzlers. Teamwork was a big part
of this game, the players were picking each other
up with sac flies and bunts and defense is getting
better as shown when we managed to record 5 outs
in one inning without giving up a run! (new league
record)
Reading
the Greens with JR
This week, we joined Jason Robinson at his sanctuary
for 18. Jay had a different outlook on the season
than ever before. He was ready to let it all hang
out and that sure seems to be what he is doing this
year. JR decided to get philosophical on us, here
is what was said:
The Tangiers: Jay, we were hoping you would give
us a little insight as to what goes on in your head.
What you think about when you step onto the field
and why you came back?
JR: Suppose there's this guy, and he's standing
on the shore of a big wide river, and the... river's
full of all manner of disaster, you know, piranhas,
alligators, eddies, currents, @$!# like that...
nobody'll even go down there to dip a toe. And on
the other side of the river's a million bucks, and
on this side of the river... is a rowboat.
The Tangiers: Mm-hmm?
JR: I guess my question's this: What would possess
the guy standing on the shore to swim for it?
The Tangiers : He is an idiot.
JR: No, see, he's a helluva swimmer. His problem's
more like why does he always have to... rise to
the challenge?
The Tangiers : He is a juvenile idiot.
JR: You don't understand what I mean by the river.
The Tangiers : Jay, we're talking about you, and
what you like to call your inner demons -- that
human frailty you like to blather about -- not some
mythopoetic metaphor you come up with in a... feeble
and transparent effort to do yourself credit.
JR : You mean you're going to make me feel lousy?
The Tangiers : No.
JR: I came here to feel better. I mean, what kind
of interview is...
The Tangiers : Jay, Jay, Jay, you don't have any
inner demons. What you have is inner crapola, inner
debris... garbage... loose wires, a few bolts cut!
JR: I see that now, I am just here to kick ass and
chew gum, it just so happens that I am all out of
gum!
It is clear that J.R. has taken his love for the
game to another level, Jay is here to play, here
to help the team get rolling and here to stay. Last
year there was something missing, that something
was Jason Robinson. No illustrations, no side show
actions, Jay fires straight from the hip and lets
everyone know what he is thinking.
News…Hawks
going for 5 in a row tonight... Tim Glenn shelved
for season… DiLullo seen wearing Nike shoes…
Issue
No.3
Tuesday, May 24th, 2005
West
Airmails Ajax the Victory
After a 2-1 week, the Hawks looks like they are
finally getting it going and are now 3-4 overall.
Starting last week versus Ajax, the Hawks found
themselves down 3-1 with only two innings to play
when we rallied for 2 in the bottom of the fifth
to tie the score at 3. Elliot Lew (0-0) came on
in the top of the sixth to close the door, getting
his man and eventually giving way to Mark West (1-1)
who promptly slammed it by striking out the last
batter of the inning with the bases loaded. Things
didn’t work out as well for West in the 7th
as he fielded a weakly hit ball and threw it into
short right field. West then had the inclination
to toss consecutive wild pitches, allowing the go
ahead run to score and eventually losing 4-3. When
asked to comment on the situation, the tall drink
of water said “achama, la chiqua la kala”
Through some research and study of Egyptian scribes
found in the Palestines, a rough translation is
as follows. “I felt good, I felt like everything
was working. It’s just too bad it had to work
out this way.” When West was leaving it was
clear that he was dejected and no one liked him.
Celebrating
Victoria Day With Some FIREWORKS!
Victoria Day against Peterborough proved to tell
a much different tale. Did someone call for some
fireworks? Cuz the Hawks lit up the holiday sky
with a flurry of roman candles, bottle rockets and
snakes. Not deterred by the god-awful trip down
the 401, the Hawks took both ends of the double
dipper finally getting rid of some of the off season
rust. Outstanding pitching was complimented by superior
hitting, as the Hawks took Game one 11-10. Leading
the way was Jay Robinson collecting his first win
of the season while adding 3 hits at the dish. West
came in to shut the door in the six for the save.
The second game was much smoother sailing. Ryan
Aida (1-0) took the hill and dominated from the
start holding his shut out for 5 innings and riding
a 5-0 cushion out for the eventual 10-3 win. Neal
“soon to be Buddah” Baker came in for
a strong pitching effort in relief of Aida, showing
the River Dogs that he is not just a fungo dressed
in a uniform by retarding the competition’s
ability to hit. Following him was that large sexy
man from the Trailhead Tangiers who came in for
two strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh to seal
the deal for the Hawks. A monster home run blasted
by the shifty eyed hat reader Tim Deacon was just
one of the highlights provided by the Hawks at the
plate. To mention all the doubles and singles would
take the rest of the day but the boys absolutely
lit up the sky on a rainy night in Peterborough.
Special mention goes out to Matt Richard for his
first double since 1981, after a tough day offensively,
getting robbed on his previous attempt, Matt took
a 0-2 slider into right-center field. Nice Job Dean
Prichard! Tonight we host the East York Bulldogs
in a battle at the fairgrounds. Remember, game time
has been moved to 7:30!
Tossing
Helmets With Dug.
Managing to avoid flying helmets, we got a chance
to chat with the man simply known as Doug. Let it
be known he is a difficult man to pin down due to
a busy work schedule, a new born baby little Lunney,
and a young boy Reed some are calling “the
One.”
In a no-holds barred conservation with the normally
quiet one, Doug had this to say. “DON’T
YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ASK ME ABOUT! I HAVE A
GREAT FAMILY, 2 BEAUTIFUL KIDS, A BEAUTIFUL WIFE
AND ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IS HOW I CAN THROW
A HELMET THE WAY I DO! FINE! LETS TALK ABOUT IT
THEN!” After finally calming down a bit, he
told us words can’t tell the whole story so
he drew up a picture show us how it really done.
W ho would have thought that throwing a helmet could
be so simple, the picture really does tell it all.
The artiste should take notes.
Issue No.1
Tuesday,
May 10th, 2005
Great
Things Expected From Hawks This Season
By: Mark West and Jeff Chan
The expectations for the Newmarket Hawks are higher
than ever this year. With a solid core of returning
players and the addition of some strong young and
“old” talent, this season should prove
to be one of the greatest ever for the senior Hawks!
Although last season was successful, we fell well
short of our slogan “The hawks will soar in
2004.” We ended the season in first place
in the GTMBL (Greater Toronto Major Baseball League)
but fell just short in the league tournament, losing
to the Northhumberland Whiskey Jacks in the finals.
Well, enough about last year; that was then and
this is now. Determined, hungry and well prepared
by long time manager, Rich Lunney, our team in 2005
will be exciting and full of victories. Matt Richard
may have said it best while visiting Windsor last
August where he was had this to say in a cab in
the early morning, “We’re not done yet!”
With improved pitching and more depth on the bench,
this year’s Hawks have only one site in the
future, a trip west over the Rocky Mountains to
B.C. for the National Championship in mid-August.
Along the way to prepare for the Ontario eliminations
in Sarnia, we will play a plethora of games including
tournaments in the armpit of the USA (Can-Am in
Buffalo) and St. Catherines.
Outlook
Express 2005
With the re-attachement of Mark West’s labrum
(basically his arm), the return of boy wonder, Jason
Robinson, the re-emergence of the fungo, Neil Baker
and a healthy Nathan “the human rain delay”
Robinson, the Hawk’s pitching staff is much
improved.
Not only is the pitching staff stronger, it is much
deeper with the addition of a potpourri of leather
slingers from across the province.
At the plate, the boys of summer are set to put
on a fireworks show every night. With the return
of league hitter of the year Brian (Don’t
call me Radio) Steinberg and Tim “.400”
Deacon, opposing pitchers should be purchasing their
neckbraces while they are still available. As usual,
defensively we remain strong led by slick fielding
Dug Looney.
Possibly our greatest strength this year is our
team depth. We are deep at every position with many
players able to fill any role asked of them.
New and “Old”
Additions
This season bring some new faces to the Hawks family
along with some you may have seen in the past. We
are excited to welcome back Jason Robinson after
a year absence on the golf course. Also coming out
of retirement are Tim “Forrest Gump”
Glenn and the one a only Glenn “The Navaho”
Winegartner. Some other new talent joining the squad
this year are Matt “I made the team cuz I
work for Adidas and can get a discount” DiLullo,
Wes “Left-Eye” (sorry don’t know
his last name), and the guy from Waterloo aka Road
Water.
We haven’t just added ball players to the
family this year, we have also added a couple of
young ones. We are pleased to congratulate Doug
and Billy Newton on their newborn babies, little
Lunney and little Newton.
This
Week…Getting in DiLullo’s Kitchen
This week newly acquired utility man Matt DiLullo
was recently invited over to the Trailhead Tangiers
for his outlook on the upcoming season. Matt had
this to say “We gotta play them one game at
a time. I’m just happy to be here, hope I
can help the ball club. I just wanna give it my
best shot and the good lord willing, things will
work out.”
Taking Matt’s thoughts to heart, the Hawks
will work harder and leave it all on the field.
Lets not forget that this is a marathon, not a race…following
the advice of Joe Dirte “sometimes you just
gotta keep on keeping on.” Let’s play
ball!
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