Mitch Calvert
The storied Rainy River District Fastball League is set for another season.
The Fort Frances-based Sight & Sound Wolves are undergoing a bit of a changing of the guard, with long-time ace Bob Andy moving to British Columbia and relinquishing pitching duties to Marcel Pagee.
“It’s a tough loss,” Pagee said. “Bob was a premiere pitcher in this league for 20-30 years, and he always worked at making himself better.
“I don’t have the stuff he has, but hopefully the guys will bail me out behind me.
“I’m definitely excited for the opportunity,” Pagee enthused.
The Wolves again will be led by a veteran nucleus including Pagee, Derek McKinnon, Joe Sinclair, Clayton Windego, and Cole Kaemingh (who only will be available for road games because he’s moving to Kenora).
RRDFL all-stars Duane Carlson (third base), Curtis Wepruk (outfielder), and Grant Swire (utility) also will be back in the fold, along with second-year returnees George Halverson and Logan Allen.
The team also welcomes newcomers Colin Barton, Joel Ashworth, and Aaron Caul.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys who have played hard ball and know the game, and they’ll just have to adjust to hitting in this league,” Pagee noted.
“The potential is there, though, and you need those young guys,” he stressed.
The Wolves were in Big Grassy yesterday evening for their season-opener against last year’s regular-season champs. They’ll play their home-opener tomorrow when they host Big Island at VanJura Stadium.
Sight & Sound’s home games will be played at 8 p.m. every Thursday at VanJura.
The league once again will feature seven teams, including Sight & Sound, the defending champion Barwick Blue Knights, Big Island, Big Grassy Lightning, Sabaskong Cubs, Rainy River Royals, and the Stratton Eagles.
Sabaskong planned to hold a ceremony prior to their opener against Stratton last night in honour of the late Rick Copenace, who passed away suddenly from a heart attack following a game last season.
The Blue Knights, led by the ageless George Oltsher, will be gunning for their fourth RRDFL title in a row.
The Rainy River Royals, who reached the final last year, will look to take the next step this season led by co-home run leader Tony Armstrong and ace pitcher Murray Armstrong.
Big Island’s Jessie Tom has won or tied for the home run title each of the last two seasons, and will look to lead Big Island to a winning season.
The Stratton Eagles, meanwhile, were a young squad that made big strides last season, including some upset wins in the playoffs. They will be looking for bigger and better things this summer.
“We’re looking about the same, with the same group back,” Guy Arpin said. “We have a mix of young and old.”
Those young guys, all of which have several years of high school left, include Brock and Adrian Vandenbrand, Luc Desserre, and Cody Heyens, who was rookie-of-the-year in 2008.
“They really improved a lot last year, and we’re looking forward to them making huge strides this summer,” Arpin enthused. “They’ve got that first year under their belt now, and we expect them to be a big part of our team.”
Big Grassy’s Jeff Morrison was named the top pitcher, and also received the Gerry Harasymyk Award as league MVP award. His teammate, Brian Hook, earned recognition as the top catcher.
Chris Jack, also of the Lightning, captured the honours as top second baseman.
The Lightning were a top team all season long before being ousted early in the playoffs, and will be looking for redemption this season.
The season runs through August, with games being played every Tuesday and Thursday night.
