Joey Payeur
He is referred to as the godfather of fastball in Barwick and that is where he’ll say his farewell to the game he loves so dearly.
George Oltsher’s five decades of playing days in the Rainy River District Fastball League will come to an end tomorrow when his jersey is retired by the Barwick Blue Knights at Oltsher Field—renamed in his honour back in 2008.
The left-hander will get the start for the Blue Knights against the Stratton Bobcats in the 1 p.m. matchup in what will be a memorable afternoon for everyone on hand.
“[Blue Knights’ shortstop] Vaughan Wilson said I can throw one pitch or as many as I want,” said the humble 66-year-old, who will have the extra pleasure of pitching to his son, Trevor, who is coming in from Winnipeg and will be the starting catcher for the game.
“I’m not sure how many I’ll throw. It depends how hard [the Bobcats] are on me,” Oltsher chuckled.
The game will be stopped for the special jersey-retiring ceremony once he decides he’s delivered his final pitch.
Wilson considered it a privilege to get to help organize Oltsher’s send-off.
“Every spring we have a team meeting to firm up our numbers and make plans for any projects we want to take on as a team, and get a headstart on the Barwick July 1 celebrations,” he explained.
“We’ve been talking about putting George in the [RRDFL] Hall of Fame for a few years but he just keeps going and going,” the shortstop added.
“This year, we decided that it was time as a squad and we wanted to do it at the biggest fastpitch event that Barwick hosts [the Canada Day women’s fastball tournament].
“We were able to get Stratton, a long-standing team in the league with a ton of history, to agree to play a makeup game on July 1,” noted Wilson.
“So we decided that was the perfect time to do it, especially if we could be sure a lot of the guys George played with and against could be there.”
It was 1964 when the southpaw toed the rubber for Barwick for the first time, where he played two years before having to join a team in Emo in 1966 because the Barwick squad folded.
Then in 1971, Oltsher and others were encouraged to restart the team in Barwick, where the game has gone on without interruption ever since.
“I really enjoyed the camaraderie with the fellows, and bringing along the younger fellows and watching them develop,” he remarked.
“Not only our team but the whole league,” he stressed.
“It was a good learning experience and for the younger guys, especially in the smaller communities, it was something for them to look forward to to play on their hometown team.”
Wilson said the Blue Knights and the RRDFL wouldn’t be near what it is today without the immense contributions of Oltsher over the decades.
“George was and is still a great leader,” he lauded.
“He’s been the manager of the Blue Knights since our beginning.”
“He had some great teams but in the mid-’90s, he found himself in the pitcher’s circle surrounded by a bunch of 13- and 14-year-olds,” Wilson recalled.
“We didn’t win a game for ages!
“He taught us how to lose with dignity and how to win with grace,” stressed Wilson.
“George was always about class and taking pride in our diamond and our team,” he added.
“We knew what was expected of us and we were responsible for ourselves.
“He was all about growing the league with homegrown talent and look where we are now,” noted Wilson.
“We had six or seven teams when I was 14. Now we have 12.”
Oltsher has cut down his playing time the last few seasons, playing just enough to be eligible for the playoffs, where in 2013 he turned back the clock in starting and winning an elimination game for the Blue Knights.
“It’s not nerve-wracking to be out there after all this time,” Oltsher said.
“It’s just your reactions aren’t as quick as they should be and the batters and bats are stronger.”
Oltsher isn’t sad about reaching the end of his playing road.
“I’m so glad to see the game is so strong in our community,” he remarked.
“It’s in good hands with the guys that are taking over. They’re good guys.”
But Wilson left the door open more than a crack in case Oltsher changes his mind sometime down the road.
“He hasn’t officially said to me that he’s done,” said Wilson.
“If he shows up with his cleats, he’s in.”
