A look at history of softball in city
Terry’s Gas and Variety wins city title in 99th season
Congratulations to Terry’s Gas and Varietywho defeated Marshall’s 4-1 to claim the 2018 Taylor Trophy, Peterborough’s oldest, active award.
Our 98 year old league started in 1921, shortly after the First World War. In 1922, Mayor William Taylor donated the Taylor Trophy, local softball’s version of the Stanley Cup. In the early years, games were played both inside and outside at the Peterborough Armoury.
During the 1930s, the venue switched to Central School and in the 1940s, games were played at Riverside Park. Then in 1946, the league moved to its permanent home, the natural amphitheatre at East City Bowl.
From its inception, our league featured the orthodox style of pitching. In 1949, Lefty Reid threw the first windmill pitch, followed shortly thereafter by Jimmy and Jerry Driscoll. In 1955, this technique really caught on fire with the arrival of Ray Judd.
Today, all pitchers in our league use the windmill version, although we have had slingshot pitchers like Jim Dawe and a whirlwind pitcher, Ernie Killens.
In 2018, all ball players use fielding gloves, but in the early years, only the catcher and first baseman used them. Circa 1953, most players converted to using gloves, although some, like George Hawkes, never wore one. Players who were adept without gloves included Jack Mackness, Jake Wade, and Red Sullivan who played second base bare-handed but wore a glove when he moved to first base.
Furthermore, teams from our league have won several provincial championships. Lakefield won the Ontario Intermediate A Crown behind the pitching of Ray Judd in 1956, 1959 and 1960; the last one right here at East City Bowl in front of 4,000 fans.
In 1968 and 1969, Dave Ruthowsky led Peterborough Juniors to back-to-back provincial titles, striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning in the second year.
In 2003, two local teams squared off for the Intermediate A Crown as Mr. Lube with Brian Condon pitching defeated Ricarts with Wayne Wells pitching, the venue once again being East City Bowl.
In the 1990s, an electronic scoreboard was installed thanks to the generosity of ReMax and the Lions Club and a new press box was built in honour of Clyde Hann.
Moreover, in 2010, Scott Wasson started the custom of retiring the jerseys of worthy players on the Fence of Honour. To date, we have 17 jerseys enshrined at the Bowl, thanks to the generosity of Rick Campbell and Betty and Gerry Moncrief and the co-operation of the city’s public works department.
As well, the city passed a bylaw in 2011 making our ball diamond one of the first “smoke-free” parks in Ontario.
Although Mayor Taylor is fondly remembered for the donation of his trophy, he is not the only politician to support us. Coun. Bill Juby coached in our league and Coun. Dan McWilliams sponsored teams. Coun. Glenn Pagett and Lakefield
Coun. Neil Wasson both had playing careers spanning 3 decades.
Mayor Cam Wasson played during the Lakefield dynasty of the ‘50s and Mayor Jack Doris pitched in the ‘50s and handed Ray Judd his only loss of 1955.
That wasn’t all for Doris, as he spearheaded a committee consisting of Mayor Darryl Bennett, Ken Doherty of City Hall, Gary Dalliday of CHEX-TV and yours truly to rededicate theJames Stevenson Park to the George (Red) Sullivan East City Bowl.
Thus, on Sept. 16, 2012, this rededication became final and henceforth the diamond shall bear the name of Sullivan, one of Peterborough’s greatest athletes.
Over the years, our league has truly been a paragon of diversity with teams from Cobourg, Lindsay, Oshawa, Curve Lake, Douro, Lakefield and Ennismore.
Furthermore, we have had NHLers like Red Sullivan, Mickey and Dick Redmond, Craig Ramsay, Cory Stillman, and
Steve Larmer all playing in our league.
We have watched the play of Catholic priests including Monsignor Clayton O’Donoghue and Father Ray Garvey and a Mormon missionary, Ray Judd.
In 2016, we ceased to be a gender exclusive league when Katie Heffernan joined and proved she could play with the men.
Yes, the diversity of our league serves to make us stronger when it is added to the time-honoured traditions that we have so faithfully maintained.
The fact that we have survived where others have faltered points to heart and courage, traits which have always been as much a part of our league as the Taylor Trophy itself. As stewards of the league, we do not want to see it die and we hope to be back on the diamond in 2019 for our record 99th season.
NOTE: Congratulations to Craig Whitnell who was selected as a pool coach for the provincial girls midget softball team.