GAME 2, Tap Masters - The Tottenham Job

Pre-Game on The Donini Deck

Doug:  Hey.

Rob: You seem down.  What's going on?

Doug:  Schedules, Fields, the usual crap. 

Rob: Are the lights at Keogh working yet?

Doug:  Nope.

Rob: Well why don't you stop whining and do something about it?

Its Time.

Howard Beale from the movie Network (1976) said it best, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore".  I'm serious. 

Do you know what this picture is?

Its Ward 8 in the Township of new Tecumseth.  Without getting into the 'exact' borders, its the basic outline of Tottenham where most of us live or work and where the non-operational Keogh Park is located. 

The town has a website that lists names and contacts for the Mayor and all Councillors.  You know why?  Because its our right (if not your democratic obligation) to contact them when we're not satisfied.  Our tax dollars pay them and the services that they are supposed to be providing.  If we don't decare our dissatisfaction they can only assume you're happy. 

Tell them your not. 

The Mayor, Mike MacEachern and Ward 8 Councillor Jim Stone can be reached at     mayor@newtecumseth.ca and ward8@newtecumseth.ca .  Seem a little to impersonal?  Try their cell phone numbers (published on the Town's website), they are 705-435-8638 and 905-801-0137 respectively.  They're home numbers are on the site if you'd prefer. 

I emailed Mr. Stone last night and copied his boss (the Mayor).  

You can copy and paste letter and change it or write your own, but its time to let them know that this isn't satisfactory.  If we do nothing, its more likely that nothing will happen.  Here's my letter:

Mr. Stone: 

I am a resident in your constituency.  I’ve lived in Tottenham for 20 years and consider myself quite involved in community activities and programs through my own efforts and my children’s schools. 

Our men’s Old Timers baseball League is two weeks late in starting because the lights at Keogh Park have not been operational this year.  This is in your control to make a priority.  We have 180 voting age members in our league and an excellent communication network.

If your constituents are not on your radar and there isn’t going to be a prompt resolution, perhaps you could explain why?  Right now there are a lot of disappointed people that I believe they deserve both attention and an answer.

Please respond at your earliest convenience.

Douglas Dwyer

Cc:  Mike MacEachern

UPDATE: May 16th 2014, 11:45 am

 

The email sent to the town's elected officials was sent at 9:57 Thursday night.  At 10:24 on Friday morning I recieved a response from Ray Osmond, the Director of Parks, Recreation & Culture.  At 10:42 I recieved a response from Jim Stone, our Ward 8 Councillor.  A current status is available from Steve Ross on the league's face book page, please click HERE to see it.   

 

ENOUGH

On to some fun

++++++++++ 



Say It Ain't So Bill!!!

Down Town Billy Brown meets with his legal team

Who knew that the sweet Bill Brown would not only advocate anarchy, but be the instigator of it.  On second thought, is he an anarchist or a rebel?  Maybe both.  He's not who you think he is, I can tell you that much.  I know you see this gentle, accountant-ish, grand fatherly type guy.

The truth?  He's more Spartacus meets William Wallace meets Pancho Villa meets Jeff Dancey.  All defied authority.  All were amazingly cunning.  And Bill knew them all very well.  Especially Spartacus.

Cunning, tricky, conniving, Down Town Billy Brown had us all fooled.  What idiots we were.

FACT:  In the summer of 2013, Down Town Billy Brown was seen multiple times watching the ladies league play on Friday evenings.
CONCLUSION:  While it first thought that DTBB had simply misread his scheduled, its now clear that he was using these game times for research.

FACT:  During the quarter-final game against the Draft Kings, DTBB mysteriously removed himself from the game with an "injury" and wasn't seen on the bench for the remainder of the day. 
CONCLUSION:  While we first thought he was seeking medical attention for a bad ankle during this time, we now have video evidence that he was in fact at the ladies semi-final game.

Down Town skipping out on his game to watch the ladies league



FACT:  The "Freedom Of Information Act" has allowed us to subpena DTBB's internet and phone records.
FACT:  DTBB's internet usage shows 33 separate downloads of the Tottenham OldTimers Constitution between October 7th and November 25th 2013.
FACT:  Between November 15th and December 7th 2013, there is no less than 72 hours of archived telephone conversation between DTBB and Larry BeCraft from Huntsville Alabama.  No one in North America has tried as many rights and freedoms cases as BeCraft.
FACT:  Air Canada records show that Between December 28th 2013 and January 25th 2014, DTBB flew 3 times to Chattanooga Tennessee. 
FACT:  Car rental records for Hertz show DTBB renting cars during the same period.
FACT:  Hilton Hotel records and Visa statements show DTBB staying at the Hilton in Huntsville on there separate occasions over the same period.
CONCLUSION:  Billy Brown flew to Chattanooga, rented a car and drove an hour and half to Huntsville.  Clever, but not clever enough to fool us.

So we have strange behaviors from Mr. Down Town.  We have a time line and travel outline and contact with an authority challenging lawyer; but what does it mean?

It could have meant disaster for baseball in Tottenham.  And I'm not just talking about mens baseball.  It seems that good old Down Town had an accomplice.

Enter Gina Heisz.

Gina Heisz, victim or mastermind?

I know, I know.  I was fooled too.

Gina has long been looking for way to get into the mens league.  In fact, she actually unofficially broke the "gender barrier" last season when she played catcher (there continues to be no such position as back catcher) for both teams in a regular season game.  Eyebrows were raised.  Some of the baseball purists didn't like it one bit; but some more progressive folks thought it was pretty cool and that it was time for a change of a more permanent nature.

But how to do this?

Back to Billy Brown and his seemingly limitless resources.  Bill and his lawyer reviewed our constitution from front to back, reviewed all the amendments and addenda and were able to determine with absolute certainty that the words "Man", "Men" and "Male" do not appear anywhere in the 10 page Tottehenham OldTimers constitution.  The argument was clear and actually reasonably sound and lucid.  This is a non gender specific league.

Gina starting an unassisted triple play (she's that good)



So it would be simple for Gina to simple register for the draft, right?  Enter Larry BeCraft and his wealth of experience in equality litigation.  The Constitution states that amendments to the constitution can only be made at the Annual General Meeting in November.  Considering that registration would be after that date, Gina should be safe in enrolling, right?  We'll not according to Mr. DeCraft.

Down Town Billy Brown turning his back on mens baseball???

It a winter that was looking like an episode of Law and Order (the Criminal Intent version...you know?  the one with Kathryn Erbe and Vincent D'Onofrio, with all the bending over and stuttering?) BeCraft, who proved to be well worth Bill Brown's million dollar deposit, found the rarely invoked Article 11, buried deep within the constitution.  "Rules of play may be amended, added or deleted by the Executive Board on an interim basis during the course of the season".  His argument was that the league would invoke this rule immediately to invalidate Gina's sign up.  But he had a solution.

Gina Heisz about to launch a rocket that would knock the glove off of Wayne Caldwell



Have Bill register for the mens league.  Have Gina register for the womens league.  Then before the season starts orchestrate a trade of the two players between the two leagues and do it in the press so that the mens league would be in no position to say "no" by trying to adopt a new rule.  

A good plan indeed. 

Down Town with a beautiful swing...too bad there's no ball in the picture

Mr. BeCraft had everything lined up to prevent the men refusing a trade. 

But there was one thing he didn't count on. 

The Ladies. 

And that's what Down Town Billy Brown did on his winter vacation. 

THE GAME:

Way to go Tap Masters!  Off to a 2-0 start.  That's fantastic.  Of course, the league's consensus pick to finish in the top 6 is off to an 0-2 start.  Not quite as fantastic, but we're having a good time.  We've had leads in both games, they've been competitive and its been fun to play. Unfortunately, 9 of our teams haven't had that feeling yet. 

Tonight saw the Grisslies bust out to a huge 1-0 lead after the 1st, but the Tap Masters cashed 4 in the 2nd to hold the lead for the bulk of the game. 

The Grisslies pecked away and recaptured the lead 8-7 after 5 and a 1/2 innings but couldn't survive the Tap Masters rolling a 7 in the bottom of the 6th. 

A big night from Hager The Horrible who was 4/4 with a run scored.  Tim Schrank was also perfect with 3 hits in 3 at bats for the evening.  For the Grisslies, Geoff Keogh, Cal Russell and Craig Escott were all 3 for 3.  Geoff also scored twice as did Craig.  

Click HERE for the 3 stars of the game.