CANMORE CRUSHERS 40th TOURNAMENT ANNIVERSARY - by MORGAN QUINN

 Canmore Crushers 40th Tournament Anniversary

By Morgan Quinn                                                                                             July 1st, 2018

Allow me to bring to your attention the acknowledgement of the above anniversary.  First it is astounding that 40 years have gone by since we began our annual July 1st tournament in Canmore, which by the way, we won!  From an unassumingly humble beginning, the Canmore Crushers inevitably established themselves beyond that of a group of fun loving citizens.  Although fun was always at the forefront, when on the field of play, the team was there to win.  Personally I truly believe this tournament initiated a certain respect within the local community, which led to citizen support throughout the forthcoming years.  Fortunately we had a strong nucleus of experienced fundamental ball players that led the team to a high level of competitiveness.  In measuring ourselves with Foothills Fastball League teams, we realized that we possessed something extraordinary.  Besides the nucleus, we had Randy Fiddler, who put the Crushers in a position to win at any given time.  Further we acquired additional pitchers, such as Ken Vogel, Tony Speckeen, Brian Aiken, Brian Burkett and others, who complemented Fid and allowed us to be competitive in not only our own tournament but others we attended throughout Alberta and B.C. in subsequent years.  An additional noteworthy item was our participation in provincials, where we lost in our first year to the Bowden Blues but won the following year in Calgary at the Intermediate C level.      

Those years and the camaraderie shared were certainly most meaningful to me.  I am pleased to still be in contact with many of you, despite the obvious distance and duration of time since then.  I wish I could be in contact with more of you but I understand how life and time take their toll with keeping in touch.  In the event any of you would like to re-connect, do feel free to return the e-mail.  I have had the same address since the mid-90s.  

The enclosed attachment is a picture taken by Fred Koster at our July 1st tourney.  It is me sliding into home with Sloan making the call – safe by the way – and Fid in the batters’ circle.  It was in the Rose & Crown Pub for years.  Should anyone have a team pic of the ’78 team, it is the only one I don’t have.  Regards M   

LOOKING BACK A REFLECTION by MORGAN QUINN

 Looking Back – A Reflection By Morgan Quinn June 2017 I suppose it all came to be considered recently on a trip to the local emergency hospital for my wife (over 10 hrs. wait) that I had the occasion to make the acquaintance of an individual in the waiting room, who in speaking to the guy next to him, whom I overheard, mentioned he was a former fastball player. After so many years removed from the game, this immediately gained my attention. He was originally from Toronto but had moved to Vernon, BC in the early 70’s. He said he was 81 years old and a former catcher. We talked a lot about the game and teams we were familiar with from the 70’s era. He mentioned Cal Tire. When I told him I was from Canmore, he said he had heard there were many good teams out of Canmore. However it reignited nostalgia from that era, which got me thinking about those times, the game and the individuals I interacted with. In my garage I have a featured sports team picture display area that includes shots going back to early years in Rosemere, university days at Bishop’s and my Canmore years. They include competitive sports with soccer, hockey, swimming, basketball, football and fastball. I walk by them regularly and they often bring me back to those days. I have them arranged in order of sport, location and era. However the focus of this reflection is the fastball years. I became interested in fastball while working summers to pay for my university tuition, as well as subsequent room & board. In 1974 a buddy and I had ventured west and were fortunate enough to have been hired at Steel Brothers in Exshaw. I would return every summer to work there and eventually began playing for the company sponsored fastball team in the Foothills Fastball League. It was a very rewarding experience in learning a sport I had never played before and how it introduced me to the local sports domain in the valley. I met a lot of interesting people and enjoyed the sport immensely. After playing two seasons with the Exshaw Steels, I joined the Canmore Crushers, who had just put a team into the league the year before, 1977. The humble beginnings of the Crushers hinged on an extension of further enjoying life, which was clearly demonstrated as the team stumbled through games. As one might imagine, having fun was the precedent, with winning but a second thought. However that changed with the acquisition of Randy Fiddler in 1977. The team became competitive in the league and quickly began to assert itself as a serious contender with the other teams, which numbered anywhere from six to eight in a given season. From the original team, only those who were serious about playing remained into their second year in the Foothills Fastball League. By 1978 it was clear that the team intent was primarily to win. Little by little the team recruited better talent from the proximity of Canmore and the desire to win took over as the priority. Towards the end of the 70’s and into the 80’s, the Crushers found success in either winning the league, the playoffs or both. The Crushers also played in a number of tournaments every year, including one they hosted on Canada Day weekend. Why a reflection came to mind is because one of the courses I teach in the Sports Study Program is a third year course called “Athletes & Society.” I designed it chronologically from the earliest point of why the student-athlete became involved in sports to what it takes to become and remain a professional. One of the methodologies I use is a reflexive inquiry, where one examines, accesses, critically analyzes and investigates athletic progression. In reflecting through my own athletic past, I cannot ignore what we accomplished with the Canmore Crushers and later the Canmore Centennials. What became a memorable point with my Canmore years and initially playing for the Crushers was that it was more than about just playing fastball. In fact this point was prevalent with every team in the league. The community environment and camaraderie were intricate elements of what transpired in those years. The players’ wives and/or girlfriends were very much part of supporting any given team, however they certainly were an evident presence with ours, which led to an established, well-connected social theatre. The social network that was set up in association with the Crushers was rather significant, as many events occurred as a result. One example was the “Crushers Ball,” which was a formal dinner dance held at the Union Hall at Christmas time. It certainly became a highlight yearly event that many in town looked forward to. It exemplified an objective of many who had arrived in Canmore at that time that enjoying life was certainly a priority. Perhaps a little too much at times! Another example would be the interest of those not directly associated with the team, who seemed to support it by not only attending games in town but when the team was competing in tournaments throughout B.C. and Alberta as well. A good example of the wives/girlfriend support was demonstrated following a winning season having won a playoff championship. We celebrated, following our visit to our sponsor, the Canmore Hotel, at my small log cabin on Railway Ave. For some reason, players put on their jerseys backwards. At a point in the evening, the women disappeared and all returned at once with their clothes on backwards as well. It clearly was a gesture of support. It did not go unnoticed! Although there were many talented ball players and athletes on the team over the years, the blood and guts of the team was Randy Fiddler, our pitcher. He had been lured from Field, BC to move to Canmore, work at the Canmore Mines and pitch for the Crushers. His skilled rise ball allowed the team to compete against good high caliber teams. The team took shape around him and with effective leadership over the years from Alf, Shermie, Dandy, Noser, and the Cos; the team began to flourish. The team represented an athletic outlet in town that served well but also provided for a social inclusion, as the players and significant others enjoyed parties, BBQ’s, after bar parties and theme parties (Dandy’s “in bad taste party”). Little by little the Crusher entourage was accepted by the locals, who initially labelled this group as a bunch of drug crazed hippies. Not far from the truth I suppose. On the field of play, the team became all business. Every participant recruited did acknowledge that we were there to win. Nobody demonstrated this more than Fid, who led by example. His hard work ethic, as well as his given talent was notable and consequently resonated throughout the team. The Crushers consisted of a core of skilled players, with subsequently many who would come and go, in and out of the line-up. It should be noted here that many who were left out of the lineup over the years, later formed their own team; named the Canmore Pistols. However this nucleus of players was predominately infielders that brought a consistency allowing for a higher caliber of play. There were some changes here as time went on but basically this core of players helped earn a winning continuity, which elevated the level of play. Essentially having the team remain and improve competitively was a huge priority. Skills, such as competent fielding, an active bat and to actually be relied on to show up were valued characteristics of remaining in the starting line-up. With this structure, the team did improve over the years. However we were always on the lookout for additional pitchers, as relying on Fid’s arm to hold out was problematic. Consequently we were able to pick up Tony Speckeen from Banff, who complimented Fid quite well. Tony was a “drop ball” pitcher, as opposed to Fid, who relied on his “rise ball.” We were fortunate enough to have very competent catchers that formed the battery between our pitchers and catchers. They included Mitch, Barry, Keith and Greg. Apart from that, we picked up pitchers regularly from other teams to help us at tournaments. We were competitive at tournaments, winning some and placing in others. In fact we hosted our own annual July 1st tournament, which we won the first year in 1978. We also won the “Intermediate C” provincial championship of Alberta in 1981. However the most memorable win that I recall was beating a Calgary team, “Checkerboard,” in the annual Seebe Labour Day Tournament. Seebe hosted both the “Early Bird” and the “Labour Day” tournaments but the latter was specifically for high caliber teams from around the province. We beat a very high seeded team, “Checkerboard,” 2 – 0. They had an excellent team and a beast of a pitcher. Fid was never more on his game and threw a gem, keeping their hitters at bay. We quickly realized that the strategy to win would be to advance a runner through bunting. Once we had the runner on base, he was brought around by laying down bunts and this led to scoring him. We later sealed the deal with a single home run to ensure the win. It was a highly competitive game and the Crushers were functioning on all cylinders. Great Win! On a personal level, I played for the Crushers for six years and then left Canmore to pursue post graduate work and change my direction in life. I left Canmore in the spring of ’84 but returned in the summers of ’85 & ’86 to earn more money and play ball. When I returned, the Crushers were no more and so I joined the Centennials, where some Crusher players had moved on to. The team was under the leadership of Ken Ritchie and Bill Kasmir. We did well in the league and tournaments too. It was a pleasure to be part of this team, as it united players from other former Foothills Fastball League teams to put one very competitive team on the field of play. Thanks to Ken and Bill in organizing this. I quite enjoyed contributing to this team. It was a lot of fun, especially experiencing Kaz’s “the beer hunter” exploits. In regards to the demise of the Crushers, I have heard a variety of versions. I had left town though at that point so was not privy to exactly what went on. However when I left Canmore in April of 1984, the team was looking very healthy. Fid & Tony had had an excursion to Australia and/or New Zealand to play ball over our winter, summer there. They returned more seasoned and with an additional good quality pitcher to boot (Ivan). The future did look promising, as good pitching was a needed ingredient for success. However things must have fallen apart quickly, as divisive personalities appeared to have interrupted the course. If I may offer a speculation, I suspect that a lack of leadership and for some people, a passion to continue in the game came to the surface. Leadership though is the most significant. We were fortunate for so many years to have had the leadership needed to field a competitive team. Those mentioned above seemed to step up in succession as needed. The element of leadership is most significant with a team. Players must respect those leading the team because team unity and cohesion rely on the guy making the decisions. Apart from that, I believe a lot of the old guard had had enough of playing and perhaps were ready to pursue other life objectives. Regardless, the Crushers had a good run and were able to accomplish a lot on many fronts. I was proud to have been a team member. A point worth mentioning was the number of gifted athletes on the team, who were over and above just ball players. There were quite a number of Crusher ball players that excelled in other sports. As a result, the Crushers’ Ice Hockey Team came to be and participated in the Banff Commercial Hit Hockey League. A couple of other Crusher ball players did play for the Canmore Flyers, who played in a higher caliber league throughout the Calgary area. Further to that, a number of Crusher ball players also played in a commercial basketball league out of Banff and were extremely competitive there, as well as hosting a major tournament, now organized by Glen Nelson, which still continues today. Another avenue of athletic involvement was Canmore soccer, where a number of Crusher players participated in a very competitive Banff league that played at the Banff Springs soccer field. It certainly showed the athletic diversity with players playing so many different competitive sports. Through reflection my thoughts reunited a quest to involve myself then in a competitive team environment, while enjoying peers and friends that appreciated not only games but the social outcomes that followed. The camaraderie built in playing the game of fastball will never be lost with me. I speak with Mitch the odd time and we mull over old stories whenever we converse. By the way, he turned 70 last Saturday! I am still in contact with many from that era but time does take its toll. Next summer will be 40 years since we began hosting the July 1 st tournament. Time does fly when one is having fun. In closing the fastball years do continue to have a lasting impression with me and especially with all the personalities I played with. It was a memorable time for me and I will never forget the true competitive feeling I had when engaged on the field of play. Seeing the game from center field gave me a unique perspective. To tell you the truth, the memories of playing that position with the above aforementioned teams is near the top of my most enjoyable athletic experiences. Thanks to all that made this happen. It is a time in my life that will always be looked upon favourably. One quick anecdote was from the summer of ’91, when I was in Canmore for a quick trip. The Centennials were in a tournament and graciously allowed me to play. As the game was about to begin, Fid said to me, “no change, you’re still batting clean-up.” I had a good laugh but the fact was, I was happy just to make the line-up. In case it hasn’t been acknowledged, I played to win! By the way, my screen saver is “the slide” at the first Crusher July 1st tourney in 1978, with Fid in the batters’ circle and Sloan Stock making the “safe” call, as I beat the tag at home plate by the pitcher. The picture was taken by Fred Koster and in fact there was a copy of it hanging in the “Rose & Crown” for many years. Many thanks go to Sloan, Frank, Stan & Reg for calling our league and tournament games for so many years. I am sure not much acknowledgement for all they contributed to the game was ever recognized. For those of you still in town, do extend my appreciation with working our games. I trust this reflection will be shared with those I played ball with. Good Memories!

Chronicles of Buchanan Quinn

As The

Canmore Crushers' Mascot

1978 – 1984

Preamble:                                                              Written by Morgan Quinn

          Buchanan was born in 1978, one of seven in a litter from Big Mac and Jessica.  His parents were from the McKinven farm in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, specifically North Hatley, where the owner, a farmer from Scotland, bred border collies.

          I was friends of both owners of Buchanan's parents but predominately Rob and Sandra McDougall, owner of Buchanan's mother Jess.  While living in Calgary, they decided to breed their female, Jess, with Jamie Squire's male, Big Mac.  The result was a litter of four females and three males.  The four females were sold as working dogs to ranchers on the outskirts of Calgary.  Two of the males were sold to friends, one being me.  The pick of the litter, Jake, remained with the MacDougalls. 

          I received Buchanan at a soccer game I was playing in at the Banff Springs Hotel soccer field in the summer of 1978.  Buchanan was six weeks old at the time and scared shitless.  The pun here is while a group of us were living at suite 16 on Railway Ave, Gary Wilson's belongings were often the location of where Buch, as a puppy, would let it go, as it were!  Gary was very forgiving of Buch's growing pains.  Thanks Gary.

Natural Instinct:

          Prior to Buchanan being born, I was always interested in observing his mother Jessica's abilities.  She was an extremely intelligent dog and had a considerable amount of natural ability.  Of course being a border collie, she had a lot going for her to begin with.  In fact, once when riding at Johnny's stables at the foot of Lady Macdonald, we happen to come across a number of horses running free on the range.  Before Rob or any of us could react, Jessica immediately darted to the stallion, nipping him on the heels and rounding up the rest of the herd at the same time.  Let me tell you, it was a sight to behold.  At that moment, I leaned over in the saddle to Rob and said, "if you ever breed Jess, I want one of the puppies."  There you have it, the order was in and perhaps the thought altogether to consider breeding.

          Buchanan was a very well behaved dog.  Most people will attest to that.  He rarely barked and was not very interested in interacting with other dogs in the least, except perhaps Rocky.  I never had to have him on a lead nor chained at home.  He lived to chase things.  One of his specialties was night pursuit.  There were many nights at ball tournaments or at campfires in someone's back yard after a fastball game that involved Buch chasing sticks and such in the dark.  More often than not, he would return with the item, regardless of how far it was thrown or how long it took to find it.  Although, his natural instinct was to herd and so in doing, adapted to what I was involved in, which in the summer was fastball.  Buchanan picked up the game very quickly and understood his role almost immediately.  He would usually find his position, where he could clearly see the pitcher, usually Fid and run a path down his fence line to the catcher, usually Mitch, Keith or Barry.  As all know whoever saw him work, any foul ball was his.  The kids that had collected change for retrieving foul balls were suddenly challenged and consequently discouraged, as they were no match for Buch's abilities, much to their displeasure.  At the end of every half inning, he would usually run around the field circumference feeling engaged, as that was what the players were somewhat doing, while exchanging defense to offence.  However when the pitcher began to throw the warm up pitches before the batter was in the box, Buch was in his ready position, prepared for any balls over the fence, in any direction.

Anecdotes:

          A few stories come to mind that some people will remember.  They go something like this.

          During one very intense ball game at the Railway Ave. ball diamond, Buch ran after a foul ball that was hit directly towards the road.  At the time, two guys in a BMW from Montana were coming along at a fair clip and ran over Buch, while engaged in retrieving the foul ball.  The game came to a sudden and complete halt, as shock and disbelief was observed.  Our entire team, at bat at the time, left the dugout and ran to the road and circled the car before the two guys inside could react.  Our team literally picked up the car and all I remember seeing at the time was utter panic from the two inside, as their wheels left the ground with ease.  Interesting what adrenaline will allow one to do, however this was a collective team effort!  I was not part of the lifting but was honoured with the complete support of coming to the aid of Buchanan at a time of need.  As they lifted the car, Buch ran out from beneath, with nothing more than a nick on his elbow and he had the ball! 

          On one of our many tournaments, this one was in Edge H2O, B.C., I had the occasion to be taking care of Jake, Buch's brother, for the weekend.  Of course there was no question he would be accompanying us on the trip because Buch was a valued part of the team, thereby so would be Jake.  Why not include his brother?  Most will remember the layout of the ball diamond because it had a rather unique set of wooden grandstands around home base and extending along both baselines.  Buch, upon the beginning of our first game, occupied his normal position glued to the pitcher's every move along one of the baselines.  Jake, in observing Buch, assumed the role of patrolling the opposite base line from where Buch was positioned.  Both dogs ran the baselines all game, chasing down all foul balls, to the delight and entertainment of the many fans watching.  In fact, the crowd was more interested in watching the antics of the dogs, rather than the game.  We were not insulted.  To see how quickly Jake picked up what Buch was doing was astonishing. 

          Another story occurred on a weekend, when a number of us were camping up at the quarry above Canmore.  This was really the only feasible location to swim in the valley and nick-named the Canmore beach.  Upon waking up on the second day there, we immediately were aware that Buch was nowhere to be seen.  In the night and earlier that morning, we heard some coyotes yelping in the woods above the quarry and I wondered about their intent.  I grabbed an axe and ran to the woods, in time to see two coyotes run away further into the woods.  My thoughts were that Buch was lured, perhaps by females in heat, and then attacked by the pack.  I looked all around in the woods but there was no sign of Buch.  In returning to the campsite by the quarry, we decided to go back to town to see if, for some reason, Buch had gone home, although I couldn't for the life of me guess why.  While looking for him around town, I happened to be driving by the ball diamond, where a slow pitch tournament was underway.  As I gazed over, there working the game was Buch!  He had heard the sounds of a ball tournament ongoing and went all the way from the quarry to the ball diamond on Railway Ave.  While I was upset that he had decided to leave, I also was quite amused at his devotion to working ball games.  I thought, "well Buch, we have something in common." 

          Speaking of being in heat, one fall Buch and I were on our way back to my home town of Rosemere, Quebec from Canmore for a visit.  We had stopped over night somewhere around the top of Lake Superior.  We were on somewhat of a marathon, as was usually the case in my 28 driving trips across the country.  However that morning, I let Buch out for a leak, while I packed up my belongings in the motel room and loaded the car.  Upon completion, I looked around for Buch.  Problem, no Buch to be seen.  I whistled and still no Buch.  That was odd because he always responded to my whistle.  I drove around this very small town looking everywhere, stopping to whistle, still no Buch.  There was a RCMP detachment there and I stopped in and reported Buch missing.  They said they could not really do much but at least I reported him missing.  I began to piece together what could have happened and concluded that perhaps he had been taken by someone.  After looking around further for some time, I left and continued my trip to Rosemere, alone!  I was driving along thinking, how could that have happened and believe me tears were in my eyes.  Suddenly a police car came up behind me quickly and had the lights on for me to pull over.  The Mountie came up to the Volvo and indicated that Buch was back at the motel, where I stayed the night before.  The only thing was, I had travelled 100 miles down the highway, when pulled over.  Let me tell you, I was spitting nails by the time I returned to that motel.  When I arrived, there was Buch, sitting in the motel window waiting for me.  Talk about two emotional extremes being experienced at the same time.  I was promptly informed by the Mounties, that he had been pursuing a female in heat.  Buch was rather humble upon my arrival and he knew I was quite unhappy.  However I was more relieved that he had been recovered safely.  The rest of the trip was uneventful, as far as Buch was concerned!

          In closing I encourage any of you to contribute to this site, whether it be adding anecdotes about Buchanan or other memories about the Crushers.  It certainly was a most memorable time in my life, with most experiences and friends being treasured to this day.  I am in touch with some former members of our team and was in attendance at the Foothills Fastball League Reunion some five years ago.  It was a real pleasure to get together with former participants and catch up. 

          On another note, I would like to pay tribute to Keith Mitchell.  Although Fid was the heart of the team, Keith was our most valuable player.  His batting average was often well over 600.  He was lead off batter and had amazing speed on the base paths.  He also was one of our catchers, an intricate aspect of any successful team.  Apart from that, he was a gentleman, who was committed to the team.  After all he would drive from Field to Canmore to play, clearly an indication of devotion. 

It was great to see all of you at the reunion.                               Morgan

Foothills Fastball League reunion party 2008?

The Crusher's first team portrait in front of the Canmore Hotel

Morgan & Lana Quinn with Pat & Patty Cosgrove

PROVINCIAL CHAMPS NEWSPAPER ARTICLE

FIELD TOURNAMENT CHAMPS