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!
