Playing an unfamiliar sport, the FFR Glass Grays proved to be fast learners.
They joined the Spruce City Men’s Fastball Association two weeks into the season in July and turned their baseball talents into a playoff championship win.
The Grays came from behind to beat Falcon Contracting 15-10 in the SCMFA final Friday night in front of several hundred socially-distant spectators strategically positioned in the spacious confines of Spruce City Stadium.
Cole Waldie’s first-ever home run in organized ball of any kind drove in three runs to put the the Grays ahead 5-4 lead in the fourth inning, after James Haviland got them started in the inning with his first of two two-run shots.
The Grays took advantage of a couple of errors and added seven more in the fifth to take an 11-4 lead.
“That was Waldie’s first home run ever, Little League or Babe Ruth, except for one he hit once in batting practice,” said Grays designated hitter Paul Wilson. “This game, it all came together at once. Everybody who had been struggling a bit came up with big hits.
“I think what won it for us, though, was our defence. Our biggest advantage was we were pretty solid defensively most of the time. We made a couple double plays that were unreal and they stung some hard-hit balls that were right at some of our guys, so we got a bit lucky.”
All other local team sports leagues, including the Prince George Senior Baseball League, were canceled due to the pandemic and with men’s fastball the only game in town this summer the Grays successfully convinced the SCMFA executive to let them join late. They struggled at first with their hitting, with the release of the ball so much lower out of the hands of pitchers than what they were accustomed to playing hardball. But they caught on with their sticks as the season progressed and were the hottest team in the five-team league going into the playoffs, finishing with a 7-8 record.
The Grays lost 9-5 to Falcon in the semifinal on Tuesday, then had to first defeat stud pitcher Norm Linton and the second-place Sibola Electric Royals 8-3 earlier Friday to advance to the final. Garrett Caron pitched the win for the Grays, then started the final until he was replaced by Joel Walky, who finished the game on the rubber.
Falcon Contracting, the regular season champions, who came into the playoffs sporting 12-2-1 record, put up four runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull to within two runs. But the Grays teed off against a sore-armed Robbie Antoine in the final inning to add four more runs.
“It turned into a slugfest there,” said Antoine. “Being the only pitcher on the team I kind of gassed out. That’s not to take anything away from them. They’re a good team, good defensively and they just got the better of us. I was missing spots pitching with fatigue and frustration and they were connecting with the barrel.”
The Grays ‘ roster includes the cream of the crop in Prince George baseball and shortstop/second baseman Justin Fillion is the only Gray with recent fastball experience. Wilson said it took them quite a few games to learn how to hit the bigger ball and beat out throws in the tighter confines of a softball infield. Their two pitchers benefitted from some coaching early in the season from Jeff Hill. Playing defence was also bit of learning curve for the Grays.
“We noticed at the start, a guy would get a hit up the middle and in baseball the centerfielder could pick it up and hit the cutoff guy and there’s no chance the guy is getting to (second base), said Wilson. “In fastball, if you don’t get it in right away the guy’s going to two every time.
“If you don’t pick up the ball right away in the infield, guys beat it out every time.”
SCMFA president Chad Ghostkeeper, who played with Randy Potskin, Evan Potskin and Keith Henry on a team of young teenagers known as Falcon Camp Services, said the Grays and their considerable defensive abilities raised the level of athleticism in the league and they are deserved champions.
“It was good for the league to let them come in and play,” said Ghostkeeper. “It’s brought a lot of interest in and more people to the park with them winning. All the baseball players have the skills. We can hit the ball all we want but if we hit it on the ground they’re going to make plays. That was the difference.”
Antoine said the fans and the players appreciated watching live sports again after nearly four months of being confined by the virus.
“Coming out of pandemic, nothing was running in Prince George so it gave a lot of fans that possibly would not have come to the game before something to watch,” said Antoine. “The stands were packed but there’s so much space at Spruce City Stadium with not only the two grandstands but stands down first and third base lines plus out in the outfield.
“It was super-nice to have more competition in the league and hopefully (the Grays) will come back.”
Wilson said he and his team appreciated the chance to play ball again.
“They run a first-class league with Chad Ghostkeeper and his dad Peter and they were so welcoming to us,” said Wilson. “They helped us at the start with pitching and the guys loved it. Everybody had fun.
“That’s one of the funnest parks to play in. The atmosphere is good with the fans and they have a 50-50 and a concession and it makes it fun to go there.”
WILD PITCHES – The Big Guy Lake Kings, Prince George’s fastball traveling team, will head back down to Ashcroft for a tournament Sept. 25-27… The Kings have already tasted tournament success in Ashcroft, Aug. 9, when they finished second, then placed third later in the month in Chase. Big Guy Lake started the season in July, winning the Andre’s Memorial COVID Cup in Kelowna… Prince George is still on tap to host the 2021 Native Canadian Fastball Championships next summer. That event was a COVID casualty this summer.
