Like Popeye reaching for a can of spinach, Adam Norn dug deep into his own energy reserves to feed his home-run swing Sunday at Citizen Field.
Needing at least three fence-clearers to tie Jon Bourassa in the final round of the Northland Dodge Prince George Senior Men's Baseball League home-run derby, Norn launched his first one off the top of the wall in left field, then took the next pitch served up by Cole Laviolette out of the park.
Norn hit a third one out and still had a minute-and-a-half left in the timed event when he took a time-out after nailing a well-hit ball off the two-dimensional poster-sized head of Major Leaguer infielder Brett Lawrie. Two pitches later, Norn plonked one more off the top of the wall and over to retain the crown as home-run derby king.
"I got lucky in that last round, got under a few and got the victory," said Norn. "I don't like to admit that it was off the top of the wall, I'd like to say they were long gone, but I'll take whatever goes over the fence.
"Cole, my pitcher, was pitching really well and we just got into sync and we both found a speed that was working for us and I managed to hit a few out of the park."
Norn plays for the Inland Control & Services Tigers and has just one home run in league play this year.
"Maybe I'll be swinging for the fence now and it won't be going as well for me," said Norn.
The league organized the home-run derby and all-star game which followed as a fundraiser for the family of six-year-old James Torraville, who is fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
James was all set to thrown out the first pitch Friday when a heavy downpour soaked the park just before the event, forcing its postponement until Sunday. James and his parents Stefanie Watson and Mike Torraville had to travel to Vancouver Sunday, where he begins radiation therapy this week.
"It's a great cause and it's unfortunate James couldn't be here, but we got great support and hopefully we can raise a bunch of money for him," said Bourassa, a slugger for the KnB Contracting Orioles.
Team Norn defeated Team Wilson in the all-star game, 2-1. Scott Atherton picked up the win while Dan Giesbrecht took the loss.
Norn took last year's home-run derby in the final over Bourassa but conditions were much different that day and only two balls left the park the entire derby. The ball was carrying well Sunday on a warm sunny day; the eight players combined for 26 home runs. It would have been more if not for the light breeze blowing in from the south.
"This year was a lot more fun, " said Bourassa. "With the time limit, you get so many more swings and wow is it ever tiring. Last year it wasn't carrying and it wasn't very impressive for the crowd. This year, the ball was flying and everyone was hitting them out, and big Norn put up a heck of a last round. He was just hitting missiles. The wind didn't play a factor for that guy. He had plenty of fuel left for that last round."
The league followed the lead of Major League Baseball and brought the clock into the derby and all the players involved endorsed the change. Norn and Chris Clark finished the first round tied at one each. The tie was broken based on how far each batter could hit the next pitch in fair territory. Clark hit a high fly that went foul and didn't get past first base, while Norn took his out deep into left field to advance to the semifinals against Evan Potskin.
Potskin won his first-round matchup with Angelo Desantis 4-1 but broke his favourite bat in the process and was shut out on the second round against Norn who needed only one home run to advance to the final.
"It's a lot harder than it looks," said Potskin. "The four minutes is very tiring and that's why we dropped it down to three (for the second and third rounds). It's a lot of fun and it's all for a good cause for that kid. Hopefully we'll get lots of donations for him."
About $2,400 was collected at the gate with more still be counted from the silent auction.
