Unionville Ladies Slo-Pitch League

25^th Anniversary Memories  

One of my most memorable memories is celebrating my 50^th birthday with a black eye – compliments of not playing 1^st base too well – and my family telling me “Aren’t you too old to be doing this??”  Pat Cameron

 

Once up an Away  Weekend long, long ago at the local pub in a small Ontario town, there was a fair maiden named Tenaj. She was laughing, talking, drinking and having fun with all her baseball friends when who should appear but the “Big” bad male stripper.  As he slowly approached, he was rhytmially swinging a part of his anatomy at eye level with the fair Tenaj. Terrified, Tenaj looked for a place to hide, but where? AHA! The table she thought. And with one fluid motion, she dove head first between the legs of chairds and friends to save herself from the “big” bad male stripper and his swinging anatomy. There she stay until the danger passed and she was safe – thankful for her quick thinking, and the pub tables.  Helen Campbell

 

Baseball was my life!! Being a single parent was tough. Baseball saved my life. I have so many wonderful memories. Made so many special friend. Twenty years later, I still see and hear from many of my team mates. Would not miss the reunion for anything. Many thanks for all who spent many hours organizing the event.  Carolyn Fordyce

 

Becoming a member of the ULSPL has been an incredible educational experience. CALIFORNIA DREAMERS introduced me to a whole world of camels and belly dancers. The next acquired skill was learning how to become a “party crasher” with the MO HICANS.  With the CROWN JEWELS we learned to laugh. Phyllis and Allison were fabulous joke and story tellers. Who would have suspected that the SPACE CADETS were actually talented artisans. Sylvia’s basement became a haven for our creativity. GREEN ACHERS decided to encourage our culinary skills by hosting a fondue party. All present will never forget Janet’s 13 marshmallows, or Leslie’s banana trick. Monica’s enthusiasm and true team spirirt taught the PICKLED PINKS that we could climb from the bottom of the barrel to the top. A special salute to RUBY THURSDAYS shooter queen. Mardy prompted us to expand our horizons; to accept the challenge! Who knows what the S&M CHEETAS will conjure up this fall?

It just keeps getting better and better. It’s been a pleasure to mingle with such an amazing group of women.  Jeanette Lodu

 

Unfortunately I only played in the ULSPL for two years (1992 & 1993) – it took me a long time to admit that I should be playing Slo-Pitch, and I wasted all those precious years in softball. (OK, maybe not a waste, but a leard-up to the ULSPL). I had the best times and found friendships, fun, camaraderie, and adventures to be so memorable.  Thanks for letting me be part of it.

My introduction to the league was with the PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS – I still remember the fun – the games were really just an excuse for our together time.

What was with those diamonds with no “Johnnies”? Mosquitos are huge in Unionville.

My kids were still very young (1 & 2 and a half) and I really hadn’t let loose in a while. Opportunity knocked and I went to Stanton House with the ladies 2 years in a row. Man, the but wasn’t even out of Unionville yet and the fun began. Jail bars on the windows, games and toys from a new shop in town. What a crazy Scavenger Hunt. With 60(women at a resort of the weekend, wherever would you find a condom.? &^%$ Notes from my journal after the weekends away have turned up statements like, I feel like a new person – or my old person back again!” and “Oh, I’m so boring – NOT!” Fun, fun, fun!! Cesars for brekkie, margaritas for lunch, karoke – FUN!

July 93 saw the first time that women played in the Pride of Unionville Tournament. Our team GRAPE NUTS lost in the finals but it was a really great weekend. Has the ULSPL still been part of it?

I only wise I could have had more years in the ULSPL, but I’ve had to offer my services lately to t he Cambridge Ladies (now an over 35 league) I was sorry to have to leave Unionville.

To all of you who remember me, Thanks for the memories, so many of you are part of mine! Lots of smiles when I remember. (I still love you Brown Owl)

From the best damn left fielder the MO HICANS ever saw, Sandy Robinson

 

I joined the league in 1982. In looking back over those years, it’s been very hard to choose what should be part of this Memory Book. The fun, friendship, and sisterhood that has been such a large part of this league is the whole reason a reunion and a book f this sort is possible. Some things I remember are:

·         Getting a “Golden Glove Award” my first year. Lyn Griffin and Beth McDowell gave me a goalie mask with pretty ribbons tied to it to put on when I went up to bat. A few weeks earlier I had a black eye that I got from a ball that came off my own bat! Still can’t understand how that happened – I’m such an athlete!?!

·         At a baseball party at Judy Young’s in 1983, Pat Cameron talked me into joining her in applying for a part time, temporary job. I’m forever thankful Pat. It turned into a career I love!

·         Being part of a motorcycle gang (Hel’s Angels) and crashing an early game at Crosby. Doreen Alexander was the umpire. She was FURIOUS!! She didn’t recognize any of us although she knew us all so well. How could she? We had chains, makeup like I’d never seen before, even safety pins in our ears!! And  Betty Barbesin rode onto the diamond on a motorcycle.

·         The sad times when we mourned the loss of our league members.

·         Walking into a room at Stanton House and seeing a canoe spread over 3 beds. (This one’s a story in itself – ask someone else?!)

·         Sandi Connell was the best “room fixer upper” I ever saw at the weekend’s away. She could always find a way to get in – even crawling through bathroom windows.

·         Sharing breakfast Caesar’s with Beth and Sue – They were the special treat showing us all a great time.

·         At Stanton House, one of the girls caused so much havoc (stripped one room clean) that she was afraid to stay in her room in case someone returned the favour. She spend the night in the church down the road!

·         Marion McMahon’s team dressed like Greek Goddesses one year for our theme night and carried Hannele’s husband Norm around the diamond on a stretcher, feeding him peeled grapes along with way.

·         The Ball Police (They were great – enough said here! If you saw them march, you’ll know what I mean!)

·         The summer when Biff was the highlight of the season. I had a different story of the Biff saga every week for the girls at work. They waited for me to get there on Fridays.

·         The skit put on by the WHITEOUTS one year that showed us how we would play ball n the future?!?!

·         Sue Osbourne serving me breakfast in bed year after year at the Away Weekend.

·         The unbelievable support I’ve received from many of you during the sad times in my life.

·         The way many of you have shared my joy during happy times.

We truly are a sisterhood and I say to all of you…Thanks for the memories!!

Jan Bonany

 

 

MEMORY OF MY FIRST GAME AROUND 1975/76

Sometime around the end of August I was in the Unionville Vet’s Hall and was talking to Gary Alexander who told me his wife was a captain in the ladies league and that they were looking for players. I asked him if they were any good and he said “Hell no!” so I have him my phone number to give to his wife Doreen. She called me on a Wednesday and Thursday night out I went. I didn’t know anybody and I also didn’t know what slo-pitch was. We played on the small diamond which is now the T-ball diamond at Crosby. When the pitcher threw the first pitch at me I thought “man, what a rotten pitcher” and the umpire said “that’s a strike.” After 3 of those I sad down and was informed that they were supposed to look like that. After I finally managed to hit the ball and get to first base, I stole second, and then found out that wasn’t allowed either. The first night was a disaster, I hated the game, but loved the Vet’s Hall stuff after, and besides I had paid 10 dollars to join the league so I hung in there for the next 20 or so years.

MY FIRST AWAY WEEKEND

I had only played about 3 games in the league when Gwen Turner told me I was going on the Away Weekend. I still didn’t know very many ladies, and was not too keen on going and made Ray promise to come and get me if I wasn’t having a good time. The total cost was $10.00 which included 2 breakfasts and Saturday night barbeque steak dinner and we went to someone’s cottage. The cottage belonged to Barb Neal, however, it went up for a sale a couple of years later and was bought by Beth Ambrose. Well, after the first 5 hours with this group there was no way I was phoning Ray to come and get me. Those of us who didn’t get a bed just threw a sleeping bag on the floor and crashed – for a at least 3 hours anyway. Beth Ambrose drove up to the cottage and as payment, the rest of us in her car had to keep her glass filled for the rest of Friday night. We did such a good job she didn’t get up until Sunday morning…missed Saturday completely.

THE TRUE STORY OF THE BIFF KIDNAPPING

Biff was a male mannequin that Eileen Moore got somewhere and he became quite a star in the leagued. One Thursday Eileen and I were having lunch at Hank’s Diner and she told me she was playing the early game and having her team back to her house (across the street from mine) for a pool party. She also mentioned she had Biff sitting in a lounge chair with his bathing suit on waiting for the girls. I played on the same team as Pat Cameron and we had the late game. Anyway, I called Pat and we had talked previously about kidnapping Biff and decided this was the appropriate time to get him. We snuck up Eileen’s driveway, past her open family room door, grabbed Biff and left a ransom note. Then we hid him behind the furnace in my house and went to our game. We continued to send ransom notes to her team demanding her team to do silly things for 3 Thursday nights and they would then get Biff back. We took pictures of him in bed with Dolly (a blow up doll) and sent postcards from all over the place signed by Biff. One the night he was supposed to be returned we had him dressed in drag and called a cab to deliver him to the Vet’s Hall at 10:00pm. Well the stupid cabbie screwed up and dropped him off about 9:00pm. Monique and Lise Amyotte saw him in the cab and put him in their car and poor old Biff was kidnapped again. And this nonsense was carried off by some of Unionville’s best moms!!

Marie McMahon

 

Joining the ULSPL 7 years ago was definitely a good decision. I knew only a few ladies that played in the league and they suggested that I sign up. Since then I have met many people and made many friendships for which I am very thankful.

I moved to the community from New Brunswick and all of my family and friends were there, and still are in New Brunswick. By joining the ULSPL I was fortunate to find people to laugh with and talk to and I didn’t feel so alone being away from home. The sisterhood sprit in this league is something you can count on as each one of us has, and will continue to do.

One of my funniest memories is one that took place on an Away Weekend and a small group of ladies decided to put a 19foot canoe, a life boat, life jackets and oars in a cottage. The canoe was put across 3 beds, including all the necessities, and the life boat was put in the bathroom making it nearly impossible to enter in case of an emergency. Finally the time care when the unsuspecting occupants of the cottage staggered happily home. One occupant was at the point of emergency and was very anxious to open the locked door. There were a few other visitors joining the two ladies for a few cocktails and one of these ladies happened to be carrying two cameras. Now that may be to capture the moment on film for the group of ladies across the road sitting in the dark with tears in their eyes from laughter as the door opened and “Holy Sh_t” was the first response. As the ladies watched, laughed, and listened, they were not prepared to remove the canoe – it was hilarious! When they achieved this task, down over the balcony the canoe went. They weren’t quite sure who did this until the Fall meeting and a picture of the guilty ladies sitting in the canoe, wine in hand, was shown and passed around the room.

Thank you ULSPL for the fun and memories. Most of all for the friendships and the many friends and memories yet to come.      Pam Johnston

 

The First Ball Glove

1980- Moved to Unionville, met my neighbor, you must play ball, never did that but didn’t need experience, so whey not?!

Now where do you go for a  ball glove – Canadian Tire. I look, andfind the perfect glove – I am so proud! I get my glove home and go and show my neighbor – “Isn’t it great?”

“Well it is a bit small”…it’s a kiddie glove and “aren’t you right handed?”

“Well yes, and that why my glove is on my right hand!”

Dorothy Warner

 

 

One of my best seasons is the one I teamed with Hannele Hobb. Hannele learned to play “soccer” that year. Did I say soccer? I meant “baseball.” She had a little bit of problems not using her feet to kick the ball around. At the end of the season, we had a great party at Hannele’s and her husband had a surprise for everyone on the team. As you know, Norm akes great wine and had a bottle for everybody, but the real surprise was the label. It was a memory in itself. It read…”Shuffle Les Feet.” How appropriate.

Danielle Hoffman

 

My funniest memory…was a brand new player to the league (we’ll leave her name a mystery) who we were encouraging to just play. It’s really just a lot of fun and you really didn’t require a lot of knowledge or skill. We can all of course assume everyone has some “common knowledge” of the game.

Well her first at bat there were already runners at 1^st and 2^nd. She courageously stands up to bat for her first time. Strike one, strike two…the encouragement from the team is endless. Third strike, and she taps a bunt just in front of her and runs like a road runner straight for 3^rd base!

Everyone is completely thrown into shrieks of chaos. The runners and defense don’t know what to do.

When it all settled down and she was asked why she ran to 3^rd, she calmly state the obvious, that there were already players at 1^st and 2^nd so LOGICALLY went to the empty base…being 3^rd.

Like I first said, we all ASSUME everyone has some ‘common knowledge.’

Heather Greenwald

 

I have so many memories, it was hard to pick two:

#1  1978 – Beth Ambrose’s cottage – 21 years ago

A few of the baseball girls decided to get away for a weekend without husbands and kids. I remember having gifts, prizes, great food, and lots of laughs. My leg was in a cast up to my ___, and I enjoyed too many beverages and ended up sleeping with Nancy McGrath (who was in full pink terry cloth bunny PJ set with feet) on a plastic bubble sheet on the deck. Charlie G slept in the canoe that night. We danced, told lies, and jokes and it probably started a trend of baseball women getting away for a weekend every year. On Monday morning, the florist arrived at my front door with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the baseball league. My dog also at the at time had an accident and he too had a cast on his front leg. The florist looked at me and said, “which one gets the flowers?”

#2 1986 – Royal Resort Away Weekend

I remember having a great adventure away with all of my baseball chums. We were in the Royal Resort Pool and I was in the hot tub. We were all nude and having a few party drinks. I ended up signing and playing “DAY-O”on Eileen Moore’s boobs. Meanwhile, Jackie McCullough was nude, swimming lengths in the pool. Three men came in to inspect the electrical panel and we all wrapped towels around us and left. Everybody forgot to tell poor Jackie. The outcome has never been discussed to this day!

On Sunday, we gathered on the bridge for a group photo. The bridge collapsed and I was (again being one of the tallest) directly in the middle. People fell over me and the bridge came at me on both sides. Panic went through my whole body. I seriously thought I had broke both legs and I had no feeling below my hips. Luckily, one by one we were able to get out. I lay on shore and thought someone was looking after me and my friends to escape with absolutely no injuries. It was one memory I will never forget.

Gwen Turner

 

The beginning…25 years ago

To this we all agree,

We’re an active female community

Still going strong, you see.!

 

Each Thursday night we set aside

To the diamond we do go,

From May to September every week

To catch, bat and throw!

 

It’s girls night out as you recall

Baseball’s just the old excuse

To laugh and then tell lots of jokes

And to just plain let loose!

 

Our daily lives are varied

Moms, sisters, Aunts and Wives,

Friends supporting one another

Boy, we’ve sure got busy lives!

 

Post games we do a-wonder

The odd party, bar or two

The Vet’s Hall and The Arm’s

Or Jake’s patio with you

 

On the bench there was a thermos

We knew it as “The Jug”

For most we played a better game

When we took a “chug a lug”

 

And they there was the guy named “Biff”

The perfect man…we smile,

Most Thursday nights as I recall

I’m sitting at “Country Style”

 

Each year, they are so different

The teams we change you see,

But playing at that Monarch Park

Makes most of us go “P”

 

The Pride’s set in the summer

Some decided just to start

Our own all-female tourney

We named it just “The Heart!”

 

And they there are those Thursday’s

We sing, do skits, have themes

Our sisterhood is more you see

Than just a “Field of Dreams!”

 

Our weekend away is welcome

When our year it has ended

“The Pig” Kidnappers as you know

Are still unknown….eluded!

 

Each one of us hold memories

To our own hearts they are true

This league is more than bat and ball

You see, it’s me and you!

 

Debbie Fleming

 

 

 

Memories

It happened one year when I was president of the league. I was so proud of so many of the members. It was a good year of baseball and the extended effort that had been put forth by individual teams on the Away Weekend and their skits were fantastic.

I sat in the lounge, full of admiration preparing a small speech in my head. The unfortunate part was that we all took a 15 minute break. Well it was a looming break for me. I sat upon a roof top with another friend of mine. I participated in an act which required you to become partners with a strong foreign substance. Then “Whamoooo….I became catatonic!!!! I couldn’t speak…couldn’t move…couldn’t nothing!! I did manage to watch another skit, but for once in my life I couldn’t speak!

So after all these years, I’d like to say “I was very proud of you ladies THEN, as I am today!!

Toe Dipping

This tradition started about 3 years ago on the Away Weekend. Some of us got together, down at the docks, took our shoes and socks off and ‘dangled our toes’ in the freezing cold water.

This usually happens later in the evening, when everyone is already starting to ‘feel numb.’ It’s a break away from the maddening crowd. Down we go (anyone is invited) to ‘toe dip’ to engage in light chatter, tell very rude jokes, and of course to discuss some very titillating experience about SEX.

Some of us are better ‘toe dippers’ than others – but for those who have enjoyed this tradition, know it’s better to ‘toe dip’ than skinny dip for many, many reasons.

Let’s all meet at 12:00pm/am on the docks for a very special 25^th dip.

Thanks for the memories!

Mardy Emmerson (Marlow)

 

ULSPL Memories

·         Patty Knuckle…when hitting a big one would do somersaults between 2^nd and 3^rd.

·         Lorna and Chris – Away Weekend ’98 – The Bra Wars…to be continued…

·         The Canadian People with Sharon and Carrie (Away Weekend ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98)

·         Pat Cameron – Chief Returning Officer and Nomination Committee for the ULSPL Executive  at the Fall Meeting…many, many times

·         The Stanton House Pig Relay…who’s room is it in now????

·         Beth Ferguson’s ‘Good Morning America’ wake up call at the Away Weekend

·         Corrina Ouderkirk dancing up a storm at the Away Weekend

·         Beth Ambrose

·         Sylvia Ainsworth and Laura Brown…skit night…making up a skit at the Arm’s ½ hour before going on stage.

·         The ULSPL version of Phantom of the Opera

·         The Beaujoladies and their grape skit

·         Orillia…walking, talking, shopping, bar hopping

·         Debbie Fleming and the clit clips

·         Late night missions to Country Style

Chris Gerwlivch

 

Having been in the league for just 2 years, Paula Wilson and I decided to volunteer as captains. I still remember our nervousness at having picked Beth Ambrose, after all she could be a little intimidating for two rookies. This is the year we were ‘The Flings’ and Beth was the first one out there doing the Highland Fling at our first theme night. Beth was always willing to help and a real team player. I had the pleasure of having Beth on my team again as a ‘Treasure Chest.’ My favourite picture is that of Beth, decked out in strands of jewelry over her bra worn over her shirt. Here’s to Beth who, far from being intimidating, was a true spirit and tremendous commitment.

Louise Ferri