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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-06-30, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 1999. S ports From the sidelines Being “the” man 'k By Hugh Nichol While every­ one agrees that the Most Valuable Player award is the pinnacle of all sports trophies esta­ blishing a true definition of MVP only leads to a collision of coffee shop opinions. There is no black-and-white criteria upon which everyone agrees when making a selection, the most valuable is not always the best player, nor the most popular, nor the greatest achiever of numerical success. For example in 1954 Al Rollins was voted the NHL’s Hart Trophy winner despite playing for a team that won only 12 of 70 games played, while last winter Trevor Harmer won the Milverton 4-Wheel Drives team MVP with a scoring total of four goals. Yet in both cases these players were worthy recipients as each brought a presence to their club that could not be measured in statistics alone. Two of the most controversial positions in sport are that of goaltender in hockey and pitcher in baseball. Controversial because while everyone concedes they are the most important they are seldom recognized as the most valuable. Until Dominik Hasek began his reign as the Dominator the last NHL keeper of the corded cage to win most valuable player honours was in 1962 while one of the greatest debates in baseball occurred in 1986 when Roger Clemens won the American League Baseball Writers Award. Although the establishment acknowleaged his accomplishments many argued that a pitcher could hardly be considered an everyday player and therefore should not be given serious consideration for MVP. Even the easiest of choices can become complex. During the 1980s Hullett Mites lose, win to Bayfield, Blyth squads It was a win and loss for the Hullett Mites when they took on Blyth and Bayfield last week. Hullett stayed in the game against Bayfield, June 21 until the fourth inning when the visiting squad blew it open. Tied at three after one, Bayfield notched four and held Hullett score­ less in the second for a 7-3 lead. However, Hullett drew to within two after the third when Bayfield tal­ lied two and the hometowners added four. It was the six runs in the fourth which put Bayfield out of reach. After two more in the fifth, Hullett was only able to add one for the 17- 8 loss. Anthony Wilts, Bradley Lapp, Derek Dolmage, Eric Radford and Lee Watkins pitched. Wayne Gretzky owned the NHL yet his nine Hart Trophies in a 10-year span were not without disclaim. While no one doubts his athletic fortitude it can not be overlooked that he was surrounded by many of the best players in the league. In fact, with the possible exception of the Soviet KLM sixpence, the Gretzky-Messier-Kurri-Anderson- Coffey-Fuhr combo may have been the greatest single-team sixpack in hockey history. So offensively dominating were the five skaters that in 1984 they combined to score 270 goals. In comparison the Toronto Maple Leafs led the NHL in scoring this season with 268 tallies. It was because of this that twice, while he was voted the Hart Trophy, he was not named the all-star centre and five times the NHL players themselves chose another as the Lester B. Pearson Award winner. What was unique in the Great One’s selection was the endless parade of MVP wannabees he outballoted. Usually in an athlete’s career he is challenged by a natural rival, that someone special who continually forces you to exceed your grasp. In Gretzky’s case only once did the same individual finish second in voting. It was only in my later years of minor hockey that Brussels began awarding individual trophies and by the time the McCutcheons, Blakes, and Wheelers were done accepting their silverware all that was left were honourable mentions. In a way I suffered from the Glenn Hall syndrome. Hall was the starting goaltender for the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1950s who despite being named a first team all- star in four of the last eight years of the Original Six era was overshadowed by his more flambouyant teammates Hull and Mikita. Regardless of the name, whether it be Most Valuable or simply Player of the Year accept it graciously but confidently knowing that if only for a season you “were” the man! Wilts smacked a homerun in the fifth. Hard-hit homers by Josh Nurse, Wilts and Watkins (two) helped Hullett tally a 23-9 win against Blyth, June 24. Hullett stepped to the plate first, scoring three. Blyth drew within one in the bot­ tom of the inning before the visitors regained a sizeable lead, scoring five in the second. The runs continued to mount through the third as Hullett racked up seven more while holding Blyth to just three. Hullett pushed eight more across the plate in the last two innings and held Blyth to three. Joel Salverda, Kody Reid, Radford, Nurse and Watkins shared mound duties. And he’s out It was a solid hit, but the Mortons runner was thrown out at first. Morton’s came up against Helen’s Team on a very damp Sunday morning during the Ethel Minor Ball’s annual fun tournament. Blyth Squirts down Ethel The Blyth Squirts jumped out with a five-run lead in the top of the first inning against Ethel and never looked back. Playing in Ethel, June 22, Trevor Hopf started it all with a double and was followed with homeruns from Darcey Cook, Kyle Procter and Mitch Ortman. Ethel was held scoreless thanks in part to a double play be Hopf who caught the ball then threw onto third of the out. Stolen bases in the second put five more on the board as Hopf, Cook, Procter, Ortman and Blake Miller all crossed the plate unas­ sisted. Allison George, Hopf and matt Goodall singled and Cook doubled in the inning. Ethel scored one in their at-bat. The runs mounted in the third when Eric Caldwell doubled and George followed with a single. Ortman hit first on a single and Anthony Peters bunted his way aboard. Miller singled and Goodall dou­ bled. The score was 18-2 after three. In the fourth, George, Hopf and Peters singled, Cook and Ortman doubled and Procter tripled. Ethel added two in the bottom of the inning, but left the bases load­ ed. The bats continued to boom in the fifth when Goodall and Peters tripled and singles were smacked by Kyle McNeil (two), Hopf, Miller and Goodall. Procter added a homer. Ethel tallied one in the bottom of U-6 T-Rexes battle Panthers The Brussels U-6 Panthers met the Brussels U-6 Rexs on June 16. The Panthers won 3-0 with goals going to Heather Hill and Nic Gowing who scored two. Kabrina Bishop assisted on one of Gowing’s goals. The T-Rexs had great goal keeping by Kasey King. Another win for the Panthers was played June 23 against the Lions. Two goals each were scored by Ty Sebastian, Gowing and Hill, ending the game in a 6-0 victory. the frame, but the game ended when Blyth tagged a runner out at home. The final was 33-6. The Squirts battled for a tie against Wingham in an exciting match up June 24. Holding the visitors scoreless,. Blyth opened a huge lead after one inning. Hopf led off with a walk, fol­ lowed by a Cook single and procter triple. Ortman walked before Miller doubled and George walked. Nick Stryker reached base on an error. They tallied a total of seven. Wingham nibbled at the lead, scoring two in the second, then held Blyth to just one. Hopf got on base again after four balls then Scored on a series of Lightning, Thunder at tourney On Saturday, June 26, a combined Thunder and Lightning Mosquito team went to the annual Legion soccer tournament in Wingham. Despite a first game loss to a Clinton team at 3-0, the team was able to win their second game over Wingham at 4-0, with two goals by Jamie Ross, one assisted by Amanda Bearss, and goals by Duane Buffinga (assist by Danny Cullen), and Mike Bonaire (assist Has the summer heat got you looking for shade? Short term and seasonal stays available All rooms fully air conditioned Recover or recuperate with us! Full activities schedule and outings Seaforth Manor Retirement Residence can offer you relief! Call Tracy Gerber for a tour. 100 James St., Seaforth 527-0030 steals. Up 8-5 after two and a half, Blyth increased their lead thanks to a single from Peters and walks issued to Miller and George. Wingham drew to within one when they pushed four across the plate in the fourth and kept Blyth off the sheet. It came down to the final at-bat for the home team after Wingham had notched two for the 11-10 lead. Procter doubled, stole third then scored on a Peters’ single. However, the effort fell short and they had to settle for a tie. “It was well-played game by both teams,” said Blyth Coach Warren Moore. “The boys have been play­ ing really good baseball and play­ ing great as a team is what wins ball games.” by Raymond deBoer). This moved them into the finals on the B side where despite a great effort by everyone, especially goalkeeper Matt Bylsma, they lost 2-1 against Exeter, whose second goal came in, in the last few minutes of play. The lone goal was again by Ross. Fred and Dave want to thank the Blyth Legion for their support and all the players who were able to attend and are sure that next year they will go all the way!