A Midsummer (soon to be) Classic. The word classic means ‘judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.’ This is why we mention ‘soon to be,’ because the 1st ever LMBL All Star Saturday Night, on August 6, was an astounding success.
The event started with the Hardest Pitch Competition, with plenty of participants involved. Ryan Zammit of the Brewers threw his way into winning the lead and no one would go above his sizzling 78mph. In addition to the notoriety of having the fastest pitch, Ryan also took home a gift card from The Morrissey House.
Next up, the Fastest Player Challenge. Each runner seemed to be faster than the next. No one was able to keep up with Steve ‘The Flow’ Froese of the Expos, though. He dispatched his other contenders, running from 1st to 3rd in 8.20 seconds. Steve also ran away with a gift card from Eleven Sixty Bar and Grill.
Our Skills Competition was highlighted by the LMBL Home Run Derby. Lots of deep shots were recorded with the nearly 20 sluggers who came to the plate, and the winner was the Blue Jays’ Andrew Mercier. Andrew was also given a custom bat from HRD BAT Co.
As the sun started to set, the first pitch of the All-Star Game was smashed to right field for an easy standup double by eventual MVP of Team Red, Joel Rypan (representing the Rays). Joel was gifted a prize pack from Echo Valley for his stellar game.
The pace and skill of the game was fitting of a playoff game. The eventual winner was Team Blue, taking down Team Red 7-0, but the game strangely felt closer than the score. Team Blue’s Jordan Satchel (representing the Expos) earned MVP honours for the winning team. He was also given a customized bat from HRD Bat Co.
The LMBL is all about having a league for players to continue playing the game they fell in love with as a kid. Part of the game is about sportsmanship, and we recognized Jaime Kruspel (of the Red Sox) for his sportsmanship at the All-Star Game – and throughout the season. Anderson Craft Ales will be treating him and his team with a tasting at their facility.
The success of the event could not have happened without the countless volunteers, players, the LMBL executive, the over 100 fans that came to watch, and of course our significant others who support our love of the game every Sunday throughout the summer.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled games …
Submitted by London Mens Baseball League and photos by Ben Maessen
