1964 Elmvale Fastball Team Narrative
Article by Mike Townes
The Elmvale Palace Hotel 1964 Fastball team was one of the best men’s team to play at the Elmvale Ball Park. This team had some of the best athletes to play the game for Elmvale. The team had pitching greats Leo Belcourt and Danny McHugh on the mound as well as great defense and offense. In 1964, the team won two team awards (regular season and playoff champs) and individual awards (three by Danny McHugh) in the Barrie & District Senior Fastball League, including the championship trophy.
The team members were Lou Belcourt, George Sibbald, Homer Barrett, Dave Campbell, Elvie Frankcom, Stan Ritchie, Dennis Turner, Gary Keeler, Doug Stone, Lou Turner and Harvey Graham. Harry Rowley, Norm Crane and Paul Rowat (Manager) made up the staff while Danny Rowat was the batboy.
Article: Nomination by Dave Campbell
“THE ELMVALE PALACE HOTEL FASTBALL TEAM” of the year, 1964
This team began playing in the Georgian Bay Fastball League and was made up of players from Elmvale Ontario. During this time of building, the Palace Hotel Team worked to strengthen its local talent. In it’s final year in this league, 1962, they finished with a one loss season. They went on to win the league’s season trophy and playoff trophy. A dominating year led by pitcher Leo and catcher Lou Belcourt.
It was the vision of manager and coach Paul (Gummy) Rowat that the team advance and begin play in the elite Barrie and District Senior Fastball League, based at Queen’s Park diamond in Barrie, Ontario. The B.D.S.F.L. league was supported by very strong teams from Barrie, Minesing, Camp Borden and Edgar. These teams touted great athletes in all athletic fields including hockey, track and field and football, so it was understandable that this League was ranked as tops in Ontario along with Toronto’s Q Beach League.
In its first season, the Palace Hotel Team finished tied for the last playoff spot with the Edgar Radar Team. Elmvale had won its last four games of the season to create the need for a tie breaker. Although being eliminated, it was the beginning of “great promise for the Hotelmen”, a quote from the Barrie Examiner of the day.
When the team returned to the League in 1964, they experienced a slow start in the early part of the schedule that did not produce many wins. The turning point for this season came with a first place finish at the Vasey, Ontario tournament with a very strong win over New Market. The team caught fire in the League and went on to win first place in the year end standings. They then defeated Minesing in the final playoffs in seven games. There were tremendous games played, as both teams were at their best for this series. It was estimated 3000 people packed Queen’s Park for that final game which resulted in a victory for Elmvale and the league championship. In Elmvale, it was not unheard of to see 2000 people watching the Hotelmen play BDSFL playoff games and OASA playoffs that year. Such was the popularity of fastball in Simcoe County in 1964! Several Elmvale players where elected to the Barrie and District Senior Fastball League’s All Stars teams, ending a successful run that season.
It is to be remembered that this was the heyday of amateur fastball in Canada. Every village, town, and city had good fastball teams. A fledgling Ontario Amateur Softball Association was beginning play in the fall, pitting Ontario teams in a 2 of 3 home and home playoff series. The Palace Hotelmen advanced through several zone playoffs, culminating in a victory at Electric. This was a fantastic series that saw Elmvale win the first game convincingly at home sending the series to Electric, Ontario. After several rainouts that fall the series resumed in Electric. The Hotelmen lost a close second game, the first of a double header. That evening, in rain, Danny McHugh struck out 23 of 29 batters, in a 3-0 win, which ended the series and sent Elmvale to the Southern Ontario Intermediate OASA finals in Brooklyn, Ontario. The winner of this series would advance to play the Northern Ontario representative in October for the Ontario Championship. Elmvale’s run ended at Brooklyn, playing the first game in the snow, and being defeated in Elmvale in two very tight games. The Hotelmen were participating in the Barrie League playoffs at the same time as the OASA final was being played, creating a hectic travelling schedule for a team from the Village of Elmvale, but such was the game of fastball in 1964, in a very wet fall!
The Elmvale Palace Hotel Team boasted some of Elmvale’s greatest athletes as well as producing the strongest team - then and now - to play fastball in the history of the village and arguably as well, in Ontario. The 1964 Elmvale Palace Hotel Fastball Team was comprised of the following athletes. Lou Belcourt, catcher; George Sibbald, left field ; Homer Barrett, third base; Danny McHugh, pitcher; Leo Belcourt, pitcher; Dave Campbell, first base; Stan Ritchie, second base; Dennis Turner, right field; Gary Keeler, short stop; Doug Stone, second base; Lou Turner, centre field; Elvie Frankcom, centre field; Harvey Graham, third base. Paul Rowat coached and managed, Harry Rowley coached, Norm Crane was Secretary Treasurer and Ellroy Godin, of the Palace Hotel in Elmvale was sponsor.
Acknowledgements to Dave Campbell for submitting the nomination of the 1964 Palace Hotel Fastball Team and Jennifer Campbell for editing and organization of material for the nomination.
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