Today I’m featuring the third installment of the “Meet the Flyers” series, as we are now just four days away from the GOFL Final Weekend Showdown in Quyon! I hope you continue to familiarize yourself with the Quyon Flyers…or at least enjoy your time pointing & laughing at their mustache pics…
(You can find the first two installments here and here.)
The first player profile today belongs to the shortstop/pitcher, Matt Greer:
Matt and his 2010 Worlds stache, “Ron Burgundy”
Matt, known to his teammates as “Coon”, has been with the Flyers since the beginning, and he is now a leader on this team. If there’s one thing I know about Matt, it’s this: He lives and breathes sports. He’s a high school athletic co-ordinator, he referees high school basketball games, and this past summer, he helped coach one of the Quyon minor league softball teams. I admire Matt’s dedication to passing on his love for athletics to the future generation.
At the ball park, Matt’s a pretty serious guy, but he can be a lot of fun too. For instance, there was the time a gang of us – including a bunch of Flyers - took a bus from Quyon to the AC/DC concert in Ottawa. On the way home, we stopped in Aylmer at McDonalds, only to discover the doors were locked and they insisted we had to go through the 24 hour drive-thru. Ummm…HELLO, we’re on a SCHOOL BUS!! The employee who came to the door told us he guessed we’d have to walk through. So within minutes, they had about 20 drunk people standing at their window, shouting, laughing, and trying to place orders. The guy working the drive-thru told us to get in line. Matt decided if he pretended to be driving a truck, maybe he might get served more quickly. So he grabbed on to his “steering wheel” and people started hopping in his invisible truck – one in the passenger seat, three in the back seat. When I tried to squeeze in, Matt shouted, “NOPE, THERE’S NO MORE ROOM IN MY TRUCK!!! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT!!!”
When I asked Coach Fleck what strengths #22 brings to the team, he told me, “Matt can bat anywhere in the line-up. He brings as much power as anyone to the game.” Hopefully we get to see plenty of that power this weekend as the Flyers compete for the GOFL title. And I’m certain that Matt’s girlfriend, Leigh – one of my roomies in Michigan last summer and a loyal follower of the team – will be joining the fans in the stands to cheer on him and the rest of the team.
Moving on, the next player I’ll be featuring is the pitcher, #12 Drew Hathway:
Drew’s mustache “Cedric”
Ahhh, good ol’ Drew. I can always count on him to let me know when the season begins, because he PING’s my Blackberry Messenger about 26 times every year before the first game. When my phone starts buzzing and dancing around like crazy, I can almost guarantee it’s “Hatty”, letting me know the season is about to begin. He’s also been known to steal my BB and run away with it, sending unapproved texts to people without my permission…but we’ll save that story for another day…And if you’re ever at Buffalo Wild Wings? Ask for Drew’s help – as a chicken wing connoisseur, he knows that menu inside and out, and his recommendations on flavours are always top notch.
Now in his 4th season with the Flyers, Drew can also be counted on to bring fierce competitiveness and a strong will to win, every game. Of course, Coach Fleck had some big praise for Drew when I interviewed him. “Hatty’s got a dirty drop ball and a big bat, we can’t ask for much more,” Kenny said. His name and reputation are well-known in fastpitch circles, and this was never so evident to me as last summer at the Worlds in Midland, when Drew couldn’t walk more than ten feet without being greeted by another player, coach, or fan from teams far and wide.
Along with the other members of the Flyers’ strong pitching staff, Drew gives this team an excellent chance at winning their first GOFL championship. His girlfriend Krista will hopefully be joining me and the rest of the Flyers faithful at the park in Quyon, rooting him at the Final Weekend Showdown!
And the last player for today is Shawn Laframboise, or “Mo” as he’s better known to most:
Mo & his mustache, “Billy Ray”
My first question for Coach Fleck concerning Mo was this: Exactly what position does he play? Because when I got thinking about it, I’ve seen him play catcher, first base, and in the outfield. Apparently, that’s one of #15’s biggest assets to this team, as Kenny said, “He plays many different positions when called upon. He brings the small game to the park when asked to do so, and he can also play the long ball.”
Mo is another member of this team that gives back to the community whenever he gets the chance. He helped coach a Quyon minor-league softball team to victory this past summer, and earlier this year, he donned a curly wig and a lovely cowgirl outfit for the women’s Flyers fastball team fundraiser – and at the end of the night, brought home the big title of “Miss Peach”. Despite winning the contest, I think I can speak for everyone when I say I hope we never have to see that again…
Mo has been with this Flyers team since Day 1, and it would undoubtedly be rewarding if he was able to help bring home the first league title at the Final Weekend Showdown. All I can say is that if they’re able to do so, and the celebration moves to the dance floor at Gavan’s afterwards, ladies beware – Mo spun me around once in a puddle of spilled drinks, causing me to fall, and I had a bruise on my shin to show for it for weeks afterwards. He’s dangerous.
Well, that’s a wrap on this installment of “Meet the Flyers”. Be sure to come back on Thursday for the final player profile post, where I’ll be introducing you to Joe McCleary, Steve McCord, and of course, my very own brother, Luke Young.
Only a few days to go…can you feel the excitement building?!? :)
2 comments:
I guess that means you ain't going to Community Day!!!
Oh I think I may be able to take in both!!!
Post a Comment