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POPPI POPPE LEE PEP O'S Wednesday, July 26, 1978 Garry Forbes Let's bid for Olympics Let's save the Olympic games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given the big city of Los Angeles until next week to make its position clear on whether it will be hosting the XXIII Olym- piad. If the only bidder for the games bows out, the epitome of international sporting competition will be in serious danger. The Los Angeles situation is simply the obvious finale of a historical trend. Big cities, it seems, just can't swing the big athletic showease. Elected officials in Montreal are still trying to peel Mayor Jean Drapeau from the ledger books so they can escort him to the maternity ward where he will have his promised ('the games can no more lose money than I can have a...") baby. Sure, Moscow, a large city indeed, is able to hos! the 1980 Olympics. Any place that can count on a few hundred thousand volunteers on five minutes' notice can do anything. We can't just let an event like the Olympics be taken away from us and planted per- manently in communist territory, however. Pretty soon they'd make hockey the only event. Small town Maybe our big cities have too much to worry about without discus' and javelins whirring around. But whatever it is, it's quite apparent that things haven't been the same since the games were removed from their original small-town base, Athens. It took Roman emperor Theodosius to put a stop to the 1,200-year-old games when they were held in that Greek town. Theodosius never was much of a sportsman, however, having just previous to his cancellation of the games massacred 7,000 anti-Roman rebels. It is not known whether there was any con- nection -- you know how sports fans are, Since the games were revived in the no- longer-so-small Athens in 1896 they have gone downhill. They have only been put off twice -- by two world wars, which seem to hold among their practitioners a somewhat more spirited competitive attitude, though it was discovered an athlete doesn't function as well when ventilated by bullet holes. The rest of the time, big western cities have only had trouble as hosts, so it's high time the games were returned to the little places where the Olympic Spirit and the Community Spirit can combine to save them. So let's have them here. Yes. The XXIII Olympiad....live and in colour from Midland-Penetang. Sure, they probably have a bunch of finicky rules and regulations that would make the idea seem implausible. And people would probably laugh about it for a while; but they probably haven't seen the new Centennial arena or the plans for the new YMCA building or even McGuire park. They need us But they need us as much as we need them. Here's why: First, Midland's Centennial celebrations will be over by 1984, and there will be an entire town just teeming with untapped enthusiasm. We will be an event-less com- munity and nothing short of the Olympics could quell the incredible spirit which has been demonstrated during the Centennial. Even now, people cringe at the thought of the Centennial ending, and if we don't get the Olympics, the citizens may turn into an ugly mass wandering aimlessly, groping for flags and banners which aren't there. Second, the Montreal Olympics cost over $1 billion. The Edmonton Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, though on a slightly smaller scale, are only costing about $50 million and are expected to make a profit. If we scale things down even more, say to the games' original events plus swimming, we could put them on for even less and make a huge profit for future development of athletes throughout the world. Third, Bill McInerney needs a place for his Road Runners to run in, and he has over a year's experience under his belt in track and field facility negotiation. The grounds at Sacred Heart School are just sitting there waiting for an Olympic stadium, and they have already been partially levelled at one end. Fourth, as far as selling the idea is con- cerned, we have a proven record. As the sidewalk sale showed, people will flock from far and near for the privilege of buying anything in Midland. And last, but not least, we have in Penetanguishene some of the most sports- minded organizers the world has ever seen. Mayor Vince Moreau, Frances St. Amant and Ron Marchildon would ensure the suc- cess of almost any event remotely connected with sports. It's quite clear, then, that to save the continuity of the Olympic games, we must have them. I just hope we don't get underbid by any small Greek towns. Sam Haffey, 15, of Toronto's Bayview Country Club, tees off on the 10th hole in last Thursday's Midland Centennial Junior Invitational golf tournament. Tees off Peewees are unbeaten Several clubs across southern Ontario were represented in the first junior invitational Midland Golf and Country Club has hosted in several years. Quilty fires two-over 72 to top Centennial tourney MIDLAND -- Host club member John Quilty shot a two-over par 72 to top the field in the first an- nual Midland Centennial Junior Invitational golf tournament played Thursday at Midland Golf and Country Club. Sixteen-year-old Quilty earned the Midland Centennial Committee Trophy donated for boys' low gross score. The girls' low gross trophy went to 13-year-old Leslie Price, of Collingwood's Blue Mountain Golf and Country Club, who shot an 81. There were 43 entrants, including 10 girls, from several Southern Ontario golf clubs competing in the first junior tour- nament the club has hosted in several years. Paul Quilty, father of the winner and Midland's junior co-ordinator for the past three years, said that though he was pleased with the number that turned out and felt it represented a solid base on which to build next year's competition. Quilty said some clubs did not respond to in- vitations to send juniors to the event. Larry Banks, co- organizer of the tour- nament, pointed out that the unexpectedly low number of participants was a reflection of the inadequacy of junior programs at some clubs in the province. "There are a number of courses across Ontario where junior golf is not being pushed," Bank said. Quilty said Midland is no longer one of those clubs, and he expressed his enthusiasm about the assistance he is receiving in his efforts to promote the club's junior program. "Our junior program is improving," Quilty said, It's getting more co- operation from the directors of the club and, in this particular event, we had excellent co- operation from everyone -- especially pro Les Marsell and the club house people." Centennial Commis- sioner H. "Mac"' MacLeod was on hand to present trophies and prizes to representatives of those clubs which did attend. Other winners, with scores, were : low gross, junior -- Jeff Gibson (Chinguacousy), 75; low gross, bantam -- Tom Yorke (Midland), 102; low net, girls -- Adrianne Brennen (Midland), 68; low net, junior -- Dave Rooney (Brooklea), 66; low net, juvenile -- Andy Elsdon (Midland), 63; low net, bantam -- Bill Scott (Brooklea), 63. Runners-up were: low gross, juvenile -- Russ Howard (Midland), 73; low gross, girls -- Beverley Fitzgerald Marchand has his perfect season BARRIE -- After seven years of successful coaching in both hockey and baseball, Bob Marchand finally got his perfect season. And he wants none of the credit. Marchand steered the Midland Legion pee wees to a 14-10 victory over Barrie here Wednesday, capping off a 16-game no- loss, no-tie record in the North division of the York-Simcoe baseball league. Marchand restricts his coaching role to steering, and points to his young charges as the makers of their own success story. "It's the kids that win the ball games, "' Mar- chand said. "'I'm the coaeh; and» I~ wouldn't want the praise."' Midland have lost only two tournament games this year, due mainly, Marchand said, to their being outclassed in some tournaments in which they've been the only town represented. Barrie gave them quite a scare in their meeting at Little Lake Park last Tuesday. The visitors were leading 9-8 after their half of the sixth inning, but Midland came through in Brule Hotel tops Olympia, continues winning streak PENETANGUISHENE -- A tough and consistant Brule Hotel team con- tinued their winning streak by defeating Olympia Sports 10-5 in Georgian Bay Fastball action last week. Both teams were even in the hitting department, with 11 hits each, but Brule base-runners were able to capitalize on their hits to take the game. The first inning was scoreless, but Brule hitters exploded in the bottom of the second to take a 6-1 lead. Lenny Desjardins walked, Dave Stainton, Bob Morasse, Ken Davidson, and Ken Tessier all singled (in a row) and Ed Trudeau emptied the bases with a triple. Olympia also scored one run in the top of the second when Ron Desroches hit a home-run to left field. In the third inning, Olympia hitter Bob Bald hit another homer to left field to give Olympia two points. In the fourth inning Brule increased their lead with singles from John Dion and Ed Trudeau. Tessier also scored after getting on base on a walk. Olympia made an at- tempted come-back in the sixth inning when Paul Sauve, Ozzie Marion and Desroches all singled. With help from the Brule pitcher who walked two batters, Olympia managed to chalk up three runs. Brule put the game out of reach in the sixth in- ning when Larry Patenaude and Bob Lapham hit two RBI each. Lapham also pit- ched five and one-third innings for Brule, and Patenaude pitched relief for the last one and two- thirds innings. Brule Hotel remains in a strong first place with 11 wins two losses three ties and a total of 25 points. Penetang Expos 4, Athenian Raiders 2 In the second Monday night game, Penetang Expos tightened their grip on third place with a 4-2 win over fourth place Athenian Raiders. Expos took an early lead with two runs in the top of the opening inning. Paul Dion singled, then stole second and third base, and Larry Leroux walked and went to second on a pass ball. Both crossed home plate when John Monague hit a single up the middle of the field. Raiders tied the game in the bottom of the second inning when Steve Kennedy singled and scored on Aime Gignac's triple. The second run came when Gignac scored on a wild pitch. Expos cinched the low- scoring game in the sixth inning when Wayne Dion and Moreau both singled and scored after an error and two sacrifices. Larry Marchand was the winning pitcher, allowing only six hits and two walks, while striking out three. John Young took the loss. That game gave Expos a slight edge in the race for third place. They have 14 points as compared to Raiders 12. points. Raiders, however, have one game on Expos, and that game could tie the two teams. the bottom of the frame to score three times. They then held Barie to one run in the final bat te take the game 11-10. Midland was again forced to come from behind in their season- ender the following night. After holding a 5-3 third inning lead, they were held scoreless in the next two innings while Barrie scored three times in each. Midland _ then scored four times in the sixth, but Barrie's one run still kept them in the lead. The Legion club then came up with five final-inning runs and kept Barrie off the scoreboard to secure the win and the season streak. "When these kids get fired up they can really play ball," Marchand said. "The competition was really getting keen near the end of the season; Collingwood and Barrie, especially, were really intent on knocking us off." Marchand said his club makes up for their defensive weaknesses with their offensive Hotel Brule first b igh-handed Larry abilities. With the help of Bob Dyment, our base coach, we steal a lot of bases and though we don't hit far, we hit often, and almost any of the boys can be depended on for hits. Also, Tim Platt has been giving us some really solid pitching." Marchand limits his interference with the individuals on the team, maintaining that his approach promotes a better team attitude, and, combined with a little playing talent, will produce winners. "A team will play ball for you if they like you. You just don't get on their backs or centre them out in front of teammates," he said. "if you expect a kid not to make mistakes, you can't succeed as a coach; and when mistakes are made, I try to take the boy aside." Some people, Mar- chand said, "'overcoach"' a team and get too in- volved in hollering at the bench instead of coaching it. "Kids don't need that, and it just won't work." Pat d kes a high-handed catch to put out an Olympia Sports runner in Georgian Bay Fastball league action last week at McGuire Park. Staff photo Platt was credited with both of Midland's season- ending victories. In the final game, Peter Wright and Andy Franz scored three runs each, Darrin Marchand, Steve Charlebois and Mare Lemieux scored two apiece and single runs were added by Owen Quilty and Darrin Marchand. Quilty crossed the plate three times in Tuesday's outing, Ed Moreau and Platt scored twice each, and Brian Loney, Darrin Pender, Marchand and Wright rounded out the scoring. (Midland), 90; low gross, bantam -- Owen Quilty (Midland), 105; low net, juvenile = Dave Desroches (Midland), 64; low net, girls -- Kathy May (Chinguacousy), 72; low net, bantam -- Dave Venner (Midland), 78. Additional prizes were - longest presented to Chris Mays (Chinguacousy ), boys' drive; Kathy Mays(Chinguacousy), girls' longest drive; Sam Haffey (Bayview), boys'; closest to hole; Beverley Fitzgerald (Midland), girls' closest to hole; Lionel Conacher (Midland), most honest golfer. The club's junior golfers meet each Thursday at 5:30 p.m. for a clinic and rounds for golf ball prizes. A junior- senior tournament will be held at the club in late August. Brule Hotel holds lead in Bay fastball PENETANGUISHENE -- According to recent statistics released by the Georgian Bay Fastball League, the Brule Hotel team still holds a sizeable lead with 25 points. In second place with 19 points is Lerecar Con- struction, and the Penetang Expos hold third place with 14 points. Athenian' Raiders, Caswell's Antiques, Olympia Sports and Christian Island follow with 12, 11, 10 and seven points consecutively. Lercar will have a chance to narrow the gap between first and second place, since they have played only 14 games to Brule Hotel's 16 games. Alvin. Robillard presently holds the lead in the league hitting race Robillard, a Lercar pitcher, has been at bat 37 times, and has had 16 hits. His average is an im- pressive .432. Right behind Robillard is Wally Jamieson of Christian Island. Jamieson has been at bat 36 times and has hit 15 times for a .417 average. Penetang Expos Larry Leroux follows with a .415 average after 17 hits, Bob Lapham of Brule Hotel is hitting an even 400 after 20 hits and Brian Walser of Christian Island is presently batting .361. Alvin Robillard also holds the lead presently for most RBI, (runs batted in) with 14. Two Brule players, John Dion and Bob Lapham are tied for second with 13 RBI each and Larry Leroux of Penetang Expos and Dennis O'Leary of Olympia Sports are tied for third with 11 RBI each. Islanders come up with biggest win of the year PENETANGUISHENE -- Christian Island Islanders, the last place team in the Georgian Bay Fastball League, came up with a big win last week when they trounced Caswell's Antiques 13-8. Islander pitcher Bob Rice started off the game, and went four innings, and was then relieved by relief pitcher Tim Sylvester. Islanders took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in- ning, thanks to singles from Carl Banting and Bob Rice, and a two-run triple from the bat of Carl Monague. Four more Island runs in the second inning in- creased their lead. Everett King doubled, Mike _ Fisher, Roly Monague and Carl Banting all singled. Two passed balls and one error helped in that scoring-spree. Caswell's scored one run in the bottom of the first when Ron Blanchard homered over the left-field fence. The score became 6-2 in the third inning when Caswell's and Ken Pepple both singled and Blan- chard scored after a number of Island errors The score became 6-2 in the third --_ inning when Caswell's Blan- chard and Ken Popple both singled and Blan- chard scored after a number of Island errors. Another Caswell's run in the fourth made the score 6-3, and Caswell's then exploded in the bottom of the fifth with five runs. Art Desroches, Popple, Dan MeMillan and Steve McDonald all singled and two errors helped all of them cross home-plate. Fortunately, Islanders were able to score four more runs in the mean- time, and along with three Island runs in the top of the seventh, they clinched the victory. Those three final runs came after Rice and Arnold Jamieson singled and Wally Jamieson sent them home with a base- clearing triple. Jamieson then went on to score also. Islanders committed 10 errors as compared to Caswell's five in that game, yet they managed to win. As in past Island victories, the key was a heavy offense. They out- hit Caswell's 14-9. Lercar Construction 2, Brule Hotel 2. In the other Tuesday night game, the first and second place team matched almost hit for hit as Brule Hotel and Lercar Construction tied 2-2. In total standings, Brule presently has a six- point lead on Lercar, but Lercar has a game on- hand. As the season continues there will almost certainly be a battle-royal for top spot in the league. In the Tuesday night game, pitchers Alvin Robillard and Larry Patenaude squared off and pitched almost identical games. Robillard, Lercar's pitcher went seven in- nings, while pitching eight strike-outs, and allowing five hits and three walks. Brule pit- cher Patenaude also allowed five hits, but was unable to strike oul any Lercecar batters. Patenayde gave away no walks. O'Leary's ability to score didn't help Olympia last week, as they were defeated 7-2 by Lercar Construction. Olympia's only two runs came in the first inning when O'Leary scored along with Bob Moreau after several singles and a walk for Terry Dahmer. Lerear started late in that game, but thanks toa five-run inning, they had little trouble taking the lead. Olympia committed four errors in the fourth inning, allowing four unearned runs for Lercar. Along with singles by Tony Forget and Louis Belcourt, those errors gave Lercar a big inning and a 5-2 lead. One more run in the fifth inning increased the Lercar lead. ~Kevin Timmons homered over the left-field fence to earn that point. The final run came in the sixth inning when Gord Dusome walked and scored after a single from Louis Belcourt and a wild pitch. Tony Forget, Lercar's starting pitcher allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning, but then ace pitcher Alvin Robillard provided relief pitching almost seven- innings without allowing a run. Robillard gained his fifth win of the year thanks to his relief pitching. Caswell's Antiques 6, Christian Island 5 In a make-up game from Monday, July 10, Christian Island finally went down in defeat to Caswell's Antiques after seven tight innings. The first inning was scoreless, but Caswell's took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Dan MeMillan started his scoring attempt by being hit by a pitch. He stole second and finally scored on Ivan Moreau's single. After another run in the fourth inning, Caswell's temporarily lost the lead. Islanders came into their own scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Doug Monaque and Barry Assance walked and were sent home by. Tim Sylvester's two-run double. Sylvester then scored on Wally Jamieson's single. The game tightened up considerably in the fifth inning. Caswell's took the lead again with two runs. Al Hill and Ken Popple and Dan McMillan all singled and with the assistance of an Island error, scored two points. Islanders tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a run from Larry Sandy. Singles from Monague and Assance enabled Sandy to run home. A run in the sixth inning gave Islanders a point lead, Wally Jamieson got that im- portant run with a home- run to deep left-centre field. Unfortunately for Christian Island, Caswell's came into the seventh and final inning and literally stole the game with two runs. Al Hill got on base by virtue of a walk, and Bob Larmand got on base and advanced Hill to second. Both then crossed home plate after an Island error. Andy Forget went seven innings for Caswell's in the 6-5 vic- tory, and Tim Sylvester pitched an impressive game for Islanders, allowing only two earned runs. Sportsummmary Six teams battling for second in golf league MIDLAND -- Only 1% points separate six teams for second place behind league-leading Four Musketeers after July 20 play of the Huronia Twilight League at Brooklea Golf and Country Club. Four temas -- The Moneybelts, Wally's Rippers, Short Strokes and Leitch's Gophers -- are deadlocked in fourth place with 23% points, nine behind Musketeers. Another point up is Olympia Sports with 241 points, one-half behind second-place RCA. Best shooters of the day were Rod Reynolds, of Lancers, who shot a 41 for the best back nine, and Karl Lehr of Musketeers and Jack Bennett, of Dunlop Lifters, who matched Reynolds' score on the back nine. Forbes Stewart of Lancers shot the best under his average with 11. Swinging at Midland GC MIDLAND -- There's plenty of swinging going on at Midland Golf and Country Club these days. The ladies' club championship began yesterday and continues through until tomorrow, and the men's club championship is scheduled to begin Saturday. Play for the men's title will continue Sunday, July 30, Saturday August 12 and will be settled with the final round August 13. Golfers from all over Ontario will converge on the club August 5 to compete in the 30,000 Islands In- vitational. Barrie beats midgets 6-5 BARRIE -- Midland midget baseball team almost brought their record up to an even .500, but instead had the balance tipped back after being edged 6-5 by Barrie here Monday. Midland came back from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game, but Barrie managed one more run in their last at-bat. The loss was Midland's eighth of the season and came after they beat New Lowell 9-4 at Tiffin Park last week for their sixth win. In last week's game, Kevin Marchand gained the win by pitching a four-hitter and striking out seven New Lowell batters. \ t 1 Re pares epee ee