The Estevan Drillers baseball team may have lost 11-4 to the Riverhurst Thumpers in the Twilite Masters Baseball Tournament B final last Saturday at the newly rebuilt Mets Stadium in Woodlawn Regional Park, but the loss doesn't diminish the success they enjoyed over the weekend.
Lindsay Clark, right fielder for the Drillers, said the support the over-45 ball team received from the eight other participating clubs went a long way to make the whole weekend a victory for the Drillers. He said the renovated facilities at Mets Stadium worked perfectly, the tournament ran on time, the umpiring was top notch and the Drillers got great support from the other teams at the beer gardens after the games, which raised some money to put back towards more work at the park.
“The idea of doing this was to showcase (the rebuilt Mets Stadium) and thank the community who stepped up and helped do that,” said Clark. “Our goal is certainly to tell people a big part of the sports history in Estevan was the Ace Mud Mets team and that diamond. (Now) it's resurrected and it'll be there for many years to come.”
To begin the July 24 to 26 tournament the Drillers honoured the late Bryan Gowen, Ray Frehlick and Clark during the opening ceremonies. Frehlick, Clark and Gowen's widow Pat all threw out a first pitch last Friday while players from each team stood along the base paths and a large crowd of supporters cheered from the bleachers behind the backstop.
Clark said the Drillers honoured Bryan at the 2010 Twilite Maxi Baseball Tournament when Estevan hosted the event at Mets Stadium, but since they weren't able to erect a sign in his honour before the field was flooded in 2011 they decided to follow up on that pledge this year. He said Frehlick was celebrated for his dedicated work in the community along with his role in the original construction of Mets Stadium and his management of the Ace Mud Mets.
Clark was honoured for his many years volunteering with Estevan minor baseball. He has been active in the sport since 1980 by playing and coaching fastball through all levels of the program. Clark said the choice to have him throw out the first pitch came as a complete surprise.
“It's great and I appreciate them doing that,” he said. “I guess I was more surprised because I really think it should have been about Joe (Lingelbach) and what he did (rebuilding Mets Stadium), but I'm appreciative of what they did and the things they said and that people appreciate your involvement.”
Clark said the Drillers came in second in the B division of the tournament, but winning and losing is not a big part of the Twilite Masters Baseball Tournament. He said the players who came to the park for the weekend were there to have fun, socialize and hit a few line drives.
“The whole thing is about the people and having a good weekend and enjoying something they've done their whole lives.”
