The Burlington Oldtimers Slo-Pitch League is a slo-pitch league for players 35 years and older, with16 teams and 15 players on each. Teams are selected by our Captains using a draft format, so each year you will be able to meet new members of our community. All games are played on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May to September on three City of Burlington parks. There are two exciting tournaments every year. A mid-season tournament at the end of June and the season finale at the beginning of September.
Now to give you a better idea of what our league is about please read this note from Mark Flood who requested to share this with all of us... Thank you Mark!
I want to share a story with all the BOSL members and their significant others and with anyone who goes on to the website to check out what this league is all about. It has been my pleasure to be a part of this league for 13 seasons come 2010. Most of this time has been as a team captain and I also did a stint on the board as the Social Planner. I have witnessed the support this league has extended to its membership and to the community through various charities. My wife and I have made many good friends within the BOSL and many of these friendships extend well beyond Tuesday and Thursday nights during ball season.
In 2009 I have been directly affected by this support in many different ways. First, in Nov 2008 I lost a job of 25 years with Canada Post and started doing renovations and home repairs. Several people from the league helped me get started in this venture and employed my services and or recommended me to friends / families they knew need work done around their homes. This help has allowed me to kick off a small business that continues to provide me with income. Then in June of 2009 at the mid season tournament, I learned mid game, that my father had passed away. The team we were playing immediately stopped play while I dealt with this news and moved that the game, end right then out of respect to me, my wife and the situation. Moving on to late August of 2009, my wife of 22 years and score keeper of 12 seasons was informed she had Leukemia. Throughout her treatment and her time back at home after the hospital, the out pouring of support by way of help with home care, simple visitations, providing meals and support to me and my family was incredible. Unfortunately not all stories have fairy tale endings and in this case Mary Jane passed away on Dec 14th of 2009 which happened to be my birthday and 9 days away from her birthday.
Her last wishes included a request to simply have a memorial in a pub setting as she always enjoyed socializing in this environment with friends and family and wanted to be remembered in this manner. The number of those from the BOSL who attend this event on Dec 19th was amazing. Over the 5 to 6 hours at least 250 people made their way to Ned Devine's in Milton. Many of were close friends we have made over the 12 years in the BOSL, but many were simply members of the league that knew Mary Jane as that loud, competitive, cheering sometimes screaming score keeper they saw every Tuesday and Thursday and at tournaments during baseball season. In 12 full seasons Mary Jane probably only missed 15 to 20 games, many of these were this year, due to her illness. She loved this league as much as I do. She always took full control of my team's score sheet and took pride in the neatness she insisted on. Mary Jane was always a social director at QB's after games and at the many parties we held in which the majority of attendees were friends and teammates from the BOSL.
Her other request was instead of flowers or donations to charities, she had me open a trust account in the name of her daughter. The BOSL board supported her request and many individual members and complete teams from the league also honoured Mary Jane's wishes by giving to this trust fund. Since her passing, the continued support for me and my daughter from members of the BOSL has been wonderful. This league has always preached that they are about competition but that fun and fellowship are the most important aspects of the league. Well I can say that they practice what they preach. Mary Jane and I have always approached each season with a competitive spirit and she always was anxious to see who we drafted from year to year. She always wanted to make sure we had a team that played and partied hard and had at least 1 or 2 players that could "run like the wind". She loved having a team that other wives supported and we always made sure this was taken care of so she could be with friends and keep score at the same time.
So hats off to the BOSL, I know the season of 2010 for me, will be bitter sweet and there will be a big emptiness for me at each game. I also know the support I will get from the league and teammates will help me to continue to move forward in my day to day life. Mary Jane would be proud to see how the league honoured her passing and continues to support her daughter and her husband who she always said was the "best damn pitcher in the best ball league ever".
Thank you everyone,
Sincerely,
Mark Flood
