Fort Erie mixed slo-pitch league all about friendly competition and family

Winning takes second place to having fun.

That’s one way to describe the atmosphere of the Fort Erie Mixed Recreational Slo-Pitch League, a longstanding summer tradition that was established in 1992 but has roots that were planted long before it was officially formed.

In 1985, a slo-pitch league started at Fleet, and then evolved into action taking place at other diamonds in town such as at the Union Centre (former Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall), as well as the Blair Sportsplex in the area of Thompson and Bowen roads.

It was a bit “too competitive,” which led to a new league being formed, and is the one still going strong today, said Dianne Goulding, who was one of the key players in it taking shape, along with her husband Gerry, who both recently had their numbers retired by their squad, the Gordy Girdy Gang.

On Saturday and Sunday, the annual year-end tournament was held at Empire Loyalist Park on Ott Road in Stevensville, where all the action has taken place Wednesdays and Fridays from May to mid-September since the league moved there in 2004.

There are eight teams currently, adding up to at least 150 players, said Rick Foster, one of the league’s convenors, and someone who has been around since he was a teenager and played on a team with his parents, Rick and Barb Foster.

His daughter Hailey recently started playing on his team, the Ballers.

There are also several examples of generations of families in the league, such as Gerry and Dianne Goulding having grandchildren who play.

“We’ve got to keep the younger generations coming in to keep this league alive,” said Foster, who is 56 years old.

Teams are always elated to score runs or make an outstanding defensive play, but the rec league is centred around “friendly competition” and spending time with your on-field family two days a week.

“A lot of times, the baseball comes after the socializing,” he said on Saturday.

John Girdlestone is the oldest player across all eight teams, going strong at 75 years old and a regular pitcher for the Gordy Girdy Gang.

He told Fort Erie Radio that the league can still have some tense moments, but nothing that people hold grudges about.

“There’s little arguments, but nothing that ever lasts,” said Girdlestone, whose son Adam is the league’s rules expert.

Mags Matthews has been playing for 19 years. Her first team was sponsored by The Barnea House, and now she is a league convenor and captain of a squad sponsored by Plantation Landscaping.

She agreed that each team is like its own little family.

“We all take care of each other’s kids and have a great time together,” she said, adding that “the camaraderie is fantastic.”

Eight teams vied for the end-of-season championship this weekend, including Plantation, Montasola Farms, Rainbow Property Management, Butler Fleet, the Hawks, Happy People, and the Ballers. But it was the Gordy Girdy Gang who were ultimately crowned champions.

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