History

Celebrating the journey, milestones, and memories of our baseball community

OUR HISTORY

July 2013

In 2013 Laurence Drew initiated the possibility of developing the first ‘Canadian 69 & Over Men’s Slow Pitch League’, by opening discussions with Larry Stacey and Ev Lucenti. Through diligent deliberations and research, these three founding members quickly discovered that interest was strong and players welcomed the opportunity to continue their desire to play ball with their peers!

Subsequently, the OSSPL was born; and the tapping into the talents of ball players 69 years young and over began.

FIONN MCCOOL’S, a local Oakville restaurant was successfully approached to sponsor OSSPL. This not only provides funds to help reduce the financial impact on each player, but also afforded a pleasant environment for the team to gather after the games.

December 2013

In December four teams were introduced: Base Invaders; Career Years; Running Rogues; and Better Batters.

OSSPL’s Executive, comprising Laurence, Larry & Ev [each] managed a team to become familiar with the players and address any challenges associated with managing players at this age level. In addition to the Executive managing the teams, OSSPL was fortunate enough to convince Don Mosely-Williams, a greatly respected and talented manager, to take on the task of becoming OSSPL’s fourth manager.

2014 – OSSPL Official

OSSPL entered its first season in 2014, with 52 players and 4 substitutes, and ended the season with League Champions Running Rogues (Laurence Drew) and the Playoff Champions Better Batters (Don Moseley-Williams).

2015 – New Team Names

OSSPL opened its 2015 season with new team names: Colts; Stallions; Mustangs; and Broncos.

The league lost a great manager when Ev Lucenti decided to step down as manager due to his heavy workload, but he continued with OSSPL as a great contributor and ball player.

The league was fortunate when Harvey Hewgill joined to manage the fourth team.

The 2015 season started again with 13 players per team and 5 spares.

Harvey proved his reputation as a talented leader by not only winning the League but also won the Playoff Championship (Stallions).

2016

This is the first year for the OSSPL web site. The web site will include NEWS and VIEWS Game Reports and Standings, Schedules, and league history. We hope the site will be convenient for all of you and we welcome any suggestions for additions or deletions.

Your executive this year includes Laurence Drew, Larry Stacey and Ev Lucenti, and the Manager Team is made up of Don Moseley-Williams, Harvey Hewgill, Jim Craig and Max Crocker.

League Champions will be awarded the Jim Carey trophy, and the Playoff champs will be awarded the Harvey Hewgill Trophy.

It was truly a record year in the OSSPL when we awarded both the first place and championship trophies to the same team. The Mustangs, managed by Harvey Hewgill pulled off the double. This is the first time this has happened in the OSSPL so far. The 2017season will soon be upon us, so we will see what surprises that season will bring.

2017

2017 commenced with a complete OSSPL Executive, comprised of Ron Berry, who replaced Larry Stacey (one of League’s founding member), Ev Lucenti and Laurence Drew.

With the addition of Bill Langdon (replacing Max Crocker) OSSPL’s Team Managers, included Harvey Hewgill, Jim Craig and Don Moseley Williams.

The weather was advantageous this year; we only encountered one rain out game and in most cases enjoyed very warm, sunny days.

As this year’s playoffs were on the horizon, our pending excitement faded when we received the devastating news that our good friend and colleague Harvey Hewgill had succumbed from a massive heart attack. OSSPL was obviously shook to its very core. Harvey was a good friend to all and a generous benefactor who loved the game of baseball. Although Harvey will be missed by all whose lives he touched, he will always be on the pitcher’s mound in our spirits.

OSSPL’s 2017 season ended with the Colts winning First Place as well as the Championship Round. Congratulations to the Colts’ manager Don Mosley Williams and his Team for an amazing season.

Jim Carey presented the Colts with the prestigious Jim Carey Award for first place, and Grant Chapman presented the Colts with the esteemed Harvey Hewgill Award for winning the Championship round.

At the conclusion of the 2017 season, OSSPL’s Executive decided to change the League’s sponsorship from Finn McCools to The Pipes & Taps; a local pub that is slightly closer to our ball diamonds.

We are all looking forward to the 2018 Ball Season; see you on the baseball field!

2018

OSSPL’s four teams, coloured-named in 2018, and Team Managers comprised:

Red Team – Jim Craig; BlueTeam – Bill Langdon; White Team – Doug Wingrove; and Gold Team – Rick Wilcox.

As the league continued to expand we started the season with 15 players per Team and 7 spares. This of course allowed less interruptions and fewer call-ups from the spare list.

The season got underway with a flurry of wins for the Red Team; a fairly extensive lead in the standings for this Team in the early part of the schedule. It became apparent that restructuring was necessary to balance the League. The modifications made a difference, affording all Teams the structure conducive to fair wins/losses throughout the season.

At season end, the Red Team captured first place, winning the Jim Carey Trophy.

The Championship round was a different story … the Jim Carey Trophy winners failed to make it to the Championship game.

The Championship round was an exciting finish to the 2018 season, and ultimately won by the Blue Team who took the Harvey Hewgill Trophy.

Congratulations to the 2018 Red Team, coached by Jim Craig and the Blue Team, coached by Bill Langdon.

We all congregated at the Pipes and Taps after each Tuesday to celebrate our win or blame the coach for our loss.

Yes … it was the best of times … it was a great year!

2019

Congratulations to all of us, on the threshold of our 7th year of baseball and comradery.
2019 started in a different way; we received enough applications to expand the league to five teams:

Team Green, managed by Jim Fenner; Team Red managed by Jim Craig; Team White managed by Doug Wingrove; Team Blue managed by Bill Langdon; and, Team Gold managed by Bob Falconi.

The schedule was crafted to utilize five teams playing every Tuesday. To ensure each team played the same number of games, one team would have to play two games on Tuesday once a month. On the surface the idea was sound, but Mother Nature intervened and we had to endure five rainout dates. This made it very difficult to balance the schedule, but we survived.

As the season opened, so did the clouds, and our opening game was rained out, however, we were still optimistic about the rest of the season.

The Green team managed by Jim Fenner were the ‘Jim Carey Trophy’ winners and the Championship winners of the Harvey Hewgill was the White team managed by Doug Wingrove. Congratulations to both teams for a very successful season.

It was a very successful ball season; enjoyed by all.

Going forward into the 2020 season:
Ev Lucenti has decided to step down as a member of the Executive. As one of our founders of the league, Ev’s guidance and knowledge of the game proved beneficial beyond words to us all. Not everyone realizes how much time and effort goes into putting the league together every year. Ev has been the backbone and a tower of strength in helping to deliver a very successful senior baseball league. I, along with everyone else thank Ev for his friendship and constant guidance in developing the OSSPL. Although Ev has retired from the league’s Executive he will continue to consult and play ball.

Bob Falconi will be taking Ev’s position on the Executive. Bob brings his leadership qualities, knowledge, and his passion for the game to the Executive and we look forward to his contribution and time.

2020

2020 was a tumultuous year that saw the onset of a deadly pandemic.
The year in time that History was made …
In 2019 baseballs were ‘fly’ing high
In 2020 baseballs were ‘grounded’ as the Covid 19 pandemic covered all home ‘bases’ and ‘hit our season out of the park’!

2021

As 2021 started its warm up, we all high-fived in anticipation of the pandemic striking out. The fields were groomed, ball players anxiously waited at home plate for the province to say ‘play ball’. The starting lineup finally hit the dug out in July.

Executive
Doug Wingrove
Ron Berry
Bob Falconi
Laurence Drew

2022

OSSPL is pleased to announce some exciting changes for the 2022 baseball season.
The motivation behind these changes is to ensure all our ball players have as much ‘at bat’ and ‘field’ playing time as possible, at every game.
The league will maintain four teams, consisting of 15 or 16 players per team, with the following directives being applied:
1) Two 6-inning games will be played, each Tuesday;
2) Each team will play two innings at a time, before transitioning from ‘at bat’ to ‘in the field’;
3) Each batter will start with a 1-ball and 1-strike count;
4) [on a trial basis]

Inning #1 – a new ball will start the 1st inning;

Inning #4 – a new ball will start the 4th inning.

OSSPL thanks you for your continued support, as we strive for the very best, mutually beneficial baseball seasons.

Following the loss of one season of playing ball and the past year of uncertainty with a half season, we look forward to an exciting year on the baseball field, filled with comradery, and the love of baseball!

OSSPL 2025

What a season! Possibly one of the best in recent years. Influx of new young [70] guys; well balanced teams; no rain outs; and well attended post game gatherings.

Bill Johnsons GOLD team lead most of the way and finished with a 12 – 4 – 1 record to take the league Championship. John Goods BLUE team challenged all year for top spot while Lloyd Johnstons WHITE team and Doug McArthurs RED team struggled for last place. Things started to change early August as both RED and WHITE started playing the way their teams were on paper and while finished the year 3rd and 4th, positioned themselves well going into the playoffs. Fast forward to the final game where it was RED vs WHITE playing for the Championship and GOLD and BLUE fighting for bronze so-to-speak.

Congratulations to Lloyd Johnstons WHITEs to win a close battle 21-17 and take home the trophy.

Back at the Oakville Pump & Patio it couldn’t have been more lively with final beers with Teammates and alumni enjoying the trophy presentations and team hoodies. Congrats goes out to Doug Wingrove who was the well deserved recipient of the Ron Berry Award for 2025.

OSSPL 2026

What an incredible, cinematic turn of events for the 2026 Oakville Senior Slo-Pitch League season!

The Blue team’s turnaround from a brutal 0–3 start (with three mercy losses) to a dominant 6–0 playoff run scoring 16 runs a game is the exact kind of underdog story that keeps everyone coming back every Tuesday. Going from “should we step in and rebalance the league?” in June to punching a ticket straight to the Finals is legendary.

Season Highlights to Remember

The Decision That Paid Off: The Executive and managers holding firm in June not to force trades to rebalance the Blue team preserved the natural drama of the season.
The Elements: Mother Nature certainly made her presence felt with extreme weather—a blistering 40°C heat wave on one Tuesday followed immediately by a downpour on the next.
White’s Wire-to-Wire Dominance: While Blue stole the headline story, Lloyd Johnston’s White team remained the model of consistency all summer long, earning both the overall regular season title and capping off Championship Day with stellar defense and run support.

Congratulations to Lloyd Johnston and the White Team on taking home the 2026 title, and to all four managers and executives for navigating another memorable year on the diamond! Rest up those joints and aches—spring will be here before you know it.

Further congrats goes out to Laurence Drew, this years winner of the Rob Berry Award

WE PLAY, WE WIN, WE ARE THE BEST!

About Team

The OSSPL is a men’s slow-pitch league for players 70 years and older who want to continue to play for enjoyment at a competitive level consistent with our ages. We play for fun, although the 4 teams are highly competitive when the "Play ball" command comes from the umpire.

HISTORY