Dearest Captains:

Thank you for supporting your league – our family!  Thank you for bringing your families.  Our year-event, now in its 22^nd year, has become the truly an event to look forward to and appreciate! Thrilled you could be part of it!  You are Border Town! 

Thank you to those whom have been a mainstay for years and years and thank you to our wonderful new teams in 2011 (in alphabetical order):

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2.    

3.    

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5.    

6.    

7.     TEAM WHAT?

The 2011 season that was:

A special thank you to League Executive Adonis Lopez, Richard Wojcik and our UIC Howard Kornbluth for giving me the strength, guidance and encouragement.  As I mentioned last evening, I could not do this alone!

Adonis Lopez our website guru and advisor - committed to providing a quality website – who has put in a significant amount of his time and effort into providing us all with the information we all need and want by way of our website – www.bordertownslopitch.com. Throughout the seasons his encouragement and friendship has – well, I cannot say enough! I only wish I had my wits about me to mention this and what he means for I was remiss in doing so, last evening and I am very sorry for that.

Richard Wojcik - my brother and confidante - the Border Town Brain Trust, whom very unofficially, has spent countless hours and sleepless nights providing for us our master and tournament schedules as well as our standings each and every week. He is a huge reason why we Border Town, have risen and to a higher echelon.

Howard Kornbluth - there are so many behind-the-scenes and usually very late evening e-mails and discussions as it relates to our direction, decisions and instruction – an expert advisor, his leadership, wisdom, prudence, kind encouragement, patient understanding and policy planning throughout the entire season is nothing short of inspirational. Our main man “Randy” who’s wit, humour, kindness and keen perception came to us through Howard and we must attribute our great success to them both.

Now back to our 22^nd Annual Tournament!

Many like myself, have goose-bumps just reflecting on the FINAL Championship Game!  The entire weekend we all engaged in hard-fought battles, there were many upsets, some expected others shocking!   Without further adieu, please join me in congratulating our

2011 BORDERTOWN CHAMPIONS

To the Raiders – they are 2011 Champions !!!  Just as the famous lyrics go:  “We are the Champions”  - they have “paid their dues - time after time and it's been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise” – 10 seasons in the making everyone !!!

The Raiders - their reputation of losing so many painful times on Day 2 is so legendary that it was said "they’re great – but they’ll CHOKE in Day 2 – like they do every year” ... well, like Susan Lucci after 19 nominations, it took 10 years – but the "the streak is over!"

 Congratulations to the 2011 CHAMPIONS – Raiders – also known as RAIDER NATION! 

 I only wish every single player (nearing 500 players) in our league could have witnessed what we did at our Championship FINAL GAME.  THIS WAS A CLASSIC!  For all those who were kind enough to remain and cheer our finalists on – thank you and you full-well know that the final Championship Game was a remarkable game – a nail-biter – a game that we all will remember for many years to come.

 The Raiders’ fearless leader – Mikey Sabbadin, whom is infamous in this league, his management style and infectious enthusiasm - not to mention the best laugh you’ll ever hear an all-round wonderful captain and man. Under Mikey’s leadership-there was something, more important than believing - action!” They did it!!

 We could not happier for you Raiders!  Many of us know what this means to you, by embracing both individual and combined team talent – the “wow-factor is there” and we also know how hard you’ve all fought for this!  This was not an easy ride – first there was the powerful Who's on First? (who eliminated the 2010 Champs the X-Men) and then the incredible Team What (meeting them twice no less – fighting and rallying back from a 5 run deficit on Day 1 against them) and then the unbelievable talents of the Manchester Brewers which can make this feat only taste sweeter!!! Many like me, have goose-bumps just reflecting on this game!!!

 Please join me in congratulating our 2011 Champions – The Raiders!

To the runners-up ...   Manchester Brewers

I cannot begin to say how much this team means to this league.  They came to us only last season and with them they brought class, dignity, unbounded talent and we could not be prouder of their achievements  Their leader Jeff Neiser, a silent and “do all the good you can, and make as little fuss about it as possible" a brilliant player in his own right is backed by a band that epitomize awesomeness.

They play like a surgeons - with deliberate precision-like accuracy, placing the ball precisely where their opponents are not - making plays that no-one could think can be made – all with devastating power.  The Manchester Brewers do not and I repeat, do not, have a weak link, every position is solid as steel. They approach every situation with enthusiasm and confidence in the knowledge that nothing is impossible....they are a privilege to know, watch and admire. 

Their road to the final, like the Raiders’ was too no easy task – they just have a way to make it look easy...to overcome the ever-talented CB3, the mighty Avengers and then only to force the crushing power and skill of former Champions Brewsters not to mention MIG Giants!!

Just as I alluded to above in the “We are the Champions” song, The Manchester Brewers “kept on fighting ‘till the end – ‘cause they are too champions” – this was as close as it gets!

I know your time is valuable, so I will not write a historical novel – but please also join me in congratulating the former Champions The Brewsters, whom remain Champions on so many levels, for reaching and clinching 3^rd Place and to incredible Team What with their band of gifted players whom also reached the 3^rd place game plateau - both of which have the gusto to make the big show!

To the Consolation Finalists, the mighty Avengers who prevailed over the potent Smurfs who both turned many heads and caused much talk. To think that the Smurfs’ captain crushed a ball over the fence at Diamond 1 whilst the Avengers infielder crushed a ball from Diamond 2 into Diamond 1!  These 2 teams fought from placing 15^th (Avengers) and 12^th (Smurfs) in our 2011 regular season standings to achieve this feat!  Outstanding! 

Please also join me in congratulating notable mentions, Who’s on First and Average Joes.  For our tournament the stars were aligned, everything was near perfect, everyone, a few challenges notwithstanding -  win/lose/draw -  you all made our 2-day event what it was – the best ever – even the weather was with us!

Dear Captains, please send this re-cap to your players in an effort to reach as many members of our Border Town family as possible and as always, we are open to quality suggestions for we are continually striving to maintain and improve the quality of our league together.

As the torch is passed, to our incumbents, a very special thanks to them both.  You are left in excellent hands with Richard Wojcik and Michael Ferneyhough at the helm.  With Adonis and I serving as Advisors, please know you will have our full and coordinated support.

We look forward to seeing you at our next Annual Captain’s Meeting in March to prepare for our future year ahead in 2012 and then at our ballparks next year!

There are so many to thank - thank you all for giving support to enable me to carry out my Commissioner work in your honour.  It’s been said, "Forget yourself by becoming interested in others. Every day do a good deed that will put a smile of joy on someone's face."  I hope I have put a smile on your faces.

We’ll be in touch, in adoration,

Ava