Page 28 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 147

28 Issue #147 April 2025 www.sportsenergynews.com

Continued from page 22 Blair was, at age fourteen, one of the had a part time job at Central Billiards for fun.” Winning was fun, but this
hung around the park and didn’t take youngest players in the league, if not cleaning the tables. A pretty good team proved that losing could be fun
losing kindly.” Blair was approached the youngest. After having played pool player himself, Blair was told as well. Blair stated that initially this
to pitch for an Eamer’s Corners team in the Industrial League for three by Joe Miller, the owner of Central was not a very good team, one that
sponsored by Mitchell’s Store, that years, Blair was approached by Reg Billiards, that his father, Howard was usually capable of six or seven
played in a league which included a Campbell after a game asking for a Munro, was at one time either #1 or errors every game, with Blair saying
Jr. Farmers team, Martintown, and favour. Reg was now coaching a team 1A in the Cornwall area and would that some nights it felt like we could
the Bonville Cheese Factory team. of young ladies who would soon be often “barnstorm” the pool halls in throw a no-hitter and still lose. The
He would be picked up by the coach, playing a Morrisburg team with a Ottawa where no one knew him. It team got better and in 1973 they won
Ron Poirier, and his wife, and would very strong pitcher. Reg asked Blair appears that the Munro pool skills the league championship. Blair was
be driven to each game. Blair recalls if he would attend a few practices and have been passed on, with Brenda and chosen by the team as the MVP for
one particular game where they were throw against them. The first practice Blair’s son Jason having surpassed Robert Fuels and presented with the
playing against the Bonville Cheese went smoothly with Blair pitching both his father and grandfather. Jason game ball which had been plastic
factory team. “They came directly to and the girls trying to hit him. Reg has represented the Ottawa area in the coated and mounted and proudly sits
the ball diamond from work and were knew that with Blair being young and World Championships in Las Vegas next to his desk. While employed at
playing in their white work uniforms. small he had to utilize his speed and and is currently ranked as one of the Sims Manufacturing as the Purchasing
Their pitcher had forgotten his glove, his bunting skills to get on base in the top pool players in Canada. Agent, Blair was the target of one of
so I offered to share mine, which he men’s league, so he was asked to give While Brenda was in teachers’ the “fun incidents” by several of his
gladly accepted. He was a big man pointers on how to bunt. Once that college in Ottawa her lifelong friend, teammates. “My day was interrupted
and over the course of the game he part of the drill was done Blair was Hilda Wheeler, was her roommate. by two burly police officers that I
was sweating so profusely that by the asked to lay a few down and run them Hilda and her boyfriend, Neil Benton, didn’t know. They walked into my
time the game ended my glove was out. ”On my first trip down to first, the became close friends and still are office, put me up against the wall,
soaked with perspiration and smelled first baseman was on the bag offering today. Neil asked Blair to come out frisked and cuffed me, and then led me
so bad it almost made me sick. Ron me nowhere to go. I explained to her and play with his team, Robert Fuels right out through the main office and
wouldn’t allow me to have it inside his that she only needed to have one foot in the Sportsman League, which was put me in the back of their cruiser. As
car, so it went back to Cornwall in the on the bag, giving the runner room the top league in the area, as both the we are driving down Moullinette Rd.
trunk.” Blair pitched two seasons for to safely touch the bag. The second Industrial and North End leagues had one of the officer’s radios in saying,
the Jr. Cokes travelling team, coached effort was the same only this time I folded. Blair mentioned that when he “We have him.” When the dispatcher
by Reg Campbell, playing in a league wasn’t quite as nice. I told her that the reflects on his many years in fastball, responded, I recognized his voice and
that had teams in Williamsburg, North next time I wasn’t stopping. Nothing this is the team that he thinks of yelled asking, “What the hell is going
Gower, and Ottawa. “That was quite changed and this time I crashed right most. It started with Rae Andrews, on?” Everyone started laughing but I
an experience,” Blair recalled, “as my through her. Her response was to take who together with his wife, Corinne, didn’t see anything funny about what
parents never owned a car. At the end the ball and fire it at me, hitting me brought the team many laughs and had just happened. I was put through
of the season Reg gave me several in the back. Her name was Brenda made them feel like one big family. to an officer at a second detachment
used balls to practice with over the Ann McDonald, and she went on During the years that Blair was with who in turn put me through to another
winter. As my parents didn’t have a to become the love of my life, the Robert Fuels, he and Brenda married, officer at another detachment. It
car I would practice throwing through mother of our children, Jason, Curtis, as did Neil and Hilda, as well as turned out that this officer’s ball
a tire in the garage and by spring there and Jana, and as of June 26th, 2024, several others on the team.” We were team was entered in a tournament
wasn’t much left of any of those balls my wife of fifty-three years.” Blair loaded with police officers from that weekend and, needing a pitcher,
from the constant pounding against continued to pitch in the Industrial several different detachments, with made contact with his colleges to see
the cement wall.” league for the Queenies (Dairy each of them bringing their strengths if they could suggest someone. He
Moving on to pitch for Dairy Queen) and later for the Aardvark and weaknesses just like the rest of was offering me gas money, plus $50
Queen in the Industrial League, Hotel. During his Grade 12 year Blair us; it was a recipe for success and
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