Page 28 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 154

28 Issue #154 November 2025 www.sportsenergynews.com

her husband. She said to give her
Continued from page 22
a couple of days to come up with a
a several years for Eddie Feigner’s number and came back with 931-
“The King and His Court” and with 2255 (We 1 Ball), the number that
“Softball Fever” and “4 is Enough” Jim still has on his business cards
charity softball teams. In 1985 and business line.
and 1986, Jim captained an Ottawa In addition to his Prince and his
team that went to the Dominican Knights teams, Jim ran the Locker
Republic to play softball as goodwill
Room Sports Bar back in the
ambassadors of Canada. In 1987 Jim 1980s and since 1995, has operated
played with a team that traveled to
Cornwall Cruising. For many years,
Florida. Throughout the late 80s and Jim has given back to the sport that
early 90s, Jim continued to play in he loves so much. For a few years in
the John Denneny Fastball League.
the late 1990s and early 2000s, Jim
In 1994, Angela, Jim’s wife, was was vice president for the Cornwall
involved in a teacher exchange Minor Baseball Association and
program and they spent a year living president of the Cornwall Black
in Sydney, Australia. That year, Sox. Jim also switched to baseball
Jim was picked up by an Australian Bronze Medal, Bullhead City Arazona, 2025. Mike Duffy from Nevada, for awhile in the 1990s, playing for
team through Bob Harrow and Ted Shavell from Newfoundland, Jim Martell, Marty Hamilton from the Cornwall Cubs and competing
they finished fourth at the World Maitland Ontario. Photo Submitted in New York State with many other
Masters Games in Brisbane. Jim has They got to dislike me. They may different story once I was on their teams. In 2004, Jim was inducted
maintained his contacts in Australia have respected me as an athlete, but team. If we played against a team into the Cornwall Sports Hall of
and has returned 5 times since to play they didn’t like me as a ball player. that I had played with before, they Fame and at a special ceremony in
in various tournaments, including in When the umpire said, “Play ball!”, I didn’t dislike me, but they may not Cambridge, ON during the 2018
2003 when Jim was playing for a was a different person until the game have liked my style. OASA playdowns, Jim was inducted
team out of Kitchener, ON that won was over. When I went on the field, into the Ontario Masters Fastball
gold in the Pan-Pacific games in I played to win and that’s the way it Martell continues talking about Hall of Fame.
Canberra, Australia. was back then. The better the hitter his style of play. “Up until about 15 Fastball ended in Cornwall around
years ago, that’s how I played. By
So far, Jim has competed in 6 you were, the harder the pitchers then I was playing with some guys 2012 and since then Jim has continued
World Masters Games, winning were on you. One pitch would be my own age and younger. Things had to play ball mainly in Quebec,
gold in Torino, Italy in 2013, silver inside up around your head and the changed and they didn’t understand Ontario, and the United States. He
in Sydney, Australia in 2009, bronze next would be on the outside corner me so to those guys I apologize for competes in many tournaments such
in Portland, Oregon in 1998, and to keep you from getting your proper that. One year, we had just won the as NAFA (North American Fastpitch
bronze in Auckland, New Zealand balance. They had a job to do as a championship and Thorin Gault, a Association), where he’s been named
in 2017. The World Masters Games pitcher and so did I as a batter. For gentleman that I have a great deal of to the All-World team 5 times, ISC
take place every 4 years with more example, you were allowed to plough respect for, took me aside and said, (International Softball Congress),
than 25 sports played and is the the catcher as hard as you could to “Jim, you are a hell of an athlete, but and OASA (Ontario Amateur
largest multi-sport event in terms get him to drop the ball at home plate you don’t need to play the way you Softball Association) to name a
of number of competitors. Jim was so you were safe. In my younger play.”. Since then, there have been few. Jim enjoys yearly tournaments
the organizer for 3 of these World days, I was 150 pounds, barely 6 many times when I was about to say in Arizona, Texas, Illinois, and
Masters Games he competed in and foot playing in a men’s league with something but I kept my mouth shut Iowa (where he visited the Field of
is proud of the silver (2009), gold catchers like Jimmy O’Neill, Doug and I thank Thorin Gault for that.” Dreams).
(2013) and bronze (2017) medals his Carpenter, Rick Rushford, and Ed Jim is currently playing for
teams won. St. Louis; so obviously I wasn’t When Jim and his wife Angela the Lancaster Merchants from
knocking too many balls out of their moved to their home east of Cornwall,
Always well-known as a fierce hands. Often the bickering would needing a new phone number, Jim Lancaster, PA. More recently, Jim
competitor who played with be player to player and some of the called Bell to request a number that went to Christchurch, New Zealand
intensity, Jim would never shy away in February 2020 to play in a
fans didn’t understand it. I would would be easily remembered as the
from an argument with an umpire. always go play tournaments for the number would also be used for his tournament with the New Zealand
“In my early days, I would study the boat cruising business. The lady Krushers, returning shortly before the
first team that asked me to and I
rule book and have one available if a often ended up on teams that I had asked if he was the same Jim Martell pandemic. Jim is always blown away
situation came up where an umpire played against previously - it was a who played ball at one time with
could be caught and proven wrong. Continued to page 29