The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

teacher Jim Ridley named Canadian Manager of the Year leading the m to a bronze medal at World Youth Friend ship Guaea RMley can be seen front raw and centre rosnded by fads players In the team photograph won the championship trophy at the Centennial Atom tounament held In town this week was pitted against the Construction Major Atoms in the final match and came oat top Jim Ridleys always looking for talent by Robin Inscoe For most summer sports fanatics this time of year marks a time to think about what might happen during the summer but for Jim Ridley it is a time to begin work on what he hopes will be a world championship for Canada For ten months of the year the ten year Stewartlown school teacher and Milton resident works hard teaching students the finer points of basketball volleyball or whatever sport he might be teaching In his gym classes But if a teacher life hectic enough Jim works Just as hard on weekends evenings and two months in the summer as a Canadian scout for the Toronto Blue Jays and also as the manager of the Canadian Youth under IB Baseball team Since the Jays Inception in the season Jim Ridley has worked for Canadian Scouting Director Bob and the Jays searching throughout Ontario and Canada for possible Major League talent Now managing the Canadian Youth Team at the World Cham has been added to his busy schedule In his first year with the team he led Ihem to a medal a first ever for Canada at the World Friendship Youth Games in Johns town For his efforts on behalf of the country Ridley was named Canada Amateur Baseball Manager of the Year Jim Ridley began his baseball career In the Western City Ball League In Toronto and was scouted by no less than seven Major League teams including the Milwaukee Braves Detroit Tigers New York Mets Cincinnati Reds Kansas City Athletics Chicago the New York Yankees In 1962 Ridley signed a contract with the Milwaukee Braves even though he yet the legal age of Jim Fanning was the number one scout with the Braves at that time Ridley remembers and my parents liked Jim At that time Bob was with the Detroit Tigers and Ridley turned him down From Ridley played A class ball In the Braves organize lion He made stops at Bingham ton Greensville and Sarasota In the rookie league It was in Sarasota that ho was teamed In the outfield with Cito Gaeston and Carl Morton I m the one that didnt make the major leagues adds Jim That may be why he Is Interested in helping the Canadian kids make it to the big time in baseball I tike see a Canadian have a career in the majors admits Jim that why I do what I do After the 1965 season Ridley returned to Canada and played for five years in Quebec before coming to Ontario In he started teacher teaching at Stewarttown and joined the Toronto Maple Leafs For the next couple of seasons he was the with the Stratford Knits and In managed the Gueiph Forums Ridley recalls We made it to the finals in all four years and finished first three times He adds We won the championship twice As a player Ridley described his bat as his forte claiming a couple of batting titles along the way It was 1973 that Ridley got In volved in scouting acting as a sub- scout for and the Detroit Tigers When Prentise joined the Jays in Jim t far behind His job with the Jays Is that of a Southern Ontario Niagara Region and special assignment scout Last year Ridley took In the Canadian Midget and Junior champ ionships in Moncton and Three Rivers checking for talented players that may be possibles for the Blue Jay organization In the summers of 19TB to Ridley had the opportunity to ride the buses In Western Canada as a coach with the Medicine Hat Blue Jays He joined the team immediately following the school year and returned to a day or two to spare Not much time for a holiday In Medicine Hat Ridley had the opportunity to work with such names as Lloyd and Dave Shlpanoff a Canadian pitcher the Jays have signed His experience a scout paid dividends lost year when the Jays lent his services to the Canadian Amateur Baseball Association to manage the under 18 youth team at the world championships The result was Canada first ever medal in world play Ridley had the chance to mix both his scouting and managing talents in selecting last year Canadian team Ridley had several of the best under s in Canada sent to him from the ten provinces and it was his choice x to which of the in camp would wear the red and white of country Those he selected paid off From June to the end of July last year Ridley worked with the group of players he had selected to the team with the championships the goal It was a successful tourney for Canada as they finished the eight team round robin event with a record and In a three way tie for top spot They lost to Taiwan and the United States in the playoffs and finished with the bronze The highlight of the tourney for Ridley was a thrilling win over the United States in round robin play It was the greatest game I ve been to in my life admitted Ridley He recalls It was Saturday July my birthday After two innings we were down and after six we were still down He adds In he top of the seventh with two out it was still seven inning games Two walks and a single brought Canada to within two and Greyhound and Quebec Nardlques draft choice Wayne Groulx of capped off the win Ridley remembers a 450 foot homer that was six inches fair Groulx was the obvious hero for Canada as he came on to pitch in the bottom of the seventh After the game the team presented Jim with a birthday cake to celebrate the occasion They bad already given him his present The Canadian side went on th beat Columbia Holland Korea Australia and Panama losing only to 133 According to Ridley his Canadian contingent had be best bats in the tourney but were weak defensively and competed with fair to average pitching This season Ridley will once again be at the helm as he looks for even better results He has his priorities set and while he will attempt to Improve the team on the field be is hoping to have as much fun as he did last year I had a ball admitted the Stewarttown teacher I loved being on the field In an effort to get a better look at the available talent this year Jim la hoping to make trips from province to province on weekends in May and June to do some scouting work before the camp begins In Kin Saskatchewan at the end of June The team will stay there till the world championships have been completed at the end of July and then it will be back to the business at hand for the Blue Jay scout Hell spend August attending National finals possibly looking Tor future major leaguers or national youth team members had a taste of It last year admitted Ridley Canada s hosting this year and I want to finish higher That will be tough Cuba will once again compete and are always strong While the Jays got Jim Into the Canadian team Ridley takes great pride in the team and the uniform he wore last year and will wear this time out I m trained to identify talent states Jim And If I find some I d recommend it to the but Im here for Canada not just the Jays Jim Ridley is a dedicated ball man with his talents aimed at producing the best possible players he can in Canada and he t do It without the support of his wife Penny and daughter Shannon or twin boys Jeremy and Last season Penny travelled with Jim to offer her support and the family will do the same this year In Kin She understands claims Jim Baseball s my thing As for the future Jim sure what in store I d like to see ball in the Olympics admitted the bronze medal manager And I d like to be part of it He know If he 11 remain as a scout or a coach In the Jays system or if hell remain with the teams Regardless of where Jtm Ridley ends up you can that he 11 be assessing talent for a long time and putting something back into the game even if It is coaching at a house league level One gets the impression from talking with him that hoping that some Canadian kid can learn from his experience and make a career for himself In the Big Leagues He remembers Sarasota the one that make the majors Hes hoping his scouting and teaching will give somebody else that break spent ten Medidne Hat Golden Agers plan two bus trips Regular meeting of the Acton Gokko Age Club was held on March with members an the call The opened with ad the Theme Son with Bert Davison in tbechalr Edna reported that lb aastarsary dinner be at Knot Caarch on tickets will be sale at art- Beta Wat nounced two bus trips that are planned The first It a trip to Kitchener for the Stain Ctrcus on April or The second trip is to the GerHol at Old Mataey KaH Toronto July All the Hamilton we soldo Better your name on the list right away they an going fast Mrs Helen card report Carts ban bate sent to Joe Putter Copperatdd Baa nod MaHHiMMaMnii Eileen Eberta who hare been En hospital A card was also sent to Gladys M Davidson on the toss of her brother Business meeting adjourned at U ttweoctoeaadcrotdpole were enjoyed Euchre winners were Helen Pickett Jean Jackson Harry Tony Crofcfoole were Peggy Wood and Kay CM Mary afrEndwro and Joe The Light touch ALL YOUR LIGHTINGS ELECTRICAL NEEDS UNDER ELECTRIC lighting Centre CREDIT RIVER BOAT CO Storage ANNOUNCEMENT JIM CRTTCHELL Wo at Capitol Ford plowed announce that J m joined highly staff in fling with him over veers dedicated sals and service experience Jtitijolrwdusaoirut he could bettor customers and friend tie Jim Invitat you to see him whatever your vehicle Welcome aboard CAPITAL FORD SUfSUWTB No 7 Georgetown Your Best Deal is a Capital Deal 8774928 UMEHOUSE MINOR SPORTS BALL REGISTRATION AT HALL MARCH 1384 IIAOam to240pjn AGE FEE PER PLAYER 3aPEHFAMILYTu LADIES SOILS ENTER INDIVIDUALLY ORASATEAM REGISTRATION DATETIME Saturday March M Comma Centra FEB TEAM ENTRANTS Person ragbterinfl for team mutt have list of player up to people complete add phone number You want to save money We want to sett cars j Its that Simple MUSTANG I I I WITH- M0CHM6E OUR LOW MUCH isms suss- mamat I MM STEREO SALES LIMITED 361 Guetph St Georgetown Your Best Deal ha Capital Deal 8776928 Ail