hen hes not teaching Jims eyebaHing for the HI Herald Special It not easy to be a Toronto Joys farm team coach and scout white fulfilling a teaching schedule during the year StewarltownsscniorubllcEchool but Jim Ridley just loves baseball 1 Baseball is my mistress Ridley readily Admits but my family comes first The former professional ball player for Milwaukee is true to word because for the first time in three years he now at his home in Milton looking after the kids Instead of in Medicine Hat for the summer wife Pat an Art teacher at Georgetown a District high school is going to school for the summer so Jim has stayed home to enjoy his children for the baseball season But since Ridley was hired by the Toronto Blue Jays in as their number two scout he been on the road watching players and coaching the Medicine Hat Blue Jays The Medicine Hat team ore a farm club for Toronto along with Syracuse The Western league is one of the oldest professional minor baseball leagues in existence When Ridley was with the Medicine flat Blue Jays he would trudge ballplayers BLUE JAY SCOUT JIM RIDLEY a schedule days yes they played quite a number of double headers over some 10 miles per month TOUGHEST It one of the toughest travelling leagues or baseball in North America says To the IB and year olds he coached he was priest mother father everything While in Medicine Hat Ridley had to write a detailed report on all players In Iht lea spending about 15 minutes on each player in writing lime The single hardest thing for a scout is to rate prospects on their present and future potential Ridley says Looking at such abilities as arm glove bat and physical a scout evaluate and rates these abilities on a scale of 1 to an both their present and future talent Although coat hi techniques have improved Ridley feels that youngsters are not as devoted to baseball as they used to be lies found that Canadian talent but ball players need to play 12 months of year It hard to a way to get the youngsters to throw the ball around enough he says Canadian kids are generally about one year behind American counterparts Ridleysays Some prospects are scouted as early as but when a ball player Is In Junior a decision is made whether or not to follow them Ridley s own baseball career started In Toronto at Christie Pits where he played Pee Wee and Midget ball and Impressed seven major league scouts who offered sign him to a mnjor league contract Ironically his present boss Bobby Prentice was one of the scouts he turned down Prentice is Blue Jays director of scouting but in he was with Detroit CAREER Ridley played pro ball for four years with Milwaukee then headed for the Senior Independent league in Quebec One of the pitfalls his pro career was his coaches on try lo make him a pitcher of a centre fielder Jim married in 1970 and came Ontario to play Intercountry baseball from His first year Ridley won the leagut a baiting for the Maple Leafs and was then offered to play and manage Stratford of the league during the and was voted manager the year twice Although having no real affiliations with the Montreal Expos except for helping out with clinics he often directed prospects to Montreal But In laic 1073 he was hired as a scout by Bobby Prentice who was then with the Detroit Tigers In those days I was a subscout and I d report directly to Pren lice Currently Ridley scouting territory runs from Brampton to London and as far south as Niagara Falls Most of the work Is during a six month period where a scout Is on contract SUBSCOUTS During the Winter little Is done besides going through the banquet circuit and talking to players through Indoor clinics Jim now has his own subscouts in each area he covert while he uses both the telephone and his car in an effort to find new prospects The Blue Jays management firmly believe the club cannot win without a strong farm system so every chance Is given to develop youngsters says One of Ridley s biggest slgnings and his hardest was Kevin Altcbeson from Strat ford His prescrvcrence paid off because after four years Kevin knew Jim personally and him before other pro scouts could lure him away from the Blue Jays organization last season and was the best outfielder in Medicine Hat says Ridley I- GOALS Ridley is still walling to have one of his players make major leagues and this he Another goal to win the World Series as a member of the Blue Jays organization He also got his eye on the coaching job of Canada entry intoa World championship to be In Los Angeles In 1384 as part of the Olympics Although the baseball is not recognized as an Olympic sport there is a good possibility the sports will be played in 1961 but not given official standing If Canada does send a team there Is perhaps no one who knows our homebrew players so well Jim Ridley might Just get that chance the HERALD THE HERALD Wednesday July 1381 NORTH HALTON SPORTS For AH Your Sporting Goods Downtown Georgetown HARVEYS TIRE CENTRE Moore Park Plaza Georgetown 8775110 Royalettes our wildcard entry in provincial finals The Georgetown Legion became the wild card entry in the Ontario finals to be played in George town Aug 14 when they fourth in Stouffvllle weekend at the qualify big Ontario The Legion girls missed the chance to bring home the bronze medal when they were defeated by Aurora last Sunday 32 a learn the have beaten twice this season The girls ore a little disappointed coach Wilkes said There was a lot of pride involved in trying to win a medal but no ones going walk over us at Ontario finals The general feeling On the club is that although they are automatically allowed an en try into Ontario Inter mediate girls fastball finals the wanted to prove they belonged by finis hlng within the top three However the played well and most likely impressed the other teams the reglonals that George town will be a power to be reckoned with August is Coach Wilkes was pleased with how the team played Saturday and Sunday but Georgetown squad did not start off well last Friday against Elmvale from Owen Sound Elmvale defeated the Legion girls and they went on to collect a medal on Sunday The were lead after the first Inning but came back to increase the score in fourth and innings Mic he lie Miehm started as pile her for Georgetown but was relieved by Barb Curry in the fourth inning Top hitlers in the contest for the were Jan Mac Kay who was for including Joey Bennett for and Rutherford for 3 Monica Pollock was for 3 while Barb Curry was for 3 Although Georgetown their Elmvale opponents they registered seven which proved to be costly Slouffvllle 1 Georgetown The Legion girls came back well on Saturday in their game against Ihe host team as they beat their opponents 2 1 Barb Curry pitched for the Roy a Icttcs Janice proved to be hero for her Georgetown teammates when she scored Ihe winning run in the Inning Both Barb Curry and Janice were for at bat Nancy Shortill also re corded a for standing One hour later the faced Port Col bourne and won handily In a score Port took an early lead In the first inning but five runs scored by Georgetown easily Merchants rally for weeks victories The Glen Williams Merc hants of the baseball league continue do well as the team sched ule enters into August After losing a heart break to last Tues day the Glen men back record a victory over Alton and a standoff against Cambridge Against the local Glen team were leading their opponents until the ninth inning Terry Haines led the wa with some excel lent pitching In the ninth Inning landlord of Or Se ville was hit by a pitched ball gel on first base The Glen team made two more errors losing to the Tennis players excel The mixed tennis team from Gordon Alcott continue lo farewell in competition although victor were not against Brampton last Thursday mixed team tied with Brampton by winning three matches and losing three Ed Relgcr and Jim registered victories by downing opponents in sets of 5 and Bill Kent and Pat Harris count and On the losing side were John Allison and George Croft whofound hard going as Ihcy were defeated and 2fl Jim Taylor and Andy Zvaguhs lost their matchinscorcso26 and lsla Allison and Ann Bolton stings Mosquito Raiders Friday night saw the Minor Mosquito Raiders drop a match to visiting Bolton In exhibition play July is always the month for players vacations and Raiders have been especially short for the last two weeks of the month House league players are being used to fill the gap and played well against Bolton but not well enough to take the game Gelling the Georgetown goals were David Karris David Shandelmelr and Clglen This week he Raiders play in in a game to decide first place and are hoping for a miracle because of Ihe roster shortage re of GLEN ALTON Against Alton the next rught the Merchants were still upset about their loss to but they rallied forward In first inning walked DeanHanock hit Rob Hatcher drove in Ihe first run on a hit while Jeff Haines hit a double to score Andy hit a home run In third inning In the seventh inning Dean Han cock had his fourth hit of the followed by a long home run hit by Jeff Haines to beat Alton Jeff Haines pitched a good sound ball game giving up only three hits while striking out 10 batters This win led the Glen Merchants with Alton for first place GLENS Last Sunday Glen cam travelled Cambridge with out four of their regular Players Cambridge took a lead by he seventh inning and dominated the game until this point In the eighth Inning Rob Hatcher got a single followed by Dean Hancock with a single Jeff Haines came lo bat and hit one of the longest home run Us Glen coach Cliff Norton has ever seen In any fastball game Andy singled stole second base stole third base and scored on a throw error In the ninth Inning Paul Mnstnlcrz started off with a double Wilson followed with a double scoring Hatcher who was put In for a Three of the minor ball players came to help out in a situation Hatcher Chris Haines and Carman Thanks from the coach for the help Terry Haines pitched a good game giving up four hits while striking and coming on very strong in the three innings STANDINGS REACH FOR IT FELLAS Team Family Trust Peel Akcrs and Clarke Merchants Varfat IncskoFquipmcnt Standings ished who was the fired up learn Both learns scored once more in the Inning Michelle Miehn pitched well for the local side accord to coach Wilkes Bonnie Penney earned the player award when she pitch hit to score the sixth run with two out and two runners on base Georgetown had a total of to hits during Ihe game Auroral Georgetown I In two previous encounters with Aurora the played where either side could have won the contest and tournament game at Stouffvllle was si miliar Barb Curry started pitch while Michelle finished off the dulies The two pitchers registered a onehitter for the game while their counterparts had a threehitter Two runs were scored by Georgetown In the sixth In nlng with bases loaded but Aurora came back and the out of further tournament play After the game coach lamented that It was tough to lose a one- hi iter Aurora and qualified to go Georgetown from the Stoufr tournament while in other regional tournament around Ontario versldc Windsor and Moore Centre Windsor were confirmed as entries while the unofficial word was that Belleville Richmond Hill and were com Ing from a Kingston regional tournament NOTES Nancy Short HI moved from second base to catcher while Joey Bennett went second Both are familiar with the positions but have not swltc Ihus far his year Both played well in the switch according to Ted Wilkes Janet MaeKoy and Barb Curry received praise from ihcir coach for Ihe way they all weekend especial at bat With some practice time remaining before ihe Ontario finals Coach Wilkes says he d like to spend some time perfecting the pitching side of ihe Roy ate tic game which he feels is the key doing well the finals The team Is At though having tome problems with a sore arm Monica Pollock seen above and Legion were back In form latt weekend they finished fourth In he Ontario regional after losing a heartbreaker to Aurora 31 on Sunday The lots to Aurora was particularly disappointing because Georgetown pitched onehitter and Aurora bas been defeated by the twice In season his year Nevertheless the girls teem ready to peak for the Ontario finals to be held In Georgetown The Georgetown Aax earn of the Intercounty Men soccer league played an actionpacked ana when they met MUton week la Georgetown With saves like Mils one by Milton Rangers Mile off an comer kick Georgetown bad bard lime finding the right opportunities it they were downed by the Rangers Herald photo by Karen TEAM Smoke Shop 8 0S Glen Plaza 4 Greeks Tavern 3 4 Real Estate Royal Pizza Nerval Arcade 8 LEADERS 1st Werner Mlkolell Smoke Shop 2nd Brent Ferguson Royal Pizza 3rd Bruce Cartwright Smoke Shop 4th Mark Smoke Shop Jeff Dairy Queen Ball coach suspended As a result of using an Illegal player on their Georgetown Stinger lineup last week against Lowville coach Brian James has been given a twogame suspension by Ihe league Hal ton Rural Minor Softball commisslner Nancy Auger of MUton told The Herald It was felt the coach and not the team should be penalized for an infringement of the league rules The Midget girls fastball learn sacrificed a chance at first place in standings juid will play in the semi finals next week BrookvUle play Lowville In tin other semi final voted into the league each year by their fellow members There Is a possibility that Georgetown will not be asked back Into the league if ihe majority of teams vote that way A twelve team industrial league tournament is scheduled for the long weekend with game starting at 8 30 a m on Saturday and Sunday Teams from the industrial league Ac ton condominium league Georgetown Industrial league HlUsburgh Guelpb and will participating Entrance to the park will be per adult Standings As nduam in Rocket Llmehouse Construction Hawks Price Bollinafad Blue Joys Oilers T