ONC's 40th Anniversary Celebration a Huge Success
15 Jun 2009
The brothers Kusiewicz dominated the Ottawa Nepean Canadians alumni game played at Hamilton Yards, part of ONC's 40th Anniversary celebration. Lefty Mike Kusiewicz started for the winners pitching two scoreless innings. He also relieved in the eight to get the final out and knocked in the game's first run in a 4-0 win before 400 fans. And using re-entry rule 10 a) subsection C under the re-entry rule, he entered the game with two men on in the final inning to strike out the final hitter of the game. His older brother right-hander Brian (Big Money) Kusiewicz gained the win with two scoreless innings of his own.
Margaret Kusiewicz refused to speak to reporters as to which son had the better night at the ball park.
Khifer O'Connor won the inter-family battle against his uncle Shawn O'Connor, former national team right-hander, who broke in with the Canadians in the Quebec Junior League in 1985. Khifer, 18, pinch hit for the winning alumni team and doubled over the left fielder's head in the second inning.
Mike Arundel, who flew in from Atlanta for the event, took the mound in the fifth and worked a scoreless fifth. It was his first mound appearance since 1990 and TBS broke into Atlanta Braves coverage to cover the blessed event. Denten Neill, Jeremy Lockwood-Menard also combined on the shutout. Tyler Robinson took the loss.
Former Canadians Billy Courchaine, Bruce McGregor, Darryl Fincham, Felix Septimo, Danny Kalil, Chris Jelley, Rob Rathwell, Sebastien Boucher, Natan Letourneau, Jim Armstrong, Adam Courchaine, Kevin Devaney, Ryan Dillon, Al Drisdelle, Peter Friesz, Kevin Lamarche, Jonas Malcoln, Stephen Osterer, Cameron Pelton, Bradly Pender, Jeff Rawson, Roch Seguin, John Wade, Mike Watters were other alumni who impressed.
Former Canadians Conrad Young, Doug Miller, Jake Cole and Bob (Poughkipsee) Yanus were amongst the alumni in the crowd.
Trevvy Mosley was absent playing slo-pitch (mixed) but was not missed.
Shawn O'Connor was inducted into the Ottawa Nepean Canadians Hall of Fame. Former Boston Red Sox right-hander Peter Hoy, now the pitching coach at LeMoyne University, alluded to the secret to O'Connor's success and longevity in his speech.
O'Connor played second and pitched for the Canadians for 17 seasons and is one of the greatest Canadians ever, along with Mike Kusiewicz, who pitched 14 years, Doug Frobel, who made the majors and played 11 seasons, Mark Gryba, a 20-year stud for the Canadians, Dave MacQuarrie, who reached triple-A with the Cleveland Indians after signing with the Montreal Expos, and Phil Franko, who played four seasons in the Minnesota Twin organization.
The second of five inducted into the ONC Hall of Fame was Bob Elliott, who kept the organization alive in the late 1970s and early '80s.
Three deceased, ONC Sports Club founders Bruce and Gordon Hamilton, and Fred Wigney were also inducted. An emotional Elliott spoke fondly of the deceased inductees.