Our Tom-Toms beating the drums for another baseball tournament for the ages

By Tom Moore

It’s that time again for the Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series in Fort Myers, Florida and two BJ retirees are on the staff once again.

Tom Giffen, former sports editor, is the head honcho. Tom Moore, retired deputy news editor, is the writer for the organization. This is Moore’s 6th year in that position.

This is the 21st year for the Series and that’s the theme with an emphasis on 21 and cards. There is even a deck of cards in the gift shop made up of players and program covers over the years.

And two of the jokers are Tom Giffen and his wife, Ellen.

The Series is great fun to work for all involved; it’s like the old “family affair” that used to be the norm in businesses.

And time after time, players keep coming up to Tom G. and thanking him for the great tournament and most come back the next year.

This year we have 186 teams of amateur fast-pitch hardball. They come from all over the country and some from overseas. Ohio and the Akron area are well-represented, but you’d never know it from our beloved hometown paper. And those teams have won championships over the years.

Last week we had a team from Germany, the “German Red Barons.” This is their second year in the tournament.

This week we have teams from Russia and the Dominican Republic.

It’s a tournament where you can play ball as long as you can stand up with age divisions of 28 and up, 38 and up, 48 and up, 55 and up, 60 and up, 65s and 70s.

Teams play on the fields the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins use for spring training, so these amateurs are playing on major league turf.

The Hobbs World Series runs through the week of Nov. 18.

I enjoy working with the series because I meet so many interesting people. Like the old fellow, 70 or so, who told me that he stood out in Lee County Stadium in his baseball uniform, heard the loudspeaker music and took in the stands and the major league scoreboard and said: “I felt like I was 18 again!”

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Another Hobbs assistant is Todd Windhorst, father of former BJ sports writer Brian Windhorst.

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At my request, Tom provided the names of some Akron area and Ohio teams playing in Fort Myers in the Roy Hobbs Baseball World Series:

Open Division: Akron A's; Dayton Braves; Cincinnati Sting, AAAA champions this year.

Veterans division (38 years and older): Akron Brewers, Kent Mudhens, Ohio Indians. Ohio team: Cincinnati Colts.

Masters Division (48 and older): Akron Silverhawks, Cleveland Rocks, Cuyahoga Indians, Kent Mudhens. Ohio Teams: Cincinnai Colts, Dayton Cardinals, Toledo Paramount, Youngstown Astros.

Legends Division (55 and older): Akron Blues, Cleveland Pirates, Akron Silverhawks, Kent Mudhens.

60s (that’s the age group): Cincinnati Colts.

55s (age group): Youngstown Astros, Ohio Classics, Toledo Muddogs.

Vintage division (62 and older): Ohio Bucks.

Timeless (70 and older): Only division with no Ohio teams.

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Hobbs Baseball World Series dates:

Open (28+) Division: October 24 thru October 31:
Championships were Saturday, Oct. 31.

Veterans (38+) Division: October 31 thru November 7:
Play began Nov. 1. Championships on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Masters (48+) Division: November 7 thru November 14:
Play begins Nov. 8. Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Vintage 65s Division: November 8 thru November 15:
Play begins Nov. 9. Championship on Sunday morning, Nov. 15.

Legends (55+) Division: November 14 thru November 21:
Play begins Nov. 15. Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Classics (60+) Division: November 14 thru November 21:
Play begins Nov. 15. Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21.

Timeless (70+) Division: November 16 thru November 22:
Play begins Nov. 16 (Monday). Championship on Sunday, Nov. 22.

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The league was named after the character played by Robert Redford in "The Natural," a 1984 movie based on Barnard Malamud's 1952 book. Roy Hobbs goes from obscurity to a hitting sensation at age 35, using his Wonderboy bat that was made from a tree struck by lightning. Hobbs hits one so hard and so far that it smashes the lights that illuminate the baseball field. Outstanding film.

Locally, where Giffen took over the Roy Hobbs League during his days as BJ sports editor, the Hudson Explorers clinched the 2009 Northeast Ohio AAA division by beating the Firestone Park Rangers, 9-8, in the double-elimination tournament.

And Roy Hobbs trustee Steve Sosebee of the 28s Colts and 38s ABF Knights threw out the first pitch at the Cleveland Indians Sept. 9 game at Progressive Field. The way the season went for the Tribe, maybe it should have signed some of the Roy Hobbs players.

Click on the headline to see photos of Tom Moore with Tom Giffen (and his Steven Segal hairstyle), Todd Windhorst, Moore with Hobbs, the mascot dog for the Hobbs Baseball World Series, and Moore with daughter Kathy.

For information on the Akron area Roy Hobbs program, go to:

www.royhobbs.com