St. Marys – Former major leaguer Paul Quantrill was seen doing somersaults off of the cliff at The Quarry, but he was also doing figurative flips over the Hall of Fame's evolution since his last stopover in St. Marys a decade ago when he came through with the Blue Jays Winter Caravan.
Quantrill, who played 14 seasons in the bigs including six with the Blue Jays, brought down the Mosquito and Pee Wee teams from his town of Port Hope to compete in a Friendship Series over the weekend with their St. Marys counterparts. In four closely battled ball games, each town won a pair, which only seemed right given the prevailing atmosphere throughout the weekend that included a pair of Quarry swims, a Schneiders and M&M-sponsored BBQ at the Hall of Fame, a visit with Mayor Jamie Hahn, a contest in the Ball Hall's museum, a movie night at the Lind Sportsplex, a Subway and Pepsi-sponsored lunch on Sunday and free time that allowed the players from both teams to bond and initiate lasting friendships.
“I love hearing about the synergy between the Town of St. Marys and the Hall, and it is unbelievable what St. Marys has done with the site donated by the St. Marys Cement Company - this baseball complex is as good as any that I've seen,” remarked Quantrill, who delivered a pitching clinic on Sunday to approximately 50 eager coaches and players.
“As a fan of the game, the museum touched my heart. And when the Academy (dormitory) becomes a reality, I sincerely believe this place is going to emerge as a true destination for not just baseball teams, but with the new Pyramid Centre, hockey teams, ringette teams ... you name it and they are going to come.”
“Our kids loved the entire St. Marys experience, and I'm talking about more than the facilities ... the people who hosted us were kind, wholesome and just fun to be around. This truly demonstrates what baseball can do to keep kids active and build relationships.”
Quantrill was also re-acquainted with St. Marys residents and long-time friends Georgina and Gordon Smith, who visited with him and caught up in the hug category over both days. Georgina Smith, who recently celebrated her 95th birthday, grew up in Kendall, Ontario, where Quantrill played as a youngster and she maintains a friendship with his grandmother to this day.
Quantrill's son Cal played with the Port Hope Pee Wees and it was obvious to all who watched his smooth actions and exceptional ability that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree!
ST MARYS – 6 June 2007
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