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Friday, February 23, 2007

Legends Cardinals Coaches

The Legends Cardinals rely on many guys to lead them through their season, and we are blessed to have the best and most fun coaches in the league (no offence of course to the other teams).


Our Head Coach is the great Sean (Spills) Spiller. Also a middle school teacher out at Spencer, this coach may be getting on in years but still puts his best foot forward to lead his team to victory. He is hoping to get his bat speed back up after a injuries last season slowed him down.






Also taking coaching duties but usually acting as the on-field quarterback is Josh (J.B.) Byers. Sporting a new stache this year it'll be exciting to see if he can retain his star (#1) status and continue to hit .300 from the plate. We know his glove and arm are up to the challenge.






Helming our pitching staff is the great Trevor Strandlund. Not only does his accuracy and even his speed allow our team to compete many nights, but his wisdom from the mound being passed on to us juniors is essential. Here's hoping he's got many more Cardinal year's ahead of him.






Rounding out the coaching duties is Luke (The Duke) Webb who also acts as a director on the Victoria Mavericks Board. Luke can play any position and will always have a positive encouragement to help you with your game.







Sorry about the bad pics guys.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Team Photos

Check out these photos of our team from the 2006 season:


Our 2006 Team Photo



Catcher Matt Smith



Star Pitcher Matt Turner



Luke Webb sliding into second



Our pitching legend Trevor Strandlund



Dan Harlow at second



Star catcher Matt Smith throwing to second



Luke Webb in the box



Warren Medwid taking a lead



Derek Hill laying down a bunt

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Our Team Sponsors

To play premier baseball can sometimes cost a pretty penny. Not only are there league dues to be paid (which are a part of all professional sprting leagues), but equipment costs can add up, as well as tournament entry fees.

The Cardinals depend on their team sponsors to help provide the money to help make their season a success. We would like to thank our sponsors and wish them the very best in their businesses. Please visit their websites and utilize their services and products.

Namesake Sponsor:

Legends Nightclub

A pillar of the Victoria night life scene for over 35 years. With the help from a dedicated management and staff, owners Kirk, Craig and Grant Olson have sought to maintain the utmost level of customer service and comfort for all guests. The name "Legends" refers to the theme of arts, sports and entertainment memorabilia which is displayed throughout the club. Live music has been a major feature of Legends history. The list of artists to have performed on our stage is a long and impressive one. Included are such groups as the Tragically Hip, Nirvana, Jewel, Amanda Marshall and the Tea Party.

Website: www.legendsnightclub.com
Phone: 250.383.7137

Other Sponsors:

Don Mann Excavating Ltd.

Working in Victoria, B.C. for over 50 years, this family-run local business offers the following services.

Demolition
Pipe Laying
Land Clearing
Stone Slingers
Equipment Rentals
Contract Management
Complete Subdivision Development

Website: www.donmann.com
Phone: 250.479.8283



If you are interested in being a team sponsor, then please contact us and we would love to consider your involvement.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Mavericks Field at Lambrick Park



The Legends Cardinals have the privilege of playing on Mavericks Field at the gorgeous Lambrick Park facility in the Victoria subueb of Gordon Head. Lambrick Park is a safe and relaxing environment to enjoy numerous activities. Located in a residential neighbourhood, Mavericks Field is bordered by three Little League diamonds, a junior baseball diamond, a community recreation centre, public schools, tennis courts, a lacrosse box, lawn bowling club, skate park, community youth centre, playground, and a large public walkway. Needless to say, our baseball facility is frequently visited by hundreds of spectators. Lambrick Park is cared for by Saanich Parks, in conjunction with many community groups such as the Victoria Mavericks who help with Mavericks Field in particular.



Victoria Maverick Cardinals History

The Cardinals have been around for many years. They have had different sponsors, including Harbour City Kitchens and Legends Nightclub (current sponsor).

Through Maverick history we have had many award winners from out team, including:
Josh Byers - 2002 Most Sportsmanlike Player
Aaron Webb - 2002 Rookie of the Year
Jason Nazar - 2002 Pitcher of the Year
Luke Webb - 2003 Rookie of the Year
Matt Smith - 2004 Rookie of the Year
Chris Renton - 2004 Pitcher of the Year
Kasey Wickens - 2005 League Batting Title

In 2006, the Legends Nightclub Cardinals finished with a .500 record but was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the eventual R.P Rithet Cup Champions Maude Hunters Rockies.

Our 2006 Team:

The R.P. Rithet Cup

The R.P. Rithet Cup is in honour of the late R.P. (Robert Paterson) Rithet. It is the second oldest trophy in Canadian amateur sports.

Living in the City of Victoria (and its surrounding municipalities) we pretty much take for granted the names of our streets, buildings, parks and in particular our sports' trophies and awards. We generally have little concern or knowledge as to where these names came from and to who these people were. The R.P. Rithet Cup (annually awarded to the Playoff Champions of the Victoria Mavericks Baseball League) was first awarded in 1922 and has a namesake that is probably unknown to most of us.
The fourth son of farmers John Rithet and Agnes Paterson, Robert was born in Applegarth, Dumfriesshire, Scotland on April 22nd, 1844. Before coming to Canada in 1862 the young Scotsman served for a time in a merchant's office in Liverpool, England. Soon after arriving in Victoria, B.C. (1862) he joined the Cariboo gold rush. R.P. Rithet later returned to Victoria in 1865 where he held various jobs. In 1869 he secured a job as a manager and bookkeeper for Sproat & Co. and later moved to San Francisco to manage the company from there. It was also in San Francisco where he had made numerous business contacts that in turn contributed to his later success. Eventually he moved back to Victoria and co-founded Welch Rithet and Company. The company was later re-named R.P. Rithet and Company after the death of Andrew Welch. R.P. Rithet and Company (established in 1871) were importers and commission merchants for liquor and groceries. He soon became a prominent figure in Victoria and was one of the city's foremost businessmen.

In 1875 he married Elizabeth Jane Hannah Munro who was the daughter of retired Hudson's Bay Company Manager Alexander Munro. The Rithets had three children in which he later built a house named 'Hollybank' (originally 952 Humboldt) as a wedding gift for his eldest daughter Gertrude. This large and elegant Italianette villa was set in formal gardens with tennis courts, stables and a croquet lawn for recreation. Renamed the 'Beaconsfield Inn' it is now an elegant 'Edwardian' Heritage building and is currently run as a 'Bed & Breakfast'. Mrs. R.P. Rithet owned Victoria's first electric car in 1910. She also had a reputation of being a lady who (on occasion) took little or no notice of traffic signs, horses or pedestrians and left in her wake a scene of frustrated policemen and total chaos.

R.P. Rithet's shipping and commercial interests resulted in him founding the Victoria Wharf and Warehouse Company for the purpose of constructing the 'Outer Docks' in James Bay in the 1890's. The outer wharves enabled 'deep-sea' vessels such as the 'CPR Empress' to dock in Victoria as the Inner Harbour was too small to accommodate these larger vessels.

In addition to the number of ships that were named in his honour, R.P. Rithet also has two parks that are currently named after him. 'Rithet Park' (that includes croquet lawns and several bocce courts) located in Crockett, California and 'Rithet's Bog' located in the Municipality of Saanich, British Columbia. The 'bog' was originally included in the 1200-acre purchase made by R.P. Rithet in 1893. Rithet’s Bog is now a 42-hectare Nature Sanctuary that is now being conserved and restored to optimize its biodiversity and recognize its heritage value for the benefit of present and future generations. He later named his new farming company 'Broadmede' farm (established in 1899) after one of his famous racehorses. The area (now spelled 'Broadmead') is currently a residential neighbourhood that is located in the Royal Oak area of the Municipality of Saanich. He also owned other large farms in the Delta area of B.C.'s Lower Mainland.

R.P. Rithet also served as Justice of the Peace (1873), Mayor of Victoria (1885 - 1886), an M.L.A. (Conservative Party) for Victoria (1894 - 1898), a principal promoter of the British Pacific Railway Company, an active President of the Victoria Board of Trade, President and shareholder of the Canadian Pacific Navigation Company, President of the Victoria Canning Company, Vice-President of the Albion Iron Works, President of the California and Hawaii Sugar Refining Company and Consul-General in Victoria for Hawaii.

R.P. Rithet died in his home on March 20th, 1919 at the age of seventy-four, his wife in 1952 at the age of ninety-nine.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Who Are We?

The Legends Nightclub Cardinals are one of five teams in the Victoria Mavericks mens baseball league. This league is the highest level of baseball available in Victoria, BC, Canada. The Victoria Mavericks also have two travelling all-star teams, a developmental Rec. team, and a travelling Junior team made up of 19-21 year-olds.