John Keane Award
John Keane died while umpiring a Finals game at Narrabundah in 1990. John loved his baseball. He was a great family man, whose sons played in the Canberra competition. He was a fine umpire who appreciated good play and took his responsibilities on the field seriously.
Following John's death, his colleagues in the ACT Baseball Umpires Association decided to commemorate him by establishing an Award in his name. For two reasons, they chose to make the Award one given every year to a catcher.
The first reason: John himself had been a catcher when he had played the game as a youth. The second reason: catchers and umpires have a symbiotic relationship where each has to do his job properly if both are to prosper.
Umpires know that a catcher has to work especially hard to get down and to frame the pitch correctly if a proper strike zone is to be achieved and held. Umpires are more than aware that catchers take a fair amount of bruising in the effort to protect the men in blue behind them. And umpires appreciate the way that catchers get on with the job, civilly and amiably, even when all the calls don't go the way they would like.
When the decision was reached that the Award would go to a catcher every year, further discussion led to the conclusion that the Award would go not to the best overall catcher in the ACTBA competition, but rather to the catcher that the umpires most liked working with, one who consistently put in the effort his position required, and did it with congeniality and helpfulness.
Every member of the ACTBUA was to participate in the voting, and the nominees could come from any level and any age group in the competition. In the years since 1990, the Award has taken the form of a permanent plaque inscribed with the names of all of the winners, to be held by the winner through the following year; a commemorative token to be retained by the winner; and a cheque.
And, in the spirit of the Award, winners have ranged widely in age and in outright ability. Some have indeed been the best catcher in the ACT that year; others have been perhaps less talented but judged better to work with. And it has been pleasing in recent years to see many of those who have won the Award, and many who have come close to winning in the balloting, rise from the ranks of younger catchers. John Keane would be pleased.
John Keane Award Recipients
1990
Sander Warrener
Bandits(Wests)
1991
Scott MacDonald
Indians
1992
Rick Horwood
Indians
1993
Dean Hadley
Vikings
1994
Mark O’Loughlin
Rebels(Woden)
1995
Peter Crutchfield
Ainslie
1996
Michael O’Brien
Indians
1997
Dom Trussler
Rebels(Woden)
1998
Matt Hogan
Eagles
1999
Brent Phelan
Eagles
2000
Michael Collins
Bandits
2001
Award not given
2002
Grant Pearson
Bandits
2003
Award not given
2004
Dom Trussler
Rebels(Woden)
2005
K-P Kalman
Indians
2006
Lee Mills
Ainslie
2007
Simon Beard
Bandits
2008
Ben Dries
Eagles
2009
Ben Dries
Eagles
2010
Ben Dries / Dean Stoka
Eagles / Bandits
2011
Jacob Shaw
Eagles
2012
Robbie Perkins
Rebels
2013
Brendan Lentell
Eagles
2014Cameron TillyVikings
2015
Cameron Tilly / Taylor Medhurst
Vikings / Rebels
Following John's death, his colleagues in the ACT Baseball Umpires Association decided to commemorate him by establishing an Award in his name. For two reasons, they chose to make the Award one given every year to a catcher.
The first reason: John himself had been a catcher when he had played the game as a youth. The second reason: catchers and umpires have a symbiotic relationship where each has to do his job properly if both are to prosper.
Umpires know that a catcher has to work especially hard to get down and to frame the pitch correctly if a proper strike zone is to be achieved and held. Umpires are more than aware that catchers take a fair amount of bruising in the effort to protect the men in blue behind them. And umpires appreciate the way that catchers get on with the job, civilly and amiably, even when all the calls don't go the way they would like.
When the decision was reached that the Award would go to a catcher every year, further discussion led to the conclusion that the Award would go not to the best overall catcher in the ACTBA competition, but rather to the catcher that the umpires most liked working with, one who consistently put in the effort his position required, and did it with congeniality and helpfulness.
Every member of the ACTBUA was to participate in the voting, and the nominees could come from any level and any age group in the competition. In the years since 1990, the Award has taken the form of a permanent plaque inscribed with the names of all of the winners, to be held by the winner through the following year; a commemorative token to be retained by the winner; and a cheque.
And, in the spirit of the Award, winners have ranged widely in age and in outright ability. Some have indeed been the best catcher in the ACT that year; others have been perhaps less talented but judged better to work with. And it has been pleasing in recent years to see many of those who have won the Award, and many who have come close to winning in the balloting, rise from the ranks of younger catchers. John Keane would be pleased.
John Keane Award Recipients
1990
Sander Warrener
Bandits(Wests)
1991
Scott MacDonald
Indians
1992
Rick Horwood
Indians
1993
Dean Hadley
Vikings
1994
Mark O’Loughlin
Rebels(Woden)
1995
Peter Crutchfield
Ainslie
1996
Michael O’Brien
Indians
1997
Dom Trussler
Rebels(Woden)
1998
Matt Hogan
Eagles
1999
Brent Phelan
Eagles
2000
Michael Collins
Bandits
2001
Award not given
2002
Grant Pearson
Bandits
2003
Award not given
2004
Dom Trussler
Rebels(Woden)
2005
K-P Kalman
Indians
2006
Lee Mills
Ainslie
2007
Simon Beard
Bandits
2008
Ben Dries
Eagles
2009
Ben Dries
Eagles
2010
Ben Dries / Dean Stoka
Eagles / Bandits
2011
Jacob Shaw
Eagles
2012
Robbie Perkins
Rebels
2013
Brendan Lentell
Eagles
2014Cameron TillyVikings
2015
Cameron Tilly / Taylor Medhurst
Vikings / Rebels
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