Burnside imports Canadian pitcher

Press, 25 September 1987, Page 34

Burnside imports Canadian pitcher

Burnside has signed a young Canadian pitcher as part of its bid to qualify as Canterbury’s representative in the national men’s softball league this summer.

The Burnside premier coach, Roger Keith, said that the Canadian, Larry Dahlseide, aged 21, had been pitching senior league in Saskatchewan for the last four years.

In the northern season just finished Dahlseide was playing in the same league competition as the New Zealand representative pitcher, Chubb Tangaroa. Dahlseide’s team finished in fourth place. The Canadian import, who will be backed up on the mound by the former Ashburton man, Matt Sheehan, is expected to arrive in .New Zealand about October 4, the day after club softball begins in Christchurch. Burnside also had a Canadian pitcher, Mitch Nelson, a left-hander, last

season. Mr Keith said it was difficult for the North Americans to perform well straight away. “Mitch took a long while to get going,” he said.

“This guy is a righthander and I should mention for the umpires’ sake that he doesn’t ‘crowhop’,” Mr Keith quipped, referring to one of Nelson’s idiosyncrasies. Further good news for Mr Keith, in what will be the former Southland and Canterbury pitcher’s first season as coach, is that the New Zealand outfielder and slap-hitting batter, Grant Thomson, has transferred back to Burnside. Before the season has even started Thomson has now transferred back to Burnside after leaving for United, which played in the inaugural national league last season. The infielder, Murray Lanini, who had entertained thoughts of moving to United, is also staying

with Burnside. As well, Burnside has acquired the big-hitting Canterbury outfielder, Dennis Wiersma, from Suburbs and Wiersma’s brother-in-law, Simon Heath, who has moved back from Timaru. Heath has caught for Canterbury, Marlborough and South Canterbury previously.

After missing getting the services of the South Island’s No. 1 pitcher, Greg Newton, who has opted to stay in Invercargill, Mr Keith is still on the lookout for another topline pitcher.

The Bumside premier squad is: Dahlseide, Sheehan, Heath, Graeme Anderson (captain), Lanini, Darreii Roberts, Chris Gray, Chris Britt, Tony Ngaata, John Kottier, Mike MbLennan, Wiersma, and Thomson. Thomson is suffering from shin splints and is likely to miss the first two weeks of the club competition.