Tourney Benefits
Pat Hubert

By Frank Rizzo
TYLER HILL, PA — August 29, 2000 – The Hubert cousins were mowed down by 50-something Ron Canfield on the softball field last weekend, and it was one time the competitive clan might not have minded losing.
They were out to support their brother/cousin, Pat Hubert, formerly of Fremont Center, who is recovering from a near-fatal auto accident he experienced last April, 1999.
Eight teams took part in the Bob Cimino Memorial/Rod’s Taxidermy Softball Tournament on Pingo’s Field in Tyler Hill, Pa., and the proceeds went to Pat Hubert to help with the enormous medical expenses associated with his long recovery.
The Huberts (Pat’s brother Matt, along with cousins Tim, Chris, and Rob Hubert, and Brian Brustman) played on the Landscape by Design squad, and lost the final to Ron’s Ringers, 5-0.
And what about getting blanked by an old-fashioned lob-ball pitcher?
“The younger Huberts lost,” laughed Tom Hubert, father of Pat and himself an accomplished hitter in his day. Tom sat this tourney out.
The Ringers, captained by Canfield, have won more than their share of tournaments the past few years, but this summer had been dry — until last weekend.
“We’re rebuilding, we had a tough year,” said Canfield. “It was our first [tournament] win this year. It used to be easier.”
Canfield added, “We’re not getting any younger… but we’ve got experience, though.”
Canfield, the tourney MVP, threw a four-hitter to whitewash the Hubert-laden Landscape By Design in the championship game. The Ringers scored two in the first and added three in the fifth.
Ed Hart had two hits and John Meyer added an RBI double.
Tim “Chopper” Ackermann took the loss for Landscape.
The Slow Road Back
According to Tom Hubert, his son spent 21¦2 months in the hospital after his car was struck by a truck.
“He was awful lucky,” Tom noted. “For what he went through he’s doing great.”
Part of the recovery process included reconstruction of massive facial injuries.
“You could barely see the scars,” said Chris Hubert, who saw his cousin recently.
Soon, Pat Hubert will be able to walk on his own.
Pat works as a civil engineer for Stoltz Associates in Sunbury, Ohio.
Rod Smith of Rod’s Taxidermy in Callicoon, who organizes the tourney, said he did not have the final figures yet on the money raised.
The tournament has been a fund-raiser for various causes over the past several years.