Besner takes Al Knapp Memorial Trophy

One of the North Bay area's top softball pitchers has been named the 2007 winner of the Al Knapp Memorial Trophy for contribution to the sports of softball and baseball.

Ken Besner, who began playing softball as a 13-year-old 32 years ago with the Bonfield 7 Ups of the East Nipissing Fastball League, before continuing up the ladder through the intermediate and oldtimer levels, was recently named winner of the annual award, which honours the memory of longtime softball/fastball great Al Knapp.

During his early years, Besner played several seasons with the 7 Ups, winning a pair of championships, while handling pitching duties and also doing some catching.

After graduating from the ENFL, Besner played for 13 seasons in the Gateway Major Fastball Association with Father's, Kent Trusses, North Bay Merchants and Northern Honda, winning 10 league championships, as well as 10 top pitcher awards.

He was also honoured as the loop's most valuable player on two occasions.

During his time with the Northern Honda, Besner and his teammates also won five Northern Softball Association championships and an Ontario Amateur Softball Association title in 1991, when Besner pitched the North Bay squad to a 2-0 win over Owen Sound in the championship game.

During the 1991 season Northern Honda boasted an impressive 44-4 record, including a perfect 4-0 in the provincial championship.

A year earlier (1990) in Sheddon, Ont., Northern Honda, also in an OASA final reached the championship game before bowing out despite a two-hitter by Besner.

Besner pitched five games during the final day of that tournament and was presented with a "Merit of Achievement Award" by the OASA to honour a player's outstanding performance.

In the 1998 GMFA final, Besner suffered a serious (torn ligaments) bicep injury that prevented him from playing the following season. He was forced to take the next year off, before returning to complete his career.

After concluding his GMFA career, Besner played seven seasons with Overtime Lounge and Casey's of the North Bay Senior's Fastball League (oldtimers), four of which he was eligible to pitch. During that time he compiled a 36-1-1 record while winning four league titles.

During his tenure with Casey's and Overtime, Besner hurled his team to a pair of World Senior's Fastball tournament titles (2003, 2007), compiling a 7-0 record.

Besner will receive the Knapp award at the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner at Best Western North Bay, April 26th.

Submitted to BayToday.ca