Recognition is important to Burlington Vintage Baseball. It is the reason most players still dawn the uniform and play as hard as they can...to be the best they can be. The BVB Hall of Fame will continue to recognize the efforts on and off the field for its members for years to come.

MEMORIAL

Legends live longer than those who create them...

One of our own has been called up to the big game...

June 30th, 2007 - One of our founding players of BVB, Miles Fleming, #13 on the Hobos, has passed away at the young age of 49. A comrade and player in the league to many BVB teams and fans; his presence will be greatly missed. Miles lost the battle to stay with us. “The baseball Gods called him up for a bigger game”, stated one BVB member. How true it must be for we were not ready to lose a friend so quickly but, now we must honor the time we had with him.

Miles “Miley” Fleming, had been involved in Burlington baseball for most of his life, making as many friends as he did plays along the way. His character on and off the field was as strong as anyone could expect. For those that knew him, he always went out of his way to greet you with a firm handshake or "knuckle touch" that followed shortly with a gruff voiced greeting to make sure your presence was acknowledged. To a stranger, his gruff voice and "say what you think" personality would not have you immediately focus in on his true self. But once you spent time with him, you would quickly understand that he had nothing to hide and that is rare quality these days.

He was admired and loved by his tight knit Hobos team the most. A founding member of the squad, all players and members looked forward to getting "Miley's view" on a post game review or during a discussion of world events. His foundation was strong with the Hobos, with every member knowing that the rough exterior was only added character to the man that he truly was. It will definitely be a difficult time for that brotherhood to lose one of their own.

Some words for thought....once heard as a phrase that goes something like "Now and Forever are the words to remember someone. Remember them now as to what they brought forward to you in this world and forever honor those memories to make sure they are not forgotten when you relate to others."

It occurs to me as I am sitting here writing this story thinking of Miley, he's probably somewhere getting an earful from Pauley (Paul DePodesta #49 Hobos – passed 2005) about his recent plays on the field, and no doubt working his way up to a sharp response once he collects his thoughts. Good luck in the Big Show Miley! You will be greatly missed by all BVB players and friends alike. Show the old brotherhood how it is done and save us a spot on the bench, will yah kid!

BVB loses a friend...

May 17, 2005 - It is with great sadness that we announced the passing of our dear friend and teammate Paul Depodesta. ‘Pauley’ or ‘D’ as he was fondly referred to by his teammates was a fighter to the end, playing his last round of golf a mere 6 weeks before he moved on. Paul played a combined 20 years in both the Lakeshore League and the BVB. Paul had some of his brightest moments during his BVB days, competing in 2 National Championships and numerous All-Star games. His personal highlight was starting over 125 straight games for his team the HOBOS. Paul leaves behind his wife Cindy, sons Shane, Nathan and Dylan as well as other family & friends. Pauley we will miss you and think of you always, especially on game nights.

"Save us all a spot in the lineup Kid"… Until we meet again...

TEAM MVP's
To recognize the contributions and achievements of a player, a team will award him with the rights to state he was at the top of his game, on and off the field.

HOME RUN LEADERS
In recognition of BVB's mighty sluggers...

2007 Selwyn Everts - MUD HENS Jeff Gilleland - CARDINALS Chris McCullough - RED SOX
2006 Casey Cosgrove - HOBOS Jeff Gilleland - CARDINALS Scott Ranney - YANKEES
2005 Mark Caron - RED SOX
2004 Colin Lalonde - HOBOS
2003 Rick McGuire - HOBOS
2002 Mike Bennett - HOBOS

INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
In 2005 Burlington Vintage Baseball hosted an invitational tournament that brought teams from London and St. Catherines. BVB hopes to continue the success of such a venture for years to come. The format builds upon what BVB is all about and is a way of keeping us in contact with our brotherhood leagues/teams around south western Ontario. The Great Lakes Grille Invitational Cup was presented at the 2005 BVB Season Ender party for its inaugural year to the St. Catherines Cardinals.

2005 BVB / GLG Tournament Winners- St. Catherines Cardinals

LUTZ CUP
In recognition of BVB's own Walter Lutz (VP of Operations) who is a long standing member of organized Burlington baseball (BOMBA, COBA, BVB plus to many others to name), Burlington Vintage Baseball unveiled a new League Cup to acknowledge the team who wins the overall title for the year. The Lutz Cup, as it was coined, was presented at the 2005 BVB Season Ender party for its inaugural year to the HOBOS for a near perfect year by coming out on top for regular season play and wining the Vintage Division title.

2007 Lutz Cup Winners -
2006 Lutz Cup Winners -
2005 Lutz Cup Winners -

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS
In the spirit of baseball and team sports in general, BVB occasionally recognizes special achievement of individuals who contributed to the development of, or have made an impact to the league on a whole. This individual possesses the qualities we associate with performance excellence, on and off the field. With no expectation of return, the individual acted with diligence and professionalism to project what BVB represents.