Despite the fact that baseball weather is still weeks away, off-season diamond chatter concerning the Nickel Belt Baseball League continues. Bob (The Bouncer) Jewitt, who excelled at third base for Copper Cliff in the playoffs, will be holding down an outfield spot this season.

Jewitt turned down an offer of $ 275 a month and a job to play ball in Fredericton this season, returning to Copper Cliff and renumerated with free chewing gum. Joe (The Arm) Mudric, who played shortstop for the Cliffers last summer, is all set to peg those perfect infield throws for Frood.

Meanwhile, the Sudbury Shamrocks have agreed to play an exhibition baseball game at the Burwash Industrial Farm against the inmates on May 24th. Some local hockey talent has agreed to setp up and help the inmates side, with Andy Barbe (Pittsburgh Hornets), George Armstrong (Pittsburgh Hornets), Sambo Bettio (Hershey Bears) and Zelio Toppazzini (New York Rangers) all expected to take part.

Now starring for the Owen Sound Mercurys, Pat McReavy was also a member of the Copper Cliff Redmen the year they reached the Memorial Cup finals, suiting up with the likes of Jack Shewchuk and Red Hamill in 1937.

With homegrown heroes Tod Sloan and George Armstrong on hand, 180 boys and girls at the annual Falconbridge Midget National Hockey League were in for a treat as the local loop hosted their year-end banquet.

Along with the various awards that were presented, the evening was hihglighted by some chatter with the two hockey stars, as Sloan recalled netted the game-tying goal in the fifth game of the Stanley Cup final, forcing overtime which was subsequently decided by Bill Barilko's Cup winning goal in overtime.

Following were some of the awards that were doled out:

The Sudbury Broomball League championship was decided at the Falconbridge Memorial Arena as Cheniers doubled Brissons 6-3, sweeping the best of three series in two straight games. Cheniers took the opener 6-4 just a few nights earlier.

Andy Pitre set the scoring pace with two goals, while other marksmen included B. Doucette, Frenchie Coutu, Claude Courville and N. Bobbie. Scoring honours for Brissons were divided between Laurent Brisson, Jerry Chartrand and Ray Jolicoeur.

Backed by some solid goaltending from Ron Lapierre, the Copper Cliff Redmen forced a deciding game in their Jr "B" series with the North Bay Scollard Hall Bears, downing the visitors 4-1. Alfio Sanchioni, Ray Mentis and Roy Strong all scored in the third to lift the Redmen to victory.

The midgets made it a clean sweep on the evening, chalking up a 5-3 win over the North Bay Rangers as a well balanced Copper Cliff attack featured goals from Alf Rondini, Pat Morrow, Jim Holmes, Gorman Brisson and Terry Sheahan.

With everything on the line, it was really no contest. The Soo Greyhounds whipped the Sudbury Miners 8-1 in North Bay in a historic sudden death meeting, as the Hounds now prepare to face the Porcupine Porkies in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association final.

Ronnie Lay rifled a pair of goals for the Soo crew, with Bernie MacIver, Wally Zuke, Lud Bailey, Ted Ronney, Terry Biocchi and Jimmy Mosienko, while only Paul Theriault could solve Greyhounds substitute netminder Wally Maich, considered by some to be the only weak link in the Soo chain.

The Calder Cup, emblamatic of honours in the annual all-Ontario Midget National Hockey League Tournament, was captured by the Copper Cliff Leafs on Sunday, recording a thrilled-packed 4-3 victory over North Bay at the Stanley Stadium.

The payoff marker in the final was fired by Eddie Shack less than four minutes from the end. Picking up a loose puck in North Bay territory, Shack worked his way towards the corner of the net before caroming a shot off the pads of diminutive goaler Wayne Rennick.

Johnny Saganiewicz and Stella Crawford walked away with the bulk of the laurels as the YMCA concluded its annual club badminton tournament this week. Saganiewicz figured in three titles, winning the men's singles and sharing men's and mixed doubles honours with Jerry Marshall and Crawford.

Crawford, meanwhile, also teamed with Jean McCrea, winning a marathon three-game battle with Nellie Smith and Nellie Terrell, missing her triple by just one point. Crawford fell to Terrell 11-9, 4-11, 12-11 in the ladies singles as the latter added her YMCA crown to the Nickel Belt open singles title she currently holds.