The name "Coniston Red Sox" may well have been around for nearly a full century, even if the players who donned their uniforms have not.

In that sense, a recent 50th Anniversary of the Red Sox was fitting - especially considering the re-emergence of the team in the summer of 1976 came after an absence of nearly twenty years for men's baseball in this region - and the franchises who were part of the lore.

Thankfully, those who were on hand a little over a week ago at Twin Stacks Golf Club for the gathering that was organized by Bobby Chayka, Andy Kosiw and Mike Fox were not about to forget those who came before them.

"The Boyds were a huge influence on us, especially when we were in midget ball," said Kosiw, adding that Keith Boyd, inducted into the Sudbury Sports Hall of Fame in 1971, actually drew the attention of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

"Those guys taught us ball. That was in the day when guys were brought in by Inco to entertain the people. For a little town of a few thousand people, we knew our ball."

Celebrating that legacy was almost the next natural step for what is clearly a close-knit community. "We had already started golfing together as a group," said Chayka. "We would get together every week, out for lunch together in the winter."

"And then it dawned on me that next year (2026) is fifty years - and we were already golfing together."

A total of 17 former players and one batboy were on hand for the festivities, mostly all locals though NHL great and current Los Angeles Kings broadcaster Jim Fox also timed a visit home to coincide with the gathering.

"Our dad (Clarence) had played in the old senior league - and at least for one year if not two (in the seventies), we had all four (Fox) boys playing," said Jim, joined on the field at that time by Mike, Steve and Kevin as well.

Somewhere during his time with the Ottawa 67's (396 points in 164 games) and his early years with the Kings (nine years - 479 points), Fox developped quite the daily routine during summers back home in Coniston.

"I would go to the gym because we had all of the weightlifters in Coniston around 3:00 p.m., get a couple of hours in there, grab a shower and then go and play baseball. It was a little bit of a "stay in shape" thing."

There were those on hand who would suggest that Mike and Jim Fox were likely the two most talented players on those Red Sox teams - and among the top handful of ball players in the city.

"It was a real team effort," recalled Kosiw. "Everybody did something. We had great defense, clutch hitting and we always had good pitching - and our outfield were rabbits. Boy could they run."

Attending the festivities at Twin Stacks were Jake Bilous, Rod McHugh, Chico Sylvestri, Bob Bleishwitz, David Gobbo, John Pidutti, Andy Kosiw, Mike Fox, Zeno Bazylykut, Kerry Barbe, Gilles Barne, Doug Marcom, Jim Fox, Bobby Chayka, Alan Marco and Steven Spencer (batboy).

While Jim Fox was more than happy to talk a little baseball, he also shared some thoughts regarding the upcoming season with the Los Angeles Kings, the first of the post Anze Kopitar era if you will, as NHL watchers ponder whether former Sudbury Wolves superstar Quentin Byfield is ready to center the team's top line this year.

"If Byfield is not ready to jump into that position, the Kings are in trouble," said Fox. "He has taken strides, but he has not done it over the course of a full season. He has shown dominating segments. I think he is ready to do it."