This section will always be a work in progress as we make note of the people who touched Dollard Baseball over the years, what they have accomplished and where they are now.
3-Jim Field
Most people don’t realize that one of the fields at Lake Road actually has a name other than Lake 1 or Lake 2. Lake Rd 1 is actually officially named 3-Jim Field.
It was dedicated by Mayor Ed Janiszewski in 2002 to honour three very dedicated volunteers from the early years of Dollard Baseball from the 1970’s and 1980’s. Named in honour of:
- Jim Forsyth – long time coach and board member
- Jim Liddell – coach, equipment manager board member
- Jim Loyello – coach, board member, General Manager of the Junior AA Dodgers
PJ Loyello
P.J. Loyello – Senior Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting, Miami Marlins
P.J. grew up in Dollard right across the street from Fairview Park. He was an outstanding baseball player in Dollard in the late 1970s and 80s, eventually playing Junior Elite for Verdun and Junior AA with the North Shore Dodgers.
A shoulder injury derailed his playing career, so P.J. tried the management route, which brought him to Ottawa as the General Manager of the Ottawa Lynx AAA baseball club (Montreal Expos AAA affiliate).
P.J. was promoted to the big club in 1995 becoming the Director of Media Relations for the Montreal Expos, a position he held until 2001 when he moved to the Florida Marlins (now Miami Marlins) as their Senior Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting where he was part of the management team that won a World Series ring in 2003.
P.J. still works for the Marlins and lives there full time with wife Holly and their three children. P.J.’s father Jim Loyello was an active member of Dollard Baseball and is one of the “Jims” honored at 3-Jim Field at Lake Road Park.
Brad Fairholm
Our next story on former Dollard Baseball players focuses on perhaps the greatest ball player to play for Dollard.
Brad Fairholm played in the Dollard Baseball system beginning in 1976 as a T-Ball player. He played in the Minor and Major categories while Dollard Baseball was under the Little League Baseball program and when Dollard made the transition to Baseball Quebec, Brad played Pee Wee, Bantam and Midget and then one year with the North Shore Junior AA Dodgers in 1987. He was an integral member of that championship winning team grabbing Rookie of the Year and Best Defensive Player honours as a 16 year old.
Brad got noticed by a US college coach while on a family vacation in Florida visiting his brother Gord, who was a ballplayer at Lynn University in Boca Raton. It was Lynn’s Head Coach and former Montreal Expo, Jim Lyttle who saw Brad fooling around with Gord after a game and asked him if he would be interested in working out with the team. Brad accepted and impressed the coach and was offered a scholarship for the next season.
Brad excelled at Lynn University becoming a starter in the outfield in his sophomore season. He really exploded in his junior year, batting a school record .451 with 43 stolen bases earning Team MVP honours and a spot on the NAIA All Star team.
Brad graduated from Lynn University in 1992 as the Knights’ all time leading hitter with a .404 career batting average (currently ranks 2nd all-time) and was inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.
Brad lives in Ottawa with his wife Kathleen and their three boys.
Related Links:
Lynn University All-Time Roster
Lynn University Sports Hall of Fame
Steve Dubinsky
The next story on former Dollard Baseball players focuses on an NHL hockey player – Steve Dubinsky.
Steve had a 10 year NHL career mostly with the Chicago Blackhawks, but he also had short stints with Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues.
Steve played in the Dollard Baseball system in the 1980’s finishing his baseball career with the Junior AA North Shore Dodgers as a solid hitting middle infielder, winning a league and playoff championship in 1987.
Steve gave up his baseball career to focus on hockey and his studies attending Clarkson University before being drafted by Chicago in 1990.
Steve Dubinsky – Career Statistics
Ian Beckles
Ian Beckles grew up in Dollard and played Little League baseball in the 1970’s and 80’s. Ian attended Lindsay Place High School and then pursued his football dreams and studies at Waldorf College in Iowa. Two years later Ian was at Indiana University, graduating with a degree in Business Administration in 1989.
The Tampa Bay Bucaneers drafted him in 1990 and he played 6 years as a starting Guard before signing a free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1997 where he retired after the 1998 season.
Ian is currently the co-host of the The Ian Beckles Show on 102.5 The Bone in Tampa, FL
Ian Beckles – NFL Career Statisctics
Association of the Year
Dollard Baseball was named Association of the Year for 2011 by Baseball Quebec. A tremendous honour that the entire association should be proud. Congratulations to President Harlene Lester and the Board, coaches and other volunteers for a great effort.