Cliff Bishop’s trademark smile and ability to flip a riser at 86 mph under the most intense pressure a pitcher can endure made him a fan favourite for three decades.

“Cleo” was introduced to fastball at an early age by his father, Jack Bishop, who was a figure eight pitcher in the Winnipeg Metro Men’s League. He followed in his father’s footsteps as a control pitcher, but took the windmill style a step further in his rise to the international scene.

As a veteran of both national and international championships, it might be difficult to single out special highlights, but Bishop had no problem. If he was particularly proud of one moment in his career, it was the opportunity to help Team Canada win gold in the Pan Am Games in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1979. He threw a no-hitter against the Dutch Antilles. In 1998, he helped the Calgary 45’s bring home the silver medal at the Nike World Masters Games in Portland, Oregon.

He was nominated by Rick Denny, a teammate, and a witness to some of Bishop’s greatest moments on the softball diamond.

In 1988, the Portage la Prairie Diamonds were at the ISC Worlds in Decatur, Illinois, facing the host team, Decatur Pride, ranked number 2 in the world. The game was tied 1-1. As a pinch hitter, Cliff Bishop hit a home run in the top of the 7th; then he struck out the opposition to win the game. A capacity crowd of 8,500, expecting to see their local heroes prevail, was spellbound.

Simply put, he was an incredible athlete with remarkable longevity as an ace pitcher and a formidable bat. It has been said “a man does not learn to understand anything unless he loves it”, and Cliff Bishop truly understood fastball.