Increase Textsize Decrease Textsize   Email to a friend

The original Can-Doo man in Cairns sport

Saturday, November 3, 2012

© The Cairns Post

 

A FLUORESCENT yellow fist smashing through a wall makes up the bulk of the logo for Smithfield construction firm Breakthrough.

If you think it's an odd choice for a business in the "construction" industry then you do not know company director Ric Doo.

While the firm specialises in concrete cutting, core drilling, utility surveying and recycling, the big, exciting arm of the Breakthrough is the one where they get to smash things: the controlled demolition business.

Ric Doo likes the big exciting things.

"I don't do things small," the company founder said this week.

"I do things big. I always have."

Doo throws himself all in. At work and at home.

When the Brisbane native arrived in Cairns in 1989, he discovered baseball after watching a friend play a game at Cairns Baseball League's Trinity Beach ballpark. He was hooked.

Three years after buying his first baseball mitt, Doo was teaching others how to play the sport.

"It just sucked me right in," he said.

When Doo gets "sucked in" to something, he does not just take a passive interest. That's not his style.

The surprising thing may be that it took another 12 years for Doo to add "franchise owner" to a baseball resume that already included player, coach and manager.

When the Breakthrough Bandits launched, they were nothing more than a group of friends playing in the social league.

But, in typical Doo style, that didn't last long. Last year, the Bandits expanded into the A-grade competition, under the team name the Stingers.

They won the premiership with a team of retired stars Doo had convinced to return to the league. The Avengers of Cairns baseball.

Big names like former Olympian Brett Roneberg, former Major Leaguer Cam Cairncross, former Brisbane Bandits player Paul Wollin, Australian representative Scott Peace and New Zealand representative Ritchie Mounsey were on the roster.

"These were guys that had all played against each other and had been rivals for a long time that we got together to form the team," Doo said. "I thought it would be tough, convincing them to joined the team, but it turned out they were keen.

"These are competitive guys and I knew they could still do it."

Tomorrow they will try to make it back-to-back premierships against a strong Cairns Heat team that looks up to the challenge.

Doo will be on third base, gesturing bizarre hand signals, lowering his cap, tugging his ear -- in his element.

Regardless of the result, Doo won't slow down. He's already talking about putting franchises in Darwin and Townsville, where Breakthrough has offices. "They both have a bit of a military connection, so I think there may be some Americans there," he said.

The ambition does not stop there. "I would like to own the Brisbane Bandits, too," he said with a laugh.

"But that might be a while off."

 


NEW CAIRNS.COM.AU COMMENT POLICY
We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Comments submitted without a full name and suburb/location will not be considered for publication. Please read our full comment policy and publication guidelines.

The big pitch: Ric Doo has been hooked on baseball since arriving in the the Far North 23 years ago. Cairns Post journalist Joe Flynn caught up with the third baseman to find out what makes him tick.





Comments

See all comments >>

Comments

We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Comments submitted without a full name and suburb/location will not be considered for publication. Please click to read our full comment policy and publication guidelines.

Submit your feedback here:

Full name: Email address:
Location:
Your comments:
(max 1200 characters)
  Remember my details

(So you don't have to retype your details each time you send feedback.)

 

Email me if my comment is published