I’m here to tell you all about our friend Warren Appleby.

Warren Appleby was a Toronto based SFX coordinator for tv and feature films; well regarded and respected throughout the industry. He had previously worked on IT, IT:2 and The Shape of Water and was partner with Toronto based studio Acme Fx. Warren was working on DC’s Titans series when testing for a scene went awry, injuring him fatally. Warren passed away Thursday, July 18th leaving behind a wonderful wife and two beautiful sons. I could go on about Warren’s amazing professional accomplishments and accolades, but those are too many to list, and also readily available on google.

I actually wanted to talk about Warren the person. Warren the questionable softball player. Warren the friend.

When I was first introduced to Warren, I was wallowing in the low-level leagues of Scarborough softball, mired on a team destined for constant mediocrity. I had reached out previously to a few friends Joe and Chris who were playing on another team, and had asked them if I could join. I was told that I would need to be ‘scouted’. Scouted I asked? by who?

“Our Manager, Warren. We can’t add just anybody.” I found this to be funny at the time, as I believe their team had lost about 600 games in row, or something like that.

I’ve played co-ed rec-level softball for a very long time, and this was the first time I’d ever heard of basically having to audition in front of someone. However, as Warren was a member of the film and entertainment industry it all makes perfect sense now.
The Day I finally met Warren, he wandered over with Chris and Joe, with some sort of random, terrible beer in hand, and sat down to watch me play a few innings.

As it happens, I had the game of my Goddam life. I was gunning out runners with my arm-cannon from centerfield like I was Jesse Barfield. I also hit a homerun, that still hasn’t landed – and that was hit 4 years ago. Around the 5th inning, Warren walked over to me in the dugout and said “You’re hired, Chris will fill you in.”

And that was the beginning of my tenure with the Inglorious Batters, and my low-level bromance with Warren Appleby. Let it be known that Warren went with ‘Donowitz’ on the back of his jersey in homage to the ‘Bear Jew’ Donnie Donowitz from the Inglorious Basterds. I asked Warren if I could have ‘Schlitz’ on the back of mine in homage to a shitty, American beer. But Warren misspelt it and now my jersey says ‘Schiltz.’ So instead of a garbage American brew, I’m named after a weird German person, probably.

Warren was our Baseball Dad. It was apparent from the get-go. Warren managed our team, set the lineups, directed fielders, called plays, brought the beer and made sure to call us on our mistakes in front of everyone and their mothers. Nothing felt better than dropping a flyball, and then hearing a loud voice from first base asking if you “needed a bigger glove, Ray Charles?“. Most teams like to heckle you know, the OPPOSING team, but not us boy. Warren set the humour tone, and we ran with it. We had so much fun every game, chirping one another, and laughing in the middle of plays. Other teams would routinely tell us that we are the best team to play against because all we do is roast each other. And we have Warren to thank for that!

And don’t think Warren was immune to the chirping. Warren was possibly the best first-baseman ever – at dropping balls that were thrown directly to him. Chris our shortstop and Warren used to go back and forth like Edith and Archie Bunker about who’s fault it was that Warren dropped the ball. In the interest of neutrality, I won’t cast blame on anyone.

However, Warren did have a tendency to blame the sun getting in his eyes, when it was 1030pm. Warren’s finest moment came in a big game last season. All we needed was a single to drive in a run to win the game. But in true Appleby dramatics, Warren CRANKED one over the fence in centrefield. It only counted as a single because we only needed one run, but you bet your sweet ass that Warren jogged around the bases, hands in the air, smile as wide as the Mississippi river, proclaiming, “IM 44 AND I STILL GOT IT BABY!!!” This made me laugh as I typed it.

Our buddy Warren was also the team DJ. For some reason that has escaped me, after our first win of the season last year, he decided to blast ‘Boys Round Here’ by Blake Shelton from the cab of his F-150. To most of us, it was just more of Warren’s country trash that he used to force upon us all friggin’ season. But with every win, came the song. And every game we played we won. We went 10-0 and Blake Shelton was thereafter every game…and by the end of the season, every single one of us could sing the entire song. Thanks to Warren we are all now country music fans with pickup trucks. Just kidding. Kind of.

He was also CEO of the social committee, arranging and spear-heading our after game ventures to Shoeless Joe’s where so many of our teammates worked and hung out. Gradually as our core group became more cemented, we blossomed into a family, and we have Warren to thank for that. If you said “no, I’m going home”, Warren would twist your rubber arm, ever-so-slightly. But it was all for a purpose. He made sure we were always included, and always made it feel like we belonged.

Aside from all of the heckling, prodding, bad-music-listening, laughing, and general goofballery (not sure that’s a word), Warren was also someone who was compassionate, understanding, and would take a legitimate interest in your life. Shortly after I joined our team, my son arrived in this world 75 days early. Warren would text me daily to ask how he was doing, making sure I was alright, and that my son was doing ok. And so did many others on the team…because we were a family, and Warren fostered that feeling.

If you were going through a rough patch, and many of us had or were – he always had advice. Away from the crowd, he would catch you by yourself at the right time and let you know his experiences and thoughts. And then he would drift away back into the dugout, or sea of people at the pub and send a wink your way. Like a slightly creepy Dr Phil.

And Finally, Warren was quite possibly the proudest family man I have ever met, and that’s no shot to anyone I know. He loved his wife and two children more than life itself, and always made sure that we knew that. He was an inspiration, and a testament on how to be a good person, husband and father.

When I found out Warren had passed away, it broke me and it broke our team. We are a rudderless ship, trying to string it all together. But we will get there, Warren. From myself, Mark, Jason G, Jason C, Rosanna, Darren, Bryan, Chris, Joe, Gracie, Chloe, Tara, Erin, Julie, Albert, and Mel C – we will miss you always big guy.

Full disclosure: I had originally titled this blog, ‘My Friend Warren Appleby.’ But upon finishing this and re-reading it, I decided to change it to ‘Our Friend.’ Warren was not only my friend, but a friend to many, and in retrospect – it’s not fair to keep all of his memories to myself.

Please donate to his GoFundMe and help his wife and children move forward.

Rest Easy W.