We last crossed paths at the ballyard 15 years ago.

Jeff Boyce was a tall, flame-throwing, right-handed, windmilling strikeout artist. The Nolan Ryan of the fast-pitch softball wars.

Some of these guys you never hear from again.

Boyce? More than a decade after the cheering subsided, the one-time all-world pitcher is back on the world stage, having used his stature as a stepping stone to building a thriving international oil company, Vermilion Resources.

But one thing hasn’t changed. When we met for an interview at his office in the heart of the oilpatch, he seemed like that kid in the blue-and-white Dome Petroleum uniform, a youthful 41, smiling boyishly and still talking up the team.

1. Okay, right down to business. You have two lunch dates, one with Roger Clemens and one with Mike Piazza. Which do you choose?
“I think I’ll go with Mike. That way I won’t have a bat thrown at me. Roger will probably make me pay because he’s getting fined ($50,000 for throwing a broken bat at Piazza in the World Series).”

2. Can you relate the story of how you were lured west in 1980 from Oshawa as a pitcher and oilpatch prospect?
“The key individuals in getting me out here were Jim McCool, who was working at Dome Petroleum and he was the coach of the Dome (softball) team. Jim’s a guy I really respected, a quality guy. And then there was one of the senior executives at Dome, John Andriuk, who was a real champion for having a team, and Bobby Tait, who was Dome’s co-coach.”

3. The game of your life?
“I had that 30-inning game with Dome Petroleum in the 1980 city championship where I struck out 50 people and we lost 1-0 to Crowchild. My wife was ticked off at me because she thought I was in the bar when I was busy working. There was a total of 100 strikeouts in the game.”

4. During a boyhood in Oshawa, who did you idolize?
“Well, Bobby Orr, who played (junior) in Oshawa, to me really exemplified what a true sportsman was, you know as far as being first class. He was a great player obviously but also a quality, quality guy.”

5. Your favorite pitcher?
“On the softball side, I always respected Pete Landers as a pitcher. He was one of the quality softball pitchers and taught me a lot.”

6. When you arrived in Cowtown, did you envision a future as a CEO of a company like Vermilion with a market cap of about $400 million?
“No, I spent the first couple of years as an oil scout. I didn’t know anyone when I came to Calgary so it was a big challenge to get into the community. Sports was a big promoter of getting me recognized so I used that angle. Then, it’s just hard work. I’m always the one looking for that new challenge and I’m not afraid to take a risk. And I’ve surrounded myself by great people.”

7. For several years, you juggled softball and business. How difficult was it to hang up your cleats in 1990?
“In 1990, I played a year in Camrose and my wife decided, considering we’d just had our first kid and were expecting our second kid, that it was my turn to grow up and get a real job per se. The first couple of years were difficult.”

8. Your arm still had some magic in it?
“I wanted to leave at the top, I guess, and I thought I did that. There’s always bigger, faster guys so, ya know, you’ve got to let them take over.”

9. So who were the major influences in your business life?
“A guy I respect is Bill Hay (former Flames’ president and ex-NHLer). He’s very under-appreciated in my opinion. I admired the way he treats people and he has a very positive attitude. Two others are people I worked under, Tom Dirks and Bob Dixon.”

10. How has high-technology impacted your business?
“When you look at the technology movement in oil and gas, like horizontal drilling, we’ve really moved well into that area. I think that’s made a significant difference in lower costs and higher productivity. E-mail for us is big, having a business in France. I think, though, we have a long way to go.”

11. Has your pitching experience been an asset in business?
“I think sports is a great learning experience in terms of being a role player and a team player which is so important in our business. It helps you to understand how to deal with success and failure.”

12. Have you had your share of adversity?
“Sure, there’s lots of falling down along the way. I’m not what I’d call an academic but more of an experienced-based learner. In the case of Vermilion and nurturing this kid along, we’ve had our bumps and bruises. But that’s what’s great. We’ve got a group of people who aren’t afraid to take risks and fall down once in a while.”

13. You put a lot on the line starting this company . . .
“I didn’t take a salary for a year, I had two kids, a mortgage, I took a lot of risk. People see the success side of it, but they sometimes don’t see the whole picture.”

14. Does work consume your life?
“It’s not just a job, it’s part of your life. We have over 3,000 shareholders and it’s a big responsibility. Obviously, I’m just a part of a small piece of it.”

15. So work goes home with you?
“It’s the kind of thing where you don’t just walk out the door and your job’s finished. On weekends, you’re thinking: ‘What can you do better?’ ” 16. Is there more pressure here than you had facing slugger Barry House with a full count and the game on the line?

“As a pitcher, it being a core portion of the game, that was something that was absolutely needed so I did feel pressure there. Here, I think we’re good at spreading the pressure around. I think it’s good, positive pressure, not a negative pressure. Obviously, we worked through a very difficult oil market in late ’98 and ’99. That was big pressure.”

17. You call in sick tomorrow, but you’re not too sick? How do you spend the day?
“I like to get out with my buddies and play golf. I just like to relax because there are so many demands, so it’s nice just to hide, read a book or go for a hike. Just tear myself away from the day-to-day.”

18. Has success changed you?
“I would say not necessarily. My lifestyle has changed a little, but I would say my attitude is still good. If I succeed, I’m the kind of person who likes to bring people up with me. I think I’m fairly generous. As long as everybody’s winning, I’m happy.”

19. God taps you on the shoulder and says you can do one thing over?
“When I was ranked one of the top pitchers in the world, I had a chance to go play summer ball in New Zealand. I sort of regretted not going, but I made a decision that a career was what I wanted to do. I used softball as a stepping stone and used that talent to open other doors.”

20. What’s your vision for Vermilion by 2005?
“I’d like to see the company established in three main regions of the world, Western Canada being the focal point, with business being well over two times the size, probably a 40,000-barrel-a-day type of company, with a focus in the South America-Trinidad region, Europe, South Africa. Being a billion-dollar business. We’re about half way there. We believe we can get to the next level and increase our share price for the shareholders and for our employees. That’s why we’re here. It won’t be for a lack of trying. That’s where we’d like to be, with a share price of $17 to $20 range.”

IN PROFILE: Jeff Boyce

* Born/Raised/Age: Oshawa, Ont.; 41.
* Family: Wife Julia, daughter Samantha, 12, son Evan, 10.
* Title: CEO/President, Vermilion Resources.
* Education: Business degree, Durham College (Ont.).
* Claim to fame: A celebrated fast-pitch softball career included five Canadian senior championships, including two with Calgary Alberta Brake & Clutch, an all-world ranking as pitcher. With Dome Petroleum, the team that recruited him to Calgary, Boyce once struck out 50 in a 30-inning 1-0 loss to Crowchild in city championships. As a pee wee in Oshawa, he once fashioned a perfect game by striking out all 21 batters. * Kicks back by: Rooting for his kids' teams, golfing, hiking and reading.

THE COMPANY: Vermilion Resources

* Brass: Jeff Boyce, CEO/president; Steve Bjornson, vice-president; Lorenzo Donadeo, Claudio Ghersinich, executive vice-presidents.
* Industry: International oil and gas company involved in acquisition, exploration and development of petroleum and natural gas properties with a focus in West Central Alberta and France.
* Vision: To be a leading, high-growth value creator in the international oil and gas marketplace.
* Recent Stock Price (VRM-TSE): $7.50 (year trading range, $4.60-$8.85).
* Web site: vermilionresources.com.
* Phone: 296-4884 (fax-264-3306).
* Address: #400-622 5th Ave. S.W.