NIAGARA METROS "AAA" MAJOR BASEBALL CLUB 2012

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Welcome to our website!  You are visiting the home of the Niagara Metros of the Central Ontario "AAA" Major Baseball League.  Since 1985, we've been the home for Elite Senior baseball in the Niagara region.
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Thursday, September 27, 2007

HOLIDAYS....WOOOO - HOOOO !!
This is just a quick note to let you all know there will be no updates on the website until after the Thanksgiving weekend.  Your humble webmaster is taking a well-deserved holiday.  We'll be heading to the Kawarthas for a week, before travelling to Cooperstown, New York, and a visit to one of the greatest places on earth...the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.  Autumn is a great time of year to travel, and we're really looking forward to getting away.  Here's wishing everyone a great Thanksgiving.
1:26 pm | link 

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

BURLINGTON'S BRUCE EVANS STEPS DOWN
The Central Ontario Major Baseball League lost a real "class act" last week, when Bruce Evans, who had managed the Burlington Brants for 16 years, stepped down.  The Brants have turned the vacant job over to former player and former coach of the Ontario Under-17 team...Mike Steed. 
 
Evans, who started out in C.O.B.A. as an umpire in the 1980's, took over the Brants' managing job in 1992 and had great success, leading his team to a Provincial "B" title, 4 C.O.B.A. Playoff titles and numerous Johnson Division Championships during his tenure.  But more importantly than all of his success on the field, was the grace and class that he showed in the dugout, in the boardroom and away from the field altogether.  Bruce sat on the COMBL disciplinary committee for a number of years and was a well-repected voice of reason in discussions about the league, and its future.  Mr. Evans, one of the true gentlemen in Ontario baseball circles, always took the position of league first...Brants second. 
 
The C.O.B.A Major Baseball League Executive Committee will miss his presence in the meetings, and the rest of the league will miss his presence in the Brants' dugout.  Good luck, Bruce Evans, in everything you do.  You've earned it!! 
 
Here's a link to a story that appeared in the Burlington Post about the Brants' "changing of the guard". 
 
 
By the way, speaking of COMBL meetings, the next one is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 2 in Burlington.  The main agenda item will be the league executive's voting on the major awards and trophies for the 2007 season.  The awards will be handed out at the League banquet on Thursday, November 1, in Dundas.
9:37 am | link 

Friday, September 21, 2007

MANY, MANY THANKS - REVISITED
A couple of weeks ago, we posted a list of Thank-Yous on this blog...but because of the advent of the European Championships, and their importance to the Metros (especially to Brian and Tim), our Thank-Yous got pre-empted after a couple of days.  So we thought it would be a good idea to run the story again, now that we have some time.  It is important that evreyone involved knows that we owe them a debt of gratitude.  Here's the story...
 
 
You can't run a team with the profile of the St. Catharines Metros without a lot of help from a lot of people and organizations.  So, we thought this would be a good opportunity to acknowledge these "friends of the Metros" and their contributions. The Metros are greatly indebted to the following "Top 10"...
 
1.  Our corporate partners.  We couldn't have paid the bills that arose over the course of the 2007 season without the generosity of:
 
Nokona Baseball Canada, Nocona Athletics - Texas
The Outback Steakhouse - Niagara Falls
Buckner's Source for Sports - St. Catharines
The Red Hot Chili Pepper - St. Catharines
Players Athletic Company Tavern - St. Catharines
 
It's community-minded organizations like these that help keep us on the field.  We can't thank you enough.
 
2. Our game day door prize donators.  We raised a lot of money over the course of the season, on the door prize draws - and couldn't have done that without the generous donations from:
 
Avondale Food Stores - Niagara
Stewarts Farm Markets - Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines
Pete's Pizza - Merritt St., St. Catharines
Welland Avenue Car Wash - Welland Ave., St. Catharines
Front Row Sports - Front St., Thorold
Elios Shoes - Front St., Thorold
Duff's Pizzeria - Facer St., St. Catharines
Tim Hortons - Hartzel Rd., St. Catharines
Golftown - 4th Ave., St. Catharines
Giant Tiger - Scott St., St. Catharines
 
Again, thanks for your generosity, your support and your interest.
 
3.  The City of St. Catharines and the Parks and Recreation Department.  Community Park is still one of the finest facilities for baseball anywhere in the province and the Metros are proud to call it "home".  Special thanks to John and all of the young people that maintain the field, and work so hard to meet our needs during the season. Great job.
 
4.  The St. Catharines Standard, Niagara This Week and LocalSports.com.  Thank you for getting our name and stories in front of the public.  It really helps when we have people at our games and the stories you wrote about us, in large part, are responsible for that.  Special thanks to Bill Potrecz of the Standard for his feature articles and column inches dedicated to baseball in general...and to the Metros in particular.
 
5.  The other teams in COBA and across the province.  The reason we draw fans to our games and interest is at its highest in years, is because we can offer them a great baseball product.  And we can't do that without the team in the other dugout.  The opposition you give us each week is second to none...and the teams we played in the various provincial tournaments, provide us with a high level of competition that we must strive to equal.  Thanks to you all.
 
6.  The O.B.A., C.O.B.A. and the Senior League Executive.  The various governing bodies put in countless hours in an effort to make our senior series and the COBA Major Baseball League what it is.  We'd like to especially acknowledge the contributions of Mr. David Huctwith (our C.O.B.A. representative and Convenor) for his guidance and help.  We'd also like to thank the members of our League Executive - Bruce Evans (Burlington), Rick Ellis and Larry Wood (Glanbrook), Charlie Holman and Shawn Kowalshyn (Dundas), John D'Angelo (Mississauga North), Steve Breitner (Etobicoke), Greg Cranker and Tim Gasparotto (Erindale), George Moore and Matt McCandless (Milton), Rob Fisher and Carlos Paxaio (Oakville), and  Ron Lutz and Blake Frost (Brampton).  Thank you all for putting the interests of the League before the interests of your respective teams.
 
7.  The Umpires.  The umpiring at our home games this season was the best its been in years...maybe the best its ever been.  You don't mind paying for a service when you get your money's worth, and that was the case this season.  Thank you for the great job.  And thanks to Nancy for her hard work in scheduling the umps and getting them to the park.
 
8.  The Metros Coaching Staff and Players.  First to the coaches...Kerry, Carey and Mark.  Your knowledge of the game, dedication to this team, and respect and friendship you show the players is inspiring.  All three of you did an outstanding job. 
And to the coaches and players, alike...Its a huge sacrifice to commit to a team like ours.  We play over 40 games in 4 months and it sometimes seems like we're playing every day for a month (actually sometimes we almost do).  To get to these games, sacrifices have to be made...families, work, holidays, and leisure time all suffer.  Thanks for making this sacrifice.  And thanks to the families of our players for being so understanding.
 
9.  Two players who went above and beyond.  Jason Rabjohn and Brad Namtzu did a little more than just show up.  Jason worked hard at securing our Nokona sponsorship.  He also did all the legwork on our new uniforms.  Jason was our liaison with the uniform manufacturer and put in many hours making sure they turned out the way we wanted them and that we got them on time.  Brad was the operator of our "refreshment" fund...making sure that we had cold beverages after every game, both home and road.  He also ran our "Horse Race Night" fundraiser at the Celtic Club in June.  This is a big undertaking and his countless hours invested helped the team raise $850.00.  Thanks to both Jason and Brad on a job well done.
 
10.  The fans.  We consistently draw more fans to our home games than any other team in COBA, and would venture a guess that our attendance would be in the top 5 of any Senior team in the province.  We estimate that over the course of our 13 home games this season, we had more than 1800 people in attendance.  That may not seem like a lot...but to us, your presence in the stands is like gold.  Thanks!  We promise to continue to play competitive and entertaining ball in 2008, and hope to see you back at the park next summer.
 
We're sure there are people we've missed, and if you are one of these overlooked parties, we sincerely apologize.  To the folks we did mention, once again, Thank You!  See you in 2008...
10:35 am | link 

Monday, September 17, 2007

POST MORTEM ON THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Well, the dust has settled, the tourney is over and the boys are on their way home.  But we don't think it's going to sink in for a while...what the Great Britain National Baseball Team accomplished. 
 
The 8-5 win for Spain over Sweden in last night's final game means that GB finishes in the runner-up position to 5-time champs, The Netherlands.  The teams were all on hand, last night in Barcelona, to watch the British team claim their first ever silver medal at the Euro event...and even more importantly, they qualified for a couple of very important upcoming events in 2008 and 2009. 
 
Britain will attend a tournament, next spring, along with a select group of other baseball powers, in an effort to qualify for the 2008 Beijing olympics.  This is the first time in history that a team representing Britain has earned their way to such an event.  It's also the first time that a GB team has qualified to attend the World Baseball Championships (also known as the World Cup of Baseball) in 2009.  As well as keeping their Olympic and World Championship dreams alive, the team has the great satisfaction of knowing that they can play with any baseball country, and that they far and away outdid any previous finish in the modern format of the Euro Championships (their highest finish being a 5th place in 2005 in Prague). 
 
And to the great credit of the 2 Metros players on the GB team, they were both integral parts of this great accomplishment.  Third baseman, Tim Collins, had a solid, if not spectacular, tourney.  He went 5 for 22 at the plate (.227), scored 2 runs and drove in 1.  He was also on base 5 other times through walks or HBP and had a very good .370 OBP.  Throw in a stolen base and you get a pretty solid offensive line.  But it was his defence that really shone...as he had 7 putouts and a team-leading 26 assists, with just 2 errors for a .943 fielding percentage. 
 
As for the other Metros representative, pitcher Brian Essery, well, he was one of the best pitchers in the entire tournament.  He started 3 games and threw 16 1/3 innings, allowing 17 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3.  Brian finished with a record of 1-1 and had a very good 3.31 ERA.  He also allowed just 3 extra-base hits and a .279 batting average against...all very good numbers at this caliber of play. 
 
Congratulations guys!  You both proved that you belong with the elite players on the world stage and you bring credibility to our COBA Major Baseball League and to our team.  The St. Catharines Metros are proud of you both!   
10:20 am | link 

Sunday, September 16, 2007

TEAM BRITAIN LOSES TO POWERFUL NETHERLANDS
The British National Baseball Team gave it the old "college try", but the Team representing the Netherlands proved to be too strong, and defeated Britain by the score of 6-1 at the Euro Championships in Barcelona.  The final game of the tourney was a winner-take-all scenario for the title and an automatic berth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  The Dutch were the heavy favourite going in, as they had won 5 consecutive European titles, and had run up a 7-0 record in this year's tourney...scoring 94 runs while allowing just 13. 
 
The St. Catharines Metros' Brian Essery was on the hill in this all-important game and he proved himself worthy of the title-game start, as he went 6 1/3 innings, allowing just 3 earned runs and 8 hits.  Brian walked 1 and struck out 1, inducing the Dutch into 8 groundouts and 8 flyouts in his 84 pitch outing. 
 
Unfortunately, the GB offence, which had been potent most of the tourney, was basically non-existant in this one.  They registered their first hit in the 7th inning (finishing with 4 in the game) and scored their only run on a 9th inning error.  The other Metros representative for GB, Tim Collins, was 0 for 2 and made 5 plays at 3rd base.  
 
So the tourney is complete for the Brits, and their final standing will be determined later today, at the conclusion of the Sweden - Spain game.  A win for Spain would assure GB the silver medal.  We'll update everything and do a post-tourney summary tomorrow. 
 
Great job, Brian and Tim...you've made the Metros proud and put our Team name on the World Baseball map! 
 
Here's the link to the Sunday box score: http://www.fibs.it/cnc/ceb/2007/barcelona/games/41.htm 
 
And here's the link to the tournament standings page which will be finalized sometime later on Sunday: http://www.fibs.it/cnc/ceb/2007/barcelona/standing.asp
12:04 pm | link 

Saturday, September 15, 2007

BRITS HAVE OFF GAME - LOSE TO GERMANY
The British National Baseball Team committed 4 errors, which led to 3 unearned runs, as Team Germany defeated Britain 7-5 in Barcelona.  The loss for GB drops their record to 3-1 in Pool "C" round-robin play.  They do remain in 2nd place in the pool, pending the outcome of the Netherlands - Spain game later today. 
 
The 7th inning was a costly one for Team Britain as they made 3 errors on consecutive plays that led to the deciding runs for Germany.  The Metros' Tim Collins went 1 for 2 in this one, but did commit one of the errors in the 7th inning.  It was his first error of the tournament. 
 
The Euopean Championships wrap up tomorrow, with the featured game of the tourney...Britain vs. The Netherlands, quite possibly for 1st place and a spot in the 2008 Summer Olympics.  The Metros' Brian Essery, who last pitched on Wednesday, could get the start in that one. 
 
Best of luck, guys...
 
Here is the link to Saturday's box score: http://www.fibs.it/cnc/ceb/2007/barcelona/games/38.htm
 
And here is the link to the updated Euro Championship Standings: http://www.fibs.it/cnc/ceb/2007/barcelona/standing.asp
10:37 am | link 

Friday, September 14, 2007

BRITAIN COMES FROM WAY BACK TO DEFEAT SWEDES
The British National Baseball Team found themselves down 6-2 after 2 innings of play at the European Baseball Championships in Barcelona, this morning, but came all the way back to defeat Team Sweden by the score of 10-7.  The win puts Britain's record in the second stage at 3-0, tied for first with The Netherlands.  It also assures them of finishing no lower than 4th place overall in the tourney (their highest finish in decades), and thus qualifies them for next year's IABF World Championships. 
 
As mentioned, it didn't look too rosy early on, but the Brits scored 3 in the 6th and 1 in the 7th, to tie the game...and then got 3 big runs in the 9th inning to win 10-7.  The Metros' Tim Collins started the big inning with a leadoff walk, and then scored the winning run as GB combined 3 hits with a walk and a Swedish error to score the decisive runs.  Collins also had a single in the game and finished 1 for 4 as the Brits outhit the Swedes 19-9. 
 
Next up for GB is a date with Germany at 11:00 AM (local time), 5:00 AM in St. Catharines on Saturday.  We'll keep you posted...
 
Here's the link to the box score from Friday's game:
 
And here's the link to the updated tournament standings:
8:52 am | link 

Thursday, September 13, 2007

GREAT BRITAIN'S SECOND STAGE SCHEDULE SET
The Great Britain National Baseball Team received a well-earned day of rest on Thursday, after (for the first time in recent memory) qualifying for the second stage of the European Championships in Barcelona, Spain.  The schedule has now been set for the playoff round and GB finds themselves seeded number 1 going in. 
 
Here's how it works: Britain, Spain and France qualified from the "B" Pool, with Britain and Spain at 4-1 and France at 3-2.  In the "A" pool, The Netherlands was first at 5-0, with Germany at 4-1, and Sweden at 3-2.  These 6 advancing teams form a "C" pool with the records between the advancing teams carrying over.  So, GB and The Netherlands are seeded at the top of the "C" pool based on their 2-0 marks, with Germay and Spain at 1-1, and France and Sweden at 0-2. These teams will now play a round-robin against the teams they haven't played yet, to make a 5 game series.  Confused?? 
 
All you need to know is the schedule for the upcoming games.  The British team plays Sweden on Friday, Germany on Saturday, and The Netherlands on Sunday.  All games are at 11:00 AM (local time) which is 5:00 AM in St. Catharines.  We'll continue to keep you posted on all the happenings at the Euro Championships, with special attention paid to our two Metros links - Brian Essery and Tim Collins.  Go get 'em, guys. 
 
By the way, here's the link to the "Standings Page" of the E.C., which should make things a little clearer: http://www.fibs.it/cnc/ceb/2007/barcelona/standing.asp
 
And here is a link to a story that appeared on the Great Britain Baseball website with a summary of yesterday's 9-0 win and the historic territory that GB finds itself in: http://www.baseballsoftballuk.com/gen_insert.php?from_level3=Articles&db_story=2032&this_page=baseballnews&back=Current++News
9:14 am | link 

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

ESSERY, COLLINS HELP BRITAIN TO PLAYOFF ROUND
The Great Britain National Baseball Club has made it to the second stage of the European Baseball Championships.  They scored in 6 of the 9 innings and got 4-hit pitching from the St. Catharines Metros' Brian Essery to defeat Team Ukraine 9-0 on Wednesday. 
 
Essery started on the mound for GB and went 5 innings, giving up the 4 hits and 0 walks while striking out 1.  He induced the Ukrainians into 11 ground ball outs in picking up his 1st win at the Euro Championships.  Brian's efficient 57 pitch outing means he could possibly pitch again in the tourney, should the team advance into the weekend.  Meanwhile, 3rd baseman Tim Collins of the Metros contributed to the offense by going 1 for 3 and, once again, making 6 plays in the field. 
 
With the win, the Brits will advance to Thursday's first round of the playoffs facing one of the advancing teams in Pool "A". 
 
Way to go, guys...we'll continue to monitor your progress.  We couldn't be more proud. 
 
Here's the boxscore link from Wednesday's game:
8:46 am | link 

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

HUGE WIN FOR BRITS AT EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The British National Team rebounded from their first loss of the tournament, this morning, as they defeated the previously unbeaten French Team by the score of 4-3.  Team France and Team Britain are now tied for first place in Pool "B" with 3-1 records.  Team Italy could join the club at 3-1, with a win over Spain later today. 
 
France had tied the game at 3-3 in the 7th inning, only to have GB take the lead in the 8th, to pull this one out.  The Metros' Tim Collins was seriously involved in this one, as he drew a walk, was hit by a pitch and reached on an error.  He was also, once again, flawless in the field, handing 9 chances at 3rd base.  Brian Essery of the Metros continues to rest for his next start...hopefully in the playoff round. 
 
The British team plays their final game of the round-robin tomorrow at 11:00 AM (local time) against winless Ukraine.  A GB victory would assure them a spot in Thursday's quarter-final playoff round.  Go get 'em, guys. 
 
Here's the link to Tuesday's Box Score:  http://www.fibs.it/cnc/ceb/2007/barcelona/games/20.htm
 
By the way, since a lot of folks reading these articles about the European Championships may not know too much about them, we thought we'd give you a chance to get acquainted with them.  At least with the Great Britain team and their participation in the event.  You'll find "everything you always wanted to know about Team Britain", including player bios, tournament information, history and more...  (in pdf. format) 
 
 
 
10:01 am | link 

Monday, September 10, 2007

BRITAIN LOSES THEIR FIRST AT EUROS
All good things must come to an end...and they did for the Great Britain National Baseball Team today in Barcelona.  The 2-0 Brits faced the co-favourites, the Italians (the other tournament favourite is the Netherlands) and dropped a 6-0 decision at Montjuic Stadium.  Both teams are now 2-1 in the standings. 
 
The British team was in tough on this day, as they faced the "ace" of the Italian staff and 10-year Major League veteran, Giovanni Carrara.  Carrara, who pitched in 313 Major League games with the LA Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners, posted a 29-18 MLB record, with 4 saves and a 4.67 ERA.  Today, he held the upstart British team to just 3 singles over his 7 innings of work.  He walked 0 and struck out 8. 
 
The St. Catharines Metros connection on Team Britain, Tim Collins (0 for 3 with 2 K's) was held in check, although he did make 5 plays at 3rd Base without an error.  The other Metros' player, Brian Essery is still resting after his opening day start. 
 
It doesn't get any easier for the Brits, as they play Team France tomorrow morning at St. Boi Stadium.  Game time is 11:00 AM (local time) or 5 AM (in St. Catharines).
 
Here is the link to the Box Score from Monday's Game:
5:41 pm | link 

Sunday, September 9, 2007

GREAT BRITAIN WINS NUMBER 2 AT EURO CHAMPIONSHIPS
The British National Baseball Team took another step in their quest for a European Championship and a spot in the 2008 Beijing Olympics today.  The Brits scored early and often as they knocked off the Team from Russia by the score of 10-7. 
 
Britain's two Metros representatives, Brian Essery and Tim Collins, were not as involved as they were in the opening game of the tourney...a 12-8 win over Spain.  Pitcher Essery sat out after pitching 5+ innings on Friday, while Collins played 4 innings at 3rd base, collecting 2 plate appearances.  Timmy flew out and walked, finishing the day 0 for 1. 
 
The team returns to action tomorrow at 8:00 PM, local time (2:00 PM here) as they take on the powerful Italian team.  Italy won their first game 13-0 over the Ukraine. 
 
Here is the link to Sunday's box score: 
 
Keep up the great work, guys!
1:51 pm | link 

Saturday, September 8, 2007

METROS HELP BRITAIN TO GAME 1 WIN
St. Catharines Metros players Brian Essery and Tim Collins were in the middle of all the action, as England defeated Spain 12-8 in the first game of the European Baseball Championships in Barcelona, Spain.  It was the opening game of the round robin tourney, on Friday, as the European teams try to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics. 
 
Essery started on the mound and was the most effective pitcher in the game for the Brits.  Brian went 5+ innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits while walking 3 and striking out 1.  He induced the powerful Spanish team into 12 ground ball outs over the course of his 74 pitch outing.  Unfortunately, the bullpen let him down and deprived "Ess" of his 1st win at the Championships. 
 
In the meantime, Collins was doing his part to help England put 12 runs on the board, going 2 for 5 at the plate, scoring a run and driving in a run.  He also made 6 plays at 3rd base without a flaw. 
 
The tourney continues all week...with Britain's next game on Sunday against Russia.  We'll continue to keep you posted. 
 
Here's the link to the box score and a Play-by-Play summary from Game 1.  http://www.fibs.it/cnc/ceb/2007/barcelona/games/01.htm
 
Best of luck guys!  You're making the Metros and all of COBA proud. 
10:21 am | link 

Friday, September 7, 2007

BIG DAY FOR ESSERY AND COLLINS
Friday, September 7th, 2007 is a day that Metros players Brian Essery and Tim Collins won't soon forget.  Essery will be making the start for the British National Baseball Club as they open the European Championships with a game against the host team from Spain, in Barcellona.  Collins, who has played on the team for 2 years is making his 3rd start at the prestigious championships. 
 
The two Metros stalwarts (who are both Canadian) are eligible for the British team because they are just one generation removed from native Brits...that is, both of Brian and Tim's parents are from the British Isles.  They travelled to New York City in June for a tryout with the team, and to no one's surprise they both made it.  Mr. Essery made the club as a reliever but that situation changed last week. 
 
The team from England competed in last weekend's German Baseball Open (tournament) and Brian started the semi-final game against a team comprised mostly of U.S. College players, who were undefeated going into the semi-finals.  He went 6 innings and allowed 0 runs and 5 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 6.  That performance prompted the British coach to change his rotation, to allow Brian to pitch the high-profile opening game of the Championships. 
 
And by high-profile, we mean it!  It is the opening ceremony game in front of a packed house (some 20,000 fans will be in attendance), and it is being carried live on national TV in Spain.  By the way, we can watch or listen to the game here in Canada, as well. 
 
If you do an internet surf over to baseballeurope.com and click on competitions and then click on European Championships, you're there.  The game starts at 7:00 local time, which is 1:00 here.  Congratulations to both Brian Essery and Tim Collins on this incredible honour and experience.  Best of luck!! 
 
P.S. - We'll get a score and some stats posted here on this website as soon as they become available.
9:06 am | link 

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

MANY, MANY THANKS...
You can't run a team with the profile of the St. Catharines Metros without a lot of help from a lot of people and organizations.  So, we thought this would be a good opportunity to acknowledge these "friends of the Metros" and their contributions. The Metros are greatly indebted to the following "Top 10"...
 
1.  Our corporate partners.  We couldn't have paid the bills that arose over the course of the 2007 season without the generosity of:
 
Nokona Baseball Canada, Nocona Athletics - Texas
The Outback Steakhouse - Niagara Falls
Buckner's Source for Sports - St. Catharines
The Red Hot Chili Pepper - St. Catharines
Players Athletic Company Tavern - St. Catharines
 
2. Our game day door prize donators.  We raised a lot of money over the course of the season, on the door prize draws - and couldn't have done that without the generous donations from:
 
Avondale Food Stores - Niagara
Stewarts Farm Markets - Glenridge Ave., St. Catharines
Pete's Pizza - Merritt St., St. Catharines
Welland Avenue Car Wash - Welland Ave., St. Catharines
Front Row Sports - Front St., Thorold
Elios Shoes - Front St., Thorold
Duff's Pizzeria - Facer St., St. Catharines
Tim Hortons - Hartzel Rd., St. Catharines
Golftown - 4th Ave., St. Catharines
Giant Tiger - Scott St., St. Catharines
 
3.  The City of St. Catharines and the Parks and Recreation Department.  Community Park is still one of the finest facilities for baseball anywhere in the province and the Metros are proud to call it "home".  Special thanks to John and all of the young people that maintain the field, and work so hard to meet our needs during the season. Great job.
 
4.  The St. Catharines Standard, Niagara This Week and LocalSports.com.  Thank you for getting our name and stories in front of the public.  It really helps when we have people at our games and the stories you wrote about us, in large part, are responsible for that.  Special thanks to Bill Potrecz of the Standard for his feature articles and column inches dedicated to baseball in general...and to the Metros in particular.
 
5.  The other teams in COBA and across the province.  The reason we draw fans to our games and interest is at its highest in years, is because we can offer them a great baseball product.  And we can't do that without the team in the other dugout.  The opposition you give us each week is second to none...and the teams we played in the various provincial tournaments, provide us with a high level of competition that we must strive to equal.  Thanks to you all.
 
6.  The O.B.A., C.O.B.A. and the Senior League Executive.  The various governing bodies put in countless hours in an effort to make our senior series and the COBA Major Baseball League what it is.  We'd like to especially acknowledge the contributions of Mr. David Huctwith (our C.O.B.A. representative and Convenor) for his guidance and help.  We'd also like to thank the members of our League Executive - Bruce Evans (Burlington), Rick Ellis and Larry Wood (Glanbrook), Charlie Holman and Shawn Kowalshyn (Dundas), John D'Angelo (Mississauga North), Steve Breitner (Etobicoke), Greg Cranker and Tim Gasparotto (Erindale), George Moore and Matt McCandless (Milton), Rob Fisher and Carlos Paxaio (Oakville), and  Ron Lutz and Blake Frost (Brampton).  Thank you all for putting the interests of the League before the interests of your respective teams.
 
7.  The Coaching Staff of the Metros.  Your knowledge of the game, dedication to this team and respect and friendship you show the players is inspiring.  Kerry, Carey and Mark...you all did an outstanding job.
 
8.  The Metros Players.  Its a huge sacrifice to commit to a team like ours.  We play over 40 games in 4 months and it sometimes seems like we're playing every day for a month (actually sometimes we almost do).  To get to these games, sacrifices have to be made...families, work, holidays, and leisure time all suffer.  Thanks for making this sacrifice.  And thanks to the families of our players for being so understanding.
 
9.  Two players who went above and beyond.  Jason Rabjohn and Brad Namtzu did a little more than just show up.  Jason worked hard at securing our Nokona sponsorship.  He also did all the legwork on our new uniforms.  Jason was our liaison with the uniform manufacturer and put in many hours making sure they turned out the way we wanted them and that we got them on time.  Brad was the operator of our "refreshment" fund...making sure that we had cold beverages after every game, both home and road.  He also ran our "Horse Race Night" fundraiser at the Celtic Club in June.  This is a big undertaking and his countless hours invested helped the team raise $850.00.  Thaks to both Jason and Brad on a job well done.
 
10.  The fans.  We consistently draw more fans to our home games than any other team in COBA, and would venture a guess that our attendance would be in the top 5 of any Senior team in the province.  We estimate that over the course of our 13 home games this season, we had more than 1800 people in attendance.  That may not seem like a lot...but to us, your presence in the stands is like gold.  Thanks!  We promise to continue to play competitive and entertaining ball in 2008, and hope to see you back at the park next summer.
 
We're sure there are people we've missed, and if you are one of these overlooked parties, we sincerely apologize.  To the folks we did mention, once again, Thank You!  See you in 2008...
 
   
10:22 am | link 


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The Niagara Metros are very pleased to have Cat's Caboose 
Dining Coach and Bar Car as their corporate partner in 2011.

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Click on the logo to visit the Cat's Caboose website.

Located in the heart of Old Glenridge, Cat's Caboose is one of
St. Catharines' oldest and most established restaurants. 
The place for LIVE ENTERTAINMENT and GREAT FOOD.
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Check out our Showcase Film for the period of February 13 to February 27. 
Just scroll to the bottom of this page and press "Play".

 
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Click to visit the "St. Catharines Standard" Website.

Thank You:

To the St. Catharines Standard

for allowing us to use pictures and articles throughout this website.

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Niagara Metros website reaches 100,000 hits on April 18, 2010.

hits since December, 2004

Thanks for visiting Smile

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Click the link for Bullett Proof Baseball Academy
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The Bullett Proof Prospects and Niagara Metros are partners in providing elite baseball to Niagara.

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Niagara Metros Bi-Weekly "Baseball Film Feature"

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This week, on our "Baseball Film Feature" section, we have found a little gem that will make any "true ballplayer" chuckle.  It's a hilarious "home-made" film by what looks like a group of U.S. College ballplayers with a great idea about how we talk about the game we love, but in a language that only we can understand.  Check out this video, and count how many baseball euphamisms you're guilty of saying or doing when your "at the yard".  It's a little 3 minute masterpiece entitled "Shit Ballplayers Say".  And believe us when we say, "These guys can really bring the chedd..."

 
 
Don't forget to check out the Metros Archive Section! 
You will see the history of our team, as well as the past glories of St. Catharines Senior Baseball in words and pictures dating back to the 1940's.
 
Just click on the link near the top of this Main Home Page.
 
 
 
 
 

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