Welcome to our website! You are visiting the home
of the Niagara Metros of the Central Ontario Major Baseball League. Since 1985, we've been the home for
Elite Senior baseball in the Niagara region.
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Special thanks to Accurate Litho and Print for supplying our "Front Page Design".
The St. Catharines Metros
are holding one more practice this evening, and then head to Windsor to partcipate in the 2008 Elimination Tournament, for
the right to represent Ontario at the Canadian Championships in August. The Metros feel that they are playing some of
their best ball of the season right now...and have as good a shot as anyone at going deep into the tourney. Of course,
the field is stronger than probably any Elims field in prior years, making advancement to the quarter or semi-finals a tall
order for every team. The Metros meet East York Bulldogs (the 2006 Tourney Finalists) in game 1...at 8:15
Friday night in Tecumseh. After that game, the team will face either Martingrove (Metro Toronto League) or their C.O.B.A.
League-mates, the Etobicoke Rangers.
To sum up the Metros outlook,
heading into the weekend, we borrowed a story from Bill Potrecz, the baseball writer for the St. Catharines Standard.
This article appeared in the paper on Wednesday night, and pretty well encapsulates what the Metros face, and what their strengths
are, on the eve of the tournament. A special thanks to the St. Catharines Standard Sports department and to Bill, for
allowing us to reproduce this very well-written article.
Metros well armed for big tournament
Posted By BILL POTRECZ
Posted 1 day ago
There's an old baseball saying that remains as true today as the first time it was spoken:
If you ain't got pitching, you ain't got nothing.
The St. Catharines Metros are banking on exactly that as they head off to the Ontario Elimination Tournament
this weekend near Windsor.
The Metros, who have never won the 20-team tourney, which features the top senior teams from across
the province, take on East York Friday night in Game 1 of the prestigious double-knockout tournament. The Metros, 12-6, have high hopes of finally achieving their goal of winning an Ontario championship, thanks
to their deep and talented pitching staff led by starters Dustin Turner, Rob Nixon and southpaw Jason Ermers.
"It (pitching) is everything," longtime Metros general manager Mark Walters said. "What we've discovered
over the years at the eliminations is that if you score three runs a game you usually come out on top. "It's
very important for your pitchers to keep you in those games for you to have a chance to win, and we feel we have an excellent
opportunity with these three guys going."
Turner, who is coming off a full scholarship at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been
brilliant this season with a 1.95 earned run average and 51 strikeouts in 37 innings. The 23-year-old
fireballer -- he touched 90 miles per hour on the radar gun recently -- knows how important he is to the Metros' chances this
weekend.
"You have to go in with the same philosophy that you do in every game, but in the back of your mind
you're thinking you want to go to the nationals and represent St. Catharines and Ontario," Turner said.
Turner is ready to help out in any way he can.
"You want to prepare yourself to be able to throw a second game if need be," he said. "Each of us are going to start and prepare to either pitch in relief or do anything possible to try and win,"
Turner said.
Nixon, 19, is a graduate of Welland Notre Dame who is attending Adelphi University in Long Island,
N. Y. He's pitched like anything but a rookie with a 4-4 record and fine 2.21 earned run average.
He's taken a no-hitter into the eighth inning twice this season.
Nixon, who is studying criminal justice, has never competed at the eliminations, but doesn't seem concerned
he may be called upon to pitch on less than a full tank.
"I think I'll be OK," he said. "My arm's never bothered me so I should be able to come back on short
rest."
Ermers, a 25-year-old Welland native who is 3-2 with a 2.79 ERA, can't wait to get to Windsor.
"This is why we play, this is the reason we have a regular season, to get ready for this tournament,"
he said.
And, as far as pressure is concerned, Ermers says bring it on.
"I love getting the ball," he said. "I pitch better in bigger games."
Things really get interesting as the tournament progresses and teams are forced to dig deeper into
their pitching staffs. Walters figures the Metros have more than enough depth to compete.
"After those three we feel we have five more very good pitchers that can carry us to where we need
to go," Walters said. "T. J. Tavender, Ian Horner, Dan Estey, Ryan Villers and Taylor Boyle. Guys like that would be main
starters on other teams. They give us a real good chance once we get deep."
Walters said experience has taught him not to save a pitcher or two in reserve.
"We've learned that when we've tried to hold someone back for a tough game it's backfired," he said.
"We have to go with our best early and take our chances from there."
If the pitching holds up as expected and the offence can chip in with any type of consistency, the
Metros should be in the thick of things.
"At this point I'm realistic enough to know there are a lot of very good teams," Walters said. "Of
course I want to win (in fact, it's a lifelong dream), but if we took it five or six games and into the semifinals and played
well every time out, I'd be satisfied with that."
C.O.B.A. MAJOR LEAGUE MANAGERS MAKE CHANGES TO PLAYOFFS
As mentioned earlier in the week, the
C.O.B.A. Major League executive got together before last Sunday's All-Star game to decide what to do about all the rainouts
that have affected the season in such a big way. The managers agreed to some changes that will allow the teams to complete
their season schedules and playoffs on time, and still maintain the integrity of the baseball being played.
In short, the league will extend the season
by one week, and eliminate a previously scheduled preliminary 2 out of 3 playoff series, to make room. The playoffs
will now consist of a 10-team double-knockout tournament. The tourney will begin on Wednesday, August 20th and wrap
up on its previously scheduled date of Sunday, August 25th. The 10-teamer will be held in various parks around the league,
and will begin with a 1 vs. 10, 2 vs.9, 3 vs. 8, etc. type format, based on the final standings.
What do these changes mean for the Metros,
who were hit hardest by the rain that plagued Southern Ontario in the last couple of weeks? Well, lets just say that
the team will be very busy when they get back from Elims. next week. The entire list of rescheduled games can be seen
by clicking the "2008 Schedule" link to the left of this page. The 9 games in 12 days will be a tall order, but the
Metros are looking forward to the challenge.
BY
THE WAY...
We have posted a bunch of new photos (from
the 2008 Hap Walters Tourney in St. Catharines, as well as the C.O.B.A. All-Star game) on the website. Just click on
the "Photo Album" link to the left of the page to view them.
METROS PITCHERS ONE-HIT BRANTS TO TAKE SEASON SERIES
The St. Catharines Metros got their third
one-hitter of the year, last night at Community Park...this one from a quartet of pitchers. T.J. Tavender, Ian Horner,
Ryan Villers and Rob Nixon combined to shut down the first place Burlington Brants, as the Metros won 4-2...and in so doing,
won the season series from Burlington by a 2-1 count.
The Metros jumped out to a quick 2-0 first
inning lead on starter Craig Hawkins, but the Brants battled back with a run in the 3rd, and another in the 6th to tie it
up. St. Catharines, who collected 8 hits on the night, then rallied against Brants' reliever Gurminder Singh, scoring
2 in the 7th...the second coming on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Jono Marcheterre, to score a charging Rocco Spano.
Singh, the third of 4 Brants pitchers
took the loss, while Villers picked up the win. Nixon earned the save. Tavender went 3 innings in his first start
of the season. He allowed an unearned run on no hits, and 2 walks, while striking out 5. Horner pitched 2
perfect innings, striking out 3. Villers allowed a run and the only hit (by Matt McGraw), in his two innings...walking
1 and striking out 2. And Nixon, pitching the 8th and 9th, allowed no runs, no hits, no walks, and struck out 1.
Joe Roach doubled and added an RBI single
to lead the Metros at the plate, while Brad Namtzu chipped in with a pair of singles. Justin Czorny and Tim Collins
each doubled, while Spano and Tylor Prudhomme each added a single to the attack. Nixon, Marcheterre and Prudhomme
chipped in with RBI's.
The Metros' win tightens up the Johnson
Division race, creating a virtual tie. The Brants are at 14-8, while the Metros who trail in points, are two games
ahead in the loss column, at 12-6. Of course, with all the rain the past couple of weeks, the Metros have 4 games in
hand, which will make for a very busy August.
St. Catharines is now off until after
the Elimination Tourney, which happens this coming weekend in Windsor. The Metros will meet the East York Bulldogs in
game one of the tourney, Friday night at 8:15 in Tecumseh. Dustin Turner is expected to get the start for the Metros.
ANDREWS DIVISION BLANKS JOHNSON DIVISION AT C.O.B.A ALL-STAR GAME
After 3 straight Johnson Division wins,
the Andrews Division turned the tables on the Johnson Divsion, and blanked them 5-0, at the annual C.O.B.A. Major League All-Star
game on Sunday in Hamilton. The Andrews team were full value for the win, in this one, as they outhit the Johnson Division
15-5, in throwing the first shutout in All-Star game history.
Chris Dubnyk of the Erindale Cardinals
had the big hit of the game, a 3-run homer off of the Metros' Dan Estey, to extend the Andrews' lead to 4-0 in the 3rd inning.
Erindale's Kevin Treichel doubled and singled twice, while Mississauga North's Jamaal Thelwell doubled twice. The winning
pitcher was the starter, Etobicoke's Sean Silk, who threw 3 perfect innings. Cris McCanna (Brampton), Alex Hawley (Oakville),
Reese Turner (Mississauga), and Alexander Shmitz (Erindale) completed the Andrews shutout.
For the Johnson Division, the losing pitcher
was Burlington's Chris Cooney, who threw the first 2 innings, before Dan Estey (St. Catharines), Fabio Del Rio (Dundas), Mike
Grilli (Glanbrook) and Mike Grabauskas (Milton) came to the hill. Matt McGraw of Burlington hit a double to
lead the Johnson Divsion at the plate.
It was an entertaining affair, with no
less than 5 great defensive plays made during the game. Thanks go to Rick Ellis and Larry Wood of the Glanbrook Grizzlies,
for hosting the event...and providing the excellent sausages and refreshments during and after the game.
Prior to the game, the league hosted
a home run derby, featuring one or two players from every team. When the dust had settled, there were co-winners...Tim
Sogan of Glanbrook, and John Amendola of Mississauga North.
LEAGUE DECIDES TO MAKE SCHEDULE AND PLAYOFF FORMAT CHANGES
The C.O.B.A. Major League managers all
got together in the morning, for a meeting to determine what to do about all of the rainouts that have afflicted the league,
this season. The managers decided to make some changes to the Playoff format and add an additional week added to
the regular season. We'll run through the details of those changes when they have all been finalized...sometime
later this week.
Meanwhile, tonight the Metros play their
final game before leaving for the Elimination Tourney in Windsor, this weekend. The Burlington Brants come to town for
a 7:30 start at Community Park. The Brants are in first place in the Johnson Division, 2 games ahead of the Metros.
It seems that Mother Nature is playing
some kind of cruel joke on the C.O.B.A. Major Baseball League. The only problem is...nobody's laughing. More than
any other team, the St. Catharines Metros have been the brunt of this joke...as they suffered their 4th rainout in 5 days
on Saturday.
The regularly scheduled doubleheader in
Milton was washed out, once again, as the Metros were scheduled to play the first game of that twin-bill with the Red Sox.
The Mississauga North Tigers were also victimized in Game two. No make up date has been set,yet.
The C.O.B.A. managers and coaches will
be meeting before Sunday's scheduled All-Star game at Bernie Arbour Stadium, in Hamilton, and the rain issues will take top
priority at the meeting. The Metros, now, have 10 games to play prior to the "suggested" August 13 schedule completion.
And most of the other teams have between 6 and 9 games still to play. Obviously, something's gotta give...
By the way the All-Star game (if it isn't
rained out) is scheduled to start at 2:00, with the Home Run Derby to begin at 12:00 noon. The Metros will be represented
by GM - Mark Walters, Mgr. - Kerry Hedden, OF - Justin Czorny, C - Wade Hill, 1B - Joe Roach, and P - Dan Estey.
There's one thing that all this rain we
have experienced in Southern Ontario gives you. Plenty of time to get caught up in some things that should have been
done a week ago. So that's what we're doing today, at metrosbaseball.ca.
1. The Metros would like to take
a paragraph to thank all the teams who came to the 2008 Hap Walters Memorial Tournament, last weekend in St. Catharines.
Of course, we (like all of you) are extremely disappointed that we were unable to announce a Champion, due to the rain that
has plagued us for the past week or so. We just wanted to acknowledge the patience, cooperation and courtesy with which
all the teams handled the disappointment. Tournament convener, Mark Walters, says thank you.
Also, a huge thank you to all of the teams
for a well-played weekend, in the games we could play. That was some of the best baseball we've seen here in a long
time!
2. The Metros have updated their 2008
team statistics, to include all of the games played up to July 20 (the completion of the tourney). Just click on the
"Standings / Stats" link to the left of this page, to view them.
3. Finally, with the C.O.B.A. All-Star
game coming up this Sunday, we thought we'd announce the 4 players that will be attending the game, on behalf of the Metros.
Representatives are: OF Justin Czorny, C Wade Hill, 1B Joe Roach, and P Dan Estey.
Czorny leads the Metros in Games Played,
At Bats, and GWRBI's and has added 16 Runs, 8 SB's, and has exhibited some of the best center field play in the
league, this year. Roach leads the team in singles, HR's, SB's, and Runs, while hitting a solid .337. Hill has
been simply superb defensively for St. Catharines, handling a very young pitching staff, and catching 17 games.
He has made just 1 error, to lead the Metros with a .991 Fielding Pct. Estey, meanwhile, leads the team in Games
Pitched and Saves, while posting 2 wins and a respectable 4.50 ERA, in 36 innings.
The details regarding the All-Star game
venue and time are still being finalized, as of the time of this posting. We'll update that information, as soon
as it becomes official.
Usually in baseball, when you say the
words "3rd in a row", you're referring to wins or losses. But this isn't usually...especially for the St. Catharines
Metros in the summer of 2008. The Metros have been rained out for the 3rd time in 3 nights!
The heavy thunderstorms that came through
the Garden City on Thursday morning, compounded the problems caused by the previously wet grounds at Community Park, forcing
cancellation of Thursday nights game with the Erindale Cardinals. No re-schedule date has been set, as of yet.
By the way, this marks the 7th rainout the Metros have suffered this summer. With 2 of them having already been made
up, the Metros find themselves now 5 games behind their original schedule.
St. Catharines will now try for a C.O.B.A.
record 4th rainout in 5 days, on Saturday, as they travel to Milton for a 12:00 noon start. They then return home on
Monday to face the Burlington Brants at Community Park. Game time is set for 7:30.
What is the definition of frustration?
Well, one of them would be scheduling 3 games in three days, to get caught up on your league games, only to have them rained
out...again. That is exactly what is happening to St. Catharines this week.
After getting rained out in Hamilton last
night, the Metros were doused again on Wednesday, as they were trying to make up a previously rained out game with the Oakville
A's. No date has been set for either rainout.
The Metros will try it again on Thursday,
when the Erindale Cardinals come to town for their regular Thursday night home game at Community Park. Game time is
7:30.
The St. Catharines Metros and Glanbrook
Grizzlies just can't seem to catch a break. After heavy rains hit Hamilton around 5:00 PM, the Grizz and the grounds
crew at Bernie Arbour worked feverishly to get the park ready for an 8:00 7-inning game. The game got started, with
the Metros taking a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the 3rd inning, before the skies opened up again...the proverbial straw
that broke the camel's back. The two teams will try to make it up later on, but with time running out on the season,
it will be tough on the two teams. We'll keep you posted.
Meantime, with threatening weather again
in the forecast, the Metros will try to play their makeup game with Oakville, tonight at MacKenzie Park. Scheduled game
time at the Thomas St. venue is 7:30.
HAP WALTERS TOURNAMENT LEFT UNRESOLVED AFTER HEAVY RAINS HIT ST. CATHARINES
After much hard work, and a great start
to the weekend, the rains hit hard on Saturday afternoon and overnight Sunday...forcing cancellation of the final day of competition
at the Hap Walters Tourney, this past weekend. At the conclusion of the event, Leaside, Burlington, the Windsor Stars,
Windsor Athletics, and Markham still had a chnce to win the title, and so split the prize money, thus becoming co-champions.
It was also a very disappointing
tournament for the host team, the St. Catharines Metros, who went 1-2 losing to Erindale and the Windsor Athletics along the
way. The bright light was a very convincing 6-0 victory over the defending Ontario champions, the Oshawa Royals.
The Metros began the tourney on Friday,
being humbled by league-mates the Erindale Cardinals, by the score of 15-3. Metros starter Jason Ermers, who's had much
success against the Cards over the years, had a much different result on this day. Although he wasn't hit hard, Ermers
did suffer his worst defeat in his 4 years with the Metros. The final line was: 1 2/3 innings, 8 hits, 8 runs, 2 walks
and 2 strikeouts. Ryan Villers held the Cards at bay for 3 1/3 innings before running into trouble in the 6th.
Villers allowed 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 3. Joe Roach finished up and allowed 3
runs on 3 hits, walking 2 and striking out 0. The Metros were unable to mount much of an attack against starter and
winner Ian Bala. Rob Nixon singled twice, while Brad Namtu, Jonathan Paul and Roach added the other hits. Nixon
had 2 RBI's. Frank Coccia and Chris Dubnyk doubled and singled for Erindale.
The Metros, having allowed 15 runs, were
virtually eliminated from the tournament after game 1, and their play in Game 2 reflected that fact. The Metros had
a totally uninspired effort against the Windsor Athletics and lost 4-3. Once again, the offense sputtered...and this
time the defense (or lack thereof) added to their problems. St. Catharines committed 3 errors, leading to
3 unearned runs, which became the difference in the game. Metros starter Rob Nixon, was the victim of the shabby
play around him. Nixon went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walking 3 and striking out 3. After
the game was delayed from a lightning storm for 45 minutes, Ian Horner took over on the mound and was saddled witrh the
loss, as he allowed 1 unearned run on 0 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 1. Tylor Prudhomme had 2 hits to lead
the way offensively for St. Catharines, Tim Collins and Joe Roach doubled, with Roach's double driving in 2 runs. Jonathan
Paul added an RBI Sac Fly, while singles went to Justin Czorny, Rocco Spano, Andrew Sorochan, and Jono Marcheterre.
Saturday night however, the Metros looked
like a completely different team, and behind the 3-hit pitching of Dustin Turner, the Metros rolled to a convincing 6-0 victory
over the powerful Oshawa Royals. The story of the game was Turner, who was masterful in his complete game shutout.
He allowed just 3 singles and 2 walks, while striking out 5. Meanwhile, the Metros defense helped out by making
4 tremendous plays, including an over-the-shoulder catch, on the warning track, by Brad Namtzu in left field. Tylor
Prudhomme had a big day at the plate to lead the way for St. Catharines, going 4-4 with a double, 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored.
Andrew Sorochan also hit a long double, while adding a single and an RBI, and Justin Czorny (RBI), Rocco Spano, and Joe
Roach singled twice each. Namtzu added an RBI single to the Metros' 13 hit attack.
The Hap Walters Tournament features
one of the strongest fields in the province every year, and 2008 was no exception. At the completion of the 2nd game
for each team, 9 of the 12 teams still had a chnce to advance to the playoff round. In fact, C.O.B.A. teams Erindale
and the Etobicoke Rangers finished at 2-1 but lost a chnce to advance based on their runs allowed. The Milton
Red Sox were in it until Saturday night but lost to Leaside, leaving them at 1-2. And the Burlington Brants, undefeated
at 2-0, shared in the prize money. It's just unfortunate that the weekend was spoiled by Mother Nature. Perhaps
she'll be a little nicer next year.
By the way the Metros return to regular
C.O.B.A. action this week with a busy 4-game schedule. Tuesday night they travel to Bernie Arbour Stadium in Hamilton,
to meet the Glanbrook Grizzlies, before returning home to play the Oakville A's on Wednesday night. Note that Wednesday
night game will be played at Alex Mackenzie Park, on Thomas St. They also have a regular Thursday night home game at
Community versus the Erindale Cardinals, before finishing the week on Saturday in Milton. The start time for those two
mid-week home games is 7:30.
THE HAP WALTERS MEMORIAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT (and a couple of other things)
The St. Catharines Metros are hosting
the province this weekend!! The Metros are welcoming 11 of the top "A" teams in Ontario, to the Garden City on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, for the "Hap" Walters Memorial Baseball Tourney. With permission, and thanks to the Burlington
Brants, here is a very good summary from their website (with a few edits to reflect local interest), that describes what is
happening at this prestigious tourney, over the next couple of days...
July 15, 2008
The Hap Walters tournament in St. Catharines is one of
the best tests in the province each year. Last summer, the Metros were unable to host the tournament, because the eliminations
were held a bit earlier. After the brief one year hiatus, the Metros will host the tournament again, this coming weekend.
The last time the tournament was held in 2006, the Peterborough River Dogs upended the Markham Pioneers in the finals. The
River Dogs no longer have a team, and many of the top players from that 2006 team now play for the Oshawa Royals and helped
them to a provincial title last year.
Pool A of the tournament includes the Oshawa Royals, Erindale Cardinals,
Windsor Area Athletics (WAA) and the host Metros. The Royals are last years provincial champions and have not missed a beat
this season. The likes of Geoff Davidson, Kris Ehmke, Shane Quinn, Kyle Maloney and Chris Kemlo make it tough for opposing
batters to score runs. The lineup is also stacked with guys who can hit. Former Burlington Brant Ken Rogers anchors the teams
lineup. The Erindale Cardinals have been one of the best hitting teams for a long time standing. Geoff Cullen is arguably
the best hitter in senior baseball. This year he has help from Kevin Treichel, Frank Coccia, and Chris Dubnyk. All 3 are proven
hitters, but are hitting even better this season. Erindale was ousted in the semi finals in Oshawa. WAA appears to be rebuilding
this season after losing some of its top hitters and pitchers from last season. The young squad has struggled to win games
this season, but they also play in the tough CAN-AM league. The Metros are a scary team when they are on, and won the London
Lakeside Invitational Tourney earlier this year. The lineup has many players who can hit all kinds of pitching. Joe Roach,
Jonathan Paul, Justin Czorny, Rocco Spano and Andrew Sorochan are proven hitters. Dustin Turner, Jason Ermers, and Robert
Nixon make up one of the toughest pitching staffs around.
The "B" Pool consists of COBA's Burlington Brants,
the Markham Pioneers, Ajax Spartans and the Windsor Stars. The Brants feature a strong hitting lineup, featuring last
year's COBA Batting Champion, Daniel Jagdeo, along with Home Run Champ J.R. Crosby. Joe Kirby and Matt McGraw are both
hitting over .400, this season. The 13-6 Burlington club, also has former COBA Top Pitcher, Chris Cooney and newcomer
Craig Hawkins, who has been "lights out". Markham's ace (and former Brock star) Mark Cheeseman is one of the best pitchers
around. He currently has a 1.77 ERA this season, and pitched a complete game 2-1 victory over Oshawa in the Royals' tournament
in June. Top hitters Alex Bruce and Jesse Dynes are, once again, having great seasons. Ajax has a ton of offense, and
a knack for scoring runs. They already have a tournament win to their credit this season, as they won the Tillsonburg
Invitational, and may unveil their secret weapon this weekend, former Toronto Blue Jay, Rob Butler. Windsor is
arguably the best team in the province, and has been for many years. The the 5-time Provincial Champion Stars have a great
pitching staff that includes John Picco, Steve Carter, Hiarali Garcia, Brad Boussey and Adam Myers. They are also hitting
over .300 as a team.
Pool
C has the always tough Etobicoke Rangers, the tournament proven Newmarket Hawks, last year's provincial semi-finalist Leaside
Leafs, and one of the hottest teams around, the Milton Red Sox. Etobicoke has lost a lot of key players from last seasons
first place COBA team, but still has plenty of firepower. The Rangers have won three provincial championships (1999, 2002,
2004) in the last 8 years. Mark Capone is the team's best hitter. Shawn Silk has been dominant this season on the mound, and
there might not be a pitcher in Ontario that is better in big games than Mike Janes. The Newmarket Hawks were one win away
from a nationals berth two years ago. Last year they were 2 and out, but they are playing very well this season. Daniel Dobson
is the team's ace and Mark West is back to control the back end of the bullpen. The Leaside Leafs are one of the top teams
around. They have a deep pitching staff and a hard-hitting team. James Rutherford, Bryan Rock and Aaron Pitts are the team's
offensive leaders. Brooke Coatsworth and Josh Howsam are the top pitchers on a very deep staff. Milton has seemed to find
it's mark after a tough start to the season. The Red Sox lost some key players from last years team but seem to be getting
things going at the right time. They are coming off a COBA playoff championship from 2007.
All in all, this weekend looks
to be a very grueling challenge for all teams involved. Games will be played on 3 fronts (Community and Alex MacKenzie
Parks in St. Catharines, and McMillan Park in Thorold). Friday night the games are at 6:00 and 8:30, and then on Saturday
the action starts at 10:00, 12:30, 3:00 and 5:30. The Metros play at 6:00 Friday against Erindale, 12:30 Saturday versus
Windsor, and again at 5:30 Saturday against Oshawa. All of the Metros' games are at Community Park.
Once again, thanks to the Brants for the bulk of that information. We look forward to seeing everyone there,
over the course of the weekend, and tournament Convener, Mark Walters, wishes to thank all of these exceptional teams for
coming. "Good luck to everyone, and have a great weekend".
ALSO...
The Metros website is featuring 33 new photos from the Lakeside Tournament and the 2008 version of Metromania.
Thanks to Debbie Walters, for taking most of the photos...they are great. Click on the "Photo Album" link to see them.
AND...
Speaking of Metromania, we have something special on our baseball video of the week feature. Anyone who has never
seen the vaunted Metros Belly-flop competition, cannot truely appreciate what its all about. This week, thanks to Bob
and Justine Turner, we have the video evidence that these guys are, indeed, nuts. Scroll to the bottom of this page
for a Video exclusive...9 and a half minutes of sheer lunacy, courtesy of the Metros Belly-flop competition for 2008.
For the first time in a long time, Mother
Nature didn't interfere with an A's - Metros game, and in a very well-played and entertaining game the A's came out on top
6-2 at Community Park. Oakville...playing their second game in two nights, was full value for the win, as they outhit
the Metros 10-7, and delivered some key hits along the way. St. Catharines, playing their 4th game in 6 nights, also
played strong game, especially defensively, where they made no less than 4 "highlight reel" plays.
The story of the game was Oakville's starting
pitcher, Gord Robertson, who went the distance for the win. He allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, while walking 2, and striking
out 8. The Metros, once again trying to save arms for the Hap Walters Tourney this weekend, used 4 pitchers...with the
loss going to starter Rob Nixon. Nixon pitched quite well, however, going 4 innings and giving up 1 unearned run on
3 hits. He walked 0 and struck out 3. Dan Estey pitched 4 innings of relief, and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits, walking
3 and striking out 3. Ian Horner started the 9th, but reached his pitch count before retiring the side. He allowed
2 runs (1 earned), on 2 hits and 2 walks, striking out 1. Joe Roach, making his 1st appearance on the mound in 4 years,
retired the final batter with a strikeout.
On offense, Matt Griffen, Kevin Lee, Jeff
Jarockis, and Steve Williamson all collected 2 hits for the A's. Andrew Sorochan doubled and singled to lead the
Metros, while Rocco Spano singled twice, driving in both runs. Brad Namtzu, Justin Czorny, and Jonathan Paul contributed
singles.
The loss drops the Metros' record to 11-6,
still good for 2nd place in the Johnson Division, while Oakville's win solidifys their hold on 2nd in the Andrews Division.
As mentioned, the Metros will be acting as the host team, for the 5th annual Hap Walters Memorial Baseball Challenge,
this weekend in St. Catharines and Thorold. We're proud to say that it is one of the best Senior baseball events on
the calendar, every season...with 12 of the top "A" teams in the province attending. We'll post more on this prestigious
event tomorrow.
It's not often when a team gets 4 hits
and 6 RBI's out of it's number 9 batter, but that's exactly what the St. Catharines Metros got last night. Tim Collins'
heroics led the Metros to a 17-6 win over the Mississauga North Tigers at Community Park in St. Catharines.
Collins collected a 2-run single, 3 RBI-singles
and a groundout for another RBI to almost single-handedly subdue the Tigers. Offense was the name of the game for the
Metros, as they collected 14 hits in the mercy-shortened 7 inning game. Rocco Spano also had a 4 hit night, including
a double and an RBI, while Jonathan Paul had a perfect night at the plate with a double, 2 singles and 2 walks. He collected
a pair of RBI's and scored 4 times. Also scoring 4 runs was Tylor Prudhomme who walked and scored (including 1 for an
RBI) every time to the plate. Jono Marcheterre also had a pair of singles and 2 RBI's, while Joe Roach singled, and
Justin Czorny collected 2 walks and an RBI. Adam Messina had a 2-run double for Mississauga North.
The Metros, trying to preserve pitching
for the Hap Walters Tournament coming up this weekend, used 4 pitchers last night, with Jason Ermers getting the start.
He went 2 innings and allowed a run on 1 hit, walking 1 and striking out 2. Ian Horner pitched second and picked up
the win. Horner went 2 scoreless innings, and didn't allow a hit. He walked 3 and struck out 1. T.J.
Tavender also pitched 2 innings and got touched up for 3 runs, but they were all unearned, as the Metros committed 2 errors behind
him. Tavender allowed 1 hit and 2 walks, while striking out 2. Jonathan Paul, in his first pitching appearance
of the season, finished up and allowed 2 runs on 1 hit, walking 2 and striking out 1. Alex Baldassi took the loss
on the mound for the Tigers.
The Metros, with the win, improve to 11-5
on the season, just a half game back of the Burlington Brants, who lost to Erindale last night, to fall to 13-6.
The Metros get right back at it tonight at Community Park...as the Oakville A's come to town for a make-up of a rained out
game from June 28. Game time for that one is 7:30.
Metros' manager Kerry Hedden and his very
tolerant wife Sandi, once again opened their home to the masses, and hosted Metromania XXIII on Saturday. And once
again, it was a sensational success. It was a great way for the guys and girls to get to know each other a little better,
and welcome back a few friends who don't play on the current team in 2008. We have some of the photo evidence of
the festivities (for those of us who may not remember it), which we'll post later this week in our photo album.
Oh, and by the way, the 2008 Belly-flop Competition was simply astounding. Dustin Turner emerged as the two-time champ,
in a controversial decision over Rocco Spano. More on that later in the week, as well. Once again, Thank You Kerry
and Sandi...it was a great night.
By the way, in case you missed it,
the Metros have a couple of home games coming up. Monday night the Mississauga North Tigers come to town and then the
Oakville A's supply the opposition on Tuesday evening. Both games are at Community Park beginning at 7:30.
Etobicoke Rangers' pitcher, Mike Janes
and St. Catharines Metros pitcher Rob Nixon were so impressed with the job that their teammates did the night before, they
decided to do the same thing, last night in Etobicoke. The result was a 2-1 St. Catharines victory, in probably the
best game played all season. Following in the footsteps of two stellar pitching performances (by the Rangers' Mark Eccleton
and the Metros' Dustin Turner) the night before, Janes and Nixon locked up in a classic battle, in which Nixon emerged victorious,
to go to 4-3 on the season.
The 19 year-old Metros righthander threw
6 innings of no-hit ball against the powerful Etobicoke squad, before allowing a bunt single to lead off the 7th. He
gave up just one more 8th inning single before turning it over to Dan Estey in the 9th. And Estey, struck out the
final batter of the game, with the bases loaded, to pick up the save. Nixon struggled with his command at times, walking 8...but
also chalked up 10 K's in his 8 inning stint. Estey gave up 2 walks (1 intentional) and an infield single, in his
inning of work. Etobicoke's Janes allowed 2 runs on 8 hits to take the loss.
The sluggish Metros offense, although
only managing 2 runs, was much better on Friday night, churning out 10 hits...but were unable to get a big RBI until the 7th.
That's when Rocco Spano delivered the game-winning single to break up a 1-1 tie. Brad Namtzu and Joe Roach picked up
3 hits each, while Justin Czorny doubled and singled. Jonathan Paul had the other hit and RBI for St. Catharines.
The Metros left 11 men on base in the game, but committed only 1 error.
With the win, St. Catharines improves
to 10-5 on the season, 1 1/2 games back of Burlington in the Johnson Division, while the Rangers maintain their lead in the
Andrews Divison at 12-6. The Metros return to action next week, with a pair of home games...Monday night versus
Mississauga North, and Tuesday against the Oakville A's, in a make up game from an earlier rainout. Both games are at
Community Park, beginning at 7:30.
Mark Eccleton of the Etobicoke Rangers
and Dustin Turner of the St. Catharines Metros put on quite a show last night...and when the dust had settled, the Rangers
came away with a 4-1 victory over the home team, at Community Park. The loss continued a rather strange and disturbing
trend for the Metros, in their up and down season, as they now sport an ugly 2-4 record at home, compared to 7-1 on the road.
As mentioned the two pitchers were the
story of the game, with Eccleton coming out on top. He went the distance for the Rangers, allowing St. Catharines
just 3 singles, and 1 unearned run, on the night. He walked 6 and struck out 4. Turner was equally effective,
going 8 innings, and allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on just 6 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 11. T.J. Tavender pitched
the 9th, and allowed the other two runs (both unearned), on 2 hits and a walk. The Metros committed 3 errors, which
led directly to 3 Etobicoke runs.
Offensively, Eccleton helped his own cause
with a big 2-out double to drive in the winning run in the 7th inning. A.J. Iafrate added 2 hits for the Rangers.
The Metros offense was confined to 3 singles...by Joe Roach, Andrew Sorochan, and Jono Marcheterre.
With the win, Etobicoke strengthens their
lead in the Andrews Division, moving to 12-5 on the season, while the Metros drop to 9-5, 2 games off of Burlington's pace
in the Johnson Division. The two teams get right back at it this evening, in the second half of their home and home
series. The game at Connorvale Park begins at 7:45.
The St. Catharines Metros played inspired
baseball over their final 3 games, and emerged victorious at the Lakeside Lizards Invitational Tourney, in London over the
weekend. It was their second consecutive Championship at this event, and 3rd since 1997. The tourney actually
was a sampling of the Metros' inconsistent season - lousy play followed by outstanding play.
The tourney started out on the lousy side,
especially in game 1...as the Metros displayed some uncharacteristically bad defense. They committed 4 errors...which
led to 6 unearned runs, in a 7-2 loss to the host Lakeside team. Starter and loser, Jason Ermers deserved a better fate,
as he went 5 innings, allowing 4 hits and 5 runs (1 earned), while walking 1 and striking out 6. Ryan Villers, in his
first outing on the mound this season, finished up, going 2 innings and giving up 2 hits and 2 unearned runs. He
walked 2 and struck out 0. Meanwhile, Derek Corby of Lakeside, was striking out 14 Metros. Andrew Sorochan singled
twice, adding an RBI, while Rocco Spano added an RBI single for St. Catharines. Jonathan Paul doubled and Rob Nixon
singled, rounding out the offense.
Next up was a game against C.O.B.A. League-mates,
the Oakville A's, and St. Catharines turned in an equally uninspired effort, losing 3-1. Another outstanding pitching
effort was wasted...this time Rob Nixon was the victim. Nixon went the distance, allowing 7 hits and 3 runs (just 1
earned), while walking 3 and striking out 8. The Metros managed 6 hits in this one, with Justin Czorny contributing
a pair of doubles, to lead the way. Ryan Villers drove in the run with a single, while Joe Roach, Andrew Sorochan and
Nixon added singles.
Finally, on Saturday evening with
their backs to the wall, the Metros started playing the kind of baseball it takes to win tournaments. They collected
11 hits, and got a complete-game 3-hitter from Dan Estey to win 7-1 over the Woodslee Orioles. Estey was in total control,
allowing just 1 unearned run while walking 2 and striking out 5. Tim Collins led the way with the bat, collecting 3
singles and scoring 3 times. Rob Nixon tripled and singled, driving in a run, while Justin Czorny singled twice, adding
another RBI. Rocco Spano added a 2-run homer, while Joe Roach (2 RBI), Tylor Prudhomme, and Jono Marcheterre added singles.
The win over Woodslee sent St. Catharines
to the semi-finals where they met the very tough East York Bulldogs. And in the best game of the weekend, the Metros
came from behind to beat the 'Dogs 5-4. Starter Ian Horner picked up the win in this one, as he allowed 4 runs on 6
hits. He walked 5 and struck out 5. Once again, Ryan Villers was outstanding in relief to pick up the save. Villers
pitched 3 innings of shutout ball, allowing just 1 hit. He walked 4 and struck out 1. The Metros' margin of victory
was 3 4th-inning runs...all coming after 2 were out. Joe Roach delivered a big 2-run single, to go with an RBI
double for the Metros. Tim Collins and Jonathan Paul added a pair of singles each, while Wade Hill added an RBI single
and Andrew Sorochan picked up the game-winning RBI, on a bases-loaded walk. Rocco Spano and Rob Nixon singled to round
out the offense.
The win over East York (and a very advantageous
draw for a bye), put St. Catharines in the finals, once again facing the Oakville A's. This time, there was no
doubt of the outcome, as the Metros pounded the tired and beat-up Oakville team 10-2. Jason Ermers, pitching for the
3rd time in 5 days, picked up the tournament-clinching victory for St. Catharines. Ermers went 4 innings and allowed
4 hits and 1 run, walking 1 and striking out 7. Dan Estey and Ian Horner finished up and allowed a run on 3 hits
between them. The story of the game was the hitting display put on by tournament M.V.P., Rocco Spano. Spano doubled
and singled twice, adding a walk and 3 RBI's. Andrew Sorochan also had 3 RBI's, with a single and a groundout, while
Brad Namtzu doubled and singled, driving in 2. Tim Collins picked up 2 more hits, while Jonathan Paul chipped in with
an RBI single. Jono Marcheterre doubled, and Joe Roach, Wade Hill and Tylor Prudhomme singled, in the Metros' 13
hit assault.
The Metros now get a well-deserved
3-day rest before returning to C.O.B.A. league play with a big home and home series against the always-tough
Etobicoke Rangers. The first of those games will be Thursday night at Community Park. Game time is 7:30.
Now that we've gotten into July, and there
are enough games behind us that the statistics mean something, we figured it was about time we posted them on the
website. Please open the Standings / Stats page on the site, and click the appropriate links at the bottom, to
see the Metros 2008 stats, as of July 2. And while you're at it, you can check out a few new pics we've added to the
"Photo Album"
The Metros are off to London this weekend,
to play in the Lakeside Lizards Invitational Tourney. St. Catharines is the defending Champions of this tournament,
having gone 4-1 at last year's event. The Metros will send Jason Ermers to the hill in game 1, Saturday morning
against the host team, and then start Rob Nixon Saturday afternoon in game 2 versus Oakville. Good luck, Metros!
At the risk of tempting fate, it looks
as though the St. Catharines Metros' mostly dormant offense is showing some signs of life. The visitors piled up 14
hits, including 3 doubles and a home run, as they defeated the Burlington Brants 8-4 in Burlington last night. The win
was the Metros 4th in a row, and has put them into a virtual tie with the Brants for 1st place in the C.O.B.A. Major Baseball
League.
The Metros found themselves down 3-2 after 6
innings, but with 2 out and nobody on, they scored 5 times in the 7th, with Andrew Sorochan's 3-run homer doing most of the
damage. Sorochan added a pair of doubles to his collection, and tallied 4 RBI's on the evening. Joe Roach also
had a big night at the plate with a double, 3 singles, and 2 RBI's, while newcomer Tylor Prudhomme added a double and a single.
Justin Czorny singled twice, Jonathan Paul added a run-scoring single and Brad Namtzu and Tim Collins rounded out the attack
with singles. J.R. Crosby singled and homered for Burlington.
In an effort to preserve some pitching
for a tournament this weekend, St. Catharines used 4 pitchers in this one, and once again they were all very effective.
Jason Ermers started and went 3 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits, walking 0 and striking out 5. Rob Nixon
was next up and he picked up the win, his 3rd of the season. Nixon pitched 3 innings allowing a run on 3 hits and 3
walks. He struck out 2. Ian Horner pitched the 7th and 8th innings and was nearly flawless, allowing a lone walk
while striking out 4. And Dan Estey closed it out, allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk, striking out 1. Carlos
Cabrero, the 2nd of 4 Brants hurlers, took the loss.
As mentioned, there is now a virtual tie
for 1st place in the league, with Burlington at 10-5 and St. Catharines at 9-4. The Brants still hold the league lead
based on points. The Metros now head to London to attend the Lakeside Lizards' Invitational Tourney.
St. Catharines will meet the host team on Saturday morning, before colliding with the Oakville A's in the afternoon.
Good luck, and have fun, guys...
NEW, CONTROVERSIAL VIDEO POSTED, ON metrosbaseball.ca
We have posted an interesting video in
our "Showcase Film" corner today. There has been a little, 40 second video circulating around the internet in the past
couple of weeks, which shows an amazing (really unbelieveable) catch, by a "ball girl" at a AAA game of the Tacoma Rainiers.
In fact, this "catch" was made by a production company for a "Gatorade" commercial that will air later this season.
But check it our for yourself...it is really well done, and so believable, its not hard to see how it could fool so many people.
Just scroll to the bottom of this page, and press "Play".
The Dundas Chiefs and St. Catharines Metros
played their second outstanding ball game in 4 days, last night in Dundas, and fortunately for St. Catharines the results
were much the same. This time, the Metros backed the 6-hit pitching of their 3 hurlers with 10 hits of their own, including
a game-winning single by Tim Collins in the 9th, to eke out a 4-3 victory. The see-saw affair had the Metros taking a 2-1 lead in the 2nd, but the Chiefs scored 2 in the 5th
to lead 3-2. St. Catharines tied it in the 6th, before Collins' 9th inning dramatics.
Once again, the Metros pitchers put on
a show. Dan Estey started and went 5 innings, allowing 6 hits and 3 runs (2 earned), striking out 4. Ian Horner
threw 2 scoreless, hitless innings, walking 1...and T.J. Tavender was lights out in the final 2 innings, striking out 5, and
picking up the win. Abe Gagliardi, the 4th of 5 Dundas pitchers, took the loss.
Offensively, in addition to Collins' heroics,
the Metros got a big game from an unlikely source...pitcher, Rob Nixon. With just one AB under his belt prior to this
game, Nixon hit a double and a single and drove in 2 runs. Jono Marcheterre collected 3 singles, while Rocco
Spano had 2. Newly-signed infielder, Tylor Prudhomme doubled, and Joe Roach singled, while Jonathan Paul added an RBI
groundout. Mike Covre hit an RBI double for the Chiefs.
The loss drops Dundas back to the .500
mark at 7-7 on the season, while the Metros improve to 8-4, just 1 game behind the 1st place Burlington Brants, who lost last
night to go to 10-4. All of which sets up a big game Wednesday night in Burlington...as the Metros travel to Nelson
Park to meet the Brants in a 7:30 start. St. Catharines then prepares to attend the London Lakeside Invitational Tourney
on the weekend.
Check out ourShowcase Filmfor the period of August 23 to September 7.
Just scroll
to the bottom of this page and press "Play".
__________________________________
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.
.
.
Niagara Metros website reaches 100,000 hits on April 18, 2010.
hits since December, 2004
Thanks for visiting
.
Thank You to our corporate sponsor - HunMar and Associates. We appreciate your support!
.
Niagara Metros Bi-Weekly "Baseball Film
Feature"
.
This week on
our "Baseball Film Feature", we are taking you back to February of 2008...and looking at the testimony that
got Roger Clemens in so much trouble. If you missed it, on August 19th a U.S. federal grand jury indicted Roger
Clemens on charges of making false statements to Congress about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
The 19-page indictment charges Clemens with three counts of
making false statements and two counts of perjury in connection with his February 2008 testimony before the House Committee
on Oversight and Government Reform. According to the United States attorney's office, Clemens faces a maximum sentence of
30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, but under the current sentencing guidelines, a conviction would likely bring 15-21
months.
So what was it that he said that got the U.S. Congress so steamed? We have it for you right here.
Just press play, and judge for yourself...was Roger lying??
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.
