|
|
Sunday, March 29, 2009
2009 METROS SCHEDULE NOW POSTED
As mentioned last week, the C.O.B.A. Major
Baseball League had their final meeting prior to the 2009 season, last Monday, and there were a number of important tasks,
and surrounding discussion that took place. The most important of these was the unveiling of the 2009 C.O.B.A. Major
schedule, and it's acceptance by the league. With the vote to accept the schedule having passed, we can now unveil it
to everyone.
The Metros portion of the schedule
has been posted on our website, and you can view it by clicking on "2009 Schedule" to the left of this page. We have
also included the three tournaments that we expect to attend this summer, as well as the All-Star game and League playoffs.
If you are interested in viewing the entire schedule, including all the games for every team, you can access it at http://www.cobamajor.com/schedules.html
In addition to the teams taking
care of the "financial responsibilities", the other important piece of business at the meeting, was the firming up and unveiling
of the playoff format for this year. This new format takes the form of a 2 weekend tournament (August 20 to 23,
and August 28 to 30), in which all of the teams are involved. The first weekend will eliminate 5 teams, by way of double
knockout, while the second weekend will delare a Champion, from the surviving 4 teams (also via double knockout).
The first weekend will be seeded
according to the final regular season standings, with the lower seeded teams facing a longer, more difficult road to
the second weekend. This new format will be rewarding to the teams that deserve to be rewarded (based on their regular
seasons) without making it overly taxing for the lower seeded teams to advance. It should make for a competitive
and well-played Playoff tournament.
IN ADDITION...
Our 25th Anniversary review continues
this week, with a study of the 1992 Metros season. St. Catharines made it to the League playoff finals in 1991, despite
being in a full rebuilding mode. How would that rebuilding affect their performance the next year? Click on "25th
Anniversary" and then "1992" to find out.
Finally, we've added a new movie
to our "Baseball Movie of the Week" feature. Samuel L. Jackson and Derek Jeter, together in a skit produced for the
2006 ESPY awards show. Check it out...near the bottom of this page.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
C.O.B.A. MAJOR LEAGUE - EXECUTIVE MEETING ON MONDAY
The C.O.B.A. Major Baseball League will
be holding (hopefully) it's last Executive League meeting, prior to the 2009 regular season. The meeting will take place
Monday night, March 23rd, 7:30, at the Mainway Sports complex in Burlington. All of the teams will be represented, in
an effort to take care of any last minute issues that might have crept up since the meeting at the end of January.
The number one order of business at the
March meeting is always the unveiling of the 2009 League Schedule. The schedule is an especially important issue this
year, because of the league's decision to adopt a 32-gamer, for the first time in their history.
Other topics will likely include:
Changes to, and acceptance of, the schedule
Payment of League and OBA (COBA) fees
Player insurance
A review of the previously adopted "new"
Playoff format
Confirmation of League All-Star game site
Confirmation of 2009 Banquet site and
date
Any other ongoing league issues that need
to be addressed prior to the 1st game.
We'll bring you up-to-date on any decisions
or changes that were made at the meeting, in next week's blog...
IN ADDITION...
Check out our newest entry to our "History
of the Metros in Words and Pictures" this week. After winning the 1990 O.B.A. Senior "B" Championship, the Metros were
in for a "rude awakening", as the 1991 season approached...
Just click on the "25th Anniversary" link
to the left of the page and then click the blue "1991" link to find out what happened.
And speaking of our 25th Anniversary,
please scroll to the bottom of this, and every other page on our website. We had a young man named Marc Mills design
an anniversary logo for us, and we're thrilled to unveil it, this week. Thanks a lot, Marc.
Talk to ya next week...
Monday, March 16, 2009
WALTERS ELECTED TO ST.CATHARINES SPORTS HALL-OF-FAME
The St. Catharines Metros are thrilled
to announce that their General Manager, Mark Walters, is one of the newest members of the City of St. Catharines Sports Hall-of-Fame.
Walters follows (by three years) the entry of his father, Hap, into the Hall, as a builder in the sport of baseball in 2006.
They are the second father and son team to be elected to the Hall, since its inception in 1980.
The younger Walters found out about
his nomination in February, but learned of his election just last Thursday, after the announcement appeared in the St. Catharines
Standard. He will join George Taylor (Baseball), the late Bruce Erskine (Rowing), the late Bob McCready (Lacrosse),
and Marianne Groat (Tennis) as the 2009 entrants. Mark, the 54 year-old General Manager / Coach (and former
Manager) of the Metros, has been cited for induction in the "Builders" category for his work in Senior Baseball.
The official press release reads:
Walters, a 1976 invitee to the Montreal
Expos' training camp, was a founding member of the St. Catharines Metros baseball team. As a player and coach with the Metros
from 1985 to 2008, he was part of six Central Ontario Baseball Association championships, two OBA Provincial championships, and
was named COBA's top executive in 1988 and 1993. The Metros, and Walters, are celebrating their 25th Anniversary in
2009.
For the entire Walters biography, please
click on the "Coaching Staff" link, to the left of the page.
All the inductees will be profiled in The
Standard prior to their induction ceremony...April 28 at Club Roma. That event is scheduled for 6:00, which is about
an hour before the third annual Sports Celebrity Dinner in support of the Niagara Peninsula Children's Centre, and the
induction ceremony is free to anyone wanting to attend. Congratulations, Mark!
BY THE WAY...
The Metros' History in Words and Pictures
continues this week with a look at a very special year in many ways ... 1990. Just click on "25th Anniversary" and "1990"
to access the story.
Also we have a new Metros' Baseball Film
feature, this week. With the World Baseball Classic in full swing, we thought we'd go back to the opening day, and check
out a great game played by two great teams ... U.S.A. - 6, Canada - 5. Just scroll to the bottom of the page and press
"Play".
Monday, March 9, 2009
UPDATE FROM U.S. COLLEGE
The College baseball season has
just gotten underway, south of the border, but we thought we'd give you an update anyway. The Metros are pleased to
have 2 current and 2 former players performing at various Universities across the U.S. First the current players...
Infielder, Tylor Prudhomme is off to a
fast start (along with his team, Southern Nazarene University of Bethany, Oklahoma). The team is off to an 18-2
start, with Tylor making a huge contribution, thus far. Prudhomme has started all but one of the 20 games, and is batting
a very strong .429, on the strength of a 24 for 56 line. He's added 2 Home Runs, 22 Runs scored, and 16 RBI. Tylor
has also gone 6 for 6 in the Stolen Base department.
T.J. Tavender, the Metros hard-throwing
right hander has just started getting his feet wet, in 2009. His Mercyhurst College team (of Erie, Pa.) has gone
8-7 so far, but T.J. has only made 2 appearances. In his first exposure to the higher level of ball (from the JUCO that
he played in '08), Mr. Tavender has held his own. In 1.2 innings, he's allowed 4 hits and 2 ER, while striking out 2.
As for the ex-Metros, T.J. Green is starting
at Charleston Southern University and has gotten off to a strong start. He's started 2 games, and tossed 9 innings,
allowing 8 hits, and 5 walks, while striking out 3. His ERA is a very solid 3.00.
Finally, Rob Nixon, who was the Metros
Rookie-of-the-Year last summer, has pitched twice for Adelphi University of Long Island, N.Y. Rob has also pitched
9 innings, and has given up just 5 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 8. He has yet to allow a run.
Congratulations to all 4 players.
We'll be updating their performances a couple more times during the spring season.
NO INDOOR WORKOUT FOR 2 WEEKS
The St. Catharines
Metros have been forced to cancel their Tuesday night indoor workout for this week. Thorold High School is hosting Parent/Teacher
interviews on the evening of March 10, and will be using the gymnasium...forcing the cancellation. With the school being
closed next week (March 17) for March break, it means that the Metros will be without an indoor workout for two weeks.
The next one will, therefore, be on Tuesday, March 24th, at 8:30. Note the time change...from 6:30 to 8:30.
The time will remain 8:30 to 10:00, from the 24th until the team moves outside in April. Players are asked to continue
with the running/throwing program that we've established, on their own.
FINALLY...
We continue this week, with a look back
at the "Metros History in Words and Pictures - 1989". For the first time in their brief C.O.B.A. History, the Metros
were entering a new season - not as defending Champions. What changes would the team undergo, in order to get back to
their startus as the top team in the Central Ontario Senior Baseball League? Click on the "25th Anniversary" link to
the left of this page, and then "1989" (in blue) on the next page, to find out...
.
Monday, March 2, 2009
METROS SEEK NEW COACH, ANNOUNCER
Last week, we told you about the recently
announced retirement of Carey Spiece, our 3rd base Coach of 8 years. Well, of course, the Metros wish Carey the best
and will surely miss him, but in addition, his leaving has created a couple of openings on the Metros "staff" for 2009.
With the 3rd base coaching box becoming
open, Metros G.M. Mark Walters has opted to rejoin the team on the field to take over those duties. Over the last couple
of years, Walters has helped out coaching 1st base, and every once in a while do some work in the press box, announcing the
batters at the Community Park home games. Now, the Metros need someone to fill in at 1st base, as well as someone
to get behind the microphone for the 16 home games.
If you have recent experience as
a coach or player, at the upper levels of Ontario Baseball, and are willing to commit some of your free time this summer,
to working with the club as a 1st base coach, we'd like to hear from you. The ideal person for the job, must be able
to be at the park at least twice a week, and available to leave for road games by 5:45 most days. He should have
obtained his level 2 coaching certificate, or be willing to work towards it, this summer. The candidate should also
be able to help out at practices, and pre-games, with fungos, batting practice, and any other tasks that may arise.
Finally, the ideal person will have a good knowledge of the technical aspects of the game, including strategy, and teaching
fundamentals. If this sounds like you...we'd love to hear from you. Just contact us via the "Contact Page"
on this website (the link is to the left).
And, as mentioned, we are looking for
someone who can "man our mic" for home games. This involves a time commitment of about 3 hours on most every Thursday,
with a few Mondays thrown in...a total of 16 games. The games are all at Community Park. It is a "volunteer position".
AND A COUPLE MORE THINGS...
We continue our "Look Back at the Metros"
History in Words and pictures this week, with a look at 1988. After 3 successive C.O.B.A. Playoff Championships, over
their first 3 years in the league, the Metros had no where to go but down. And while they didn't win the title in '88,
they gave it a helluva run...despite many obstacles. To find out all the details, click on the "25th Anniversary" link,
to the left of the page, and then click on "1988".
Finally, we thought that, since the 2009
season has gotten underway, in Florida and Arizona, it would be nice to see a little ball. So, our "Baseball Film Feature",
for the next couple of weeks, is going to pump you up for the new year, by showing you the Detroit Tigers highlight video,
"Always a Tiger". Detroit fan or not, this film is bound to get you in a "baseball frame of mind" for the beginning
of the new season! Just scroll to the bottom of this page, and press "Play". Talk to you next week.
|
|
. The Niagara Metros are very pleased to have Cat's Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car as their
corporate partner in 2011.
|
| 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.
. .
. 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".
__________________________________
|
| 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 
.
|
