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Saturday, May 30, 2009
METROS, GRIZZLIES RAINED OUT IN HAMILTON
The St. Catharines Metros scored two in the top
of the first, but that's where it ended, last night in Hamilton. The skies opened up, and washed out the remainder of
their game with the Glanbrook Grizzlies at Bernie Arbour Stadium. The game will be rescheduled at a later date.
In the meantime, the Metros will prepare for a Monday night game in Oakville, before returning home to take on the Milton
Red Sox on Thursday. Game time at Community Park is 7:30.
Friday, May 29, 2009
2ND STRAIGHT WALK-OFF WIN FOR METROS
On Monday, the St. Catharines Metros scored three runs
with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th to defeat Burlington 5-4. Last night at Community Park against the Erindale Cardinals,
they did it again...in almost identical fashion. Trailing 4-3 in the 9th, the home team got a leadoff walk by Brad Namtzu. Two
outs later with Namtzu on 2nd, Rocco Spano doubled to drive in the tying run, and then Joe Roach hit a broken-bat line
drive up the middle, to bring Spano in with the winning run. The conditions were a little soggy, as it had rained
for about 45 minutes prior to the start of the game. But the park held up, and it actually turned into a pretty nice
night for ball.
The 9th-inning comeback made a winner out of Metros reliever Ian Horner. Ian went the final
2 2/3 innings and allowed 0 hits or runs, while walking 2 and striking out 2. T.J. Tavender started and pitched
very well in the less than ideal conditions. Tavender went the first 6 1/3, and allowed 4 runs (just 2 earned) on 8
hits. He walked 3 and struck out 6. Andrew Mullen took the loss for the Cardinals, in relief of starter Chris
Currie. Combined the pair allowed 8 hits.
In addition to Roach's game-winner, he collected two more singles
to give him a 3 hit night. Spano added a single to his double, as well. Kevin Benjamin hit an RBI double, while
Jono Marcheterre and Aaron Butler rounded out the Metros' offense with RBI singles. Jay Woodford hit a pair of doubles
for Erindale.
The win improves St. Catharines' season record to 6-2, while the loss dropped the Cardinals to 6-2,
leaving the teams tied for 1st place in the overall COBA standings. Next up for the Metros is a trip down the QEW
to Bernie Arbour Stadium in Hamilton tonight, to take on the Glanbrook Grizzlies. The next home game is next Thursday,
June 4, as the Milton Red Sox come to Community Park. Game time for that one is 7:30.
10:28 am | link
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
METROS WIN WITH LATE-GAME HEROICS
The St. Catharines Metros scored 3 runs
with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, to defeat the Burlington Brants 5-4, at Community Park last night. The Metros were
their own worst enemies in the game, as they squandered a 1-0 8th-inning lead with a series of walks...and then after they
came back to tie it at 2-2, the Brants scored a pair of unearned runs in the 9th to set the stage for the comeback.
St. Catharines' Jonathan Paul, Rocco Spano, and Andrew Sorochan (with the walk-off hit) all delivered 2-out RBI singles
in the decisive 9th inning.
Lost in all the late-game heroics was
the shutout pitching performance of the Metros' Dustin Turner, who went 7 innings and left with a 1-0 lead. Turner allowed
1 infield single, 2 walks, and struck out 11. Taylor Boyle came in and walked the first two hitters he faced (who both
scored), before turning it over to Justin Czorny...who took it the rest of the way. Czorny picked up the win, allowing
2 runs (both unearned) on 2 hits. He walked 4 and struck out 2. Daniel Nauth took the loss for the Brants,
in relief of starter Josh Robinson, who pitched very effectively.
Sorochan, in addition to his walk-off
RBI single, added another RBI single to temporarily tie the game in the 8th, while Spano added another hit to his totals as
well. Joe Roach doubled and singled, while Jono Marcheterre rounded out the 8 hit attack with a single. Jeff
Brunsek and Joe Kirby collected RBI singles for the Brants.
The victory improves the Metros
season record to 5-2, while Burlington dropped their 5th straight game to start the year. Up next for St. Catharines
is their regular Thursday night home game...with the Erindale Cardinals coming to Community Park. They then
hit the road on Friday for a trip to Bernie Arbour Stadium in Hamilton for a date with the Glanbrook Grizzlies. First
pitch for both games is 7:30.
Monday, May 25, 2009
CHECK OUT THE YEAR 2000
Our 25th anniversary "Look Back" continues
this week, with a synopsis of the Metros team from the year of the "New Millenium". The Metros had one of their longest
and most successful seasons in history, in 1999. But success (especially at the Ontario Senior "A" level) is fleeting...as
the Metros found out. The team had many highs and lows, the next season, but one thing for sure...they could really
hit. Check out the story, by clicking "25th Anniversary" and "2000", to get all the gory details.
Just a reminder, that the 2009 Metros
have a couple of home games this week, as well. They host the Burlington Brants for the first time, this evening...and
then the 1st place Erindale Cardinals come to town for their inaugural visit, on Thursday. Both games are at Community
Park beginning at 7:30.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
METROS, BATTLECATS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER
The St. Catharines Metros and Brampton
Battlecats played two games at Mississauga's Erindale Cardinal Field yesterday, and when the dust had settled, each team won
a game. The Metros won the first 6-4, while the 'Cats won the nightcap 5-1. The split leaves St. Catharines' record
at 4-2, while Brampton improved to 3-4 on the young season.
In game 1, the Metros got 3 in the 1st
and 3 in the 3rd, to take the lead 6-0, only to have Brampton battle back and make it close with 1 in the 4th and 3 in the
7th. Metros' closer Eric DeBoer came in to retire the final Battlecats hitter with the tying run on second...to record
his 2nd save of the year. T.J. Tavender pitched 5 very strong innings for the Metros to pick up the win.
He allowed 3 hits and 1 run, while walking 1 and striking out 5. Ian Horner came in and worked an 1 2/3 innings
before running into trouble. Horner allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk. Starter Brad Hough took the loss for
Brampton.
Rocco Spano was 2 for 2 with a double
and 2 RBI's to lead the Metros hitters. Steve Baldinelli added a pair of hits, while Andrew Sorochan and Brad Namtzu
each added 2-run doubles. Tim Collins doubled while Wade Hill and Jonathan Paul added singles. Ken Appleby
had 3 hits for Brampton.
In game 2, the 'Cats beat the
Metros for the first time in their 5-year history in the league. Brampton put up a 2-spot in the top of the 1st without
benefit of a hit, as Metros starter, Steve Baldinelli walked a pair and they both came around to score on a groundout and
a sac fly. Baldinelli then settled down and threw a 1-hitter over his 5-inning stint. He allowed 3 runs (2 earned)
and walked 5 while striking out 5. Dan Estey came in, and allowed 2 runs in his first inning of the year. He gave
up a hit, and a walk, while striking out 1. Dan Schwalm, the second of 3 'Cats pitchers, picked up the win.
St. Catharines managed just 4 hits in
this one, with Andrew Sorochan accounting for all their scoring, clouting a solo HR in the 6th inning. Jonathan Paul
and Tim Collins added doubles while Aaron Butler picked up the first hit in his senior career. Matt Piccioni collected
an RBI single, and made a "highlight reel" catch in CF, off the bat of Joe Roach, to thwart a potential Metros comeback.
St. Catharines returns home Monday evening
for the first of two games at Community Park this week. The Burlington Brants come to town for a 7:30 start. Then,
in the regular Thursday night home game, the Erindale Cardinals come to town. That one also starts at 7:30.
Friday, May 22, 2009
METROS LOSE FIRST, TO OAKVILLE A'S
The Oakville A's got an RBI single from
Carter Buchanan, with 2 out in the 9th, to hand the St. Catharines Metros their first loss of the season, by the score
of 6-5. It was a strange game, as both teams were plagued by inconsistent play, and some bad luck. The bad luck for
Oakville took the form of a St. Catharines single that hit the outside of the 1st base bag to score 2 runs...while for
the Metros, the two-out single that started the game-winning rally was a ground ball that took a 20-foot hop over Brad
Namtzu at 2nd base.
The A's scored 4 runs in the top of the
1st, but 3 of them were un-earned, as the Metros made 3 errors...matching their total for the first 3 games of the season. Then,
Oakville gave 3 runs right back in the bottom of the 1st, as St. Catharines took advantage of a series of walks, hit batters, and
wild pitches. The Metros then took the lead with 2 runs in the 3rd...but that would be the end of their offense
for the night. Meanwhile, the A's would go on to score yet another unearned run in the 6th to tie it, before Buchanan's
timely 9th-inning hit would complete the scoring.
The winning pitcher was Marc Walton, who
settled down nicely after his 1st-inning control issues. In going the distance, Walton allowed just 5 hits while striking
out 6. Brian Essery started for the Metros, and while he didn't have his "best stuff", he still managed to keep his
team in the game. Over his 6 innings, Essery allowed 6 hits and 5 runs (1 earned), while walking 2 and striking out
1. Ian Horner threw a perfect 7th, before giving way to T.J. Tavender, who took the loss. In his 2 innings, Tavender
allowed 2 hits and 1 run...walking 0 and striking out 5.
Gord Robertson led the A's offense with
a pair of singles, while the Metros were led by Rocco Spano, who collected a double, 2 singles and an RBI. Jonathan
Paul had a 2-run single, while Justin Czorny rounded out the offense with an RBI single.
The Metros drop to 3-1 with the
loss, while Oakville improves to 5-1 on the season. Next up for St. Catharines is a Saturday doubleheader at Erindale
Cardinal Field, against the Brampton Battlecats. First game is at 12:00 noon. They then return home for a Monday
night game against the Burlington Brants. Game time at Community Park is 7:30.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
A COUPLE OF NEW MEMBERS TO THE TEAM
The St. Catharines Metros are pleased
to welcome, and to welcome back, a couple of new members to the ball club. Their arrival will help make things a lot
easier for the club, down the road.
First off we'd like to welcome back a
pitcher, who was an integral part of our 2008 season...26 year old righty, Dan Estey. Dan was a spot starter and reliever
in '08, and gave the Metros a pretty good season, throwing 50 innings, and going 3-4 with 2 saves, and a 4.32 ERA.
Dan had retired earlier this year, to tend to some personal issues...but got the roadblocks taken care of, and found that
he missed the game too much to sit idly by. He will toss a couple of bullpens, and should be ready to fill a spot in
the Metros' pen, by next week. Welcome back, Dan.
The brand new member to the team takes
the form of a corporate sponsor...HunMar and Associates. The local management consulting firm has joined the Metros'
Sponsorship Group for 2009, and hopefully many years beyond. The team very much appreciates the efforts of corporate
entities such as HunMar, for helping our non-profit organization with some of the rising finacial burden, associated
with our operation. Once again thanks HunMar, and "welcome to the team"!
Oh,
one more thing...check out the "Metros Baseball Film Feature" this week. We decided to indulge ourselves, with a young
White Sox fan's class project...the "Ultimate 2005 World Champion Chicago White Sox Highlights". Enjoy!
Monday, May 18, 2009
HAPPY VICTORIA DAY!
The St. Catharines Metros would like to
take this opportunity to extend to everyone a Happy Victoria Day! After a long, cold winter, when you reach this day
(the unofficial "beginning of summer") you realize for the first time that the nice weather is (or will soon be)
here. It's baseball season!
Speaking of baseball (and when aren't
we?), the Metros have a busy schedule upcoming over the next couple of weeks. This week, the Oakville A's come
to town for the regular Thursday night offering, at Community Park. Game time is 7:30. Then St. Catharines
takes to the road on Saturday, as they travel to Erindale Cardinal Field in Mississauga for a noon-time doubleheader with
the Brampton Battlecats. Then next week, The Burlington Brants come to Community Park for a rare Monday night tilt,
before the Erindale Cardinals come to town on Thursday. Both games begin at 7:30.
By the way, one look at the Standings
(updated every day - click the link at the left of this page) show that the Erindale Cardinals are off to a very fast
start in the COBA Major Baseball League. They are 5-1 already!
Finally...we have, once again, posted
a new story for a new year, in our 25th Anniversary "History of the Metros in Words and Pictures". After the first
season at the "A" level (since 1989), the 1998 Metros were just beginning their long trek toward respectability, at the highest
level in the Province. How did that journey continue the next year? Click on "25th Anniversary" and "1999" to
find out.
See
you at the park on Thursday night!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
METROS SCORE 6 LATE RUNS TO DOWN DUNDAS
The St. Catharines Metros scored 3 in
the 8th, and 3 in the 9th to break open a close game, and defeat the Dundas Chiefs 9-2, last night in Dundas. The win
moves St. Catharines' record to 3-0 on the young season, while the Chiefs drop to 1-2. For the 3rd straight game, the
Metros got outstanding pitching, and reached double digits in hits.
Steve Baldinelli got his first start of
the year and made it a good one, picking up the win. The outfielder-turned-pitcher went 6 innings, and allowed no runs
on just 4 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 9. Another outfielder, Justin Czorny, made a good impression in his
mound debut, pitching the final 3 innings...earning his first save. Czorny gave up 3 hits, and the 2 runs (which were
unearned), while walking 1 and striking out 2. The starter for Dundas, Ang Amore, went 5+ innings, allowing 3 runs
on 4 hits, in taking the loss.
The Metros 13 hit attack was led by Andrew
Sorochan, who collected 4 singles and drove in 3 runs, while Joe Roach added 3 singles. Rocco Spano and Tim Collins
collected 2 hits each, with Spano adding an RBI, while Baldinelli, and Wade Hill each added RBI singles. Czorny (with
2 RBI's) and Jonathan Paul (RBI) rounded out the offense. Mike Gagliardi had two hits for the Chiefs.
St. Catharines now gets a 6-day break,
before returning for a busy few days...beginning Thursday, as the Oakville A's come to Community Park for a 7:30 game.
Then on Saturday, they travel to Erindale Cardinal Field in Mississauga for a doubleheader with the much-improved Brampton
Battlecats. That one starts at noon.
Friday, May 15, 2009
METROS COME BACK TO BEAT ETOBICOKE
The St. Catharines Metros came back
from a 3-1 6th inning deficit, en route to a 5-3 victory over the Etobicoke Rangers, last night at Community Park. The
Metros improved their season record to 2-0, while Etobicoke dropped to 0-2. The Metros, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 1st, but the Rangers countered with 3 in the top of the 6th, to take the
lead. St. Catharines then responded with 3 of their own in the bottom of the 6th, and then added a single in the 7th
to win by the score of 5-3.
Brian Essery made his first start of 2009
a stellar one, going the first 5 innings, allowing just 1 infield hit and 1 walk. He struck out 5. Taylor Boyle
was next in, and although he picked up the win, he also allowed the 3 Ranger runs, due mostly to some early season control
problems. Boyle went 2 innings, and allowed just 1 hit...but 7 walks had him in trouble most of his outing. Eric
DeBoer finished up for St. Catharines, going 2 innings and allowing 2 hits, 0 walks, and striking out 4. DeBoer
earned his 1st save. Kevin Breitner took the loss in relief of Mike Janes, who went 4 innings, and allowed 1 run, and
5 hits, while striking out 8.
Offensively, the Metros were led by Wade
Hill, who doubled and singled and drove in 2 runs, while Steve Baldinelli also doubled and singled and added an RBI.
Kevin Benjamin added 2 hits and an RBI, while Joe Roach doubled. Tim Collins, Rocco Spano, Justin Czorny, and Jonathan
Paul all added singles to round out the 11 hit attack. John Zamora had a 2-run single for Etobicoke.
The Metros don't get much chance to savour
the win, as they return to action tonight...a 7:30 start in Dundas. They then return home next Thursday (May 21) for
a tilt against the Oakville A's. Game time for that one is also 7:30.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
NEW PHOTOS ADDED
Just a reminder that the Metros host the
Etobicoke Rangers tomorrow night (Thursday, May 14) at Community Park, if the weather cooperates (the forecast isn't promising).
Game time is 7:30.
As the headlinew states, we've added 6
new pictures to our "Photo Album", from Monday night's season opener. Among them are an interesting frame-by-frame pictorial
of Dustin Turner's delivery. Turner tossed 5 no-hit innings with 12 K's on opening day. Just click on "Photo Album"
and scroll to the bottom.
See you Thursday night!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
METROS MAUL GRIZZLIES IN HOME OPENER
The St. Catharines Metros opened their
2009 Central Ontario Major Baseball League season on a powerful note, last night at Community Park...as they beat the Glanbrook
Grizzlies by a 13-0 count. The two Metros pitchers, Dustin Turner and Ian Horner, combined on a 1-hit shutout, while
the offense collected a home run and 4 doubles among their 13 hits. The game was called after 7 innings, due to the
league's 10-run mercy rule.
As mentioned, the Metros pitchers combined
to allow Glanbrook just one hit...a 2-out 7th inning single off the bat of Mike Wood. Turner started the game, and was
simply overpowering, going 5 innings, and allowing 0 hits, and one walk. He struck out 12! Horner pitched the
final two innings, allowing the one hit, and 3 walks, while striking out 2. Starter Chris Cooney took the loss
for the Grizz.
Steve Baldinelli made quite a first impression
in his return from playing pro ball in Italy, last summer. "Baldi" collected an RBI single and a 3-run homer in his
4 trips to the plate. Wade Hll also had a big night, with a 2-run double and an RBI single. Joe Roach and Jonathan
Paul added a double, single, and RBI each, while Brad Namtzu collected a pair of singles and 2 RBI's. Andrew Sorochan
hit a 2-run double, while Justin Czorny, and Tim Collins added singles.
The Metros return to action this Thursday
night, as the Etobicoke Rangers come to Community Park, for a 7:30 start, before the Metros take to the road for a Friday
night tilt in Dundas. Brian Essery makes his season debut on the hill for St. Catharines in that Thursday night contest.
Monday, May 11, 2009
WEBSITE UPDATES
The St. Catharines Metros will try to
get their 2009 season underway this evening, as the Glanbrook Grizzlies will travel to Community Park for a 7:30 game against
the Metros. The home team will send their 2008 MVP, Dustin Turner, to the mound, while Glanbrook counters with 2008
League Top Pitcher, Chris Cooney. Should be a good one. The Grizz won their opener last night at Bernie Arbour
Stadium, by a score of 7-6 over the Burlington Brants.
While we're waiting for the season to
open, we are still posting regular updates to our site. We have unveiled a few pictures we took at the final outdoor
workout, last Thursday night. Just click on "Photo Album" in the menu to the left of the page.
Also, we have posted a new story in our
25th Anniversary series. After a disappointing 1997 season, the Metros still believed the time was right (after a 9
year absence) to return to the ranks of "Senior A" in 1998. And while the season was an eye-opener for the young Metros,
they still had a number of highlights...both good, and not so good. Check out "The History of the Metros in Words and
Pictures: 1998", by clicking "25th Anniversary" and then "1998". Talk to you tomorrow.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
METROS RAINED OUT IN MILTON
The St. Catharines Metros and Milton Red
Sox did their best impression of "rain dances" on Saturday afternoon, and it looked good for awhile, but at the end of the
day, it was to no avail. The Metros and Red Sox were rained out of their game at Brian Best Park...as the skies opened
up about 15 minutes before the scheduled 1:30 start to the Metros season. The two teams will likely try to
find a makeup date sometime within the next couple of weeks, before the 32-game schedule starts to pile up, for both teams.
In the meantime, the Metros will prepare for their home opener, Monday night (May 11)...as the Glanbrook Grizzlies come to
town. Game time for that one, at Community Park, is 7:30.
Monday, May 4, 2009
2009 SEASON GETS UNDERWAY THIS WEEK
After a long, long off-season, the 2009
C.O.B.A. Major league season finally gets underway this week, with 9 games, beginning this evening. The defending
Playoff Champion Erindale Cardinals travel to Oakville to play the A's, in the season opener tonight, before the Dundas Chiefs
travel to Burlington for a Wenesday night matchup with the Brants. The rest of the league gets underway on the weekend
, with 3 games Friday, and 3 games Saturday, including the Metros' season opener in Milton.
The 1:30 start between the Metros and
the Red Sox, will be the first of 32 games for the St. Catharines club in 2009. After Saturday's Game #1, the Metros
will return to Community Park for their home opener, Monday May 11, versus the always-tough Glanbrook Grizzlies. The
Glanbrook game will be the first of 4 Monday night affairs, as the majority of St. Catharines home games will be
played on Thursday evenings, beginning with the May 14th game versus Etobicoke. By the way, 2007 C.O.B.A.
Major League Top Pitcher, Brian Essery, is expected to get the ball for the Metros in Milton, while St. Catharines'
2008 M.V.P., Dustin Turner, should toe the rubber in the home opener. Starting times for Metros home games
are always 7:30.
WALTERS OFFICIALLY INDUCTED TO HALL-OF-FAME
Last Tuesday April 28, was a big day for
Metros' GM Mark Walters, and his family. That was the day he was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall-of-Fame.
The so-called "builder of the Metros", who is celebrating his 25th anniversary at the helm, was proud to share the credit
for this honour with his family, coaching staff, and the many players that have worn the Metros' "blue and white"
over the years.
There were a number of dignitaries
on hand, such as Member of Parlaiment Jim Bradley, and St. Catharines Mayor, Brian McMullen, who addressed the crowd, and
presented Walters and the 4 other inductees, with mementos of the day. Also on hand were Walters' family (wife Debbie,
and daughters Kelly and Heather), several members of the ball club, and many previous H-o-F inductees. All in all
it was a great night. We have posted a few pictures from the event, in our "Photo Album".
A COUPLE MORE THINGS
We have a couple more website updates
to tell you about this week. First of all...after all the negative talk this last month, about the former Red Sox,
Blue Jays, Yankees, and Astros clown, we thought it would be a good idea to feature something a little more uplifting, on
our Baseball Film feature for the next couple of weeks. So, we have for you an amazing clip of an amazing athlete, doing
an amazing thing. We have Babe Ruth's 60th Home Run...hit in 1927. No performance-enhancing drugs here...unless
you consider Jack Daniels to be a P.E.D. This 60th HR, gave "the Bambino" more home runs than any other TEAM
in baseball, in 1927.
Also, we continue this week, with our
look back at the Metros History in Words and Pictures. After the Metros were crowned O.B.A. Senior "B" Champions in
1996, all they had to do was put the team back on the field the next season, and they'd win...right? Not quite!
Check out our look at the year 1997 in Metroland, by clicking on "25th Anniversary" and then "1997".
Talk to you after Game #1, of the 2009
season.
|
|
. 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 
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