|
|
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
RAINED OUT!! FOR THE 5TH TIME IN THE PAST 8 GAMES
The incredibly frustrating season of the St. Catharines Metros
continued on Tuesday night, as a ton of rain hit 9th Line Park at about 5:00, forcing cancellation of the Metros game against
the Milton Red Sox. The game had already been rained out once before, on opening day in Milton. This marks the
5th rainout in the last 8 scheduled games for St. Catharines.
The Metros will try it again on Thursday (weather
permitting), as the Burlington Brants will come to town for a 7:30 game, at Community Park. After that, there's a very
good chance that the Metros and Glanbrook Grizzlies will be playing a doubleheader on Sunday evening, at Bernie Arbour Stadium,
in Hamilton. The Grizz and Metros have a rained out game to make up, and (if Grizzlies management gets all the paperwork
in place) the two teams will play it at 6:00 on Sunday...right before their regularly scheduled game, that was to begin at
7:30. The regularly scheduled game would be played immediately after the conclusion of the first game. Both
games will be 7 inning affairs. Stay tuned for updates, as soon as the plan is finalized.
5:53 pm | link
Monday, June 29, 2009
METROS RAINED OUT...AGAIN!
The St. Catharines Metros have been rained out for the 6th
time this season, as thunder storms hit the north side of Lake Ontario (while missing the Niagara area) this afternoon.
The game, scheduled for Oakville Park against the A's, will be rescheduled at a later date.
The Metros have a busy
week ahead, but the forecast that looms for the upcoming week, may make this story a recurring one. Next up is
a previously rained out game versus the Milton Red Sox, that was postponed in May. It is scheduled for Erindale
Cardinal Field (formerly Ninth Line Park) Tuesday evening, at 7:30. The Metros then return home for a game against the
Burlington Brants on Thursday. That's scheduled for Community Park at 7:30.
THIS AND THAT...
Since we have some time to kill, we thought we'd bring you
up to date on some Metros website stuff.
1. We have added a new story in our "History
of the Metros in Words and Pictures" series. After the Metros made it to the semi-finals of the Elimination Tournament
in 2003, they were disappointed in their weak performance (especially after winning the "Hap" Walters Tournament)
in 2004. What did the management team decide to do, to turn around their fortunes the next year? Get that answer
by clicking on "25th Anniversary", and "2005".
2. We have also added a new "Baseball
Film Feature" for the next couple of weeks. Three guys from New York City (who call themselves "9 More Outs")
decided it would be fun to come north to Toronto, become Blue Jay fans for a day, and make a film to document the "Canadian
Baseball Experience". This hilarious take on baseball at the Rogers Center is called "A Game of Centimeters".
Check it out by scrolling to the bottom of the page, and pressing "Play".
3. Finally, we decided to update
our 2009 Metros statistics section. The first update was June 8th, and even though there have only been a
few games played since (due to the %$#&ing rain), it was time to bring you up to date. These numbers include ALL
games played to this point, including the Oshawa Tournament. Click on the "Standings / Stats" link, and find
the links to the Batting and Pitching stats, near the bottom.
4:31 pm | link
Sunday, June 28, 2009
METROS DOWN BURLINGTON
The St. Catharines Metros broke open a close game with 4
runs in the 6th inning, and went on to defeat the Burlington Brants 8-5, in Burlington on Saturday. Both teams were
a little light on players (due to the late rescheduling of this previously rained out game) but played an entertaining affair.
The lead changed hands 4 times in the first 4 innings, with St. Catharines holding a 4-3 advantage after 5. They then
came up with the 4-spot in the 6th, and held off the Brants the rest of the way.
Steve Baldinelli got his first
start on the mound in over a month, and was a little rusty, as he walked 8 over the course of his 7 innings. But he
was able to hold the Brants to 6 hits and 5 runs, while striking out 6. His record improved to 2-1, with the win.
Dan Estey pitched very well in relief, allowing 3 hits and no runs, to pick up the save. Tyler Thompson went the distance,
and took the loss for the Brants.
Offensively, the Metros got a couple of hits from Tim Collins, including a big
2-run single, to lead the way. Baldinelli, Dustin Turner, and Brad Namtzu all added doubles, with Turner and Namtzu
also picking up RBI's. Justin Czorny came up with an RBI single, while Aaron Butler and Jono Marcheterre added
singles. Joe Kirby doubled and singled for Burlington.
The win puts St. Catharines' record at 9-4, and a
solid 3 1/2 game lead in the Johnson Division, while Burlington drops to 3 and 12. And the Metros' busy schedule continues
with two more road games on Monday and Tuesday against Oakville and Milton, before returning home on Thursday to, once again,
meet the Burlington Brants. Game time for that one is 7:30.
11:02 am | link
Thursday, June 25, 2009
TORRENTIAL RAIN POSTPONES METROS GAME
The St. Catharines Metros
felt the wrath of you-know-who, once again on Thursday...forcing postponement of their scheduled game with the Dundas Chiefs
at Community Park. It is the 5th rainout for the Metros this season.
The two teams did agree to a date,
in which to play the game, however. The Chiefs will come to St. Catharines on Monday, August 10, for a 7:30 game.
In the meantime, the Metros have an extremely busy schedule over the next couple of weeks. That run begins with
a re-scheduled game on Saturday in Burlington against the Brants. Start time is 1:00. Then, after two more
road games Monday and Tuesday, they return home for a game against the Brants. That one is at Community Park...7:30.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
METROS CAN'T STAND SUCCESS AGAINST CHIEFS
The St. Catharines Metros entered the 5th inning
with a comfortable 4-0 lead, last night in Dundas. And then the roof caved in. The Chiefs scored 4 in the 5th,
2 in the 6th, and 2 in the 8th, to win going away 8-4. The Metros caused many of their own problems, as they committed
5 errors in the game, but the never-say-die Chiefs compounded the problems for the visitors...scoring 6 of their 8 runs after
2 were out in the inning.
Eric Conlon picked up the win for Dundas going 6 1/3 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits.
Brian Essery started and took the loss for the Metros, going 6 innings. He allowed 6 runs (4 earned), on 7 hits, walking
2 and striking out 7. Chris Magarian made his first appearance of the year in relief, and pitched 2 innings, allowing
2 unearned runs on 1 hit. He struck out 2.
Dundas got a big 2-run double from Chris Leenderste for his second
hit of the night, while Abe Gagliardi added another RBI double. For St. Catharines, Jono Marcheterre singled 3 times,
while Rocco Spano homered and singled. Joe Roach added a lead-off HR and an RBI sac fly, while Justin Czorny, Tylor
Prudhomme, and Brad Namtzu rounded out the offense with singles.
The Metros drop to 8-4 after the loss but maintain
their hold on first place in the Johnson Division. Dundas improves to 5-8 and moves into 3rd. The two teams hook
up again, in the second half of their home-and-home this Thursday night at Community Park, in St. Catharines. First
pitch is at 7:30.
10:07 am | link
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
TURNER SHINES FOR METROS
Dustin Turner pitched a complete game six-hitter, and
the St. Catharines Metros finally got to Etobicoke Rangers pitcher Kevin Breitner, as the home team won 4-1 at Community Park
last night. Breitner was cruising with a no-hitter in the 5th inning, as the Rangers clung to a 1-0 lead. But,
after Metros' newcomer Tylor Prudhomme broke up the no-no (with a close play at 1st on an infield single), St. Catharines combined
2 hits with an Etobicoke error to score 3 runs in the 7th. They added an insurance run in the 8th to win 4-1.
Turner was, once again, terriffic for the Metros, on the hill. In his first complete game of the season,
he allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9. It was his 2nd win of the year. Breitner was also very
good in taking the loss. He pitched 8 innings, and allowed 6 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 2. The two teams
made one error each, in the well-played game.
The big hit came from the bat of the Metros' Steve Baldinelli, who
clubbed a two-run triple for the winning advantage. Prudhomme added an RBI sac fly to his single, and Andrew Sorochan
chipped in with an RBI single. Tim Collins (with a double), Rocco Spano and Joe Roach (with singles) rounded out the
offense. Peter Saweczko had two hits and an RBI for Etobicoke.
The Metros record improves to 8-3, and they
sit in first place by 4 games in the Johnson Division, while Etobicoke remains in 3rd place in the Andrews Division,
with an 8-7-1 record. The Metros don't get much time off...as they travel to Dundas this evening, before returning home
on Thursday for the second half of the home-and-home series against the Chiefs. Game time for that one, at Community
Park, is 7:30.
METROS'
HISTORY IN WORDS AND PICTURES - 2004
Don't forget to check out the newest installment
of the "Metros History in Words and Pictures". This week we look at the 2004 season. After the
Metros only Elimination Tournament venture to Monday in their history in '03, would the team be able to get back to those
rarified levels the next year, as well? Check it out by clicking on "25th Anniversary" and then "2004".
9:21 am | link
Friday, June 19, 2009
HAP WALTERS TOURNAMENT - DETAILS FINALIZED
It is with a great deal of pride that the St. Catharines
Metros announce, the field is set for the "Hap" Walters Tournament, which the team will host, beginning on July
17. We have posted the Divisional Format, the schedule, and the tournament rules on the website. Just click
on "Hap Walters Tourney", to the left of the page.
The 2009 tourney will be the 6th annual event
(which serves as a great tuneup for the Elimination Tournament, two weeks later), and once again features an outstanding 12-team
field. This year's event includes the two teams that represented Ontario at last year's Senior Nationals...the
Windor Stars, and Oshawa Royals. In addition, the tourney features outstanding teams from the Greater Toronto Baseball
League (Leaside, and Newmarket), the Eastern Ontario Senior League (Markham, and Whitby), the CanAm Senior League (Windsor
Athletics), and our own Central Ontario Major Baseball League (Etobicoke, Erindale, Burlington, Milton, and of course, the
St. Catharines Metros).
Check out all the details on our Hap Walters Tourney page, and we'll meet in St. Catharines
in exactly a month. We can't wait!
1:09 pm | link
Thursday, June 18, 2009
MOTHER NATURE STRIKES AGAIN!
The St. Catharines Metros were hit by the "Mother
Nature" bug again, as they have been rained out for the second straight day. Last night the Metros were postponed
from their scheduled tilt with the Brants, in Burlington. On Thursday, the scheduled home game against the Etobicoke
Rangers was hit, putting the Metros' number of rainouts in '09 to 4.
The two teams have agreed on a makeup date,
however, and will get the game made up in short order. The game will be played this coming Monday (June 22) at Community
Park...7:30. The Burlington game has also been rescheduled for next week, turning the Metros' 2-game week into a 4-gamer.
The makeup date for that one is Saturday, June 27 - 1:00 P.M. at Nelson Park. St. Catharines also has a home and
home series with the Dundas Chiefs scheduled...Tuesday in Dundas and Thursday at home. A busy week indeed!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
METROS RAINED OUT IN BURLINGTON
The St. Catharines Metros suffered their third rainout of
the season, last night, as they were postponed in Burlington. The heavy rain that fell all afternoon made the grounds
at Nelson Park unplayable. The two teams did agree to a makeup date, however, and they won't have to wait too long to
get the game in. The new date is Saturday, June 27 at 1:00 P.M.
In the meantime, the Metros are hoping
that the weather is a bit more cooperative on Thursday night. The Etobicoke Rangers are scheduled to make the trip to
Community Park for the Metros' regular Thursday night home game. First pitch is 7:30, weather permitting.
12:00 am | link
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
LOTS GOING ON THESE DAYS
Well, now that the Oshawa Tournament is behind us, we have
a lot of stuff to bring you up to date on. Here is the list:
1. The Metros have a very busy upcoming
schedule, with 7 games over the next 16 days. The first of the games is tomorrow night (Wednesday), as the Metros travel
to Burlington, for a 7:30 meeting with the Brants. Then, on Thursday, the team returns home for a game against the always
tough Etobicoke Rangers. Game time for that one is also 7:30
2. The Metros are just putting the finishing
touches on the schedule for the "Hap" Walters Tournament, that takes place in St. Catharines on the July 17, 18,
19 weekend. The divisions and schedule will be posted on the "Hap Walters Tourney" page of the site, later
this week. Hopefully, the Metros can have the same weather that the Oshawa Royals enjoyed, this past weekend.
Congrats to the Royals, for a great tourney...and for emerging as Champions.
3. Speaking of the weekend
in Oshawa, check out the new pictures, that we've posted in our "Photo Album". The pictures help document
a fun and frustrating weekend for the St. Catharines boys.
4. Our brand new "Baseball Film Feature"
is now posted at the bottom of this page. If you like "Borat", you'll love "Borat's Guide to Baseball".
It's 6 minutes of pure gold.
5. Also just posted, is the link to the year "2003", in our ongoing
"Metros History in Words and Pictures". After the team endured an entire season of great pitching, and non-existent
offense in 2002, how did they respond in '03? They produced one of their best seasons ever. Check it out by clicking
on "25th Anniversary", and then "2003".
6. Hey, we just noticed that the draw for the
Senior Elimination Tournament has been posted on the "Baseball Ontario" website. The Metros meet Martingrove
White Sox, in Game 1. To view the entire draw click this link.
That's it for now. Hopefully the rain that's being called for will hold off this week, and we'll have a
couple of game summaries to post. Till then, have a great week.
11:14 am | link
Monday, June 15, 2009
METROS LOSE A COUPLE OF TOUGH ONES IN OSHAWA
The St. Catharines Metros endured a couple of tough losses,
to go 1-2...and failed to advance to the playoff round, at the Oshawa Invitational Tourney, this past weekend. After
pounding the Milton Red Sox 12-2 in game 1, the Metros lost 7-6 to Newmarket, and 9-7 to Oshawa, to end their tournament on
Saturday night. Oshawa went on to defeat Markham in the tournament finals.
In game 1, the Metros' Joe Roach
set the tone early, as he hit the 3rd pitch of the game over the rightfield fence at Kirky Park. It would be the first
of two "tape-measure" shots by the Metros' outfielder. In fact, St. Catharines collected 7 extra-base
hits in the 5-inning, mercy-shortened win over Milton. In addition to Roach's two blasts and 3 RBI's, Jonathan
Paul homered and doubled for 2 RBI's, and Justin Czorny tripled and doubled, also collecting 2 RBI's. Andrew Sorochan
doubled and added a pair of singles and an RBI, while Tim Collins added a 2-run single. Nick Mazzarotto homered for
the Red Sox.
The power surge by the Metros was more than enough to help T.J. Tavender pick up the win on the
mound for St. Catharines. T.J. went the distance, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. He walked 1 and struck out 5.
Starter Sean Mathe took the loss for Milton.
Game 2 saw the Metros in a matchup with the Newmarket Hawks,
and the Hawks continued their mastery over the Metros, with a come-from-behind 7-6 victory, at Clarington Fields. The
win was Newmarket's third straight over St. Catharines in tournament play. The Metros scored 2 in the first
and 3 in the 3rd, to open a 5-0 lead, and seemed to be in cruise control behind Dustin Turner. But the pesky Hawks scored
2 in the 4th, and then collected 5 in the 5th (with 5 straight hits) to take the lead. The Metros scored a run
in the 6th to narrow the gap to one run, but that's as close as they could get.
Joe Roach collected
two hits and an RBI, to lead the attack, while Andrew Sorochan and Aaron Butler each doubled. Kevin Benjamin and Justin
Czorny each hit 2-run singles, while Tim Collins and Jonathan Paul added singles. Liam O'brien had two hits and 2 RBI's
to lead the Hawks.
As mentioned, Turner absorbed the loss on the mound, despite striking out 12!, in his 4 1/3
innings. He allowed 7 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks. Ian Horner pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief, shutting
down the Hawks on 1 walk and 1 hit.
With a record of 1-1, the Metros faced a showdown game with the Oshawa Royals
on Saturday evening...a win and the Metros would advance. But, once again, St. Catharines couldn't stand success, as
they found themselves leading 7-6, after 4 innings. The eventual tourney champions, however, combined 2 hits, a
walk, and a costly Metros error to score three 5th-inning runs, for the margin of victory. The error was one
of 5 committed by the usually sure-handed Metros during the game.
The Metros collected just 3 hits in the game,
but combined them with 13 walks and 2 Royals errors, to score 7 runs. Justin Czorny had a pair of hits and 2 RBI's,
while Kevin Benjamin added the other safety, and 2 RBI's. Other RBI's were collected by Rocco Spano, Brad Namtzu, and
Tim Collins. Kenny Rogers collected three hits for Oshawa, including a big 3-run double in the 5th, for the game-winning
runs.
Brian Essery started for St. Catharines on the mound, and went 3 1/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (4 earned)
on 9 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 1. Eric DeBoer pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, and absorbed the loss, despite
allowing no earned runs. He did allow 3 unearned runs, on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3.
St. Catharines now returns to a busy schedule in C.O.B.A. play, with 7 games in 16 days. The first of them is Wednesday
night in Burlington, as they take on the Brants. They then return home the next night, as the Etobicoke Rangers come
to Community Park, for the Metros' regular Thursday night home game. First pitch in that one is 7:30.
Monday, June 8, 2009
METROS' NEXT GAME - OSHAWA TOURNEY ON FRIDAY
The St. Catharines Metros have a couple of practices this
week (one of them in lieu of the regular Thursday night home game), and then travel to Oshawa for the Oshawa Royals Invitational
Tourney, on the weekend. Last year, the Metros were eliminated in the round-robin part of the tourney, after advancing
to the semi-finals in 2007. This year's event features 12 of the best Senior "A" teams in the province.
First up for the Metros, is a game against C.O.B.A. Major League rivals, the Milton Red Sox. That one is Friday
night at 8:30. Then the team has a couple of games on Saturday...10:15 AM against the Newmarket Hawks, and then 7:45
PM versus the host team, the Oshawa Royals. Should the Metros advance to the semi finals...they would be at 10:00 or
12:30 on Sunday, with the final slated for 3:00.
Best of luck, Metros.
WEBSITE UPDATES
Also this week, we have a couple of website updates to tell
you about. First of all, we have posted the first "Metros Statisics" update of the season.
Now that it's June, and the players have begun to accumulate some At Bats, and Innings Pitched, we felt it was time we posted
the early results. Click on the "Standings / Stats" link and then find the link to the statistic you want
to view...toward the bottom of the page.
Also new, is our weekly look at the "Metros History in Words and
Pictures". After one of the best all-time seasons in 2001, the team was set to make another move forward...and
the pitching staff did just that. But with the province's increased awareness on reducing the "runs against",
the Metros offense suffered, and took a step back. Check it out by clicking on "25th Anniversary" and "2002"
for the entire story.
3:04 pm | link
Friday, June 5, 2009
METROS' PITCHERS STIFLE RED SOX
Four St. Catharines Metros pitchers combined on a 4-hit
shutout, as the home team downed the Milton Red Sox 5-0, at Community Park last night. Starter T.J. Tavender, along
with relievers Brian Essery, Ian Horner, and Eric DeBoer didn't allow a runner to get to 3rd base, and limited the Sox to
4 hits, and 2 walks, while striking out 10. The Metros only managed 5 hits of their own, but 4 of them drove in
runs, and 3 came in a decisive 4-run 1st inning.
Starter Tavender got the win for St. Catharines. He worked
5 innings, and allowed 1 hit and 1 walk, while striking out 5. Essery pitched 2 innings, allowing 2 hits, while
striking out 2. Horner and DeBoer pitched an inning each, with Horner striking out 1, allowing a hit and a walk,
and DeBoer pitching a perfect 9th with 2 strikeouts. Starter Adam Sheerer went 6, and took the loss for Milton.
As mentioned the Metros got all the runs they would need in the 1st inning, as they combined 2 walks and 3 hits to score
4. Andrew Sorochan delivered an RBI single, before Jonathan Paul and Justin Czorny hit back-to-back doubles, with Paul
driving in 1 run, and Czorny 2. Sorochan then added another RBI single in the 3rd, to round out the scoring. Tim
Collins added a 4th-inning single.
The win moves St. Catharines' record to 7-3, and puts them 2 full games
ahead of the 4-4 Red Sox in the Johnson Division standings. The Metros now get a week off, as they prepare for
the Oshawa Invitational Tournament next weekend. The team will hold a couple of practices (Monday and Thursday), before
taking on these same Milton Red Sox in game 1 of the tournament, on Friday evening. The team will then meet the
Newmarket Hawks on Saturday morning, and the Oshawa Royals that same evening. Should the Metros advance to the playoff
round, the semi-finals would take place Sunday morning. Good luck, guys.
9:36 am | link
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
OAKVILLE SCORES LATE TO BEAT METROS
The Oakville A's scored 6 late runs to break open a close
game, as they downed the visiting St. Catharines Metros 7-3 at Oakville Park, last night. The A's held a 1-0 going into
the bottom of the 7th, before striking for 3 runs. The Metros got one back in the 8th to make it 4-1, but Oakville
got 3 more in the bottom of the 8th. The Metros got a pair in the 9th to round out the scoring.
The game
featured two of the better pitchers in the COBA Major Baseball League, as Dustin Turner pitched for St. Catharines and Gord
Robertson took the hill for Oakville. And both pitchers did their part, in keeping the game low-scoring until the later
innings. Robertson picked up the win, going 7 2/3 innings, and allowing a run on 6 hits, walking 3 and striking out
5. Turner took a tough loss, going 6 2/3, and allowing 4 runs on 6 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 12.
Eric Deboer pitched an inning of relief for the Metros, allowing 4 hits and 3 runs (all unearned), and struck out 2.
Dan Estey finished up, allowing a walk and a hit.
The big hit for Oakville was a bases-clearing double by Kevin
Lee in the 7th, that broke open the 1-0 game. Alex Kotulak had a double and 2 singles. For the Metros, Jonathan
Paul doubled and added a pair of singles and an RBI to lead the way. Joe Roach tripled and singled, while Justin Czorny
doubled and singled. Jono Marcheterre added 2 hits and an RBI.
With the win, the A's improve to 6-4 on the
season, while the Metros drop to 6-3, and still lead the Johnson Division by 1 game over Milton. Speaking of the Red
Sox, they will be supplying the opposition for the Metros' next game. That is scheduled for this Thursday night
at Community Park. First pitch is 7:30.
A
COUPLE MORE THINGS
Hey, don't forget to check out the new features at metrosbaseball.ca. The new
"Baseball Film Feature" is a study on a clever minor league promotion. Last September, in the last regular
season game for the Altoona Curve, a double "A" afiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, they held their "Field
of Dreams" day. It's pretty cool!
Also, this week, our "Look Back" Anniversary feature studies
the Metros season of 2001. This 2001 Metros had the best record in club history...but was it the best team ever?
You decide. Click on "25th Anniversary" and "2001" to check it out!
See you Thursday!
|
|
. 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 
.
|
