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Monday, September 26, 2011
METROS RECEIVE SOME RECOGNITION FOR A GREAT 2011
The Central Ontario Major
Baseball League held their annual "Year-End Awards Balloting" last night in Burlington. And, while the results
of the awards voting won't be known until the banquet on October 27th (we'll post all the award nominees in next week's update),
there were some other awards handed out last week that carry a lot of weight around the Ontario Senior
"AAA" community.
Since 2008, the "Ontario Senior Baseball" website/blog has been the place
to visit, for people wanting to get the most up-to-date stats, standings, news and information from the "AAA" segment
of province. Webmaster "G" is a very highly-regarded observer of the division, and his opinions
are thought to be (by almost everyone who reads his site) informed, insightful and objective. In short, he does his
research and reports his findings and opinions without bias. And while he has the disclaimer, "The views, opinions, and information expressed on this site are not official.",
the regular visitors to the website believe that his opinion matters.
So with that information as a backdrop, we
are proud to announce that the Metros and a few of their players were honoured on this website. Last week, "G"
posted his year-end Provincial All-Star teams, Award-winners, and Final Team Rankings and Statistics, and the young Metros
were heavily featured in these awards and rankings, after the remarkable season they had in 2011. The link to the
website is here, but here is a brief synopsis regarding the Metros and their players.
Final
Team Ranking - Metros finished with an Honourable Mention, after dropping out of the "Top 10" the final
week of the season.
Provincial All-Star Teams - There were 3 All-Star teams named,
but the Metros placed three players on the 1st Team. Evan Baglieri (.411, 15 HR, 66 RBI's, 12 2B, .513 OBP) was named
the All-Star Catcher, while Taylor Anderson (.407, 24 RBI's, 40 Runs, 59 Hits, 9 SB's) was named the Short Stop, and Ricky
Ferri (.340, 11 RBI's, 36 Walks, 50 Runs, and 24 SB's) was named one of the Outfielders.
In addition, Baglieri
was named the Province's Most Valuable Player, while Ferri (in a very close decision) was
named Rookie-of-the-Year, over teammate Anderson. Here is what "G" wrote when
describing his decisions in these two categories:
MVP
Evan Baglieri, Niagara Metros
Although the young Metros finished below .500 for the first time in team
history, they performed well when it counted. They ran the table on their way to the tournament title in Strathroy. They made
it to Sunday for the first time in four years at the Elims. And they made it to the final four of the COBA playoffs.
It's hard to imagine where the Metros would have been without their slugging catcher/corner infielder Evan Baglieri. Evan
put together a monster of a season, and lead wire to wire in the provincial homerun and RBI race. For a good chunk of the
season, he was even hitting over .500. Numbers-wise, he put together a season that marvelled the terrific numbers of Justin
Pennell in 2010. "Bags" hit .411, with 15 HR, and 66 RBI. He also added 53 hits and 39 runs scored, to go along
with 27 walks, a .513 OBP, and an OPS of 1.366. The offensive numbers were astronomical to say the least. He even put together
a single game performance for the ages, hitting three homeruns (a grand slam, three run homerun, and two run homerun) against
Erindale this year. Defensively, Evan also did a spectacular job behind the dish, throwing out 11 of a possible 28 base stealers,
for a 38 percent rate.
It should be to nobody's surprise that Baglieri takes home MVP honours this year.
Runners Up: Jesse Dynes, Markham; Kris Klassen, Windsor.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Ricky Ferri, Niagara Metros
This year, there were a tonne of young
rookies who made huge impacts on their respective teams. The Metros had a handful of them alone. In what was the hardest award
to pick, outfielder Ricky Ferri of the Metros edged out some very deserving candidates for the award.
Ferri gets
the nod, as he has been an unsung hero in the Metros' explosive offence. He has been a catalyst all season long, setting the
tables for the big boppers in the lineup. Ferri posted some very impressive numbers, without receiving much ink. He hit .340
and drove in 11 runs, while leading off for Niagara. While those numbers might not jump out at you, it is everything else
that he did that proved his worth. He lead Ontario with 24 stolen bases, and 50 runs scored. As a young hitter, he showed
an impressive eye at the plate, registering 36 walks (third in Ontario), and posting a .475 OBP. He also had 48 hits, which
was good for top ten in the province.
As mentioned, Ferri had a lot of competition, but the 18 year old deserves
it just a bit more than the field.
Runners up: Taylor Anderson, Niagara; Andrew Hyde, Etobicoke.
That is some high praise, indeed, and the Metros are very proud of their three youngsters
for achieving the numbers that it takes to win these awards and this recognition. Congratulations!
But in fact, there is more. The final "Top 10" in various statistical categories is also posted on
the site...and Niagara is once again, very well represented. Here are the Metros' results:
Batting
Batting Average: Baglieri - 5th (.411), Anderson
- 7th (.407)
HR's: Baglieri - 1st (15), Andrew Sorochan - Tied for 7th (6)
RBI's:
Baglieri - 1st (66), Anthony Vacca - 8th (31)
Runs: Ferri - 1st (50), Anderson - Tied for
6th (40), Baglieri - Tied for 8th (39)
Hits: Anderson - Tied for 2nd (59), Baglieri - 5th
(53), Ferri - 9th (48)
Doubles: Baglieri - Tied for 6th (12)
Triples:
Jonathan Paul - Tied for 5th (2)
Walks: Ferri - 3rd (36), Baglieri and Vacca - Tied for
9th (27)
Stolen Bases: Ferri - 1st (24)
On Base Pct.:
Baglieri - 3rd (.513), Vacca - 5th (.504), Anderson - 7th (.497)
Pitching
Innings: Brian Kusey - 2nd (85), Geoff Strong - 8th (74)
Strikeouts:
Strong - 2nd (101)
Saves: Brandon Beattie - Tied for 2nd (4)
Strikeouts
per 9 Innings: Strong - 1st (12.28)
Thanks to "G" for compiling all of these stats and posting
all of this information on a weekly basis over the course of the year. It must be a daunting task, but the result is
always an interesting read and we look forward to your updates all summer long. Keep up the good work! Once again,
here is the link to the Ontario Senior Baseball website.
And once again, congratulations to all of the Metros who appear on these lists. You gave
us a 2011 season to remember.
NEW BASEBALL
VIDEO POSTED
For the next couple of weeks, on our "Baseball Film Feature" you'll get to check
out the worst "ceremonial first pitches" from baseball games. A youtube poster put this little video together,
and you will not believe how hilariously bad some of these people are. Can you say "Get it there without killing
someone?" It is a priceless look at the most un-athletic people you'll ever see. Just scroll to the bottom
of this page and press "Play".
Talk to you next week.
11:33 am | link
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
EARLY RETURNS FOR METROS' O.U.A. PLAYERS
The Metros' 2011 C.O.M.B.L. season ended just over
three weeks ago, but the baseball year continues for 5 of the team's members, in the Ontario University Athletic Conference.
Three of the players...Ricky Ferri, Kamil Oubayan, and Geordan Dennahower are gettin' it done for Niagara's local O.U.A. team,
the Brock Badgers. The other two...pitchers Brandon Beattie and Geoff Strong, are mainstays with the Waterloo Warriors
and McMaster Marauders, respectively. In fact, Beattie got the better of three of his teammates this past weekend,
as he was on the mound for a 6-3 win over the Badgers in the first game of a doubleheader in Waterloo. The first-place
Warriors have won 6 in a row.
And the young lefthander has been one of the main reasons for his team's success. Beattie picked
up his 2nd win in as many starts, pitching 5 innings against the defending O.U.A. Champion Brock club in the game 1 win.
Brandon allowed 5 hits and just 2 earned runs, while striking out 3 in the game...to lower his season ERA to a miniscule
0.90. In fact, the only Brock player to have much success against Beattie was his Metros' teammate, Geordan Dennahower,
who went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
That doesn't mean the other two Metros' players haven't been doing their share
for the Badgers thus far, however. Ricky Ferri, who had a great rookie season with Niagara this summer, is keeping up
the pace in the fall. He is second on his team with 11 hits, and has compiled a .314 batting average, as the Badgers'
leadoff hitter. He also is tied for the O.U.A. lead in runs, with 12. In addition, Kamil Oubayan has collected
5 hits (including a double) in his 17 AB's for a .294 average. And while the Badgers have gotten off to a suggish start,
with a conference record of 4-6, we're confident that the boys will get it together, and be there when it counts.
Meanwhile in Hamilton, things haven't gone well for the 1-7 McMaster team, but you can't say the same for Metros'
ace Geoff Strong. As usual, Strong has been dominating on the mound in his two starts (although they have both resulted
in losses). Over his 11 innings Strong has issued just 4 walks, while striking out 16. And when he's not pitching,
Geoff finds himself batting in the 4 hole of the Marauders' lineup. He's hitting .214 (4th on the team) and has a triple
among his three hits, while leading the club with 5 walks and his .421 On Base Pct.
By the way, one more Metros'
player is making his mark out east. Dan Proctor, the Metros' fine young outfielder is also off to a good start
with the Crandall Chargers, of the C.I.B.A. Atlantic Conference. Crandall, a small college located in Moncton, N.B.,
is out to a 6-2 record and are tied for first place in the conference. And Proctor is certainly doing his part!
In addition to hitting .333 in the early going, he has also picked up a win on the mound, striking out 5 in his 3 inning appearance.
The Niagara Metros, of course, would like to wish all 6 of their Canadian University players the best of luck
over the remaining portion of their respective seasons.
STATISTICS UPDATE NOW COMPLETE
Last week we mentioned that we were in the process of
updating our Metros' Archive site, where we have 27 years worth of Metros' statistics waiting at your fingertips. The
links to our All-Time Batting and Pitching pages, as well as our All-Time Career Top 20 and All-Time Seasonal Top 20
lists, can be found in the story that we published last week (directly below this story). This week we also wanted
to mention that the last of these archival statistics lists is finished.
Our All-Time Records page
is located in the same area, and has all of the records that our team has set over the last 27 years. And unlike other
seasons, this past 2011 season was a big one for new records on our ball club. In fact the 2011 Metros broke or
tied 6 team records, as well as 25 individual player records (some good, some not-so-good)...and the lists make for some very
interesting reading. To access this newly updated list, please click this link. Enjoy!
And we'll talk to you again next week.
12:51 am | link
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
METROS HISTORICAL STATISTICS ALMOST COMPLETE
As we mentioned last week, we are in the process of
doing a number of website updates, and will continue to do so over the next few weeks and months. One of the biggest
jobs is getting caught up on the statistics which we compile over the course of every season.
Of course, you know
how to access the stats from our 2011 season. You simply click on the "Standings / Stats" link...to the left
of this main home page. But you may not be aware that we also have a Metros "Archive Website" in which we
keep all of our team's historical data. We have been updating this information for 27 years now, and we believe that
our list of Statistics from past seasons is as complete and comprehensive as any you'll find anywhere on the internet.
The link to our entire Metros Archive site is just above this blog, or right here.
We feel that these pages are very important...not only for the historical interest they provide, but also
to give our current team's stats some context with which to compare. It's also a great way to reminisce about some of
the great (and not so great) players that have donned the Metros' uniform for the past 27 years. There are 166 such
players in our history (including the 9 new ones that we added this 2011 season) and their careers are all documented on these
pages...no matter how major or insigificant the career happend to be.
So, yes, all of our 2011 season statistics
have been added to the various pages. To check out the entire list of Metros Historical Batting records, you can access
it through the link to the Archive site (given above) and then by clicking on "Stats / Leaders / Records".
The links to whatever list you're interested in can be found on that page. Or you can access the pages directly from
right here. Below are the links to the specific pages we've updated. Take your time and go through them thoroughly...we
think you'll be impressed!
All Time Batting Statistics (every player that has ever played for the Metros can be found here).
All Time Pitching Statistics (every pitcher that ever toed the rubber for the Metros can be found here).
Career Batting and Pitching Leaders (Who are the Top 20 players in various Batting and Pitching categories in Metros history? Find out here).
Seasonal Batting and Pitching Leaders (What are the Single Season Top 20 Performances in various Batting and Pitching categories? Find out here).
We'll be adding our Updated Records page next week.
NEW BASEBALL FILM FEATURE
So,
you think you've seen everything there is to see on a baseball field? Well, we've got something that maybe you haven't
seen, this week on our film feature. The film answers the question, "Is it easier to throw the ball where
you want to at 90 MPH, or 55 MPH?" The film shows you the surprising answer...much to the dismay of "Professional"
pitcher Lance Odom and his Lancaster Barnstormers teammates.
Talk to you next week.
4:21 pm | link
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
MANY THANKS TO ALL THE FOLKS INVOLVED WITH THE METROS IN 2011
So, while the season has
just ended...the work continues for the Metros management team. And while the business of baseball will slow down for
the next few months, we at metrosbaseball.ca will continue to keep you up to date with all of the off-season happenings with
our team, the Central Ontario Major Baseball League, and indeed, senior baseball right across Ontario. So please, continue
to make metrosbaseball.ca one of your weekly stops, as you browse the net this fall and winter.
The first order
of business this off-season is to thank all of the people that helped in putting our team on the field, and with any success
we may have achieved in 2011. You can't operate a team with the profile of the Niagara Metros without
a lot of help from a lot of good people and organizations. So, we thought this would be a good opportunity to acknowledge
these "friends of the Metros" and their contributions. The Niagara Metros are greatly indebted to the following
"Top 12"...
1. Our corporate
sponsors. We can't say enough about the contributions of these fine partners. We simply couldn't have
paid the bills that arose over the course of the 2011 season without the generosity of the following organizations:
The Cat's Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car - Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines.
Buckner's Source for Sports - Welland Avenue,
St. Catharines
2. Our game day
door prize donators. We raised a lot of money over the course of the season, on the in-game door prize
draws. A special "thanks" goes out to these businesses / individuals for their generous donations:
Jerry's Union House (Home of Pete's Pizza) - Merritt
St., St. Cath.
Tim Hortons Coffee - Hartzell Rd., St. Catharines
Giant Tiger - Scott St., St. Catharines Avondale Dairy Stores throughout Niagara Buckner's Source for Sports, Welland Ave., St. Catharines
3. The City of St. Catharines and the Parks and Recreation Department. Community
Park is still one of the finest facilities for baseball anywhere in the province and the Metros are proud to call it "home".
Special thanks to Vern, and all of the young people that maintain the field, and work
so hard to meet our needs during the season. Also, a big "thanks" to Val at the Seymour-Hanna
office of Parks and Rec., for her help in keeping the books straight, and in scheduling and re-scheduling the park. Great
job to all involved.
4. The St. Catharines
Standard, Niagara This Week, The Local Sports Network and LocalSportsReport.com. Thank you for
getting our name and stories in front of the public. It really helps when we have people at our games and the stories
you wrote about us, in large part, are responsible for that. Special thanks to Bill Potrecz
of the Standard for his feature articles and column inches dedicated to baseball in general...and to the Metros in particular.
5. The other teams in the C.O.M.B.L.
The reason we draw fans to our games and interest is at its highest in years, is because we can offer them a great baseball
product. And we can't do that without the team in the other dugout. The opposition you give us each week is second
to none...and the teams we played in the various provincial tournaments, provide us with a high level of competition
that we must strive to equal. Thanks to you all.
6. The O.B.A., C.O.B.A. and the Senior League Executive. The various governing
bodies put in countless hours in an effort to make our senior series and the COBA Major Baseball League what it is.
We'd like to especially acknowledge the contributions of David Huctwith (our C.O.B.A. representative)
and Glenn Turner (League Convener), Steve Breitner (Board of Senior Baseball for Ontario), Greg Cranker
(Rules and Discipline), Michele Wood (Treasurer), and George Moore (Meetings Organizer) for their guidance and
help.
We'd also like to thank the members of our League Executive - Dave
Cochrane (Burlington), Rick Ellis and Brock Marshall (Glanbrook), Steve Breitner (Etobicoke), Greg Cranker and Tim Gasparotto
(Erindale), George Moore and Matt McCandless (Milton), David Smallhorn and Rob Fisher (Oakville), Blake Frost (Brampton) and
Bob Kulchyk (Mississauga). Thank you all for putting the interests of the League before the interests of your
respective teams. An additional thanks to Mark Walters (Niagara) for the time invested
in putting together the regular season schedule, and for his work on the Hap Walters Tournament schedule. And finally
to John Williams, for his fine work on maintaining our league website.
7. The Coaching Staff of the Metros.
Your knowledge of the game, dedication to this team and respect and friendship you show the players is inspiring.
Kerry and Mark...you did an outstanding job.
8. The Metros Players. Its a huge sacrifice
to commit to a team like ours. We played 44 games over 4 months this season, and it sometimes seems like we're
playing every day for a month (actually sometimes we almost do). To get to these games, sacrifices have to be made...families,
work, holidays, and leisure time all suffer. Thanks for making this sacrifice. And thanks to the families
of our players for being so understanding.
9. A few people who went above and beyond the call of duty. The list of people who help out
the Metros, both in-season and off-season, is long and getting longer. But it is people like these that
make us a viable franchise and help us to maintain a high caliber of operations year after year. You folks are the best!
Metros Refreshment Fund - Andrew Sorochan
(road) and Evan Baglieri (home) Gameday Scoreboard Operator and Announcer - Dave Merritt Door Prize Donations - John
Ermers, Leo Magarian, and the other fine sponsors mentioned above Meeting Room Organization - Kerry
Hedden Spring
Indoor Workout Facilities - Scott and Nancy Bullett - Special thanks to Kelly. "Metromania" Organization and Hosts - Kerry and Sandi Hedden "Metros' Christmas" Organization and Hosts - Mark
and Debbie Walters. Meal - Margaret Walters
10. Hap Walters Tournament Volunteers. Wow...what can
we say about the people that help us out at the "Hap Walters". The countless hours you gave us to, once again,
make this one of the top tourneys in the province was awesome. Thank you to all of the following people for whom
everyone involved in the tournament owes a debt of gratitude...
Dave Huctwith, Greg Cranker,
Glenn Turner, Dave Smallhorn, Rob Fisher, Steve Breitner (Convenors and Parks), Michele Wood (Financials), Mark Walters
(Invitations and Scheduling)...as well as all the Erindale players (and
their wives, girlfriends) who worked on the park, and made runs for "stuff" during the tourney. Also
to the "Subway" girls for their work in the beer tent, and to Mrs. Ronna Cranker, for her help in putting together
the hundreds of sandwiches that were sold. Thank You all.
11. The Umpires. You
can't play a game without umpires, and this year especially, they gave us a tremendous season...both at home and on the road.
There were very few disputes...and it must be said that the caliber of umpiring has improved tremendously, right along with
the caliber of play in the C.O.B.A. Major Baseball League. Thanks for your hard work and dedication. And
a special thanks to the people behind the umpire scenes...the assignors. Scheduling umpires is a thankless chore, but
the Metros can always count on the co-operation of Wayne Briggs-Jude for his fine work
on our home games. Also, a tip of the cap to Grant Ziliotto, who does the same job for
the rest of the league. That's a lot of games to keep track of, but Grant does a good job supplying us with
umpires all year long.
12. The Fans.
We consistently draw more fans to our home games than any other team in COBA, and would venture a guess that our attendance
would be in the top 5 of any Senior team in the province. We estimate that over the course of our 14 home games this
season, we had more than 2000 people in attendance. That may not seem like a lot...but to us, your presence in the stands
is like gold. Thanks also for your donations to our door-prize draws at every home game. We simply could not pay
our bills without your generous contributions!! We promise to continue to play competitive and entertaining ball in
2011, and hope to see you back at the park next summer.
We're sure there are people we've missed, and if you are one of these overlooked parties, we sincerely apologize.
To the folks we did mention, once again, Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! See you all in 2012...
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. The Niagara Metros are very pleased to have Cat's Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car as their
corporate partner in 2011.
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| Click on the logo to visit the Cat's Caboose website. |
Located in the heart of Old Glenridge,
Cat's Caboose is one of St.
Catharines' oldest and most established restaurants. The place for LIVE ENTERTAINMENT and GREAT FOOD.
. .
. Check out our Showcase Film for the period of February 13 to February 27.
Just scroll
to the bottom of this page and press "Play".
__________________________________
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| Click to visit the "St. Catharines Standard" Website. |
Thank You: To the St. Catharines Standard for allowing us to use pictures and articles throughout this website.
. .
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| Niagara Metros website reaches 100,000 hits on April 18, 2010. |
hits since December, 2004 Thanks for visiting 
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