Introducing the Management Team, and Coaching Staff of the 2011 Niagara Metros.

The "man behind the Metros" is General Manager, Mark Walters.   After the 1984 season, when the Metros were still members of the Niagara District Baseball Association, previous coaches Len Marino and Pat Leahy both retired.  When a replacement coach could not be found, Mark, who was still a regular player at 30 years of age, stepped up and took over in the dugout.  That 1985 season (the Metros first in C.O.B.A.) was full of highs and lows, but the team rallied around its young coach and won the Playoff title, solidifying their place in the league.  Mark has been "at the helm" ever since.

While he did gather a few at bats over the early years of the Metros (accumulating a .375 career batting average), it was his managerial skills that put him on the map.  Under Walters' leadership, the former St. Catharines club won the C.O.B.A. Playoff title their first 3 seasons in the league, and also managed a couple of O.B.A. Senior "B" titles in 1990 and 1996.  His 16-year career record as manager of the Metros (over an impressive total of 627 games) was 378 and 249 for a .603 winning pct.

In August of 2000, Mark was leaning towards scaling back his on-field involvement and turned the coaching duties over to long-time Metros player, Kerry Hedden.  Kerry has been "the man in the dugout" ever since, while Mark has remained an active part of the team's management staff, acting as the General Manager.

After a couple of years away from the dugout in 2007 and '08, Mark and the Metros felt that the team was missing a lot of on-field knowledge and experience with him not there.  So, Mark returned to the field in 2009 (in the role of 3rd Base Coach), in addition to his other duties as GM.  Those other duties include representing the club in all league and O.B.A. matters, securing park time and working with the City of St. Catharines regarding Senior baseball matters.  In addition, Mark is active with scouting and player recruitment and works closely with Manager Kerry Hedden, regarding roster decisions.  Finally, he holds an important position on the C.O.B.A. Board of Directors, and is the League Schedule maker.

Kerry Hedden took over as the Niagara Metros' Field Manager in August of 2000, and hasn't looked back.  The St. Catharines native played with the club from 1985 through the 2000 season, with the exception of 4 years, when his work took him out of the area.  Early on, Kerry had a superb playing career in the St. Catharines Minor system, and eventually graduated from the Merritton Junior Independents in 1978.  After a couple of seasons with the Welland MacDonalds of the Niagara District Senior League, Kerry returned home and joined the newly formed St. Catharines "Ellis" in 1982.

The "Ellis" eventually became the "Metros" in 1985, and Kerry was there...as a valuable member of the outfield corps.  While Kerry was never a gifted athlete, he more than made up for it with his intelligence on the diamond and his incredible work ethic.  In fact, he excelled during his playing years (both at the plate and in the field) retiring with a .325 career batting average and a couple of impressive All-time Metros records.  Among all players with more than 90 AB's in a season, Kerry holds the record for fewest strikeouts with 3...on his way to an awesome career walk to strikeout ratio of 142 to 99.  He also set a Metros record by playing in an incredible 109 straight games in the outfield, without making an error.

When "Hedder" (as his friends call him) took over the coaching duties in 2000, he brought the same work ethic and intelligence with him...as evidenced by the 268 and 166 (.618) record he's compiled in his 10+ years at the helm.  He can also say that he was the coach of one of the winningest teams in C.O.B.A. history.  Kerry managed the 2001 Metros, to a 26-2 record in league play before winning the Playoff Championship and completing the season 40-9 overall.  Add to that, five more Johnson Division titles, another C.O.B.A. regular season pennent (2008), another C.O.B.A. Playoff title (2005), two London Lakeside Tourney Championships (2007 & '08), a "Hap" Walters Tournament Championship (2004) and a semi-final appearance at the 2003 Elimination Tourney.  All in all, he's got quite a resume.

Kerry, who continues to have the support of his wife Sandi, says he has enjoyed every minute of his tenure in the Metros dugout.  He says, "There's no doubt, the wins are important.  But, to watch our fine young men mature and become responsible adults with beautiful young families (and to be part of that process) is much more of a reward than any number of wins on the field".

Leo Magarian enters his second season with the Niagara Metros in 2011, in the the ultra-important role of Business manager...a role that had been vacant since the retirement of Bob Namtzu from the position following the 2006 season.  Magarian (whose son Chris had been a member of the team's pitching staff in 2009 and 2010) has tackled many of the Metros business and financial issues head-on, with a subtle, yet profound approach.  And although Leo's tenure in senior baseball is still in it's infancy, his success with other teams and sports has been very impressive, to say the least.

Mr. Magarian's resume includes a 20+ year stint as a volunteer with the St. Catharines Minor Hockey School.  For those from outside the area, and are not familiar with the school...suffice it to say, it is undoubtedly one of the longest-standing and best-run organizations of it's kind, anywhere!  Currently he holds the position of Secretary of that organization, and has previously held the posts of President, Vice-President, and Executive Director. Leo has also been an on-ice instructor (coaching 6 to 10-year-olds the "basics of hockey") at the school.  He comes by this on-ice knowledge honestly, having reached the Junior "B" level during his playing days, in the mid-70's.  In fact, he was a teammate of Metros' G.M. and St. Catharines Falcons alumnus, Mark Walters.  Mr. Magarian also has, to his credit, a number of years working with and coaching in the St. Catharines Minor Baseball Association, starting out at the House League level, and working his way up to the travel team level, during the late-1990's and early 2000's.

Leo, who has been married to his wife Marie for over 20 years, is in charge of many of the Financial, Organizational, and Liaison duties associated the the running of the ball club.  Included in his list of "Metros priorities" is: Player registration and O.B.A. "carding", Fundraising and Sponsorship recruitment, Liaison activities with the City of St. Catharines Parks Board (focusing on Community Park issues), Team Banking requirements and Bill Paying duties, and Communication with players, umpires, and other teams in the Central Ontario Major Baseball League.  It's a long list of responsibilities, but the Metros are very pleased that Leo Magarian stepped up in 2010, and worked hard to get the financially-strapped ball cub "back on it's feet".  For Leo's part, he simply says, "I'm happy to help".