Kingston Diamond Dogs

Kingston Midget Braves 1952 - 2011

2012-01-24T07:08:00.002-05:00

Kingston Baseball Association Midget Braves Baseball Club

2011 EOBA record 10-13; 5^th place

2010 EOBA record 18-6; EOBA A Division Champions

2009 EOBA record 15-7; 2^nd place

2008 EOBA record 9-7; 2^nd place

2007 EOBA record 7-12;

2006 EOBA record 12-4; 1^st place; OBA “A” Provincial Champion (gold) defeated Tecumseh 11-1

2005 EOBA record 8-10; OBA “A” Provincial Championship Runner-up (silver) defeated by Sault Ste. Marie 2-0

2004 EOBA record 11-11; OBA “A” Provincial Championship Runner-up (silver) defeated by Sault Ste. Marie 5-2

1995 EOBA “AA” Champion

1994 EOBA “AA” Champion

1982 OBA “AA” Champion defeated Riverside

1971 OBA “A” Provincial Champion (known as Kingston Blaney’s Midget Ponies) defeated Welland

1961 OBA “A” Provincial Championship finalist defeated by Chatam, Ontario

1952 OBA “A” Provincial Championship finalist defeated by Mimico Note: 1952-1982 clubs were not known as the Braves

Kingston Thunder vs Kingston Baseball Association: The Saga Continues

2012-01-23T09:17:00.005-05:00

Waiting ‘til next year is a familiar baseball refrain heard in dugouts and bleachers wherever the game is played. Waiting ‘til next year for the baseball inclined is an exercise in fantasy where imagined goals are often achieved in daydreams (or mental visualization in sport psychologist clinic speak); where past games are discussed, embellished and where memories of great baseball characters and baseball plays are kept alive. The game’s off-season is also a time for reflection and improvement, a time for building a team for the future.

In the off-season before the start of the 2011 schedule, the two minor baseball organizations in the Limestone City agreed to advance a bit closer to amalgamating into one strong league. The Kingston Baseball Association fielded an EOBA rep team in the mosquito and midget divisions while the Kingston Thunder placed EOBA entries in the peewee, minor bantam and bantam divisions. Under this agreement, any player in the Thunder organization that wanted to play rep ball in the mosquito or midget division was obligated to try out for a spot on the KBA Braves roster and any KBA player wanting to play peewee or bantam tried out for the Thunder.

At the start of the 2011 season, the Kingston Midget Braves resembled something out of a Bad News Bears movie, a team comprised mostly of 16 year old rookies that would be competing against 18 year olds and the Braves manager had his work cut out. Fortunately the Braves were also a group of coachable ballplayers eager to learn the game and by the late stages of the season, the Braves began putting notches in the win column and were building the foundation for the next two seasons. The team ended the season on a winning streak with a 10-13 record, tied for 5^th place in the EOBA loop and the future looked bright.

Suddenly that bright future for the Braves faded to black when the Kingston Thunder recently decided they would field a midget team in the EOBA during the upcoming 2012 season and of course that means raiding the Braves roster for all players that reside within the Thunder’s boundaries. The Thunder organization apparently wants to build on the success of their bantam and minor bantam teams with graduating players rounding out their midget roster. This bold move says a lot about their organization and answers the question whether the Thunder are interested in doing what’s best for the game of baseball in Kingston or doing what’s best for the Kingston Thunder. Fair play should extend beyond the Woodbine Park ball diamonds into the Thunder’s executive hierarchy but these things happen when adults are involved in children’s games.

The KBA midget Braves were a charter member of the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association, having fielded a team in one guise or another since the league formed. It is a sad turn of events for the game of baseball in the City of Kingston in a season that marks the 140^th anniversary of the first official game of baseball played at the Kingston Cricket Grounds on Dominion Day, July 1^st, 1872.

But this too, shall pass.

KBA Alumnus To Be Enshrined In Cooperstown

2011-12-07T12:10:00.005-05:00

Mike Koreen's article about Whispering Bob Elliott and his early days involved in Kingston baseball.

OBA Titles for Kingston Fathers & Sons

2011-12-02T06:17:00.001-05:00

While tooling around the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame website the other day we came across an interesting tidbit of information.

"Jim Arniel, a member of the great Ponies teams of the last century and his son, Doug, a member of Kingston's 1967 senior Ponies team, are the only father and son from the city to win OBA titles."

In fact Jim and Doug Arniel were the first father-son winners, followed by Joe Devine, a member of the Kingston Midget A Ponies who claimed the 1971 Ontario Baseball Association championship title and his son Brad Devine, a member of the midget A Kingston Braves who won the 2006 OBA title. Both Devines were catchers.

Kingston Thunder Announces 2012 Executive

2011-12-01T07:39:00.004-05:00

2012 Executive

President: Don Parkinson

V.P. - House League: Daryl Parkinson

V.P. - Rep: Matt Steele

Treasurer: Carol Steele

Secretary & Registrar: Sandra Brash

Fund Raising: Marilyn Eimers

Executive Director: Brian Gowsell

Diamond Scheduling: Carol Steele

Umpire-In-Chief: Matt Steele

Public Relations & Advertising: Kim Parkinson

Equipment: Rick Lambert

Diamond Improvement – Mike VanKoughnett

Coaching and Development – Randy Casford

Indoor Baseball Training Facility

2011-11-23T12:38:00.003-05:00

Regular visitors to our dugout read what we had to say regarding an indoor training facility for Cook Bros arena in February 2010.

http://ktowndiamonddogs.blogspot.com/2010/02/consultants-hang-one-over-plate.html

Indoor Baseball Facility Required

2011-11-23T12:11:00.002-05:00

Since the soccer dome collapsed last year, the baseball and softball inclined in this area are left out in the cold when it comes to winter workouts. This needs to be addressed says Randy Casford, former Ponies player and manager and current bantam Thunder coach.

Hockey and soccer isn't the only sport in town, contrary to what most think.

Kingston Diamond Dog Awards

2011-11-17T06:00:00.001-05:00

It is time to measure the 2011 accomplishments and disappointments of the local baseball season.

Rain washed out most games scheduled in May, forcing the municipality to close all sports fields until June 2^nd, effectively washing out the month long High School schedule and reduced the KASSAA season to a tournament. The Kingston Senior Nine was reminded of their standing in the Limestone City’s hierarchy of recreational sports and entertainment when they applied to the City for an exemption to this ruling and were denied an exemption to open their season at Megaffin Park a day before the ban was to be lifted. The case the Ponies presented to the City was the visiting team had to travel two hours from Ottawa to play the game and league rescheduling might prove to be challenging.

High School baseball has experienced a renaissance the last few years, thanks to the efforts of newspaperman Doug Graham who organized the rebirth of the defunct league and at times, the games are more school spirit and enthusiasm than diamond skills but baseball is baseball and any interest or support this local grand old game can garner is good for the sport.

The Ponies

This season the Junior Ponies made their debut in the Kingston Senior Baseball League and as a group of players making the transition from midget leagues, they had a respectable showing while learning the game from coach and mentor, Tom Carty. The Senior Ponies found some success in the National Capital Baseball League by winning the derby flag of the Nepean Brewers annual tournament, finishing second in the regular season and earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The layoff proved disastrous for the team as they sat idle for most of August and when play resumed it was a familiar two and out. Perhaps we expect more from a team with a proud baseball history and “Kingston” in front of its name than a second place finish in another city’s house league. But that’s just our opinion.

The KBA Braves & Kingston Thunder

Drawing on the success of high school baseball, the Kingston Baseball Association once again included a midget house league, providing plate appearances and fielding opportunities for Kingston high school players who otherwise wouldn’t have a place to play. Taking a step closer to minor baseball amalgamation in the Limestone City, the Braves fielded a mosquito and midget EOBA rep team while the Kingston Thunder fielded peewee, minor bantam, and bantam EOBA rep teams. Former KBA president and current bantam Thunder coach Randy Casford was the driving force a few years back to create one unified minor baseball organization. When those attempts failed, the KBA opted out of the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association in 2006 for all age divisions except midget and became a Little League affiliate, effectively erasing boundaries of both Kingston baseball organizations. Before the 2011 season, the KBA announced it would no longer be a Little League affiliate and was partnering with the Thunder in the EOBA rep program. As a result of teaming together the best players in the city regardless of their address, all rep teams except the KBA midget Braves represented Kingston in 2011 on the provincial stage, advancing from the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association playoffs to the Ontario Baseball Association championships.

The Thunder minor bantams were runner up, claiming a provincial silver medal for their efforts against a very strong Brantford Red Sox team. The Red Sox, who play against AAA competition, were the top gun in the A classification, defeating the Thunder 2-0 in the tournament preliminary round and 5-0 in the championship game. The OBA classification criteria are based on an organization and team’s municipal population and not skill level which is interesting to note for comparison purposes, because in the year 2006, the Thunder dropped from the A classification to the B classification and claimed a provincial title while their cross-town rival organization, the KBA Braves, claimed a provincial title in the A classification.

At the end of the season, the purpose of playing the game is to have fun, be competitive and win. The only reason score keepers keep score is to measure success on the field and here is how we measure success on the field:

2011 Diamond Dog Player of the Year

Derek Mack, Kingston Ponies (team ranking)

BA: .439 (1^st)

OBP: .515(2^nd)

SLG: .632 (1^st)

In 20 games played, Mack created 29 runs (17 runs scored and 12 runs-batted-in) during 57 at-bats and had 9 extra base hits (8 doubles, 1 homerun)

2011 Diamond Dog Pitcher of the Year

Brett Gibson, Kingston Ponies

ERA: 0.66

IP: 21.1

ER: 2

H: 15

K: 7

Gibson is the veteran in a staring rotation of young pitchers (John Ivimey, Matt Wing, Kyle Kelsey)

2011 Diamond Dog Team of the Year

Kingston Thunder Minor Bantams

Runner up silver medalists at 2011 Ontario Baseball Association Provincial A Championships.

Thoughts On the 2011 Season

2011-11-16T12:24:00.004-05:00

Ninety three years after their last visit, the Chicago Cubs were in Boston to play the Red Sox at Fenway Park. In 1918, the last time the Cubs played at the ancient ball park, the First World War was still raging and the Second City team was defeated four games to two by the Bostonians in the World Series. Since then the Cubs have endured almost a century of losing and it was written in “The Last Pennant Before Armageddon”, a short story in the collection of baseball fables entitled “The Thrill of the Grass” by W.P Kinsella, that should the Cubs ever win the National League pennant, the world would come to an end. So it seemed appropriate that the hapless Cubbies should return to Fenway on the Eve of Destruction, May 20, 2011, the Night Before the Day the World Would End.

Of course the signs of End Times as prophesized in the Christian Bible were all there: earthquakes, floods, fires, hunger, war, idolatry, greed and so on, which is pretty much everything we ignore and have become accustomed to in our daily lives and of course the world didn’t end as predicted by an American religious cult. The fact that this American religious cult cared enough to erect two billboards, warning us of impending doom right here in Kingston, a small city on the north east shore of Lake Ontario at the confluence of the St. Lawrence River and Cataraqui River, may be significant in itself and gives one pause for thought and reflection.

For the baseball inclined in this city, some may have cursed or questioned the Baseball Gods while waiting out the rain delays of May which washed out the short High School baseball season and postponed the much anticipated debut of the Junior Ponies Baseball Club. For others, there may be the smug belief that the perpetual rain delay at both ends of the Rideau Canal is the Baseball Gods’ retribution related to the Kingston Senior Baseball Nine’s decision to forgo the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association in favour of the National Capital Baseball League. Nevertheless, the City of Kingston mandated that all soggy sports fields be closed until at least May 24^th, and then due to continued rains the restricted period was extended to June 2^nd, which may have seemed like the end of the world to some, but is merely a simple reminder that Mother Nature is still in control of this planet and the games we play aren’t really all that important in the grand timeline of the universe. The Kingston Senior Nine was further reminded of their lack of importance in the Limestone City’s hierarchy of recreational sports and entertainment when they applied to the City for an exemption to this ruling and were denied an exemption to open their season at Megaffin Park a day before the ban was to be lifted. The case the Ponies presented to the City was the visiting team had to travel two hours from Ottawa to play the game and league rescheduling might prove to be challenging.

Scheduling competitive baseball matches in the Limestone City has always proved to be difficult over the 139 years the game has been played here. In the early days, games were often called midway through the match to allow visiting teams to make their way from the Cricket Field to the harbor to board a steamboat for home. Part of the reason the Kingston Ponies Baseball Club joined the National Capital Baseball League was because most Eastern Ontario Baseball Association teams didn’t like to travel all the way to Kingston, located on the extreme eastern boundary of the league for a weekend day game let alone a mid-week contest under the lights of Megaffin. Senior baseball is an amateur, working class game and work commitments often interfere with play, not to mention leaving work with your uniform and equipment to speed down the highway to make an 8:30pm first pitch and arrive home in the wee hours of the morning. Another explanation for the Ponies playing house league ball may be due to the demise of the Senior EOBA loop, which is a shadow of its former self.

Over the years, civic pride was the reason most villages, towns and cities had their best ballplayers compete against other town’s teams and any senior team worth their salt would compete against the best other municipalities had to offer, for bragging rights in league championships, provincial championships and ultimately the national championship. Times have changed and local amateur baseball’s glory days take a backseat to today’s money making sports ventures and the Kingston Ponies management felt the current edition of the team was better suited to play in an Ottawa house league instead of representing Kingston in matches against other Eastern Ontario towns and cities. We are not certain if this is a reflection on the quality of the team – the 2011 Ponies are one of the top teams in the NCBL, but no one knows if they are Provincial Elimination worthy since they no longer compete against Ontario’s best senior baseball teams. As the top tier baseball organization in the City, they owe it to themselves and their fans to represent their hometown on a larger stage. If we were the gambling type, we would wager the local nine will return to the Eliminations in a year or two because this team has recently proven to be capable of playing sound, fundamental baseball and when those diamond skills are exercised at any level, the odds of winning championships become more favorable. Perhaps we expect more from a team with a proud baseball history and “Kingston” in front of its name than a second place finish in another city’s house league. But that’s just our opinion.

To most people, baseball is an archaic game with roots stretching back to rural community amusements, with matches played and watched after the day’s chores were completed. In today’s wireless networked digital urban society, the game survives despite the perceived simplicity of the game by those unaware of the hidden, complex game within a game: Pitcher and catcher, battery mates teamed together in a cunning quest to outwit and at times, overpower their opponent to keep the batter from reaching base and recording an out; the skill and finesse of pitching the ball across a seventeen inch wide strike zone from a distance of sixty feet, six inches; strategically throwing the ball away from where the batter can make contact yet locating the ball within the zone; the batter executing the most fundamental purpose of the offensive game which is to not make an out and to reach base safely while forcing the pitcher to make as many pitches as possible. For those unaware of those complexities of the game and accustomed to the pace of our winter sport, it has been said watching baseball is like watching agriculture and it is the reason local baseball as a spectator sport is a bust, save for friends and family of the players. At the amateur senior level in this town, baseball is more a game for players than spectators and is kept alive by players, coaches and managers. As it is, writing these words about local baseball is akin to preaching to the choir. So how do organizations fill the bleachers and the prime viewing spots beyond Megaffin Park’s left field fence? The Ponies usually have a good crowd on Kid’s Day because their sponsors provide free schwag and hotdogs for the youngsters and get them involved running the bases but even deep pocketed benefactors would not be willing to provide such support at each home game.

Having a winning team on the field isn’t enough to draw a crowd. In late August, a colleague asked me when the Ponies next home game was because seeing a live, local baseball game was on her summer to-do list and a playoff game might be exciting to witness. I explained to her that no one really knew when their next game was, it hinged on the outcome of other playoff games that were taking place. My colleague seemed somewhat miffed at this preposterous situation when told the game might be the next night at Megaffin Park or it might be played on the weekend. How could she find out when the Ponies next played? I suggested checking the Ponies website, the NCBL website or watching the CKWS newscast. Our discussion then leaned towards the quality of baseball played by the senior nine and she asked if the Ponies were the baseball equivalent of the OHL Junior hockey team that represents Kingston and fosters civic pride. All I could tell her was the Ponies were a very good baseball team that plays in an Ottawa house league and again, she seemed confused because she assumed that this local team with local players was representing our city against other cities based on the front page coverage she always sees in the sports section of the local newspaper. Fortunately her bubble was not burst and she truly wants to support “our baseball team”. She did not see the Ponies first playoff game, a 3-1 loss to the Winchester Panthers on Wednesday, August 24 at Megaffin Park and will now have to wait until next year to support “our team”.

Waiting ‘til next year is a familiar baseball refrain heard in dugouts and bleachers wherever the game is played and next year marks the 140^th anniversary of the first official game of baseball played at the Kingston Cricket Grounds on Dominion Day, July 1^st, 1872.

We can't wait for next year.

At the date of writing, the Kingston Ponies July 2011 roster won the Nepean Brewers Beer Derby, losing only one game and holding opponents scoreless through the final three games to claim the title. The Ponies finished in the NCBL season in 2^nd place, then promptly lost 2 games in the first round of the playoffs and their season ended.

The last provincial baseball titles won by Kingston teams was in 2006: Midget ‘A’ Braves; Pee Wee ‘B’ Thunder

Former Ponies Ace Pitches New Program

2011-11-04T08:01:00.003-04:00

Former Kingston Ponies pitching ace Sean Light is delivering a different kind of pitch these days. Light and his brother Frederick created BodyRock TV, a YouTube based fitness channel.

Click here for details from local news media.

Canada Clinches Pan-Am Baseball Gold

2011-10-26T07:44:00.003-04:00

Canadian National Baseball team defeats USA 2-1 to clinch gold at Pan-Am games.

Details at Baseball Canada website.

No More Megaffin Bounce?

2011-10-19T10:28:00.000-04:00

Work is under way on rehabilitating the baseball field at Megaffin Park. The city's public works department is planting new grass in the outfield and, more importantly, levelling the grade of the field for a more consistent level of play.

"It'll make for a better field to play on and a safer field," said Neal Unsworth, manager of parks development in the City of Kingston's recreation and leisure services department.

Senior Baseball Final Down To Winner Take All

2011-09-29T08:18:00.005-04:00

The Kingston Senior Baseball League's familiar rivalry between the Hoyas and Red Sox is down to a winner take all match for Limestone City baseball bragging rights, Friday night 7pm at Megaffin Park.

Read Pat Kennedy's recent article on two of the most successful clubs in league history here.

Queen's Swept By Guelph

2011-09-26T12:27:00.003-04:00

The Queen's Varsity Baseball Club lost a twinbill to the Guelph Gryphons at Megaffin Park on Sunday, September 25 by scores of 9-2 and 17-6.

Queen's Baseball Swept By Brock Badgers

2011-09-26T09:35:00.002-04:00

The Varsity Baseball Club of Queen's took it on the chin again, dropping a pair of games to the Brock Badgers by scores of 6-2 and 11-0 on Saturday at Megaffin Park.

Game details can be found here.

Baseball Fundraising

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-04:00

A great idea for baseball team fundraising: Dinner on the Diamond.

It is also refreshing not to see baseball teams in Kingston begging for money outside the Beer and Liquor stores. It is always those other sports - soccer and hockey.

Sanctioned Squad Struggles

2011-09-20T07:55:00.003-04:00

The Queen's Journal reports:

A Queen’s-imposed sanction means the men’s baseball team will play this season with only six returning players. Eleven players from last year’s team are serving two-year suspensions from Queen’s Athletics and Recreation for two alcohol-related incidents over the past two years.

Read the rest of the article here

Queen's Diamond Struggles

2011-09-19T12:13:00.003-04:00

The Queen's Varsity baseball team continues to struggle on the diamond with three lopsided losses on the weekend in OUA play.

Western 12 Queen's 2. Click here for boxscore.

Western 10 Queen's 0. Click here for boxscore.

Laurier 15 Queen's 6. Click here for boxscore.

Queen's Baseball: 0 fer

2011-09-14T12:36:00.003-04:00

The Queen's Golden Gaels baseball team has lost some of their lustre, beginning the short OUA season without a mark in the win column. Tonight Queen's hosts the Toronto Varsity Blues, 7:00pm at Megaffin Park.

Waterloo 6 Queen’s 3 Click here for boxscore

Guelph 16 Queen’s 3 Boxscore

Brock 16 Queen's 5 Boxscore

Queen's Baseball Loses OUA Opener

2011-09-12T14:22:00.000-04:00

The OUA defending champion Brock Badgers opened the 2011 campaign with a 16-5 drubbing of the Queen’s Varsity Nine in St. Catharines, Ontario on Wednesday, September 7. Queen’s starting pitcher Jeremy McDonald was battered early and often, allowing nine runs on five hits, eight base on balls while striking out three Badgers in just 2.1 innings to be tagged with the loss.

Kingston Baseball Etcetera & Marginalia

2011-09-08T07:54:00.007-04:00

Visit the Kingston Thunder website for OBA Provincial championship tournament summary.

Queen's Baseball begins another fall ball campaign. Read all about it here.

Thunder Place 2nd In Ontario Championship

2011-09-07T12:18:00.002-04:00

The Kingston Thunder minor bantams placed 2^nd in the Ontario Baseball Association provincial championships on Labour Day weekend in the Royal City of Guelph. The local minor nine were oh-so- close to grasping the brass ring except for a pair of losses, both to the Brantford Red Sox who claimed the Ontario crown.

The West End Club won their first game 12-4 over Waterloo before losing to the Brantford Sox in a close 2-0 game. With their backs against the wall in the double elimination derby, the Thunder doubled up on Pickering Red Sox by a score of 8-4, trounced Mississauga by a score of 8-1 and squeaked out a 5-4 victory over Etobicoke to earn a berth in the Provincial final.

Guelph Hosts Kingston Thunder At OBA Championship

2011-08-31T15:20:00.001-04:00

Guelph Minor Baseball and the Minor Bantam Guelph Royals are hosting the Baseball Ontario Provincial Playoff Championships on Labour Day Weekend (September 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of 2011). Twelve Teams from all around the Province will be participating in this Special Event and all games will be played at the Larry Pearson Baseball Complex, in the south end of town.

Soo Black Sox Welcome Kingston Thunder

2011-08-31T12:40:00.002-04:00

The Soo Black Sox are hosting the OBA Bantam A Provincial Championship Labour Day Weekend and are laying out the welcome mat for the Kingston Thunder. Read all about it here.

That last time a Kingston Nine travelled that far north to contest provincial bragging rights was in 2004 when the Kingston Braves lost the championship final to the Soo Black Sox by a score of 5-2.

Click here for the Soo Ball website.

JAKK Tuesdays Eliminate Junior Ponies

2011-08-31T08:39:00.002-04:00

From the Kingston Whig Standard:

Powered by a gritty complete-game effort from right-hander Benny Nichols and a decisive three-run fifth inning, JAKK Tuesdays nipped past the Kingston Police Association Junior Ponies and into the Kingston Senior Men's Baseball League semifinals.

The 6-5 victory came in the deciding game of a four-point quarterfinal series at Megaffin Park on Monday.

Nichols scattered nine hits and fanned eight. He surrendered five earned runs but also retired batters in key situations. He posted zeros in every inning but the second, when the colts scored all their runs to erase a 3- 0 deficit.

The Tuesdaymen, behind 5-3, rallied in the fifth. Chris Cox led off with his second hit of the game, stole second, then scored on Dave Steele's RBI single to make it 5-4. Losing pitcher Mat Labranche, on in relief of Ponies starter Jesse Gratton, prompt; y walked Gary Asselstine to put runners on first and second.

Next came the pivotal play in the contest. With one out, Joe Metzler hit a sharp, one-hop ground ball to third base that had inning-ending double-play written all over it. Instead, the Ponies third baseman shot the ball high over second base and into right field, allowing the tying and go-ahead runs to plate.

Aside from his pair of safeties, Cox swiped two bases and scored twice.

Matt Jeffries stroked a two-run single in a losing effort.

Panthers Eliminate Ponies

2011-08-30T12:23:00.009-04:00

The baseball season ended much the same way it started for the Kingston Ponies as they waited and waited to play and suddenly, it’s over. The underdog Winchester Panthers put the Ponies out of their misery on Friday night at Ottawa Stadium with a convincing 6-1 victory to eliminate the local nine from the National Capital Baseball League play-offs.

Read the details of the season ending loss in Pat Kennedy's newspaper article.

Despite the familiar two and out result, the Ponies are declaring the season a success. Wait 'til next year, eh?

This Date In Kingston Baseball History

2011-08-27T06:33:00.003-04:00

We set the way back machine for August 27, 2006

The Kingston Braves captured the Ontario Baseball Association Midget A championship five years ago today with an impressive 11-1 victory over Tecumseh in Mississauga, Ontario.

Panthers Claw Victory From Ponies

2011-08-26T12:08:00.004-04:00

Playing their first meaningful game after almost a month long lay-over, the Kingston Ponies stumbled out of the gate Wednesday night at Megaffin Park as the Winchester Panthers drew first blood in the best of three NCBL semi-finals. The Ottawa Valley Cats clawed their way to a 3-1 decision, riding on the back of former Ponies pitcher Mike Hluschuk, who went the distance to notch the victory. Big Mike squeezed out of three bases loaded jams while allowing five hits and striking out five Ponies.

Kingston starter John Ivimey was equal to the task, holding Winchester to just two hits and striking out ten Panthers. A double and a sac fly in the sixth inning was the margin of difference as the underdog visitors plated a pair of runs to break a 1-1 deadlock.

The fourth place Panthers held the edge in regular season matches versus the second place local nine, winning two of three. Game two is tonight in Bytown.

Thunder Minor Bantams Advance To Provincials

2011-08-22T09:10:00.003-04:00

The Kingston Thunder (15-7) swept the Ajax Spartans (2-19) in a best of three playoff series on the weekend at Woodbine Park to claim a berth in the OBA A minor bantam championships. The local nine were led by strong pitching performances by game one starter Aaron Luchuk, who twirled an gem, disabling the Spartan offence over five innings by not allowing a hit to claim the 5-1 victory on the hill. Reliever Tom McCabe was equally stingy, holding the visitors off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh frames. Ken Allan drove in a pair of runs for the Thunder.

Game two also highlighted dominating pitching as starter Ben Cross and relievers Carter Hoffman and Logan Chartrand held the Spartans to four hits enroute to an 8-3 victory. Will Van Allan and Wyatt Crampton drove in two runs apiece, while Chartrand, Ryan Bothwell and Jamie Tan each drove in a run.

The Thunder, who finished in second place in the Eastern Ontario Baseball loop now head to the Royal City of Guelph to compete for the Provincial pennant on Labour Day weekend.

Braves Fall Short In Qualifying Tournament

2011-08-18T09:36:00.000-04:00

The Kingston Midget Braves suffered a tough loss in the winner-take-all EOBA A Classification qualifying tournament in Oshawa on Sunday, August 14, by surrendering the winning run in the final inning of the deciding game. The 5-4 victory allowed the Whitby Chiefs to advance to the Ontario Provincial Championships and represent the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association in Stratford, Ontario.

The gritty Braves, with their season hanging in the balance, split their first two games of the derby against the host Oshawa Legionnaires and Whitby. In the double elimination tournament format, the KBA Midgets were forced into a must win or go home situation and manager Steve Vallier rallied the team onto victory in back to back games to reach the sudden death final for Eastern Ontario baseball bragging rights.

The Braves ended the regular EOBA season, tied with Oshawa for fifth place in the ten team loop with a 10-13 record. Whitby finished fourth in the EOBA schedule with a 12-11 record. The Kingston Braves last won the Ontario Provincial Championship in 2006 with manager Vallier at the helm and were the last Limestone City Nine to hoist the provincial banner.

Thunder EOBA Bantam Finalists

2011-08-17T12:16:00.005-04:00

The Kingston Thunder minor bantam squad were finalists in the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association championship held in Clarington, Ontario on the weekend of August 13.

The local nine opened the title derby with a 9-3 victory over their Seaway City rivals- the Brockville Braves -with Will Van Allen notching the win, supported by Wyatt Crampton out of the bullpen. Game two pitted the Kingston lads against the Pickering Red Sox and the Thunder rolled over the Sox, outscoring them 15-9. Carter Hoffman recorded the pitching win.

Sunday morning the Thunder were up against the tourney host, Clarington Orioles and the birds prevailed over the Thunder 5-4 in a hard fought game. The Thunder then raged against the Pickering Red Sox in a mercy shortened 11-1 offensive storm with Thunder twirler Logan Chartrand going the five innings to pick up the win and head into the finals.

Waiting for the Thunder were the undefeated Clarington Orioles, who had the luxury of a second life in the event the Thunder might beat them...such are the rules of a double elimination tournament. The Orioles swooped all over the Thunder and when the final score was written it was 11-1 for the host team, claiming the 2011 EOBA Pennant.

Thunder's Aaron Luchuk drove in nine runs on seven hits in the tournament while Ken Allan and Logan Chartrand each had six hits and Mac Lay contributed four hits.

Clarington led the EOBA league with a .905 winning percentage with 18 wins and 2 losses. The second place Thunder finished the EOBA schedule with a record of 15-7, a .682 winning percentage. The local nine now plays off against the last place Spartans of Ajax, who finished the season with a 2-19 record, with the winner advancing to the Ontario Baseball Association A Championships in the Royal City of Guelph on Labour Day weekend.

Ponies 12 Cardinals 6: Whig Details

2011-07-22T14:29:00.001-04:00

From the July 22, 2011 edition of the Whig Standard:

The Kingston Loyalist Farms Ponies snapped a season-high losing streak at two games.

In their regular season home finale, the Ponies took advantage of five errors by the Ottawa-Nepean Cardinals and posted a 12-6 win at Megaffin Park on Wednesday night.

With the win, the Ponies (13-7-1) closed within one point of the National Capital Baseball League-leading Nepean Brewers. Kingston is four points up on the third-place Winchester Panthers. Kingston has three games left, which Nepean and Winchester both have three remaining.

Kyle Kelsey went the distance on the mound for the Ponies, striking out nine and walking two while giving up 10 hits.

John Ivimey gave the Ponies the lead for good in the fourth with a two-run single with two out.

The Ponies opened it up in the fifth by scoring six runs. The big hit was recorded by Matt Mills, who cleared the bases with a triple.

Ponies 12 Cardinals 6

2011-07-21T11:28:00.003-04:00

The Kingston Ponies played their last regular season home game last night with a convincing 12-6 win against the Cardinals in National Capital Baseball League action. The local Senior Nine, currently in 2nd place in the eight team Ottawa house league with a 13-7-1 record are one game behind the front running Nepean Brewers who have already clinched a play off spot. The Kingston club next plays in Gatineau on Friday night.

Panthers Slash Ponies 4-2

2011-07-21T11:21:00.002-04:00

From the Kingston Whig Standard, July 21 edition:

The Kingston Loyalist Farms Ponies have lost two games in a row for the first time this season.

A 4-2 defeat against the host Winchester Panthers (11-8-1) on Tuesday night ( July 19) officially put the Ponies (12-7-1) on their first losing streak of the season.

It was a costly loss for the Ponies, who are two points ahead of the Panthers in the race for second in the National Capital Baseball League's top division.

Kingston managed only five hits on the night. Derek Mack and James Hornby drove in the Kingston runs with the latter batter getting on base four times.

Matt Wing pitched five innings, giving up three runs, two earned. The unearned run put Winchester up for good in the fifth.

The Ponies threw it away on a potential inning-ending double play, giving Winchester a 3-2 lead. Reliever Kurtis Miller gave up another run in the sixth.

In the seventh, the Ponies got the tying run on base and Miller gave it a drive, but the ball was caught in deep centre to end the threat and the game.

The Ponies hosted the Ottawa-Nepean Cardinals in a late Wednesday night game at Megaffin Park.

Thunder notes

The Kingston Thunder bantam baseball team downed the Quinte Royals 8-6 in Eastern Ontario Baseball Association action on Tuesday.

Andrew Drayton pitched five solid innings, giving up just three unearned runs. He also connected for a run-scoring single in the fourth, a five-run inning for Kingston.

Alex Feraldi went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Matt Dupreau and Dexter Coughtrey finished the game on the mound for Kingston. Catcher Cole Casford made a great catch on a foul ball at the backstop to kill a bases-loaded rally for Quinte in the sixth.

The Thunder go to Brockville for a game on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the Thunder peewee team won an Orillia rep tournament this past weekend.

The Thunder were held to no fewer than seven runs in each of their five games. On the mound, Kingston received great efforts from Brett Garrah, Nathan Kendall, Devon Robb, Brendan Toner, Ethan Hunt and Matt Brash.

The Thunder defeated Georgina in the championship by scoring a run in the home half of the final inning.

After Kendall's sacrifice bunt advanced Brash and Toner, Robb connected for a single to win it.

Ponies Split Weekend Double Header

2011-07-20T12:03:00.004-04:00

The Kingston Ponies defeated Kanata 3-1 and lost the second game 9-7 on Sunday, July17 in National Capital Baseball League action at Megaffin Park.

Local baseball scribe Pat Kennedy provides the details of the games in his Whig Standard article only as a former catcher can... news reporting as a great baseball yarn.

Liana Shaw's photos of July 17 Ponies v. Kanata Select games

Kyle Kelsey

Kelsey Throws One Hit Shut Out

On Thursday, July 14, the Local Nine were led by an outstanding pitching performance by Kyle Kelsey, who held the Ottawa Nepean Cardinals to a one hit shut out in a Ponies 6-0 victory. The Double K, who previously threw a no-hitter in 2007 with the Kingston Braves, allowed four walks while striking out seven Cardinals.

James Hornby led the Kingston offence with two doubles, asingle and two RBIs. Josh Leavitt tripled, singled and drove in a run while Derek Mack had a pair of hits and a run batted in. John Ivimey contributed an rbi single.

PeeWee Thunder Win Three On Weekend

2011-07-14T14:13:00.002-04:00

From the July 14, 2011 edition of the Whig Standard:

The Kingston Thunder baseball team is on a roll after winning three games in the past week.

On Saturday, the Thunder swept the Whitby Chiefs in a doubleheader at Woodbine Park. Kingston won the opener 15-5 in a mercy-shortened contest (five innings) and took the finale 10-4.

On Tuesday at Woodbine, the Thunder beat the Quinte Royals 12-10. Winning pitcher Ethan Hunt worked four innings in relief of Matt Brash. They combined for 11 strikeouts.

Cameron Leggett, Nathan Kendall and Jamie Robertson each had a double, a triple and two runs, while Devon Robb had a single and double and two runs.

Ponies Claim Brewers' Tournament Title

2011-07-11T09:35:00.005-04:00

Tournament MVP Graham Skelhorne-Gross

Brett Gibson

The Kingston Ponies galloped through the Nepean Brewers Tournament in the Nation’s Capital on the weekend, claiming the Beer Derby pennant with an impressive display of pitching and defense. Not packing enough Kryptonite proved costly as the Ponies stumbled out of the gate Saturday morning in their first match against the Bullet Proof Pirates, shivering the buccaneers’ timber but once in a 3-1 loss.

The local nine regained their diamond legs in their next game when they walloped a familiar foe, the Capital City Cubs by a score of 13-3 with Ponies veteran Kurtis Miller drivingin five runs. The Ponies then handed the Burlington Bulls their first loss, a 3-0 complete game shutout twirled by Matt Wing in the final game of the round robin. For his efforts, Wing was named game MVP.

In the semi finals, the Ponies faced the Ottawa Nepean Cardinals, a NCBL rival who were a formidable opponent this day but were held off the scoreboard by John Ivimey, who went the distance, allowing four hits to claim the victory and game MVP honours.

In the tournament final, the top two teams of the National Capital Baseball League, the Nepean Brewers and the Ponies faced one another for tourney bragging rights with Kingston Manager Spicer starting the veteran of the pitching stable, Brett Gibson. Not one to be outdone by the stellar performances of the younger colts in the bullpen, the ace threw a complete game shutout, allowing four hits to earn the 3-0 championship victory. Gibson was also named game MVP.

The Ponies Graham Skelhorne-Gross was named Tournament MVP.

Ponies 11 D'Backs 2

2011-07-08T08:45:00.003-04:00

Josh Leavitt

The Kingston Ponies stomped the Ottawa Diamondbacks by a score of 11-2 in the Nation’s Capital on Wednesday, July 6. The local senior nine jumped out to an early 4-0 first inning lead when Josh Leavitt came to the plate with the bases loaded and blasted a three run double. Also hitting doubles for the Limestone City Club were Derek Mack and James Hornby. Kingston had seven hits and twelve free passes to first base and two plunked batters to help increase the scoreboard tally.

Winning pitcher John Ivimey allowed an unearned run on two hits and struck out six batters in his four innings on the hill. Skipper Spicer then threw a pair of Thompsons at the ‘Backs, namely Matt who threw the fifth frame and Corey pitching the sixth and seventh innings, both getting some mound work in preparation for this weekend’s Brewers tournament in Bytown.

Kingston's first game is Saturday, 12:20pm at the Nepean Sportsplex versus the Bullet Proof Pirates... which should be a good match because with a moniker like that, they want to be.

City Mourns Loss of Doc Wagar

2011-07-07T12:28:00.003-04:00

Doc Wagar was manager of Kingston senior baseball teams for 14 years, during which time he guided them to two Ontario Senior A championships and a berth at the Canadian senior championship tournament in Edmunston, N.B., in 1973. That same year he was instrumental in bringing a major junior hockey team to Kingston.

We remember Doc from his time coaching in the Kingscourt Baseball Association where he mentored many young players through the years.

"I can't think of many people who played hockey or baseball in Kingston that weren't influenced by Doc Wagar," said former Queen's University hockey coach Chris MacDonald in an article in today's Whig Standard.

Doc's Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame page is located here.

This Date In Kingston Baseball History

2011-07-01T06:02:00.001-04:00

We set the way back machine for Dominion Day,1872...

The first officially recorded game in Kingston baseball history took place on Friday, July 1, with the Kingston St. Lawrence Club hosting the Ontario Base Ball Club of Cape Vincent, N.Y. The match was played in front of about 1,000 spectators at the Kingston Cricket Grounds, located in the vicinity of the modern era fields near the Frontenac County Courthouse with the visiting New Yorkers prevailing by a score of 26-24. The game was umpired by Mr. Cooper of Cape Vincent, NY.

And then one year later on Dominion Day 1873...

On Dominion Day, July 1st, Kingston hosted the Silver Star of Port Hope, Ontario at the Cricket Field. Charging 10¢ admission for the 2 o’clock match, the sidelines and stands were filled with spectators, many of them placing wagers on the outcome. The baseball cranks in attendance got their money’s worth this day as the assembled throng swarmed the field in the second inning to protest the biased calls of umpire Shibley, reputedly the nephew of a Port Hope player. Shibley, who earlier claimed to the congregation he was a successful umpire from New York, was replaced by Dr. McCammon, who arbitrated the game fairly until the match was called after seven innings to allow the Stars time to catch the six o’clock steamboat home. Shibley returned to the field of play at the end of the match and dramatically declared the contest “no game”, much to the chagrin of the Kingston multitude although the score favoured Port Hope 25-10.

And on our way back to the present, we check out Canada Day 2006...
Braves Cull Throws 3 Hit Shutout

On July 1, 2006 Kingston Braves southpaw Chris Cull struck out 11 Waterloo batters and allowed 3 hits, en-route to a complete game 5-0 victory in the opening game of the Orillia, Ontario tournament.

Happy Canada Day! A grand day to play two...

This Date In Kingston Baseball History

2011-06-30T06:11:00.000-04:00

We set the way back machine for June 30, 1876...

One of the earliest recorded Kingston high school baseball games took place on June 30, 1876 with the Collegiate Institute Club of Kingston travelling to Newburgh, Ontario to challenge the Wide Awakes. The match was won by the Newburgh nine by a score of 20 to 7. This was five days after Custer's Last Stand at the Battle of Little Big Horn.

And then we make a visit to 1888 to see what Bob Eilbeck and his St.Lawrence Nine are up to...

On Saturday, June 30, 1888 in Oswego, NY, the Kingston St. Lawrence scored six runs in the second inning, one run in the third and two more in the fourth to lead the Oswegos 9-0. The home team answered with three runs in the fifth inning, three runs in the sixth inning and four runs in the eighth frame combined with fourteen Kingston errors to stage a remarkable come from behind 10-9 victory over the St. Lawrence Club.

Batteries: Oswego – Riordan, Keefe and Fleishman; Kingston – Gloster and Doyle

Braves Split Meeting With Chiefs

2011-06-29T08:55:00.002-04:00

The Kingston Braves won their second game of the EOBA season with a twin bill split versus the Whitby Chiefs Tier 2 squad on Saturday at Megaffin Park. The Braves, currently in ninth place in the ten team loop, took the opening match against the fourth place visitors with a 5-4 victory to hand Whitby their fifth loss of the season.

The home team took a first inning 3-0 lead as Matt Reeve drove in a pair of runs with a double and Tanner Hoffman contributed three hits for the midget nine. Starting pitcher Sean Thompson was the winner, allowing three runs on two hits before being relieved by Alex Amey with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning. Amey shut down the Chiefs uprising with a fly ball out and was rewarded with a save for his efforts.

Game two saw Kingston leave 11 base runners hanging as the Chiefs pummeled the Braves 10-1 for their ninth loss. Tony Boston drove in Tanner Hoffman to avoid the scoreboard symmetry of seven goose eggs.

Brewers 6 Ponies 1; Ponies 10 Brewers 4

2011-06-27T11:19:00.007-04:00

The Kingston Ponies split a double header with the Nepean Brewers at Megaffin Park on Sunday. In the first game the local nine were held to five hits and allowed one run by pitcher Geoff Magnus in a 6-1 Brewer victory. Magnus duked it out on the mound with Kingston’s Brett Gibson, who worked five frames, allowing an unearned run and striking out five Brewers before being relieved in the sixth inning by Cory Thompson who had difficulty mastering the muddy mound. The Brewers erupted for five runs in the seventh inning with two runs batted in off the bat of Adam Oates, who hit a double. Throwing from the dreaded mound of mud, Magnus then shut down the game and notched the win.

In game two the Limestone City Nine broke out the dry lumber and walloped 16 hits in a 10-4 decision. Read sports scribe Pat Kennedy’s article here.

Liana Shaw game photo

Kingston Cogeco, Channel 13 airs a replay of the game tonight at 7pm and quite a few more times this week.

This Date In Kingston Baseball History

2011-06-25T06:12:00.001-04:00

We set the way back machine for June 25, 2006...

The Kingston Braves defeated Ajax A Spartans 8-2 as Kingston pitcher Marcus Sullivan threw a no-hitter. Coaching notes of the day indicate Sully was throwing heat with 10 K's and the 16 year old from Prince Edward County was just wild enough to walk five and plunk three batters. Further evidence of his velocity on this day was the ripping of the webbing on Brad Devine's decker.

The Thunder Rolls at Woodbine Park

2011-06-21T09:52:00.001-04:00

The Kingston Thunder minor bantams rolled over all comers in the Thunder’s Annual Tournament held at Woodbine Park and compiled a 5-0 record to capture their own Championship trophy. Enroute to the title tilt, the Thunder stormed across the plate 47 times in four games while holding opponents to 13 runs.

In game one, the local nine defeated the Ottawa Royals 6-1 with Ken Allan having a three hit game and teammate Cameron Parr contributing two runs batted in. Benjamin Cross notched the win from the mound with four innings of solid, shutout relief provided by Mike Parr.

Game two saw the Thunder roll out an impressive offensive assault with Will Van Allen and Logan Chartrand each driving in three runs in a 17 – 6 mauling of the Brockville Bunnies. Wyatt Crampton was the winning pitcher with Mackenzie Ley throwing two frames in relief.

In game three the Limestone City lads continued their home plate stomp, scoring a 12-4 win over the A’s of Oakville. Cam Parr had three hits for the Thunder while teammate Aaron Luchuk had three runs batted in. Will Van Allen was the winning pitcher and reliever Carter Hoffman threw three innings of relief.

In game four, the Thunder tabulated another dozen runs, defeating Aurora Jays 12-2. Wyatt Crampton drove in four runs while Ryan Bothwell was the pitcher of record and reliever Ben Cross kept the Jays off the scoreboard in his two innings of work.

The title tilt was a rematch against the Thunder’s first game opponent, the Ottawa Royals. Once again the home side prevailed, defeating the Capital City nine by a score of 5-1. Aaron Luchuk was the winning pitcher, holding the Royals hitless over four innings before giving way to reliever Logan Chartrand who closed out the final three frames. Will Van Allen had a pair of hits and an rbi.

Ponies Double Header Split Details

2011-06-21T08:21:00.003-04:00

Kingston baseball scribe Pat Kennedy sums up the Ponies double header split versus the Capital City Cubs at Megaffin Park on Sunday, June 19.

Limestone City Son Honoured

2011-06-21T08:08:00.004-04:00

Bob Elliott(2nd from right) recieves award

Kingstonian Bob Elliott, the veteran Toronto Sun columnist received the Jack Graney Award for a lifetime of media excellence in the sport Saturday at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in St. Mary's.

Read the articles from QMI Agency and the Sun

Ponies Split Weekend Twinbill

2011-06-20T06:03:00.000-04:00

Game 1: Cubs 15 Ponies 1
Game 2:Ponies 7 Cubs 5

Action photo by Liana Shaw

Thunder Teams Triumphant!

2011-06-16T10:07:00.001-04:00

The Kingston Thunder stormed through the weekend winning 10 of 11 games in the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association peewee, minor bantam and bantam divisions. The Thunder peewees dropped the opener of a road twin bill on June 11 versus the Whitby Chiefs by a score of 7-5 and never looked back as they won the second game 10-9 and swept the Ajax Spartans in Ontario’s First ISO 9001 Quality Community by scores of 11-6 and 20-4 on Sunday, June 12.

On Saturday, the Thunder minor bantams, who sit atop the six team loop with a 6-2 record, hosted and swept a pair of games played at Woodbine Park against the Pickering Red Sox by scores of 5-3 and 4-3. Thunder starting pitcher Aaron Luchuk contributed a pair of hits in game one while Carter Hoffman notched the win in relief of Luchuk. Game two starter Ryan Bothwell exhibited some mound mastery by holding the Sox hitless through four frames while driving in a pair of runs. On Sunday, the Ajax Spartans rolled into Canada’s First Capital City and played tough in the first game, taking the home side to 11 innings before the locals prevailed 9-8.Thunder’s Mike Parr’s clutch at bat drove in Tom McCabe to seal the victory. The Thunder dispatched the visitors in game two by a 9-4 margin with Logan Chartrand picking up the pitching victory.

The Thunder bantams were on the road Saturday in Port Hope, taking the first game 3-1 while game two was suspended with the sides knotted at 4-4. On Sunday, the Limestone City nine challenged Whitby to a pair of matches, with the Thunder bettering their opponent by scores of 9-5 and 7-2

It Was A Great Day To Be A Red Sox Fan

2011-06-15T08:54:00.005-04:00

We made our annual pilgrimage to worship the Red Sox on their visit to the Big Smoke on Sunday, June 12 and it was a great game for everyone except the Jays, their fans and JD Drew. Drew struck out 4 times and left 6 runners on base but the Sox pummelled the Jays 14-1 sending Jays starter Kyle Drabeck all the way to Vegas.

Below are a few photos we snapped.

John Lester

Marco Scutaro & Dustin Pedroia

Kevin Youkilis

JD Drew

First Capital Baseball Day

2011-06-15T06:09:00.003-04:00

On June 15, 1841, the first Parliament of the United Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada met in Kingston, the first capital of Canada.

Let The Festivities Begin!

And as you may recall from days gone by, summer community celebrations included a baseball game at the old ball field. Imagine... a procession of horse drawn wagons carrying dignitaries and baseball players, slowly making their way from Market Square, west on King Street toward City Park for an afternoon of baseball at the Cricket Field. Led by the Town Crier, the Limestone City Civic Brass Band and the Fort Henry Drums, the spectacle of the procession entices curious citizens from their daily chores to the streets to partake in the merriment of this Glorious Day.

A baseball game on a sunny afternoon featuring the Kingston Park Nine vs the Kingston St.Lawrence Brown Stockings...where vendors hawk steamed frankfurters and warm peanuts in the shell among the congregated spectators and the first keg of First Capital Ale is tapped to the rousing approval of all assembled.

This would truly be a Great Celebration of First Capital Day.

Ponies Avoid Snakebite With DoubleHeader Sweep

2011-06-14T10:05:00.010-04:00

The Kingston Ponies defeated the Ottawa Diamondbacks (2-7) in a pair of NCBL Tier One matches held at the Montreal Street ball yard on Sunday, June 12. The second place Ponies improved their record to 6-2 in the Ottawa league with an 8-2 victory in the first game. Tied at two runs apiece in the top of the fifth inning, the Diamondbacks coiled and were ready to strike with a pair of base runners until Ponies starter Kyle Kelsey was relieved after 4 and 2/3 innings by Matt Wing who evaded the snake bite by getting the third out to end the threat. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the local nine took the lead when James Hornby singled and drove in two runs followed by John Ivimey’s rbi single. The Ponies put the game away one inning later when veteran Kurtis Miller drove in two more runs with a double and Graham Skelhorne-Gross collected an rbi with a single.

In the second game, the senior nine played long ball to record a 3-1 victory with all runs scored via a pair of home runs. Veteran Derek Mack smacked a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning and Josh Leavitt blasted a two run shot over the screen monster in the fourth frame which proved to be the margin of victory for the home side. John Ivimey pitched a complete game and recorded the win, allowing four hits over seven innings.

Got Local Scores?

2011-06-10T14:40:00.004-04:00

Got a local baseball story, local baseball photos or local game result to report?

KBA Midget League

2011-06-10T12:32:00.003-04:00

The KBA midget house league is still seeking players between the ages of 16 - 18 and will begin play Tuesday night, 6pm at the Montreal Street ball yard.

An evaluation workout session will be held Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at the historic Cricket Field, where Kingstonians have played the game since the 1870's.

Play Ball!

Ponies Win Two Of Three On Weekend

2011-06-07T12:21:00.003-04:00

The Limestone City Senior Nine had a good home opening showing this past weekend, winning two of three games versus Winchester and Marc Sports while providing the faithful a dollop of wackiness on the basepaths at Megaffin Park.

Sportswriter Pat Kennedy's article detailing the games can be found here.

Braves Drop Home Opener Twinbill

2011-06-07T12:03:00.003-04:00

The Kingston Braves came up short on both ends of a home opener, double header on Saturday at Megaffin Park versus the Ajax Spartans. The KBA Nine lost the first game 4-1 when the visitors tallied four runs in the third frame to saddle Braves' starting pitcher Jeremy Legros with the loss when Kingston could muster but a single run in the fourth inning.

Game two was won by a score of 6-5 in extra innings by Ajax on an unearned run despite being out hit by the homeside. Taylor Aylesworth had three hits for the Braves and teammate Sean Thomas had two RBI.

Holy Cross Crusaders Claim Championship

2011-06-07T08:13:00.005-04:00

The Holy Cross Crusaders defeated the Frontenac Falcons 3-1 at Megaffin Park yesterday to claim the Kingston High School title.

Click here for the Whig Standard's game report by sportswriter Doug Graham. Mr. Graham is also a coach and was instrumental in re-organizing the league after play had ceased for many decades.

High School Championship Tournament Results

2011-06-03T09:28:00.003-04:00

Frontenac 5 Bayridge 4

The KASSAA Baseball Championship Tournament got under way yesterday at both Megaffin and Woodbine Parks. The Frontenac Falcons pulled out a come from behind, bottom of the seventh inning victory over the Bayridge Blazers at Woodbine Park to advance to the semi finals being held this afternoon. Down 4-1 with three outs left, the Falcons started the final frame with a walk, a single and a double and claimed a 5-4 victory when a pair of wild pitches with the bases loaded allowed the tying and winning runs to score. Blazer starting pitcher Mitch Knights twirled a bit of mound magic, holding the Falcons to a run, albeit an in-the-park-homerun blast off the stick of Tom DeWitt which proved to be the only mark on Knights' four innings of work as he left the game with a 2-1 lead. With the win, Frontenac advances to the semi final today at 1:30pm vs Ernestown at Woodbine Park.

Ernestown 18 LCVI 2

The Eagles used their Twin Powers - Kris and Keli Grant -as the Ernestown Nine lanced Loyalist Collegiate by a score of 18-2 at Megaffin Park. The Odessa lads cultivated a 9 run first inning as starting pitcher Kris Grant held the LC batters hitless through three frames while Keli Grant doubled, hit a pair of singles and had 3 RBI. Brandon Brockman had three hits and an RBI and Brent Goodchild doubled and singled resulting in 2 RBI. Ernestown's Tyler Thompson relieved Grant on the mound and allowed the two runs as Lancer Brandon Cook tripled, driving in the runs.

Holy Cross 12 Sydenham 0

Holy Cross began their Crusade to repeat as finalists as they annihilated the Golden Eagles of Sydenham 12-0. The Crusaders pounded Sydenham starter Brent Irwin for eight runs while Cole Kaiser dominated from the mound, allowing two hits and striking out nine batters in three scoreless innings.

RND 7 KCVI 3

The undefeated Panthers kept their KASSAA streak alive as they overcame a first inning, three run deficit as the Blues and Regi traded crooked numbers in their initial at-bats. Regi tallied two more runs each in both the second and fifth innings. Mike Lamothe notched the victory retiring 10 of 11 batters, allowing four hits and striking out seven Blues. Panther Eric Blanck had three singles and an RBI and teammate Graham Fox had a single and two RBI. KC's Harrison Juby had an RBI double and Cody Jansen had an RBI single. With the victory Regi faces off against Holy Cross in today's semi final.

Casey At The Bat: June 3, 1888

2011-06-03T06:34:00.004-04:00

"Casey at the Bat," written by Earnest L. Thayer, first appeared in the San Francisco Examiner in the June 3, 1888 edition and was signed "Phin," which he used as his nickname. It was not until DeWolf Hopper gave the poem's first stage recitation did it become popular.

Casey at the Bat
(As it was originally published.)
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:

The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,

And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,

A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.

The rest cling to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

They thought, “If only Casey could but get a whack at that—

We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat.”
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,

And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake;

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,

For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,

And Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;

And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,

There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,

For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;

There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face.

And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,

No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;

Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;

Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,

Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,

And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped—

"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,

Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;

"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted some one in the stand;

And it's likely they'd had killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;

He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;

He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;

But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said "Strike two!"
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered "Fraud!"

But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.

They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,

And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
The sneer has fled from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;

He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.

And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,

And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;

But there is no joy in Mudville — great Casey has struck out.
— Phin

Hluschuk Signs With Winchester of NCBL

2011-06-02T13:53:00.001-04:00

Former Kingston Ponies pitcher Mike Hluschuk signs with Winchester Panthers of NCBL according to NCBL Twitter feed

Ponies Denied Exception To Play At Megaffin Park

2011-06-02T08:12:00.012-04:00

Last night's home opener for the Limestone City Senior Nine at Megaffin Park was postponed due to lingering effects of a moist month of May. The Baseball Club applied for an exception to the Municipal mandate prohibiting access to playing fields until June 2 (today)but the Baseball Club was denied playing rights, which in our humble opinion was the correct call.

The Ponies rationale for "an exception status" was that the team's home games involve teams in the National Capital Baseball League travelling two hours for a seven-inning game. (The Ball Club should be thankful City Councillors are not questioning the sustainability of the local Grand Old Game when a large carbon footprint is attached to a seven inning match... )

So what makes NCBL games more important that KBA Midget house league or KASSAA games? For the Senior Nine it represented one home game rainout which is small potatoes compared to the High School season that has been condensed to a two day tournament beginning today. Afterall, it is just a game.

Here is Doug Graham's article about the Ponies promising season.

Ponies 12 Diamondbacks 4

2011-06-01T12:11:00.001-04:00

The Kingston Ponies threw a pair of mats – that is, pitchers Matt Wing and Matt Thompson – at the Diamondbacks on the 24th of May and the pair covered and muffled the home side’s bats in a 12-4 mercy shortened victory in Ottawa. Staked to a 3 run lead in the initial inning, starter Wing allowed three earned runs on two hits and five walks while striking out five D’back batters in 3.33 innings of work to notch the pitching victory. Reliever Thompson continued the mound mission, allowing an unearned run while issuing two walks and dispatching a pair of batters on strikes in 1 2/3 innings.

The local nine scored in all five innings – up 3-0 in the first frame; 4-0 in the second; 5-0 in the third and 10-0 in the 4th inning before the home side put a crooked number on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 10-3. The Ponies added a pair of runs in the fifth frame and the Diamond backs could only muster a single run in what proved to be the bottom of the final inning.

Veteran catcher Kurtis Miller was 2 for 3 with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored and a stolen base. John Ivimey drove in a pair of runs as did Manager Spicer who penciled himself in the DH spot. Spicer scored 3 times and stole a base, Kyle Kelsey scored twice as did rookie Brock McArthur, who also had two singles, walked once and stole a pair of bags. Center fielder Mills singled, stole a base and score twice while Ryan Kerstens singled, had a sacrifice with an rbi and scored a run. Ponies sophomore Jeff Lake made his season debut at shortstop and contributed a single and an RBI.

The Ponies next game is scheduled for Megaffin Park this evening although all City fields are closed until June 2. The Kingston Baseball Club has applied for an exemption and is awaiting a response from City Hall.

Vallier Smashes 3 RBI Double

2011-05-31T12:34:00.003-04:00

Jed Vallier – Kingston Braves and Ponies alumnus -continues to swing a big bat for the Whitby Chiefs of the Ontario Senior Baseball Association, driving in three runs with a bases loaded double in a 20-8 rout over the Oshawa Talons on May 21.

Vallier also scored a run, struck out and walked in three at bats.

Winchester 5 Ponies 4

2011-05-31T08:32:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, May 17, the Kingston Ponies lost a 5-4 decision to the Winchester Panthers in National Capital Baseball League action in Ottawa. The local nine staked southpaw starting pitcher Matt Thompson to a 1-0 lead in the first frame before adding another run in the third inning and a pair in the fourth inning to lead Winchester 4-0. Thompson then experienced some mound misery, allowing Winchester to reload with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning before heading to the showers, allowing seven hits, one base-on-balls and three strikeouts in 3.33 innings.

Enter John Ivimey, the pitching 1st baseman who stopped the bleeding in the fourth and fifth innings but surrendered an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth stanza and was saddled with the loss despite allowing just a pair of hits.

Ponies centerfielder and lead-off hitter Matt Mills had a pair of singles and scored twice while right fielder James Hornby swatted a double and a single and scored a run. Second baseman Ryan Kerstens singled and scored with Derrick Mack and Curtis Miller each reaching first base safely while driving in a run. The Limestone City Nine’s Manager Ken Spicer penciled himself into the designated hitter spot, singling and striking out in three plate appearance.

Winchester’s Pat Gagnon went the distance for the win, allowing nine hits, one earned run, two walks while striking out five Ponies.

This Day In Kingston Baseball History: May 24, 1888

2011-05-24T05:46:00.000-04:00

123 years ago at the Cricket Field...

The opening game of the Eastern International League was played in Kingston on Thursday morning, May 24. The contest exposed weak batteries on both Belleville and Kingston sides, with Kingston’s Unsworth pitching wild and inconsistent while catcher Kelly proved incompetent, unable to catch pitches and was replaced by Doyle, who was up for the task.

Belleville pitching was no better as the highly touted Lally was hit hard, surrendering seven runs in the first inning. Murray, the professional from Boston relieved Lally and held his own to no avail, as Kingston won the game 13-12. After the inaugural game of the EIL, both teams announced they would reorganize before playing again.

Rain Delay Until May 24

2011-05-20T08:33:00.003-04:00

Mother Nature has been throwing curveballs and havoc at local baseball schedules and play will not resume until Tuesday, May 24th at the earliest. The Kingston area high school baseball season has been swamped and EOSSAA will allow KASSAA to send two teams to the Eastern Ontario Championship.

2011 Schedules Updated

2011-05-18T12:33:00.001-04:00

The Braves and Thunder EOBA 2011 schedules have been updated - links in right hand column.

Rain Delay Part 2: YOOOOOOOOUK!

2011-05-18T12:14:00.003-04:00

How Youkilis passes time during a rain delay...

Rain Delay

2011-05-18T08:07:00.006-04:00

Babe Ruth quotes to ease your rain delay pain...

Click for video of The Babe hitting his 6oth homerun

"Aw, everybody knows that game, the day I hit the homer off ole Charlie Root there in Wrigley Field, the day October first, the third game of that thirty-two World Series. But right now I want to settle all arguments. I didn't exactly point to any spot, like the flagpole. Anyway, I didn't mean to, I just sorta waved at the whole fence, but that was foolish enough. All I wanted to do was give that thing a ride... outta the park... anywhere." Source: My Greatest Day in Baseball (John P. Carmichael)

"Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world." Source: The Babe Ruth Story (Babe Ruth)

"Just one (superstition). Whenever I hit a home run, I make certain I touch all four bases."

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."

"I had a great game against him(Babe Ruth)... I held him to three hits." Rollie Stiles

Babe Ruth made a grave mistake when he gave up pitching. Working once a week he might have lasted a long time and become a great star." -Tris Speaker

City Closes Waterlogged Diamonds & Pitches

2011-05-17T14:59:00.001-04:00

High rainfall has forced the City of Kingston to close all of its sports fields . The decision to close the city's 25 ball diamonds and 39 soccer fields — cancelling more than 100 hours of scheduled playing time on Monday night alone — came Monday morning after weekend rainfall over-saturated playing surfaces.

The city's recreational programs manager Nadine Partridge said the fields will be closed indefinitely until moisture levels are back to normal.

Ponies Open NCBL Season With Victory

2011-05-16T11:51:00.002-04:00

Kyle Kelsey

The Kingston Senior Nine opened the 2011 National Capital Baseball League on Friday night in Bytown with a 7-3 victory over the defending champion Nepean Brewers. Former Sydenham Golden Eagle pitching ace, Kyle Kelsey recorded the win in a relief appearance after Matt Wing faced 17 Brewers, fanning five on strikes, allowing seven free passes to first base and a hit in three frames of mound duty.

Kelsey, the Limestone City designated hitter who hit three singles in four plate appearances and scored two runs allowed Nepean two runs on four hits, while walking five Brewers and striking out four.

The Ponies raised a crooked number on the scoreboard by plating five runs in the second frame starting with first baseman John Ivimey dropping a sacrifice bunt to advance runners before shortstop Derrick Mack doubled in a pair of runs. Rightfielder James Hornby had three singles and a run batted in, while 2nd baseman Ryan Kerstens hit a single, drove a run in and scored a run. Veteran Kurtis Miller was one for three with a run scored while rookie Brock McArthur had a hit, an RBI and struck out thrice in his senior debut.

Nepean rallied in the fourth inning scoring three runs off the bats of shortstop Geoff Magnus who singled in a run and Steve LeFaivre who drove in two runs with a single. Starter Adam Oattes took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts in four innings of work. Jeff Karran allowed two runs on four hits, one base on balls and a strikeout in three innings of relief.

Norman Singles in NCAA SWAC Play

2011-05-13T15:01:00.005-04:00

Former Kingston Brave Chris Norman singled and drove in the only run as the MVSU Delta Devils dropped a 15-1 descion to Louisiana Tech at Ruston, Louisiana on Wednesday, May 11. Norman and the Delta Devils next see action at the SWAC Super Regionals Baseball Tournament, May 18-22 in Shreveport, La.

STATS/ Norman, C
.256BA / 23R /30H/11 2b/ 3 3b/ 3HR/ 30 RBI/ 56 TB/ .479 SLG/ 39K/ .343OBP/ 3E /41 PO/ 1 A /45GP/ 31 GS/ .933 FLD

Ponies Season Opener

2011-05-13T14:28:00.002-04:00

The Kingston Ponies open their National Capital Baseball League season on the road tonight, details are here in a fine article by local baseball scribe, Pat Kennedy.

Vallier Signs With OSBA Whitby Chiefs

2011-05-13T14:19:00.006-04:00

Kingston's Jed Vallier, formerly of the Kingston Ponies, recently signed with the Whitby Chiefs of the Ontario Senior Baseball Association. A corner infielder who plays collegiate ball with perennial powerhouse Durham Lords, Vallier was one for three with a double in a May 7th season opening twin bill split against the Mississauga Stars, winning the first game 3-2 and losing the nightcap 1-0.

BHS 7 KC 6; FSS 3 HC 1; SHS 10 LC 3

2011-05-13T12:50:00.002-04:00

From the Whig Standard:

The Bayridge Blazers baseball team recorded its first win of the season on Wednesday, bettering the Kingston Blues 7-6 at Megaffin Park. Barry Hogeboom pitched four innings and didn't give up an earned run, giving him the win. Mitch Knights picked up the save. Hogeboom also scored the winning run.

The game also was the opening match in the Eastern Ontario Secondary Schools Athletic Association qualifying tournament. Bayridge (1-4) moves on to face the Ernestown Eagles on Friday at Woodbine Park.

Overpowering pitching propelled the Frontenac Falcons past the Holy Cross Crusaders in Thursday's Kingston Area Secondary Schools Athletic Association baseball qualifier at Woodbine Park.The Falcons, in sunny, summer-like conditions, prevailed, 3-1, in a close contest between two of the league's stronger ball clubs.

"We got outstanding pitching but also some solid team defence," said Falcons coach Mark Magee. "That hasn't been the case lately when we've been playing baseball with lots of errors. Defensively (yesterday), we were pretty clean." Errorless in fact, while their sure-handed opponents had just one miscue.

Winning pitcher Sean Thomas baffled the Crusaders, surrendering one run and one hit over the first four innings. His replacement, Dexter Coughtrey, was even stingier in relief, sealing the outcome with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball.

The Falcons plated a pair of runs in the second inning, erasing a 1-0 deficit on a two-run single by Tom Dewitt off losing pitcher Cole Kaiser, one of only two Frontenac hits. Messrs. Thomas and Coughtrey made the lead stand up, blanking Holy Cross the rest of the way behind flawless defenders.

"We had some baserunners but just couldn't get the big hit when we needed it," noted Holy Cross coach Tony Clarke.

The round of qualifiers is needed to determine (then submit) a KASSAA representative for the upcoming Eastern Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association championship tournament. The local high school league's already-brief season fell behind after several games were rained out last week.

In Thursday's other quarterfinal qualifier, the Sydenham Golden Eagles tallied five first-inning runs en route to a 10-3 thumping of the Loyalist Lancers at Megaffin Park. LC lanced itself repeatedly in the first frame, committing four errors that led to a quintet of unearned runs. Losing pitcher Brock McArthur, later ejected for arguing balls and strikes with home-plate umpire Bobby Moses, didn't help his cause. He unleashed three wild pitches and had a soft, two-out line drive pop out of his glove, prolonging the inning.

Except for spates of wildness — six walks, three wild pitches — Dave Hood and winning pitcher Brett Irwin tamed the Lancers, with the latter throwing the final three frames of the shortened five-inning game.

Frontenac plays Sydenham in the next qualifying round.

RND 6 SYD 4; HC 13 LC 5

2011-05-11T12:37:00.002-04:00

From the Whig Standard:

The Regiopolis-Notre Dame Panthers are taking a run at a second-straight pennant in the Kingston Area high school baseball league. The Panthers improved to 3-0 Monday, May 9th edging the Sydenham Golden Eagles, 6-4 at Megaffin Park.

Grade 9 student Duncan Lambert pitched four innings, giving up one run, to record the victory.
Eric Blanck drove in two runs and Graham Fox had a single and scored three runs.

At Woodbine Park, the Holy Cross Crusaders, who upset the Panthers in the playoff round last season, won their second straight with a good offensive outburst against the Loyalist Lancers. The final score was 13-5. Jeremy Legros pitched three hitless innings to get the win for Holy Cross. Tom King and Jonathan Pankow also threw in relief. The Crusaders blew up a 6-5 game with a five-run fifth inning. Brock McArthur took the loss for the Lancers.

Living Kingston Baseball History

2011-05-11T12:29:00.003-04:00

Click here to step back into Kingston Base Ball history as the Kingston St. Lawrence Nine take part in the Annual RMC tournament held at the Cricket Field (original home diamond of the 1870's Brown Stockings) this past weekend.

LCVI 10 Bayridge 1

2011-05-05T14:25:00.002-04:00

Mother Nature allowed the rains to subside just long enough for the Loyalist Lancers and Bayridge Blazers to contest their diamond skills at Woodbine Park yesterday.

The Lancers handed Bayridge their second loss of the short, damp season, scorching the Blazers by a score of 10-1. Lancer Brandon Wood had a day at the ball yard, launching a solo homerun to centre in the third frame to put LCVI up 4-1 before connecting for another pair of hits and closing the game with an inning of mound duty to relieve winning pitcher Brock McArthur. Loyalist added six unanswered insurance runs in the fifth inning.

Lake Wins All-Conference Gold Glove

2011-05-03T12:22:00.002-04:00

KBA Braves alumnus Jeff Lake of Battersea, Ontario, who is a Junior shortstop with the SUNY Canton NY 'Roos was awarded an All-Sunrise Conference gold glove defensive award on the weekend. The 'Roos lost the conference championship 6-5 to Fisher College in a game played in Lyn, Massachusetts on May 1.

Regi-ND 9 Bayridge 6

2011-05-02T12:28:00.005-04:00

The 2011 Kingston Area High School Baseball season finally got under way on Friday, April 29 as the Regi-ND Panthers burned the Bayridge Blazers by a score of 9-6 at Nelles Megaffin's old Bagot Street Ballyard.
The Big Inning...Regi scored their nine runs in the third inning, sending 14 batsmen to the plate as rookie Alex Faroldi cashed in the winning run with a single. Graham Fox notched the win with four strikeouts in three frames while closer Mitch Lamonthe retired five Blazer batters via third strikes. Blazer catcher Barry Hogeboom had a day at the plate with a pair of doubles and a single.

Nature 3 High School Baseball 0

2011-04-29T08:50:00.004-04:00

For the third consecutive day, Nature has put a damper on the opening of the KASSAA baseball season. The league hopes to throw its first pitch Monday.

Two RBI Game For Jeff Lake

2011-04-26T14:55:00.001-04:00

The SUNY Canton baseball team beat the University of Maine at Presque Isle in all three games they played on Friday. The Roos won the opener 8-4, rallied for a 5-2 win in game two and then blanked the Owls 6-0 in the final game. In the final 6-0 game, Jeff Lake (Battersea, Ontario) laced an RBI-single in the second inning and added a sacrifice fly in the sixth for the final run.

Former Brave Named Head Coach

2011-04-25T12:25:00.005-04:00

Brendan Fleming, a Kingston Braves alumni and member of the 2006 Provincial Champion squad has been named head coach of the EOBA Quinte Royals peewee team. Fleming, a southpaw junk twirler, left the game as a player after the Braves captured gold in Mississauga in 2006, leaving his cleats on the pitcher's mound as a tribute to the team and game.

Currently enrolled in the Concurrent Education program at Lakehead University, Brendan will be honing his teaching skills on the diamond before heading into the classroom.

Well done, "Juice"!

Norman Hits Three Run HR

2011-04-20T12:37:00.005-04:00

Former Kingston Brave Chris Norman belted a three run homer in a losing effort as the MVSU Delta Devils dropped a 7-6 decision to the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Sunday, April 17.

Norman, with a season .444 slugging percentage, .333 on base percentage and 21 rbi has 3 triples, 2 homeruns for 36 total bases. With three attempts, the 23 year old from Prince Edward County is 3 for 3 in stolen bases but also leads the Delta Devils in strikeouts with 27 in 81 at-bats (96 plate appearances). Batting .222 Norman has 18 hits and scored 17 runs.

Durham College Athlete of Year: Jed Vallier

2011-04-15T08:52:00.004-04:00

The Durham College athletic department held the 41st annual Athletic Banquet Thursday night(April 7,2011) at the General W. Sikorski Polish Veterans Association Hall in Oshawa. For only the second time in Durham College history, there were co-overall athletes of the year for both the male and female categories. Eric Smith (Ajax, Ont.) of the men’s basketball team and Jareth "Jed" Vallier (Kingston, Ont.) of the men’s baseball team took home male athlete of the year honours.

Vallier, a third year infielder with the baseball team led Durham to the CIBA Ontario Title and a final four appearance at the national championship, where he was named to the all-tournament team posting a .429 batting average. During the Lords perfect 16-0 regular season, Vallier averaged .435 at the plate while leading the province in home runs and RBI’s, winning the club's MVP Lionel “Boom” Baker Award.

Click here for award winner photo.

Comparing Apples and Apples vs Oranges

2011-04-14T12:22:00.007-04:00

We were checking out the different range of registration fees between the two local baseball organizations and two local soccer organizations that offer house league schedules. We were surprised...the ball game played on a diamond is less expensive than the ball game played on a pitch.

Thunder Baseball(data from on line registration form) Timbits: age 4 through 6 -$40 plus mandatory fundraising of $48

Rookie, Mosquito & Peewee: age 7 through 13 - $99 plus mandatory fundraising of $48 Bantam, Midget: age 14 through 18 - $125 plus mandatory fundraising of $48 Rep: all ages $245 plus mandatory fundraising of $48

Kingston Baseball Association (data from website)

Soft Toss (born in 2006, 2007) Tuesdays at 1st Ave School. $25

Junior Rookie (born in 2004, 2005) Wednesdays at 1st Ave. $50

Senior Rookie (born in 2002, 2003) Thursdays at 1st Ave. $50

Mosquito (born in 2000, 2001) Mondays and Wednesdays. $75

Peewee (born in 1998, 1999) Tuesdays and Thursdays. $75

Bantam (born in 1996-1997) Mondays and Wednesdays. $95

Midget (born in 1993-1995) Tuesdays. $95

SOCCER (data from online registration forms)

Cataraqui Clippers $135 per player house league

Kingston United $140 per player house league

KBA, Thunder Agree To Take Another Step Toward Amalgamation

2011-04-12T12:11:00.003-04:00

Kingston Thunder and the Kingston Baseball Association have agreed to have only one rep baseball team for each of Baseball Ontario's minor age levels in the Limestone City. This agreement will allow Thunder players to play on KBA rep teams and vice versa, with the KBA running the mosquito and midget programs and the Thunder taking care of business in the peewee and bantam age groups.

Read sportswriter Doug Graham's article here .

National Honours For Jed Vallier

2011-04-08T06:13:00.000-04:00

L-R: Brennen Conquer, Jed Vallier, Tyler Mitchell

We'll file this under the "Better Late Than Never" tab because for some reason this was never posted in October 2010...

Jareth "Jed" Vallier, the slugging third baseman who led the Kingston Braves to their last OBA Provincial Championship in 2006, earned national recognition for his performance in the 2010 Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association National Championship held in Windsor, Ontario last October.

Vallier had a .429 BA with two homeruns in the National Tournament for the Durham Lords and was selected as the national championship all-star team 3rd baseman. Vallier's teammates Brennan Conquer and Tyler Mitchell also received national recognition with Mitchell achieving the CIBA Ontario top hitter rank with a .516 BA during the Lords undefeated 16-0 regular season. Conquer was recognized for his batting average of .462 during the national playoffs.

Today in Kingston Baseball History: 1876

2011-04-07T05:50:00.001-04:00

135 years ago, on April 7th , 1876 at a meeting held at the Walker House Hotel in Toronto, ten baseball clubs agreed to form the Canadian Base Ball Association (CBBA). Of the ten teams present, only the London Tecumsehs, Guelph Maple Leafs, Toronto Clippers, Hamilton Standards and the Kingston St. Lawrence clubs paid the $10 entry fee required to join the Association.

Lake Has Four Hit Weekend

2011-04-06T12:10:00.007-04:00

The SUNY Canton baseball team pulled out a dramatic, late game rally and rode an outstanding pitching performance from Josh Soffer (Ottawa, Ontario) to earn a 4-3 win over Fisher College on Saturday, April 2nd in Canton, NY. Soffer tossed a gem on the mound as the junior allowed just one earned run and struck out six batters while scattering seven hits in nine innings. The Ottawa native has recorded a team-leading 29 strikeouts this season.

The Roos made it a one-run game in the bottom of the seventh when freshman Phil Tsiaras (Toronto, Ontario) reached base to lead off on a Fisher error. Junior Jeff Lake (Battersea, Ontario) followed with a single and then Tsiaras came around to score on an RBI-ground out by freshman Thomas Fearon (Ajax, Ontario).The Roos capped off their rally with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn their first Sunrise Conference win of the year and first victory over the Falcons. Evan Hammond (Ottawa, Ontario) ripped a one-out double and Belile drew a walk to put runners at first and second. Both players advanced a base on a wild pitch and after the next SUNY Canton batter struck out, Tsiaras rapped the game-winning hit with a two-run, two-out single.

Game two saw the Fisher Falcons romp over the 'Roo 13-3 with Jeff Lake contributing a pair of hits and a run to the losing cause.

The 'Roos lost both ends of a twinbill vs Fisher College by scores of 7-0 and 6-1 on Sunday. Lake hit a bloop single in the bottom of the seventh frame to advance a runner.

All The Way From Memphis

2011-03-31T08:49:00.005-04:00

Delta Devils cleanup hitter Chris Norman played small ball yesterday as he layed down a bunt single to advance a runner in MVSU's 3-2 victory over the Memphis Tigers at FedEx Park in Tennessee. Norman also stole a base, scored a run and struck out as the Delta Devils improved their mark at 11-15 after losing game one by a score of 7-0 to the Tigers(13-11).

Ponies Announce Junior Sponsor

2011-03-29T12:43:00.004-04:00

The Kingston Police Association has renewed its relationship with local baseball as the Kingston Ponies announce a partnership involving their fledgling Junior team.

Good cops.

Lake & Norman Hitting South of Border

2011-03-28T12:05:00.006-04:00

Jeff Lake

Former KBA Braves shortstop Jeff Lake of Battersea, ON had a pair of hits for the SUNY Canton 'Roos during a four game series in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania against the Point Park University Pioneers this past weekend.

The 'Roos ( 0-19) were swept by scores of 12-0; 12-2 on Saturday and dropped Sunday's matches by scores of 4-2 and 20-0.

In NCAA Southwestern Atlantic Conference play on Saturday in Itta Bena, Miss. at Magnolia Field, former Braves ss/cf Chris Norman contributed to the MVSU Delta Devils weekend sweep of Tougaloo College with a pair of hits including an rbi triple. Norman also scored two runs and was hit by a pitch as MVSU outscored the Jackson, Mississippi team 13-3 and 14-2.

The Delta Devils are 7-1 in SWAC Eastern Division play and 10-14 on the season.

More Local Players Honing Diamond Skills

2011-03-25T10:40:00.004-04:00

Kingston ball players Ross Graham and Josh Leavitt, now playing for Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY are currently involved in the RussMatt Invitational Tournament in WinterHaven, Florida.

The Cougars (6-5) swept a pair of games against Prairie State of Illinois on March 21 and split a pair of matches versus University of Tampa JV, winning 11-4 and losing 9-8.

RBI Double For Former KBA Player

2011-03-25T09:23:00.004-04:00

Former Kingston Brave Chris Norman contributed an rbi double as the Mississippi Valley University Delta Devils defeated Belhaven College 7-4 in NCAA baseball action on Wednesday in Itta Bena, Mississippi at Magnolia Field.

KBA Registration Announced

2011-03-22T12:25:00.001-04:00

KBA registration begins April 1 (we're not kidding). Details can be found here

SUNY-Canton 'Roos Routed By Notre Dame

2011-03-21T11:47:00.004-04:00

KBA alumnus Jeff Lake, now playing for New York-Canton 'Roos had a hit in game three of a four game series against the Notre Dame College Falcons on the weekend. Notre Dame routed the 'Roos at the Pipeyard in Lorain, Ohio by scores of 8-1, 4-2 on March 19 and 9-0, 8-0 on March 20.

Lake singled up the middle in the 3rd inning and was forced out on a double play in the 9-0 loss. Defensively Lake had one putout and two assists. In the fifth frame, Lake walked and was out at second p to 1b to ss, caught stealing.

In game four also won by ND Falcons(14-6) by a score of 8-0, Lake struck out swinging to end the second inning, leaving three 'Roos on base. In the 5th frame with a runner at first base, Lake sacrificed himself with a bunt down the third base line to advance the runner.

New York-Canton is 0-15 on the season.

It Really Is How You Play The Game

2011-03-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Respect for the Game

In Canada, the summer game does not begin until the puck is put away. Until then, the baseball coach bides time in high school gymnasiums or domed soccer facilities with ball players exercising basic fundamental skills such as throwing and catching, hitting balls into nets and running on hardwood or carpeted concrete. This is the best spring training gets for grass-root level teams that begin their season after the Victoria Day weekend in May and play for pennants and championships before Labour Day.

It is in this setting where a baseball coach must exhibit leadership and management skills to introduce the players to the concept of working together toward a common goal, to respect and have responsibility for the game and each other. Above all, the coach’s greatest role when building a team is a responsibility to the players and to the game of baseball. No one person is bigger than the game or owns the game. The coach and player are the game’s keepers.

It is often said that a team acts the same way it is led, mimicking the traits and mannerisms of the coach. How one acts between the foul lines usually translates into the same character exhibited outside the game. While a coach is teaching players the fundamentals of the game, it is important for the coach to also teach patience, handling failure and above all, handling success.A successful batter will fail seven times out of ten plate appearances and the sure handed shortstop will bobble the ball. How failure and success is demonstrated on the field is more a reflection on the coach than the ability of the player making the play.

When Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s surpassed Lou Brock’s stolen base record, he removed the base from the diamond, held it over his head and triumphantly declared “I Am The Greatest!”

In contrast, when Cal Ripken, Jr. eclipsed Lou Gerhrig’s consecutive game record, he graciously accepted the adulation heaped upon him and then did a victory lap of the field, shaking hands with as many fans as possible. Actions, as they say, speak louder than words and Mr. Henderson’s words were loud and clear: “I am bigger than the game of baseball!”

Mr. Ripken on the other hand, was taught the game by his father, Cal Ripken Sr., a coach who rode the buses in the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league system for decades before being promoted to coach and manage in the big leagues. Father to son, coach to player, keepers of the game.

As a baseball coach, the main goal at the grassroots level of the game should not focus on winning. Of course winning games is fun but the goal should be teaching the players the necessary skills to prepare them to play the game to the best of their ability. Once a player realizes the thrill of scooping a grounder and throwing the runner out at first base or hitting the ball solidly and reaching base safely, these series of small victories within the course of a game will compound into winning baseball games over time.

A successful baseball program is measured on more than wins and losses. It is measured on how the players and the team play the game. It is measured on how the players and the team reflect the ethics they are taught on the diamond, principles that are transferable beyond the game. Baseball is a simple game and the guiding principles for coaching with integrity are equally simple:

Lead by example. As a coach you are charged with the task of mentoring your ballplayers and representing the team and program. If you are a baseball evangelist talking the talk about respect and responsibility, playing fair, being gracious in defeat and humble in victory, you better be prepared to live those words. Walk the walk, otherwise it is just talk and you are preaching hypocrisy.

Play fair and by the rules. When baseball was in its infancy more than 150 years ago, the rules were quite simple and baseball was a gentleman’s game. As the game evolved the rules became more plentiful and complex because players and coaches would try to gain an unfair advantage. As a coach you need to know the rules of the game to teach the game and to play the game.

Play with respect and responsibility. As a coach you have a responsibility to respect the game by playing fair and to not take advantage of a weaker opponent. Sure you take the next base on a passed ball when the game is in hand but you do not want to embarrass your opponent by running up the score. Most leagues have a mercy rule that ends a game when one team is ahead by 10 runs after 5 innings because baseball is no longer a gentleman’s game.

Be gracious in defeat and humble in victory. Once again it comes down to respect and responsibility. As a coach your role is to provide your players with all the necessary skills to succeed at the game of baseball. You will win some and lose some. If you have prepared your players, you may win more than you lose.

It really is about how you play the game.

So should baseball be a moral compass?

In what may be viewed in this day and age as a politically incorrect aphorism, Little League players pledge their allegiance to God, Country and teammates and vow to do their best. Aside from the religious aspect, their baseball mantra is reinforcing the concept of believing in something bigger than themselves while declaring respect and responsibility to their teammates and the game itself. And in doing so, these Little Leaguers become the next generation of game keepers.

Braves Alumnus Becomes Human Powered Guru

2011-03-14T09:28:00.007-04:00

Smith enroute from Belleville to Madoc

Smith cycling in Switzerland

Former Kingston Braves first baseman Gord Smith has taken his sporting career to new heights as he is set to launch his Human Powered Movement. Smith aims to decommercialize sporting events and provide free information, resources and programs for folks in the Quinte region to make fitness a regular part of daily life without associated fees.

Smith, a member of the 2004 Kingston Braves who won the Midget A Provincial Silver medal, contributed a solo homerun in the provincial tournament held in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

To watch CKWS video interview with the Running Man, click here

Delta State Downs Delta Devils

2011-03-14T09:24:00.002-04:00

Kingston Braves alumus Chris Norman contributed an rbi double as the MSVU Delta Devils lost 16-7 to Delta State University on Wednesday, March 9 at Ferriss Field in Cleveland, Mississippi. The Statesmen (8-8) scored 10 unanswered runs after MVSU (1-11) held a 6-1 lead in the fourth inning.