Danny Gallagher holds his new book, Blue Monday, which will be published Oct. 13. Photo courtesy of Danny Gallagher.
Author Danny Gallagher explores how 1981 team came close to history
The history of the Montreal Expos is filled with hope, triumph and heartbreak. In the 35 years that the Expos called Montreal home, they only made the playoffs once, in 1981. In Blue Monday: The Expos, the Dodgers, and the Home Run That Changed Everything, author Danny Gallagher tells the story of one of the most infamous days in Canadian baseball history, a moment that set the course of the Expos franchise for years to come.
On Monday, Oct. 19, 1981, in the final game of the National League Championship Series (NLCS), Expos pitcher Steve Rogers gave up a ninth-inning home-run to Los Angeles Dodgers centre fielder Rick Monday, effectively winning the game and the NLCS. For Expos fans, this game, and that home run, is known as “Blue Monday.” The Expos franchise didn’t return to the playoffs until 2012, when they were the Washington Nationals. For someone who wasn’t around to see that game in 1981, the term “Blue Monday” means almost nothing. But in his book, Gallagher portrays the emotion fans felt that day, seeing a heartbreak for the Expos and Canadian baseball.
The book starts during the 1977 off-season, when the Expos came very close to signing future baseball Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Jim “Catfish” Hunter. Gallagher traces the path of the Expos from that off-season, and explains how the 1978-80 Expos teams came up short making the playoffs. Reading how close the Expos came to qualifying every year only amplifies the heartbreak that unfolded on that October day.
Gallagher interviewed Expos players such as Rogers and third baseman Larry Parrish, as well as former owner Charles Bronfman. He tells the story through their voices, and thus provides an in-depth look that peaks the interest of any baseball fan, not just of the Expos. Blue Monday showcases how a baseball team builds itself, through the drafting and development of young stars such as future Hall of Famers Gary Carter and Tim Raines. You see how management impacts a team, and the decisions that can make or break them.
Blue Monday is a triumph in preserving the history of the Expos, and tells the story of how a team muddled in mediocrity for the vast majority of its history came inches away from baseball glory. Gallagher maintains that, if Montreal beat Los Angeles, the eventual 1981 World Series champions, they would have beaten the New York Yankees in the World Series. Any baseball fan should add this to their book collection.
The baseball team will be upgraded from a club status to a varsity team. Archive photo by Ben Fraser.
Manager Howie Schwartz says extra money will help scouting
The Concordia Stingers baseball team is inching closer to receiving varsity status. Baseball head coach Howie Schwartz said the team, currently listed as a club on their website, will be upgraded to a lower-tier varsity status, similar to McGill’s baseball team.
“We’re in the process of getting things organized right now, a lot of things are getting revamped,” Schwartz said. “It’s on the queue to be done.” It may take time for the team to be officially deemed varsity, but Schwartz assures it is on the way.
“We will achieve varsity status at some point in the near future,” Schwartz added. “D’Arcy [Ryan] (Concordia’s director of Recreation and Athletics) is 100 per cent behind my project and is very much supportive.”
Schwartz, who spent the summer heavily recruiting in both the United States and in western Canada, said that varsity is a huge factor in the team’s ability to recruit. “We need to be considered varsity in order to recruit the way I want to recruit,” the head coach said.
With varsity status, the baseball team can receive up to $10,000 in funding. Archive photo by Ben Fraser.
Schwartz had his eyes on four players in particular, however all four decided to go to other schools with better offers, including a National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) junior college in Kansas.
In addition to gaining interest from recruits, varsity status, regardless of the tier, brings more money into the program, and that is something Schwartz welcomes.
“I’m looking at the program and building it to the level I think it can go,” Schwartz said. “We’re a stronger program because the money’s there.”
In addition to the varsity status, the Stingers baseball program, through various fundraisers, can take in anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 every year.
The team will use the money for various academic financial awards, and to cover travel expenses. Schwartz also said the money will be put to use in order to schedule a series of exhibition games against NCAA opponents in the United States.
In the meantime, Schwartz is focused on the current season and the ultimate goal, as they want to “go deep into [the Canadian University World Series] and win.” The Stingers’s cross-town rivals from McGill, who are striving for their fifth-straight Canadian University World Series title, don’t concern Schwartz. “I think we have a team that can win it,” he said.
90-win season is realistic for Toronto after a losing 2017 season
As the Toronto Blue Jays prepare for the 2018 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, The Concordian takes a look at how “Canada’s team” will line up in the field, on the mound and behind the plate.
After a disappointing 2017 season where the Blue Jays finished with a record of 76-86 and missed the playoffs, the 2018 team is looking to improve. It was a very busy off-season for general manager Ross Atkins. Long-time Blue Jay and fan-favourite outfielder Jose Bautista will not return after nine seasons in Toronto, prompting Atkins to revamp his outfield.
The Jays acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the St-Louis Cardinals in a trade, and signed Curtis Granderson for $5 million in free agency. The Blue Jays outfield, centred by defensive dynamo Kevin Pillar, combined for 64 home runs (HR) and 165 runs batted in (RBI) last season. The problem with the Jays outfield is their lack of on-base percentage (OBP). Grichuk, despite his power numbers, had a OBP of .285 last year, and Pillar’s OBP was .300. Granderson’s OBP was decent at .323, but not good enough for a player of his calibre. If Granderson is leading Toronto’s hitting line-up at the beginning of the season, he will need to up his OBP in order for the Blue Jays to compete.
In the infield, other new faces will add depth to a very injury-prone group. The Jays acquired the versatile infielder Yangervis Solarte from the San Diego Padres and 2016 All-Star shortstop Aledmys Diaz from the Cardinals. Both of these acquisitions are meant to be back-up options for injury-prone infielders such as Troy Tulowitzki (who will miss the start of the season) and Devon Travis. Don’t be surprised if Solarte or Diaz take their place in the line-up at some point in the season.
Despite being insurance policies, both Solarte and Diaz have the potential to become very serviceable infielders for Toronto. Both are capable of hitting 15-plus HRs in a very hitter-friendly ballpark at the Rogers Centre. Diaz in particular has the chance to return to his 2016 form, when he finished fifth in votes for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
The pitching line-up remains largely unchanged, with the exception of a new starter and setup man. The Jays signed Jaime Garcia in free agency to a one-year contract worth $8 million. Garcia has never been able to replicate the success he had with the Cardinals in 2010 and 2011, and will be the team’s fifth starter. While looking good in spring training, don’t expect Garcia to be a dominant force in the Jays rotation.
The American League (AL) East division produces some of the most potent offences in baseball. In Garcia’s first taste of AL East play last season with the Yankees, he had a 0-3 record, with an earned runs average (ERA) of 4.82 in eight starts.
The Blue Jays didn’t make significant moves with their relief pitchers in the bullpen. They signed Seung-hwan Oh, who will act as a setup pitcher ahead of All-Star closer Roberto Osuna. Like many of this season’s acquisitions, Oh will try to return to his previous form, when he dominated with the Cardinals in the 2016 season.
The Jays do have several players returning, including 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson and All-Star first baseman Justin Smoak, who hit career-highs last season with 38 HRs, 90 RBIs and a .355 OBP. Many of the Jays pitchers will be returning, such as starters Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada. Injuries have hurt the Jays in the past, and if the team intends to compete for a playoff spot, they will need to stay healthy.
There are several ways this season could go. If Donaldson plays like he did during the 2015 season, and the starting rotation is effective enough to win games, the Blue Jays will be able to compete for the second wild-card position. However, if injuries become a problem again, and Smoak regresses to his pre-2017 level of play, the Jays will become a basement-dweller in the American League under the thumb of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
All in all, should the cards fall in their favour, the Blue Jays could expect to win 90 games and fight for a playoff spot this season.
The Concordia Stingers baseball team gathers after a game this season. Photo by Ben Fraser.
Howie Schwartz says team’s pitching impressed him the most this season
The Concordia Stingers baseball team wrapped up their season after playing at nationals in Fredericton, N.B., from Oct. 19 to 22. The Stingers finished the tournament tied for fifth place.
It was a mildly successful season for the Stingers. Even with 13 rookies, the team managed to finish 9-7 in the regular season—good enough for second place in the division behind eventual national champions, the McGill Redmen.
In the playoffs, Concordia lost to the Carleton Ravens in the division semi-finals, before winning the wild-card series against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. This secured their spot at nationals, where the Stingers went 1-2 in the round robin before losing to the Acadia Axemen in the tie-breaker game.
This season, outfielder Miles Arecchi-Schuh led the team in batting average, posting a .419 average over 39 at-bats. Second baseman Kyle Hazel—who manager Howie Schwartz said impressed him the most over the season—and first baseman Stefan Brady tied for the team lead in hits, with 14 each. Third baseman Michael Makarios led the team with 14 runs batted in (RBIs).
As a whole, the team struggled to click behind the plate, only hitting a .236 average and scoring 87 runs during the regular season. To compare, rival McGill scored 151 runs. Schwartz said he hopes to improve on this for next season.
From left, Vincent Rivard, Kyle Hazel, Liam Hatheway and Shane Laverty, watch play during a Concordia Stingers baseball game. Photo by Ben Fraser.
“We underachieved at the plate,” he said.“Our season was won and lost based on what we did at the plate.” Schwartz added that the team’s entire hitting outlook needs to change, and this will be worked on over the winter at the Stinger Dome.
The Stingers pitching, which Schwartz described as the “weak point” coming into the season, impressed him all season long. The team had an earned run average (ERA) of 3.39, led by pitcher Shane Mullen, with a team-best ERA of 2.03. Thomas Loubser Munn and Sam Blondeau led the team in innings pitched, both with 18 1/3. Loubster Munn made his opponents swing and miss the most, posting a team best of 18 strikeouts.
Schwartz was happy with how his pitchers performed this season. “Our pitching stood out. They played way beyond what I expected of them.”
Despite the struggles behind the plate, Schwartz praised the team’s ability to come together when it mattered most.
“It took a while [to develop], but the chemistry on the team was extraordinary,” he said. “The team started to come together around playoff time.” According to Schwartz, nationals was a wonderful experience, but it was an event to build on. “Winning is very important, but [the team should have] a quality baseball experience,” he said.
There are high hopes for next year’s nationals as well. Schwartz said the goal is “not just participating in nationals, but winning nationals.”
To prepare for next season, Schwartz is already scouting players to fill roster spots. Schwartz said he has secured three players for next season, and he is also scouting “very heavily” for new talent in British Columbia and the United States.
The 2017 Stingers team both surprised and disappointed this season, but in a rebuilding year with 13 rookies, it was a year that left Schwartz hungry for next season.
Concordia improves to a 8-6 record with 2-1, 13-3 wins
The Concordia Stingers baseball team earned two wins in a doubleheader against the Carleton Ravens on Sept. 24. They have now won four consecutive games and hold a 8-6 record.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Stingers and Ravens battled through sun glare and temperatures that reached 31C. The Stingers defeated the Ravens 2-1 on a walk-off in the seventh and final inning when second baseman Michael Makarios scored off an error.
Starting pitcher Shane Mullen played six innings, allowing five walks, two hits and only one run. Pitcher Justin Benoit relieved him at the top of the seventh and collected the win.
At the plate, the Stingers’ bats were unusually quiet. Catcher Dario Vincelli was responsible for the only run batted in (RBI), which came on a fielder’s choice in the second inning. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the game tied and runners on first and second, outfielder Chandler Philippas struck out on a ball in the dirt. The catcher’s throw to first was over the first baseman’s head, though, and into right field, allowing Makarios to score from second base. This secured the 2-1 win for the Stingers.
The score was not as close in the second game as it was in the first game. The Stingers’ bats exploded for a 13-3 win. The 10-run mercy rule was called after the fifth inning. Several Stingers had great games offensively, including first baseman Stefan Brady with three hits and two runs scored.
The Stingers scored three runs in the first inning, five in the third inning, one run in the fourth inning and another four in the fifth.
A Stingers player talks to a coach at the baseball game on Sept. 24. Photo by Ben Fraser.
Sam Blondeau pitched in the second game, going four innings and allowing three runs on four hits, with a walk and two strikeouts. Pitcher Jackson Morgan replaced him in the top of the fifth inning, but by then the game was all but over.
Brady said playing in hot conditions like they did was a mental challenge. “[The first game] was a hard battle the whole way,” he said.
Concerning the second game, Brady commented on how Concordia wore down the Ravens.
“[The Ravens] were a little bit taken out of it,” he said. “We just had to wake up the bats and put the pressure on them.”
Errors were a major focal point of both games, and with serious sun glare, it becomes very hard to track the ball. However, Philippas said defence is always a priority for the team.
“Defence makes the team. Offence can always bounce back in the end, [but] defence runs the game,” the first-year player said.
Manager Howie Schwartz was happy with the way his team played, especially in the second game.
“Once we got three runs early, they sort of packed it in,” Schwartz said. “They were counting on [their] pitcher to shut us down.”
With the Stingers in a position to make the playoffs, the focus now turns to the next two games against the McGill Redmen. Schwartz said he is sure the team will be ready to go.
“They want to beat us, we want to beat them,” he said. “We’re just going to go out there and play hard, aggressive ball and make it close.”
The Stingers finish the 2017 regular season with games against McGill on Sept. 27 and 28.
Shortstop Bruce Tejada and pitcher Justin Benoit walk towards the dugout in a game versus the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16. Photo by Ben Fraser.
Concordia bats come alive with 22 runs in first two wins of the season
The Concordia Stingers baseball team’s hitters have finally awoken from their off-season slumber. The Stingers bats exploded for 22 runs in a doubleheader against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16 at home.
In the first game, the Stingers defeated the Gee-Gees 14-4 in five innings due to the 10-run difference mercy rule. The Stingers were down 3-0 after the first inning but stormed back for an 11-run second inning. Second baseman Kyle Hazel, shortstop Bruce Tejada and first baseman Stefan Brady scored seven runs batted in (RBI). Starting pitcher Thomas Loubser Munn, who pitched all five innings, allowed eight hits and had eight strikeouts.
In the second game, the Stingers continued their offensive outburst, winning 8-4. Third baseman Michael Makarios had an excellent game, with two hits, a walk and a RBI. Hazel once again was brilliant, collecting a hit, a walk and two RBIs.
In the top of the fourth inning, Hazel showed off his defensive ability by snagging a line drive and tagging the runner out at second base.
An outing like this is something Hazel had been hoping for. “We needed to get [our first wins] out of the way,” he said. “[Wins] like this really boost our confidence.”
Matthew Adams-Whittaker warms up before a game versus the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16. Photo by Ben Fraser.
With the Stingers losing 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning, starting pitcher Shane Mullen was pulled from the game. Relief pitcher Justin Benoit replaced him, and went three innings while only allowing three hits. He did not allow a single run while the Stingers offence scored five more runs.
Benoit said after the game that the offence’s performance made his job a lot easier.
“It makes you feel like you can just go out there and throw your pitch, and if it doesn’t go your way, you have a little leeway,” he said. Benoit showed complete confidence in the hitters, and said he thinks they will have strong games in the future.
“I think we’ve got a solid offence who are just starting to wake up […] and I think they are capable of scoring 10 [runs] a game,” he said.
Manager Howie Schwartz, who was pleased with his team after the short sweep, said he knew
the offence would break out eventually.
“I wanted the wins to come sooner than this, but I’m very happy. We needed it just to get a boost,” he said. “It’s a 16-game season, so we can’t let too much get
away.” While he’s happy the offence broke out, Schwartz said he still believes there is work to be done.
“[The hitters] are finally getting their timing [right],” he said. “But a couple of guys still need to get their confidence up.”
Schwartz added that he thinks the Stringers can be a top team this year. “I have no doubt that [the team can win a championship]. I think our pitching and fielding are as good as anyone else [in the league].”
On Sept. 17, the Stingers added two more wins against the Université de Montréal Carabins, by scores of 2-0 and 9-5. Their record is now 4-4. Their next game is Sept. 20 at home against the McGill Redmen.
Concordia Stingers pitcher Jackson Morgan throws a pitch versus the McGill Redmen on Sept. 13. Photo by Ben Fraser.
Concordia remains winless in four games this season
The Concordia Stingers baseball team remained winless after a 3-1 loss to the McGill Redmen on Sept. 13. On a night when offence was at a premium, Concordia centerfielder Jimi Audain was the shining star.
Audain hit first in Concordia’s lineup, otherwise known as the lead-off hitter. At the plate, Audain
had a hit, two walks, two steals and a run. Unfortunately, his great game didn’t translate into a
win, largely due to the Stingers’ inability to hit with runners in scoring position. Audain stressed that this issue is something the team has noticed and is trying to improve.
“It’s all about having good at-bats,” Audain said. “We definitely need some [practice] in that area. [Hitting with runners in scoring position is] a big key to our team.”
Concordia Stingers baseball players watch from the dugout in a game versus the McGill Redmen on Sept. 13. Photo by Ben Fraser.
The starting pitching has been a bright spot for the team so far this season. Once again, starter Jackson Morgan gave the Stingers a chance to win. Morgan ran into some trouble in the fourth and fifth innings, but he still managed to pitch a decent game.
He went 4 ⅔ innings, allowing seven hits, three runs and three walks. All three runs came in the fourth inning, as he allowed a run batted in (RBI) single, and walked two batters with the bases loaded.
In an incident in the fourth inning, the home plate umpire had some words for Stingers catcher Juliano Leggio.
“Some umpires take their authoritarian stance more seriously than others,” Morgan said after the game. “He wanted to set the tone, and I understand, but I felt like he was being a little unreasonable.”
However, Morgan said he doesn’t blame the umpire for the incident: “Human error is a huge part of baseball, and it’s just something we have to deal with.”
In the top of the fifth, Jackson again ran into trouble, allowing two singles and a walk before being pulled in favour of relief pitcher Justin Benoit. Morgan said he had some issues with his strike zone.
“It seemed like the [umpire] was squeezing me a bit, and I had to find a way to adjust,” Morgan said.
Stingers manager Howie Schwartz gave great credit to Redmen pitcher Phil Saad, who threw a complete game with 13 strikeouts and only three hits.
“[Saad] is a bonafide pitcher,” Schwartz said. “When a pitcher throws 13 strikeouts in a game, you know he’s on.”
Although his team dropped to 0-4 on the season, Schwartz did see improvement.
“I really think our bats are starting to move,” he said. “They’re still striking out, but their swings are much better.”
The manager said he wasn’t concerned about the team’s struggles either: “We have 15 rookies on the team […] and when you look at our scores, 0-4 really should be 2-2.”
Looking to the weekend double-header against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, Schwartz is expecting his team’s hitters to wake up.
“I think our bats will be very strong against [Ottawa],” he said. “I don’t think they have a very
strong pitching staff.”
The Concordia Stingers next two games will be against the Ottawa Gee-Gees in a double-header on Sept. 16.
Pitcher Jackson Morgan prepares for a pitch in the Concordia Stingers season opener against UdeM on Sept. 6. Photo by Ben Fraser.
Despite solid pitching performance by Jackson Morgan, Concordia lost 5-3 to UdeM
The Concordia Stingers baseball team opened up the 2017-18 season with a 5-3 loss to the Université de Montréal Carabins on Sept. 6. Pitcher Jackson Morgan did what all starting pitchers should do—he gave the team a chance to win, going 5 2/3 innings and only giving up two runs.
Morgan ran into some trouble in the top of the sixth as he allowed a run, and had two men on base before he was pulled from the game with two outs.
“I was starting to tire a bit, and when that happens, the curve[ball] doesn’t curve as much, and the change[up] doesn’t change as much,” Morgan said. “So it became about finding outs, the best way I could.”
Morgan praised his defence behind him, calling them incredible all night long. It was a very defence-oriented game for both teams, as the Stingers scored three runs in total. Two runs batted in by Bruce Tejada and another by Miles Arecchi-Schuh drove in the Stingers’ runs of the night.
Concordia Stingers baseball players look on from the dugout in the team’s season opener against the UdeM Carabins on Sept. 6. Photo by Ben Fraser.
It was a rough night for Concordia pitcher Frederic Lalande, who entered the game in the top of the seventh with a 3-2 lead. He had a chance to pick up a save but took the loss instead.
He struck out the first two hitters he faced, but ran into issues locating his pitches, eventually loading the bases. The Carabins capitalized, getting a bases-clearing triple to deep centre field. This gave the Carabins a 5-3 lead, and handed Lalande a blown save.
“They got some cheap hits,” he said. “I felt really in control, confident, but that’s baseball.”
The Stingers had a chance to win with a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth, but failed to score, handing the win to the Carabins.
The Stingers inability to hit with runners in scoring position was a reason for their loss. The team went two-for-nine with runners in scoring position, an occurrence that manager Howie Schwartz said won’t be a common occurrence.
“It’s early in the season. These guys all played in the States, they’re major ballplayers, [but] their timing is off,” Schwartz said.
Aside from the lack of clutch hits, the Stingers struck out 12 times, all against UdeM starter Simon Brisebois, who threw a complete game. Schwartz said his team’s ability to hit will come with time.
“Brisebois is an excellent pitcher. We managed to take care of him last year, [but today] he kept us off balance,” he said. Schwartz added that the first five hitters in the lineup are fantastic, and he expects improvement from them.
Morgan also commented on his team’s offence: “We’ll get the bats going. [We] know how to swing … and I’m expecting them to put up 10 to 12 runs a game”.
The Stingers travel to Ottawa to face the Carleton Ravens for a doubleheader on Sept. 10.
A statistical guide of how Concordia did in the diamond this season
With Concordia’s 2016 baseball season in the books, it’s time for one last look at a year that saw the Stingers come within one win of making the national finals. Given baseball’s reputation as the “moneyball” sport, what would be more appropriate than a statistical retrospective?
The Stingers played 24 games this season in the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA), finishing second out of five teams in the Northern Division.
The Stingers were not an amazing power hitting team this year—they had only one home run in 2016. Their rivals from McGill, who finished first in the Northern division, had them beat in power at the plate.
Where the Stingers made up ground was by playing “small ball”: getting on base a lot and stealing bases. Second baseman Roberto Zapata led the team in this regard, stealing almost one base per game.
To the right are the team’s on-base plus slugging (OPS) leaders. OPS is a general purpose statistic to measure how successful batters are at the plate—such as how often they reach the base.
Concordia’s pitchers Sam Belisle-Springer and Dan Connerty had a slow start to the season, hampered by offseason rust and the pressures of becoming team leaders, as they said in last week’s article in The Concordian, titled “Saying farewell to Concordia’s pitching duo.” They bounced back by mid-October, but were unable to carry that success into the postseason.
The graph below shows the team’s earned run average (ERA) as the season progressed. ERA is the average number of runs a pitcher himself allows over seven innings.
While Belisle-Springer and Connerty are leaving the team after this season, pitchers Jarryd Taylor, Sam Brochu and Shane Mullen will likely start a lot more games next year.
The Concordia Stingers baseball team made it to the conference finals and nationals. Photo by James Kierans.
Dan Connerty and Sam Belisle-Springer reflect on their time with the Stingers baseball team
Anyone will tell you that, in any sport, every team could use more than a few veterans that other players can depend on. What is less widely discussed is the pressure these veterans often put on themselves to be dependable.
With the Stingers baseball season over, veteran pitchers Sam Belisle-Springer and Dan Connerty have finished their last season with Concordia. Both players started their careers with the Stingers in 2013. Connerty left to pitch in the United States for two years, returning to Concordia in 2016, while Belisle-Springer has played four straight seasons.
When the 2016 season started, both were slated to be the team’s premier starting pitchers. Connerty had just come back from playing for Northwood University in Michigan and was named team captain, while Belisle-Springer had been awarded Pitcher of the Year in 2015.
Both were feeling the pressures of leadership.
“Going into [this season], I knew I had to be a starting pitcher, I had to be the number one guy,” said Belisle-Springer. The team had lost one of their other starting pitchers from the year before, and Connerty hadn’t played on the team in two years. “There were a lot of question marks. A lot of that pressure was pressure that I put on myself, and I think that really played into my slow start.”
Meanwhile, Connerty found himself struggling with the pressures of captaincy. He admitted that when manager Howie Schwartz named him captain, he felt like he needed to be the perfect leader the team deserved at all times.
Through the month of September, Connerty and Belisle-Springer allowed a combined 29 runs in just over 23 innings. Before too long, Schwartz decided to sit both of them down and put his background in sports psychology to use.
“He sat us down, we spoke for a good twenty, thirty minutes about what we needed to focus on,” Connerty said. “[Howie] said that I was just putting too much pressure on myself. [I’m a] strong enough leader off the field that, when I go into the game, I don’t have to expect to be perfect.”
Connerty adjusted his leadership strategies, understanding that not everyone on the team had the same competitive spirit he and Belisle-Springer brought to the game.
“There was a difference this year [from] the 2013 team. Not playing at 100 per cent wasn’t acceptable [in 2013]. We had guys on the team who held you accountable. This year, you couldn’t really do that,” Connerty said. “There’s a fine line between being constructive, and coming off as a condescending asshole.”
Belisle-Springer agreed that sometimes the commitment level on the team was lacking. “I had the feeling that half the team didn’t care,” Belisle-Springer said. “The starters really cared but we had a lot of guys who were [just] there.”
With Schwartz’s guidance, the two pitchers were able to finish the regular season with style. By mid-October, both had managed to bring their respective earned-run-averages below four. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to translate this strong play into success at Nationals.
“I had a really strong stretch of three or four starts, and I wasn’t able to carry that over into Nationals,” Belisle-Springer said. “The big disappointment is that I feel like I’m a lot better than what I’ve done in my four years.”
Dan Connerty pitched in the United States for two years before coming back to the Stingers.
The Stingers lost in the semi-finals of the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association National Championships to the Université de Montréal. Neither Connerty nor Belisle-Springer have won a title in their time with the team.
“The main reason I came here was to win a national championship. I really thought we had it,” Connerty said. “Once I got to Nationals, I wanted to leave this weekend with no ‘what ifs.’”
Despite performing well individually at Nationals, Connerty still can’t shake the sting of the loss. “As the captain, your goal is to get the team prepared to win,” Connerty said. “We didn’t win. In that sense, I failed. I can handle it, [but] it’ll take time.”
Belisle-Springer doesn’t want to carry too many regrets about how his collegiate career ended, but wishes his team could have had one more showdown with their rivals. “It was disappointing not to get another shot at Mcgill,” he said. The Stingers played the Redmen six times this season without pulling off a single win.
As for how the team will do without them next year, Belisle-Springer is uncertain, but cautiously optimistic. “I think we’ve got some good young guys. [Pitcher Jarryd] Taylor is going to be really solid next year,” Belisle-Springer said. “Hitting-wise, that’s where I’d be a bit worried, because we weren’t a great hitting team this year and the best hitters are leaving.”
For Connerty and Belisle-Springer, the end of their time at Concordia does not necessarily mean the end of organized baseball. They both have intentions of going pro.
“We’re both at the skill set where we can continue to take baseball further,” Connerty said. While Major League Baseball may be out of the question, both pitchers are confident they could make it in lower-level independent leagues or overseas.
“I’ve always been told, anything you can do, do it as far as you can,” Connerty said. “[So] why the hell not? Real life’s pretty boring anyway.”
Belisle-Springer is equally ambitious about his future in the game and said he’ll look back fondly on the time he spent playing for the Stingers.
“I grew a lot as a baseball player, and I have a lot more growing to do,” Belisle-Springer said. “When I finally put it all together, I’ll be able to say I was a pretty good baseball player. One day.”
The Concordia Stingers lost 11-2 in the final game of their season. Photos by James Kierans.
Concordia’s baseball team was unable to get into the CCBA finals
The Concordia Stingers baseball team lost to the Université de Montréal Carabins by a score of 11-2 in the semi-finals of the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA) National Championship on Oct. 30. It was the third time in four years that the Stingers made the national semi-finals.
After three games of round-robin play, the Stingers went into Sunday’s semi-final matchup with a 2-1 record, clinching the first place for the knockout stage of the tournament.
Pitcher Shane Mullen started the game for the Stingers, seeing his first action of the 2016 post-season. He struggled very early on, allowing two hits, a walk and two runs in the first inning alone.
By the top of the third inning, Mullen had allowed five runs and was pulled off the mound in favour of reliever Sami Brochu. However, Brochu did no better, retiring only two of the eight batters he faced before being pulled himself.
Still, despite his pitchers’ performances, manager Howie Schwartz stood by his decision to play them. “[Brochu] didn’t throw quality pitches—this wasn’t his day,” Schwartz said. “These guys are human. It wasn’t like nobody out there was working or trying. They just didn’t execute.”
Sam Belisle-Springer pitched the last four innings of the game for Concordia, limiting the Carabins to only three more runs. Belisle-Springer, one of the Stingers two star pitchers, had been slated to start in the championship finals, had the team made it.
The Stingers battled back offensively late in the game, loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth. However, they were only able to produce one run in the inning, despite getting three hits on Carabins pitcher Charlie Loignon.
The Stingers will now have to wait until next season for a shot at a title.
“We had a lot of hard hits. We just couldn’t string them together,” said Stingers right fielder Peter Zidros. After the game, Zidros received the award for best hitter of the tournament.
Although they produced eight hits and only struck out once at the plate over the course of the game, Concordia was not able to tire out Loignon as they had in past games.
“We were inconsistent at the plate,” Schwartz said. “I knew we could score a lot of runs against this team particularly—they don’t have [a relief pitcher] to close it down if they run into trouble.”
Earlier in the season, Concordia had mounted a five-run comeback against Loignon and the Carabins by scoring 15 runs in a single inning.
Université de Montréal went on to lose to the Mcgill Redmen in the finals of the CCBA Championship.
With Concordia’s season over, Schwartz now has to turn his attention to next year’s team.
“We’ve got a little bit of recruiting to do,” he said
While the 2016 season wasn’t a failure, Schwartz wishes he could have seen his veterans go out on top.
“This was their last game of university ball, and I’m disappointed they didn’t have another chance to get to a championship,” said Schwartz.
The Concordia Stingers baseball team has earned a spot in the Northern Division Championship game. Photos by James Kierans.
Great pitching and timely offense propelled the Stingers to a spot in the Northern Division Finals
The Concordia Stingers baseball team swept the Carleton Ravens in their playoff best-of-three series on Oct. 15 at Springate Park thanks to solid pitching performances from Sam Belisle-Springer and Dan Connerty.
The Stingers opened the scoring early in the first game. Stingers shortstop Matthew Litwin scored off a ground ball, giving the Stingers an early lead.
The score stayed at 1-0 until the fifth inning, when the Stingers were able to score off of great base-running from centre fielder Roberto Zapata. Zapata’s run gave the team a 2-0 lead.
That was all the run support the Stingers needed for game one, as Belisle-Springer stood his ground defensively, striking out nine batters through six and one-third innings.
The Ravens came close to tying the game in the top of the sixth, when they managed three hits and a run against Belisle-Springer. The pitcher’s confidence, however, didn’t waver.
“Would I have preferred if they [didn’t get those hits]? Of course,” said Belisle-Springer. “But I had confidence enough in my fast ball and my slider today that I felt like I could get out of pretty much any jam.”
Zapata pitched in relief for the last two batters of the seventh inning and closed out the game. Zapata had both the game-winning run and a save.
In the second game of the afternoon, Connerty started for the Stingers. The Ravens had a tough time with him as well, as he allowed only five batters on base over the course of the deciding game.
“That was definitely my best outing of the year,” Connerty said. He shut out the Ravens through five and two thirds innings of play.
“That was the Connerty I knew in 2013,” Stingers manager Howie Schwartz said. “He knew he was on a very short leash, we could not afford to let him get out there and throw [too many walks]. He came out firing.”
Despite Connerty’s performance, game two was not easily won, as the Stingers struggled to generate offense against Carleton’s left-handed pitcher Mike Bannon. Over the course of the first six innings, Concordia got runners into scoring position four times, but failed to convert every time.
The Stingers have picked up a spot in the Nationals.
Still, with the chance to advance to the Division Finals on the line, the Stingers were confident in their game. “It was just a matter of time until we won that game,” Belisle-Springer said. “There was no way we were going to Ottawa [for a game 3].”
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Stingers finally broke the deadlock, as second baseman Mathieu Paquette-Groulx scored from third base off of a wild pitch. The Stingers won game two 1-0 and completed their sweep of the Ravens in back-to-back close games.
Connerty said that the team was comfortable winning by such a close margin as they have been doing so all season.
The Stingers are already preparing themselves for next week’s matchup. Belisle-Springer has no doubt in his mind as to who he’d rather face between the Université de Montréal and McGill who are playing game three of their series on Oct. 17.
“I’d rather beat McGill,” he said.
The Stingers will play next weekend for the Northern Division Championship, and have clinched a spot in the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association Nationals.
