|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Dodgers get spanked by Phoenix in Game #1 but salvage split
The Brooklin Dodgers with a hurt and worn out pitching staff arrived at Kinsmen Stadium knowing they were behind the 8-ball with the visiting Walker Division leading Richmond Hill Phoenix, coming to play and looking for revenge after being swept the day before by the Mississauga Stars.
Dodgers called upon Chambers Middlebrook of the Whitby Canadians Senior Rep. team to help out in the pitching department. Middlebrook a long time Whitby Minor Baseball player and former teammate of several Dodgers, had not seen a lot of action on the mound this year and was eager to get the chance to get some work and help out the Dodgers. The game didn't go exactly as hoped as the Phoenix were able to knock Chambers out of the game in the 4th inning after scoring 9 runs on 9 hits and 5 walks. Sam Grabowski, originally scheduled to have the weekend off, was called upon to shut the door and give the Dodgers a chance to get back in the game. Sam pitched well but gave up 3 runs in the 6th inning, enabling the Phoenix to get the mercy win over the Dodgers in the 6th inning. Richmond Hill starter Andrew Simonis was strong on the mound, as he always is when playing Brooklin. The Dodgers were only able to manage 2 runs and a paltry 4 hits. Mike Elmhurst continued to swing a hot bat, going 2-2 with a run scored.
Final result: Richmond Hill Phoenix - 12 Brooklin Dodgers - 2
In the second game Brad Hanna took to the mound knowing his team not only needed a win to keep the teams nipping at their heels for third place in the Walker Divisions standings but also the Dodgers needed him to eat up innings as the bullpen was pretty bare. Brad did not disappoint throwing a complete game 6 innings. Hanna scattered 6 hits, walked 4, hit 1 batter while striking out 6. Brooklins' bats came alive in game 2, striking for 14 hits and 8 runs. The offense was carried by Ed Ganhao (2-3, 1 run, 2 RBI), Mike Elmhurst (1-2, 1 BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 SB), Lawrence Thomas (2-3, 2 runs, 2 SB) and Sam Grabowski (2-2, 1 double, 2 RBI)
Finals result: Richmond Hill Phoenix - 3 Brooklin Dodgers - 8
The Brooklin Dodgers next see action on Sunday August 27th at Portage Park in Whitby. The Dodgers will be taking on the Mississauga North Tigers at 6:00pm and 8:30pm.
|
BROOK-WIN DODGERS capture second OSBA Championship
This past weekend saw one of the best series of ballgames for the Dodgers in recent memory. The Jenkins Conference Champion Mississauga North Bengals came to play in the OSBA final and showed why they had knocked off the #1 and #2 teams in their conference en route to the OSBA Championship.
Game #2:
After a tight game #1, that saw two impressive pitching performances, the two team met again in Mississauga and both team were ready to play. The Dodgers sent Wayne Wickens to the hill. Wayne was a little shakey in the 2nd inning and it really got ugly for him in the 3rd when the Bengals hit 3 homeruns off of him to jump out to a 6-1 lead. Wayne went out to start the 4th inning but after the first two batters got on, Sam Grabowski came on in relief. Sam got the next 6 outs in order in the 4th and 5th innings and then gave way to Jeff Canning who gave up a lead off single, that runner was quickly eerased when caught stealing, then retired the next two batters, giving the Dodgers a chance to try and claw their way back.
The offense for the Dodgers in Game #1was better then it had been in most of their playoff games, their only problem seemed to be the fact they could not get key hits with runners on base. They jumped out to an early lead in the 1st inning on an RBI single by Mike Weir. After falling behind 6-1 after the 3rd inning, they notched a second run in the 4th on an RBI single by Kyle McFarlane. The Dodgers added a 3rd run in the 5th inning on a Homerun from Colin Appleton. this was as close as the Dodgers would get as they would lose the game 7-3.
Final Score: Dodgers - 3 Bengals - 7
Offensive Standouts:
Colin Appleton - 2-2, HR, Run, RBI
Mike Elmhurst - 1-2, RBI
Sam Grabowski - 2-3
Game #3
In Game #3 the Dodgers had rookie their second rookie pitcher of the day going in Dave Hickey. Dave did not disappoint as he went a complete game 7 innings for the win, giving up two runs on 6 hits, 2 walks and 1 HBP, while striking out 5.
Brooklin got to the Bengals starter right away, scoring 3 runs on 4 hits and 1 Sac fly in the 1st inning, to take a 3-0 lead. They would add a run in the 3rd inning on an RBI single be Jay Jarvie, scoring Wayne Wickens. Another run was added in the 4th inning on a homerun from Brad Hanna. A 6th run was scored in the 5th inning by Dave Imeson, on an RBI single by his cousin Dan Blea. The 6th inning saw the Dodgers put give themselves even more breathign room with a 3 run inning. A lead off homerun by Derek Grieve was followed up with a RBI Sac Fly from Tim Imeson and an RBI single by Colin Appleton.
Final Score: Dodgers - 9 Bengals - 2
Offensive Standouts:
Derek Grieve - 2-3, HR, 2 Runs, RBI
Jay Jarvie - 2-3, Run, RBI
Mike Weir - 1-2, Double, Run, RBI
Brad Hanna - 1-2, HR, Walk, RBI, 2 Runs
Dave Hickey - 3-3, SB
Dan Blea - 2-3, Run
Game #4
The teams met back at Kinsmen Stadium with teh dodgers leading the series 2 games to 1. The Bengals knowing they needed a win sent their ace Jon Menezes to the moound and the Dodgers countered with Sam Grabowski, a proven playoff performer. While Sam may not have had his best stuff on the day, his defence were right behind him all the way as they made outstanding play after outstanding play. Sam went the complete 7 innings for the win, without allowing a run and giving up 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3.
The Dodgers again had problems with the Menezes, as they looked to be all over him in the 1st inning with 3 hits but came away empty handed. This would be the case for the next 5 inning s as the Dodgers were unable to get another hit off of him. This was until the bottom of the 7th inning. After leadoff hitter Kyle McFarlane was hit and then advanced on a passed ball. The next two batter were unable to bring Kyle home, so with 2 outs and Kyle at second Jay Jarvie hit a single to centerfield that was enough to cash in the winning run and give the Dodgers their second OSBA Championship in two years!
Final Score: Bengals - 0 Dodgers - 1
Offensive Standouts:
Jay Jarvie - 2-3, RBI
Mike Weir - 1-1, Walk
Kyle McFarlane - 0-0, HBP, Run
The Brooklin Dodgers would like to congratulate the Mississauga North Bengals on the great season they had and the great baseball they played in the 2007 OSBA Championship Series. Hats off to Coaches Ryan Rattos and Greg DaCosta for putting together a great team, not only talent wise but also in personality, it was a fun weekend of baseball! Look forward to the chance of doing it all again next year!
|
Brooklin complete sweep in slugfest
The Brooklin Dodgers were looking to stay undefeated in the OSBA playoffs witha Game #2 win against the Pickering Pirates in the Walker Championship Finals. They did so and surprisingly they did it with their bats, as their pitching was a bit shakey for the first time in this years playoffs.
Wayne Wickens got the nod as the starter for Game #2 and was strong through 3 innings as gave up only 2 hits while striking out 1 and getting 8 ground ball outs. In the 4th inning however the Pirates as they had done in Game #1, got their bats rolling and were able to cash in 3 runs on 3 hits and two walks. This halved the Dodgers lead to 6-3. In the 5th inning the Pirates would chase Wickens after they scored 2 more runs on two hits and a walk. Sam Grabowski came in to record the final out of the inning and then pitch the 6th inning. Sam was one out from getting the Dodgers into the 7th inning with a 15-5 lead, however Sam was lit up by Romeo Persaud for a monster shot to left field, that put the score to 15-7. Showing that the Pirates were not going to give up just yet. In the 7th inning, seldom used pitcher Brad Hanna took the mound and a little rust was visible as he gave up 3 runs (1 earned) on 2 hits, 2 walks and an error. This made the final score 17-10 in favour of the Dodgers.
The dodgers bats got going right away in the first inning knocking in 4 runs on 4 hits including a 2 RBI Double from Tim Imeson. In the second the dodgers would score two more runs off the bats of Sam Grabowski and Ed Ganhao groundouts. This put the score at 6-0. After the Pirates scored 3 runs of their own in the 4th inning, Brooklin came right back with 3 runs of their own, capitizing on a couple of errors and two RBI sac flys from Lawrence Thomas and Tim Imeson. In the 5th inning the Dodgers exploded for 6 runs on 7 hits with key hits from Brad Hanna (RBI Triple), Dave Hickey (RBI Double) and 2 RBI single from Kyle McFarlane. this gave the Dodgers a 15-5 lead and though the Pirates would cash in 2 and 3 runs in the last two innings to get a little closer, the Dodgers knew that they had their 5 trip to the OSBA Championship Final all sewn up.
Final Score: Pirates - 10 Dodgers - 17
Offensive Standouts:
Brad Hanna - 2-3, Triple, 3 Runs, 2 RBI, SB
Jay Jarvie - 3-4, Triple, 3 Runs, 1 RBI
Tim Imeson - 1-1, Double, 2 RBI, Sac Fly
Mitch Dunn - 2-2, Walk, 2 Runs, 1 RBI
Derek Grieve - 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 Sac Flys
Mike Weir - 2-3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 HBP
Dave Hickey - 1-2, Double, 1 Run, 1 RBI, Walk
Lawrence Thomas - 1-1, Double, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 Sac Fly
Ed Ganhao - 1-1, 1 RBI, 1 Run, 1 Sac
|
Brooklin Dodgers head into second half confident
After a weekend in Ottawa with less then pleasing results, the Brooklin Dodgers however are confident as they head into the second half of the season.
While in Ottawa the Dodgers compiled a record of 1-2. The biggest problem the team had was hitting as in both losses this is what killed their chances for wins. The added problem of missing 4 main players for the weekend and one other after the first game, proved to be too much of a hurdle for the team to overcome. The weekend was a success even though the results on the field were not what we had hoped for, the team had a great time and continued to forge strong bonds amongst themselves.
The Dodgers now head into the second half of the season starting off with a doubleheader against the Barrie Red Sox, who are right on their tails for third place in the Walker division. The Dodgers also have doubleheaders still to play against the two teams in front of them in the standings, the Durham Chiefs and the league leading Richmond Hill Phoenix.
The battle for playoff spots and possible bye's in the first round will only heat up from here on out.
|
Brooklin heading back to the OSBA Championship Series
The Brooklin Dodgers are heading back to the OSBA Championship Series for the second year in a row, hoping to match the Mississauga Stars for the most Championships and to also be the the second team to win back-to-back titles.
The Dodgers will not have an easy run of it, as they face the impressive Mississauga North Bengals from the Jenkins Conference. The Bengals have been playing inspiring baseball in the run to the finals. Knocking off the #1 team (Burlington Bulls) and then the #2 team (Mississauga Stars) behind the strong pitching performances of Jon Menezes and Andrew McDermid.
Brooklin knows that if they want to hoist the OSBA Championship trophy they will have to continue to have the strong defence they have had behind some very solid pitching performances in the first 3 rounds. The pitching staff for the Dodgers has a combined 3.00 ERA in their 6 playoff games. Mitch Dunn, Wayne Wickens and Dave Hickey have been tops with Sam Grabowski coming out of the pen to do the job of closing the door.
The bats came alive in their second game against the Pickering Pirates and they expect to continue to swing the hot sticks this coming weekend. Leading the charge for the Dodgers at the plate is Sam Grabowski, Mike Weir, Wayne Wickens, Dave Hickey and Derek Grieve.
This will be a tough best of 5 series as all five games are scheduled for one weekend. Due to players being unavailable during the week (school/work) and also on the Thanksgiving weekend, it was agreed by both teams to schedule the series for this weekend. So it will be a test for both teams to see how their pitching staffs can react to the possible 5 games in three days.
LET'S PLAY BALL!!
|
Brooklin look to continue impressive playoff run
The Brooklin Dodgers head into the Walker Conference Finals having swept both the Whitby Chiefs and Durham Chiefs. They will now face the Pickering Pirates who definitely are not to be taken lightly in 2007.
The Pirates are definitely living up to their motto "You gotta come through Pickering" in the 2007 playoffs. They had an impressive start in the 1st round with a sweep of the 4th ranked Oshawa Talons. They not only swept Oshawa but did not allow one single run in either game of the series. They followed that up with what many on the OSBA forum thought would be a Richmond Hill series win in the 2nd Round. Things did not go well for Pickering as they were unable to capitilize on the fact that the Phoenix only had 8 players for game one and lost. Games #2 and #3 were different stories as the Pirates came to win and they did in convincing fashion behind the stellar pitching performances of Will Mariani, who pitched two complete game wins to put the Pirates into their first ever Walker Conference Championship series.
The Dodgers have been playing some impressive ball themselves as they have swept both their series thus far. In Round #1 they faced off against the expansion Whitby Chiefs and though they swept the series, both games were battles, as the Chiefs pitchers (Steve Butterworth & Steve Harrington) both threw excellent games. The Dodgers were able to not only get some key hits when needed but also were able to make the Chiefs pay for errors they made, add in their own pitchers (Wayne Wickens & Mitch Dunn) great pitching performances and they came away with the sweep. In Round #2, Brooklin were up against longtime rival the Durham Chiefs. Brooklin was again able to take the series in two straight games even though they again faced two very strong pitching performances (Mike Ovsonka & Paul Ovsonka) but came out on top as their own pitching (Dave Hickey & Mitch Dunn) was just as strong and actually a little better.
So the Dodgers head to the Walker Championship Final for the 5th year in a row, looking to get back to the OSBA Championsip Final series. This series looks to be a pitching duel between these two teams. Even though the Dodgers swept the regular season series (4-0), the Dodgers are not going to take the Pirates lightly. They are geared up and ready to take part in what looks to be one hell of a Conference Final!
|
Brooklin squeeks out Game #1 win
The Brooklin Dodgers went in to Game #1 of their Walker Championship Series against the Pickering Pirates, with history on their side. Having won the past 6 games that these two teams had met, going back to the 2006 playoffs. Well they have continued that run with a win in Game #1 but by the slimmest of margins.
The Dodgers had Sam Grabowski out on the hill to start the game and he did not disappoint as he cruised through the first three innings, giving up only two hits and keeping the Pirates off the board. In the 4th inning the Pirates were able to touch him up for 4 runs on 5 hits. Sam gave way to Dave Hickey who came on in the 5th inning. Dave was a bit shakey, giving up 1 run on 1 hit, a walk and a sac fly in the 5th. He then shut out Pickering over the final two innings, to pick up the save and give the Dodgers a 1-0 series lead.
The Dodgers were again able to capitilize on the opposing teams mistakes and get some key hits. They scored first in the 2nd inning, off of an RBI single by Dave Hickey. They were then able to increase that lead to 3-0 in the 3rd inning with an RBI ground out by Ed Ganhao and then on an error by the catcher on a strike three call against Colin Appleton. After going down 4-3 in the bottom of the 4th inning the Dodgers charged right back with 4 hits of their own, including an RBI double by pinch hitter Dave Imeson and RBI Sac Flys from Wayne Wickens and Colin Appleton. This made the score 6-4.
Final Score - Dodgers 6 Pirates 5
Offensive Standouts:
Dave Hickey - 2-3, RBI, Run
Mike Elmhurst - 1-1, HBP, 2 Runs
Wayne Wickens - 1-1, Double, Sac Fly, Run, RBI
Dave Imeson - 1-1, Double, RBI
|
Brooklin sweeps away Durham
The weekend did not start on a good note for the Brooklin Dodgers, as Game #1 that was scheduled for Friday night at Kinsmen Stadium was rained out and was then pushed to Sunday night as game #3. This would have meant that if the series went 3 games they would all be played on Sunday, with the first two being played at Clarington Fields.
Sunday started off as a very cloudy and cool day, with both teams showing up early for batting practice. Luckily both fields in Clarington are side by side and both were empty, allowing the two teams to get their players ready for the games ahead.
Brooklin had Dave Hickey taking the hill, while Durham countered with staff ace Mike Ovsonka. This game would prove to be a pitchers duel as both players pitched strong complete games. In going the distance, Hickey allowed only 2 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7 on his way to the complete game shutout win.
The Dodger bats were kept just as quiet by Ovsonka, as they were only able to collect 2 hits themselves. In the first inning the Dodgers scored their first run on a fly ball to rightfield by Mike Weir that the outfielder was unable to handle, this cashed in Derek Grieve from firstbase. In the third inning Colin Appleton led off the inning by getting plunked on the elbow, he was then sacrificed to second on a beautiful bunt laid down by Dan Blea. After a pop-up to third, Derek Grieve came through with the teams first hit, while cashing in Colin for the Dodgers second run of the game. Brooklin scored their third and final run in the 5th inning when Lawrence Thomas reached base on an error by the shortstop and then advanced to second on a pass ball. With one out Sam Grabowski ripped a single to score the speedy Thomas and give the Dodgers a 3-0 win.
Final Score: Chiefs - 0 Dodgers - 3
Offensive Standouts:
Derek Grieve - 1-2, walk, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Sam Grabowski - 1-2, 1 RBI
Brooklin decided to go with Mitch Dunn for Game #2 in the series and the Chiefs sent out Paul Ovsonka. This again was a very well pitched game by both pitchers, though this time around the Dodgers had a little better luck with the bats. Dunn was strong right through the game, going the complete 7 innings, even after getting hammered by a Dan Wilson line drive off the foot, in the 6th inning. Dunn allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 HBP, while striking out 8 and giving up 2 runs, 1 earned.
As stated earlier the Dodgers bats were a little more productive in Game #2, banging out 11 hits. They got on the board first in the 1st inning, with two outs Derek Grieve got on base after an error by the secondbaseman and then scored on a double by Mike Weir. Brooklin struck again in the 3rd inning on a couple of singles to lead off the inning by Lawrence Thomas and Wayne Wickens. Sean Blea cashed in Thomas with a ground ball to second base, to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. In the 4th inning Dan Blea lead off with a single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a flyout and a pop-up, Mike Weir got his second RBI of the day with a single that scored Dan, putting the Dodgers ahead 3-0. The Chiefs would get 1 run back in the bottom half of the 4th inning, on a missthrow down to thirdbase by catcher Brad Hanna. Brooklin came right back in the top of the 5th inning however, with Thomas hitting a 2 out double and then Wayne Wickens followed with a single and Thomas scored on an error by the firstbaseman. This put the score at 4-1 after 5 innings. Neither team scored in the 6th inning. The Dodgers added one more run in the top of the 7th inning when Jay Jarvie led off with a single, then with one out Weir doubled, putting runners at 2nd and 3rd. Jeff Canning was intentionally walked to load the bases and set up the force at home. Brad Hanna grounded into a force at home, for the second out of the inning and then Tim Imeson singled in the 5th run of the game for the Dodgers. Durham would not go away however as they scratched out a run in the bottom half of the 7th and had a runner at third but were unable to cash him in or get anyone else on base.
Final Score: Dodgers - 5 Chiefs - 2
Offensive Standouts:
Mike Weir - 3-3, 2 Doubles, 2 RBI's, Run
Lawrence Thomas - 2-3, Double, 2 Runs
Dan Blea - 1-2, Walk, Run
Tim Imeson - 1-3, RBI
Sean Blea - 1-1, Sac, RBI
Wayne Wickens - 2-2
The Brooklin Dodgers now move on to the Walker Conference final and will meet the Pickering Pirates, who defeated the Richmond Hill Phoenix 2-1 in their series. Please check back later in the week for a full schedule and preview of the series.
|
Brooklin wins Game #1 pitching duel
The Brooklin Dodgers came out on top in a Game #1 pitching duel against the Mississauga North Bengals on a cool Friday night at Kinsmen Stadium in Oshawa.
The Dodgers starter, Mitch Dunn, was definitely firing on all cylinders this night as he pitched a complete game 3-hit shutout for the win. The Bengals 3 hits all came in the top of the 7th inning, as Dunn took a no-hitter into that inning, having only let one batter reach base in the first 6 innings on a HBP. In his 7 innings of work Mitch struckout 11 batters, none bigger then the final batter of the game with bases loaded, on a called third strike.
The Bengals starter, Jon Menezes, was equally strong going a complete game, giving up only 4 hits to the Dodgers. Three of those hits came in the bottom of the 4th inning though and would lead to the Dodgers loan run. A lead off single by Dan Blea was followed up by two ground outs that moved Dan to third. Then with two outs Mike Weir slammed a single to cash him in. Brad Hanna followed up with another single and after some aggressive running by Weir, the Dodgers had runners at 2nd and 3rd and two outs. However the next batter was not able to cash them in.
Final Score: Bengals - 0 Dodgers - 1
Offensive Standouts:
Dan Blea - 1-3, Run
Mike Weir - 1-1, Walk, RBI
The series now switches to Mississauga and Fallingbrook Park for games #2 & #3 on Saturday. This has the making of a great series if the first game is any indication.
|
Divisional All-Star Game participants
|
Dodgers drop tight first game to Chiefs
The Brooklin Dodgers lost the first game of their 2nd round series to the Durham Chiefs in a tight 8 inning pitching duel.
The Dodgers sent veteran Jeff Canning to the hill to face off against the Chiefs ace Mike Ovsonka. Jeff went 6 innings, leaving in the 7th after giving up a lead-off double. In Jeff's 6 innings of work he gave up 2 hits with 1 walk an 2 strikeouts and one earned run. Sam Grabowski came on in relief of Jeff but was unable to hold the 1 run lead the Dodgers had. The Chiefs tied the game in the 7th and then went on to score 4 runs in the top of the 8th inning to take the lead and the eventual win.
Brooklins bats were kept in check by Mike Ovsonka, all game as he pitched out of jams throughout his 8 innings of work. The Dodgers were just unable to get a key hits to break open the game when they had their chances. Mike Elmhurst continued to be hot going 1-2 with a HBP, a walk and 2 stolen bases. Lawrence Thomas had a a key hit in the 6th inning giving the Dodgers their first and only lead of the game.
Final Score: Durham Chiefs - 6 Brooklin Dodgers - 2
The Dodgers look to get back on track on Sunday Sept. 17th at Kinsmen Stadium, when they will need to win 2 games against the Chiefs to advance to the next round of the OSSBA playoffs.
|
Dodgers get set to battle Pirates
The Brooklin Dodgers head into their upcoming series in the 1st round of the playoffs, against the Pickering Pirates. A team the Dodgers has not met in the playoffs before. With the two teams only playing two games near the beginning of the year, Dodgers swept the series; they both will be going into this series wondering the best way to defeat the other and no real history to help them out.
The Dodgers had an up and down season, though they did end up in 3rd place, securing home field advantage in the 1st round. The team also bettered their 2005 record going 15-9-2.
Brooklin battled injuries throughout the season and the injury cloud has followed them into the playoffs. The first to succumb to the injury bug was veteran Jeff Canning. Jeff suffered a shoulder injury early in the season and the coaching staff shut his arm down for basically all of June and July with some light throwing at the beginning of August. Jeff looks like he is back in game shape though and his bat continued to be solid throughout the year. Next on the injury list was sophomore Dan Blea, also with a shoulder injury, however it was not as bad as originally had been thought and he only was only off the field defensively for about a month. The other two major injuries were of the hand variety. Sean Blea had a has a slight fracture in his wrist, that he suffered during a game against Barrie, that has yet to heal and he will miss the playoffs in 2006. Sean is holding out hope he may be healed enough to play in the finals should the Dodgers make it that far. Mitch Dunn broke two bones in his pitching hand while in the OSSBA tournament in Barrie. A complete version of what happened is a little fuzzy but we are certain there were some Mexicans involved, though the amount varies with each telling of the story, last count had it at 15 to 20. They however were not the cause of his injury, they were his heroes actually. Mitch recently had his cast off and was throwing pain free for the past week and a half.
Well through all the injuries both minor and major, several Brooklin Dodgers had great years. Even with the shoulder injury, Dan Blea still managed to play in all 26 of the Dodgers games. Hitting an impressive .463 with 22 runs, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1 HR and 19 RBI’s. As the leadoff hitter for the Dodgers all year, he had an impressive .482 OBP. Also joining Dan in the .400 club for average was a trio of veterans Brad Hanna (.480, 7 doubles, 1 HR, 14 RBI’s), Jeff Canning (.413, 17 runs, 6 doubles, 15 RBI) and Mike Elmhurst (.404, 13 runs, 6 doubles, 13 RBI’s). The 2006 Dodgers had the best team average they have ever had in their 6 years in OSSBA as both Dodgers and Whitby Chiefs. Other players having great years at the plate were rookie Sam Grabowski (.347, 12 runs, 13 RBI’s), Jay Jarvie (.373, 13 runs, 14 RBI’s) and the list goes on. The Dodgers will miss the bat of Mark Cairns as well as his stellar defence at short and behind the plate. Mark left for school in South Carolina, right after the OSSBA Tournament. The defence has been solid though all year with Dan Blea leading the charge. Catching duties have been split pretty much between Mike Elmhurst and rookie Braden Novack, both having done a great job of managing the pitching staff.
Sam Grabowski has been the top dog this year going 7-2. With the loss of Jeff Canning for most of the year but who still ended up with an ERA of 1.47, Mitch Dunn and Brad Hanna had strong years, Hanna the most improved due to a sharp increase in innings in 2006 over 2005. Along with Kyle McFarlane and a healthy Jeff, the Dodgers are looking good going into their match-up with the Pirates.
The Dodgers will look to strong defence with a solid outfield of Lawrence Thomas, Jay Jarvie and Mike Weir patrolling the outfield and an infield that has Dan Blea anchored at SS and a platoon at 1st with Jeff, Mitch and Ed sharing most of the duties. Shortstop will see primarily Kyle McFarlane and over at third base will be another platoon of Braden Novack and Brad Hanna.
The Pirates are a strong team with a good core of veterans and some new additions that have helped the team this year. They have had some bad luck but always bring their “A” game when it comes to the playoffs. Case in point, coming within an inning of upsetting the Durham Chiefs in last years first round of the playoffs.
So as in all playoff series it will come down to which team can perform at the highest level and capitalize on the other teams miscues. Pitching will be key to this series and the Dodgers feel they have the stronger and more experienced staff to get the job done.
So the Dodgers head into the series feeling very very good about their chances despite the up and down season they have had in 2006. It all gets started this coming Saturday in Pickering at Kirkey Field. Game time is 11:00am
|
DODGERS HAVE GOOD JULY BUT LOOK TO HAVE GREAT AUGUST
The Brooklin Dodgers finished the month of July with a 3-2-1 record in regular season play and a 2-3-1 record in tournament play that saw them play in Ottawa the July 8th and 9h and up in Barrie on the Civic long weekend for the OSSBA tournament. These were not stellar numbers for the club but they sit in third place a mere 2 points behind the Durham Chiefs for second place and a bye in the first round of the playoffs.
During regular season play the Dodgers have looked very solid one game and then seem to lose focus in the next. The pitching has been solid all month but the bats just do not seem willing to stay hot on a consistent basis. The pitching staff has seen Brad Hanna step up and pitch very effectively, while Jeff Canning has been on the pitching DL through June and July. Along with Sam Grabowski and Mitch Dunn, the pitching staff has kept the team in every game.
The coming month of August will be a tough one, not only for the games that are to be played versus Durham, Richmond Hill Phoenix and the Mississauga North Tigers, good teams all of them, but more importantly because of the rash of injuries that continue to plague the Dodgers this season. As previously noted Jeff Canning has only been able to hit while his shoulder healed, Dan Blea also saw a good deal of DH/EH duties in June and July as he too had some arm trouble. Both are now back to health, with Jeff looking to start working the arm into game shape in time for playoffs. The team has had more recent injury woes with first Mike Weir being sidelined after slicing his hand at work and Sean Blea getting a slight fracture of the wrist while diving for a ball during a game in Barrie on July 16th. Weir has gotten his stitches out recently and is looking to get back on the diamond this weekend. Sean will have his cast taken off on August 18th and is shooting for the final series of the month to get back to playing before the playoffs. All those injuries would be bad enough but the bad news continued for Coach Rod Holinaty as first Mitch Dunn revealed after the OSSBA Tournament, that he had fractured his throwing hand in an altercation on the Saturday night of the tournament, while defending his girlfriend’s honour. Optimistic timeline for his return would be the second weekend of playoffs, though it remains to be seen if he will be able to pitch effectively that soon. Finally on Friday August 11th Colin Appleton reported he had hurt his shoulder/arm at work and would be unavailable for an undisclosed amount of time. Colin gets the results of X-Rays and an Ultrasound this coming Tuesday. It is suspected he has the same injury that both Dan and Jeff had earlier in the year, to what degree is not exactly known.
The final bit of bad news was that Assistant coach and player Mark Cairns has left the team after the OSSBA Tournament to head down to South Carolina where he will be continuing his studies at USC. Classes start early and Mark needed to get down there to get settled in to the new house he and girlfriend Lindsay have bought. Mark had a fine last performance with the Dodgers in 2006 as he smashed 2 homeruns in his final game. Mark will be missed greatly both on and off the field. He was a not only a great asset on the field but of immense help to Coach Rod.
However even with all the bad news that keeps coming the Dodgers way, they still manage to pick themselves up and currently find themselves in the hunt for a bye in the first round and if that falls through, they are looking good to have home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
So the team heads into the month of August with their heads held high and looking to play some inspired baseball. First up are the Durham Chiefs this Sunday August 13th at Kinsmen Stadium. Game times are 11:00am and 1:30pm.
|
Dodgers head to 2006 Nepean Brewers Tournament
The Brooklin Dodgers come off a two week lay-off and head up to Ottawa to take part in the 2006 Nepean Brewers Tournament July 7th to 9th.
The Dodgers will not be the only OSSBA team in attendance as the Burlington Bulls, Barrie Red Sox and Oshawa Talons will also be taking part.
The Dodgers schedule is as follows:
Saturday July 8th, 9:00am - vs. Nepean Brewers
Saturday July 8th, 3:30pm - vs New Lowell Knights
Sunday July 9th, 9:00am - vs Ottawa Red Sox
Regrettably Jeff Canning, Brad Hanna, Colin Appleton and Kyle McFarlane either because of work or prior commitments, will not be attending. To shore up the roster for the tough tournament and with all other OSSBA teams having league games, the Dodgers have had the good fortune to be able to add three players from the Burlington Bandits of the ICBL. The players joining the Dodgers for the weekend will be Chris MacKay (LHP/1B/OF), Geoff Cude (OF/C) and Ross Mackenzie (RHP/2B/3B/OF).
The Dodgers are looking forward to a great tournament and a good time to be had by all.
|
Dodgers manage 3 of 4 possible points on weekend
The Brooklin Dodgers came away from their series with the Oshawa Talons one point shy of their goal. The Dodgers tied the first game and won the second game of the twin bill on Sunday May 28th.
The first game was a tight affair with both teams playing some good defense. Brooklin starter Sam Grabowski was solid in his 6 innings of work, giving way to Jeff Canning in the 7th after giving up two lead off hits, to put the tieing run on secondbase. Jeff was unable to hold the lead as the first batter touched him for a single to score the tieing run. Jeff then settled down and recorded six straight outs in the 7th and 8th innings to preserve the tie. The offense was led by Jeff Canning (2-3, 2 RBI), Brad Hanna (2-3, 1 Run) and Mike Weir (1-3, 1 RBI).
Final Score: Oshawa - 4 Brooklin - 4
In the second game of the doubleheader the Dodgers got going right away in the 1st inning as Jay Jarvie hit a Grand Slam. In the second inning the bats kept going as 5 runs crossed the plate. They would score 1 more run in the 3rd and 3 more in the 4th on their way to a mercy win in 5 innings. Mitch Dunn took to the mound and pitched a complete 5 inning game for the win, giving up only 1 run on 2 hits, striking out 3, while walking 2 and hitting one batter. Offensive stars for the game were Jay Jarvie (2-2, 2 runs, 4 RBI 1HR, 1BB , 1SB), Dan Blea (3-3, 3 Runs, 1 RBI), Mark Cairns (2-3, 1 Run, 2 RBI) and Sam Grabowski (2-2, 2 Runs)
Final Score: Oshawa - 1 Brooklin - 13
|
Dodgers sweep Chiefs in 1st Round
The Brooklin Dodgers completed the 1st round of the OSBA playoffs winning Game #2 against the Whitby Chiefs. This gave them a sweep of the series.
Game #2 saw two tough pitchers face off against each other, with Mitch Dunn getting the call for the Dodgers and Steve Butterworth for the Chiefs. Both pitchers were strong and went the full 7 innings. Mitch was solid the first 3 innings before getting into some trouble in the 4th inning, giving up four consecutive hits and allowing the Chiefs to score their first two runs. The inning could have been worse if not for a rifle of a throw from Lawrence Thomas to nail Adam Bickford at secondbase, as he tried to stretch a single into a double on the Chiefs first hit of the inning. This put the Dodgers down 2-1 as they scored first in the 1st inning on an RBI single by Mike Weir. In the 5th inning the Dodgers scored two more runs on an RBI Sac Hit by Thomas and an RBI double off the bat of Dave Hickey. This put the Dodgers ahead 3-2 going into the 6th inning. Whitby was able to get a runner to third in the 6th but were unable to cash him in. Then the Dodgers took a little of the wind out of the Chiefs sails with a 3-run Homerun by Derek Grieve in the bottom of the 6th inning, giving them a 6-2 lead. In a very emotional 7th inning the Chiefs clawed out a run off of Mitch but after a great throw from Brad Hanna and tag by Dave Hickey that resulted in a collision at secondbase with Ryan Fraser, who was attempting to steal, the umpire called Fraser out and ended the game.
Offensive Standouts:
Derek Grieve - 1-3, HR, 1 Run, 3 RBI's
Dave Hickey - 2-2, Double, 1 RBI
Mike Weir - 1-3, 1 RBI
Dan Blea - 0-2, Walk, 2 Runs
With the win the Dodgers move on to the second round against their rivals the Durham Chiefs next weekend. Game times and locations to be announced later this week.
|
Dodgers sweep first series of the year
The Brooklin Dodgers took both ends of their doubleheader against the Pickering Pirates this past weekend.
Game 1 saw Sam Grabowski take to the hill. Sam had a rough go of it, as the Pirates scored in each inning except for the 4th. Mark Cairns made his first appearence on the mound midway through the 5th inning and shut the door and picked up his first win of the year.
The Dodgers offence was potent, as they scored in every inning till the 6th, when the Pirates finally kept them off the scoreboard. The offense was provided by Jeff Canning (2-3, 2 runs, 1 double, 1 RBI), Brad Hanna (2-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI), Ed Ganhao (1-1, 1 Run, 1 RBI, 2 BB's) and Colin Appleton (1-3, 1 double, 3 RBI)
Final score: Pickering - 7 Brooklin - 9
In Game 2 Brad Hanna made his debut on the mound and pitched a very strong 5 innings for the win. Brad did not give up a run, while striking out 5, walking 5 and surrendering only 2 hits. Kyle McFarlane entered the game int he 6th inning and pitched a scoreless 6th and 7th inning for the save.
The Dodgers offence went from riches to rags in this game as all the offnce was supplied by Dan Blea with a 2 RBI single in the 3rd inning. One other offensive note, Ed Ganhao continued his streak going 1-2 with a run scored.
Final score: Pickering - 0 Brooklin - 2
|
Dodgers sweep Tigers on Brad Hanna Day!
The Brooklin Dodgers finished the 2006 regular season with a sweep of the Mississauga North Tigers. Not only was this special because it meant they clinched 3rd place in the Walker Division and home field in the first round but it was done while they celebrated Brad Hanna Day at Portage Park in Whitby.
The first game had Sam Grabowski take to the hill looking to shake off his last start, that didn't see him make it out of the first inning. Sam did not disappoint as he pitched a 7 inning complete game for the victory. He scattered 5 hits and walked 1 while striking out 5. The offense for the Dodgers was spread right through the lineup. Key standouts were Dan Blea (1-2, 2 runs, 1 HBP, 2 SB), Jay Jarvie (1-2, 1 BB, 1 double, 1 run, 2 RBI), Ed Ganhao (1-3, 2 RBI) and Kyle McFarlane (1-1, 1 run, 2 BB).
Final Score: Tigers - 3 Dodgers - 8
The second game of the twin bill had veteran Jeff Canning get the call to start the game. Jeff has been working himself back into game shape after not pitching for two months with a shoulder injury. Jeff looked strong in his 3 innings of work, not allowing a run, before giving away to Kyle McFarlane who as well pitched scoreless baseball in his two innings of work. Brad Hanna came on in the 6th inning, giving up a run to tie the game on a very well executed squeeze bunt. After the Dodgers took back the lead in the bottom of the 6th, the Tigers were able to squeeze across the tying run after some shoddy fielding by the Dodgers. The Dodgers would rally in the bottom of the 7th though and with a runner on 3rd and one out, Kyle slashed a single to left field to complete the sweep. Offensive standouts were Jeff Canning (1-3, 1 run), Brad Hanna (1-1, 1 double, 1 RBI) and Kyle McFarlane (1-3, 1 RBI).
Final Score: Tigers - 2 Dodgers - 3
The sweep and clinching of third place was a perfect end to BRAD HANNA DAY who was playing for all the kids in the hospital that are sick. At the conclusion of the final game, Brad was carried off the field by his admiring teammates. Congratulations Brad on a job well done!
|
Dodgers take two from Giants
The Brooklin Dodgers headed west this past weekend to take on the expansion Forest Glen Giants. With the Giants having no wins coming into the series, the Dodgers knew they would need to not be over confident and not let the hungry Giants halt their own unbeaten streak.
Game #1 saw Mitch Dunn take to the mound, having just arrived earlier in the day from a 10 day trip to jolly old England. Mitch was impressive as he went a complete game 6 innings, giving up only 3 hits while striking out 6 and 2 unearned runs. The Dodgers got on the board right away in the 1st, with 1 run and then added 3 more in the 3rd inning. It looked like the Giants would start to give the Dodgers some trouble as they scored 2 runs in the 5th but that fear was put to rest as Brooklin hammered out 8 runs in the 6th inning, highlited by two homeruns, one each from Mark Cairns and Lawrence Thomas.
Offensive standouts were:
Mark Cairns (1-1, 2 runs, 1 HR, 2 BB's, 2 RBI)
Brad Hanna (2-3, 1 run, 1 double, 3 RBI)
Lawrence Thomas (1-3, 2 runs, 1 HR, 1 SB, 3 RBI)
Jay Jarvie (2-3, 2 runs, 1 double, 1 RBI)
Final score Brooklin - 12 Forest Glen - 2
In the second game Sam Grabowski was on the hill and he did not disappoint as he also through a 6 inning complete game. Sam scattered 5 hits and struckout 6, while giving up 2 unearned runs. The Dodgers bats went to sleep but were able to squeek out single runs in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings to have a 3-2 lead. The offense opened up int he 5th with 3 runs and then exploded for another 12 in the 6th inning, capped off by a Grand Slam by Mark Cairns.
Offensive standouts were:
Mark Cairns (3-3, 3 runs, 1 double, 1 HR, 1BB, 4 RBI)
Mitch Dunn (2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBI)
Jeff Canning (1-4, 2 runs, 1 double, 2 RBI)
Dan Blea (2-3, 1 run, 1 double, 1 Sac Fly, 4 RBI)
Final score Brooklin - 18 Forest Glen - 2.
|
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The Brooklin Dodgers would like everybody to have a fun and safe Holiday season.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
|
Dodgers open season with a thud
May 7, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers did themselves no favours by starting the season with a pair of losses to the Mississauga Stars.
Game #1
The Season Opener saw Sam Grabowski take the hill and he immediately got off to a rough start, as he gave up three runs in the first inning. Sam settled down and pitched 2 more scoreless innings before giving away to Kyle McFarlane in the 4th. Kyle was throwing well and getting ground balls but the defence was just not there for him as 2 errors accounted for 2 unearned runs in the 4th, to put the Stars ahead for good. Sean Blea came on in the 6th inning and pitched well for his first outing of the year. He got into a little trouble in the 7th giving up 1 run.
Even though it is early in the season and the teams bats are usually not as strong, this year they started off pretty good as they banged out 11 hits. The Stars starter was able to pitch out of jams all day as he kept any damage that the Dodgers were able to do, to a minimum. Offensive standouts were Jeff Canning (2-3, run), Mark Cairns (1-1, 2 BB), Brad Hanna (1-2, double, 1 RBI) and Mike Weir (1-2, Triple, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 Sac).
Brooklin lost the services of Brad Hanna in the 4th when he jammed his hand in a play at the plate. This would later come back to haunt the Dodgers in the second game.
Final Score Mississauga - 6 Brooklin - 4
Game #2
Staff ace Jeff Canning took to the mound in the second game and pitched a solid 4 innings giving up no hits, walking 2 and striking out 3. Reaching his pitch count Jeff was pulled for Mitch Dunn who became apparent was not in top form on this day. Mitch gave up 4 runs in the 5th inning. This brought the Stars within one run of the Dodgers at 5-4. With Brad not able to pitch in his scheduled spot, the Dodgers looked to Sam to close out the game. Sam had a rough 6th inning but came out unscathed, he was not as lucky in the 7th. With two outs and having given up the tying run in the 7th, the Stars had the bases loaded and quickly cleared them with a 3 run triple.
The offense was able to muster up 8 hits but the bats fell quiet in the final innings as they were not able to hold onto the 5-0 lead they had through 4 innings. Key offensive contributors were Dan Blea (2-3, 1 run), Mike Elmhurst (1-2, double, RBI), Mark Cairns (1-3, RBI) and Kyle McFarlane (1-2, double, sac, RBI).
The Dodgers also lost Jeff for the remainder of the game after the 4th with stiffness in his shoulder. The team expects him to be healthy by next weekend.
Final Score Mississauga - 8 Brooklin - 5
|
Brooklin Dodgers and Durham Chiefs Team Up To Raise Funds for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer
May 13, 2006 --
After a very successful league outing to the April 22nd Blue Jays game, the Brooklin Dodgers and Durham Chiefs will attempt to sell tickets to two games this summer in an effort to help raise money for a very worth cause.
Long-time Brooklin Dodger Mark Cairns has entered a team in the 60 km walk this coming September. Mark’s mother who passed away about 12 years ago is the inspiration for his M.O.M team - Memories of Mom.
All ticket proceeds for Sunday, June 25 vs. New York Mets and Sunday, July 16th vs. the Seattle Mariners will be donated to Mark and his team.
Seats for the Sunday, June 25 game are in level 200 sections 238-240 – near the left field foul pole. Regular price for this Super Premium game is $24.00/ticket plus a $4.00 booking fee (if ordered at the ticket window). Brooklin and Durham are selling these tickets for $20.00 each.
For more information about either game please contact league president Steve Smith.
On behalf of Mark, the Cairns family, Brooklin Dodgers and Durham Chiefs, thank you for your support.
For more information on Mark’s individual and team goals please visit the following links:
http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR?px=1222084&pg=personal&fr_id=1120&fl=en_US&et=gEAhRRwFkVvWbkaZK_O4DQ..&s_tafId=1636
http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR?team_id=10840&pg=team&fr_id=1120&fl=en_US&et=H6WDtJvP5SvkEoZKNf9Oqg..&s_tafId=1636
|
Dodgers split with Bulls in two great games
May 14, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers recorded their first win of the 2006 season and also first win under their new name.
The Dodgers traveled to Burlington to take on the defending 2005 OSSBA Champion Burlington Bulls, who opened the season with two shutout wins, while the Dodgers opened the season with two tough losses. With some key members missing, the team knew it would be in tough and would have to play some solid baseball to have any success against a very good Bulls team.
In Game #1 the Dodgers sent Jeff Canning to the hill to face Jon Leyland. The two staff aces put on a couple of great performances, each throwing an 8 inning complete game. However in the bottom of the 8th inning it was Burlington that came away with the win, on an RBI single by Leyland himself. Jeff was very solid only giving up 1 earned run while striking out 5 and walking 1, while also scattering 8 hits over his 8 innings of work. Defence was again an issue for the Dodgers, but it did show signs of improvement. Offensively Dan Blea continued with the hot bat as he went 3-4, with run and 2 SB's. Mark Cairns was solid at the dish as well going 1-2, with an RBI, a walk and 2 SB's.
Final score Dodgers - 2 Bulls - 3
Game #2 saw Sam Grabowski take the mound for his second start of the year. Sam pitched one of his best games in memory, as he went a complete 7 innings to record his 1st win of the season. Sam struck out only 3 Bulls but scattered 6 hits, while only walking 1 batter. The offence got off to a quick start as they plated 3 runs in the first and then 1 more in each of the 3rd and 4th innings. Leading the way was Mark Cairns (1-3, 2 RBI's, 2 runs, double, walk), Jeff Canning(2-3, 2 RBI's, SAC), Dan Blea (2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI) and Lawrence Thomas (1-2, 1 run, double, walk, SB). Defence in this game was very solid and Mark Cairns was given plenty of pats on the back for doing such a great job catching both ends of the doubleheader. Of course once you patted him on the back you had to go wipe the sweat off your hand! ;)
Final score Dodgers - 5 Bulls - 0
|
Four Dodgers named All-Stars
June 18, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers were thrilled to learn that four of their members have been named to the OSSBA All-Star team that will be taking on the All-Stars from the Scarborough Adult Baseball League. The game is to be played at the Rogers Centre on Sunday June 25th, game time is scheduled for 8:00pm. Admission is free to watch the All-Star game, so come on down and cheer on your Dodger players.
The Dodgers selected are:
Dan Blea - Secondbase
Brad Hanna - Catcher
Jeff Canning - DH
Mark Cairns - Shortstop
|
This past weekend the better team won, it wasn't the Dodgers.
June 20, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers headed to Mississauga for the second week in a row to face the expansion Mississauga Southwest Twins, hoping to extend their unbeaten streak of 7 games. Well it seems instead they decided to throw away a perfect chance to gain ground on the Barrie Red Sox who had been swept earlier in the weekend.
In game #1 Mitch Dunn took to the hill and looked shakey right from the start, leaving the game in the 3rd with the Dodgers down 4-1. Sam Grabowski came on in relief for the final 3 innings giving up one run in the 4th inning, but that would be the deciding run as the Dodgers could not amount enough of a comeback. The bats this day just did not seem to want to get going and the defence was a little shoddy to say the least, with both mental and physical errors popping up. The offence was provided by Sam Grabowski (1-2, 1 run 2 RBI) and Ed Ganhao (1-1, 1 BB, 1 RBI)
Final Score: Brooklin - 4 Mississauga Southwest - 5
Game #2 saw Brad Hanna make his second start of the year. Brad looked good early on but ran into trouble in the 3rd after the team gave him a 5-1 cushion, the Twins mount a comeback scoring 4 runs to tie the game. The Dodgers took back the lead in the 4th and held it till the bottom of the 6th when with the bullpen empty and Brad having to continue he hit two batters to load the bases and the Twins then scored two runs on an error by the leftfielder, giving them the sweep. The offense was provided by Brad Hanna (2-2, 2 runs, 1 double), Dan Blea (2-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, 1 double), Jay Jarvie (1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI)
Final Score: Brooklin - 7 Mississauga Southwest - 8
|
Dodgers get back on winning track
June 27, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers headed to Mississauga for the third weekend in a row, to play the Mississuaga North Bengals. The Dodgers knew they were going to be missing some key players this weekend but after an impromptu team meeting at the end of their fundraiser on Friday night, it was clear that the team had shaken off it's two disappointing losses from the previous weekend.
In game one Mitch Dunn took the ball and was very good in his 6 innings of work, as he scattered 6 hits, with 3 walks and a very impressive 11 strikeouts. Mark Cairns came on in the 7th to pitch a shutout inning. The offense shined as well getting the hits when they needed to. Main contributors were Dan Blea (1-3, 1 run, 3 RBI, 1 HR), Mike Elmhurst (2-3, 1 double, 2 RBI) and Mitch Dunn (2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 SB).
Game two saw Mark Cairns continue on the hill from game one. Except for a little trouble in the second inning Mark cruised through his 5 innings of work handing off the ball to Sam Grabowski in the 6th inning. Sam pitched the final two giving up one unearned run. The offense pounded out 14 hits on their way to the sweep. Offensive stars were Jay Jarvie (2-3, 2 RBI), Mike Weir (2-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI,1 double, 1 HR), Lawrence Thomas (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 SB) and Braden Novack (2-2, 2 runs, 1 BB, 1 SB)
Also in game two was a hi-lite that could easily be on TSN's or Sportsnet's list of best catches of the year, no matter what league it was made in. Sean Blea playing right field in the 6th inning, was on the run toward the fence, made a diving catch onto the right-centerfield warning track. He was completely stretched out in the air, made the catch, hit the ground hard and kept hold of the ball. Sean felt the pain of the catch and has the scars on his leg from landing to show for it. As his coach told him, "the scars will go away but the memory of that catch will stay with his teammates for years and years to come."
The Dodgers have no league games now till July 15th in Barrie.
The Dodgers will be heading to Ottawa on the July 7th to 9th weekend, to take part in the Nepean Brewers 7th Annual Tournament.
Schedule will be posted soon.
|
Dodgers escape with Split versus Chiefs
August 16, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers were happy to get out of Kinsmen Stadium on Sunday with a split of their doubleheader against the rival Durham Chiefs. What was looking like a key series for the two teams as they battle for the one of the two bye's in the first round of the playoffs, Durham holding a 2 point lead coming in, ended up being a slugfest for the Chiefs in both games and then the Dodgers bats joined in for the second game.
In the first game saw the two team's aces face off against each other, Mike Ovsonka for the Chiefs and Sam Grabowski for the Dodgers. Ovsonka faired better then Grabowski in this showdown. Sam was unable to escape the first inning and was pulled with only two outs in the first and 12 runs across the plate. Coach Rod Holinaty with a depleted pitching staff due to injuries, kept hoping Sam would be able to battle through and get out of the inning, it was the wrong decision and the Dodgers were never able to get back into the game. Jeff Canning took to the mound in relief, his first appearence since May. Jeff pitched well considering the long layoff but ran out of gas in the 4th, giving up 2 runs. Brad Hanna came on in relief in the 5th inning and pitched well but the wear and tear of pitching the most innings he has pitched in years was apparent, as he gave up two runs in the 5th. Offensively the Dodgers were able to get hits, 10 in all, but were just not able to get the key hits with runners on base. Offensive standouts for the Dodgers were Jeff Canning and Brad Hanna both 2-3 and Ed Ganhao who was 2-3 with 1 run.
Final score: Durham Chiefs - 16 Brooklin Dodgers - 2
In the second game the Dodgers had Kyle McFarlane take to the hill hoping he could get them deep into the game and give the remaining pitchers some rest. Kyle got into the 3rd inning but a lack of innings throughout the year, hampering his arm strength, required the Dodgers to go to Sam Grabowski. Sam faired a bit better then he did in the first game and thanks to the Dodgers bats left the game after the 5th with the lead. Brad Hanna was called upon again to finish off the game and Brad had some difficulty with his control, as he walked 4 batters and allowed one run but struckout the side as well. Securing the win and getting the save. The Dodgers bats came alive in the second game with Jeff Canning leading the way going 4-4 with 3 runs, 3 RBI's and 1 Double. Also having good games were Brad Hanna (2-3, 3 RBI's, 1 Sac, 1 SB), Dan Blea (2-4, 3 Runs, 1 RBI), Sam Grabowski (2-3, 1 Run, 2 RBI) and Mike Elmhurst (2-2, 2 Runs, 2 Doubles, 1 BB)
Final score: Durham Chiefs - 13 Brooklin Dodgers - 14
The Brooklin Dodgers next take on the division leading Richmond Hill Phoenix on Sunday August 20th at Kinsmen Stadium in Oshawa. Game times are 11:00am and 1:30pm.
|
Dodgers sweep Pirates out of playoffs
September 10, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers came out Sunday at Kinsmen Stadium looking to play only one game and send the Pickering Pirates home early. Well the Dodgers got their wish and behind the strong pitching of Brad Hanna and some aggressive baserunning along with a few breaks, they were able to polish the Pirates off with a 6-5 win.
With a strong season behind him, as one of the main starters for the Dodgers, Brad was rewarded with the game two start. Brad did not disappoint as he pitched a strong 6 innings scattering 8 hits while allowing 5 runs. Brad gave away to Sam Grabowski in the 7th inning when the two first batters got on base. Sam came in and did the job getting the final 3 batters to fly out and getting the save and Brad the win.
The offense though not extremely strong in this game, the Dodgers used some aggressive baserunning to manufacture some runs after they jumped out to an early 3-1 lead int he first off of a Brad Hanna double and Mike Weir single. The Pirates battle back and first tied the game in the 3rd and then took the lead with a run in the 4th and one in the 5th. The Dodgers were able to tie the game 5-5 in the 5th capitilizing on some Pirates miscues and some good luck. In the bottom of the 6th that luck came through again as Weir beat out a close play at second for a double then advanced to third on a ground out by Mike Elmhurst to short. Weir then scored the go ahead run and eventual game winner on a short passed ball. A close play at the plate saw Weir slide in safe as Pirates pitcher Wayne Wickens saw the ball go off the top of his glove on the throw from catcher Phil Lacombe.
Final Score: Pickering Pirates - 5 Brooklon Dodgers - 6
The Dodgers would like to congratulate the Pirates on a great series with two very hard fought games. They could have gone either way. We look forward to playing you guys again in 2007.
|
Dodgers get sweet revenge against Durham Chiefs
September 18, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers came back from a crushing loss in extra innings in game #1, of their 2nd round playoff matchup with the Durham Chiefs and took two straight this past Sunday afternoon at Kinsmen Stadium. This exacted revenge for being beaten by Durham in the 2005 Walker Division championship. The Brooklin Dodgers will now move on to the 2006 Walker Division Championship and face the Richmond Hill Phoenix, who defeated the Oshawa Talons.
In Game #2 the Dodgers played a strong defensive game committing no errors. Brooklin had very strong pitching, giving up only 5 hits and 3 walks in a complete game, while striking out 4, giving up only 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th. The offense though not outstanding was good when it needed to be against a solid pitching performance by the Durham Chiefs starter, getting key hits when needed. After missing game #1, Mike Weir came to play in game #2, going 2-3, 1 double, with 2 runs and 2 RBI, to lead the Dodgers to victory.
Game #3 saw another strong performance from the Dodgers starting pitcher, who went another 7 innings for the win (a total of 14 innings on the day and 2 wins). Scattering 10 hits, 2 walks and striking out 4. The defense was strong again even though they did commit 3 errors, they made up for it with some exceptional plays. Included in this was the laser arm of catcher Brad Hanna , as he shut down the Chiefs running game early with one of his patent strong throws. All three attempts by the Chiefs over the weekend were nailed on Hanna laser throws. Brooklin was able to put a little more offense on the board against a strong performance from the Durham Chiefs starting pitcher. This helped give some more breathing room for the Dodgers starting pitcher. The main contributors were Brad Hanna (2-3, 1 run, 1 SB), Mike Weir (2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 SB), Ed Ganhao (2-3, 1 double, 1 run, 2 RBI) and Sam Grabowski (2-3, 1 double, 2 RBI).
This was the 4th year in a row that the Dodgers and Chiefs have met in the OSSBA Playoffs. The Dodgers hold the edge in wins, with 2005 the only year that the Chiefs came out on top. Every series has gone 3 games, and in the past three years it has not paid to win the first game, as that team has gone on to lose the series. This was a tough series with a lot of emotion and intensity, both teams left everything on the field. The Dodgers look forward to the next time they meet the Chiefs in 2007.
Walker Division Championship parks and times will be posted as soon as they are available.
|
Dodgers drop 1st game to Phoenix
September 24, 2006 --
As they did in their Walker Division 2nd round opener against the Durham Chiefs, the Brooklin Dodgers dropped a tight game, to fall behind 0-1 in their best of three Walker Division Final , against the Richmond Hill Phoenix.
The Dodgers got solid pitching from starter Jeff Canning who went 4 and a 1/3 innings and was relieved by Sam Grabowski who went the rest of the way and took the loss, on some questionable plate umpiring.
The umpires however were not the main reason for the loss as the only significant hit by the Dodgers was a two run Homerun by Mike Weir. Continually throughout the game the Dodgers were unable to come up with keys hits when needed and Phoenix starter Brandon Veenstra was able to get key strikeouts when he needed. This was the real difference in the first game of the series.
Brooklin now heads up to Richmond Hill with the tough task of taking two straight from the Phoenix to advance to the OSSBA Finals. This will not be easy as the Phoenix were tied for the best record in OSSBA this year and always play hard and intense baseball.
|
Dodgers beat Phoenix twice to advance to OSSBA Finals
September 25, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers arrived in Richmond Hill on Sunday not only nervous about the weather but also the tough task of coming back from being down a game to the Richmond Hill Phoenix, in their Walker Division Final best of 3 series.
While Mother Nature tried to dampen their spirits as best she could, the field was made playable and Game #2 was started only 1 hour behind schedule at 6:00pm.
The Dodgers sent staff ace Sam Grabowski to the hill and after a shakey first inning, where he allowed 2 runs (1 earned), he settled down and went the distance collecting his second win of the playoffs. Sam pitched 7 innings giving up 3 runs and scattering 4 hits with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts.
Brooklins offence got going right away in the top half of the first inning, collecting 3 runs on 3 hits and a couple of errors. They never looked back and held a 4-3 lead going into the 5th inning, where they exploded for 5 runs to put the game away. They scored another 2 runs in the 6th for some insurance. Hot bats for the game were: Brad Hanna (2-3, 1 run, 2 RBI), Mitch Dunn (3-3, 1 run, 2 RBI), Lawrence Thomas (1-2, 1 run 1 RBI) and Mike Elmhurst (1-1, 2 walks, 3 runs).
Final Result: Brooklin Dodgers - 11 Richmond Hill Phoenix - 3
In game two the Dodgers followed their same plan from the previous series against the Chiefs and went with the hot hand in game #3. Sam Grabowski went back out and pitched another strong game, with some very solid defense behind him. Grabowski went 7 innings for the win, giving up 2 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 1 HBP while striking out 4. Picking up his 3rd win of the playoffs.
The Dodgers bats were again solid, though it took them a little longer to get going in the very cold weather. They scored first in the top of the 3rd, getting 1 run. After the Phoenix tied it in the bottom of the 3rd, The Dodgers answered back with 2 more runs and again never looked back, going on to score another 4 in the 5th inning and 1 last run in the 7th for the win. Offensive standouts for the Dodgers in game #3 were: Mike Weir (2-2, 1 double, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Dan Blea (2-3, 1 double, 1 walk, 1 run, 2 RBI) and Sam Grabowski (2-3, 1 run).
Final Score - Brooklin Dodgers - 8 Richmond Hill Phoenix - 2
|
Brooklin Dodgers are heading to the 2006 OSSBA Championsip Series
September 27, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers in name, head to the OSSBA Championship Series for the first time but the team itself has been there before under other names. They were first called the Whitby Chiefs Blue in the first year of OSSBA back in 2001. They met and lost to the Mississauga Stars that year. They returned to the Championship Series in 2003 as simply the Whitby Chiefs. They faced the Bloor Jays in the first ever best of three Championship series. They again were unable to grab hold of the OSSBA Cup. They came back in 2004 and faced an old nemesis in the Richmond Hill Phoenix. They were once again thwarted in their attempts at winning the OSSBA Championship Series. So here they are under a new name and new colors, returning to the OSSBA Championship for a record 4th time.
This year the team has a little more to prove as most pollsters did not expect the Dodgers to be where they are right now. They were even dubbed a “Cinderella team” by some but as Assistant Coach Jeff Canning was quoted as saying “One more round to go and Cinderella is still dancing!”
Brooklin meets a very tough and capable opponent in the Burlington Bulls, the 2006 Jenkins Division Champions and also defending OSSBA Champion from 2005. The Dodgers and Bulls have met 4 times in league play the past two years and once in the 2005 OSSBA Tournament Semi-finals. The Bulls hold a 3-2 edge over the Dodgers with their win at that tournament. Except for that tournament game all the games have been incredibly close, hard fought games, which could have seen either team come out on top.
The Dodgers and the Bulls match-up pretty evenly at just about every position. One of the most highly contested match-ups is behind the plate. Both Coaches are quick to call their #1 catcher the best in the league and they both have good arguments for them. Chris Lord for the Bulls is supremely solid behind the plate and calls a very good game for his pitching staff and led his team in RBI’s this past year while hitting .306. The Dodgers counter with Brad Hanna, who besides having one of if not the premier arm in the league, showcased these playoffs by his shutting down of both the Durham Chiefs and Richmond Hill Phoenix running games, he was a key reason for the awesome pitching performances by first Mitch Dunn against Durham and then Sam Grabowski against Richmond Hill. Both of these pitchers threw back to back games on the same day and got wins in both games. Brad also brings a solid clutch bat to the middle of the Dodger lineup, leading the team with a .480 average and a .544 OBP.
The pitching staffs are another strong point for both teams. The Bulls with their three main guys John Leyland, Cam McKnight and Eric Conlon. Kyle Pitman, Dave Willits and Brad Guy can also be counted on in the clutch. The Dodgers counter with their own big three in Sam Grabowski, Mitch Dunn and Jeff Canning. Brad Hanna and Kyle McFarlane are two top arms that can be counted on when it’s needed. The Dodgers lost the services of Mark Cairns when he headed back to school in August, down in South Carolina, so this has shortened the bullpen a bit.
The two teams’ infields are very strong and are proud of their ability to keep games close with their stellar defense. Standouts for the Bulls are Brad Guy, Brian Blasko, Kyle Pitman and Cam McKnight. The Dodgers infield is lead by second baseman extraordinaire Dan Blea and his new partner at shortstop Mitch Dunn. The corners are very solid with Kyle McFarlane at third base and either Ed Ganhao or Mike Elmhurst at first base.
Finally we come to the outfield with the Bulls having Mike Mousseau, Mike Howden and Matt Langford patrolling and tracking down everything they see. The Dodgers counter with a four man outfield that is as solid as any in the league, hard hitting Mike Weir, Jay Jarvie, Lawrence Thomas and Colin Appleton.
It is easy to see why these teams are in the finals, all you need to do is check out each players stats to get an idea of how good these teams both are. Neither team will give an inch in this playoff series, that is an almost guarantee. The two teams match-up very well and this can be born out in their record against each other.
The Dodgers are expecting to continue to play strong after their two great series against the Chiefs and the Phoenix. The team is hungry and they want to bring the OSSBA Cup to the Walker Division (East) for the first time in the 6 year history of OSSBA!
|
October 1, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers started off the 2006 OSSBA Championship in perfect style. Starting pitcher Mitch Dunn threw the first perfect game in OSSBA history. Mitch was very dominant in dealing with the Burlington Bulls batting lineup. 21 Bulls went to the plate and all 21 went back to the dugout, unable to get to first base. Mitch struck-out 13 Bulls on his way to the game 1 win.
The Dodgers bats were strong enough to bang out 7 key hits against the Bulls ace John Leyland. Brooklin scored 2 in the second inning with the key hit being a 2 out 2 RBI single off the glove of an outstretched Bulls thirdbaseman. These would be all the runs that the Dodgers would need. They then added to their lead with 3 runs in the 3rd inning and one more in the 4th inning. Main contributors on offence were Ed Ganhao (1-3, 2 RBI), Jay Jarvie (2-3, 1 run, 2 RBI) and Mike Elmhurst (1-3, 2 runs)
Final Score: Brooklin – 6 Burlington - 0
In game #2 the Dodgers sent staff ace Sam Grabowski to the hill. Sam pitched a strong complete game for the Dodgers. Sam gave up only 3 hits while walking 1 and striking out 4 on the way to his 4th win of the playoffs. A couple of key defensive plays helped Sam out. In the 5th Mike Elmhurst threw out Mike Mousseau attempting to steal 2nd. Then in the 6th inning with one out and a man on third, a fly ball to rightfielder Brad Hanna was the 2nd out and with the runner tagging, Brad threw a rocket to home to nail the runner and finish the double play and end the inning. A close play in the bottom of the 7th inning ended the inning and gave the Dodgers the win.
The offence had its share of trouble against Cam McKnight of the Bulls, only mustering 6 hits. The Dodgers tied the game in the 6th inning with a run on a bang bang play at the plate scored by Kyle McFarlane. Then the Dodgers took the lead in the top of the 7th inning with an RBI single by Mike Weir.
Final Score: Brooklin – 2 Burlington - 1
The Brooklin Dodgers now will come home with a chance to clinch their first OSSBA Championship at home. The next 3 games if #4 and #5 are necessary are all at home for the Dodgers. Game #3 and #4 (if necessary) will be played on Saturday October 7th and Game #5 (if necessary) will be played on Sunday October 8th. Game times and location should be announced by Tuesday night.
|
Mitch Dunn named Athlete of the Week
October 5, 2006 --
Mitch Dunn was named the Whitby Toyota's ATHLETE OF THE WEEK, in Wednesdays edition of the Oshawa/Whitby This Week.
A quote from the announcement:
"Mitch Dunn pitched the first perfect game in the history of the Ontario Senior Select Baseball Association on the weekend, leading the Brooklin Dodgers to a 6-0 win over the Burlington Bulls in Game #1 of the league final. Dunn struck out 13 Bulls and set down all 21 in order."
The Brooklin Dodgers would like to congratulate Mitch on being named Athlete of the Week. Way to go Mitch, now just remember we still have some tough ball ahead of us on the weekend!
|
Brooklin Dodgers win 2006 OSSBA Championship with sweep of Bulls
October 8, 2006 --
This past Saturday October 7th at Kinsmen Stadium, The Brooklin Dodgers became the first Walker Division (East) team to win the Ontario Senior Select Baseball Association Championship, beating the defending 2005 Champion Burlington Bulls. This was the 4th time that the Brooklin Dodgers (Whitby Chiefs) made it to the OSSBA Championship. They lost to the Mississauga Stars in the first Championship in 2001. Then they went down to defeat against the Bloor Jays in 2003 in the first best of 3 playoff series for the Championship. They were back in the final in 2004, only to lose to the Richmond Hill Phoenix.
The Dodgers won the 2006 OSSBA Championship with a sweep of the Burlington Bulls in the leagues first ever best of five Championship series. In the third and deciding game they sent 6 year veteran Jeff Canning to the hill. Though Jeff had been hurt for most of the year with a shoulder injury, he had come back strong at the end of the year and showed he was ready for the start. Jeff pitched 5 strong innings giving up only 4 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, while striking out 7. Sam Grabowski came on in the 6th inning and pitched 2 scoreless innings to pick up his 2nd save of the playoffs. Sam gave up 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 2.
The offense for the Dodgers got off to a quick start with 4 runs in the 1st inning, the key hit in the inning was a 2 Run Homerun by Jason Jarvie off the top of the wall in right-center field. In the 3rd inning they added another run to increase their lead to two runs, after the Bulls had put 3 on the board in the 3rd inning themselves. The Bulls would add another run in the 5th inning but the Dodgers came right back with 2 of their own in the bottom of the 5th. An 8th run was added in the 6th inning to put the final score at 8-4. Offensive standouts for the Dodgers were: Jay Jarvie (2-2, 1 Run, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 1 HBP), Brad Hanna (2-3, 1 Run, 1 SB), Jeff Canning (1-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI) and Sam Grabowski (1-2, 1 Run).
The Brooklin Dodgers had a great playoff run, capping it off with the sweep in the Championship against a very good Bulls team. The Dodgers played in 4 series and went 9-2, going a perfect 7-0 on the road. They started off the run with a 2 game sweep of the Pickering Pirates and then defeated the Durham Chiefs in three games, losing the first game at home and then taking two thrilling games as the visiting team, the following day. In the Division final they again lost the first game at home only to come back and win two games again the following day against the top team in the Walker Division, the Richmond Hill Phoenix.
The Dodgers won their first OSSBA Championship with a complete team effort. They were able to combine strong pitching performances with some strong offensive outbursts and very effective defense. Sam Grabowski led the team with 4 Wins and 2 Saves to go with his 23 K’s and 2.16 ERA. Sam’s most outstanding performance of the playoffs was the back to back wins in Game #2 and #3 against the Richmond Hill Phoenix on the same day. Mitch Dunn clearly showed why he is and has been one of the top pitchers in the league with a stellar 1.67 ERA to go with his 3 wins and 21 K’s. Mitch not only was the first Dodger to pitch back to back wins in these playoffs, doing it against the Durham Chiefs in the second round. He saved the best for last when he pitched the first ever Perfect Game in OSSBA History, doing it in Game #1 of the 2006 OSSBA Championship against the Burlington Bulls. Though Jeff Canning picked up the only two losses for the Dodgers in the playoffs, it was Jeff who Head Coach Rod Holinaty handed the ball to in Game #3, he did not disappoint and won what could be the most important game in Dodger history to this point.
Helping the pitching staff in their strong performances was without a doubt the best catcher in OSSBA, Brad Hanna. From his excellent game calling to his superior arm and strong bat, Hanna was a calming influence not only with the pitching staff but with the whole team, which was apparent in the words of wisdom that he would bestow upon the team before each game. The rest of the defense was as strong as it has been all year with some spectacular plays from the likes of infielders Dan Blea, Ed Ganhao, Kyle McFarlane, Mitch Dunn and Mike Elmhurst. The outfield showed it is one of the top ones in the league with Lawrence Thomas, Mike Weir, Jay Jarvie and Colin Appleton playing strong and tracking balls down all over the outfield.
The Offense though not as strong as it had been during the season, it was good when it needed to be. The team was led by 2006 OSSBA Championship MVP Mike Weir, who had a .478 average, 11 Runs, 11 RBI’s, 2 SB’s, 15 hits (3 doubles & 1 HR), 3 BB’s. A strong performance during the playoffs was also had by Kyle McFarlane (.417, 11 hits, 2 SB’s) and Mike Elmhurst (.276, 10 Runs, 11 Hits (2 doubles & 1 triple), 3 SB’s).
The Brooklin Dodgers would like to thank all of their fans who came out in good and bad weather and followed us all over southern Ontario. A very special thank-you, to the #1 family of the Dodgers. The Bleas (Bill & Carol and sisters Robin and Kelly) were by far the most loyal and vocal support we had all year long. They were there to not only cheer us on but to help keep score and when playing at home, Bill Blea was always the first one to go recover foul balls for us. Also the wives, girlfriends and other parents, were great all year long, not only coming out to cheer the team on but did it in some of the weirdest weather all year long, are to be thanked.
We would like to congratulate the Burlington Bulls for making it back to the finals for the second year in a row, an even greater accomplishment considering this is only their second year in OSSBA. A great team that will be a perennial contender for the OSSBA Cup, for many years to come.
The last word goes out as a thank-you to league president Steve Smith for his tireless efforts throughout the year in making sure the league runs smoothly and is enjoyable for all the players. It has been a great year and the Brooklin Dodgers look forward to the 2007 season. Have a great Off-season and we’ll see you back on the diamonds in May!
|
Dodgers season ending Awards
November 29, 2006 --
The Brooklin Dodgers are happy to announce their 2006 individual awards as voted on by the players:
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR - Mike Weir
MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER - Dan Blea
MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE PLAYER - Brad Hanna
MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS - Sam Grabowski/Ed Ganhao
CY YOUNG - Sam Grabowski
MVP - Brad Hanna
|
Dodgers welcome back former player
December 5, 2006 --
In a surprise move the Brooklin Dodgers have brought back in to the fold a former teammate, back when they were still called the Whitby Chiefs Blue. Derek Grieve formerly of the Durham Chiefs has signed to start playing with the Dodgers in 2007.
A surprise to head coach Rod Holinaty when he was first told that Derek had an interest in coming back to play for him, after having left with Mike Ovsonka in 2003. Jay Jarvie, a good friend of Derek's, was instrumental in making it happen. Any ill feelings from the past have been put behind them and Rod is looking forward to having one of the premier bats in the league back in his lineup, saying "Having Grieve back on the team, definitely solidifies our lineup and puts us in a good position to defend our 2006 OSSBA Championship".
Other Dodgers were excited of the signing as well as Dan Blea had this to say "I am excited to have a player with his skill join our team". Sam Grabowski had a smile on his face as well, remembering what Derek was able to do against him with the bat, saying "getting Grieve is good for me"
Derek a thirdbaseman with the Chiefs will assume that position with the Dodgers but as with all Dodgers players, he understands that seeing time at other positions will be required as well. Most notably SS and 2B.
Derek is coming off one of his best years in OSSBA having batted .414, with 4 HR's, 18 runs and 24 RBI's and a nice .485 OBP. Also Derek is a contact hitter who rarely strikes out. The Dodgers will look to Derek to continue to be a force at the plate.
Welcome aboard Derek!
Stay tuned for further announcements in the weeks to come.
|
Several Dodgers make 1st and 2nd OSSBA All-Star teams
December 7, 2006 --
The 2006 OSSBA 1st and 2nd All-Star teams were announced yesterday, with several Dodgers making both teams.
The two teams were voted on by all OSSBA coaches at this past Sunday OSSBA Executive meeting.
1st team All-Stars:
Brad Hanna - Catcher
Dan Blea - Secondbase
Rod Holinaty - Head Coach
Also on the 1st team is new Dodger
Derek Grieve - Thirdbase
2nd team All-Stars:
Mark Cairns - Shortstop
Jay Jarvie - Outfield
Jeff Canning - Assistant Coach
Congratulations to all the players and coaches who made the 1st and 2nd All-Star teams!
|
Dodgers set indoor workout dates
February 8, 2007 --
With the Holidays well past us and every groundhog prediciting an early Spring in 2007, the Brooklin Dodgers, in conjunction with the new expansion Whitby Chiefs and the Dodgers longtime rivals the Durham Chiefs, have secured time for indoor workouts. These workouts will be held at the Salem Indoor Soccer Centre in Ajax.
The dates that have been booked are as follows:
Sunday February 18th - 9:00pm to 10:00pm
Sunday March 4th - 9:00pm to 10:00pm
Sunday March 18th - 9:00pm to 10:00pm
Sunday April 1st - 9:00pm to 10:00pm
Cost for these workouts will depend on the amount of players that attend. Players should expect the cost to be in the range of $5.00 to $10.00.
If you are interested in attending the workouts and are not currently a memeber of the Dodgers but would like to tryout for the team, please feel free to contact head coach Rod Holinaty at r.holinaty@sympatico.ca
Salem Indoor Soccer Centre link: http://www.salemsoccercentre.com/league.php?scriptName=LEAGUEINFO&leagueID=7970&leagueInfoID=7194
|
Dodgers to offer Jays tickets for sale
February 15, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers in conjunction with the Ontario Senior Baseball Association (OSBA) are now offering tickets for the Sunday April 15th Detroit Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays game.
The tickets are in sections 113C and 113D, which is Field Level and along the Firstbase side of the Rogers Centre.
If you are interested in purchasing tickets for the game or would like further info, please feel free to contact the Dodgers GM Rod Holinaty at r.holinaty@sympatico.ca
|
Dodgers sign 2nd player of off-season
March 20, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers have added another quality ballplayer to their already strong and deep roster.
The Dodgers are happy to have Wayne Wickens as part of the team. Wayne approached Dodgers GM Rod Holinaty a week ago, after discussing the issue with his former coaches on the Pirates. Wayne's main reason for the switch was that several members of the Dodgers are close friends of his and he has played in the past with many of them in the WMBA in Junior and Midget.
In his first year in OSBA, in 2006, Wayne was a strong performer for the Pirates on the mound. He chalked up the second highest total of innings for the Pirates with 39.1 innings in 11 games. Striking out 32 with a 6.23 ERA. While Wayne was not happy with his batting (.229 avg.) the Dodgers expect he will rebound in 2007 after having a full year under his belt and having been out of baseball for a couple of years before that.
The Dodgers will look to Wayne to fill a role out of the bullpen to start the season but are confident he will work his way into the starting rotation giving the Dodgers another strong arm in their pursuit to repeat as OSBA Champions. Wayne will also see time in the infield as he plays secondbase, thirdbase and shortstop.
Welcome to the team Wayne!
|
Brooklin Dodgers 2007 season PREVIEW
April 16, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers enter the 2007 OSBA season for the first time as defending OSBA Champions, having won the 2006 title in convincing fashion, with a sweep of their best of 5 series against defending 2005 OSBA Champions the Burlington Bulls.
The Dodgers are thrilled to see the complete 2006 playoff roster return for the 2007 season. The Dodgers continue to have one of the strongest and longest serving starting rotations with Jeff Canning, Mitch Dunn and Sam Grabowski all now entering their 6th season together, with Jeff having been around from the first pitch 7 seasons ago. Also returning to the pitching staff are Brad Hanna, Kyle MacFarlane and Sean Blea, the latter missing the second half of the 2006 season and the playoffs, with a wrist injury. In 2007 both Colin Appleton and Dan Blea expect to see more time on the hill, having pitched extensively in bullpen sessions in 2006, to get their arms back up to strength. The Dodgers added more pitching depth with the addition of Wayne Wickens, formerly of the Pickering Pirates. Wayne will start out coming into games from the bullpen but will most assuredly be given a chance to prove himself as a starter.
The infield is as strong as ever, even with the loss of All-Star Shortstop Mark Cairns, just prior to the 2006 playoffs due to school commitments in South Carolina. Dan Blea returns as the starting secondbaseman and the rock of the infield. Firstbase duties will be handled by Ed Ganhao, Mike Elmhurst and Jeff Canning. With the opening at shortstop, Mitch Dunn will move over from firstbase, after performing very well at shortstop at the end of the 2006 season and in the playoffs. Also handling time at shortstop will be Kyle MacFarlane and Colin Appleton. The Dodgers have never had an everyday thirdbaseman since moving Jay Jarvie to the outfield a few years ago; however they hope that issue will be solved with the off-season acquisition of Derek Grieve, formerly of the Durham Chiefs. Derek brings both a solid bat and strong defensive skills with him and will also see time at secondbase and shortstop throughout the year.
The outfield will be as solid an outfield as there is in OSBA. With Lawrence Thomas patroling leftfield, Mike Weir in centerfield and Jay Jarvie in rightfield. Having both Colin Appleton and Sean Blea in the wings, gives the Dodgers a lot of depth.
Catching duties will be shared by Mike Elmhurst and Brad Hanna again this year, however with Brad expecting to be around only part of the year and the loss of 2006 rookie catcher Braden Novack, the Dodgers will look to both Jeff Canning and head coach Rod Holinaty to eat up some innings behind the plate.
The Brooklin Dodgers are looking forward to another strong season and fully expect to be back in the OSBA Finals battling for their second Championship, in 2007.
|
Dodgers make final preparations for Season/Home opener
May 1, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers completed a 3 game spring training season, this past weekend and though they went 1-2 they looked strong. Many players were able to get some good work in before the season officially opens this coming weekend on Saturday May 5th.
With the close of the spring games, the Dodgers completed their roster by making 4 additions, to bring the total roster up to the maximum OSBA roster size of 20. The first addition was adding some more youth to the team with the signing of Joel Matthews (23) formerly of the Sarnia Braves Rep program. Joel is a left-handed pitcher and firstbasemen, who will add a strong bat to their lineup and will work mostly in the bullpen for the first few months to strengthen his arm after being away from ball for three years. The Dodgers also added the Imeson brothers Tim and Dave. These two individuals grew up playing their ball in the Whitby Minor Baseball Association on Rep teams, having won Provincial titles in 1990, 1995 and 1996. Both Tim and Dave bring strong bats to the Dodgers and Tim looks to see some time on the mound later in the year. The final addition and a player who will see time with the Dodgers when needed is Dave Hickey. His main commitment is with the Whitby Canadians Senior Rep team of which he is a coach and assistant GM. Dave has played with the Dodgers in the past both in tournaments and in league games. He will bring another strong pitching arm to the Dodgers and will probably see some time at secondbase.
The Dodgers feel that with these last additions they are very well set for a run at defending their 2006 OSBA Championship and becoming only the second team to repeat as Champions.
|
Dodger Season/Home Opener Tomorrow
May 4, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers are all set to open the 2007 Season in defence of their 2006 OSBA Championship. The Dodgers will be opening the season tomorrow, Saturday May 5th. Game times are 1:00pm and 3:30pm at Ritson Park in Oshawa. Their opponents will be the 2003 OSBA Champion Bloor Jays.
The Bloor Jays bring an always potent lineup to the Season/Home Opener, with the likes of Dave Peart, Adam Hand and Phil Messina. The one issue that Head Coach Danny Monck has had when fielding his team has been the pitching depth of the Jays. They look to improve in 2007 and keep the runs scored against, much lower then in 2006.
The Dodgers are still on a high from winning their first Championship in 4 tries (Bloor having beaten them in 2003 to win their only Championship). With the complete playoff roster returning and several new additions to an already strong lineup, Brooklin wants to get out of the gate quickly and to show teams that last years playoff run was not a fluke.
Game #1 starting pitcher will be Mitch Dunn and Game #2 starting pitcher will be Sam Grabowski.
|
Dodgers to honour Dave Imeson (Sr.) at Home Opener
May 4, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers are pleased to announce that they will be honouring recent Whitby Sports Hall of Fame inductee Dave Imeson (Sr.), by having him throw out the first pitch at their Home/Season Opener against the Bloor Jays at Ritson Park in Oshawa on May 5th. Game time is 1:00pm.
In 1976 Dave, his wife Janet and sons Dave Jr. and Tim moved to Whitby where he joined the Whitby Minor Baseball Association as a House League coach. Over the next 20 years Dave would move on to coach representative ball teams that won Provincial titles in 1990, 1995 and 1996. For four years he also coached an “under-18” elite team from Eastern Ontario which won a Provincial title at the Sky Dome in 1994. Dave was named the “Junior Coach of the Year” by the Ontario Baseball Association in both 1994 and 1996. He completed his “National Coaches Certification” level 3 at George Brown College in 1993.
In 1982 Dave joined the executive of the Whitby Minor Baseball Association and over the next 15 years served as Secretary, Representative Team Director, Director of Coaching Development, WMBA representative on the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association executive and President for three terms. In 1991 he was awarded a “Life Membership” in the association.
Some accomplishments achieved during his administration included the increase in player registration from 1000 to 2000, the advent of an effective “Coaching Development” program, the annual Home Run Derby, the design and installation of batting cages at Iroquois Park, two new T- Ball baseball diamonds at Peel Park, a bantam diamond at the Elizabeth St. Park and the initiation of the WMBA representative team colours and team name “Chiefs”. Dave and his wife continue to reside in Whitby as do his two sons and their families which include grandsons, Griffin and Tyler.
Many of the current Dodgers roster have benefitted from the work that Dave did while a member of the WMBA. An added bonus to the Dodgers honouring Dave Imeson is that his two sons, tim and Dave Jr. have rejoined the baseball ranks, making the Dodgers roster and joining their two cousins Dan and Sean Blea as teammates.
The Brooklin Dodgers and their fans would like to say a heartfelt THANK-YOU to Dave Imeson for all the work he has done for baseball in Whibty/Brooklin.
|
Dodgers open season with a split
May 6, 2007 --
The 2007 OSBA season did not start off exactly the way the Brooklin Dodgers would have liked. However a split against a very good hitting Bloor Jays team is not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination. The season is only two games old and there will be many ups and downs as it progresses through the summer. The main thing that matters for the team is to make sure they are in the playoffs and once there, ready and able to to make a long run of it.
In Game #1 the Dodgers sent Mitch Dunn to the mound and he did not disappoint as he was solid in his first three innings of work. Not giving up a run and only giving up one hit, while striking out 8. However in the 4th inning Mitch seemed to hit a wall, giving up 4 hits (2 HR's) and three runs. Leaving the game tied 3-3 after 4 innings, he was releived by new Dodger Dave Hickey. Dave went the final 3 innings striking out 4 and giving up no hits while hitting two batters. Dave picked up the win after the Dodgers were able to get two runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. The offence was led by another new addition to the Dodgers, Derek Grieve. Grieve had a fine game at the plate going 3-3 with two doubles, 1 run and 2 RBI's. Also pitching in was Lawrence Thomas who went 2-3 with 2 runs, 1 RBI and 1 SB. Other notables were Dan Blea 1-3 with 2 runs scored and Mike Weir 1-2 with a double, 2 RBI's, 1BB and 1 SB.
Game #2 saw Sam Grabowski take the hill looking to continue the Dodgers success on the day. However it was not to be as Sam struggled in his 5 innings of work, giving up 7 runs, 4 of them earned on 6 hits, 4 walks while striking out 3. Kyle McFarlane pitched the final two innings giving up a run on 3 hits, 1 one while striking out 3. The Dodgers bats were not able to keep up with the hard hitting Jays. Though a few standouts were Mike Weir 1-2, 1 HR, 2 RBI and 1 HBP and Lawrence Thomas 2-3, 1 Run.
|
Dodgers win two tight games
May 16, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers took on the Barrie Red Sox this past weekend, without several players including starting pitchers Jeff Canning and Mitch Dunn. Also still missing from the starting lineup was catcher Brad Hanna. This did not stop the players that were able to make it out from playing some very strong baseball.
Game #1 saw the first appearence of Wayne Wickens on the hill for the Dodgers in 2007. Wayne did not disappoint as he pitched 5 shutout innings giving up only two hits in the 5th inning, while striking out 10. Sam Grabowski came on and pitched the 6th and 7th inning, putting the Red Sox down 3 straight in each inning, while striking out 4. While the offence was not huge it was enough as the Dodgers put 4 runs across the plate. Derek Grieve continued his strong showing at the plate this year going 2-3, with 1 Double and 1 Run. Sam Grabowski also had a good day at the plate to go with his strong pitching, going 2-2 with 2 Runs.
Final Score: Red Sox - 0 Dodgers - 4
Game #2 the Dodgers got lucky when Kyle McFarlane showed up in time to start the second game, though he did not have enough time to warm-up due to amisjudgement on time by coach Rod Holinaty. however Kyle pitched a strong 5 innings, giving up a run in each of the first 3 innings, keeping his team in striking distance. Kyle struckout 4 giving up just 3 Hits and 5 BB's. Sam Grabowski came on in relief again and nailed down the win for the Dodgers as the Dodgers were able to capitilize on 2 Red Sox errors in the 6th inning. The Red Sox were able to keep the Brooklin bats in check for most of the game, giving up only 5 hits. The Dodgers were able to score when needed and again led by Derek Grieve after he knocked out his first HR of the season. Kyle McFarlane and Dan Blea chipped in with an RBI each.
Final Score: Red Sox - 3 Dodgers - 4
The Dodgers have a couple of weeks off and then face the Richmond Hill Phoenix on May 27th in Richmond Hill.
|
Dodger wins Pitcher of the Week award
May 24, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers are thrilled to announce that Dodger rookie pitcher Wayne Wickens has been named as the Pitcher of the Week for the second week (May12/13) of the 2007 OSBA season.
Wayne had a very strong debut for the Dodgers in the first game of their doubleheader against the Barrie Red Sox on May 12th. Wayne picked up his first win with 5 shutout innings, giving up only 2 hits in the 5th inning. He struckout 10 and gave up no walks.
Congratulations Wayne!
|
.JPG)
Dodgers to send 4 to All-Star Game
May 26, 2007 --
The Ontario Senior Baseball Association announced their roster for the 2007 OSBA vs SABL All-Star Game to be held on Sunday June 3rd at the Rogers Centre.
The Brooklin Dodgers will be well represented as 4 members from the team were chosen. Dan Blea will be making his second appearence at secondbase, having scored the lone OSBA run in their loss to SABL in 2006 and will be joined by outfielder Mike Weir and pitchers Mitch Dunn and Sam Grabowski.
The four Dodger teammates are looking forward to helping OSBA get the victory this year and are also eagerly anticipating playing with other great players from around OSBA.
The rest of the Brooklin Dodgers congratulate all four of you and wish you and the rest of the OSBA team, the best of luck next weekend.
|
5th Dodger added to OSBA roster
May 31, 2007 --
The Ontario Senior Baseball Association announced the addition of Brooklin Dodger Derek Grieve to it's roster for the OSBA vs SABL All-Star Game..
With several chosen OSBA players unable to attend the event, the coaching staff decided that based on Grieve's performance last year with the Durham Chiefs and his strong start this year with Brooklin, it warranted adding him to the OSBA roster.
This brings the total number of Dodgers at the All-Star Game to 5 players, along with their Head Coach Rod Holinaty who will be acting as an Assistant Coach.
|
Dodgers sweep Pirates
June 5, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers took two games against division rivals Pickering Pirates on the strength of two very strong pitching performances.
In Game #1 Jeff Canning took the ball and went a strong 6 innings giving up a lone run on 5 hits with 5 K's and 1 BB. Sam Grabowski pitched a scoreless 7 inning not giving up a hit. The Dodgers bats though relatively quiet most of the day did capitilize on a couple hit batsmen in the 5th inning and pushed across a couple of runs. Then in the 6th inning the bats had a little more thunder as both Mike Weir and rookie Tim Imeson connected for homeruns. Weirs' being a solo shot and Imesons' a two run shot. Mike Weir (1-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI, HR, HBP) Tim Imeson (1-2, 1 run, 2 RBI's, HR), Jeff Canning (1-1, 1 run, 1 RBI, Double, 2 BB's).
Final Score: Pirates - 1 Dodgers - 7
Game #2 had Dodger rookie Wayne Wickens take the hill against his former team, in his second start of the season. Wayne pitched a solid 6 innings allowing just 2 runs on 4 hits and 3 BB's, while striking out 3. Kyle McFarlane came on in the 7th inning, ran into a little bit of trouble as he allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, but ended the game striking out the final two batters with the tieing run on secondbase. Brooklin had a little trouble stringing together hits but were able to capitalize when given the opportunity due to Pirate errors or walks and hit batsmen. In the second inning the Dodgers were able to score 3 runs while only getting one hit from Sean Blea. The Dodgers added a 4th run in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by Derek Grieve. Brooklin would add another 2 runs in the 6th inning with a 2 RBI single from Jeff Canning. Jay Jarvie (1-2, 2 runs, Double, HBP), Derek Grieve (2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI), Jeff Canning (1-3, 2 RBI)
Final Score: Pirates - 5 Dodgers - 6
|
Dodgers battle Twins and come away with 3 points
June 19, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers took on the visiting Mississauga Southwest Twins this past Fathers Day at Ritson Park in Oshawa. On a very hot muggy day the teams played two good games.
In Game #1 the Dodgers had Sam Grabowski as the starting pitcher, going a complete game 7 innings, giving up 7 runs, 6 earned on 9 hits and 5 walks, while striking out 4. The Twins got on the board first, in the 2nd inning with 2 runs. The Dodgers responded with one of their own in the bottom of the 2nd inning as Sam Grabowski helped his cause with an RBI single. In the top of the 3rd inning the Twins put across 4 runs and then added 1 more in the 4th inning to take a 7-1 lead. The Dodgers finally started to wake up in the 6th inning as they got 2 runs on an RBI double from Jay Jarvie and a sac fly by Derek Grieve, narrowing the lead to 7-3. Then in the 7th inning the Dodgers were able to capitilize on 3 walks and 3 hits to score 4 runs escape with a tie and 1 point.
Dan Blea (2-3, 1 Run, 2 RBI, 1 BB)
Lawrence Thomas (2-2, 1 BB, 1 Run, 1 SB)
Sam Grabowski (1-3, 1 Run, 2 RBI's)
Sean Blea (1-3, 1 RBI)
Ed Ganhao (1-1, 2 BB, 2 Runs)
After a team meeting between games the Dodgers came out ready to start to play with a little more enthusiasm, which quickly got a kick in the gut with the Twins scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning off a 3 run homerun. However the Dodgers replied in their half of the inning scoring 4 runs to take the lead. Mitch Dunn who started for the Dodgers was not comfortable all day, as he pitched 4 innings giving up 4 runs, 3 earned on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5. The Dodgers doubled their run total in the 2nd inning with another four runs, the key hit being a 3 run homerun by Brad Hanna, his first of the year. In the 5th inning they would add another 3 runs to take a commanding 11-4 lead. Wayne Wickens having come in to pitch in the 5th inning gave up 2 runs in the 6th inning but was able to shut the door and secure win for the Dodgers.
Brad Hanna (2-2, 3 Runs, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HR)
Mike Weir (3-3, 3 Runs, 1 Double, 1 Triple, 2 RBI's)
Lawrence Thomas (2-3, 2 RBI's)
Sean Blea (1-3, 2 RBI's)
Jay Jarvie (1-2, 2 Runs, 1 BB)
|
Dodgers cling to 1st place in Walker Conference
July 17, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers were able to keep their slim lead a top the Walker Conference this past weekend with a rain shortened win against the Pickering Pirates.
Mitch Dunn got the call to start game #1 and it looked like the Mitch of old, as he pitched a complete rain shortened 5 inning game for the win. Mitch allowed just 3 hits, 3 walks and one HBP, while striking out 7. The Dodgers offense continued it's slow pace in 2007 but they did enough to get the win, scoring two runs in the 4th inning off an error in right field and a double steal of second and home.
The second game of the doubleheader was called as the field was in no condition to be played on. The game will be made up in the following weeks as a weeknight game.
The win gave Brooklin 23 points and put them in 1st place by 2 points over the Durham Chiefs and 2 over the Pirates. With the race tightening up as the season rolls into the second half, the Dodgers have 4 games coming up against Durham. Durham also holds 2 games in hand due to an earlier doublheader rainout against Barrie.
The first two games against Durham will be this coming weekend on Sunday July 22nd at Clarington Fields. Game times are 1:00pm and 3:30pm.
|
Dodgers boot doubleheader - drop to third
July 31, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers stumbled out of the top spot in their Walker Conference division down to third place behind the division leading Durham Chiefs and second place Pickering Pirates. However the Dodgers are in the tightest race in OSBA this year and are only 1 point behind Pickering and 2 points behind Durham. They have one game left against Pickering and 2 against Durham, though Durham does have 2 games in hand.
The Dodgers sent one of their top pitchers to the mound in game one, Mitch Dunn against the Oshawa Talons. Mitch was as solid as he has been in his last few starts. Getting off to a bit of a rocky start in the first inning, as he walked the bases loaded with two out but was able to induce a ground out to end the inning. For the next three innings Mitch kept the Talons hitless. On the offensive side the Dodgers were not having much luck against Mike Arseneault as they were only able to squeeze out 2 hits in the first 4 innings. In the 5th inning they were able to cash a run on a sac fly by Jeff Canning, scoring Jay Jarvie who singled, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. The Talons were able to put 2 runs, 1 earned, across themselves in the bottom of the 5th inning. This put them up 2-1. The Dodgers were unable to score in the 6th and then the Talons with the help of 3 errors by the Dodgers and 3 hits were able to put 5 unearned runs across the plate to take a 7-1 lead. Sam Grabowski came into the game with 1 out and ended the inning with no further damage. Brooklin scored their second run of the game on an RBI single by Jeff Canning, his second of the game, scoring Dan Blea who got on with a walk.
Final score – Brooklin - 2 Oshawa - 7
In game #2 on a very hot afternoon at the shadeless Ritson Park, Dodger rookie Wayne Wickens took to the hill. Wayne was a shaky and clearly did not have his best stuff but he battled through the first three innings not giving up a hit, while walking 2 and hitting one batter. As has been the case for most of the season the Dodgers bats were quiet, only getting two hits in the first inning, then finally scoring the games first run in the top of the 4th inning on two hits and an Oshawa error. Oshawa came back with three hits of their own in the bottom of the 4th inning, along with 2 Dodger errors that accounted for 5 unearned runs. Brooklin was threatening in the 6th with two men on but bad call by Coach Rod Holinaty had the Dodgers run themselves out of the inning. The Talons came back and scored 2 runs, 1 earned, in the bottom of the 6th inning to take a 7-1 lead. Brooklin was able to put one run across the plate in the top of the 7th to make the score 7-2 but that would be all they would get.
Final score – Brooklin - 2 Oshawa - 7
The Brooklin Dodgers now head to Peterborough for the PRBL Tournament on August 4th and 5th. The Dodgers have only 8 players going so they will need to pick some players up to fill out the roster. However a good showing is expected as the players are very keen to put these past two games behind them.
|
Brooklin split with Scarborough
August 15, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers headed to Ajax to play the Scarborough Indians on Saturday August 11th, hoping for a sweep, knowing it would be difficult with 4/5's of their pitching staff not in attendence. They managed a split and it made their battle for the division title that much tougher and they will need some help from other teams if they are to win the division.
In Game #1 Sam Grabowski took the hill and though a little rocky and battling control most of the day he was able to get out when he needed to to record the win. Sam scattered 9 hits and 2 walks in the 5 inning game, along with 2 K's. The offense got on the board right away for with 2 runs in the first off an RBI triple from Jay Jarvie and a Sac Fly from Mike Weir. In the second inning the Dodgers capitilized on 3 errors and 3 hits to push across 4 runs. Key hits in the inning being an RBI single from Dan Blea and an RBI triple from Lawrence Thomas. Brooklin was kept off the scoreboard for the next two innings and then got swinging again in the 5th inning, scoring another 4 runs. Brooklin had 5 hits in the inning and it started off with late arrival Kyle McFarlane who smashed a double. The Dodgers got RBI hits from Jay Jarvie (Single), Colin Appleton (Triple) and Sean Blea (Single).
Final Score - Indians 4 Dodgers 10
Game #2 saw seldom used pitcher Sean Blea take the mound. Sean was in trouble right from the start and was able to get out of the 1st inning but that was the end for him. Sean gave up 5 runs on 4 hits, 1 walk and 3 HBP's. The older of the brothers then took the hill in the second inning. Dan Blea also used rarely this season faired better then his younger brother, pitching a scoreless 2nd inning. The third inning saw Dan with a bit of control problems, walking 3 batters in the inning and 1 RBI single. Sam Grabowski was called upon to get the final 2 outs of the inning and keep the team in the gamer and give them a chance to claw their way back. The Dodgers got on the board in the first inning with 2 runs on 3 hits, including and RBI single from Mike Elmhurst. After that though the bats when silent as they managed only a hit in each of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings.
Final Score - Indians 6 Dodgers 2
|
Dodgers to send 5 players to 2007 OSBA All-Star Game
August 16, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers are proud to announce that 5 of their players will be taking part in the 2007 OSBA All-Star Game, this coming Sunday at the Rogers Centre.
The players taking part are Dan Blea (2B), Mike Weir (CF), Derek Grieve (3B), Wayne Wickens (P) and Jeff Canning (1B,P). The Brooklin Dodgers Head Coach Rod Holinaty will also have the honour of being the Walker Conference Head Coach, due to the fact the Dodgers won the 2006 OSBA Championship.
All the Brooklin players and fans would like to congratulate the players and their coach on being part of the Walker Conference 2007 All-Star team and we know you will represent the team well and help give the Walker Conference home field advantage in the 2007 OSBA Championship.
Players are to report to the Rogers Centre on Sunday August 19th at 4:30pm by Gate #8. Game time is 5:30pm. Fans get entrance to the Rogers Centre for free.
If anyone is interested in seeing the Jays game prior to the 2007 OSBA All-Star game, the Dodgers have tickets available in the 100 section behind the Jays Bullpen for $20, regular $30.
|
Dodgers fail to stay in hunt for 1st place
August 21, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers got their first chance of the year to play in what used to be their regular home diamond, Kinsmen Stadium, on Saturday August 18th. Their opponents were the division leading Durham Chiefs. Brooklin still had a slim shot at first place going into this doubleheader.
In game #1 Mitch Dunn was the starting pitcher and threw a complete game, allowing only 3 runs on 7 hits and 6 walks with 5 strikeouts. The Dodgers got to Durham start Darryl Jennings right away in the first inning, putting 4 runs across on 4 hits, 1 walk and an error. The bats went quiet as Durham tried to chip away with 2 runs in the 2nd inning and 1 in the 6th inning but that is all they would get. Brooklin would add 2 more runs themselves in the 6th inning on 2 hits, 1 walk and an error.
Offensive standouts were:
Dave Hickey - 2-3, Double, 2 RBI, 1 Run
Derek Grieve - 1-1, 2 walks, 1 Run
Sam Grabowski - 2-3, Double, 2 RBI
Mitch Dunn - 1-3, Double, 1 RBI, 1 Run
Final Score - Durham - 3 Brooklin - 6
Game #2 of the doubleheader saw Jeff Canning take the ball for Brooklin looking for the sweep. Jeff was solid in the first 5 innings as he gave up only 2 runs on 2 hits, 1 walk and 1 HBP. The wheels fell off in the 6th inning as Durham was able to put together 4 hits and a walk to put across 5 more runs. Sam Grabowski came on in the 7th inning but did not fair much better as the Chiefs were able to put 2 more runs across the plate. The Dodgers bats were hitting balls hard but they were right at the Durham players and when they were able to get some hits to drop they were unable to string them together or get keys hits to score runs. Brooklin got on the board with it's lone run in the 5th inning on an RBI by Sean Blea.
Offensive standouts were:
Sean Blea - 1-2, 1 RBI
Jeff Canning - 1-2, Double, 1 Run
Final Score - Durham - 9 Brooklin - 1
|
Dodgers complete season sweep of Pirates
August 25, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers took on the Pickering Pirates on Thursday night in the final of their four game regular season series. The Dodgers had already taken the first 3 games and were hoping for the series sweep.
Brooklin had Mitch Dunn on the hill and he did not dissappoint as he brought his good stuff to the game. Dunn went the full 9 innings scattering 7 hits and not walking any, while striking out 5, giving up 1 earned run.
The offense took a bit to get going but in the 4th inning they got to the Pirates starting pitcher for 4 runs on 2 hits, 2 walks and an error, to take a 4-1 lead, after the Pirates had scored an unearned run in the bottom of the 3rd inning on a wild throw into leftfield by the Dodger catcher. Brooklin added a 5th run in the top of 5th inning on a couple of singles and a fielders choice. The Pirates got two runs back in the bottom of the 5th inning with the help of a couple of Dodger errors. Brooklin got one more run in the 6th inning with the help of a wild pitch, making the final score 6-3.
Offensive standouts:
Tim Imeson - 2-2, Walk, 1 Run, 2 RBI
Derek Grieve - 2-3, Double, 2 Runs, 1 RBI
Mitch Dunn - 1-2, Walk, Run
Rod Holinaty - 1-2, RBI
|
Brooklin Dodgers to face Whitby Chiefs in 1st Round
September 7, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers will open their hunt for the 2007 OSBA Championship against the expansion Whitby Chiefs. The Chiefs had to sit back and wait to see if they would qualify or if the Scarborough Indians would pass them, by winning one of their final three games. The Indians came up empty in all three games, so the Chiefs got into the playoffs in their inaugral year.
The Dodgers and Chiefs played each other only twice this year, with the Dodgers winning one and tieing the second game. The Chiefs have made a few additions to their pitching staff since they last met. The Chiefs have a solid batting lineup and with the additional pitching should make this a very tough series for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers strength all year has been their pitching and it should continue to be strong even with the absence of team veteran Jeff Canning. The remainder of the staff however is strong, healthy and ready. Anchored by Sam Grabowski and Mitch Dunn, as in past years, this years playoff staff will see the benefits of having Wayne Wickens, Kyle McFarlane, Dave Hickey and Brad Hanna, when he is given a break from catching.
The defence of the Dodgers has two conerstones with Dan Blea in the infield at second and Mike Weir in centerfield. Weir will have LT to his right in leftfield and either Jay Jarvie, Sean Blea or Kyle McFarlane in Rightfield. Filling out the infield will be Derek Grieve at 3B/SS, Jay Jarvie at 3B, Mitch Dunn at SS and Tim Imeson, Ed Ganhao and Joel Matthews sharing the duties at 1B. The bulk of the catching will be done by Brad Hanna and he will get a breather from rookie Dave Hickey when needed. Mike Elmhurst is nursing an ankle injury he suffered several weeks ago so will see little to no catching duties in the first round, but his clutch bat will be in the lineup.
The Dodgers bats have not been a strength this year as in years past but after some good results at the end of the year, they expect to be ready to make sure that the pitching staff has as much run support as possible.
Well it's the playoffs and a whole new ballgame. Any team can win on any given day and the Brooklin Dodgers expect to be the last team standing at the end of this years 2007 OSBA Playoffs.
|
Dodgers take Game #1: 7-3
September 7, 2007 --
In the opening game of their best of three series against the Whitby Chiefs, the Dodgers sent Wayne Wickens to the hill to get that all important first win of the playoffs. Wayne did not disappoint as he pitched 6 innings, giving up 2 runs, 1 earned, on only 2 hits and 3 walks, with 7 strikeouts. Wayne gave way to Sam Grabowski in the 7th inning, who also gave up an unearned run but closed the door on the Chiefs.
The Dodgers new they would be in tough against Whitby lefty Steve Harrington and were hoping that their bats would be able to get an early lead for Wayne. Well they got the early lead for Wickens but it had more to do with the 2 errors by the Chiefs in the 1st inning. Sub-standard fielding would continue to hurt Whitby throughout the game, they escaped the 2nd inning with no runs after two errors. The Dodgers were having trouble with Harrington but were able to manage another unearned run in the 4th inning to go up 3-0. In the 6th inning the bats came alive a bit, as they were able to string together 3 hits and 2 more runs to go up 5-0. After Whitby scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the 6th inning, rookie Tim Imeson got both runs right back with a 2 run Homerun in the top of the 7th inning, off Whitby reliever David Gemmell. With one more run in the bottom of the 7th for the the Chiefs, the final score was 7-3 for the Dodgers and a Game #1 win.
Offensive standouts:
Derek Grieve - 2-2, 1 SacFly, 3 RBI's
Dan Blea - 2-3, 2 Runs, 1 SB
Tim Imeson - 1-2, HR, 1 Walk, 1 Run, 2 RBI's
Sam Grabowski - 1-1, 1 Run
Mike Weir - 1-3, 1 Run, 2 SB's
|
Brooklin gets set to battle Durham ..... again!
September 11, 2007 --
Well here we are in September and the Ontario Senior Baseball Associations playoffs are currently taking place. So that must mean 2 of the original 4 teams from 2001 must be meeting in one of the playoff series ..... again! The Brooklin Dodgers will meet the Durham Chiefs for a 5th season in a row, with Brooklin holding a 7-5 edge over Durham. Every series to date has gone the full 3 games and usually right down to the last inning. Without a doubt this is the strongest rivalry either of these teams has in OSBA. The two teams know each other very well. This past season saw the four games they played, end with a split.
The Durham Chiefs come into the 2nd round after getting a bye in the 1st round for winning their division. Durham has a strong pitching staff anchored by staff ace Mike Ovsonka and including Chris Aarons, Paul Ovsonka, Mike Robertson and rookie Darryl Jennings. The infield is as solid as any in OSBA, with Paul Graham at 1B, Justin Bird at SS, Rob Robinson at 3B and when not pitching Mike Ovsonka at 2B. Arguably the best outfield in OSBA is also part of the weapons that Durham possesses, Mike Robertson in CF, Colin Cockburn in RF and Kael Racioppa in LF. The Chiefs also have strong bats in thier lineup that don't play set positions, such as Jeff King. The catching duties are split between two of the best, in Dan Wilson and Kerry Noel. As in every year the Chiefs are a strong team that can put up big numbers offensively, so they can never be counted out of any game they are in.
The Brooklin Dodgers come into the 2nd round off a sweep of the expansion Whitby Chiefsin the 1st round. Strong pitching in both games by Wayne Wickens and Mitch Dunn were the key ingredients, along with some solid defense and clutch hits late in the games.
The Dodgers will be going into this series with a full complement of pitchers, which has not always been the case this year. Wayne Wickens and Mitch Dunn pitched extremely well in the 1st round, as did Sam Grabowski in his relief appearence. Also raring to go are Jeff Canning, Kyle McFarlane, Brad Hanna and Dave Hickey. The main four of Sam, Mitch, Wayne and Jeff received the bulk of the innings this year, as the work was spread out as evenly as possible, to make sure everybody was in good shape come playoff time. When not called upon to pitch, Brad Hanna will be the main catcher calling the shots behind the plate and when he is not back there, either Mike Elmhurst or Dave Hickey will pick up the slack.
The Brooklin infield will have mainstays Dan Blea at 2b, Derek Grieve at 3B and when not pitching, Mitch Dunn at SS. The 1B duties will be shared mainly by Tim Imeson and Ed Ganhao. Also seeing time in the infield will be Kyle McFarlane, Joel Matthews and Wayne Wickens.
In the outfield the Dodgers are as strong as ever with 6 quality fielders ready and raring to play. The main three of Mike Weir, Lawrence Thomas and Jay Jarvie will see the bulk but the back-ups Colin Appleton, Sean Blea and Ktyle McFarlane are no slouches themselves.
The key for the Brooklin Dodgers in this series will be the same as it has always been, pitching and defense. They may not score runs the same way Durham does but they have the ability to shut teams down and keep scores very low. With the added bonus, of having several of the Dodger bats waking up lately, which will only help.
The series starts on Friday and it should offer up some great baseball!
|
Off-season could be interesting
November 29, 2007 --
The Brooklin Dodgers head into this off-season in new territory. No longer having to look back and say "What if?" or "There is always next year ..." This is because in 2006 they were able to get the monkey off their back and win the OSSBA Championship. After three failed attempts in five years as the Whitby Chiefs, the newly named Brooklin Dodgers put together a superb playoff run and captured their first championship.
The Dodgers look ahead to the 2007 season and the possibility of becoming only the second team in league history to repeat as OSSBA Champions. The Mississauga Stars accomplished the feat in the leagues first two seasons.
At the final team meeting in October, the Dodgers got confirmation from all the players, that were on the playoff roster, that they would return for the 2007 season. This puts the 2007 roster at a solid 13 players with three or possibly four spots to fill. Gone from last years roster are catcher Braden Novack who disappeared in August and the team also lost Assistant Coach and starting shortstop Mark Cairns to school in South Carolina, where he will remain with girlfriend Lindsay, a South Carolina girl, for the forseeable future. So barring any off-season job moves or injuries the Dodgers are looking very very good going into 2007.
It is expected that the Dodgers will see some new faces in 2007 but have also had contact with a past player or two, who might be thinking of coming back to play some baseball in 2007.
So as management prepares for the 2006 OSSBA winter meeting this coming weekend in Richmond Hill, stay tuned to this website for further updates. Workouts will commence in February.
|
|
|
Brooklin Dodgers prepare for 2008 OSBA season
The Brooklin Dodgers have started to prepare for the upcoming 2008 OSBA season. As the current OSBA Champions and second team to win Back-to-Back OSBA Championships, the Dodgers understand that they will have a target on them and the rest of the league will be gunning for them.
Stay tuned for more info with regards to team indoor workouts and possible player news.
|
Jays vs Tigers tickets for sale
The Brooklin Dodgers will be selling tickets to a Jays game in April, along with the other teams in OSBA.
The game and ticket info is as follows:
Detroit Tigers vs Toronto Blue Jays
Saturday April 19th
1:07pm
Seats are in sections 113B to 113D
Tickets are $25.00 each
If you wish to purchase tickets please contact Rod Holinaty at r.holinaty@sympatico.ca
|
Brooklin set for a run at a 3rd OSBA Championship
The Brooklin Dodgers spent the past offseason savouring their second OSBA Championship in as many years. After a decent regular season in 2007, their 7th not only at .500 or above but also their 7th trip to the playoffs and 5th trip to the OSBA championship. The Dodgers have been a model of consistency in OSBA, though it did take them 4 tries to finally win the big one. Now that they have done that, they want to continue to have that great feeling each offseason, after winning the OSBA championship.
The road to the playoffs though has gotten tougher over the winter. The Dodgers division rivals have improved in their quest to unseat the reigning champs. Pickering only added one player, he is a player that will make a significant contribution in the batting lineup, the outfield and on the mound. Scarborough have made some strong additions on the mound and in the field. Durham will be the big question mark in the division, as they lost a huge chunk of their 2007 roster, they have gone out and added several new faces to their roster. Only time will tell how they work as a team.
The other four conference teams in the other division have also made improvements. The biggest being Whitby who has made several additions to help their pitching staff and their defence, their two main issues in 2007. The Ontario Diamond Jacks (Richmond Hill) have changed to the new name and changed city and parks they will play in. Rumour has it they have added some more pitching to an already deep staff. Oshawa have trimmed their roster but have also added a few members they think will take them over the top this coming season. Barrie looks to get out of the rebuilding phase and hopes to turn some heads with some strong additions this past winter.
The Dodgers will be playing the strong West Division #1 this coming season in the crossover games with the Western Conference, which means they will not only face their 2007 OSBA Championship opponents the Bengals, who have added more pitching and some strong bats to an already well rounded lineup, they will also face the powerhouse Burlington team. The Bulls already strong year in and year out, have made a few strong offseason additions and are looking like the team to beat in 2008. The Majors will get their first look at the Dodgers this season and with a few new guys in the lineup will look to improve on a very good rookie season, a definite team to watch. Forest Glen in year two of their rebuilding plan, look to capitilize on last years playoff appearance, with another year of improvement.
The cornerstone of the Dodgers since their inception has always been their pitching. The 2008 season will be no different as their complete pitching staff will be returning. Led by the always impressive tandem of Mitch Dunn and Sam Grabowski. Mitch looks to improve on last years so so year and hopes to continue where he left off in the playoffs, going 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA. Sam as always is the workhorse of the Dodgers staff with his versatility of being able to start a game and still be fresh to also be a reliver in the second game. The veteran of the staff Jeff Canning is the rock and stabilizing force on the staff and looks to have a better season then he did in 2007. Wayne Wickens is hoping that last years playoff performance was a just a blip and expects to return to the form he showed in his rookie regular season with the Dodgers. Rounding out the staff is Brad Hanna, Kyle McFarlane and Colin Appleton, all three will look to get a few more innings in during the regular season and help keep the the main guys fresh for the playoffs. Dave Hickey who will not see much action on the mound during the season as he pitches for his other team, getting in his innings there but will be ready for the playoffs.
The Dodgers have had some very strong defensive teams over the years and 2008 should be no different. The 4 starting infielders are as strong as any starting four in the league. At the hot corner they have the very strong armed and dependable Derek Grieve, beside him in his second year playing shortstop full time will be Mitch Dunn. Having made the transfer to shortstop seamlessly he will continue his strong play on the left side of the field. The other half of the Dodgers double play combo, is the dazzling Dan Blea, who makes easy plays look even easier and hard plays look easy. The human vacuum never disappoints. Ed Ganhao will again be taking the majority of innings at firstbase and is always a steady hand on the corner and also quick to chat up whoever is lucky enough to make it to firstbase. Filling in when needed in the infield will be several players including, Kyle McFarlane (all 4 spots), Jay Jarvie (3rd), Wayne Wickens (ss, 2nd), Jeff Canning (3rd, 1st), Colin Appleton (3rd, ss), Dave Hickey (2nd) and Sam Grabowski (2nd, ss). Catching will be a bit of a mixed bag in 2008 for the Dodgers, with both their main catchers, Brad Hanna and Mike Elmhurst, not being able to commit 100%. They will of course see the majority of action when at games, but when not there, the catching duties will be divided up amongst Wayne Wickens, Jeff Canning, Rod Holinaty and Dave Hickey. With so many strong options, the Dodgers are not worried. In the outfield the Dodgers will rotate their 4 main outfielders as they did in 2007. Mike Weir will be the anchor in centerfield tracking down most balls hit his way. He will have Lawrence Thomas in leftfield, using his speed and accurate arm to give runners pause about taking that extra base. In rightfield the Dodgers will have Jay Jarvie and Sean Blea, with Jarvie also seeing action in centerfield. Jarvie has a great ability to track down balls most players can't and Sean has a gun from rightfield. Also seeing action in the outfield will be Colin Appleton, Sam Grabowski and Kyle McFarlane
Hitting is the final ingredient to any winning clubs formula. The Dodgers will be able to put out basically the exact same lineup they have had the past two years on their way to winning back to back OSBA Championships. It is a lineup of players that feeds off of what each other does. There is no clear cut #1 bat in the lineup, on any given day, someone different steps up and helps the team do what it needs to do to win.
The Dodgers are looking forward to the coming season, they know teams will be gunning for them and they know that what they did last year will no longer mean a thing once the first pitch of the 2008 season has been thrown. It's a new year with new challenges and the Dodgers feel they are more then ready to take them on and be victorious when the last pitch of the season is thrown.
PLAY BALL!
"See you in the playoffs!"
|
Dodgers sweep away Indians
The Brooklin Dodgers opened the 2008 season with a sweep of the newly named Ajax Indians.
After some heavy rain on Saturday, it was going to be interesting to see if Ritson Field would be in any condition to play baseball on Sunday, however after a little work by the Dodgers and some help from a couple of Indian players, the field was ready and raring to go when the umpires showed up for the first pitch of the Dodgers season.
The Dodgers started off the 2008 campaign by handing the ball to second year player Wayne Wickens. He did not disappoint as he went a very solid 5 innings, giving up only 2 hits, 1 walk and 1 run (earned). He struck out 6 Indians. Jeff Canning came on in relief in the 6th inning, looked a little shaky the first two batters but settled down inducing a double play ball and a strikeout ont he next two batters he faced.
Brooklins offence was in full swing for game one. They were doing what they do best, capitilze on other teams errors, the Indians had 5. After taking the lead in the 2nd inning with a pair of runs, they never looked back, racking up a total of 12 for the mercy win in the 6th inning. Some of the key contributors for the Dodgers were Dave Hickey (2-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI 1 HR), Mitch Dunn (0-1, 3 runs, 2 BB), Mike Weir (2-2, 1 HBP, 1 RBI) and Sean Blea (1-2, Sac, 2 RBI's)
Game #2 had the Dodgers 2007 ace on the hill in the form of Mitch Dunn. Mitch looked impressive in his debut, getting a little tired in the 6th but having struck out 7 batters along the way. Giving up 4 runs (earned) on 7 hits and 3 walks. Sam Grabowski entered the game with one out in the 6th inning. He allowed one run in the 7th but stranded the tieing run at second base.
The bats were not booming, but they rarely do with the Dodgers as they again were able to capitilze on 5 errors by the Indians on their way to a 6-5 victory. Main contributors at the plate were, Colin Appleton (1-1, 1 RBI, 1HR), Jeff Canning (1-3, 1 RBI) and Derek Grieve (1-2, 1 BB, 1 run).
The Dodgers next scheduled games are on May 11th against the Whitby Chiefs. These games have been postponed and will be replayed later in the year, during the week. So Brooklins next action will come on May 25th when they visit the Forest Glen Giants.
|
Dodgers lose two close games to Giants
The Brooklin Dodgers went to Mississauga last weekend hoping to continue their strong start to the 2008 season. Well sometimes what you hope for and what you get are not the same thing.
In the first game, the Dodgers sent Sam Grabowski to the hill, hoping he could chase his Fleetwood Park demons away. It didn't work out to well, as Sam went 5 innings giving up 4 HR's on his way to a 10-9 loss. Passed ballss and wild pitches along with stolen bases did not help as well as the Giants took advantage of the fact the Dodgers had Coach Holinaty behind the plate. The offense for the Dodgers was strong as they banged out 7 hits and capitilized on the errors that the Giants committed but were unable to keep up with the Giants bats. Standouts for the Dodgers at the plate were Derek Grieve (3-5, 1 HR, 2 Runs, 2 RBI) and Sam Grabowski (1-2, 1 HR, 3 RBI, SAC).
Final Score - Dodgers 9 Giants 10
Game #2 had Mitch Dunn on the mound looking to put the Dodgers back in the win column. Well Mitch pitched well through 4 2/3 innings but got very little help from the bats after the 1st inning. Mitch gave up 3 earned runs while striking out 6, in taking the loss. The Dodgers got on the board early in the first inning thanks to Grive second HR of the day but were only able to push one more run across the plate in the 3rd inning as the Giants pitchers kept Brooklin's bats in check. Standouts at the plate for the Dodgers were Derek Grieve (2-4, 1 HR, 1 Double,2 RBI, 2 Runs), Mitch Dunn (2-4, 1 Run, 1 SB) and Ed Ganhao (2-2, 1 Walk)
Final Score - Dodgers 3 Giants 4
|
Dodgers get back on winning track
The Brooklin Dodgers came back home this past weekend after losing two games the previous weekend to the Giants, hoping to right the ship and get back in the winning side of the column.
The competition was the Mississauga Majors who are also from the Western Division #1 as the Giants are.
The first game started with Dodgers veteran Jeff Canning taking to the mound and he did not disappoint. Jeff went a very strong 7 innings for the win, allowing only one earned run on three hits, while striking out 9. The Dodgers bats were on fire as well as they banged out 13 hits but were not able to capitilize as much as they would have wanted. The standouts for the Dodgers offensivily were Derek Grieve (2-3, 1 HR, 1 Run, 1 RBI), Jay Jarvie (2-3, 1 Triple, 2 Runs), Lawrence Thomas (2-3, 2 Runs) and Wayne Wickens (2-3, 1 RBI).
Final Score - Majors 1 Dodgers 5
In game two Wayne Wickens got the start looking for his second win of the year. Brooklin received another complete game performance as Wickens allowed only 3 hits in 7 innings and 2 earned runs, while striking out 9. The dodgers bats were again booming in the early stages of the game, highlighted by a 6 run 3rd inning. Main contributors at the plate were Wayne Wickens (2-3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 SB), Derek Grieve (2-2, 1 Run, 1 BB), Jay Jarvie (1-3, 1 HR, 1 Run, 2 RBI), Dan Blea (2-3, 1 Double, 2 Runs), Sam Grabowski (2-2, 3 RBI) and Jeff Canning (2-3, 1 Double, 1 Run, 3 RBI)
Final Score - Majors 2 Dodgers 9
|
BROOKLIN/WHITBY FALL CLASSIC TOURNAMENT
The BROOKLIN DODGERS along with Walker Conference rival Whitby Chiefs will be hosting their annual Fall Classic Tournament this coming weekend in Clarington, Ontario. The dates of the tournament are October 18th and 19th.
Tournament organizers are hoping for the weather to be a little better this year compared to last years, when the cold temperature made playing a little difficult.
There have a been a few changes to the tournament this year. For starters it will be a wood bat only tournament, which we hope will make for an even more exciting series of games over the weekend. The two other major changes are that the batting order will be a 10 man batting order and a re-entry rule, using the same rules as OSBA does with a 12 man order.
The teams taking part in this years FALL CLASSIC will be the host Brooklin Dodgers and Whitby Chiefs, as well as fellow OSBA teams the Burlington Bulls (2007 Fall Classic Champions), Mississauga Stars (2007 Fall Classic Finalist) and Durham Chiefs. Teams taking part from outside OSBA are York Diamonds, Thornhill and the Burlington Bandits.
The Full schedule is listed below, please check back regularly for scores and updates as the tournament progresses.
|
|
|
Two Dodgers honoured at 2008 OSBA Banquet
At the recent Year-end Banquet held by the Ontario Senior Baseball Association, the Brooklin Dodgers had four of their members in the running for awards to be handed out that night. One Dodger had multiple nominations, Dan Blea, who was up for Eastern Conference Most Sportsmanlike and also Eastern Conference Gold Glove - Infield. Derek Grieve was 1/3 of Dan's competition in the Gold Glove - Infield category and Mike Weir was competing in a strong field in the Eastern Conference Gold Glove - Outfield category. Rounding out the nominations was Head Coach Rod Holinaty in the Eastern Conference Biggest OSBA Supporter Category.
The Dodgers would end up winning three of the awards, with Dan Blea winning both of his nominations and Rod Holinaty winning his.
The Brooklin Dodgers would like to congratulate all of their award finalists and winners for being recognized by the association in 2008.
|
An early Christmas present!
Well it seems that the Brooklin Dodgers received an early visit from Santa Claus this year. This week the team was informed by head coach Rod Holinaty that a current OSBA player had decided to join the Dodgers starting in the upcoming 2009 season.
Brooklin is thrilled to announce the addition of Mike Desputeaux, formerly of the Ontario Diamond Jacks. Mike has his own reasons for leaving the Diamond Jacks and the Dodgers are pleased he chose them as his next team. Rumour had it that several teams in the Eastern Conference were also interested in his services, once they found out shortly after the season that he was very serious about changing teams. Nothing really happened for almost two months and then it all happened pretty fast this past couple of weeks, with Mike informing the Diamond Jacks he would not be returning in the 2009 season and then the subsequent agreement with the Dodgers to join them. A big thanks to Dan Blea who helped ease any worries Mike may have had in joining the Dodgers.
With the addition of Mike, it will give the Dodgers one of the strongest outfields in OSBA. He will also be a boost to what was at times an anemic offence in 2008.
Mike had been a member of the Phoenix/Diamond Jacks since 2003, being a cornerstone of their outfield and offence. In his 6 year career in OSBA Mike was a staple on OSBA All-Star teams and was also a key member of the Ontario Stars 2008 Florida team. While with the Phoenix/Diamond Jacks from 2003 to 2007, Desputeaux put up some impressive numbers in those years, including a career .361 avg., 129 Runs, 98 RBI’s and led the team over that 5 year span with 88 SB’s, while only being caught twice. Mike finished off this past 2008 season with a .387 avg., 22 Runs, 2 Triples, 3 HR’s, 17 RBI’s and 12 SB’s. On top of his strong bat at the plate and speed on the bases, Mike is also an elite outfielder in OSBA, having just won the 2008 Eastern Conference Gold Glove – Outfield award. While with the team he was a key member of the Phoenix team that won the 2004 OSSBA Championship, incidentally beating the Dodgers when they were the Whitby Chiefs. He was also a member of the Phoenix when they won the inaugural OSBA Tournament in 2004.
Mike Desputeaux is the first link in the Brooklin Dodgers plan to rebound from a very disappointing 2008 season. The coaching staff will savour the addition of Mike over the holidays and then get back to work come January, building a contender for the 2009 OSBA Championship. Glad to have you aboard Mike!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
|
Dodger commence the off-season work
January 11, 2009 --
The Brooklin Dodgers got an early jump on their re-tooling for the 2009 OSBA season, with the addition of Mike Desputeaux (formerly of the Ontario Diamond Jacks).
Now with the 2008 holiday season behind them, the Dodgers management team will head to this years first OSBA Board of Directors meeting on Sunday January 11th.
This meeting will be an important meeting as a possible new Executive Board will be voted in. All 6 positions will be up for grabs (President, Vice-President East, Vice-President West, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer and Secretary, a position currently held by Brooklin GM Rod Holinaty. A great deal of change is not expected in these positions however, contrary to many rumours floating around.
The meeting will also see the submission of proposals from teams for the 2009 season. Brooklin alone has 9 such proposals, though some are incumbent on certain other things being submitted by other teams.
The biggest issues will more then likely be wood bats - yes or no? The current fate of teams in OSBA and will Bloor be re-entering the league in 2009? Are there any teams looking to join OSBA in 2009?
The Dodgers hope the meeting is a fruitful one and then will look forward to getting together as a team in the next few weeks to discuss the direction of the Dodgers in 2009.
Stay tuned for updates.
|
Congrats are the order of the day!
February 1, 2009 --
The Brooklin Dodgers would like to take this opportunity to congratulate a few of their team members.
At the recent OSBA meeting Head Coach Rod Holinaty was again voted in as the OSBA Secretary.
At the meeting Assistant Coach/Player Jeff Canning was appointed to the newly created position of Junior East Vice-President.
Congratulations to both of you and we know you will not only do great in your postitions on the Board of Directors but will be sure to look out for the best interest of not only the league but also the Dodgers.
The team is also looking forward to the upcoming births of not one but two new members to the Dodgers family.
In May, Derek Grieve and more importantly his lovely wife Michelle, will be expecting their first child this coming May. One more to add to the growing Grieve clan, keeping pace with older brother Jimmy. :)
Following a few months later will be Jeff Canning and his new bride Melanie, one of our more faithful fans, will be welcoming their first baby in July. Wow didn't take you guys long did it? ;)
The Dodgers wish both couples each have a very successful birth and healthy little babies. Quick labour as well! :)
Stay tuned for more Dodger news to come soon.
|
Dodgers Earn 3 of a possible 4 points from the Brew Crew
The Brooklin Dodgers took the show on the road this past weekend to take on the Barrie Brewers with a horrible showing against these same Brewers last year fresh in their minds. Game 1 was a pitchers duel with the home team Brewers sending Bryan MacLeod to mound and the visiting Dodgers sending the wily veteran Jeff Canning to the mound. The game was scoreless till the top of the 4th inning with 2 out, when Dodger newcomer Mike Desputeaux reached on a single, next batter Mike Weir grounded to third and hustling down the line forced the third baseman to rush his throw to firstbase and throw it down the left field line, Mike Desputeaux used his speed to come around from first to put the Dodgers up 1-0 till the top of the 6th when Colin Appleton reached on a single and came around to score on Dan Blea’s sacrifice. That is all the Dodgers would need in game one as the Defence and Pitching was solid. Jeff Canning gets the win and Sam Grabowski the save giving up a combined 1 hit on 3 walks and striking out 9.
Story Lines
Dan Blea 1-3, 1 RBI
Mike Desputeaux 1-3
Colin Appleton 1-3
Jeff Canning 5IP, 1H, 6K
Brad Hanna 2 HBP, 1 Broken Sam Bat
Game 2 saw the Dodgers hoping to continue their strong defence for another game and strong defence was not what was shown on the field by both teams, as this game was very ugly at times. The home team Brewers sent Dave Williamson to the mound and the visiting Dodgers countered with their fireballer Wayne Wickens. The home team Brewers jumped all over the Dodgers in the first 2 innings scoring 7 times as a result of a few costly errors and some bad fielding. With the Dodger down 7-0 they plated 3 in the top of 3rd with the Brewers committing 4 errors of their own. The Brewers made it 8-3 in their home half of the 4th inning. The Dodgers would battle back to score a run in the 5th inning, on a sac fly. In the bottom of the 5th, the Dodgers went to Sam Grabowski to come on and hold the Brewers in check. He did not disappoint, as he closed the door and allowed the Dodgers to get 2 more runs in the 6th and 2 runs in the 7th to tie the game 8-8 off former Dodger Rich Messina.
Game Notes
Andrew Ellsworth 2 HBP, 3 runs
Wayne Wickens 1-1, BB, SB
Sam Grabowski 3IP 1H, 1BB, 3K
Brad Hanna another broken bat without swinging
Lawrence Thomas broken bat ground out
Colin Appleton “ I could not look at the ball coming out of the pitchers hand, his eyes were too dreamy”.
The Dodgers were very happy to come away with 3 points from a very feisty Barrie squad, increasing their point total to 7 points this young season. The Dodgers will return home to take on the Whitby Chiefs this coming weekend Sunday May 31st at 6pm and 8:30pm at Iroqouis Park.
|
Dodgers attempt to bounce back after being swept
This past weekend saw the Brooklin Dodgers up against the Mississauga North Bengals in a series that is slowly developing into a quiet rivalry.
Game 1 brought ultimate rookie Sam Grabowski to the mound, as the Bengals countered with Jay Silverberg. The Dodgers bats came alive early in the second inning, scoring two runs and never looking back. They went on to score eight more over six innings. The offence was shared by the entire team this game with clutch hitting from shortstop Mitch Dunn (3-3 with 1 RBI) Brad Hanna (2-3, with 2 RBI’s) and rookie Jay Hansen (1-1, with an RBI). Second baseman Dan Blea also popped a two run single in the 4th to pretty much solidify the victory. Sam cruised through six only giving up three hits and one earned run getting him the “W,” as Silverberg would like to have this one back allowing nine hits and nine walks over six innings. The Dodgers are a tough team to beat when their offence is on and Mr. Grabowski pounds the strike zone like he has consistently done over the years.
Game 2 saw a complete role reversal as the Bengals threw their ace Jon Menezes, and the Dodgers countered with Dan Blea, who hasn’t seen much pitching time over the years. The Dodgers seemed to continue the offensive performance from Game 1 in the 1st inning, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, but failed to score. Mike Desputeaux tallied the Dodgers only hit in that inning and seemed to be the only player who saw Menezes well throughout the game. Through no fault of his own, Dan took his first loss of the year, keeping the Dodgers in it for as long as he could, however the bats just failed to support him in this game. Hats of to the Bengals starter who threw a complete game one hitter, striking out ten on his way to the win. Dan was also formally welcomed by “Long Ball” president Sam Grabowski in the 5th inning, when Dan gave up his first 2 run blast and first wood bat homerun off the Dodgers season. Welcome to the club!
Even though the team walked away with two points, the feeling was that the Dodgers may have squandered the other two, in a conference where points are of the highest importance. Looking to bounce back on offence and put the second game behind them, the Dodgers look forward to hosting the Stars this Sunday who always seem to give opponents a good run.
|
Dodgers take two from Stars
This weekend brought together two teams of the OSSBA original four, in a series that did not disappoint. The Mississauga Stars looking to climb up in their division, sitting in the bottom half, and the Brooklin Dodgers trying to separate themselves from their own four way tie for second spot.
Game #1 saw Colin Appleton take to the mound for his second appearance of the year, as the Stars countered with Allan Penney. Appleton pitched a solid 4 innings only allowing one run on two hits, and gave the ball up to an experimental bullpen, having done an outstanding job. Mike Desputeaux came in the 5th to try and hold the fort, but the Stars seemed to come alive at the sight of a new pitcher. Mike was tagged for four runs over two innings, and the Stars put every effort forward in the seventh to tie and possibly take the lead with bases loaded and nobody out. The ball was then handed over to the reliable Sam Grabowski who ended the threat only giving up one, in what might be the biggest save of the season. All three pitchers did their job in game one, and were helped with enough offence to get the win. The Dodgers runs were manufactured by great games from Lawrence Thomas going (2-2 with a walk and 3 runs), Desputeaux (2-3 with an RBI) and Jay Jarvie (2-3 with 2 RBI’s).
Final score – Stars 5 Dodgers 6
Grabowski held on to the ball in the second game of the double header squaring off against Colin Wood. The Dodgers offence was sparked early in the second inning, scoring three runs, and driving the Stars starter out of the game. Offence was lead by Dan Blea (1-3 with an RBI), Mitch Dunn (1-3 and 2 RBI’s) and Sam helping his own cause knocking in 2 RBI’s. The damage was done and Grabowski held the Stars to only 3 hits and 2 runs over six innings earning another big win for the home team.
Final score – Stars 2 Dodgers 7
It was four huge points for the Dodgers over the weekend propelling them higher in the standings, which is crucial if they want to erase last years playoff miss. The Stars who also needed points badly, have to find a way to turn their season around in order to make the playoffs themselves. We’ll see if Brooklin can extend their winning streak next week against the Mississauga Majors and hopefully have their “normal” pitching staff in to do just that!
|
Dodgers continue winning ways
This weekend saw the Brooklin Dodgers try and continue their win streak versus the Misissauga Majors, who in contrast are trying to snap a spiraling losing streak.
Game #1 brought Jeff Canning to the mound for Brooklin, as the Majors countered with Joey Pileggi. It had been a while between starts for the veteran Canning, but time seemed not to phase the righty as he pitched 5 strong innings allowing 3 runs on 7 hits. Jeff handed the ball and the lead to hard throwing Wayne Wickens, who came on to close the door completely, perserving the “W” for Jeff and picking up a save for himself. The offence was sparked by Derek Grieve and Brad Hanna both notorious Dodger sluggers, breaking out of their relative slumps, and each going (2-3) as Hanna picked up 2 RBI’s.
Final Score: Majors - 3 Dodgers - 6
Game #2 brought Sam Grabowski back on the mound, and once again he gave the Dodgers a great chance to win. Sam went 7 strong, allowing 6 hits and striking out 10 Majors. The Dodger offence continued to produce, led by Mike Desputeaux (2-3) and Mike Weir (1-2) with a sac fly. 5 runs was plenty to put the Mississauga team under.
Another 2 big wins for Brooklin as they surge into first place, which has eluded them for quite some time. The Major's must do something soon, in order to turn their losing season around. There's a break for the 2009 OSBA Tournament this coming weekend, as the Dodgers must prepare for the ever deadly Burlington Bulls, in their next series at home.
Final Score: Majors - 1 Dodgers - 5
|
DODGERS AND BULLS SPLIT
This past weekend saw the Eastern Conference leading Brooklin Dodgers go up against the Western Conference leading Burlington Bulls in a much anticipated matchup.
Game #1
Dodgers sent Wayne Wickens to the mound for the first time in 3 weeks against Mark Nicholson of the Bulls. It was a pitchers duel to the end. The Bulls got off to a quick start putting up 1 run in the top of the 1st inning. The Dodgers then countered with 3 of their own in the bottom of the 1st. The Bulls inched closer in the top of the 2nd with another run, closing the lead to 3-2. That would be all the scoring till the 6th, as the pitchers and defense settled down. Then in the bottom of the 6th with the bases loaded and 2 out, Brad Hanna came through with a clutch hit scoring 2 and putting the Dodgers on top 5-2 going into the last inning. The Bulls put up a late rally with 2 out and saw the tying run come to the plate but that would be it as Wickens closed the door, going the complete game giving up 6H 2BB with 5SO.
Brad Hanna 1-2 BB, 2 RBI
Colin Appleton 1-2, RBI
Wayne Wickens 7IP, 6H, 2BB, 5SO
Final Score – Bulls 2 Dodgers 5
Game #2
This was a battle of the undefeated, as both starters for this game had yet to lose this year. Dodgers went with Sam Grabowski (3-0) as the Bulls countered with Cam McKnight (5-0). Lets’ just say this would have been a pitchers duel if the defense was not so shaky. The Bulls got off to a quick start putting up a run in the 1st inning and another 4 runs in the 3rd inning and jumping out to a 5-0 lead. The Dodgers could not get anything going against Dunn, oh I mean McKnight, until the bottom of 5th as they pushed across 2 runs cutting the lead to 5-2. The Bulls would pull away for good in the top of the 6th plating another 3 and extending their lead to 8-2. The Dodgers would close the gap to 8-5 but that would be as close as they’d get. Both pitchers were outstanding only giving up 2 ER each as the defense combined for 9 unearned runs.
Dan Blea 1-2
Mike Weir 2-3, RBI
Lawrence Thomas 1-1
Mike Elmhurst 1-2
Final Score – Bulls 8 Dodgers 5
This coming weekend the Brooklin Dodgers travel to Mississauga to take on the Forest Glen Giants which has the making of another great matchup as the Dodgers are 9-4-1 and tied for first in the Eastern Conference with the surging Pickering Pirates. Forest Glen Giants come in at 9-2-3 and only 2 points away from the first place Bulls in the Western Conference. Game times are 1pm & 3:30pm at Fleetwood Park in Mississauga.
|
Weeeee're Baaaack!
Yes, yes it is true the Brooklin Dodgers have returned to the OSBA Playoffs after being forced to take a year away, due to a very poor showing in the 2008 regular season. It was the first time the Dodgers had not made the playoffs in OSBA history and it left a bad taste in their mouths.
So yes Brooklin is back in contention for the OSBA Cup, hoping to be the first team to win 3 OSBA Championships. It won't be easy as they enter the playoffs in third place but only due to holding the tie breaker over the York Diamond Jacks.
Their reward for finsihing third is that they now get to face the Whitby Chiefs who finished second, just barely missing out on first. The Chiefs swept the Dodgers at home earlier in the year and are going to be looking at continuing that trend this weekend as they get set to play a best of three series.
These two teams may have a short history in their current incarnations but both have strong ties through years past. They match up very well against one another and were dead even in runs scored over the regular season, so it very well could come down to pitching and based on the numbers it looks like Whitby may have the advantage. The Dodgers however have a long history of playoff baseball and know what it takes to win important games. The veteran staff of the Dodgers could very well be their key to getting to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Well let's play some ball and may the best team win!
|
Dodgers lose tight game one
The Brooklin Dodgers opened up their best of three series against the Whitby Chiefs with a one run loss. They will now have to win 2 games on Sunday Sept. 13th if they want to advance to the Confernece Finals.
The Chiefs opened up the scoring in the first inning off of Dodgers starting pitcher Sam Grabowski, with one run in the top of the first inning. However the Dodgers answered back with 4 of their own in the bottom half of the same inning, thanks to some less then clean play by the Chiefs. Whitby would score two more runs in the 2nd to bridge the gap to 1 run. Brooklin with the help of a couple of sacrifice hits would widen the gap to two runs in the 3rd, scoring one. This back and forth scoring would continue into the 4th as Whitby again added a run to get with in a run of the Dodgers. The Chiefs would then break the game open in the 6th, with 3 runs, taking their first lead since the top of the 1st inning. Brooklin could only answer with one run in the bottom of the seventh and had the tieing run thrown out at home to end the game.
It was a strong game that lasted close to 3 hours, as both teams gave it their all in the hopes of coming out on top and claiming the victory.
Game two has a start time of 5:00pm at Iroquois Park. If game three is needed it will start shortly after. Whitby needs to only beat the Dodgers once, while Brooklin needs to sweep the Sunday games.
|
Dodgers win two tight games over Whitby
The Brooklin Dodgers won two very tight games over the Whitby Chiefs this past Sunday evening. The wins allowed the Dodgers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, one step closer to the ultimate prize, the OSBA Cup.
In game #2 the Whitby Chiefs sent hard throwing lefty Steve Harrington at the Dodgers. Brooklin countered this move with their own hard thrower, in the form of Wayne Wickens. However it was easy to tell early on that Wayne just didn't have it on this day, so the call went to the pen and staff ace Mitch Dunn took over the rest of the way. The Dodgers would eventually take a 5-2 lead in the 6th inning and Whitby could only push across 1 run in the bottom of the 7th inning, to bring the final score to 5-3 and a tied series.
The game #3 plan was an old Dodger game plan, stick with the hot arm and so they did as Mitch would start the game and face Sohan Singh of the Whitby Chiefs, another hard thrower. These two pitchers battled through 7 innings each giving up a pair of runs and putting the game into extra innings. Both put up zeroes in the 8th inning. In their half of the 9th inning the Dodgers scored twice to give Mitch a decent cushion going into the bottom of the 9th. It would take Dunn 4 batters to secure the win for Brooklin and put them into the Eastern Conference finals next week.
The Brooklin Dodgers and Whitby Chiefs both played one hell of a series with both some outstanding baseball played and on occassion a little sloppy play on both sides. It was a great series though, that could have gone either way.
Brooklin will now face the Ajax Indians in the Eastern Conference Finals, as they defeated the regular season Conference champs in 3 games to advance.
|
Dodgers lose game #1 in 10th inning
The Brooklin Dodgers opened the Eastern Conference Final in Ajax at the Sportsplex. It was a rather cold and chilly night to start the series but both teams seemed to be ready and rarin to play.
Brooklin sent Sam Grabowski to the hill to face Tim March of the Indians. Well neither pitcher disappointed as they traded scoreless innings except for each having one blip in regulation and sending the game into extra innings with the game tied 1-1. Jeff Canning game on in the bottom of the 7th inning with one out and picked up where Sam had left off, matching March scoreless inning for scoreless inning. However in the bottom of the 10th inning with a runner on third and two out, a sinking line drive that got past Mike Desputeaux, would score the winning run and send the Dodgers to game #2 down a game. Final score Indians - 2 Dodgers - 1
The Dodgers and Indians now face off on Sunday at 5:00pm down at Iroquois Park for game #2 and possibily a game #3.
|
Dodgers thump Indians on their way to OSBA Finals
The Brooklin Dodgers arrived at Iroquois Park this past Sunday knowing they needed to come with their "A" game, as they were down 1-0 in the best of three series with the Ajax Indians. Having to win 2 on Sunday was nothign new to this squad, as they had done it just the previous weekend, but it is never an easy thing to do and they knew it. What they didn't know is how wrong they would be thinking that.
Game #1 had fireballer Wayne Wickens taking to the hill against Indians starter Jimmy Sgourakis. Well Wayne went about his business and worked quickly through 7 innings, getting into some trouble in the 3rd and 6th innings but pitching his way out of it both times. He didn't give up a run, allowing just 3 hits and striking out 9. The Dodgers offence gave him all the runs he would need in the 1st inning scoring 4. They would add on another 4 in the 5th ending the game with an 8-0 win.
Game #2 the Dodgers started their veteran Jeff Canning against Indians starter Chris Theodoru, in this must win game. Jeff did not disappoint as he went the full 7 innings, without giving up a run on, scattering 5 hits and striking out 3. This game became a bit of a laugher early as the Dodgers scored 9 in the 2nd inning and then another 5 in the 4th. The final score was 14-0 for the Dodgers.
Standouts in the series:
Pitching staff:
Combined Jeff, Wayne and Sam gave up only 2 runs in 21 innings, striking out 17.
On offence:
Jeff Canning - 5-10, 2 Doubles, 4 Runs, 2 RBI's, 1 BB
Rick Dwinnell - 5-8, 2 HR's, 4 Runs, 4 RBI's, 1 BB, 1 Sac
So the Dodgers won another series and head back to the OSBA Championship for their 6th time. They face a tough opponent in the Western Conference Champion Burlington Bulls. It looks like it will be one hell of a series.
|
2009 OSBA Championship Brooklin Dodgers preview
Well here the Brooklin Dodgers are again, in the OSBA Championship Series. Their opponents for the second time will be the powerhouse Burlington Bulls, more about them later. This will be the Dodgers (Chiefs) 6th trip to the finals in their 9 year tenure in OSBA. 6 times they have made it through to the end of the playoffs, the most of any team in OSBA history, and in the first 5, only won the whole thing 2 times. Well considering only 3 teams have ever done that, it really is no small feat. As well they won their titles back to back (only the Stars have done that), once they switched their name to the Brooklin Dodgers. It seems a new name and new uni's was all that was needed to put them over the hump and to think some teams will put huge amount of stock in stats, records, who they will play and how well they have done against them in the past. When really all that is needed is a fresh new look! :)
Now of course that is not true but what really is the reason for a sudden turn around in a teams fortunes such as the Dodgers? Yes they missed the playoffs last year after those back to back titles but they have shown this year that 2008 was just a mirage and not something they need to worry or think about anymore. They are back where they belong. That may sound a bit cocky but we think the Dodgers have earned the right to be just a little bit cocky, considering what they have accomplished here in OSBA the past 9 years.
This may not be the way most previews go but really it seems the Bulls preview covers all the numbers between the two teams, I'm sure the OSBA preview will cover the nooks and crannies of what to expect and what/who to look for in the upcoming best of five series. So what does that leave us to write here, to reminince about the past, yes maybe a bit but by doing so it shows that the Dodgers have been here in the past, they have learned from mistakes and successes. They are a veteran team that will take the Bulls very seriously and look forward to an exciting series.
The teams match up on defense pretty close, a slight edge to the Dodgers overall depth on the field though. The batting orders of both teams again are pretty close, give the Bulls the slight edge here as they have proven to be able to load on the runs when needed. Ah but the big question will be which pitching staff will carry their team to the promised land. You win titles with pitching and defense. We have already established here that the Dodgers have the slight edge on defense, the big question now would be who has the better pitching staff. Some will argue that the Bulls staff has proven they are the better staff with their great winning percentage and low ERA, which is one really good arguement isn't it? lol Now on the other hand the Dodgers pitching staff stands on it's own pretty good. It is a veteran staff that has been together off and on since they were in Junior and considering how old some of them are getting, that is one heck of a long time. ;) They feed off each other, they know what needs to be done in tight games and especially when their backs are up against the wall. Sometimes numbers don't give you a complete picture of what you can expect. As always the Dodgers are a true team in every sense of the word. They have a roster of 18 and everybody is prepared to do what they need to do to make sure that the primary goal is achieved. That is one very important ingrediant for a Championship team. I'm not saying that the Bulls don't have that ingrediant, I'm not on the team so can't speak to that.
So there you have it, the Brooklin Dodgers 2009 OSBA Championship Preview, not your every day run of the mill preview but you know what, when these teams take to the field all that matters is what happens that day, nothing we say or predict will matter. It is going to be a series for the ages.
BTW in case any of you may have thought differently the Brooklin Dodgers fully expect to win their 3rd OSBA Championship! :)
|
Dodgers find themselves in a deep hole
The Brooklin Dodgers were pretty confident when they showed up at Millcroft Park to start their best of five series against the defending champion Burlington Bulls, they left after two games with a little less swagger and knowing they were behind the 8-ball going into games #3 and hopefully #4 and #5 next weekend.
Game #1 was a pitching duel with the Bulls Jamie Kozak clearly coming out on top, as he allowed only 1 hit and two walks (all in one inning) while striking out 4, in the complete game shutout. The Dodgers Wayne Wickens was the hard luck pitcher this day. As the Dodgers bats were silent and a beautifully pitched game was wasted. Wayne threw a complete game and gave up only 1 run on 3 hits, 4 BB's and 1 HBP, while striking out 6.
Game #2 started out with so much promise as the Dodgers jumped on a couple of Bulls errors and knocked in 2 runs in the first inning. Sadly that is all the offense they would be able to muster this day against Bulls starter Jon Leyland. They would get 3 more hits but would never seriously threaten to score the remainder of the game. Brooklin starting pitcher Sam Grabowski started out strong and had some help from his defence in the first two innings but then allowed 4 runs in the 3rd and another 1 in the 4th before he gave way to Jeff Canning. Jeff would not fair much better as he gave up 2 in the 4th and 1 in the 5th.
It was definitely not the Dodgers day but though it may look impossible to win 3 consecutive games against the Bulls, who only lost 3 games all year, the Dodgers expect to make a go of it and get back in this series when it resumes next Saturday, hopefully at Kinsmen Stadium. More details to follow.
| |
|
