2009 Season
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The Bulls opening day vs the Twins was washed out for the 2nd straight year, but rescheduled right away and the Bulls opened against their 2008 West Division final opponents. Leyland started his 5th straight opener, but it was Kozak in relief who picked up the 5-4 Bulls win. McKnight then made his 5th straight opening day game 2 start and went to 5-0 on opening day with a 5-1 CG win.
The following weekend the Bulls hit the East (for the first of many times during the year) and were hosted by the Ajax Indians. Kozak won 6-1 in game 1 and McKnight won 4-2 in game 2.
Returning home the next weekend, Leyland took the ball again and beat the D-Jacks 7-1. In game 2, McKnight won 11-3. Kip Keith and Jason Hogan both hit Grand Slams in the doubleheader.
Back to the East, the Bulls had a rough weekend against the Whitby Chiefs. Leyland dropped game 1, 3-1 and the McKnight pitched 9 innings to end up with a 1-1 tie in game 2.
The Bulls got back on track the next weekend at home vs the Clarington Cubs and Leyland and McKnight both threw shutouts winning 2-0 and 10-0.
The same combo was equally deadly the next weekend as Leyland beat the Bengals 14-1 and then McKnight tossed another shutout in a 3-0 win.
It was them tournament time for the Bulls as they headed to Whitby to defend their 2008 OSBA tournament victory. Game 1 brought the Bulls debut of young Evan Kielty who used to play with the Bulls select team. Evan was consistent against the Brampton Royals, which was all the Bulls needed. After going 1-2-3 in the first, the Bulls put up an 8 run inning with the help of some suspect Brampton defense. Bulls would add 3 in the 5th and 2 in the 7th to come away with a 13-6 win.
Game 2 was the Bulls toughest challenge in the York Diamondjacks who were 0-1 after losing 2-1 to Clarington. It was a must win game so the Bulls saw the best from the D-Jacks in Craig Bessant. The Bulls countered with McKnight and it looked like a pitchers duel early. The Jacks got on the board in the 3rd with 3 runs (all scored from the bottom of the order) The Bulls responded with 1 in the top of 4th as Kip Keith singled and Hayes hit a grounder to bring him in. In the 5th, the Bulls tied with big 2 out singles from Pitman and Johnston. With the game tied 3-3, the Bulls took the lead in the 6th with Hogan coming up with the big hit to give the Bulls a 5-3 win. McKnight pitched the complete game and was untouched other than the 3rd inning.
At 2-0, the Bulls were into playoffs and played a positioning game with 2-0 Clarington on Sunday morning. Mark Nicholson got the start and the Bulls game him some runs to work with early. 2 in the first, 1 in the 2nd and 2 in the 3rd gave the Bulls a 5-1 lead after 3. The Cubs rallied in the 6th with 3 of their own and closed to within 1 run, but the Bulls offense got back to work scoring 2 more in the 7th and Tennant came in for the save as the Bulls won 8-5. Kip Keith had 3 doubles and scored 3 runs.
Sitting at 3-0, the Bulls were set to play the Barrie Red Sox and feeling good about their tournament chances. They had Kozak, Leyland, Hayes and Kip Keith with completely fresh arms and McKnight ready to bounce back in relief if needed. It wouldn’t matter, however, as the rains hit and the tournament was washed away.
Resuming OSBA action and, again, heading East, the Bulls split with the Dodgers. Mark Nicholson made his only start of the year losing 5-2 and then McKnight won game 2 8-5.
It was tournament time again for the Bulls as they headed to Ottawa looking for a 3rd championship. The team would, however, not be the same as they were missing Brad Guy, Kip Keith, Chris Hayes, Jason Hogan and their usual coaching staff. The team would battle hard though and tied the Panther 3-3 in a McKnight start where he was injured diving for a ball. Brian Molloy beat the Rose City Thorns 3-1 and Leyland won a must win game 6-2 over the Capital City Cubs to get the Bulls back to the playoffs where they fell to the eventual tournament champ Nepean Brewers 6-2 with Kozak taking the loss.
With McKnight on the shelf, the team looked towards Kip Keith and Chris Hayes to join the pitching staff and the following weekend against the Majors after a 10-0 game 1 win by Kozak, Kip Keith made the start in game 2 and the Bulls fell behind, but rallied late for a 6-4 win. Kozak picked up his 2nd win of the day in relief.
The next weekend Hayes made his first start since Strathroy 2008 and the surgery that followed and was his usual self as the Bulls won 2-1 over the Barrie Brewers. King started game 2 and Molloy relieved him for the win as the Bulls won 12-2.
Another original Bull, Brad Johnston, left the team for a job in Calgary and the Bulls added Nathan Tennant to the team to replace him.
Back on the field, Hayes got the ball again the following weekend vs the Stars and won 6-3. Kip got his first win of the year in game 2 as the Bulls hammered a depleted Stars team 14-1.
The OSBA All star game was won by the West and coached by Masters and Crawford who brought along 5 Bulls. Kip Keith, Jamie Kozak, Cam McKnight, Jason Hogan and Chris Lord.
First place was still very much up for grabs with the Giants having their best ever seen. This set up a showdown at Fleetwood. Kozak lost a tough 2-1 game 1 and then the Bulls romped in game 2 behind Hayes 13-3.
The next day, the Bulls played another 2 games. Makeups vs the Talons. The Bulls won game 1 3-0 in Darren Payne’s first start as a Bull. Kip got the win 10-0 in game 2.
The last weekend of the regular season, McKnight (who had been the team’s workhorse early on) returned to the mound and won 10-0. Kozak won game 2, 6-0 giving the Bulls the sweep and their 4th straight division title.
The Bulls finished the regulars season at 22-3-1. A new OSBA record. The Bulls scored the most runs in the league and allowed the least for the 3rd straight year.
Round 1 of the playoffs was a rematch of the 2006 West final with the Stars and Bulls locking up.
Jamie Kozak matched up against Gavin Rajiva in game 1. The Stars got on the board early as Cullen Reached on a leadoff error. He was forced at 2 on a missed Sac bunt, but DeWolfe singled Cornish to 3rd and Rajiva helped his cause with an RBI groundout.
The Bulls could get nothing going off Rajiva and were 0-11 with only a Mousseau walk and a Guy HBP reaching in the first 4 innings. Pitman broke up the no-hitter in the 5th, but the Bulls still could not score and with both pitchers cruising, the score was 1-0 going into top of 6th.
Lord reached on a walk to lead off the 6th. Mousseau struck out and Willits singled to make it first and second. McKnight attempted a Sac Bunt which wound up a single when no one covered first. With the bases loaded, Brad Guy plated the first run with a sac fly. Kip was HBP and with 2 out and bases loaded, Hayes singled through the infield to plate 2 and give the Bulls a 3-1 lead.
The Stars would not go quietly. In the bottom of the 6th, Penney singled and Culled walked to give the Stars 2 on with no one up for the 2nd hitter. The Stars elected not to bunt and Cornish hit into a double play moving the runner to 3rd. DeWolfe double and Rajiva singled with 2 out to tie the game 3-3.
Neither team could get anything going until the top of the 9th. Guy hit a one out single. Kip doubled him to 3rd and with 1 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd for Hayes, the Stars elected to face him. The move would be costly as Hayes hit a HR into Left Centre to give the Bulls a 6-3 lead. Hayes would relieve Kozak in the 9th and with the help of double play, preserve the save and 6-3 Bulls win.
In game 2, Jon Leyland and Johnny DeWolfe matchup in game 2 of the series and both starters pitched great games. Leyland got into trouble in first on a reach on error by Cullen and a walk to Rajiva, but then settled in and got out of the inning. Leyland would not be in trouble again till the 7th when he Ked the last 2 batters with the bases loaded to complete the 7 inning complete game 2 hit shutout. DeWolfe was equally strong save for one inning where the Bulls put something together. A leadoff single by Leyland. He was forced out at 2nd on a Lord sac. Mousseau popped up and with 2 out and 1 on, the Bulls rattled off 4 hits in a row. A Willits single followed by McKnight second single plated a run. Guy singled to load the bases for Kip who singled home 2. Guy scored on a wild pitch and that one 4 run inning was all the offense the Bulls would need as they won 4-0.
The West finals saw the 2 best regular season records in OSBA matchup as the Bulls took on the Giants.
Game 1 was a rematch of a few weeks earlier when Kozak faced Mainelli. Previously a 2-1 loser despite giving up only 2 hits, Kozak dominated from start to finish giving up another 2 hits with zero runs and never really getting into any trouble. The Bulls opened the scoring in the first on a Kip walk. Tennant doubled, but the over aggressive Bulls had Kip cut down at the plate. A Hayes walk followed by a Hogan single loaded them out and a Kozak FC plated the first run. The Bulls added run number 2 in the 3rd on a Cameron Kirby solo HR. His first career Bulls HR and it was a big one.
Leyland got the ball in game 2 vs Matt Klas from the Giants. The Bulls spotted him to an early 1-0 lead when Kip Keith scored on a dropped ball by the SS. Bulls add another in the 3rd on a Kip Keith bases loaded ground ball that leads to an interference call. Kozak singles home another run in the 5th. The Giants could never get much going offensively as they managed only one run in the 5th on a bad throw home by the Bulls usual solid infield defense. Leyland K's 10 and allows 2 hits as he goes to 2-0 in the playoffs and send the Bulls to their 4th OSBA finals.
The OSBA finals saw a familiar opponent as the Bulls were seeking a better showing vs the Brooklin Dodgers after being swept in the 2006 finals. Brooklin travelled to Burlington to open the series the first weekend.
Kozak got the ball for his 3rd straight series playoff start and was cruising along till the 5th inning when Canning hit a single up the middle to break up the perfect game. Walks to Hanna and Dunn saw Kozak face his only jam of the game, but he got Dan Blea to ground out to SS ending the threat. It was the only time all game the Dodgers would have runners on base. The Bulls were not faring much better vs Wayne Wickens. Held hitless to the 3rd when Mousseau doubled to lead off inning. He moved to 3rd on a passed ball and was driven home by Guy. Kozak and Hayes each got a hit, but that’s all the Bulls could manage and they held on for a 1-0 lead.
In Game 2, the Bulls error free defence from Game 1 was gone in the first inning. Leyland got into a bit of trouble with 2 singles, an error and a ball that kicked past the right fielder. 2 runs scored in the inning, 1 of them earned. From then on the defence stepped it up and Leyland went the next 6 innings scoreless with the defence turning 2 double plays behind him and making no further errors. Offensively, the Bulls were hitting starter Grabowski hard in the first 2 innings, but not getting any runs. A Tennant line drive double play ended a 2nd inning rally. In the 3rd, Leyland started it with a double and Lord singled him home. Moose walks. McKnight sac bunted them over and then Guy walked to load the bases for Kip Keith who drove the Ball for a bases clearing double. In the 4h, a Kozak leadoff double, Leyland sacrifice, 2 walks to Moose and Cam led to Brad Guys singling home 2 and Kip singling home another 1. His 4th RBI on the day. In the 5th, yet another lead off double from Hogan started the inning and he scored on Kozak’s sacrifice fly. Final score: Bulls 8 Dodgers 2.
The next weekend, the Bulls travelled east (again) to try and close off the series. McKnight got the ball for the Bulls for the first time in the playoffs and faced off against Dodgers ace and hard luck loser in Game 1. Wayne Wickens. The Dodgers got on board in the first with a run and then the Bulls scored 1on a Kip Keith triple scoring Guy. Kip scored to make it 2-1. A Bulls error led to the Dodgers scoring 2 more to make it 3-2. In the 6th inning, Mousseau reached to start in the inning and got to 2nd on an errant throw. Willitts bunted him to 3rd. Tennant walked. Guy hit a grounder to SS and the Dodgers went home with it. Moose scored. Kip hit a sac fly to give Bulls 4-3 lead and then Hayes walked and Hogan cleared bases with a double. Hayes came in to pitch leading 6-3. Bulls would score one more in 7th and Dodgers got 1 back in 7th making it a 7-4 final. McKnight gets the win making him 9-0 on the season and Hayes picked up his 3rd save (2nd in playoffs)
The Bulls became the only team with 3 OSBA championships surpassing the Stars and Dodgers (2 each)
The Bulls finished the 2009 season with the following records
Regular Season : 22-3-1
Playoffs : 7-0
Tournaments : 5-1-1
For a total record of 34-4-2 and a wining percentage of .875 (their best ever)
The Bulls end of season award were awarded to:
Silver Slugger : Kip Keith
Cy Young : Cam McKnight
Gold Glove : Kip Keith
Most Improved : Dave Willitts
Team MVP : Kip Keith
League awards were also handed out and the Bulls received quite a few including:
Cy Young: Cam McKnight
Top Reliever: Chris Hayes
Silver Slugger: Kip Keith
Gold Glove(infield): Brad Guy, Chris Lord
Gold Glove(outfield): Kip Keith
Most Sportsmanlike Player: Chris Lord
OSBA Supporter : Cindy Lord
OSBA Playoff MVP: Jon Leyland and Jamie Kozak
