1st Inning
On April 19th of 2009, I went to my first baseball game with my dad and my brother. I remember staring out onto the field for the first time, it is a sight that has never been matched, and I will never forget the feeling. With the lights shinning on the Rogers Centre field, it was if the world centred around the nine players on each side. We sat about 30 rows up behind the plate, with empty seats all around us. In the second inning, the Blue Jays scored the only run of the game on a Lyle Overbay single. We left the ballgame after about five innings and listened to Jerry Howarth call the rest of the 1-0 game on the Fan590. My love of the game began during the year of 2009, and has never stopped growing.
I remember feeling like a little man in a big world when I walked into the the Rogers Centre. Even the size of the washrooms captured my attention, it was like nothing i’d ever seen before.
2nd Inning
Soon after going to my first ballgame at a spectator, I went to my first game as a player. The game took place at Thornhill Park and I manned third base. During the game, I remember making two tag plays around the bag leading me to winning the MVP award.
Back in those days, my focus would occasionally go elsewhere, but it wasn’t long after that when I was on the field, I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
3rd Inning
I played my first baseball game at age 8 and enjoyed playing until I was 17 years. I spent most of those years playing rep baseball for the Thornhill Reds and most innings at the catcher position. I loved being involved in every play and getting dirty while doing so. I always looked forward to running up behind the plate, catching the 5-7 warmup pitches before the inning started and working with a pitcher to get batters out once the inning began. I felt pressure to succeed, but the pressure I felt made it more enjoyable when things went well and we won. Winning was all that mattered, and when we won as a team, there was no better feeling.
These are some of the moments that are most memorable from my days playing baseball.
Going on a “roll” in the OBA playoffs was a great thrill during the 2015 season. The video below was taken after a hard-fought win which placed us in a strong position in the standings.
In the 2017 season, our team was more well-rounded then it had been before. We made it to many finals in tournaments over the year’s, but in the video below we put the cherry on top.
Many of the other great moments took place off of the field. Spending time with my teammates at hotel’s, restaurants etc. allowed us to bound and develop relationships that made playing more enjoyable. I was lucky to have a coach that I connected well with over my years playing. He challenged me and was tough on me, but believed in me through the many years I played for him. He taught me the basics about the game, and over the years would point out the little things. He impacted how I thought about the game at a young age, and I am very thankful for that most of all.
“A coach will impact more people in one year than the average person will in an entire lifetime.”
— Billy Graham
4th Inning
During the course of those years, my passion for baseball continued to build off of the field. While doing so, I became instantly attached to certain players during my childhood. Here is a breakdown:
2009-2011: Aaron Hill
My first idol was Aaron Hill. He was a steady second-baseman with power who was the heart of the Blue Jays during my first year watching baseball; 2009.
2011-2014: Brett Lawrie
A Canadian-born third-baseman named Brett Lawrie instantly took the crown as my favourite player with his hard-nosed style of play and his passion.
2015-2017: Troy Tulowitzki
I have never been more attached to a player then I was to Troy Tulowitzki during his years playing with the Blue Jays. His professionalism and seriousness on the field matched the criteria that attract me most. He came through in big moments offensively and was a solid defensive shortstop. When he succeeded I felt genuine joy, when he struggled I felt pain. “Tulo” will always mean very much to me.
2017-2018: Chase Utley
The first non-Blue Jays player to crack this list is Chase Utley. He is a similar player to Tulowitzki as he was a professional, smart and serious ballplayer. But what I loved most about Utley was how he created something out of nothing. He made the most out of his ability because he played hard every minute he was on a field, even in his late 30’s. I admired Utley from afar, and I’ll always use him as an example of how to play the game.
The Team
The 2015 Blue Jays were a team that I will never forget, bringing me the most excitement I ever had as a fan. The club was 50-51 before acquiring Troy Tulowitzki right before the trade deadline and then going on to win 93 games. They played meaningful baseball late in the season for the first time in my life and went on an outstanding run in the playoffs. Moments such as Jose Bautista’s bat flip in game 5 of the ALDS and his two home runs in Game 6 of the ALCS will live on in my head for life. It was a magical, unpredictable run, and seeing the Rogers Centre packed full gave me the same feelings I felt when I first walked into the stadium in 2009.
5th Inning
While my playing days were ending, I began coaching a young group of players as well. I enjoyed coaching and teaching the game to the kids. They brought me joy, and I hope they feel I influenced their baseball careers like coaches of mine did to me.
Ever since my first day scouting for a dream company to work at during this stage in the game, my passion and knowledge of baseball have continued to grow. I have travelled all across Ontario and beyond searching for and evaluating talent. I have been able to watch the greatest players in Canada, and spend time learning from great baseball men. I can’t express how much I love scouting, and all that has come with opportunity.
‘The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.’ – Albert Einstein
In-line
for a Win
We are through five innings, and this means in baseball terms, the pitcher is in-line for the win. I am confident that I am in-line for a win when it comes to the future of my baseball career. I recapped moments of my life in baseball in five innings, and I am sure nine innings won’t conclude my career, extra innings will be necessary. I love the game, and I can’t imagine a day where I would want to do anything else other than being involved in baseball. I learned about the game from my dad as a young boy and will continue to learn more about the game then I can imagine from people along the way. And I can’t wait to see what the future holds.
I love baseball more then words can describe. It’s ingrained inside of me, and it will be for as long as I live.
“When I hear someone say “Baseball,” it feels like they’re calling my name.” – Jesse Levine
It’s just the start of the game, we’ve got a lot of baseball left to play…..
My Life in Baseball 