The London Majors finished in third place at the end of last season which isn’t bad, but it could better. Having that said, the Majors are gearing up for what could be an exciting season.
The Majors have added depth to their bullpen, and now their bullpen looks even better. The Majors have signed Matthew Balkwill, from the University of Brock. Balkwill is from Chatham, ON, and will likely be used in relief or as a closer. Sean Hood Tidman is the other signing the Majors were able to pull off, and he has also been brought in as a relief pitcher. These two can definitely make an impact, and make life in the batter’s box, a tough one.
Milestone in sight:
Roop Chanderdat the Manager of the London Majors will be happy to have those two on his roster, as it can give the team a chance to win it all. Wins for Chanderdat are going to mean a lot more to him this season, as the 2016 Manager of the year approaches a huge milestone. Chanderdat is close to reaching 300 career wins as a Manager. That’s a lot of baseball games, and not everyone can achieve that kind of milestone. Chanderdat needs to win 13 more games to reach 300 wins, and with the team looking to perform better than last season, that 300 win mark looks like it could be achieved.
Photo of Roop Chanderdat Photo Credit: Matt Hiscox
Local Talent:
The Majors do play in London after all, so there is a good chance that the team could have some hometown names on their squad. It just so happens that the Majors have 5 London natives on the team so far. Those 5 players are: Pitcher Braeden Ferrington, Owen Boon, and Robert Doyle, Catcher Mike Ambrose, and Infielder Evan Britt. All of them can bring a lot to the team this year, and can be a huge part to the teams success, but one man teams should really look out for is Byron Reichstein. Reichstein is from St-Thomas and he knows how to produce. His numbers from last season were pretty good, he had a 3.08 batting average along with 37 RBI. Chanderdat will have tough decisions to make when it comes to who cracks the lineup, but that’s a good thing.
Braeden Ferrington
Photo Credit: Matt Hiscox
Home Run Machine:
Cleveland Brownlee is well known to Majors fans, mainly because he is a good player, but the guy also knows how to hit a ball. Last season the veteran had a 3.24 batting average through 36 regular season games, with a total of 12 home runs, 46 RBI in 145 plate appearances. The Majors have brought him back for his 9th season in the IBL. The Slugger from Atlanta, Georgia will likely be in the infield or play in the clean up spot as a designated hitter.
Cleveland Brownlee Photo Credit: Matt Hiscox
The Majors have high hopes for this upcoming season, and they should. The team finished third last season, and this year they have upgraded their bullpen, added some depth on defence, and they know how to swing a bat, lastly they brought back one of the most dangerous man to ever step in a batter’s box in the IBL. There’s a lot to look forward to, and the countdown to the home opener on May 10th at Labatt Park has already begun.
