As home opener looms, London Majors embrace being team to beat
London’s boys of summer are starting their season looking over their shoulders.
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London’s boys of summer are starting their season looking over their shoulders.
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“We’ve got a bullseye on our back because everyone is gunning for you, especially when you’re back-to-back champions,” said Roop Chanderdat, skipper of the Intercounty Baseball League champion London Majors.
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“I told the guys that it’s something you want to embrace, not something you want to shy away from. “
The champs for the past two seasons play their home opener against their rival Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday afternoon at London’s historic Labatt Park. If the baseball gods are smiling and the stars align, they’ll be back in the mix again for a possible three-peat.
But Chanderdat, the Majors’ manager and co-owner, doesn’t want to speculate on the team’s chances until the season gets going. “I need a good month to get a feel for where they’re at and where I want them to be,” he said.
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There’s a lot for him to consider with 17 new faces on the roster, a big switch in personnel from last year’s team that Chanderdat said was “special.”
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That squad took out Toronto in the final series last September after a remarkable comeback win in Game 6 to claim the Dominico Cup, the first back-to-back titles for the Majors in 74 years and its 14th title.
“At kind of the midway point (of the season), you knew it was going to be one of those top teams, not just of that year, just ever, just because of the talent level of these guys,” he said.
“This year’s talent level is not the same as last year, but that’s not to say we can’t get to the same spot.”
The biggest loss for the Majors was the departure of catcher Robert Mullen, who was, Chanderdat said, “arguably the best player in the league.”
Taking over at the backstop is Eduardo de Oleo, from the Dominican Republic, who hit a double and scored a run in last weekend’s first game 5-4 loss to Toronto on their opening day last weekend at Christie Pits.
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The Majors’ veteran pitcher Owen Boon had an excellent outing, going five innings with 10 strike-outs, and left the game with a 4-0 lead.
The team lost it in the eighth inning and Chanderdat said the team squandered a bunch of chances by only scoring three runs after loading up the bases three times before Toronto went ahead.
“There’s lots to work on from both sides of the ball, defensively and offensively,” he said. “It’s one game, it’s early, you don’t want to get caught up in any of that.”
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Fans will be cheering that favourite Cleveland Brownlee is back for his 13th season, having already cemented his place in their hearts. “He’s already one of the all-time greats, but when he hangs it up, he’ll be a legend,” Chanderdat said. “He will be a guy from London baseball that people will remember forever.”
Among the other veterans returning to the fold are outfielders Byron Reichstein, Austin Wilkie and Starling Joseph, infielder Keith Kandel and pitcher Braeden Ferrington.
Many of the newcomers are local and Chanderdat said he is looking to them to see if they “can take that next jump, next step in their baseball career. If they can make the jump, we’ll be in the mix.”
Saturday’s game will be the eighth in a row against Toronto since the beginning of the championship series last fall. Chanderdat said the Maple Leafs are a top team again and have many of their veterans from last year’s run back on their roster.
Game time is 2 p.m. on Saturday.
