Full disclosure: I friggin love Guelph.
I love rolling into town on that slow road from the south, the one with many names: County Road 46 through Aberfoyle, with its grand homes; Gordon Street, past the leafy university campus and the Begging Bear; over the Speed River onto Norfolk Street, past the cathedral on the hill and into the downtown with its multitude of old buildings and charm. Guelph is class.
The same goes for Hastings Stadium, home of the Guelph Royals. Nestled in a circle of huge mature trees, the ballpark feels like it's been there forever - and it has. Moustachioed men in knee-high pants and short caps played baseball there in the 1800s. Today, fans string out along the foul lines in portable chairs, or sit in the grandstand that resembles a giant Florentine loggia.
I'd have dispatched with all this rhapsodizing sooner, but it wasn't until the final week of the season that I finally got to a game there. I skipped the first one in May, thinking it would be rained out - but it wasn't. Then a combination of rainouts and schedule swaps determined that the Toronto Maple Leafs would finally return to play a doubleheader at the Guelph Royals on the Monday of the August long weekend.
In terms of the standings and post-season ramifications, neither team had anything to play for. Toronto has clinched fifth place and Guelph has eighth. The Royals will play the Brantford Red Sox in the opening round, while Toronto awaits the Barrie Baycats, Kitchener Panthers and London Majors to sort out the 2-3-4 spots in the standings.
The Leafs are riding the Big M Train right now. M for momentum: they have been on a roll this week, beating Burlington and London, and jumping out to a big early lead at Hamilton before the game was rained out. M for muscles: the muscles of Sean Reilly, who has been on a tear as he obliterates IBL batting records left and right. M for Marra: who hit the game-winning home run in the final inning of game one yesterday afternoon.
As for the Royals, their 2013 season can be summed up in one word: brutal.
Before the season even began, they received the news that 2012 league MVP Frankie Hare would not play this year. Then in June, they released their GM/Coach and 2012 manager of the year Dave teBoekhorst. A player exodus followed, and the fallout spilled into the local press. The roster turmoil culminated in the Royals' star slugger Sean Reilly being traded to Toronto. Coach teBoekhorst and outfielder Steve Coates also subsequently signed on with the Maple Leafs.
The Royals have won only nine games all season.
This doubleheader represented a homecoming for the former Royals, but there was no sign of any tension or ill-will on the field. Reilly's recent record-breaking achievements were announced on the PA, and he was applauded by the local fans. In an interview following the doubleheader, Reilly would not rule out an eventual return to Guelph.
And who could blame him? I friggin love the place.
As for the action on this Holiday Monday, it was brisk and orderly. Each game of an IBL doubleheader is shortened to seven innings and the players moved things along. Dan Marra's home run - his first of the season - came at the perfect moment to see the opening contest wrap up in about two and a half hours.
Recap:
The Toronto Maple Leafs jumped on Guelph Royals starter Andrew Van't Wout in the 1st inning of the opening game of this doubleheader. Centerfielder Glenn Jackson drew a walk, then moved to second on a balk. A single by shortstop Branfy Arias was played for an error by leftfielder Tino Silvestri and Jackson scored. DH Sean Reilly then blasted a two-run home run over the left field fence - his record-setting 20th of the season, and his record-tying 56th and 57th RBIs of the season. 3-0 Leafs after a half inning of play.
Leafs starter Franco Pace pitched a scoreless 1st, but the Royals tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd. A double by rightfielder Dan Treccia scored third baseman Josh Garton, who had walked to start the inning. Treccia moved to third base on a wild pitch, then came home on a single by first baseman Jonathan Palumbo. Palumbo would also score later in the inning, on an RBI groundout by centerfielder Aaron Loder. 3-3 after 2.
Arias led off the top of the 3rd with a single, and moved to second on a walk to Reilly. He stole third, then scored on an error by the catcher and the Leafs were back ahead 4-3.
Pace got the Royals out in order in the bottom of the 3rd, but in the next inning, a bases-loaded walk to shortstop Robert Grilli tied the game again, 4-4 after 4.
Cameron Grey started the 5th inning in relief of Pace, and surrendered just one hit over the next two innings.
Van't Wout had settled down and held the Leafs hitless since the 3rd inning. He had given up only three hits in total as he started the 7th and final inning. He would give up only one more hit, but it was a costly one.
Leading off the top of the 7th, second baseman Dan Marra hit a home run - his first of the season - to give the Leafs a 5-4 lead. Grey gave up a hit in the bottom of the 7th, but the Royals stranded two baserunners. The Leafs prevailed 5-4 in game one and Grey got the win.
Game two will be covered in a separate write up.
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