For fans of the game, baseball is the annual accumulation of statistics and memories.
Another season of Toronto Maple Leafs baseball has been recorded onto spreadsheets and written into hearts.
After finishing a disappointing seventh in the regular season, the Leafs upped their game in the Intercounty Baseball League playoffs and almost ousted the defending champions.
They made trouble for the Barrie Baycats and pushed their longtime rivals to the brink of an upset in the quarterfinals.
The best-of-five series went to a deciding game on August 27 in Barrie. It was a close battle and the Leafs took a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning. They were unable to hold onto it, as the champs came back to win in the ninth with a final score of 5-4.
It was a frustrating finish to a season that left fans with many indelible memories.
The club made history before a single pitch was thrown, signing Ayami Sato of Japan as the first woman in Canadian history to play baseball professionally in a men’s league.
Sato was a sensation whose presence drew larger-than-average crowds to the ballpark at Christie Pits all summer.
The Leafs also welcomed an enthusiastic group of youngsters to the team.
Spencer MacInnis, Kalayo Shaw and Ben Sitarenios may be budding stars of the future. MacInnis hit a couple of home runs and showed speed on the basepaths. Shaw caught everything hit to his vicinity in centerfield. Sitarenios flashed his stuff as a two-way player, playing outfield and also pitching in a couple of games.
Former player and general manager Damon Topolie made a surprise return to the Leafs. One weekend in July, the 49-year-old came out of retirement to fill a roster hole. He played in a couple of games and was all smiles during his brief comeback.
Ryan Dos Santos set a single-season record with 46 walks, breaking a record that had stood since 1988.
While there were plenty of highs, there were some lows too. The Leafs’ 18-24 record was underwhelming, and they won only six out of 21 games at home.
The nadir of the season came in July, when general manager and pitcher Dustin Richardson resigned after falling out with club ownership. Conflicting views of the roster’s makeup proved irreconcilable and the two sides parted ways.
For the Leafs, the highest of highs had to be the season that first baseman Jordan Castaldo put together.
The fifteen-year veteran and former league MVP had a resurgent year at the plate. Castaldo batted .336 and led the club with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs. The dozen round trips were his second-highest in one season and won him the IBL home run crown.
In one game in August, he hit a grand slam and drove in eight runs.
At 36, Castaldo ascended to some rarified air among the league’s all-time greats. He became only the third man to record 500 career RBIs, the fourth man to hit 100 home runs, and the fifth man to reach 700 hits.
He credits his great season with being in better shape.
A hero on the diamond, Castaldo is also a hero in real life.
In 2024 he became a full-time firefighter with Toronto Fire Services. Based out of North York, he finds a way to balance his job’s 24-hour shifts and playing time with the Leafs.
“It can be tough, especially with a hot summer like this,” Castaldo said prior to a recent game at Christie Pits. “It was a busy summer call-wise at work. You take off that gear and you put on this gear, you lose a few pounds that’s for sure.”
This is Castaldo’s second stint with the Leafs. In between, he played parts of seven seasons with the Baycats and enjoyed some memorable moments at the Pits. He is the only man in memory to hit a home run that not only cleared the centerfield fence, but went over the concessions stand and hit the clubhouse roof, a monster shot that may be the longest in the park’s history.
He was also on the Baycats team that clinched an IBL title at the Pits in 2016.
“The Pits has always had its charm,” he said. “We’ve had really strong fan support this year, and we’re all grateful for the fans who come down and watch us.”
A quiet leader in the clubhouse, Castaldo is happy to help younger players seeking advice.
“If there’s something they want to talk about, I try to be somebody they can talk to or ask questions,” he said. “It’s never been my style to go around and tell people what to do or how to do it. I just try to be a good teammate and listen and provide what knowledge I can. It’s a tough game. I try to take care of myself and my performance first, and then help out the other guys the rest of the way.”
Castaldo can’t see himself playing at age 49 like Topolie. Then again, Topolie had a few years off and seized the opportunity to make a brief return, something many athletes wish they could do.
The pull of the diamond is strong. If he can continue to balance work and baseball, Castaldo is likely to return to the Leafs next year.
After falling short, the Leafs will rebuild and bounce back for another season at the Pits in May, 2026.
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