The Malignance of Torpor*

Game 31: Toronto Maple Leafs at Guelph Royals, July 21, 2018

Royals win 1-0

It was a weird Saturday night at Hastings Stadium.

Steady winds whipped around the place and dark clouds swirled overhead as a nice afternoon turned to darkness.

The Guelph Royals -- back from the dead after folding last year -- honoured some of the celebrated players of their past in a pregame ceremony. It was in conjunction with the Intercounty Baseball League's 100th season here in 2018. The Royals then took the field to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, a ballclub caught in the depths of a seven-game losing streak.

The Leafs were looking to break out of their losing skid against what has turned out to be one of the bottom-half teams of the IBL. Bats at the ready, they were looking to put up some huge numbers against the hosts. Two big-swinging teams and a titanic battle for momentum in the later weeks of the season.

Instead, we got a pitchers' duel.

After the Royals had fêted some of their massive, record-breaking sluggers, their bats went as cold as those of the Leafs.

Two aces were on the mound. Yunior Yambatis for Guelph against Zach Sloan for Toronto. The starters traded scoreless innings until the fourth, when Justin Interisano hit a solo home run for Guelph. That made it 1-0 for the home side, a score that would hold for the rest of the game.

Over nine innings, the Leafs notched seven hits but stranded 12 men on base. They were getting hits and getting men on base, but not driving in any runs. It's the stuff that seven-game losing streaks are made of.

In between innings, I drifted over beside the Leafs dugout and exchanged greetings with team trainer Pedro Silva. I asked him to describe the mood of the club. 

"Energy," he said. "They're lacking energy, you know? If I was to ask you, right now, what's the best way to dispose of a dead body? How would you do it, right now?" He clapped his hands once, loudly.

"Uh..."

"You would bury it, right?"

"Sure."

"You would bury it, because already in your mind you know what needs to be done, right? Don't bother with acid or fires or complicated stuff like that. It takes no time to find a pair of gloves and a shovel, and in your mind you can come up with a good place, right? So you give yourself a maximum of six hours -- one for gathering the materials and travel, and five for digging. Digging with energy. And you've got a dead body stowed. Done."

"Yeah."

"That's what these guys need right now, energy. Energy. It's kind of slow tonight, can I offer you a theraputic massage?"**

I politely declined and backed away to watched Yambatis finish his complete game shutout. Then I made for the exit gate, hoping that the Leafs will find the energy that they are lacking at the moment.



* This will be the title of the first release from my off-season death metal band. Giving it a run-out here for feedback.

** This conversation took place entirely within my malignant mind, sunken with torpor.***

*** METAL.


Toronto 0-7-0
Guelph 1-8-2

W - Yambatis (4-3, 3.66)
L - Sloan (6-3, 3.45)


BOXSCORE


At 13-16, the Leafs are hanging onto 4th place in the IBL standings, 9 games behind the Barrie Baycats and just a game ahead of the Hamilton Cardinals. Their next game is back at Christie Pits this Wednesday, July 25 against the Kitchener Panthers.