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Another year of mixed lineups. 

 

After getting embarrassed in the 2nd round of the 2017 playoffs the Leslieville Brickies are ready to roll with a different attitude. There is an immense sense of pride with these players and a better effort is almost certain this time around. 

 

Back are the veterans Jeff Snow and Joel Heard. Both players had an up and down season and a bounce back is imminent. Heard has had a bum shoulder for the past couple of years. It’s more than frustrating but he is staying positive. Snow has vowed to step it up at the plate. He will get back to the basics. Back to the gym. Back to himself. Back to having fun. 

 

Crafty righty Matt Kowall will start the season on the shelf with shoulder issues. His triple duty of playing Dodgeball,Burby and Softball may have finally caught up to him. He’s hoping for a speedy recovery. 

 

Ryan Avey played as well as you can for a part timer. He is expected to play sparingly again this year. When he does play he can be a game changer. 

 

Manager Adrian Golombek will look for a hot start at the plate. He’s as healthy as he’s been in years. He may see more playing time on the mound. (Yeah right.)

Rocky Parejo is expecting his second child in April so he will once again be a surprise starter. 

 

Leslieville had a mish mash lineup last year yet they came away with the first place pennant. Unfortunately the inconsistent playing time for these guys was their ultimate downfall in the playoffs. If they can get re focused, re energized, and get consistent reps then there is no telling what can be accomplished. 

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Every off season in the TBL offers some big acquisitions for teams in need. In 2012 it was Joe Callaghan to the Rockets and Art Stoner to the Bears. In 2014 Kevin Leach joined the Dusters. Also that year Joel Heard came over to The St Clair Saints. 2015 marked the return of Ashley Allinson who helped out the Cliffside Heights. Mike Wesson was signed by The Bears. 2016 saw Sean Leah hook up with the Bears as well.

This year the Leslieville Brickies are in need of a player after their MVP Jeff Snow went down with a torn meniscus. Enter Joel Heard, who made himself a free agent back in October.

 

After much deliberation with other teams the lanky right handed pitcher decided to settle down in Brick Town. "The Brickies have always been a tough team to beat.  They find ways to win games by grinding out at bats and working pitchers deep in to counts and using their solid pitching rotation.  These tools combined with a strategic approach and a great team chemistry always make them a contender and I'm excited to be a part of it."

 

A very cerebral player Joel Heard started his career with The Leaside Aeros back in 2012. After 2 years in The Kings Conference he travelled to the St Clair Saints in search of the Burby Cup. When St Clair folded he hooked up with old friends in Bellwoods. And now The 38 year old needs a change of scenery. A change in attitude. So he's making a move that he hopes to be his last.

 

He won the Pitcher of the Year in 2015. He prides himself on learning from mistakes and also pointing out opponents flaws. He should help a pitching staff that without Jeff Snow posted a 5.93 era. He doesn't however fill the role of Jeff's bat and that's where he looks to improve. "Its no secret that I'm not a heavy hitter but I am definitely Looking to improve on my batting average next year, and contribute more on the run production side."

 

The Brickies have always been a good character driven team. Joel fits the mold and should provide leadership to a squad that makes decisions together. More importantly Leslieville has another member that will reflect on Burby over a bevy or 2 ;)

 

 

Where does this leave Bellwoods? Well they will be deciding the future of their franchise by mid March but rest assured they should all be playing Burby in 2017. Heard has nothing but love for the Brick Breakers ""I really enjoyed playing with the guys on Bellwood's. They are my close friends and i wish them the best."

 

Adrian Golombek

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                                   Brickies Go for 3 

                 

Adrian Golombek 

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BRICKIES READY TO DEFEND IN 2015

 

We lost in 3 Finals appearances, didn't make it after that...and finally climb to the top of the mountain when we hoisted the 2014 TBL Championship trophy. But the past is the past. That's the attitude of the 2015 Leslieville Brickies. The slate is clean, the competition is stiffer, the bullseye is on our backs.

For the first time in franchise history, the voice of the Brickies, Darren 'the Wizard of Oz' Osborne will not be on the official roster to start the season. But being on the Brickies farm team, Junction Kobra Kai's, you can count on one of the off season's busiest players, to make an appearance.

Where does that leave Leslieville's favourite team? If you ask manager Adrian Golombek, he'll tell you "It's a good core four and every one of us wants to improve on certain aspects of our game."
What does that mean for each player? For Golombek himself, Adrian will be looking to improve on his power numbers, something he showed he can do during last year's playoff run.

For Matty Kowall, he's been on the fringe of being an elite pitcher in the TBL since his rookie year and now has his eyes set on being a household name as a top 5 this season.

For Rocky Parejo, his role as an inning eating pitcher has been diminished over the last 5 years, but after a strong defensive showing in September, don't be surprised if his speed, grit and fearlessness in the outfield earns the Brickies an extra win or two this season.

And finally, the mitochondria of the Brickies, Jeff Snow has little to improve on his own personal game, but he's asked the rest of the team to do their part and he'll take care of the rest. It's what he's done since day one and he's put the league on notice that the Brickies will remain atop the heap.

 

 After going to the finals 3 times and losing the Leslieville Brickies finally brought home the Burby Cup

Everyone is ready to start the season. "I feel pretty good", exclaims Golombek. "Excited to play against some new players", raves Snowman. "Keep your cameras rolling", states Rocky. "I can't wait for the season to start!", exclaims Kowall.
Every game will be a chance for the 2015 Leslieville Brickies to improve. And that's the only way they can defend their cup and make it to the promised land this year.

 

Rocky Parejo

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2014 BRICKIES  NO SWEAT

 

 

Chillin like villains. It's an appropriate saying for a team that is still public enemy number one but feels not nearly the amount of pressure as they did in 2013. Failing to make the finals for the first time in TbL history has kicked this squad off its high horse and into a parodic mess of talented teams. All members of this top ranked unit are back and ready to make another run at the elusive Burby Cup. 

 

 

Matt Kowall

2013 Rookie of the Year. Nuff said. The teams lead off man was a nice surprise as a Freshman. A premiere reliever and a great fill in Starter, Matty K took pride in baffling batters. As a hitter it took a full year to become rehearsed in taking a patient and balanced approach. The Holland Landing native has put on 15 pounds in the off season, which should help out a team needing a boost in Slugging percentage. 

 

Darren Osborne 

A last minute throw in on the Heart and Hustle ballot ended up taking the award!! The League recognized his determination on the field which should help boost the spirits of his Leslieville teammates. The wily vet is in the midst of retooling his game after a subpar playoffs last year. He's     decided to also play with Tier 2's Eglinton Isotopes in order to get in valuable extra AB's. The CHFI disc jockey is hoping to play all his favourite hits against opposing batters in 2014. 

 

Rocky Parejo

His TBL theme song should be "should I stay or should I go" It's a mystery every spring as to how many games the Caribbean Crunch will play in Leslieville.He's assured The Brickies of full commitment this season. In only 7 games last year he posted a .439 BA and a 1.31 era.  One of the few Original Gangstas of the TBL Rocky is taking a relaxed approach to hoisting the Cup in October. He is now switching his tune to "Every little ting gonna be alright" 

 

Adrian Golombek 

The long time Manager is the true OG but that could stand for "Old Guy "as his batting numbers dipped last year. One attribute that is still solid is his ability to get on base. He was 3rd last year in walks(36) with around 50! less plate appearances than the top 2. Somebody has to set the table for Jeff Snow. Golombek is taking the same calculated approach  to this years campaign....JUST WIN BABY!!

 

Jeff Snow  

Some say he had an off year In 2013. Hitting - 33rbi,.384avg, 
Pitching 7-1,1.21era,.71whip. Those are pretty solid numbers and an improvement would put him back into League MVP talk. Snow's Achilles heel is his love for so many other sports. He missed the TBL playoffs last year but for good reason. He won the gold medal for the Canadian Dodge ball team in New Zealand. Despite the conflict the Brickies are just happy with any contribution from the Master of Middle school games.

 

 

 

Leslieville's home opener is this Sunday  11am against the unknown Leaside Aeros.  (Leslieville won 5-0 - Snow throws no hitter through five and cranks a homer at the Deep Essex Field)

 

 

 

 

 

 

2013 Leslieville Brickies From Left..Rocky Parejo,Jeff Snow,Adrian Golombek,Darren Osborne, Matt Kowal

 

BRICKIES EDGE BEARS 1-0  (March 30th 2013)

 

Another close affair between East End Rivals

 

A rematch of last years finals.... pretty much mirrored last years finals. A lot of pitching and not a whole lot of offense is the common formula when these teams collide.

 

Jeff Snow got the start for Leslieville and he looked shaky for the first 2 innings. Birch Cliff however was unable to get hits with runners in scoring position. Snow then settled down and cruised through the next 3 frames.

 

Scott Baker got the surprise start for the Bears and he had a no hitter through 4 innings. He had good velocity and mixed up pitch locations all game. Darren Osborne had a solid single that broke up the no-no in the 5th followed by a towering double from Jeff Snow. Adrian Golombek then stepped up and delivered the game winning RBI single.

 

BC's Scott Baker pitches to Leslieville's Jeff Snow in TBL action on Saturday

 

Rookie Matt Kowall came in to close out the game for Leslieville and he struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced for his first career save.

 

Leslieville will now travel to The Den to face St.Clair while Birch Cliff's next game is at home to The Beach.

 

 

 

 

 

2013 Leslieville Brickies Preview

The Buffalo Bills of the TBL?

Members of the this league may be tired of watching The Leslieville Brickies go to the finals. The Brickies are sick of losing in that championship game. However since Bricktown has gone to the big dance 3 years in a row, there really isn't much to fix.

 

Leslieville stays in shape, prepares for each game and grinds it out accordingly. This squad will be without it's long time team mate Rocky Parejo who is on assignment in Vancouver. This is a major blow, as Rocky was the 2012 Reliever of the year and also a threat at the plate. But no matter who suits up in red, it seems 2012 Manager of the Year Adrian Golombek always has his team playing at a high level.

Here are your 2013 Leslieville Brickies

Jeff Snow

What more needs to be said about last years League MVP? He does it all and he'll look to improve on his record tying 17 homeruns and an impressive resume on the mound. Snow is geared up for 2013. "Hopefully we can get off to a good start and keep it going from there. The Obvious goal is a Championship."

 

Darren Osborne

This Burby vet has something to prove.
Even with a .354 avg and 3 dingers in 2012, OZ does not get the respect he would like. He has been talking all winter about this year and the work he'll be putting in.
"Biggest goal is to get Back to the playoffs, and finally win the championship... Whatever it takes... To that end, I really think we should all try to get to the cages more this season.. I will lead by example. Go BRICKIES GO!!"

Adrian Golombek

The founder of The Brickies knows what it takes to win games....just not the one that really counts. The experience gained from losing can only help from a management standpoint. On the field, Golombek quietly had a career year in 2012. He had 35 walks and sported a .394 avg at the plate. If he can repeat those numbers in 2013 then the Brickies will be tough to beat.

 

Matt Kowall

Matt has some big shoes to fill(Parejo's) but he says he's ready for the challenge. A good friend of Jeff Snow, Matt's Burby childhood took place in his driveway in Holland Landing Ontario. To say the least he is stoked to be playing this game again. "I am excited for a few different reasons for my first burby season. I've played variations of the game throughout my life and can't wait to play in a league that really legitimizes the game. I love the challenges of playing in a new league with new players. My goal is to win and I'm excited to share my drive with a new team."

 

Adrian Golombek

 

 

LESLIEVILLE

KENNEDY FIGHTS
Broken Brickie on the comeback trail




It was September 2011 and the Brickies were ready for another playoff run. A phone call came in from Leslieville's Mark Kennedy before a game against the Masons. Being the manager, I worried about Mark not making the game.

"You ready to play? Your'e not cancelling on us are you?" A pause and then a quiet response "I think I have much bigger priorities than Burby Adrian" what he told me then, was both shocking and hard to swallow. Mark had been diagnosed with an advanced form of colon cancer. He still remembers that conversation like it was yesterday. The battle that ensued from that day onward was a long journey of pain and heartache.

Sept 2011- Chemotherapy and radiation for 6 weeks
Nov 2011-Mid-Dec 2011- Major surgery
Jan 2012- tumor removed


Mark then had some recovery time but developed an infection in his pelvis which required surgery in Feb 2012 to insert a drain and then another surgery to remove it at the end of 2012
He then had minor surgery in April 2012 to insert the port in his chest and will have minor surgery to remove it at the end of March 2013
In the meantime he had started his second round of chemotherapy June 5th 2012 and had his last treatment Oct 2012.

Total surgeries 6. 1 blood transfusion


Mark sums up the last 2 years. "I am not going to say it was an easy journey! In fact, it was the craziest world I could have been warped into. Let me say this... it will test your limits and challenge your character...make you dig like you have never dug, while you give it a shot and fight for your life. I am happy to have made it this far and to date my prognosis is remarkable."

Burby seemed a distant memory the past 2 years, but the goal was always there to get back on the field.

" My goal is to get back into the league when my body allows me. Things are progressing well right now.The thing I am remembering the most about playing in the league is how much of an escape it was for 2-3 hours. It takes me back to my late childhood and teen years when I used to play this game every other day. In addition to that I also found it to be a fun challenge facing different types of pitchers. This is a great league to be a part of."


Burby pics courtesy Mike Talbot

Mark also knows it will be a challenge to get back into the swing of things. But he's up for it. "It will be a bit of a learning process all over again. Anytime you are forced into taking 2 years off from anything it will take you a bit of time to get your timing back and make any necessary adjustments.

KENNEDY DIGS IN FOR HIS NEXT PITCH

"Throughout my absence I have been depleted of most of my strength and dwindled physically but as I continue progressing in these areas over the winter and spring I just may be able to get out on the field sometime this season.
I almost feel that when I do play again that it will feel like the first time, lol."

Kennedy's post cancer training regiment is rigorous. He got rocked physically during his illness and his strength was gone. He currently is focusing on core strength and small muscle building, He has someone helping him with this. He basically is building from the ground up, starting from zero.

"I was not in poor shape by any means before all of this went down but I feel I will be in even better shape when I return."

The final operation Kennedy will have is to reverse his colostomy...this is looking to happen late spring. if all goes well he should be back in the saddle and banging out homers again over the tall trees of Earl Haig. The League can't wait to see him back where he belongs.

Adrian Golombek



BRICKIES ROLL UP ON DUSTERS 16-0
The Brickies Jeff Snow and Co took part in a hit parade on Sunday morning.

Sunday Sept.30th, 8am
The Grounds of Earl Haig


It's no secret anymore....the Brickies are explosive. What was supposed to be a closegame against the Dusters,turned out to be a blow out thanks in part to 19 Leslieville hits aided by ailing arms of The Beach. The game was out of reach after the first inning when Leslieville mercied 9 runs off a carousel of Duster pitchers. After such a hard fought win a week ago against the Rockets, there really was no gas left in the tank. All 4 Brickies had stellar games capped off with a grandslam in the 3rd inning by Rocky Parejo. This dinger was also an impressive feat considering it's hard to get enough distance with wet tennis balls. On the mound Jeff Snow was his usual self. After winning a dodgeball tourney on Saturday with his left arm, on Sunday his right arm was the law. He had 4 innings of no hit ball against a normally stout Beach offense. The Dusters also couldn't catch a break in the field. Bloop singles,distracting trees and errors spelled the end of their up and down season. After the game manager Jack Cherry had this to say about the loss. "Ya, with 3 hurting arms and Leslieville's offense we had no chance. Its frustrating not being able to play at the level we know we can. We'll add a piece and be back next year! " The Brickies will now go to the finals for the 3rd year in a row. They'll face The Birch Cliff Bears who got the East York monkey off their back. (Gametime on Saturday is now a 2pm start) Adrian Golombek Brickies finish the Warriors season in the first round with a 6-1 win, behind Golombek's 3 hits including a no doubter and 4 rbi's.


Sept.16th /2012 The Grounds of Earl Haig

For the first time in Leslieville playoff history, the Brickies were the favorites. They are so used to thriving on a "nothing to lose attitude", that a "Don't fu*k this up" approach gave this team an uneasy feeling throughout the contest.

The Warriors started with their All Star Gary Massey on the mound. After a clean first, the Brickies started their attack when Adrian Golombek launched a 3 run homerun to centre field. His 3rd dinger in his last 4 games. From there the offense stalled and Warden mounted a comeback. The normally dominant Jeff Snow allowed 3 solid hits in a row to the trio of Irvine, Massey and Haivarlis. After scoring a run, the fire was put out but a 3-1 score after four was too close for Leslieville's comfort.

Tom Haivarlis took over on the hill and had control problems. He loaded the bases in the 5th and promptly walked in another run. The patient bats granted Leslieville some breathing room and their stout pitching staff closed the door. Brickies win 6-1 as Jeff snow gets the win and Rocky Parejo pitched 3 solid innings for his first career playoff save.

Despite not winning a game this year, the Warriors put in a valiant effort to end the season. Another year under their belt will be a plus for them in 2013.

News and Notes....

- in the 4th inning Garry Massey made an unbelievable sliding catch off a flare to right feild. No surprise though for the feilder of the year nominee.
- The Warriors brought out their old teamate Matt Jeffrey to cheer them on. He says he'd like to play for Warden next year
- Leslieville like Hansel is "So hot right now" They have won their last 6 games.
BOTH TEAM'S ACES ARE NOT THE STORY OF THIS GAME
Sunday June 17th,2012 Grounds of Earl Haig
East York's Kevin Leach pitches to Leslieville's Adrian Golombek during Sunday night TBL action.
"There's always a curveball with Leslieville". These were the words uttered out of Rob Scotland's mouth just before gametime. The East York Manager and the rest of his crew couldn't believe who showed up to the park on Sunday. Rocky Parejo. The Brickies baller was supposed to be up North for the summer but he decided to come back against The Heat. East York will tell you themselves that it messed them up a bit, changed up their gameplan and put some doubt in their minds especially after Parejo cruised through the first 2 innings on the mound.

Kevin Leach started for EY and was met with a double from Jeff Snow and a towering triple from Adrian Golombek. It was 1-0 after 1 inning. In the third inning The Brickies ace Jeff Snow looked shaky giving up some big hits but he kept EY off the scoreboard.

Snow then took Leach deep in the bottom of the inning for his league leading 7th homer and a 2-0 lead after 3 innings. Everyone on Leslieville was thinking that's it. Game is all but over. Snow will dominate and close it out. East York however had other ideas.

In the 5th inning they took advantage of the Ground Rules of Earl Haig and utilized the short fence in right field. A double to right by Leach followed by a double up the middle by Rob Scotland followed by another ground rule double by Nick Wadden and all of a sudden the score is tied 2-2. The first runs this year off of Jeff Snow ending his shut out streak at 30 innings. Leslieville was stunned but still feeling like they could re take the lead.

They did so in the bottom of the 6th inning. Adrian Golombek smashed a triple off of reliever Rob Scotland and then Rocky Parejo stepped up for the knockout punch. A no doubter dinger to left field that put The Brickies up 4-2 and gave them the win. As always another amazing game between these 2 rivals. A lot of fight was shown from the East York crew and their solid hitting should carry over for the rest of the season. Leslieville now jumps into 3rd place and will play The Beach Dusters on Canada Day. East York will face another tough opponent in The Birch Cliff Bears who will be looking for revenge after losing to the Heat earlier this season.



NO SNOW...NO PROBLEM. LESLIEVILLE BEATS WARDEN 8-0 Trap game. There's no better way to describe the match up between Leslieville and Warden. To compound the situation for the Brickies was not only that Warden was dangerous and desperate but also that Leslieville's ace Jeff Snow was not present for gametime. Enter Rocky Parejo, who took the reigns by pitching a shutout through 5 innings and being a major contributor at the plate. The Warriors started with Knuckle baller Robert Irvine, who's pitches didn't seem to knuckle. "I don't like this mound" he said of the Haigs mixture of wood chips, sand and mud. A band aid for an area that was puddle soaked and unplayable before the game. Irvine lasted only 1 inning before retiring due to arm fatigue. The Brickies bats were active all day. No Homers but a nice mix of walks, singles and doubles. Add to that a bases clearing triple in the 4th inning by Rocky Parejo off of Tom Haivarlis, and you have an 8-0 convincing win. Parejo had an awesome day going 4 for 5 with 4 walks and 5 rbi's. He also struck out 9 and got the win. The score was a lot closer than indicated. The game was close until the 4th and Warden had guys on base all day, but could not capitalize. Next up for the Brickies is the first night game of the year against rival East York. Warden will lick their wounds and prepare for a date with the first place Beach Dusters News and Notes - Robert Irvine was impressive at the plate going 3-5 with a walk - Jeff Snow did finally show up by the 5th inning after losing in the finals of a dodgeball tourney. He pitched just 1 inning and kept his streak alive without allowing a run at 28 innings - this will be Rocky Parejo's last game of the summer as he is off to work in Muskoka. He hopes to make it back in time for the playoffs

BRICKIES SILENCE THE SAINTS
May 26th/2012



The Haig trees are supposed to make grown men cry. They make Leslieville's Jeff Snow smile. He crushed 2 homeruns enroute to a Brickies 3-0 win. His league leading 6 homers have all been hit at The Haig. The Saints and the best bats in the TBL were virtually silenced by the Brickies pitching staff. Rocky Parejo showed great poise on the mound and had top knotch velocity going 2 scoreless innings. Jeff Snow notched his 3rd win going 5 frames with no runs allowed. The Saints can find some positives in this loss. Going into this game they lead the league in walks (50) and WHIP (1.83). They were able to hold Leslieville to only 3 runs and allowed only 4 walks. 3 St.Clair pitchers took to the mound. They all did well including a surprising performance from Marc Di Renzo. 3 innings. 3 so, 0 bb,0 ER. The Saints have lost 2 in a row and will now face Kevin Leach and the East York Heat. Leslieville is on a 2 game winning streak and will next play the winless and dangerous Warden Warriors


LESLIEVILLE TAKES DOWN CROSS TOWN RIVALS RONCESVALLES



Brickies get back on track
May 13th/2012 @ The Den

It's always an event when Ronci's and Leslieville match up. The 2 oldest franchises in the TBL have had a one sided affair in the regular season. Brickies teams have never won a game....until today.

Rocky Parejo got the start for Leslieville. The Trinidad native is expected to leave the TBL later this summer but in the meantime he had a great game on the mound. 3 innings, 3 strikeouts and he kept the Rockets off balance in that time.

Ronci's DY also had a strong pitching display with 4 innings of shutout ball. He had 8 strikeouts on the day. The floodgates however opened up when Manager Greg Majster took to the mound. He had limited control and subsequently walked a ton of Brickies and got roughed up over 2 innings of work. Adrian Golombek showed a patient presence at the plate. He went 2-3 with 8 walks!

Majster had 2 impressive triples at the plate but The Rockets could not cash in timely hits. Jeff Snow came in for the next 3 innings on the mound and kept his era at 0.00. He now stands at 22 innings without giving up a run. Adrian Golombek pitched the final frame for Leslieville.

Next up for Leslieville is a date with the St.Clair Saints @ The Haig. The Roncesvalle Rockets will try and give The Beach Dusters there first loss of the season.

Notes.....Slugger of the year contender Jeff Snow is mired in a mini 2 game slump. After hitting 4 homers and collecting 12 Rbi's against NY he has gone homerless in his last 2 games with only 2 rbi's.



4 BRICKIES PITCHERS TAKE THE MOUND TO STYMIE A POTENT MASONS OFFENSE

It’s official, Jeff Snow isn’t the best kept secret in the TBL anymore and after a recent visitors’ poll asked; who was the best 2 way player in the league, where Snow got 0 votes, there’s no doubt that his performance against the Masons has propelled last season’s Playoff MVP to the top of that very list.
On Saturday, the Brickies crew got to the Haig an hour early for bp, with no intentions of taking North York Masons lightly, a team that was well known for their ability to beat top ranked teams last year. The Masons arrived just before game time, with a solid foursome of Rob Leth, Jerome Persaud, Craig Berry and the Moose. Leslieville countered with their core four of Jeff Snow, Rocky Parejo, Adrian Golombek and Darren Osbourne and right off the bat, this line up began to feed off the pitching starved North York crew.
From an offensive point of view, the game went like this for the Brickies. A spattering of walks and hits by Adrian, Rocky and Darren, with intermittent homeruns from Jeff Snow, 4 to be exact, including a grandslam and also a moon shot that was destined to be #5 if not for the Haig’s infamous centrefield tree. Rocky would also add a roundtripper of his own for good measure.
Pitching was as good as this Brickies crew would expect on any given afternoon. After a surprising lead-off triple by Mason’s Persaud, Leslieville starter Jeff Snow settled down to retire each batter he faced thereafter for a tidy 4 innings, leaving with the score 10-0. The next three frames saw Adrian, Darren and Rocky pitch an inning each, surrendering 2 runs, to give the Brickies a 13-2 W.
This win was more for Leslieville’s psyche, than for the standings. With the addition of Rocky Parejo, (who was recruited after news that reigning Fielder of the Year, Mark Kennedy would be out for most of the season), Snow’s highly anticipated sophomore campaign and steady but sure improvements to Darren and Adrian at the plate, this Brickies’ crew needs to learn how to win as a team, if they’re expected to finally take the Burby Cup in 2012.
BRICKIES FALL TO DUSTERS IN 15 INNINGS
Leslieville's Rocky Parejo deals a pitch during Sundays rain soaked home opener. STORY TO COME NO MORE SURPRISES
Eastern Conference Champs. In 2010 that was a surprising title for the Leslieville Brickies. A repeat of that title in 2011 sent a message to the rest of the league. All ways watch out for the Boys from Brick Town. 2012 will once again see a competitive and grind it out style from Leslieville. They have their core 3 back in Darren Osborne, Jeff Snow and Manager Adrian Golombek. They'll also have a mish mash of role players with Trinidadian journey man Rocky Parejo and possibly the stickballer David Hodes. Here's an in depth look at the 2012 Leslieville Brickies Darren Osborne When he wasn't playing the soothing sounds of Kenny G on CHFI in the afternoon, OZ was racking up some solid numbers on the Burby field. In only 7 games he had a .388 batting average with a team high 6 triples. His compact swing can provide some pop as he recorded 2 jacks with an .816 slugging percentage. Look for more of the same from the Burby vet and hopefully he can get in more games in 2012. Jeff Snow The Snowman made quite the impact on the TBL when he joined the Brickies midseason In just 6 games he recorded 5 homeruns and 13 RBI's. His .405 batting average makes him a tough out at the plate. Snow also is the team's ace on the mound. A good mix of pitches and quickness on the field makes him an early candidate for several awards come October. He was the 2011Playoff MVP despite being on the losing end in the Championship game. Adrian Golombek The Grinder is also the heart and soul of Leslieville. He quietly put up some good numbers last year including a league leading 33 walks. His big frame should result in more homeruns but he takes pride in getting on base. On the mound he is reckless and at times wild. Look for him to play a middle relief role between Snow and possibly Parejo or Osborne Rocky Parejo The Rock will be looking to be just that for the Brickies. This will be his second run in Leslieville after stints in Kensington and Dufferin. He had a tumultuous season last year with the now defunct Wallballers. He only played in 10 games but put up solid numbers including 32 walks and 3 dingers. His pitching took a dip in 2011. Although he had control problems, Parejo had 44 strikeouts. This should bode well for him in a possible closing role. Mark Kennedy The King has been forced to step back for the year due to an ongoing battle with cancer. Kennedy played in 12 games last year before bowing out in late August. He plays with a determined spirit that will be sorely missed. His quick glove mostly on the mound earned him the 2011 Feilder of The Year award. That trophy will now be called the Mark Kennedy Award. Let's hope he makes a speedy recovery so he can win his own award! The Brickies will once again be hungry for a championship. However this time around they are not the underdogs. They feel they are the team to beat. BRICKIES ARE IN THE TBL FINALS FOR THE 2ND YEAR IN A ROW!!!


DE JA VU!
There's something special about this Brickies team. The annual playoff underdogs are somehow finding ways to stay in the game and ultimately win.

On Sunday @ Courcelette Jack Cherry got the Dusters on the board in the 1st with a triple that brought 1 run in. The Brickies countered in the 2nd inning with a couple of walks and a hit that tied the game.
Both pitching staffs were solid on a less than ideal mound. With poor footing on a sloppy surface it was all arm and no legs.

Cherry with a tired arm had Chris Toman start for The Beach. He had an impressive 5 innings of 1 run ball. Jeff Snow took to the slop for the first 4 innings allowing 1 run as well. The relievers being Adrian Golombek and Jack Cherry got through 2 shaky but scoreless innings.

To extras we go and in the top of the 10th with 1 on and 1 out for Leslieville, the Dusters Johnny Duco who decided to leave right field empty all game finally got burned on a bloop double by Golombek to keep the inning alive. Jeff Snow then stepped up and air mailed a1-2 pitch from Toman onto the house in left field.
A hard fought, and dead even game by 2 teams destined for many playoff runs for years to come. The Dusters finish their first year in the TBL with an impressive 10-4 record and the satisfaction of having a ton of fun this season. Leslieville will now face SSK in the championship game apparently no one wanted to see. A rematch of last years final.

Who doesn't like David vs Goliath?
Brickies 14 Masons 6


The Leslieville Brickies have been inconsistent all year, but The East End crew will take a big win against North York for a final regular season game.

North York started with relief pitcher Muzafar Malik and Leslieville with Jeff Snow. In the 3rd inning with LB up 1-0, A 7 run hit parade was led by Adrian Golombek and Snow. Some patient hitting and big time hitting including the Snowman's 5th homer , gave The Moose.... the noose.

Regular starter Rob Leth then took over for NY and promptly shut down LB for the next 2 innings. In that time they also mounted a mini comeback courtesy of 2 misplays in the outfeild by Leslieville. Also credit Mother Nature.The tree's at The Haig have never been bothered as much as they were today. Multiple hits found multiple limbs, many that dropped right into Mason jars.

With the score 8-4 in the 6th inning LB tacked on 5 more runs off of Leth. Golombek had 6 RbI'S on the day and threw 1 scoreless inning. Little used reliever Darren osborne pitched the last 2 innings of the game giving up only 2 runs. Those 2 runs were the result of Rob Leth's League leading 17th homerun.

Leslieville leaps over rival Roncesvalles in the standings while North York drops to 8th place




For alot of visiting teams, Courcelette PS is like Fenway Park. It's hard not to play well at such an inviting feild. This was the case for Leslieville on Sunday afternoon as all 4 Brickies turned in a solid game.

Darren Osborne and Adrian Golombek got off to a hot start as the 2-3 hitters accounted for the first 3 runs in the game. Back to back doubles in the 1st and then a mamoth rbi triple by Golombek in the 2nd had the visitors off to a 3-0 lead.


Leslieville Brickie Adrian Golombek comes 2 feet from hitting a dinger @ Courcelette on Sunday.

Mark Kennedy was solid on the mound up until the 3rd inning when Paul Lindsay stepped up and smashed a 3 run homer to centre feild. His 6th of the season. A blustery day had the ball moving all over the feild and helped it carrry out over a normally stalwart fence.

Leslieville got the lead back with a Jeff Snow triple and then a Mark Kennedy double. Snow also came in to pitch in the 4th inning. You can't say the Bears didn't have their chances. They left the bases loaded in that 4th inning and had 2 on in the 6th inning, but came up empty on both accounts." We just couldn't get the timely hits" Bears manager Jason Darby said." I'll put this loss on me"

Snow added a little insurance in the 6th inning with a line shot homerun to right centre. He has now had a homerun in each of his first 4 games of play.

The Brickies move ahead of Roncesvalles in the standings in 5th place with a 6-6 record. The Bears drop to 7 place with a 4-7 record and are now tied with a surging North York Masons squad. Leslieville next plays Roncesvalles in a couple of weeks and The Bears hope to play Hallam.


August 20th

Mark Kennedy smacked 10 homeruns last year. This year is a different story however as he had only 1 going into The Brickies battle with The Dusters on Saturday. He now has 2. This dinger was a game winner off of rookie starter Chris Toman. With a runner on in the 3rd inning "King" hit a long drive to centre feild that cleared the fence in a hurry. A relief and a confidence booster for the rest of the season " I knew the curve was coming" Kennedy said.

Mark Kennedy Hit the Game Winning Homer for the Brickies

Most of the day you didn't know what was coming out of Toman's hand. The replacement for an injured Mike Duco had an impressive outing with only 2 runs given up during his 5 innings of work. He also had some good times in the feild and at the plate. In the 4th inning he crushed a 1-2 offering from Brickie righty Jeff Snow that cleared the fence. In the 6th inning he tracked down a high, and i mean high drive from Kennedy to the right feild that bounced off a couple of branches and found his glove.

When the 5 innings were done for Toman, Dan Murphy came in to pitch. He was greeted with a 3-1 bomb to left centre by Snow. Snow also shut down the Dusters on the mound for the last 4 innings. Kennedy pitched an impressive 3 innings of shutout ball.

The win separates the Brickies from the lower pack and The Dusters stay right where they are alone in third place because of a surprising East York loss to Ronci's.


11am July 24th, Earl Haig. Knights @ Brickies


Knights almost walk into a loss

The Leslieville Brickies came close.......and almost shocked the Burby world. There was however never a doubt with the SSK's.
Star pitcher Joe Callaghan did what he does. His goal is to strike out every man,women and child on the face of this earth.On this Sunday morning it was to fill in every last Brickie. With just one meager pop fly single from Jeff Snow, the rest of the squad was shutdown. Wether it was his nasty curveball, or his sneaky quick fastball, Callaghan kept Oz, Grinder, King and The Snowman off balance all day.

The SSK'S had there bats going in the 3rd inning up 1-0. Starting pitcher Mark Kennedy was getting out of jams all morning .He was touched up however by a bomb and a triple to centre feild by Art Stoner. 5-0 after 3. Jeff Snow then took to the mound in the 4th and surprisingly overpowered the bats of the Knights.In 4 innings of work he struck out 7 batters allowing no hits.

He also helped out with the near comeback in the final 2 innings.

In the 6th inning Geoff Mcintyre had some control problems. He walked the bases loaded and then walked in some runs. 5-3 after 6. Then in the 7th, veteran righty Art Stoner threw a first pitch fastball that Snow took deep to left feild. His first real hit of the day and it was clutch.


Jeff snowed in the Knights

Stoner then struck out the next 2 batters for his first career save. Give the win to Joe, the save to Art and the loss gets picked up by Kennedy.

The Sudbury Saturday Knights stretch their perfect season to 10-0 and have a commanding league lead. The Brickies fall to 4-6, and stay in 7th place just behind Roncesvalles who just happens to be their next opponent. Sudbury is licking their chops as their next game is a visit with the Warden Warriors @ Oakridge Hill

Adrian Golombek
STATS # PLAYER G AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB AVG SLG ADRIAN 10 59 21 10 1 0 10 27 .356 .559 DARREN 5 46 14 1 4 2 11 10 .389 .806 JEFF 2 10 5 1 0 2 6 5 .500 1.200 MARK 9 54 17 6 4 1 16 16 .315 .630 TOTALS 7 134 49 15 8 3 33 51 .366 .541*
PITCHING PLAYER G GS W L SV IP K BB HR ER ERA ADRIAN 9 3 2 1 17.2 15 31 1 18 9.17 DARREN 2 1 5 4 6 0 2.80 JEFF 2 1 1 6.2 10 3

0.00 MARK 9 7 2 4 37 29 49 4 22 5.35 TOTALS 7 3 4 1 47 41 65 5 35 4.85

BRICKIES TAKE DOWN WARDEN

Every game it seems the Warden Warriors come closer to their biggest goal. Getting a win.The 0-8 East end squad almost did it against The Leslieville Brickies.

Leslieville took a quick 4-0 lead off of starter Tom Haivarlis, who has injected new life into Warden since joining the team 3 games ago.A combination of walks,hits and forgettable errors plagued Warden through the first 3 innings.The visitors started Mark Kennedy on the mound who pitched 4 innings of 1 run ball. The Brickies also welcomed new teammate Jeff Snow and he made a nice inaugral start to his TBL career. Up 4-1 in the 4th Snow blasted a 2 run homer to deep centre feild to put them up 6-1.

New Brickie Jeff Snow hit his first career TBL homer against Warden on Friday night

Warden however did not go down without a fight. They battled back in the 5th inning after Adrian Golombek had control problems and Warrior Matt Jefferey hit a 2 run double, the score was now 6-5 after 5 innings. Jeffery then came in to pitch the 6th inning. He described his performance as "Wild". With a bunch of walks and timely Brickie hits the score stood at 8-5.


Matt Jeffery throws some "Wild" heat to Leslieville

Jeff Snow then came in to pretty much over power the Warrior bats for the final 2 1\3 innings to get his first career save. Game ball goes to the Newbie Jeff Snow.

Warden will now have 2 tough upcoming games. They face East York and then Sudbury street. This was a game they really needed to win. Leslieville's next game will also be a daunting task as they take on The Saturday nights next


Leslieville pulls out a victory in Little Italy



June 12th High Noon

What started out as a near impossible task ended up as a head shaking win. The Brickies, who were without their starting pitcher Mark Kennedy were left with only Manager Adrian Golombek and Darren Osborne to fend for themselves. The Wallballers were licking their chops and smelled blood. They would find out it was only a paper cut.

The plan was to rotate the Brickie pitchers in the hopes that the 4-3 rule wouldn't cost them in the late innings. Rocky Parejo started for the Wallballers and went 5 strong innings only giving up 1 run.Golombek started and pitched 3 scoreless innings, Darren Osborne pitched surprisingly well giving up only 2 runs over 4 innings. His simple style of pitching strikes seems to be a winning formula in the TBL.

The Wallballers held a 2-1 lead going into the top of the 7th, but the relief was just not there. A new addition to their crew Shannon and old faithfull Johnny O just could not find the strike zone. They combined to virtually walk in the last 4 runs for the Brickies.In fact Adrian Golombek set a TBL walks record with 11 on the day.


Brickies Adrian Golombek's patience paid off with a record 11 walks against Dufferin

With a 5-2 lead going into the bottom half of the 7th Golombek walked the bases loaded and gave up a run and subsequently the ball back to Osborne. He made the next two batters pop up to end the game. A head shaker indeed. Dufferin had many chances to blow the game wide open, but for whatever reason it just didn't happen. Give the win to Golombek, the amazing save to Osborne and the loss to Johnny O.

Next up for Leslieville is a date with East York and Dufferin will take on The Masons of North York




June 5th Brickies Take Down Masons in Thriller

2:48 One of the longest Burby games ever could also have been one of the most entertaining. The Masons and Brickies took part in a game that had everything from ridiculous catches to clutch monster shots to just clear cut drama. In short here is how it went down.....
Rob Leth got the start for NY and had good command in the early going. Mark Kennedy started for LB and had control problems but continuously got out of jams. Back and forth is the best way to describe this contest. NY up by 1,LB ties it. NY up by 3, LB up by 1. LB up by 6 and NY ties it.
The 2 stars of the game were Rob Leth and Darren Osborne. Their numbers were impressive. Leth had 2 HR's including a Grandslam. Osborne hits for the cycle and had 2 HR's including a walk off to win the game. His play in the outfeild was also unreal. A pop up to the left of the pitcher was tracked down by the OZ who started from the fence and bobbled the ball all the way to the batters area before hauling it in???
There was also some not so great play from both bullpens, but it just added to the drama. The 6th inning was a hit parade for Leslieville as NY's Jerome Persaud was dinged for 5 runs giving LB closer Adrian Golombek a 6 run lead going into the 7th. That instantly vanished with a number of walks and a Grand Salami to Leth. To the bottom of the seventh we go and who else but Darren Osborne launches a walk off homer to left centre over an outstretched arm of Leth. Final score is Leslieville 11 North York 10. A fun and exhausting game for 2 teams that needed to let loose. Next up for Leslieville is a date with Duffern and North York will also travel to Little Italy the following week to face the Wallballers.

Darren hits the big walk off homerun!
Beach Dusters rebound with big win

Leslieville and the Beach Dusters both came into this game fresh off blowout losses so one team was bound to get it together, and one team fall further into misery.
Beach starter Jack Cherry was throwing heat all day and though he scattered a few hits and a few walks his defense and his strikeouts always seemed to help him at just the right time. The Brickies sent Mark Kennedy to the hill and he had a fairly good start but was hurt in the 3rd when Mike Duco smashed a 2 run double to open the scoring. It became apparent the Brickies would have to score their runs off the relief pitching and hope Adrian Golombek could hold down the Beach Dusters. While Golombek looked dominant in his one inning, Dusters closer Mike Duco looked real good as he weaved through the Brickies in his 2 innings and worked around a bigtime triple off the fence by Darren Osborne to earn the save.

Releiver Adrian Golombek showed some promise on the mound with 2 stikeouts in 1 inning
A solid game played by both teams with one big hit being the difference in the game, with the 2-0 win the Dusters improve to 2-1 while the Brickies drop to 1-3. The Beach Dusters travel to the Dragons Den for a showdown with the Roncesvalles Rockets next week while the Brickies will Play at Earl Haig vs the Birchcliff Bears.

Rob Scotland

 

 April 2nd 2011

Leslieville 12-Warden 0

 

The bats were out in full force for the Brickies. 12 hits and some sharp pitching led the Eastern Conferance champs to their 1st win of the season. Warden playing in their very first TBL game had many chances at the plate, but came up short with runners in scoring position. New aquisition Mark Kennedy got his first win as a Brickie pitcher and also contributed with 4 RBI's at the plate. All the Brickies got at least 2 hits and had a hand in the victory. The Warriors started with Joel Delmedico on the mound who was respectable through 3 innings giving up 3 runs. However the floodgates opened in the fourth as 9 runs were scored off reliever Ian Ariza. The Warriors only mustered 2 hits but Ariza had several bombs go just foul in right feild.Warriors reliever Andy  Caradonna did a real nice job to shut out the Brickies for the last 3 innings.

 

Next up for the Brickies is a date with the stickballers from Hallam, while The Warriors make their  home debut at Oakridge Hill against The North York Masons

The Second Coming of The Leslieville Brickies

The oldest franchise in the TBL has a new look for 2011. The Brickies have lost their ace Rocky Parejo to the Dufferin Wall Ballers. The East Division Champs have  also gained a much needed bat in Mark Kennedy who came over from the now defunct Junction Cobra Kai. So this means lots of runs against and hopefully lots of runs scored.  Expect a slugfest with every game the Brickies play.

When manager Adrian Golombek, is not tending to league affairs, he is hard at work trying to make his team better. The Brickies may not be the most talented bunch, but what they lack in pure skill they make up for with practice. You can be sure to see this team on the feild of play far before their opponents. We talkin bout practice.

Here are the Brickies....

Jeff Snow 
 

Darren Osborne

Last year was Darren's first time playing Wall Ball, and he took to it quite nicely. He was runner up for most improved player, and he took home "Feilder of the Year" honours.  At the plate he made a late season surge in the Homerun department. Look for Darren to continue that trend as long as he keeps working hard at his swing before games. His pitching is limited, but in a bind you can expect mostly strikes from the right hander. His feilding is top knotch with a gliding prescence in the outfeild.

Adrian Golombek

"The Grinder"  did just that last year as he started off slow at the plate and then midway through the season changed a few hitches in his swing. It resulted in a career game at the Beaches with 3 triples and 5 RBI's, and of course we can't forget the two homeruns off of the East York Heat in the playoffs. Pitching is highly inconsistent with the tall lanky right hander. With about 5 different pitches in his arsenal opposing batters can be mesmerized by the changing speeds and unfortunately the amount of balls that land outside the box. Control on the mound will be a key focus for 2011. Look for him to be the opening day starter against the  Warden Warriors on April 2nd.He leaves feilding up to the rest of his team, but when called upon will resemble Gazelle like qualities in the feild ;)

Mark Kennedy

The newest addition to the Brickies, Mark played his Wall Ball in Sault St.Marie. He had a pretty nice season last year considering being on the worst team in the League. His bat, can be deadly, and he seems to get big hits in the clutch. His arm is consistant. A smooth delivery every time, and fairly good control will keep batters swinging, even at his sinking curve. He looks to be one of 2 starters on Leslieville and will get in a healthy dose of innings. He could also be one of the best feilding pitchers, and not a bad outfeilder either.

Leslieville will play their home games at the  stellar Chorpus Christi. The closed down school is scheduled for demolition and Condo land in the near future.


The season

    (TBC)

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              1st Annual TBL Championship Game

               Leslieville Brickies vs Westend 22's

         Sunday October 17th at 3:30pm @ The Grounds of Earl Haig

 8 teams, fierce competition, lots of laughs and one champion, it all comes down to this.
On Sunday October 17th the TBL will crown it's first champion and it's only fitting the league's creator, Adrian Golombek, will bring his Leslieville squad to Earl Haig with title aspirations. Adrian manages the Leslieville Brickies and carries burby lifers Rocky Parejo and Geoff Van Toen, along with Darren Osborne, quickly noted by the league as a great fielder and tough out. The road to this game was not easy for them...they had to run through rival Roncesvalles, the leagues winningest team in East York and now the Westend 22's.
The Westend 22's season got off to a slow start as game rescheduling had them starting a few weeks after the rest of the league. They quickly served notice to the league about their talents, they pitch lights out...and they knock your lights out at the plate. With manager and burby enthusiast Ashley Allinson leading the offensive charge and Joe Callaghan, the man who has you beat before you step into the box with his mix of mustache and systematic destruction via curveball. Joe and Ashley cut their teeth in baseball playing together in East York since age 14 and have been playing hardball and burby ever since. Westend seems to have a distinct advantage in this game based on regular season success but Leslieville has been hot in the playoffs, lets take a closer look.

 
 
Pitching
Westend's Joe Callaghan has not allowed a single run all season and given this is the biggest game of the season, there is not reason to believe he will take the foot off the gas now. Ashley doesn't have quite the same stuff as Joe has however he offers a very capable arm and is definately one of the TBL's best relievers. For Leslieville, Rocky Parejo had a rough regular season, however he seems to have found it all at the right time. He held the slugging Rockets to 1 run and the league's highest scoring team the Royals, to just 2. Adrian Golombek is a high risk relief option for the Brickies, if he doesn't have it that day, things can get ugly. Lucky for the Brickies, GVT as he's affectionatly known by his team has been lights out in the playoffs..recording saves in both games. Leslieville can keep Westend off the board, but will have to be nearly perfect to do so. Westend turns in perfection on a regular basis, recording several shutouts this year.
Edge: WESTEND 22'S

 
 
Hitting
Leslieville has been getting contributions across the board in the playoffs on the offensive side of things, including the surprising 2 homer 5 rbi performance from Adrian Golombek. The task vs Callaghan will be immense, the Brickies have to show they can hit offspeed pitches as they have a reputation as being a fastball hitting team. Their best hopes for scoring may come once Joe exits. Westend has had a very balanced attack, however it lies mainly with the homerun ball. As such polished hitters, the 22's tend to hit the ball line drive and in the air alot. This can be a feast or famine strategy..if the ball is carrying on Sunday, it could be a long day for the Brickies.
EDGE: WESTEND 22'S

 
 
Fielding
Westend has rolled with one fielder all year and it hasn't seemed to hurt them, mainly due to Joe's strikeouts. If the Brickies can put the ball in play and test the fielding of the 22's, it could be of great benefit to them. The Brickies have always been known as a gritty team who plays close games and doesn't hurt themselves in the field. They boast one of leagues most athletic outfield groups with Parejo,Osborne and Golombek handling most of the duties and making the routine, and alot of the non routine plays.
Edge: LESLIEVILLE BRICKIES

 
 
Momentum
The Brickies are simply on a roll right now and playing with some serious fire in their game. Rocky is pitching his best ball of the year and Adrian is finally displaying his potential at the plate. However, the quiet confidence and obvious talent of the 22's along with their success to this point...creates a momentum of their own. Both hitters are clubbing homeruns in the playoffs and have the advantage of having played at Earl Haig just 2 weeks prior to Sunday.
Edge: EVEN

 
 This will have all the storylines and drama a championship deserves. West has an ace and 2 sluggers..Leslieville has a team of guys all coming together at once and playing their best ball of the year. Come Sunday, either Westend will be the leagues regular season and playoff champion...or the Brickies will shock the world and overcome a rough season to become the TBL's first champion.
 
Prediction: Westend   4
                     Leslieville  2  

by Rob Scotland

 

 

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      ARE THERE BURBY GANGS OF TODAY'S GENERATION?

            

 

  August 2010- Lets face it, there's not a player in the TBL that hasn't checked out his hair for greying or a receding line. You know what I mean? We're getting old! And I'm not talking just older, actually old. Old enough to mean it when we say, 'I'm getting too old for this'. There might be 5 players in their mid 20s(3 on East York), but for the next 35 league players, 20+ years alone have gone since most of us were 14-15 yrs, with our crew of sandlots, but in our case, we were "bricklots", taping a strike zone to the wall and continuing the great Toronto past time of burby, or burbon, or wallball (as it's also known). We would have loved to have face a team of suits and ties! But there hasn't been any interest from a team of teenagers, and it has me wondering.  Are the youths of today's generation playing burby? 

  The TBL has been well represented across downtown Toronto, and with more schools shut down than ever before, the city is like a burby oasis! But the fields are deserted. There are no kids playing the sport as far as I can see. Sure they're into the tech stuff, and maybe that's made a game of burby require too much attention for one activity. But still, I see the playground basketball and summer ball hockey games being played. Maybe we were blessed with the great Jays teams of the 80's and early 90's that had us out there trying to be Tom Henke or Tony Fernandez. But the Craptors and the Laafs also suck. No one even knows why those boxes are there on the wall anymore. It's as if we're the last of an aging breed.  

 But through the seasons, we still take the time to stay some what active. Our experience reminds us that we have to keep the spirit alive with homeruns and game winning hits! The goal, as always, is to have fun...competitively! And it would be nice to compete against a crew of eat, sleep n' breathe burby fanatics, like we were.

  Baseball is simply an amazing sport, and burby accesses that world in the smallest of city neighbourhood confines, for all to enjoy! The Toronto Burby League was created to not only bring back the Kings of Urban Baseball, but also to challenge the youths of today who have a love for the game of baseball. Maybe there's a couple of crews out there, throwing faster and hitting further than us, like we did when we were younger. If there is, the TBL encourages you to join the battle, see if you're a true warrior against the warlords of burby! We might be receding or greying, but we're like the gods of the game, unless a Gramercy Riffs or a Baseball Furies from today's generation, decide to take the crown. CAN YOU DIG IT!
- Rocky Parejo (TBL Columnist) 

 

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HOW THE EAST WAS WON!!!

 

 

Oct 3 2010-Leslieville Brickies finally did it! They got the monkey off their back by defeating East York Royals 6-2 in the TBL semi finals. When the rest of the league was sleeping off their Friday night hangover, two teams were taking to the St. Bernie’s burby pitch, to face off as bitter rivals. As usual, manager Adrian Golombek got his entire team to be on the field an hour before game time, in preparation for biggest game in the Brickies short history. Darren Osborne was the first there before 8:30am, a sure sign the team was buying into the early practices. East York’s Rob Scotland and co. strolled into the their home park half hour later. ‘Looks like you guys been here for days with sleeping bags’, he immediately said. His teammate, Nick Wadden had been massively talking up his team for the last week leading up to this game, and had made it very well known that he felt Leslieville is a shit team, and East York would be far superior in the semi finals, especially on the strength of his new found relief pitching abilities. He was most excited to hit against Brickies’ Geoff Van Toen after, a now censored recent fb discussion ended by Van Toen warning Wadden he’ll strike Wadden out if he pitches against him. The time to back up all the talk was now, and both crews would not have any excuses for losing as they were more than ready to play ball!

 

   Rocky Parejo, a pitcher with over 10 career starts vs the Royals, started for the Brickies in Saturdays’ round 2 of the playoffs. Kevin Leach ofcourse started for the Royals.  First batter was East York’s Nick Wadden, who began the game with a bang by hitting the first pitch of the game for a homerun. Kevin would follow up with a single, and after 3 consecutive walks, East York was up to an early 2-0 lead but Rocky would escape the inning with bases loaded. Kevin took to the mound and for the next 4 innings, he sat down every Brickie he faced with ridiculous gas and carried that into his 5^th and final inning.

   The fifth for Kevin was a different story, but an unlikely scenario that seemed very due. After Geoff received a lead off walk from Leach, you could sense the Brickies were beginning to time the righty. Next up was team leader Golombek, who began playing the mental games with Leach, apparently working on his bunting skills for some reason. But bunted he did not as he cranked a 1-2 count deep to left centre bringing Leslieville back to life with the shot heard round the world! Kevin would get out of the inning, but suddenly with the score tied, it became a 2 inning game, in the hands of each squad’s relievers.

 

   The go-to-guy all year for East York has been Scotland, but during his quick bathroom break before the start of the 6^th, Wadden appointed himself the pitcher, mostly because he had quite alot of disses for Leslieville already written up, especially if he was to pitch the Royals to victory. He was prepared to be the worst winner ever! Even though every game he’s pitched against Leslieville, he’s pitched less than 2 innings because they’ve scored runs off him. After wildly walking the first 2 batters, again steps the triple threat, player/manager/commish Adrian, who, after finally receiving a pitch to hit from Nick, launched his second homerun of the game, of the 3 run variety, which chased Nick off the mound in a game he should not have been pitching in. Scotland came in to out the fire, and did so with his much improved curve ball. After an attempt by Geoff to start pitching in the 6^th for Leslieville, he felt his arm wasn’t ready and Golombek came in to earn his Reliever of the Year nomination. He was able to use his airtight defense of Oz and Rocky, with the inning ending out coming from a clutch jumping catch at the fence by Rocky, off the bat of Kevin.

 

   The Brickies added another security run in the 7^th inning when mad mowing Van Toen put up the 6^th run for Leslieville, with a line drive solo homerun to centre off Rob.

Golombek came out to pitch the bottom of the 7^th with a 4 run lead, keeping in mind the Royals have been an explosive team at home all year. East York was able to load the bases with their first 3 batters, and forced Golombek to take himself out with the tying run at the box, to bring in shoulder-bone-spur Van Toen to close the door. After nervously striking out Scotland, it came down to Geoff pitching to Wadden, who could tie the game with a homerun, and send the game to possible extra innings where Kevin was sure to come back to pitch. Also, you must be reminded of the history between both players, and Nick’s guarantee that Geoff couldn’t back up his words and strike him out. Geoff struck him out. And Brickies win! Brickies win! Brickies win! There was no telling how this game would have played out, but from the start the rivalry has been too real for it to be one-sided. It would appear that the Leslieville Brickies got the last laugh, and have left a huge loss for the Royals to think about all winter. Adrian’s career game saw him get the tying  and go ahead homeruns, and pitched 1 official scoreless inning for the win. The monumental victory sends the Brickies to the 2010 TBL Championship Finals on October 17^th  where they’ll meet the big scary dawgs of the west, the 22’s in a historic burby Fall Classic!

 

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2010 SEMI-FINAL PLAYOFF GAMES PREVIEWS 

 

LESLIEVILLE BRICKIES VS. EAST YORK ROYALS 

Saturday, October 2nd, 9:30 am @ St. Bernie’s

 

 

 

(a brief history)

When these teams collided for the first time, just over a year ago, it was obvious there was gonna be a dog fight in the TBL east for years to come, and both squads have not let their guards down since. Young gunner, Rob Scotland, introduced his East York crew to the league on September 2009 with a 7-1 victory over a Leslieville crew vastly different from this years’, with the exception of manager, Adrian Golombek and first year player, Darren Osborne. Rocky was managing his own team (Kensington Marketeers), and would go on to face the Royals in 3 games, winning 1 by out dueling their star pitcher Kevin Leach in an epic 9 inning, 1-0 performance, also Rocky’s last game as a Marketeer.

  During the 09/10 offseason, Leslieville made moves to even their talents with their eastern rivals by acquiring both Rocky and wallball alumni, Geoff Van Toen from the free agent market to boost their artillery. East York, with all the confidence their youth affords, felt there was no reason to panic and began the 2010 season with their familiar trio that included Nick Wadden, a friend and burby teammate of Scotland since they were ten years old..

  The first matchup between the Royals and the Brickies in April this year was a pitcher’s war. After surprise starter Wadden gave up a 2 run homerun to Golombek, East York went into shut down mode by bringing in Leach to pitch his scoreless 5 innings. Brickies’ starter, Rocky held the Royals to 2 runs over his 5 innings, with the help of a few good catches by the Brickies’ outfield. It remained 2-2 until the bottom of the 7^th, when Scotland roped a 1-out line drive solo homer to centre to win the game 3-2. Leslieville was close.

  Their second contest this season, right before the All-star break, was a game of patience for Leslieville. Hoping their starter, Rocky could keep them close, the Brickies waited out Kevin, trailing 4-0 in the 6^th, when Wadden came in to pitch. He walked in a couple of runners, then gave way to their 3^rd pitcher, Rob, who also walked in the Brickies 3^rd run. Trailing 4-3 in the 6^th, Leslieville couldn’t muster anymore runs, and the score ended the same. The Brickies lost by 1 run again, this time it was even closer, after Mad mowin’ Van Toen’s grand slam hit was pushed just foul by strong winds.

  Both Managers are up for awards for their standout managerial and relief pitching duties, but the team’s commonalities end there. Recent postings on our fb site has just been a war of words between the players. At times its been ugly. The hostility has been brewing for a while, and both teams are boiling over. The line has been drawn! The gloves are off! This Saturday’s battle has long been started!

  East York knows its pitching is their bread and butter. Also, their home park has yielded more homeruns than any other field, about 25, with almost 20 of those to the Royals and 1 to the Brickies. Leslieville will need all the advantages they can get, such as a possible fielding edge, and will be using their hard fought win in the first round as momentum to upset heavy favourites and sworn burby enemy, East York, to play in the 2010 TBL Championship Finals. 

 

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BRICKIES LONE HIT ADVANCES LESLIEVILLE TO SECOND ROUND!

 

SEPT-26-10 After stealing home field advantage from the Brickies in the final game of the regular season, Roncesvalles Rockets, electing to play their first round playoff match at the Dragon’s Den, walked into their chosen park, only to find the Brickies players already there, preparing to face them for a while now. Rocky got the call to pitch for Leslieville, Jeff ‘The Judge’ for Ronci, and the first 4 against 4 TBL burby game in some time was underway!

The Judge was shaky for his first 2 batters in the first inning, giving up walks on 4 pitches to each. After striking out the next batter, it was obvious his curve ball was starting to work, something the next batter was picking up on. Sitting on the bending offspeed, Rocky sent the third pitch he saw, a curve, high to the left field fence, just over the glove of Rockets’ outfielder DY, for a 3 run homerun. Jeff, with superfan son in attendance, struck out the next batter to end the inning. He would go on to pitch 2 more solid innings, leaving after the 3^rd with only the first inning runs scored against him.

Rocky was also pitching playoff caliber burby, striking out 9 of the 10 outs he recorded, giving up a bases loaded single to Greg ‘Stro1’, in the last inning he pitched. Roncesvalles was able to get “runners” on the base in the first four innings aswell, but Rocky was able to locate his pitches, and escape his 5 inning start, with a 3-1 lead, highlighted by a risky curve to Bubba, who had asked for it, but was only able to foul it off.

DY came in to relieve for the Rockets, and was his usual dominant self, pitching 4 flawless innings to keep the score at 3-1 heading into the bottom of the 7^th.

Leslieville manager, Adrian Golombek trusted his other reliever Geoff Van Toen, over himself, to save the most important game of his team’s existence. Geoff came in the 6^th, and after a strikeout, and a couple of flyball outs to his speedy outfield that included Darren Osborne, Geoff found himself in a 3-walk bases loaded situation against Rockets’ DY. The first 2 pitches went smoothly, with a 1-1 count, but the next 5 pitches were all hotly contested by both the ump (Stro1) and pitcher (Geoff), with the batter and Adrian also getting involved, resulting in 5 retake pitches that came down to a full count. Putting his emotions behind him, Geoff, perhaps surprising the batter DY, whizzed a fastball low inside the strike zone for a backwards K, to save the 3-1 upset win over Roncesvalles.

The Rockets showed nothing but incredible sportsmanship in their controversial loss. They are a model of what every team looking to join the TBL should hope to be; committed, passionate and legendary! They'll be playing on Super Sunday in a Finals friendly. 

The Brickies pull off the champagne worthy victory on the back of one hit and prepare to battle east-side rivals, the East York Royals, in the semi finals at St. Bernie’s, where for 7 innings this Sunday, friends become enemies!

 

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 BURBY FOR TWO  


Behind a closed down school just North of Gerrard and Jones is a little gem of a Burby park that should be experienced by all in the TBL. It currently is the practice facility for The Leslieville Brickies. That sounds like a joke but it truly is a great place to hit proper basehits and pitch in privacy. 

When entering the playing feild your eyes immediately are focused on a massive concrete hill that acts as the outfeild/ball retriever. It just keeps rising. When making the trek up the hill you see an interesting vantage point that inludes the  downtown city scape and trains running close to the playing area.When taking Rocky Parejo (Brickie Pitcher) here for the first time he uttered "What is this place" The first thing that popped in my head was a Feild of Dreams quote where Shoeless Joe Jackson asks Ray Kinsella if "this is heaven." Ray replied "It's Iowa"  I actually said however that this was heaven. 

Foliage lines the left and right sides of a narrow hitting space. This is why an actual TBL game would not be played here but for two people just getting some batting and pitching practice it is absolutely perfect. 80% of balls hit are returned almost directly to the pitcher thanks to a swell from left to right. The narrow confines forces you to hit straight balls which is the start of a perfect swing. A ball hit to the very top of the hill without coming down is a rarity....and a homerun. 

The Junctions Mark Kennedy got a chance to play here last week. A one on one game saw myself beat the heavy hitter 8-3 in 7 grueling innings. Kennedy gleamed "What I liked about  it was that the ball generally comes back to you so there is minimal chasing balls around the park. It looks like the grandfather of Burby parks, which is cool....it looks like it has been beat up, and i like that" 

So if you have the time one sunny afternoon, take a trip to St.Williams on Jones ave, and have a ball....come back to you every time.

-Adrian Golombek-