Marc D is hoping this year will be a true break out season.

 

Jan.20th,2014

 

That nagging injury, the ex girlfriend, that extra cupcake. There are many reasons why a good player has a bad year. Mini-Slumps are common place in the TBL but a season of frustration can always be linked to other distractions. This offseason there are some players who know they are much better than their 2013 campaign, and they will set out to prove all doubters wrong. 

 

Marc DiRenzo ST Clair Saints

 

 a surprise pick here as he was voted by his team as their MVP. However Mark D knows that most of 2013 was not memorable in terms of his pitching. A 5.69 era. and 72 walks is not what "Nuke" had in mind. When on his game he has a nasty curve and deceiving velocity on his heater. The cause of this mound malfunction? DiRenzo puts partial blame on having a little too much fun the night before. ."I can't guarantee it but I will try not to be hungover before games. I will focus on a more consistent delivery. A better preparation before the game. I never played competitive baseball before so maybe a pitching lesson or 2 will change my game. " If Marc D can get his pitching problems sorted out then The Saint Clair Saints could have some precious hardware at the end of the year.

 

Mike Merideth North York Masons

The Rookie of the year nominee did some amazing things last year, but he'll be the first to tell you that the best is yet to come. He was virtually untouchable on the mound until the most important game of his Burby career. The Finals saw him get Dusted by The Beach. That game has left a bad taste in his mouth all winter . His hitting (.276) has also allowed tons of room for improvement. Merideth is now focused on 2014.

 

Art Stoner Birch Cliff Bears

 

- the 2012 POY says he had an off year even though his numbers (1.43era, 66so, .92whip) still had him in the elite circles of the TBL. His Batting avg was .270 which he believes is going way up in 2014. A good player is always hard on himself and Stoner knows what he has to do to improve. "first with pitching, after having 4 walks all of 2012, I ballooned to 18 last year, need to fix that, and need to fix my hitting, need to be more consistent at the plate, and take some of the pressure off the other guys."

 

Joel Heard Leaside Aeros 

 

The Lanky righty burst onto the TBL scene by mowing down 50 Tier 2 batters in 5 games. He has now taken the dubious step to Tier 1 where the task will expand to 14 games against the best hitters in the City. Will he continue his dominance? Joel looks forward to the challenge. " From my previous experience against tier one hitters, they have a more disciplined eye and are able to hit the curve. I'm going to have to be smart with my mix and really work on my location.It's also tougher to blow people away with the heat, so location, pitch selection and keeping people off balance is crucial."

         STONER, HEARD, MERIDETH. WATCH OUT FOR THIS TRIO IN 2014.