The East York TBL franchise went just about everywhere a team could go without reaching a final. All the highs, many lows and some epic games made this one of the leagues most important teams from the get-go. Though the players have moved on to (hopefully) greener pastures, and we may never see "The big 3" together again...it seemed right to take one last look back at the boys from EY.
Rewind to 2009. Nick Wadden and Rob Scotland played many years of softball/fastpitch together and Nick was good friends with Kevin Leach, who left softball early on to pursue hardball. The three stumbled upon a Facebook page about an "old school burby tourney" and were immediately interested, especially when they heard of the cash reward for the winners. The team simply known as "The East Enders" at the time participated in a cool little tournament at Courcelette PS and appeared to be the favorites early on. Leach would suffer a groin injury and the tree interference was icing on the cake as the East Enders lost in the finals. Leach and Scotland would form an unlikely friendship and become somewhat of a traveling freak show with Leach's huge arm facing off against much older burby enthusiasts across the city in friendly games where they would be in awe of Kevin's heater.
Fast forward a little to 2010 where Adrian Golombek, Rocky Parejo and Darren Osborne (who we had met along the way) would all have a huge part in getting the TBL from occasional monthly game status to a full out league! Golombek would play off of Scotland's choice of headwear that day and suggest "East York Royals" and a franchise was born. The Royals and Brickies became instant rivals if for no reason but playing eachother a ton and the major chirping on facebook between the sides. East York would storm out to a 4-0 start in 2010 scoring 44 runs in the process and playing out of the controversial 150ft confines of St.Bernies.
The Royals then went west and met Joe Callaghans Westend 22's, needless to say a pitching rivalry that stands to this day was born. The 22's were the better team that day but it still remains unknown to some that East York beat Westend (soon to be SSK) in the regular season finale that year and were the only team to ever defeat them. With just 2 losses on the regular season the Royals headed into the semi's against Leslieville with tons of confidence only to have it shattered with a shocking defeat.
East York entered 2011 feeling the need for change. This of course was in the aftermath of Lebron's decision and after some names got tossed around....The Big 3, The East York Heat were born. Appropriate given that at the time, Leach was one of only a couple true fireballers in the TBL. 2011 was a mixed bag for the Heat, the season started well with a road win over the Rockets and a rainstorm flood game win over Parejo's Dufferin Wallballers. Things would begin to be up and down with 2 decisive losses to SSK in a 3 week span and the team struggling to adjust to being forced into larger parks. Offense wasn't coming easy as the team needed to learn to be patient and manufacture runs. Pitching was probably the most satisfying part of the EY season with 1 perfect game, 1 no hitter and a pair of 1 hit shutouts. Naturally, EY and LB would find eachother in round 1 of the playoffs and battled back and forth until 7 innings were up. Jeff Snow, who the Brickies acquired at the trade deadline from parts unknown...would go toe to toe with Leach for 18 innings until Leach's arm had enough and simply gave out. The Brickies would once again dispatch the boys from EY in the post-season.
At the start of the 2012 season, SSK was no longer around and East York quietly felt like if ever there was a year to take the leap, this was it. The Dusters were considered a top contender and the Heat would match them with a 3-0 start to the year as the two teams met at Oakridge Hill on a May afternoon. What would happen next is East York earning the dubious distinction of being the only TBL team to ever throw a no-hitter and not win the game! Leach would walk 4 straight in the 1st inning and that was the only run of the game. The battle for first was lost in heartbreaking fashion. EY would have their day, defeating the Dusters 8-0 in the rematch later in the season. LB and EY would add a new wrinkle to their rivalry as the teams met on the final day of the season with 1st place on the line! This was a much hyped game and it was another disaster for the Heat, losing in embarassing fashion and heading into the post-season on a low note.
However, showing a ton of heart and fight, EY would not surrender so easily this season as they defeated a tough Saints team in round 1 and figured a road to the finals that didn't include the Brickies would be a favorable one. Manager Rob Scotland said "We beat the Bears in a high scoring game 5-4 and in a low scoring game 1-0, they can't beat us in any game.) Actually, they could. The Bears took down the Heat 5-1 behind 5 strong innings from Art Stoner and Paul Lindsays unexpected HR and 3 RBI performance. The Bears went on to take the title against the Brickies in the final and it was back to the drawing board...
It was kind of a fresh start for East York in 2013. Expectations for the team weren't as high as previous years, the plan was to spread around the pitching a bit more and be better offensively. Not even EY expected to win 25-1 on opening day but it sent a message that the bats were awake and the Heat would score 7 runs in each of their next 2 games to prove it wasn't a fluke. East York headed into the first meeting of 2013 with Leslieville 3-1 and feeling good. The rivalry was not as loud and hostile as the past but always an underlying tension between the teams. EY found out last minute they would be without their ace and the result was Wadden and Scotland getting flat out humiliated 20-2 by a ruthless Brickies squad. There were some serious internal issues with the Heat after the game and the team was fortunate to have 3 weeks before the next game so cooler heads could prevail. After winning a couple in a row the Heat were on the wrong side of history again, handing the winless Vikings their first ever victory and sending the wrong kind of shockwaves throughout the league. Once again, true to form the Heat would bounce back with 2 wins in a row followed by a 14 inning tie that was played well into the darkness at Courcelette. Next up was the revenge game against the Brickies, this time with Leach on hand the Heat would use their much criticized strategy of bringing Kevin in to clean up messes left by Wadden and the Brickies would strand 17 runners on the day as the Heat grinded out an 8 inning 1-0 win.
The Heat played well down the stretch and felt ready for a run to the title with the confidence gained from that win over LB and a win over every team at least once on the year. The #2 Heat drew the #7 Dusters in round 1 and clearly, this wasn't a normal 2 vs 7 game as the Dusters dealt with injuries all year and were healthy for the playoffs. Courcelette PS where it all began for the East Enders was the venue and wouldn't you know those damn trees took a 2 run bomb away from Leach early on. The Dusters played a great game and with a little help from those trees and Chris Toman's clutch hitting, sent the Heat out of the playoffs with an 8-0 win. East York could only sit back and watch as the team that beat them once again went on to capture the title.
For a variety of reasons, Rob Scotland made the off-season choice to play for his hometown Warden Warriors (Grew up there and Warden PS was his first school) and to also be a "6th man" of sorts for the Birchcliff Bears whom he developed a good relationship with during the 2013 season. The frenzy to sign Leach and Wadden was on and once Leach decided to join Don Valley it was a foregone conclusion they could also acquire a premier slugger as part of the package. With Leach and Wadden, DV could easily go from worst to first if things fall into place nicely. The Warriors are instantly improved on and off the field with the move to get Scotland and the Birchcliff Bears have the leadoff man and lead reporter they have sorely needed.
The Royals were pioneers of the league and even argued that alot of todays current rules and practices were as a result of the way they took the league by storm. Fences were pushed back to contain Wadden, aces being limited to 5 innings max to avoid unhappy burby experiences for those who had to face Leach. 5 individual awards to their credit, upsets, being upset...going from the top dogs to being humbled and fighting back time and time again it was a hell of a ride for East York and the teams getting these players will surely benefit from all they have seen and done.
Rob Scotland
