The Barrie Baycats' All-Decade Awards
BARRIE - It was the greatest decade in Barrie Baycats history.
Let's reminiscence.
Best Moment of the Decade: The Baycats end their nine-year championship drought by defeating the London Majors in game four of the 2014 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup
Honourable Mentions...
- The Baycats defeat the Brantford Red Sox in game seven of the 2014 Intercounty Baseball League [IBL] semifinals to end the Red Sox championship streak at six
- The Baycats defeat the Kitchener Panthers in game five of the 2015 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup for their first championship win at home in ten years
- The Baycats defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in game four of the 2016 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup to cement themselves as a dynasty
- The Baycats defeat the Panthers in game four of the 2017 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup to cement themselves as the greatest single-season team in IBL history
- The Baycats defeat the Panthers in game six of the 2018 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup to win their fifth consecutive Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup, on the shoulders of Starlin Rodriguez's bat flip
- The Baycats defeat the Panthers in game six of the 2019 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup to win their sixth consecutive Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup, tying the 2008-2013 Red Sox for the league record
Best Regular Season Game of the Decade: The Baycats and Majors were still undefeated when they met on June 27th, 2017.
The Baycats won the game 1-0 on the shoulders of a complete game shutout from ace Emilis Guerrero
Honourable Mentions...
- In the first game of the decade, the Baycats erase a three-run Maple Leafs lead in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Maple Leafs 11-10 in May of 2010
- Baycats erase a three-run Guelph Royals lead in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Royals 12-11 in June of 2012
- Down to their last out against the Burlington Bandits in June of 2014, the Baycats manage to walk-off the Bandits thanks to a walk-off single from Branfy Arias
- Baycats erase the Royals 6-0 lead on Canada Day in 2014 to defeat the Royals 8-6
- On the last day of the 2014 regular season, the Baycats defeat the Maple Leafs 19-10 in a thriller from Christie Pits
- Down 8-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning to the Maple Leafs in 2015, the Baycats comeback to defeat the Maple Leafs on a walk-off wild pitch from Maple Leafs closer Christian Botnick
Best Playoff Game of the Decade: Game six of the 2018 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Panthers
Honourable Mentions...
- Game three of the 2010 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Red Sox
- Games five and six of the 2012 semifinals against the Royals
- Game four of the 2014 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Majors
- Game one of the 2015 semifinals against the Maple Leafs
- Game four of the 2015 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Panthers
- Games one, two, three and four of the 2016 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Maple Leafs
- Game two of the 2017 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Panthers
Best Team of the Decade: The 2017 Baycats
Honourable Mentions...
- The 2014 Baycats
Best Pitcher of the Decade: Guerrero
Honourable Mentions...
- Matthew St. Kitts
- Chris Nagorski
- Adam Hawes
- Brad Bissell
- Frank Garces
- Claudio Custodio
- Adam Rowe
- Chris Kemlo
Best Pitching Performance of the Decade: Custodio throws a complete-game shutout against the Panthers in game three of the 2017 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup, striking out thirteen batters on just one hit
Honourable Mentions...
- St. Kitts takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Red Sox in game one of the 2019 quarterfinals
- Guerrero takes a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Panthers in game four of the 2016 semifinals
- St. Kitts takes a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Red Sox in July of 2016, striking out fifteen batters
- Guerrero strikes out a franchise-tying record sixteen batters in a July 2016 win over the Bandits
- Rowe slays the Red Sox dragon in game seven of the 2014 semifinals, throwing seven innings of run-one ball
- Kemlo throws a ten-inning, complete-game shutout in a game one victory over the Red Sox in the 2013 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup Final
- Rowe throws a complete-game shutout in game three of the 2013 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup Final against the Red Sox
Best Position Player of the Decade: Ryan Spataro
Honourable Mentions...
- Jordan Castaldo
- Kevin Atkinson
- Kyle DeGrace
Biggest Home Run of the Decade: The Bat Flip
This was an easy one.
Honourable Mentions...
- Castaldo hits two home runs in game four of the 2016 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Maple Leafs
- Atkinson hits a go-ahead home run against the Maple Leafs in game three of the 2016 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup
- DeGrace hits a walk-off home run against the Maple Leafs in game one of the 2015 semifinals
Best Catch of the Decade: With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning in game four of the Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup, Majors outfielder Ryan LaPensee hit what looked to be a walk-off home run to force a game five back in Midhurst.
Spataro, however, made a jumping catch to rob LaPensee of a home run to record the second out of the inning.
Hawes then struck out the next batter to end the Baycats' championship drought.
Honourable Mention...
- Glenn Jackson makes a diving catch in game four of the 2016 Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup against the Maple Leafs to record the last out of the ball game, securing the Baycats their third straight championship.
Quote of the Decade: "Winning Life" - Glenn Jackson
For more information, follow the Baycats on Facebook and Twitter at @iblbaycats and on Instagram at @barriebaycats.
Photo: Brian Backland/Brian Backland Photography