The York Diamonds have joined OSBA and more information can be found at www.yorkdiamonds.com

The Vaughan Expos have also joined OSBA and can be found at www.leaguelineup.com/vaughanexpos

The Mississauga Cardinals will concentrate on their GTBL team, the Martingrove White Sox, and a few of their players will appear in OSBA with the Forest Glen Giants.

The Mississauga Jays plans are unknown at this time. I personally wanted to thank all of the teams, coaches, and players for all their commitment over the years. A special thanks to Dave Quennell who kept the league afloat through the lean times.

Sincerely,

Game #2 - Cardinals 13 York 3 - WP - Horton, LP- Fiorita, SV - Hucal, HR - Micolino

SEASON SERIES - Cardinals win it 3-1 (Cards wins were 8-7, 6-5 and 13-3, and the York win was 2-1). The teams have not met since July 4th.

PREVIOUS PLAYOFF SERIES - Cardinals have a record of 4-1 (Cardinals wins in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008 and the York win was in 2005)

ALL-TIME RECORDS VS EACH OTHER - Cardinals lead the all-time series with a record of 31-30-2

NUMBER OF TITLES WON

York 6 (1990,1993,1996,1999,2005,2006)

Cardinals 3 (2002, 2007, 2008)

INTERESTING FACTS - Cardinals founder Steve Correia played for York in 2001.

Five York players played some games for the Cardinals' OBA team, the Martingrove White Sox, this summer.

York and the Cardinals joined forces to win the 2008 OSBA Fall Tournament at Clarington.

THE OFFENSES (stats include playoff games)Both teams score around 7 runs per game.

TEAM STATS

Cardinals - .294 team batting average .403 team slugging pct .383 team OBP

York - 305 team batting average .398 team slugging pct .412 team OBP

Cardinals - 54 extra base hits (Steve Correia leads with 9), 65 SB in 74 attempts

York- 47 extra base hits (Steve Foley leads with 17), 58 SB in 66 attempts

PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR

CARDINALS

Steve Correia - .342 avg with 2 HR and 8 SB

Rick Boutilier - .354 avg. with 9 RBI and 11 SB

Kevin Horton - .400 avg and 9 SB

Brian Dikdan - .500 avg and 2 HR in only 18 AB

Ryan Donnelly - .342 avg and 10 RBI

Fil Vazzano - .321 avg with 14 RBI and 7 SB

Duncan Perry - .315 avg

Frank Diamanti - .306 avg

Dennis Hucal - .302 avg with 7 RBI

Rob Rivers - .300 avg with 13 SB

Fab Vazzano - .286 avg with 11 RBI

Chris Micolino - 10 RBI

YORK

Steve Foley - .585 avg with 6 HR, 29 RBI and 15 SB

Matt Krause- .407 avg. with 7 RBI

Eric Foley - .400 avg with 20 RBI and 8 SB

Hayden Griffin- .391 avg

Josh Barber- .360 avg

Ernie Morrison- .333 avg with 12 RBI

Andre Contreras - .318 avg with 15 RBI

Manny Rodriguez - 8 RBI

Brett Burns - 10 RBI and 7 SB

Karl Boyd - 10 RBI with 5 SB

York has the most dominant player in Steve Foley and another great player in Eric Foley. The Cardinals have a great talent in Steve Correia and greater balance in terms of power and speed throughout the lineup. York has only 2 lefthanded hitters and the Cardinals have a more balanced left/right lineup.

THE DEFENSES

CARDINALS - Chris Micolino is rock solid behind the plate and controls the running game very well. The majority of the Cardinals' pitchers are quick to the plate with runners on base. The infield defense possesses 3 of the finest defenders in the MSBL, third baseman Dennis Hucal, shortstop Frank Diamanti, and second baseman Rob Rivers. First basemen Fil Vazzano, Kevin Horton, and Rick Boutilier are also good with the glove. In the outfield Steve Correia is excellent and the others have strong throwing arms. The bottom line is the Cardinals defense is usually the tops in the league and this year has been no exception

YORK - York's catchers have thrown out runners at a much greater rate this season (22%). In the Finals, Anthony Vecchiarelli will get most of the time but Ernie Morrison, Brett Burns, and Dan Fiorita have all played well behind the dish. York's greatest improvement this year has been with their pitchers in holding runners on base. Dan Fiorita has always fared well in this area and Brett Burns also proved to be quick to the plate. Eric Foley has developed a slide step this season which has worked to the team's definite advantage. The infield defense has been anchored by strong play by first basemen Andre Contreras and Eric Foley. Manny Rodriguez has also had a good campaign at second. The left side of the infield, consisting of Brett Burns, Ernie Morrison, and Karl Boyd made some strides in the semifinal series against the Vaughan Expos. In the outfield Steve Foley is a supreme defender and Matt Krause and Hayden Griffin are fast and have good throwing arms. Brett Burns provides another option in the outfield. York's defense has allowed too many unearned runs this year and for them to have any chance they will have to continue with their recent improved play.

THE PITCHING

Cardinals - The Cardinals have great depth and a bevy of arms to choose from. Former Guelph Royal Brian Dikdan (3-0 record, 1.73 ERA, 47 K's in 26 innings) has been dominant in the playoffs and is sure to get at least a couple of starts. Another ace is Ryan Donnelly, who may not see much mound time due to his commitment to the University of Toronto baseball club. Steve Correia (3-1 record) was the club's most reliable pitcher this year and will be counted upon heavily. Potentially dominant righthander, Dennis Hucal will also be available. Hucal (2-0 record) also has ace potential. Lefthander Kevin Horton (2.25 ERA) has given York fits over the years and will also figure into the plans. Duncan Perry (4-0 record) is coming off a great year and has pitched well all season long.

YORK - The Diamonds may not have the same depth of bullpen as the Cardinals, but it is an effective staff just the same. Longtime ace Eric Foley has had another great year (6-1 record with 68 K's in 55 innings). Dan Fiorita was perhaps the league's best pitcher this year (8-2 record with 59 K's in 70 innings). Brett Burns (2-1 record) and Ernie Morrison (1-0 record) also had moments of brilliance. Steve Foley anchored the bullpen (2 saves and a 2.70 ERA)

Overall, the pitching looks good on both teams. Questions to be answered include: Will Donnelly pitch? Can York do anything against Dikdan? Can the Cardinals overcome the 1-2 tandem of Foley and Fiorita? Can both teams control the running games? Will home field advantage play as much of a factor as in 2008 when the home team won every game?

CARDINALS 8 JAYS 4 -WP - Steve Correia (3-1), LP - Clint Jeon (1-4)

CARDINALS 5 JAYS 3 - WP - Brian Dikdan (3-0), LP - Tim Lawrence (2-2), SV - Kevin Horton (2)

CARDINALS WIN SERIES 3-0.

YORK 9 EXPOS 4 - WP - Eric Foley (5-1), LP - Chetan Gandhi (2-2)

YORK 3 EXPOS 2 - WP - Dan Fiorita (8-2), LP - Mike Rochon (0-6)

YORK 15 EXPOS 2 - WP - Eric Foley (6-1), LP - Jason Goodman (0-1)

Steve Foley - York 28

Eric Foley - York 18

Daniel Dodds - Jays 16

HOME RUNS

Steve Foley - York 5

Pat McEnroe - Cardinals 2

RBI

Steve Foley - York 23

Daniel Dodds - Jays 13

Eric Foley - York 11

STOLEN BASES

Clint Jeon - Jays 20

Steve Foley - York 11

Evan DePiero - Expos 10

BATTING AVERAGE

Steve Foley - York .596

Frank Diamanti - Cardinals .412

Clint Jeon - Jays .394

PITCHING STRIKEOUTS

Dan Fiorita - York 45

Eric Foley - York 43

Steve Correia - Cardinals, Matt Hernberger - Expos, Clint Jeon - Jays 21

WINS

Dan Fiorita - York 6

Eric Foley - York, Duncan Perry - Cardinals 3

ERA

Eric Foley - York 1.03

Dan Fiorita - York 1.85

C - Chris Micolino - Cardinals

1B - Eric Foley - Diamonds - .343 average, 9 RBI, 7 SB

2B - Rob Rivers - Cardinals - .333 average, 8 SB

SS - Frank Diamanti - Cardinals - .433 average

3B - Sean O'Neill - Jays - .435 average, 7 RBI, 5 SB

OF - Steve Foley - Diamonds - .594 average, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 11 SB

OF - Clint Jeon - Jays - .389 average, 11 SB

OF - Steve Correia - Cardinals - .370 average, 5 RBI, 5 SB

OF/IF Evan DePiero - Expos - .360 average, 10 SB

Pitchers - Dan Fiorita - Diamonds - 5 wins, 1 save, 0.77 ERA, 36 strikeouts

Eric Foley - Diamonds - 2 wins, 1 save, 0.96 ERA, 33 strikeouts

Steve Correia - Cardinals - 1 win, 4.21 ERA, 21 strikeouts

Sean O'Neill - Jays - 1 win, 4.50 ERA, 16 strikeouts

Dennis Hucal - Cardinals - 2 wins, 1.64 ERA, 11 strikeouts

Steve Correia - Cardinals

Jimmy Gonzalez - Expos

Paul Freeman - Diamonds

Vince Novielli - Jays

The Metro Senior Baseball League of Toronto is looking for new players and/or teams. The league has been around since 1984 and is a four team loop that is looking to expand in time for the 2010 season. For 2009, our teams will have room for individual players, should anyone be interested in playing.

  We play regular baseball rules including wood bats, 9 inning games, 9 man batting orders, and 2:45 curfews. The season is 20-22 games long + two rounds of playoffs. Most teams will also enter a tournament or two during the season. By the end of the year, our teams will end up playing between 30 and 40 games.

  The difference between our league and the other non-OBA senior leagues around the city is that we play real baseball rules with full-length games. Most of the other leagues play 7 innings, extended batting orders, and much shorter curfews.

  Currently we have one team within Toronto (Keelesdale Park), two in Mississauga (9th Line and Meadowvale Parks), and one in Vaughan (Vaughan Grove).

In the first game, the team defeated the Brooklin Dodgers 10-0 behind the pitching of Dennis Hucal. Manny Rodriguez had 2 hits and 2 RBI, and Chris Micolino and Brian Dickdan also added 2 RBI apiece.

In the second game, York/Cards defeated the Burlington Bandits of the Golden Horseshoe Baseball League by a count of 13-3. Derek Kimmerly got the win and Rudy Naraine and Manny Rodriguez added 2 hits and 2 RBI each.

Game 3 was more diificult as the team lost to the Mississauga Stars 8-4. Brian Dickdan pitched well but his defense let him down. Steve Correia and Chris Micolino had 2 hits each.

In the semifinal, York/Cards drew the OSBA champion, Burlington Bulls but the club had their hitting shoes on and produced a 12-2 win. Eric Foley got the win and Steve Correia had 2 hits, Steve Foley had 2 hits, Brian Dickdan had 2 hits and 3 RBI, Fil Vazzano had 2 hits, Dennis Hucal had 2 hits, and Chris Micolino had 2 hits including a long home run.

The final produced a rematch with the Mississauga Stars. York/Cards took a 2-0 lead into the fourth inning on RBI groundouts by Eric Foley and Rob Rivers. But the Stars took a 4-2 lead in the fourth. The dramatics occurred in the bottom of the 5th, after Rudy Naraine was hit by a pitch, Dennis Hucal singled and Manny Rodriguez reached on an error. Rob Rivers and Steve Correia scored the runners and York/Cards led 5-4. Kevin Horton made the lead stand up with a gutsy performance as he had injured his throwing arm early in the day. The final score was 5-4 and the MSBL entry was the champion. Kevin Horton was named tournament MVP.

Congratulations go out to the following players

Rudy Naraine, Steve Correia, Steve Foley, Dennis Hucal, Dave Wiseman, Fil Vazzano, Derek Kimmerly, Dan Fiorita, Rob Rivers, Manny Rodriguez, Chetan Gandhi, Brian Dickdan, Eric Foley, Kevin Horton, Chris Micolino, Paul Freeman

It was a very even series with the Cards outscoring York 59-58 and both teams managing 76 hits. The Cards jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first as playoff MVP, Steve Correia homered. Correia singled in a run in the third and another came in on an error to make it 3-0. In the fifth, Correia singled, stole second and scored on an error. Dennis Hucal shut York out until the 6th, when 4 errors led to 4 York runs to knot the game at 4. Eric Foley pitched well for York but allowed 2 runs in the sixth on a James McNeil double. York got 1 back on a bases loaded walk in the 7th, before the Cards made it 7-5 in the bottom of the frame. Steve Correia worked the final 2 1/3 innings to preserve the win.

Some awards were presented after the game including:

Pitcher of the Year - Eric Foley

Batter of the Year - Steve Foley

MVP - Steve Foley

Playoff MVP - Steve Correia

MSBL Championship Trophy - Toronto Cardinals

SCHEDULE (all games at 7:30)

Game #1 - York 7 Cardinals 5 -- WP E. Foley, LP - Perry

Game #2 - Cardinals 14 York 13 (14 innings) -- WP - Correia, LP - Gandhi, HR - S. Foley

Game #3 - York 8 Cardinals 0, WP - E. Foley, LP - Duong, HR - S. Foley

Game #4 - Cardinals 6 York 1 -- WP - Horton, LP - Kimmerly

Game #5 - York 17 Cardinals 9 -- WP - E. Foley, LP - Perry, HR - Correia

Game #6 -Cardinals 18 York 7 -- WP - Horton, LP - Fiorita, HR - S. Foley, Boutilier, Dickdan

Game #7 - Cardinals 7 York 5 -- WP - Hucal, LP - E. Foley, SAVE - Correia, HR - Correia

CARDINALS (14-5) vs JAYS (4-14)

Game #1 -- Cardinals 22 Jays 9 - WP - Donnelly, LP - Matejka, HR - Korona (3 home runs)

Game #2 -- Cardinals 8 Jays 7 - WP - Correia, LP - Benitez Jr., HR - Dickdan, V. Novielli

Game #3 -- Cardinals 15 Jays 6 - WP - Hucal, LP - Dodds

YORK (13-6) vs EXPOS (6-12)

Game #1-- York 5 Expos 4 - WP - E. Foley, LP - Rochon, HR - Miranda

Game #2 -- York 9 Expos 6 - WP - Fiorita, LP - Rochon, SAVE - McLaughlin

Having fallen to a 4-team league this year, it is important that the MSBL try to survive in the future. the league has been around since the mid-1980's and has secured some excellent parks for 2008 (Keelesdale, Syntex, Vaughan Grove, and 9th Line). The league plays 9 inning games with wood bats and regulation baseball rules, as well as a 20 game regular season + semifinals (best-of-5) and finals (best-of-7).

The Mississauga Jays are a relatively young team who added an ex-college player and are counting on young talent to help them improve. The Vaughan Expos are an expansion team containing many MSBL veterans, including a number of ex-Canadian college players. They will be a team to be reckoned with in Peterborough this weekend. The Mississauga Cardinals have some former University of Toronto players, including one who played in the Canadian Baseball League and also put a second team in the GTBL (the Martingrove White Sox) in 2007. The York Diamonds are the longest serving member of the league and have a diverse cross-section of players, including a few ex-college players, an ex-pro, 2 former NDBL players, 2 former Southwest Senior League (London) players, etc.... Generally most players played Junior at the Rep. Level and then for various reasons, including time committment, level of play, seriousness of play, etc... decided they liked what the MSBL had to offer.

What we offer is real baseball, definitely a notch below the rep level, but certainly not a house league. Member teams have generally held their own against OSBA, SWSBL, or EOBA teams in tournaments.

Foley notched his 75th win as a Diamond in a career that began in 1996 and has continued for most of the past 12 years.

Cards dominate from start to finish, outhitting York 12-3.

Game 2 - Cardinals 15 York 7, WP - Hucal, LP - Fiorita, HR - McNeil

Cards dominate from start to finish once again. York was able to get a few more baserunners but couldn't get the timely hit to keep them in the ball game.

Game 3 Cardinals 9 York 8, WP - Belardi, LP - Kimmerly, HR - Fab Vazzano, McNeil

Game 1 - York 15 Jays 3 -- WP Rochon, LP - Matejka

Game 2 - York 11 Jays 3 -- WP - Fiorita, LP - Jeon

Game 3 - York 11 Jays 6 -- WP - Rochon, LP - Jeon, SAVE - Kimmerly

Cardinals (2) vs Colts (3)

Game #1 - Cardinals 11, Colts 3 -- WP - Duong, LP - Sousa

Game #2 - Cardinals 6 Colts 2 -- WP - Donnelly, LP - Jorge Frugoni -- HR - Fab Vazzano