TWENTY YEAR TEAM MATES
TEAM MATES - GEORGE STRAZICICH - IAN LOGAN
THE 45+ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL AT ROBERT BURNABY ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23RD WILL FEATURE TWO PLAYERS WHO ARE COMPLETING THEIR TWENTIETH SEASON OF PLAY IN THE LMBA. GEORGE STRAZICICH (STRAZ) AND IAN LOGAN HAVE BEEN TEAM MATES FOR THE ENTIRE 20 SEASONS MAKING THEM VERY UNIQUE MEMBERS OF THE TWENTY YEAR CLUB. BOTH STARTED OUT WITH THE 30+ PIRATES AT GORDON PARK AND BOTH TURNED OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE SAME DAY - FRIENDS OFF THE FIELD AND TEAM MATES ON THE DIAMOND, THEY ARE TWO OF THE MOST RESPECTED PLAYERS IN THE LMBA. THEY HAVE MADE SOLID CONTRIBUTIONS AS INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT TEAM PLAYERS. THEIR CONDUCT AND SPORTSMANSHIP HAS BEEN EXEMPLARY AND THE LMBA HAS BEEN LUCKY TO HAVE THEM. CONGRATULATIONS, GUYS AND BEST WISHES FOR TWENTY MORE YEARS!
PIRATES TAKE DOWN BLUE JAYS IN 18+ FINAL
THE NEWTON PIRATES USED THEIR TEAM DEPTH TO TAKE DOWN A GAME VANCOUVER BLUE JAYS SQUAD BY AN 8 TO 3 SCORE IN THE LMBA'S 18+ CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL AT ROBERT BURNABY PARK. BOTH TEAMS CAME TO PLAY ON AN OVERCAST DAY AND THE GAME MOVED QUICKLY THROUGH THE FIRST FIVE INNINGS THANKS TO THE STRONG PITCHING FROM BOTH STARTERS - PIRATES MIKE ELLIS AND BLUE JAYS PETER GUSTAVSON.
THE PIRATES ADDED TO THEIR SLIM 4 - 3 LEAD AFTER FIVE INNINGS WITH THREE RUNS IN THE SIXTH AND ONE IN THE SEVENTH TO WIDEN THEIR MARGIN AND CLOSER NICK ALEXIOU CAME IN WITH THREE SHUT DOWN INNINGS. THE PIRATES PITCHING AND STEADY DEFENSE CONTRIBUTED TO THEIR FOUR STRAIGHT PLAYOFF WINS GIVING THEM THEIR FIRST LMBA CHAMPIONSHIP. CONGRATULATIONS TO A VERY DETERMINED BLUE JAYS TEAM FOR PLAYING HARD RIGHT UP TO THEIR LAST OUT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BURNABY BLUE JAYS, 2017 LMBA 30+ CHAMPIONS
BURNABY BLUE JAYS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT LMBA 30+ CROWN
STRONG ALL ROUND TEAM PERFORMANCE IN DECISIVE WIN
SEPTEMBER 10, 2017 - ROBERT BURNABY
The first of the LMBA's 3 championship games was the 30+ final between the Burnaby Blue Jays and the Richmond Rainiers, both of whom had come off close semi final victories before Labour Day. On this day, everything was working for the Blue Jays against a game Rainiers crew.
Eleven different Blue Jays pounded out 19 hits to provide the offence in their 11 - 2 win over the Richmond squad. Adam Ladouceur led the way with three hits, 4 runs scored, and 2 runs batted in to go along with his usual stellar defensive play at shortstop. Reid Wildeman (solo home run), Steve Tosh, and Tim Wilkins also added 2 rbi's each. The Jays' heavy hits were sprinkled with a lot of smaller hits that somehow found a place to land.
The Jays pitching trio of Jeff Weisgerber, Jordy Cunningham, and Jeff Ammer limited the Rainiers to five hits and a minimum of base runners.
An outstanding feature of the game was that 31 players played in the contest - a testament to the LMBA philosophy that everyone plays. The win gave the Blue Jays their fourth overall 30+ championship pennant, a total topped only by the Richmond Legends/Rainiers with seven championships and the Howe Sound Hounds with 8 final victories.
Congratulations to the Burnaby Blue Jays on an outstanding 2017 season.
