THUNDER BAY – Baseball may be America’s pastime, but there will be a decidedly Canadian flavour at Port Arthur Stadium this summer.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats have signed a franchise-high 13 players to their roster to open the 2024 season.
All 13 of them are here on merit, returning manager J.M. Kelly, a native Texan, was quick to point out on Friday as the team took to the field for the first time, just 72 hours or so left before they open the team’s 19th season on the road on Monday against the Rochester Honkers.
“It means a lot to these guys,” said Kelly, whose team narrowly missed locking down a first-half playoff spot last year before sliding a little in the standings in the second half.
“Obviously this being the only Canadian team, you’re kind of playing for your country when you’re up here. I think the biggest piece of it was the relationships that I got to build up here and the people I got to know.”
Ty Hamilton, Parker Burgess and Thunder Bay’s own Jack Pineau all bring junior national team experience to the Border Cats, while shortstop Greg LaChance is looking to build up his game as he prepares to transfer to the University of Illinois this fall and Jefferson College teammate Josh McGuinn looks to get back on the field after red-shirting as a freshman.
Hamilton also happens to be the son of Greg Hamilton, coach of Canada’s national junior team.
“They’re not just Canadians. They’re good players. That’s the biggest thing that we really tried to do. I don’t just want to take a guy because he’s a Canadian, just to get fans in the stands. I want to take a guy because he’s a Canadian, because it means something to him and because he’s a good player and he deserves to be here,” Kelly said.
“You’re not going to see any of these guys and (think) he’s just here.”
LaChance, a Whitby, Ont. native, is thrilled to be part of the 2024 Border Cats.
“It’s awesome,” he said, moments before taking his first cuts in the batting cage.
“It’s a good experience, especially to be on home soil, to go out there and play very competitive baseball in the summer.”
McGuin, a backstop who played with Pineau on the Toronto Mets, said getting the chance to suit up with the Border Cats means a lot to him.
“Baseball is seen as an American sport and for a kid to have a team in a league as good as the Northwoods, it’s pretty awesome. I think we’ve got maybe (13) Canadians this year, so coming out with those boys and showing what we’ve got and representing Canada, it’s a big opportunity,” the Toronto-born McGuinn said.
Pineau, of course, is probably the happiest of all to be back.
A Northwoods League all-star last year, he posted an 8-1 record as a freshman at Creighton University with a 3.21 ERA and is looking to build on that this summer.
Having a few more Canadians around never hurts the cause, he said.
“I’ve actually played with quite a few of these guys, so it’s good to have buddies here. But we’ve got some players here, for sure, especially the Canadian guys. We’ve got quite a few junior national team guys and it should be fun,” said Pineau, the right-handed hurler already promised the starting spot in next Friday’s home opener against the Minnesota Mud Puppies.
