SABL
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Thursday Jun 19, 6:00 PM
Braves Heron Park
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Thursday Jun 19, 8:30 PM
Pirates Heron Park
White Sox
Saturday Jun 21, 6:00 PM
Pirates Wishing Well
Braves
Saturday Jun 21, 8:30 PM
Braves Wishing Well
Pirates
Sunday Jun 22, 8:30 AM
Angels Wishing Well
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Sunday Jun 22, 10:55 AM
Cardinals Wishing Well
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Sunday Jun 22, 1:20 PM
Royals Wishing Well
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Sunday Jun 22, 3:45 PM
Giants Wishing Well
Royals
Sunday Jun 22, 6:10 PM
Jays Wishing Well
White Sox
Sunday Jun 22, 8:35 PM
White Sox Wishing Well
Jays

Scarborough Adult Baseball League

The Mad Bombers of SABL



Since the introduction of wooden bats, SABL has become far less of a home run-oriented league. In the days of aluminum, balls were flying out of Wishing Well, Heron, and the oddly-short centre field porch of Highview at MLB steroid-era levels of frequency. However, in recent years, it has taken a far greater effort to get the ball to leave the yard.

The modern website era of SABL reflects a few years of metal bat statistics in its database. In fact, 2015 is only the third season of wood reflected in the league’s statistical database. Therefore, the home run statistics are skewed upwards from 2009-2012 (in most cases). However, due to weight training, skill, and determination, some of the finest hitters in SABL have managed to maintain their power potential into the wooden bat era. The following are the best of the best:

1. Gbenga Ajasin, Royals

(26 total homers, 24 regular season, 2 playoffs)

With a whopping 26 career home runs in the modern website era, the Royals’ centre fielder is the all-time league leaders, SABL’s answer to Hank Aaron. Like many others, Ajasin poked a multitude of his bombs before statistical data was recorded league-wide. Since 2009, however, Ajasin has been a consistent source of power in the middle of the Royals lineup. From 2009-2012, Ajasin stroked 5 homers in four straight campaigns, establishing himself as SABL’s prime power source. Since the move to wood bats, Ajasin’s home run numbers have dipped, but he remains an intimidating presence at the plate, in the field, and on the basepaths.

2. John Frederick, Psychos/Braves

(25 total homers, 23 regular season, 2 playoffs)

Last season’s SABL MVP and Playoff MVP, John Frederick may very well be SABL’s premier power hitter. As an anchor in the middle of the Braves’ lineup, Frederick has been unaffected by the move from aluminum to wood, swatting 21 home runs from 2011-2014. Despite a slow start to the 2015 campaign, Frederick remains one of the most-feared hitter in SABL today, providing valuable right-handed power on a consistent, season-to-season basis.

3. James Fensom, Psychos, Braves

(23 total homers, 22 regular season, 1 playoffs)

The numbers only tell part of the story when it comes to James Fensom, the hulking first baseman-pitcher on the league’s defending champion. Although he is both a skilled pitcher and a batter who hits for a good average, Fensom’s power is what puts him on the SABL map. Nobody in the league hits the ball any harder than this man. In fact, Fensom’s presence in SABL may have precipitated the move to wood bats more than any other factor; it was only a matter of time before this slugger took off some poor pitcher’s head with a comebacker through the box.

4. Phil Hiemstra, Royals

(22 total homers, 14 regular season, 8 playoffs)

As a result of reaching seven consecutive finals, many players on the Royals have put up big numbers in playoff competition. One name, however, stands above the rest, and that name is Hiemstra. The veteran first baseman-pitcher-shortstop-third baseman-catcher has bopped 8 homers in playoff competition, a SABL record. Hiemstra also leads in playoff RBI with 66, a whopping 23 more than his nearest competitor. In the history of SABL (modern website era), nobody has come up with more clutch bombs than Hiemstra.

5. Donald Feng, Red Sox, Royals

(20 total homers, 20 regular season)

There are few home run hitters in SABL as consistent as Donald Feng. Plugging away, Feng has clobbered 3, 3, 3, 2, 4, 3 homers to go along with two so far this season, his first on the Royals. A dead pull hitter, Feng has managed to sport a career .363 average to go along with his long balls, proving that he’s a multidimensional threat.

6. Jason Andrews, Astros

(19 total homers, 16 regular season, 3 playoffs)

Since exploding onto the scene with 6 homers in 2011, Jason Andrews has maintained his threatening presence in the middle of the Astros’ batting order. In 2013, Andrews enjoyed what has to be considered one of the top seasons in SABL history, hitting 4 homers to go along with a whopping 51 RBI and a .447 average. With his next homer, Andrews will become the illustrious sixth member of the SABL 20 Home Run Club.

Honourable Mention:

Andrew Swagers, Dragons

(13 total homers, 6 regular season, 7 playoffs)

Not much is known about Andrew Swagers. According to legend, he was one of SABL’s greatest players in the pre-website era that has forever been lost to history. In the modern era, Swagers has only appeared in one season, the Dragons’ 2012 championship campaign.

As if the Dragons weren’t already stacked enough, they managed to add a guy to their roster who would go on to amass a preposterous 13 home runs in one season. It took Swagers a mere 64 at bats to amass those 13 bombs, which is an unprecedented homer rate in SABL history. In fact, Swagers’ 7 homers in that lone 2012 playoff run sit him in second place (one behind Phil Hiemstra) for the all-time playoff home run lead. Like Roy Hobbs, Swagers’ presence in SABL lasted only one season, but it was one of the greatest seasons in league history without a doubt.

Posted by Phil Hiemstra - Monday Jul 20, 8:59 AM
Barnett-Schade I



(Scarborough) In a highly-anticipated matchup that has recreational baseball fans clamouring throughout the Greater Scarborough Area, SABL’s top two left-handed pitchers will face off for the first time ever in a game that Royals’ manager Phil Hiemstra has dubbed “The Beard versus The Feared".

In the annals of SABL, no other pitcher can make a stronger claim as the league’s best than stalwart Royals left-hander, Michael “Barny” Barnett. In the modern website era (2009-present), Barnett is the all-time league leader with 50 regular season wins, to go along with a stellar 2.51 ERA and 327 strikeouts (ranking second behind Brandon Marini of the Blue Jays) in 373 innings. If SABL were to erect a Hall of Fame, Barnett would be a surefire candidate for enshrinement. 

Incredibly, Barnett’s opponent in this matchup can boast even more dominant results, albeit in a shorter sample size. Since bursting onto the scene in a 2014 season that saw him take home the league Rookie and Pitcher of the Year, John Schade has been nothing short of phenomenal.

The numbers speak for themselves: 20 games started, 15 wins, 5 losses, 15 complete games, 159 strikeouts in 133.1 innings to go against just 32 walks, along with a sparkling 1.58 ERA. Even more impressively, Schade has dragged the once-hapless Pirates towards respectability in a league where respect is hard to come by.

Following last Sunday’s Royals-Blue Jays doubleheader, Schade and Barnett struck up a gentleman’s agreement to face one another when their respective teams meet on Sunday July 19 at Wishing Well Park (first pitch at 1:20 EST).

Barnett approached Schade prior to the Pirates’ doubleheader against the White Sox and proposed the marquee lefty matchup. Schade surely thought the proposal was a joke. After Barnett assured him that it wasn’t, the two southpaws shook hands before realizing that true southpaws would shake with their southern paws. So they shook hands with their lefts.

While Barnett is part of SABL’s very fabric, Schade is a relative newcomer (some might call him an enigma) to SABL fans near and far. According to Royals outfielder/infielder Brennan Corey, who plays hockey with Schade on Tuesday nights, the multi-pitch phenom spends his winters playing defence with a stick that’s about two feet too short, proving yet again that lefties are strange people.

The question that everybody wants to see answered is this: Who is SABL’s best lefty? Make your way to Wishing Well on July 19 to find out, or check back here to see the box score on this website.

Posted by Phil Hiemstra - Monday Jul 13, 10:18 PM
2014 SABL Award Winners

MVPJohn Frederick
Pitcher OTYJohn Schade
Rookie OTYJohn Schade
Playoff MVPJohn Frederick
Veteran OTYGord Smardenkas

All Stars1st Team2nd Team
CSean BallentineGreg McLean
1BJohn FrederickLuke Hall
2BColm BlaneyMike Murphy
SSAndre SteerJeff Snow
3BShawn CarriereMike Visconti
OFAntony WarrenAlex Siddiqi
OFSteve HerschGbenga Ajasin
OFJason AndrewsMike Hersch
DHGord SmardenkasJason Forbes
PJohn SchadeBrandon Marini

Posted by Phil Hiemstra - Friday Nov 21, 4:31 PM
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Contact the league at scarborough.baseball.sabl@gmail.com