Like all teams, as the offseason begins, turnover ensues. We all grow up with dreams of playing this beautiful "game" called baseball for the rest of our lives, however as we get older, our lives get busier with work, families, and the inevitable battle against father time itself. We begin to realize that what we once did with relative ease, becomes a struggle because of injury and age. In a league that has become progressively more competitive, it's tough to keep up with the younger hungry generation. So it comes with heavy hearts to have announce that three longtime members of the Oakville A's family have decided hang their cleats up, and pack their gloves away in hopes of passing them down to their children some day. Courtney Morales, Gord Robertson, and Conrad Bach have announced their retirement.

 

Courtney Morales, a member of the A's family for ten seasons, has gracefully decided to call it day. Courtney came to the A's from the Mississauga Twins organization 10 seasons ago, and immediately made an impact, not only on the field, but off the field as well. As someone younger generations can look up to, Courtney played the game the right way, with heart, passion, and an elite skill set, "Murda" became one of the best outfielders in the province. Courtney was Kevin Pillar in the outfield, before Pillar was even a blip on the outfield radar. Consistently making circus catches, whether he was laying out to make a catch, or pulling back would be home runs, Courtney made the impossible look possible. It wasn't just his exceptional glove that made him a star in the outfield, he also came equipped with a cannon that quickly stopped runners from taking that extra base. Courtney was also a great hitter, as he utilized both his ability to drive the ball into the gaps with his elite speed to become a dangerous hitter in the A's lineup. Courtney's skill set isn't the only thing that made him a valuable addition to the A's, it was his always upbeat personality, high energy, generosity, and the fact that he always put others before himself. He truly exemplified what it means to be ballplayer, and an overall exceptional person.

 

Conrad Bach, a member of the A's for eight seasons, has decided to hang up the cleats. Conrad has been a key member of the A's offense and battery for the better part of eight seasons, as he managed a pitching staff that was one of the best in the league for a time. Conrad's command of the staff and knowledge of hitters made him a big asset behind the plate. After a shoulder injury, Conrad was forced to move to first base, however his contributions weren't strictly behind the plate as Bach was one of the A's most productive hitters. Year after year, Bach put together one of the highest OBP's on the team and in the league as he continually showed an exceptional command of the strike zone. One of the best contact hitters in the A's lineup, the A's are losing an important piece to their offence.

 

Gord Robertson, a member of the A's for 10 seasons, is holstering his arm and moving on. Gord was one of the most feared pitchers in COBA, consistently putting himself in the conversation for pitcher of the year. In 2009, Gord was the recipient of the Pitcher of the Year award, as he compiled some of the best numbers in Ontario. A hard fastball combined with devastating off-speed, Gord knew how to keep hitters off balance as he racked up compiled excellent numbers over his career. Gord wasn't just a dominating pitcher, he was also great hitter. An excellent contact hitter, Gord combined his ability to put the ball in play with his exceptional speed. When he hit first you knew he was going to steal second as he's a man born to run. A leader on and off the field, the A's will miss his leadership and competitiveness.

 

All three members of the A's family will sorely be missed, but never forgotten. They are and always will be members of the A's family.

 

The A's are also bidding farewell to six other members of the A's family:

 

Brad Hill - Moving: Brad Hill spent two seasons with the Oakville A's, as he put together strong numbers in his short career with the A's. Over two seasons, Brad slashed a robust .369/.471/.454, with 8 doubles, 1 HR, 39 R's, 29 RBI, and 10 SB's. 

 

Michael Vanderlaan - Retiring: "Vandy" spent two seasons with the A's as one of the anchors in the A's rotation. Big Lefty had a strong rookie season, however he fell victim to the sophomore slump. Vandy compiled a career record of 5-11 with a 7.82 ERA with 60 K's over 88.2 innings pitched. When Vandy put it all together, he was truly dominant. 

 

Nic Burnell - Retiring: "Burny" spent one season with the A's as their mainstay shortstop, filling the void left behind by Zack Dickson. Burny didn't have any trouble adapting to senior pitching in his first season as he slashed .278/.325/.333 with 4 doubles, 6 RBI, 15 R's, and 3 SB's, in just 21 games played. His season was cut short due to a knee injury that has forced him away from the game.

 

Nathan Lewko - Jr A's: Lewko, a Jr age player, decided to play up in 2016 with the Senior Oakville A's, and caught fire out of the gate. However, he hit a slump and as is the case with such a short season, struggled to regain his swing. Lewko finished the season slashing .208/.304/.267 with 3 doubles, 1 HR, 10 RBI, and 13 runs scored. We wish him the best of luck with the Jr's and look forward to seeing him back in senior ball again.

 

Alex Kupchak - Retiring: "Kup" spent two seasons with the A's, and quickly became one of the best bats in the league. Over his short time in senior baseball, Kup slashed .331/.413/.545 with 10 HR's, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 59 RBI, 60 R's, and 3 SB's in 79 games played. 

 

Jeff Jarockis - Moving On: "Rock" spent nine seasons with the Oakville A's, and became one of the most feared bats in Ontario. Jarockis compiled remarkable power numbers over his career, and his bat will be missed by the A's, but not by the rest of the league. 

 

We wish them farewell, and best of luck in their future endeavors..

 

The Oakville A's were busy recruiting over the Winter in an attempt to fill the voids left by those who have departed, and would like to welcome eight new members to the A's family.

 

Travis Rumney - 2B/3B/OF: Travis Rumney was a member of the Guelph Gryphons Baseball team, as well as the Bolton Brewers. A lefty bat, Travis adds much needed defensive help to a depleted infield.

 

Nick Boyd - P/INF: Nick Boyd was also a member of the Guelph Gryphons Baseball team, and the Bolton Brewers. A submariner, Nick adds needed help to the A's pitching staff.

 

Sean McLean - OF: Another member of the Guelph Gryphons, McLean comes to the A's as an outfielder capable of playing all three positions.

 

Jake Gerovac - 1B/3B/OF: Adding to the influx of Guelph Gryphons is Jake Gerovac. Jake is capable of playing both corner infield positions, as well as adding depth to the outfield.

 

Blake Donaldson - P/1B/3B/OF: Blake comes over from the Oakville Jr's, as well as a former member of Sinclair College. A versatile player, Blake will provide needed help both on the mound, in the field, and offensively.

 

Chris Grittani - P: Formally a Mississauga North Junior and Brock Badger, Grittani comes to the A's looking to help the A's pitching staff.

 

Noah Ivanyi - P/OF: Ivanyi was a member of the Ontario Blue Jays and the Laurier Golden Hawks. A pitcher and outfielder, Noah will bring needed help to the A's staff and lineup.

 

Blake Weston - P: Weston is a former Oakville, Team Canada, Canisius, and Humber college player. Weston comes to the A's looking to help anchor their new look pitching staff.

 

The A's would like to welcome each and every new member to the A's family, as they all bring a unique skill set, hunger to win, and high energy to help the A's reach their goals of a championship. Welcome to the family.

 

Key Returners:

Matt Reagan - P/OF

Tommy Biskup - OF

Pat Griffin - C/1B

Curtis Braun - P/SS/3B/2B

Julian Richards - OF/1B/P

Matt Chisamore - P/OF

Michael Kennedy - 2B/1B

Alex Hawley - P/1B

Marc Walton - OF/3B/1B

 

Part Time Players:

Andrew Kotulak - 3B/SS/2B/P

Michael Modestino - 3B/C/2B

Matt Bekar - OF

 

Go A's!