After a whirlwind season, the McMaster University men's baseball team earned seven all-star awards signifying the programs growth and bright future
In the 2022 season, the Marauders struggled to find form. The season saw them win only four games while losing ten.
As the team geared up for the 2023 season, they looked to improve their previous year's record and find better form. During the regular season of play, the Marauders were able to see improvements, though they had a wide variety of results. The team was able to finish the season with seven wins and nine losses, a much better record compared to the year prior.
During the regular season of play, the Marauders were able to see improvements, though they had a wide variety of results.
After an improved regular season, the playoffs were where the team also put their skills on full display. In the Ontario University Athletics West regionals, the team was able to pick up big wins over Brock University and University of Guelph.
Unfortunately, the team was unable to push their season further as they fell to the University of Toronto in the OUA semifinals, with a score of 1-6. Despite an early playoff exit, the Marauders were able to walk away with numerous OUA all-star honours to commemorate a solid season.
The team collected seven all-star awards in total. Kayan Alazem, a first-year outfielder, and Matt Underwood, a third-year catcher, achieved OUA first-team honours.
The team collected seven all-star awards in total.
Outfielder Justin Meade, first baseman Ethan Seymour, and infielder Maclean Van Raay were able to earn OUA second team honours. Shortstops Anthony Polowick and Nicolas Velocci also received OUA second team honours.
These all star honours highlights the success this team has had over this year's season, and signifies a season well done. For head coach Adam Strongman and the players who received these awards, they can be proud of the season they've had.
With Polowick and Seymour in the McMaster' 2024 graduating class, the team will likely look to fill these spots in the coming year. As they enter the offseason, the baseball team will have plenty of achievements to celebrate with lots of opportunity to grow.
The McMaster baseball team won this year's regional qualifiers, giving them the chance to compete for the OUA Championship title
McMaster University’s men's baseball team had a rocky start to the fall season. The team had four losses before their first win of the season against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees on Sept. 16.
As the season has progressed, it seems as though the Marauders were able to their team together. After their first win against Ottawa, the team brought in more wins and any losses tended to be closer in score.
The team picked up big victories against Waterloo University and Queen's University. Waterloo beat the Marauders in their first meeting of the season, but the Marauders proved themselves in winning the second meeting. With Queen’s being last year’s Ontario University Athletics champions, a win against the team proved the Marauder’s high calibre of play. Key players stepped up, such as Matt Underwood, who batted a great game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and gave the team a great offensive opportunity.
Key players stepped up, such as Matt Underwood, who batted a great game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and gave the team a great offensive opportunity.
After the regular season concluded on Oct. 1, the Marauders finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses. The team hosted the OUA West Regional Qualifiers at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium on Oct. 6 and 7.
McMaster competed against the Brock University Badgers to start the weekend and narrowly lost with a score of 10-12. The second game of the competition saw the Marauders beat University of Guelph to automatically place the team into the competition’s finals. They took on the Badgers for a second time in the finals, finding a 8-2 win on route to being crowned OUA West champions.
They took on the Badgers for a second time in the finals, finding a 8-2 win on route to being crowned OUA West champions.
The Marauders’ win sent the team through to the OUA championship semifinals. They took on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues on Oct. 13, but unfortunately, the Marauders could not find the win ending the game with a score of 1-6.
The team will compete for the OUA Championship bronze medal on Oct. 14. They will play against Carleton University, with the Marauders likely hoping to bring home one last piece of hardware for the season.
A slow start to the baseball season highlights key areas of improvement for the Marauders men baseball team
The season is underway for Marauders men’s baseball, with the maroon and grey team having played both the University of Guelph Gryphons and the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks in a two-game series.
The team has failed to win a single game in these four games; however, the scores in these matches have mostly been close.
In the first game against the Gryphons on Sept. 9, the Marauders only lost by one run, with a final result of 4-5. The following match saw the Marauders lose by larger margins with a score of 0-8.
A more recent matchup against Laurier on Sept. 10 saw the Marauders lose by a single run again by a score of 1-2. The subsequent match-up against the Golden Hawks finished with another loss of 6-10.
With these scores, it appears as though the issue lies in the Marauders defensive game, with their ability to limit runs and opposing offenses being vital in games to come.
With these scores, it appears as though the issue lies in the Marauders defensive game, with their ability to limit runs and opposing offenses being vital in games to come.
In terms of their focus for defensive improvements, better pitching may be the answer. For instance, in their second match-up against Guelph, the Marauders allowed 14 hits compared to only two hits allowed by the Gryphons.
Their lack of good defensive play especially shows against teams like Guelph, who boast great players on the defensive end. This was shown in both games, as the Gryphons kept the Marauders to only ten hits for the entire series.
On the offensive end, the Marauders seem to be in decent shape, shown by closer scores to Laurier with plenty of runs to the Marauders. Shortstop Anthony Polowick was a key contributor to this end, hitting a double and scoring in the lone run in the team’s match-up against Laurier.
On the offensive end, the Marauders seem to be in decent shape, shown by closer scores to Laurier with plenty of runs to the Marauders.
If the Marauders can clean up defensively, they will likely be more competitive in games to come. If not, their current record is likely to hold.
The McMaster men’s baseball and rugby team lead the way in fundraising for men’s health issues
Raising money for men’s health is an annual November initiative for athletes at McMaster University. As the end of this year's Movember campaign nears, Marauder sports teams have quietly raised over $25,000.
The McMaster men’s baseball team and men’s rugby team spearheaded this year’s fundraising efforts, with over $11,900 and $9600 in donations respectively. In addition, the McMaster men’s volleyball team and wrestling teams fundraised over $3600 and $1100 each. Other participating teams include the McMaster rowing team, swimming team and men’s soccer team.
The McMaster teams primarily fundraise through the Movember campaign website. Established in 2003, the international campaign looks to allocate resources to various areas of men’s health such as mental health, testicular cancer and prostate cancer. Over $19 million was donated to men’s health projects in Canada just last year.
Though growing a mustache and fundraising for Movember is a tradition amongst McMaster sports teams, the movement has not lost its meaning to repeat participants such as Marco Dilaudo, Maclean Van Raay, Josh Kalmain and Aiden Muldoon.
“We just want to give back to the community and continue to support those that have been supportive to us as athletes, especially here at McMaster and abroad, while also paying respect to those that are fighting everyday to continue – whether that’s against cancer or mental health,” explained Marco Dilaudo, the first baseman for the McMaster men’s baseball team.
We just want to give back to the community and continue to support those that have been supportive to us as athletes, especially here at McMaster and abroad, while also paying respect to those that are fighting everyday to continue – whether that’s against cancer or mental health.
Marco Dilaudo, the first baseman for the McMaster men’s baseball team
In addition to leading the baseball team’s fundraising efforts with over $2,000 raised individually, Dilaudo plans to bike 300 kilometres over the month of November – an opportunity for Dilaudo to embrace a challenge and support others that are battling illnesses in their day-to-day lives.
“Everyone struggles with mental health in some way. Being an athlete, it becomes really stressful trying to balance school and athletics. The mental health part of it definitely plays a factor [wanting to raise money] as well,” said Maclean Van Raay, third year student and middle infielder for the McMaster men’s baseball team.
For some McMaster athletes, raising money and awareness is especially important because of personal experiences with loved ones. Participating for his fifth in a row, Aiden Muldoon became particularly connected to the cause after experiencing the loss of his father to cancer in 2021.
“It’s nice to know that there’s a movement for something that’s affected me so dearly [and] that it’s a movement that we can progress towards as a team. I know guys are thinking about other [teammates] that have also lost people to different illnesses. When we’re raising money, it’s good to know that it’s with a direction,” explained Muldoon, a fullback for the McMaster men’s rugby team.
It’s nice to know that there’s a movement for something that’s affected me so dearly [and] that it’s a movement that we can progress towards as a team. I know guys are thinking about other [teammates] that have also lost people to different illnesses. When we’re raising money, it’s good to know that it’s with a direction.
Aiden Muldoon, a fullback for the McMaster men’s rugby team
As club captain for the McMaster men’s rugby, Muldoon organizes various fundraising events with other members of the team. The rugby team held a Touch 7s Rugby Tournament that took place earlier this month where all profits from the event were donated to Movember. In the past, the team has also welcomed guest speakers or held raffles to raise money.
“For us, as much as it is a serious issue, we do like to make fun of each other’s mustaches a little bit . . . It’s another way to encourage one another to not only support the cause but also support each other in raising money for a good cause,” said Kalmin, a third year student and pitcher for the baseball team.
Along with raising awareness and fundraising, Movember is a chance for McMaster teams to bond and boost team morale. The competitive aspect that McMaster athletes bring into sport also translates into friendly competition to raise the most money.
To learn more about the Movember movement, visit their website. To donate or keep up with the fundraising teams, visit their Instagram pages or link here.
Inconsistent play down the stretch results in an early exit for the reigning silver medalists as they fail to clinch a provincial playoff spot
The men’s baseball team failed to advance to the Ontario University Athletics West Regional finals after losing 10 to eight against the Brock Badgers on Oct. 7. Finishing their regular season with a four and seven record, the Marauders’ championship redemption will wait another year following three consecutive playoff losses.
At last year’s OUA finals, McMaster University lost the title game six to two to the Toronto Varsity Blues. That season, the team entered the playoffs without major contributors Nicolas Velocci and Mark Zanette due to a collision at their qualifier against the Guelph Gryphons. Despite their injuries, the Marauders did manage to work their way into the semifinals, beating the Carleton Ravens six to five before losing to Toronto.
Heading into the 2022 playoffs, the Marauders faced stout competition in their final set of regular season games. Starting with a doubleheader against the Gryphons on Oct. 1, the team struggled to hold their own against a top-seeded opponent.
In game one, McMaster fell to the Gryphons in a close three to two matchup that went to extra innings. Rookie Benjamin Cook pitched phenomenally, allowing just two runs over seven innings of play. His replacement, James (Rory) Bredin, stymied hitters across two innings before Ashton Patterson’s RBI single in the tenth gave the Gryphons their eventual three to two win.
Following the defeat, Kenneth Noguchi took the mound in the second game; however, three defensive errors in the first left the Marauders in a four to zero hole. While McMaster would claim four runs by the fifth inning, the Gryphons completed the sweep with a 12 to four victory.
The next day, the team played the Windsor Lancers in a consecutive doubleheader. Despite their short rest, McMaster dominated Lancers’ pitching, collecting 16 runs across the pair of games to win eight to three in the first game and eight to four in the second.
Riding the back-to-back victories, the team prepared to take on their regional qualifier against the Gryphons and Brock Badgers on Oct. 7.
While Brock gained an early five to one lead in their first contest, McMaster pooled together four runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score. Shortly after, Brock returned with their own four run rally on back-to-back-to-back doubles in the sixth. The Badgers would keep their lead and finish the game with a final line score of 10 to seven.
Against Guelph, the Gryphons lineup continued to torment the Marauders' staff. After two innings of play, the Gryphons held a six run lead. The team kept adding on until the score reached 11-1, activating the fifth inning mercy rule to hand McMaster their second tournament defeat.
On Oct. 8, the Marauders returned to face Brock for a chance to play Guelph in the tournament finale, needing to win both games in order to advance. The team came out swinging, leading to an offensive frenzy capped off by a bases-loaded, 3 RBI triple by Gabriel Knox that put McMaster up eight to three going into the bottom of the seventh.
Unfortunately, the pitching came undone, with the Badgers pulling ahead 10 to eight in the eighth inning on a four run rally. Senior pitcher Hayden Stam closed out the game to knock McMaster out of the playoffs.
The Badgers would go on to lose to Guelph 14 to two in the West Regional final.
Having played in his last season, Zanette imparted some final advice for his teammates, reminding them to always keep their plate approach the same no matter the situation.
“When you’re young and you’re having your first, second, third, at bats in the OUA and the pressure’s on, guys are yelling at you. . . it can get a little intimidating. But just sticking to your approach and doing your own thing is the biggest thing,” said Zanette.
When you’re young and you’re having your first, second, third, at bats in the OUA and the pressure’s on, guys are yelling at you. . . it can get a little intimidating. But just sticking to your approach and doing your own thing is the biggest thing.
Mark Zanette, Member of the Marauders Baseball team
Joining Zanette, Noguchi, Philip Hache and Colin Heron will be departing from the baseball program next year. Despite their losses, Heron hopes this year’s OUAs will be a steppingstone for the team to grow as athletes and leaders on the bench.
“I think that a lot of those players that got their feet wet this year, going forward, are going to be able to draw from that experience and perform well. . . [These playoffs] will serve as a good opportunity to build that experience for the future,” said Heron.
I think that a lot of those players that got their feet wet this year, going forward, are going to be able to draw from that experience and perform well. . . [These playoffs] will serve as a good opportunity to build that experience for the future.
Colin Heron, Member of the Marauders Baseball Team
For its ten rookies, maturity and development will be key to the rosters future success. Although they failed to improve upon last season’s silver medal, the Marauders’ young core of talent will be interesting to watch in their 2023 campaign.
Marauders rebound from a blowout loss with a win thanks to some unexpected contributors
The men’s baseball season is well underway with the final regular season game taking place on Oct. 2.
The Marauders faced the Windsor Lancers in a well-matched double header last weekend on Sep. 24. The Lancers outrank McMaster University for tenth place in the Ontario University Athletics standings with a record of four wins and six losses. The Marauders were eleventh in the OUA standings as of Sep. 29 with two wins and five losses.
The first game between the two teams wrapped up early in the fifth inning with a tough 14 to four loss for McMaster. The mercy rule took effect and the game ended in the fifth inning once the Lancers led by ten.
McMaster managed to bounce back in the second game, winning 11 to eight in a seven-inning affair. The Marauders were able to make critical adjustments between games, cleaning up on the defensive end and generating momentum from their offence.
Rookie pitcher, Benjamin Cook, played a key role in the team’s comeback victory. Cook came in midway during the first game and continued his strong pitching performance in the second game.
“This is pretty much my first opportunity to pitch for the team this year, so getting into the [first] game was really nice. And then getting into a situation where I really got to [perform] my best and show what I can do, it means a lot,” said Cook.
This is pretty much my first opportunity to pitch for the team this year, so getting into the [first] game was really nice. And then getting into a situation where I really got to [perform] my best and show what I can do, it means a lot.
Benjamin Cook, Pitcher
As the pitching change put a stop to the walks, McMaster’s performance on the offensive side continued to heat up. Adam Strongman, the head coach, took notice of the increased offensive production as a result of the spark provided by the pitching staff.
“Confidence was building [in the last few innings]. I would say that it started to go when the pitching flipped . . . As the pitching got better, the runs got better,” explained Strongman.
Confidence was building [in the last few innings]. I would say that it started to go when the pitching flipped . . . As the pitching got better, the runs got better.
Adam Strongman, head coach
McMaster ran into a little bit of trouble, pitching-wise, when a few close calls didn’t go their way in the middle innings and the team found themselves in a loaded bases situation in the midst of their tight game. However, Cook managed to close out the inning unscathed, proving himself once more.
“I sort of got in my own head. But after that last walk, I got to myself and said “Okay you’re better than this. You can throw strikes. You know what to do.” Then it’s just about commanding my stuff and throwing [the way] I know how to,” explained Cook.
The rookie played a big role in the series split, allowing the offense to climb back in the game and keeping the team from losing their footing in the standings.
Next up, the Marauders face one of the most difficult opponents they will endure this season in the top-ranked Guelph Gryphons on Sep. 31 in a double-header at home. The Marauders look for a strong defensive start against the offense-heavy team.
The Marauders will later finish their regular season back against the Lancers in a second double-header on the road. To follow along with the Marauders as they wrap up their season, visit their Instagram or Twitter. The team’s upcoming schedule is available here.
C/O McMaster Baseball
After a major collision, two varsity athletes have faced months of recovery time
The 2021 season was supposed to be a good one for the Marauders baseball team. They had championship aspirations on their mind and a team with a chance to do it, featuring the reigning Cy Young winner (awarded to the best pitcher in the league), Julian Tymochko, the reigning (and now back-to-back) most valuable player, Nik Motruk, the 2021 rookie of the year, Josh Kalmin and four players who would be named to the 2021 all-star team.
Congratulations to Josh Kalmin (@JoshKalmin) who was named the Rookie of the Year. #ROY pic.twitter.com/8m8ZYiAXMA
— McMaster Baseball (@McMasterBasebal) October 20, 2021
Having finished with an OUA silver, many would suggest the season to be near perfect, but a major collision changed the whole story.
On the weekend of the qualifiers, McMaster needed to win just two games to secure a spot in the playoffs. Oct. 9, the first day of games, was not what they expected when they lost both games. They would eventually win both games on Oct. 10 to earn their spot in the playoffs and many of the team members credited a newfound motivation after a very scary moment in their second loss.
It was a standard baseball play; a shallow fly ball to left. Left fielder Mark Zanette ran in, attempting to get to the ball before it dropped. Shortstop Nicolas Velocci, realizing just how shallow the ball was hit, began ranging back to make the play. With the ball in no man's land, neither felt they had a clean play and when nobody called it, both ran at full speed to try and get there in time.
At the last moment, Velocci goes to make a desperation play, diving for the ball. Instead of making the catch, Velocci’s head would collide with Zanette’s knee, leaving both players with severe injuries.
“I went into a full on dive and everything from there on is just black. I don’t remember anything. I remember for a few seconds getting loaded onto an ambulance and that’s where it all hit me . . . I didn’t have time to gather my thoughts, but I knew that something was wrong. Seriously wrong,” said Velocci.
Following the play Velocci would lay there unconscious. Ambulances quickly made their way to the field, the first taking Velocci and a second (later arriving) to take Zanette, who soon realized he could no longer hold his weight.
Baseball players from McMaster and Guelph forget rivalry to help teammates who suffered serious injuries https://t.co/Fi0GUi994k via @CHCH @GryphsBaseball @guelph_gryphons @McMasterSports
— McMaster Baseball (@McMasterBasebal) October 12, 2021
“As the ball was about to hit my glove, I felt the impact on my knee. I did a flip in the air [before landing] and wasn’t really sure what happened . . . I think adrenaline was going, so I didn’t feel that much pain in the moment,” said Zanette.
Zanette originally believed that he was relatively unscathed and had gotten lucky. It was only after a few minutes that he would realize how badly he was injured.
The outfielder would later be diagnosed with an intermediate grade partial thickness tear of the ACL, a complete tear of the proximal PCL, a grade one MCL strain, a radial tear involving the posterior root of the medial meniscus, an impaction fracture at the medial femoral condyle and several other less significant injuries throughout his leg.
It has already been three months since the incident and, although Zanette has gone a long way, there is still a long path ahead with several more months of recovery.
“I avoided surgery, which helped a bunch. In terms of a [recovery] timeline, I’m not really sure . . . By the end of the school year, I won’t be back to normal, but pretty functional again,” said Zanette.
As bad as that may sound, Zanette may have actually gotten the better of the two. Zanette may have a longer recovery period, but Velocci had a much more difficult time thus far, with his site of injury being his head.
Velocci would incur fractures and breaks to his nose, jaw, orbitals and cheekbones, while also dealing with a concussion. He would spend 14 days in the hospital in a time when hospitals were trying to get people out as quickly as possible due to the pandemic.
In the recovery process Velocci would have his jaw wired shut with screws and elastics for three weeks, causing a 30-pound weight drop. He also needed a breathing tube inserted in his throat (tracheotomy) and went through two surgical procedures.
“I can say whole-heartedly that it was the biggest challenge of my life. In the beginning I didn’t even know if I was going to be alive — it was that big a shock to me. I remember asking the doctors while half out of it if I was going to live . . . It was traumatic,” explained Velocci.
“I can say whole-heartedly that it was the biggest challenge of my life. In the beginning I didn’t even know if I was going to be alive — it was that big a shock to me."
Nicolas Velocci, Shortstop
Velocci described the early days of the injury with a very dark tone, elaborating as to just how terrible an experience it all was.
“It was bad. It was so painful that I kept passing out. I wasn’t even awake,” said Velocci.
Through the interview, Velocci continuously brought up the number 53. This was the number of days in which he called the recovery period. This is the timeline from the day it happened to the day he was finally able to function somewhat normally and unassisted.
He hopes to begin training with the team again before the winter is over as he is already doing much better and hopes to be fully recovered over the next month or so.
The event was very traumatic, not only for the players involved, but also for their teammates who witnessed it all. They would soon develop the hashtag #DoItForNicolasandMark, which helped inspire their playoff run.
The team would go back to the tournament after two losses, facing elimination and win both games to advance for their chance at a medal. In a past interview with the Silhouette, pitcher Josh Kalmin commented on the situation and how badly the team wanted to do it for their fallen teammates.
“Going back on that bus Sunday morning, we knew we were going to win. No one on our team ever said anything about [possibly losing]. We were going to do it for Nicolas and for Mark,” said Kalmin.
As badly as Velocci and Zanette wanted to be on the field, they were thrilled to see the success the team had. They both plan on a full return next season, where they will once again have their eyes set on the gold.
C/O McMaster Sports Community, Guest speakers Sundeep Dhillon & Richard Martinelli
McMaster alum and 2021 World Series Champion Alex Anthopoulos to headline event with the McMaster Sports Community
The McMaster Sports Community is offering McMaster students an opportunity of a lifetime to those interested. Alex Anthopoulos, the General Manager of the Atlanta Braves, will be joining MSC for a general discussion and a question and answer session over Zoom, marking the first time the speaker has ever returned to the school. The event will be taking place on Dec. 8 at 6:00 PM.
At the event Anthopoulos will be joined by close friends of his from his time at McMaster, Sundeep Dhillon and Richard Martinelli, who Anthopoulos credits as being highly impactful in his career success, and a large part in both his life journey, and his time in university.
As a former Mac student who studied economics, Anthopoulos has built an impressive career for himself in the world of sports. He acted as the GM of the Toronto Blue Jays from 2009 to 2015, and currently works as the GM of the Atlanta Braves. Impressively, he has recently become a World Series Champion in the 2021 season, and is the first Canadian to ever do so as GM.
Why is Anthopoulos’ experience relevant to MSC? Jack Hinde, Co-President of MSC, described the excitement club members feel towards the opportunity to meet and hear from a Mac alum who has carved such a successful sports career for themselves.
“Everyone within the club is extremely excited to have Anthopoulos over to talk about his career. It really is an amazing opportunity for all McMaster students. Not only is he one of the most important GMs in [Major League Baseball], but he is a Mac alumni, which makes this event even more exciting to all of us,” explained Hinde.
Interestingly, it was during an interview for the Silhouette that Anthopoulos was invited, and accepted to attend this MSC event. Jovan Popovic, Sports Editor for the Silhouette and Co-President of MSC, invited the accomplished Mac alum to host the event for the club.
“Well, when Jovan [Popovic] had an interview with Anthopoulos a couple of weeks ago, he offered the GM an opportunity to host the Q and A over zoom for the club. To our excitement, Anthopoulos accepted and that is what made us really happy: to have a very busy man with consistent duties take some of his time to do an [event] for our club,” explained Hinde.
While this is an excellent chance for students to learn from a figure in sports of significant stature, this is also an opportunity for Hinde and the rest of MSC to represent the Mac community for all it’s worth.
“Most of us are still in disbelief about this, as it means so much to the community, especially the baseball fans who knew about Anthopoulos for years. We are just so thankful for it, but now I feel like we have a bigger job to do when it comes to the interview. We have to be well organized and we want to represent the club in the best way possible to him,” said Hinde.
Those interested can keep their eyes peeled on the MSC Instagram page, where they will post frequent updates about the event. Sign ups for the event also remain open through their Google form. The guest speaker appearance is available to all McMaster students, not just club members, although sign-ups will be capped at 50 people.
C/O Jessica Yang/Production Assistant
During a sporting season athletes are always in action, but what do they do during holidays?
As the winter break slowly approaches, there is more anticipation for the holidays than before. Not only do students get a good three week break from their studies, but student athletes also get a chance to resort to activities other than their actual varsity duties.
One may wonder, what do student athletes do once their season finishes and the holidays approach? Do they work on recovery, do they try out new activities or do they simply sit back and enjoy their time off?
Focusing specifically on the men's varsity baseball team, they have had a successful season within the Ontario University Athletics competition, finishing in second place at the final OUA championships in Ajax.
Magnus Hanson, a first-year baseball team member, expressed dissatisfaction at not winning the final tournament.
“This season had ups and downs. We had a very tough incident at one of our games that our players are still recovering from, but we did make it to the OUA finals which is a good achievement. The team and I are still not satisfied. We wanted to win the whole thing and show the baseball community that we mean business,” said Hanson.
On the subject of holiday season and the team’s direction after the season, Hanson described what he is up to and how the team spends their time during the winter break.
“For this Christmas break, we will all have to undergo a workout program. It is actually run by one of our senior players who is a trainer at the pulse and is obviously good at what he is doing. The work out program consists of a couple hours of a training program on a daily basis and lasts up until [New Year’s Day]. [After Jan. 1], the rest of the holiday is a recovery period,” said Hanson.
"The work out program consists of a couple hours of a training program on a daily basis and lasts up until [New Year’s Day]. [After Jan. 1], the rest of the holiday is a recovery period."
Magnus Hanson, Baseball Team Outfielder
Hanson also mentioned that his time will be spent in his home province of British Columbia, where he will return for the winter break.
“For the holidays, I'll be back in British Columbia with my family. However, I will still need to undergo the workout program that the baseball team requires. After the workout program ends, I will practice with my baseball team to keep in shape. As an athlete, it is vital for me to do my best to keep my form up even during the off season,” explained Hanson.
Finally, Hanson added what the team is expecting for the rest of the off season, even beyond the holiday break.
“The rest of the season will consist of us playing in a soccer pitch bubble. Although it is not a baseball field, we will still get the opportunity to practice on turf during the winter, which is vital,” said Hanson.
Although many sports seasons have ended leading into the time off over the winter, it is evident that athletes haven’t finished their business of keeping in shape. Far from it, they consistently practice during the off season to keep their form up.
C/O John Lott
One alum's journey to winning a World Series
The year was 1996 and McMaster students were arriving on campus. For some, it wasn’t just their first time at McMaster, but also in Hamilton. This was the case for a first year economics major making the trip from Montreal. This was the story of Alex Anthopoulos.
“I remember having left Montreal [with] my father and brother . . . Waking up in Hedden Hall the morning after I got dropped off, I didn’t know a soul. I remember calling home and I had a lump in my throat,” said Anthopoulos.
The experience of leaving home can be stressful, but it’s what follows that makes all the difference.
Anthopoulos remembers his time at McMaster fondly. School, his experiences and his friends had long-lasting effects on his life.
“Definitely the best, both academic and social, experience of my life,” said Anthopoulos. “My best friends in the world are friends I made at Mac and the life experiences and everything I went through, I would never change it for the world.”
It was during his time at McMaster that Anthopoulos would enter the baseball world. He loved sports, specifically baseball, but never expected to work in the sport. He recalled frequently discussing the possibility, but never made a move on it until a friend of his just couldn’t take it any longer.
“One of my good friends to this day, Rich Martinelli, went to Mac with me [and we] roomed together. He was the one who I would just annoy, [telling] him about how I just wanted to get into baseball, [and] kept talking about it. He finally snapped on me one day and said ‘I’m sick of hearing you talk about it, I want you to do something about it,’” explained Anthopoulos.
After that conversation in his third year, it was exactly what he decided to do, reaching out to the Blue Jays and Expos in search of an opportunity. Although it wasn’t exactly what he expected, he found his way in.
“The Expos said, ‘we don’t have an internship in baseball operations, but we have something where you can basically open the players mail, coordinate it, work with them, work in the clubhouse, those types of things.’ It was a non-paying job, but I just wanted to get my foot in the door,” said Anthopoulos.
As minimal as the role seemed, it would play a big part in the advancement of his career. He always eyed scouting and felt he had an opportunity at hand. He would complete his mail duties during the day and spend his nights working on scouting.
“At night when I was done and the games were starting, I would go sit in the seats and write scouting reports. I knew I was capable of more than doing player mail, but that was a way to get my foot in the door. I got paid in experience,” explained Anthopoulos.
"I knew I was capable of more than doing player mail, but that was a way to get my foot in the door. I got paid in experience."
Alex Anthopoulos
This is where things began to take off. The organization took notice of his skills and determination and had him travel to Florida to work as an international scout. After a year and a half, he would become a scouting coordinator. Two years later, he took on a scouting coordinator position from the Blue Jays and would get his big break after another two years.
“I got offered [the] assistant [general manager] position, did that for four [years] and then the GM position came up. A lot of it was right place, right time — no doubt about that. I think the key was that I really enjoyed what I was doing . . . I couldn’t wait to get into the office,” said Anthopoulos.
He discussed many late nights at home, watching VHS tapes and DVDs of draft videos. He worked so hard not just to get ahead, but because he was genuinely interested and loved what he did, calling it “a real labour of love.” He was just glad to do something he loved.
For those wanting to follow in his footsteps, he emphasized the importance of having a true passion for the job, suggesting that it’s a requirement for the line of work.
“Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons, meaning you absolutely adore it,” explained Anthopoulos. “The sacrifices, socially, time commitments, things like that — it’s really a way of life. . . I’ve told people before that have interned with us — there’s nothing wrong with just being a sports fan and having another career.”
Anthopoulos was always very passionate and never stopped working on his way to the top. After being named the Blue Jays GM in 2009, he spent six more seasons with the organization. In his final year with the team in 2015, they won the division and made the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
Anthopoulos gained a reputation as a top-tier GM that season and was named the Major League Baseball Executive of the Year following a flurry of moves to bring the team into contention. With a 53-51 record at the trade deadline, Anthopoulos pulled off one of the “best-ever” trade deadlines, acquiring five time all-star and Cy Young winner David Price, and five time all-star, Troy Tulowitzki, along with several other pieces.
In 2021, Anthopoulos found himself in a similar situation with the Braves sitting third in the division with a 51-54 record, and batting injuries.
Over the course of the season the Braves would see Canadian ace Mike Soroka retear his achilles, perennial MVP candidate Ronald Acuna Jr. tear his ACL, and two time all-star Marcell Ozuna break his hand while also being arrested on domestic violence charges. All three would miss the remainder of the season.
Leading up to the trade deadline, Anthopoulos rebuilt the Braves outfield entirely, trading for Joc Pederson, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler, all of whom were huge contributors in the title run. Rosario was named NLCS MVP and Soler was named WS MVP.
“We still had a chance to get in the playoffs . . . Your job as a GM is to try to get your team in. If you get your team in, anything can happen. Our runs allowed, our runs scored, we had scored a lot more runs than we had allowed, it just wasn’t resulting in wins. We thought we were capable of a lot more,” said Anthopoulos.
"We still had a chance to get in the playoffs . . . Your job as a GM is to try to get your team in. If you get your team in, anything can happen."
Alex Anthopoulos
Anthopoulos surely made the most of this opportunity, never giving up after many had written his team off.
“Our run differential was like plus 100 and something and we were a game under .500, we should’ve been so much better — it just ended up showing up over six months. It wasn’t a tough call. Selling just didn’t make any sense,” explained Anthopoulos.
A few months later, he would be proven correct, as it was the Atlanta Braves celebrating with the World Series trophy during their parade.
It was a long journey for Anthopoulos to become the first Canadian GM to ever win the World Series and it was a journey that all started at McMaster University.
“[McMaster] will always have a piece of my heart. . . I definitely wouldn’t have been where I am today without having experienced it."
Alex Anthopoulos
