How long have you been with the Anchors franchise?

     Well the unofficial answer is in 2008 I went away with the guys for an OBA weekend to hang out and go camping and by the time we got there for the early Friday afternoon start time we only had 8 players so yours truly was pressed into action as the new nine hitter out in right field. Over the years, I became the “it’s Tuesday at 4 o’clock and we’ve only got 8 guys committed check with Brett and makes sure he brings his stuff” guy. After a handful of playing appearances over the years I took on an official role with the team in the spring of 2019 as what we’ve eventually called Director of Game Day Operations. Anything from scorekeeping games, to taking photos, to raising banners, whatever is needed on a Tuesday night at The Shipyard I’m your guy.

What are some of your favorite moments with the Anchors franchise?

     Well the number one moment that would come to mind for most would be winning the 2022 OBAs at McMillan but I would say the Sunday night two weeks previous is my favourite moment. After winning the third game of that day and escaping the jam we were in in the bottom of the seventh inning there was no doubt in my mind that the final game against either Tillsonburg or Clearview would be a mere formality. What the guys did on that weekend from the huge comeback on Saturday night against Hanover, to winning the triple header on Sunday that has to be number one. On a personal level, recording my one and only career strikeout on the now defunct Thorold Mariners also comes to mind.

Having done all of the official scoring and stats for the Anchors you must have an interesting perspective on the team. Who are some of the impact players on this roster and what do you expect to see in 2024?

     For 2024 I expect to see a year of growth. Last season there were plenty of new faces and this season most of that core is back. It’s still a relatively young squad with a good balance of veterans that I’d like to see push toward the top half of the league standings.

     It’s not necessarily about who impacts the game on the field all the time. Player 1 to player 25 contributes every game. The 3 hitter is just as important as the two guys heading down to catch the double barrelled bullpen action in the fifth. I’d say my perspective near the dugout allows me to see that every player has a role. I’ve always subscribed to saying the best ability is availability. The core guys that play almost every day are very important to the on field success of the team but the bench guys that might know they aren’t getting into the game that night but are willing to be there to contribute in other ways and still having a strong impact on the game for this team is a key contributor for success in 2024.

What is it like working as closely as you do with the Anchors coaching staff?

     Well I’ve pretty much been lifelong friends with Chris after we played rookie ball together so baseball has always been a big part of our lives. I either played with or against the rest of the guys on the staff or volunteered at various times running tournaments in town growing up so baseball has always been a big part of our summers. Having the coaching staff ask me for my observations from time to time and being able to contribute my input from a statistical point of view definitely makes this job rewarding.