Latest news with #TedKalnins
CTV News
28-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Windsor pitching plans to roster high level baseball squad
Windsor is in the running to play host to a team in the Intercounty Baseball League. The independent league is looking at expanding to 10 teams, and the Rose City is a contender, according to Ted Kalnins, the league commissioner. 'It's a good time for the game of baseball in Ontario, and Windsor has certainly a couple parties who expressed some interest,' Kalnins told CTV News. The IBL already has teams in Toronto, Barrie, and London, with players from around the world. Kalnins said the league's recent success and interest from varying markets leaves them 'ripe' for expansion. 'In terms of the demographics, the population size, I mean, it really is a great place for us to be and extend our reach,' he said. 'So, with Windsor and its size, its interest in sports, long history of just great baseball, we think is a good market to be in.' The league could benefit from having two five-team divisions to create 'geographic efficiencies' and greater rivalries, Kalnins said. Fans in Windsor don't have to look far to see the IBL's most recent expansion, with the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers proving to be a success story in southwestern Ontario. However, one barrier to an increased baseball presence in Windsor is the need for an appropriate stadium. Attendance that exceeds seating capacity has pushed the Barnstormers to add more seats at their stadium. Mic Mac Park Windsor's Mic Mac Park on June 28, 2025. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor) Both Windsor's Mic Mac Park and Lacasse Baseball Park in Tecumseh would require added seating. Existing agreements with the region's many existing baseball leagues could also create scheduling difficulties. 'We have had a team in Windsor many moons ago at Mic Mac Park in Windsor, but it has since removed some seating, so there would need to be added seating for sure,' Kalnins said. 'What Windsor and Tecumseh have going for themselves is two very suitable fields that do need a little bit of upgrades.' Facilities are needed to accommodate changerooms for umpires and players, as well as concession stands for spectators. Kalnins said they will want prospective teams to present their business plan and vision to the IBL's executive team. While there's hope a team could be fielded by 2026, depending on the changes needed to facilitate the game, it could take until 2027 to see any plans come to fruition.
Globe and Mail
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Globe and Mail
Ayami Sato set to help make Maple Leafs Baseball Club make history
The Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club have already hit it out of the park before even stepping up to the plate. The eight-time champions of the Intercountry Baseball League (IBL) are set to make history on Sunday (2 p.m. ET start) as they field legendary Japanese pitcher Ayami Sato, who will become the first woman to play professional ball for a Canadian-based team. 'This is a historic milestone for women in sports, and especially in baseball,' said co-owner Keith Stein on Thursday night. 'We have the GOAT in Toronto, and in Christie Pits now.' Introducing the new signing to the media and members of the club's support group, Stein was joined by a number of his business partners, including former TSN sports announcer Rod Black, as well as IBL commissioner Ted Kalnins. 'I was shocked no team had done this before,' Stein told The Globe. 'No one had taken the opportunity to bring in a female player and I'm proud the Leafs get a piece of history with this.' The IBL has been in operation for over a century, and Sunday's opening game will mark its 106th season; one that will begin with history in the making through Sato, who is expected to take the mound as the starting pitcher against the Kitchener Panthers. 'When I got the offer at the end of last season from one of the executives, I could not believe it,' Sato told The Globe. 'This is a new challenge for me professionally, but it will also help me grow as a person.' Sato is considered to be one of the greatest female baseball players the game has ever seen, with five World Cup gold medals and three MVP trophies to show for it. At 35 years old, the decorated pitcher has spent her entire career playing in her native country, as there are currently no professional women's baseball leagues. Although Sato competed in Japan's women's league, it lost professional status in 2012 and has not regained it since. Though nervous, the Japanese signing is full of excitement to start a new chapter in Canada, one she was actively looking for. Sato was most recently part of a documentary about women's baseball, See Her, Be Her, and was exploring other ways she can inspire young girls. 'I hope my own personal challenge will open up new possibilities for girls out there,' Sato highlighted with a teary eye. 'I want to continue to inspire the next generation and become a role model.' Stein, alongside baseball pioneer Justine Siegal, are set to launch a professional league in the U.S. next year – the Women's Pro Baseball League (WPBL) – with franchise announcements for the six markets to come at the end of the year. The businessman believes that the 'Sato effect,' in reference to the 'Caitlin Clark effect,' can ignite interest for the new league. In fact, he's already witnessed a dramatic shift. Less than a month ago, after announcing tryouts for the draft, the WPBL received sign-ups from more than 600 women, a staggering number for a league that will ultimately roster only around 150 players, said Stein. The Leafs are managed by Rob Butler, a member of the 1993 World Series-winning Toronto Blue Jays. Butler has been in his role since April of 2023. Though his team finished seventh last season with a 0.405-per-cent win ratio, Butler is confident the Leafs can sit at the top of the standings with Sato's addition. Additionally, the manager is also certain of the continued fan growth taking place at Christie Pits. The baseball club remains the only professional Toronto-based team that offers free admission to fans and they are expecting a turnout of more than 5,000 fans for Sunday's season opener. For two years in a row now, the IBL has eclipsed its attendance record, surpassing the 180,000 mark last season. Sunday stands to be another monumental moment where Toronto will get to celebrate making history in women's sports one more time.
