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The Kitchener Panthers are an independent, minor league baseball team of the Intercounty Baseball League based in Kitchener, Ontario. They play their home games at Jack Couch Baseball Park. The Panthers used to play at a ballpark in Victoria park before Jack Couch Park was built to replace the old Victoria Park stadium in 1967.
| Kitchener Panthers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| League | Intercounty Baseball League (1919–present) |
| Location | Kitchener, Ontario |
| Ballpark | Jack Couch Park Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Nickname(s) | Panthers |
| League championships | 13
|
| Former name(s) |
|
| Former ballparks | Victoria Park, Downtown Kitchener |
| Colours | Yellow, black |
| Manager | Bill Matetich |
| General Manager | Mike Boehmer |
| President | Bill Pegg |
| Website | http://www.kitchenerpanthers.com |
History
editThe Panthers were a founding member of the Intercounty Baseball League (along with Galt, Guelph and Stratford in 1919). The team changed names when the current league began play in 1957 as the Legionnaires and Dutchmen, but reverted to the current name in 1960.
Championships
editKitchener has won thirteen championships, the second most in the league, behind the Brantford Red Sox with fifteen. The Panthers have won in:
- 1941
- 1950
- 1952
- 1957
- 1967
- 1968
- 1971
- 1973
- 1990
- 1996
- 1998
- 2000
- 2001
Past players
edit- Bob McKillop - Chicago White Sox Organization 4-time ICBA MVP
- Gary Ebel - Oakland Athletics organization
- Ron Smith - San Francisco Giants organization
- Scott Medvin - Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners
- Harry Psutka - Detroit Tigers
- Tom McKenzie - Canadian National Team
- Daniel Procopio - Houston Astros organization
- Yoanni Yera - Cuba national team and Mexican League[1]
2021 roster
editAccurate as of June 8, 2021
Pitchers:
- Stephen Gade
- Brady Schnarr
- Daniel Marquez
- Matt Stoddart
- Michael Mommersteeg
- Christian Hauck
- Jorden Carthy
- Adam Robertson
- David Bruinsma
- Liam Devine
- Ryan Douglas
- Jacob Douglas
Catchers:
- Ryley Davenport
- Noah Murciano
- Nick Parsons
- Dan Mahoney
Infielders:
- Stephen Whalen
- Keegan Marsden
- Evyn Sherman
- Elliott Curtis
- Lucas DiLuca
- Liam Wilson
- AJ Karosas
Outfielders:
- Jett Jarvis
- Andy Leader
- Blake Jacklin
- Ethan Baptie
- Jason Kauffeldt
- Carter Arbuthnot
2015 season
editThe Kitchener Panthers had a great start to the 2015 season, first defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs, followed by a great pitching performance the following week in Barrie, Ontario, defeating the Barrie Baycats. They then went on to defeat the Guelph Royals and Brantford Red Sox. They were in 2nd place after 4 games, going 4-0 only behind the London Majors, who started 7–0.
The Panthers' field was being reconstructed so even though their season started in early May, their home opener wasn't until May 28, 2015. In the home opener they played the Burlington Bandits and lost 8–7. Coach Tebo was ejected from the game for arguing a bad call by the umpire. The next Panthers game was on Friday, May 29, against the Hamilton Cardinals in Hamilton. The Panthers clinched the playoffs 2nd, and they faced the Hamilton Cardinals in the first round in 5 games. The second round went to 7 games against the London Majors. The Panthers won that, so they will play the Barrie Baycats in the finals with game 1 beginning Tuesday, August 25. The Panthers lost the series 4 games to 1 and Barrie won its 2nd straight IBL Championship.
Panthers Hall of Fame
edit- 8 Tom Mckenzie 1966–1980
- 9 Bob Mckillop 1966–1977
- 10 Kevin Curran 1984–1999
- 13 Jeff Pietrazko 1995–2014
- 22 Randy Curran 1984–90, 95–2003
Tanner Nivins 2013–2019
References
edit- ^ "2019 All-Star Yera Named To Cuban WBC Team". theibl.ca. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
The Kitchener Panthers themselves