Canton Legion Reflects on Historic Summer

Riding excellent pitching, superb defense, timely hitting, and a winning mentality, the American Legion Canton Post 24 baseball team advanced further in the 2013 postseason than in any prior summer.

After a strong regular season, countering pre-season prognostications, Canton dispatched rival Foxboro in the District 6 playoffs. Four days later, Post 24 fell into the loser’s side of the South Sectional Bracket Tournaments with a lackluster defeat to Brockton.

With its back to the wall, Canton rebounded with a 16-6 thumping of Easton, before falling again to Brockton in a nail-biter the next evening to conclude their season with a 15-13 record.

“The kids had a truly unbelievable and historic year for Canton Legion Baseball,” said Head Coach Greg Lyons. “It was amazing to watch the progression of a team that no one picked to even make it to district playoffs - turning into a force to be reckoned with and making it all the way to sectional semi-finals.”

Captain Steve Mullaney said, “The playoff run was very impressive. A lot of guys stepped up throughout the run and impacted the way our team played. The Easton game will certainly be a memorable game from our season.”

During the regular season, which commenced following the high school baseball season, the team posted stretches of outstanding baseball and endured multi-game skids. Lyons says that persistence and perseverance were two words describing the season.

“No matter how much we may have been struggling or how great we may have been playing, the guys stayed even-keeled and just played their game,” said Lyons.

The coach credited the instilling of that mentality to what he called “a core group of leaders,” captains Jake Fishman, Nathan Pedersen, Drew Blake, and Steve Mullaney.

Lyons also noted that he was regularly complimented by opposing coaches and parents on not only his squad’s play, but on the players’ conduct. Mullaney said, “Our team’s behavior came from a bunch of really good kids who just wanted to come to the field, have fun, and win.”

On the field, pitching and defense were Post 24’s most consistent areas. Fishman, who Lyons called the team’s most valuable player, was arguably the best pitcher in all of District 6.

The lefthander dominated opponents to the tune of a 6-1 record, a miniscule 0.89 ERA, and 55 strikeouts against just seven walks in 47 innings. Fishman was the winning pitcher in both of Post 24’s playoff victories, including a shutout of Foxboro on July 24.

Kevin Powers, a rising Canton sophomore, added greatly to Post 24’s pitching depth. The righthander was Canton’s only other pitcher to post multiple wins (three) and was the hard-luck loser in a gutsy effort against a potent Brockton squad on July 30 to end the season.

Five other pitchers contributed with single victories for Post 24. Lyons said, “Our pitching got stronger and deeper as the demanding regular season charged on, which was huge. Without that, we wouldn’t have been able to win those big games while playing five, six, seven days in a row.”

Canton’s hurlers could almost always count on their defense to lift them. “Most of the time, we were almost flawless in the field, which went a long way towards our pitching staff being as strong as it was this summer,” Lyons said. 

Offensively, Blake led the charge from the #3-spot in the batting order. The lefty, a Canton resident and current Milton Academy student, displayed the most prodigious power sustained over a full season that Lyons had seen by a high school/Legion player.

Blake, who recently announced that he will play for Fairfield University starting in the fall of 2014, bombed six home runs in 26 games, knocked in 28 runs, and batted .353. “He put together one of the best offensive seasons I have ever seen at this level - all while playing a Gold Glove-3rd base,” Lyons said.

Fishman led the squad in batting average, (.367) and crossed the plate a team-high 22 times. The left-handed hitter also crushed 12 extra-base hits, including four in an incredible batting display in the playoff victory over Easton.

“You cannot have as good of a season as we had without a few guys putting up some great numbers,” Lyons said.

Production throughout the lineup was crucial to Canton’s success. Although the team collectively struggled in the early going, batting .200 one-third of the way through the schedule, Post 24 rebounded to hit .280 for the season.

Lyons said that the turnaround was due in large part to the players’ commitment to improving as hitters. “It is a tribute to the kids grinding it out, coming for extra batting practice on those 95-degree days, an hour-and-a-half before games.

“Most 15-, 16-, 17-, 18-year old kids would have rather stayed inside in their air-conditioned house, playing Playstation 3. That extra time and hard work really showed towards the end of the season,” Lyons added.

Lyons says that the team dedicated this season to Canton Legion Baseball’s founder and long-time manager, Bob Brown (“Brownie”).

Lyons added, “Our success couldn't have happened without the help from the players’ parents; my assistant coaches: Al Jackson, Walter Mann, and Yoni Monat; as well as Canton Post 24 Legion. Thanks to everyone for their help and support.” 

Players gained much more from playing Legion Baseball than improved baseball skills, Lyons said. “It really teaches the kids about doing the right thing both on and off the field, and respecting not only the game of baseball, but all of the veterans out there who helped make this Country what it is today and make things like Legion Baseball possible.”

Blake says that playing Legion baseball helped prepare him for what lies ahead in his baseball career. “I have really enjoyed playing Legion for the past three years. I am unsure if I will be back next year, but my Legion career has exposed me to a competitive schedule and also to playoffs.”

Second baseman/outfielder Kevin O’Brien, who will captain next year’s Canton High varsity team, says that his experience this summer batting against a higher caliber of pitching will be a benefit for the Bulldogs next spring.

“Playing Legion this summer helped me become a better player during Canton [High’s] offseason. Going up against more talented teams and playing in a more competitive league will definitely help going into Canton [High]’s next season,” O’Brien said.

“The competition was a lot better than varsity for Canton High this year,” Powers added. “It made me a smarter and better fielder and hitter, because the pitching we faced was good.”

As for the 2014 Legion team, Canton loses just one player to age elibigility restrictions, Pedersen. Lyons said, “Although Nate was a great player, leader, and captain, we will be able to fill the void and should get even stronger.”

Lyons said that younger ballplayers residing in both Canton and Sharon who are coming up through the Junior Legion (Post 24’s first year of organizing that team) and Babe Ruth programs will add to next year’s Sr. Legion team.

“Our mentality for next summer is that the sky is the limit for us. That's what your mentality has to be every summer; you really just never know, as this summer has shown us. A little hard work, determination and teamwork goes a long way,” Lyons added.

O’Brien said, “We did make history this year, but we know we could have gone farther. We will be looking to make it even farther next year.”