The season is over for the Chatham-Kent Barnstormers, and for the first time in the franchise's short history, the team didn't make the playoffs.
The Barnstormers finished the season with a 14-33 record, finishing last in the Canadian Baseball League (CBL).
It was the away games that the team struggled with, as it could only muster five wins in 24 games.
Dom Dinelle, co-owner and manager of the Barnstormers, told CK News Today there were several reasons why the team struggled, but losing several players to higher leagues definitely didn't help.
"I never expected to lose four in one season. (It) probably never happened in the history of this league," he laughed.
Second baseman Thomas Green signed with a team in Chinese Professional Baseball (CPB), outfielder Austin Gurney and catcher Mitsuki Fukuda each left to play in the Frontier League, while shortstop Evan Morrison was promoted within the Texas Rangers organization after being drafted earlier this summer.
One of the bigger struggles of the season was pitching. The team's combined 7.79 earned run average (ERA) was fourth-worst in the CBL, with the relievers posting a league-worst 9.41 ERA.
"Our starters did alright, but when we went into the bullpen, we lost a couple of games because of that, some tight games too," added Dinelle.
He did explain that the pitching was much better in the second half, but that's when the team's offence went dry.
Meanwhile, what was supposed to be a last hurrah for the season ended in disappointment.
The Barnstormers' final game was supposed to happen on Sunday, but was postponed due to the weather. Since Fergie Jenkins Field had already been booked for Monday and the CBL's playoffs get underway on Tuesday, the league decided to cancel the last game.
"That really sucks, let's be honest," added Dinelle.
This was the second home game the Barnstormers lost during the regular season, with the first also being postponed due to the weather, but made up on the road.
Despite the lost games, the Barnstormers set a franchise record for attendance, with over 22,000 fans in the stands during the season.
