October 21, 2024

By Denis Gibbons

Canadian Baseball Network

A dejected group of Canadian hockey players stood empty-handed at the medal ceremony of the 1964 Olympics.

After finishing in a three-way tie with Czechoslovakia and Sweden for second place, they thought they had won a bronze medal.

However, a different formula was used to break the tie than the one the Canucks had in mind and Czechoslovakia was given the bronze.

Father David Bauer, a native of Waterloo, coached that Canadian team. Rather than stand for the ceremony, he told his players simply, “Come on fellas. Let’s get out of here. We’re not getting anything.”

University of Waterloo players must have had a similar feeling after finishing in a three-way tie with Acadia and Concordia at the Canadian University Baseball Championships on the weekend. All had records of 2-1, but only two were allowed to advance to the playoffs.

In the round-robin, Acadia had beaten Concordia, Waterloo had defeated Acadia and Concordia had triumphed over Waterloo.

Immediately after its 11-10 loss in extra innings to Concordia, a Waterloo assistant coach told me his team would be in a semi-final game Saturday morning, but he did not know their opponent or the game time and diamond.

Later organizers ruled that Baseball Ontario rules were in effect and that only Acadia and Concordia would advance to the semis.

Justin Ayles, the tournament organizer, said the first criteria used to break a three-way tie is runs allowed in the games between the three teams. Acadia had given up the fewest – five – and as a result was awarded first place.

The second criteria is the head-to-head result of the two teams remaining tied. Concordia beat Waterloo, therefore got second place and Waterloo was eliminated.

“It was a shock, that’s for sure,” Waterloo head coach Ben Norris said. “Everybody was devastated.”

Nevertheless, Norris said Baseball Ontario was good enough to support the tournament and he acknowledges that Baseball Ontario rules had to be followed.

“We had a chance to control our own destiny by beating Concordia, yet we gave up five runs in the first inning.”

The Warriors also had the bases loaded in the top of the eighth (extra inning) and failed to score a run.

Baseball Canada rules differ slightly and allow for a one-game playoff between two teams that are tied.

Waterloo lost the game to Concordia when its catcher made a wild throw to third base trying to get a runner advancing from second and the ball rolled deep down the left field foul line.

On another note, the U of T Blues, who defeated Waterloo handily for the OUA title, declined to enter the Canadian championship. They had trounced Waterloo by 10 runs, 15-5, in the Ontario final the week before.