By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

The Guelph Royals are alive and well.

For a team that was one of four original members of the Intercounty Baseball League, that wasn't the case a year ago.

The 2017 season was nothing short of a disaster for the nine time IBL champions. After starting the campaign 1-15, financial struggles and diminishing attendance, the franchise decided to fold, meaning each of their remaining 20 games would result in a forfeit. The future of the team was murky, it was a rocky fall from grace for a franchise that dates itself back to 1861.

Look ahead to the offseason, businessman Shawn Fuller and the mayor. Fuller and mayor Cam Guthrie teamed up and saved the Royals, although Guthrie later pulled out of the ownership group. The Royals, who have also been known as the Maple Leafs, CJOYs, Merchants and Plymouths also welcomed back former players Sean Reilly, Justin Interisano and Josh Garton who had all previously played for the team. It appears the team is now on stable ground.

Top 100

Being one of the four original teams in the IBL, it should be no surprise that the team boasted 15 total players who wore the Guelph uniform in the leagues Top 100 players of all-time.

Among those 15 was first baseman/designated hitter Sean Reilly. Reilly began his IBL career in 1997 after a brief stint in the Minnesota Twins organization, who selected him in the 29th round of the 1995 draft as pitcher. It could be argued that Reilly is the best player to ever step foot in the IBL, and not as a pitcher. Reilly switched back to hitting and currently is the all-time leader in hits, home runs, RBIs and doubles. He has been a league all-star 12 times, won the MVP award in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 and collected the batting title in 2015 and 2017. His current stint with the Royals is his second in his career. In his first he was part of the last Royals team to win a league championship in 2004, some Royal fans hope will be repeated this time around.

Kevin Hinton is another fixture in Royals history. Hinton was the leagues all-time hits and RBIs leader before being passed by the aforementioned Reilly. Not only was Hinton a force in the batters box, he was also a triple threat as he was the general manager and manager for several years, including during Guelph’s back-to-back championships in 2003 and 2004. He was honoured as playoff MVP and Executive of the Year in 2003. Hinton was named the leagues top player in 2008 and 2012, while collecting a batting title in 2010.

Anyone around Canadian baseball circles knows the name Jim Ridley. Ridley, who was an outfielder in the Milwaukee Braves system, played in the IBL from 1972-1975 with Toronto, Stratford and Guelph. He won a league MVP in 1974 with the Stratford Hillers. Along with playing, Ridley was one of the most recognizable scouts in Canada. He also went on to coach the Canadian Junior National team from 1983-1988, winning a bronze at the World Junior Baseball Championships in 1983 and 1987. He then coached the Canadian Olympic team in 1988 and the Pan Am Games team in 1991. Ridley, who passed away in 2008, had such an impact on the game in Canada that each year the Canadian Baseball Network presents the Jim Ridley Award, handed out to the country’s top scout. For his efforts, he was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Current

The current Royals are using a blend of Canadian talent along with impressive import arms to forge a new path. They hope the issues that once plagued them are in the review mirror. The goal of winning a 10th IBL title seems like a realistic possibility heading forward.