2007: In the Beginning…
The Milleteers started out as a mixed slo-pitch team that only played once a year at Millet Days. The team was put together by Greg Jackson and the name was coined by Kosmo Moussa. The team consisted of past stars from the Millet Minor Ball system and achieved a high level of success as they won the tournament twice in a three-year span. Due to this success many of the players wondered if they still had what it takes to play real ball. Despite the high level of interest in a local men’s league team, the team would have to wait until Steven Pahl moved back from Lloydminster to organize it.
The team began to take shape in the fall of 2007. The team decided to keep the Milleteers name and the traditional White and Navy Millet colors. The next problem was finding a place to play. The town of Millet had been dragging their feet for fifteen years on the construction of properly sized baseball diamond. After consulting with town council it was obvious that they had no immediate plans to finally start construction on the diamond, so the team decided to move down the road to the city of Leduc.
Now that the financing was in place and the jerseys ordered the Milleteers had to now find enough players to field a team. The team had a solid core in Jackson and the Pahl brothers, but they still had to reach out to past Millet Ball alumni and other ball players that lived in the Leduc area.
2008: New Kid On The Block
The Milleteers entered the 2008 season in the Powerline Baseball League, a league that has a hundred years of history behind it. Early on the Milleteers caught their opponents and themselves off guard by storming out of the gate 6-0, with most of the wins being lopsided contests. The Milleteers figured to have some talent on the mound, but expected to be pretty rusty at the plate. The pitching staff turned out to be excellent and the offense showed great promise, led by young star Kevin Doyle, who quickly became one of the most feared hitters in the league. The team’s first loss came in an epic 2-1, 12 inning battle against the defending champs from Camrose. The game was a great showcase for the league as it was televised by the local TV station.
The rest of the league eventually caught up to the upstart Milleteers as they played them tough the rest of the way. The team eventually finished in third place, which set up a first round playoff match up against the veteran laden Bardo Athletics. After a hard fought series the Milleteers would eventually succumb in three games to the eventual champions as they could not hold on to an early lead as errors and timely hitting secured the win for the Athletics. Despite being highly competitive all year the Milleteers definitely had an issue with depth as they had to routinely scramble just to field nine guys and the lineup was not very potent after you got through the top of the order.
2009: A Champion Is Born
Expectations for the 2009 season were very high as most prognosticators picked the Milleteers to finish first in the league. The team addressed their depth issue as they added all-star hurler Scott Peterson, along with some good veterans and three highly touted rookies. Despite the additions the Milleteers offense struggled badly in the second half as it failed to score more than three runs in a game for over a month. The pitching staff was outstanding again, but the team entered the playoffs on a losing streak and looked to be vulnerable against a hard-hitting Ryley Rebels team.
Game one started out much like most games in the second half as despite good pitching the Milleteers found themselves down 2-0 in their final at bat. Steven Pahl lead off the inning, but got tossed by the ump for arguing balls and strikes in the middle of his at bat. After a memorable blow up on the ump the team seemed fired up. Veteran Shawn Brinkworth, who had played sparingly much of the second half of the season due to injuries stepped up to the plate to fill in for Pahl. After having words with the umpire and the catcher Brinkworth smashed a line drive single to left, which turned out to be the turning point in the young franchise’s history. This hit sparked the offense to a 3-2 comeback win and then it continued into the next game as the Milleteers whipped Ryley to advance to the finals.
In the finals the Milleteers faced off against their nemesis from the year before, the defending champion Bardo Athletics. The Milleteers cruised to victory in game one behind the right arm of Steven Pahl and looked to be headed for a sweep as they led late in Bardo, but failed to seal the deal and lost in extra innings. Despite the crushing defeat the Milleteers would not be denied as they clawed their way to a 5-4 victory in the deciding game to be crowned champions in only their second year in existence.
2010: Back to Back
After the Milleteers figured out how to win when it mattered the previous season, they were almost unstoppable in 2010. They saw the majority of the roster return and added a young rookie, Jon Anstey, who would quickly become one of the premier players in the league both on the mound and at the plate. Anstey's emergence and the continued development of the rest of the youngsters afforded the Milleteers some extra depth that allowed them to enter five tournaments in 2010 where they sported an impressive 9-2 record and beat teams such as the Battle River League Champion Heisler Cardinals and the North Central Alberta Baseball League perennial contender Edmonton Blackhawks.
The league saw some changes in 2010 as the powerhouse Camrose Roadrunners surprisingly folded before the season. They were replaced by a young expansion team from Holden. The league quickly developed into a two tiered league with Leduc, Holden, Ryley, and Bardo being too much for Armena and Tofield to compete with. With the playoff teams set pretty early on it was just a matter of ceding. The Milleteers cruised to a first place finish, while Ryley would storm back from a bad start and injuries to their pitching staff to wrap up second. The upstart Holden Blue Jays squeaked into third, so that left another playoff matchup between the Milleteers and Bardo Athletics.
Just like the previous two playoff series between the two teams this was also a tight, hard fought affair. In game one Ray Lehman out pitched Steven Pahl, and the Athletics outplayed the Milleteers for six innings before key errors in the seventh allowed the Milleteers to tie it and some more errors allowed the Milleteers to win it in extras. Game two was more of the same as the Athletics outplayed the Milleteers only to see some defensive lapses allow the Milleteers to tie it in their last bat. Then both teams went to the bullpen as Jon Anstey and Ray Lehman both pitched five scoreless innings to see the game end in an 11 inning tie. Game three was a different story as the Milleteers hammered the Athletics pitching staff to jump out to a 12-2 lead, before the Bardo bats woke up late to get within three, before being blanked in their last at bat to allow the Milleteers to go to their second straight final.
In the final the Milleteers would meet up with the slugging Ryley Rebels. The Rebels had to deal with a lot of adversity in 2010 as they saw their entire starting rotation go down with injuries in spring training. Despite this they led the league in offense, and got a boost in the playoffs as their top two starters were well enough to pitch. After losing the first game of the semi final series, the Rebels roared back to convincingly dispatch the Blue Jays and gain a rematch with the Milleteers.
It was not much of a match though as the Milleteers battered game one starter Dylan Solberg to the tune of 11 runs, and Milleteers starter Steven Pahl kept the hard hitting Rebels in check as he only allowed one run. Despite the Rebels having their ace Curt Stensrud on the mound in game two, it was more of the same as the Milleteers again scored eleven runs, powered by three run homers from Kevin Doyle and Steven Pahl. The Rebels tried to mount a charge as they chased Ryan Walker from the mound in the fourth, but closer Jon Anstey came in and quickly killed all hope for a comeback and the Milleteers prevailed 11-6 in one of the most lopsided championship series in recent memory.
It was a fitting end to a great season that not only saw the team have success in league play, but also represent the PBL well in tournaments as they were able to compete and often defeat teams from other leagues. It was also a good send off to future PBL Hall of Famer Scott Peterson as he indicated during the season that this would be his last.
2011: Three-Peat Complete
2011 saw some familar faces return to the dugout as Jason Russell and Kelly Landaker made their returns after a three year hiatus. It also saw the team dominate league play, especially early on as they turned in a 12-2 record and saw the offence take off as it averaged almost 12 runs a game, one of the highest averages in league history. The defense and pitching staff also lead the league as well.
Some injuries and work commitments saw the team struggle with numbers in the second half however as they often had to play with just nine or ten players. The lack of commitment caused the team to struggle a bit in tournaments this season as they ended up with a 4-3 record.
In the playoffs the Milleteers got another scare for the third year in a row in the opening game as they needed a come from behind walk off win against a determined Ryley Rebels team. The loss seemed to deflate Ryley as the Milleteers easily dispatched them in the second game as their bats woke up to take out the Rebels.
In the finals the Milleteers would go up against a young up and coming team from Holden. It looked to be a mismatch early on as the Milleteers easily took game one 8-1. Game two saw the Blue Jays get one back however as the Milleteer's pitching struggled early to find the strike zone and the bats just could not come all the way back against Holden's ace lefty as the game ended 7-5. Holden continued their hot play early in game three as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead. To make matters worse the injury bug hit the Milleteers. All Star lead off hitter Gregg Zilkie was out with a pulled hamstring. Then starting catcher Shane Gerein hurt his back on the first play of the game and had to leave the game. Then his replacement Brad Engel took a foul tip off his throwing hand in the second, causing a nasty break that would require surgery. Showing legendary toughness however he taped it up and finished the game behind the plate.
With the Milleteer's bats slumping the Blue Jays looked to be on their way to the promised land. Then the wheels suddenly fell off. 2B Shawn Brinkworth cued the charge as in the top of the fifth he made two sparkling defensive plays. First he backed up the first baseman with a great heads up play on a botched bunt play and snagged the errant over throw to save a run and keep the runners from advancing. Then on the next pitch he made a great over the shoulder diving stab to save a run and keep the Milleteers within striking distance. In the bottom of the inning he then lead off with a deep drive to center that ended up going off the center fielder's glove, letting Brinkworth hustle into third. Then the Holden defense imploded under the pressure as they started making error after error. In the end the Milleteers pulled ahead 5-3, with all 5 runs being unearned, including four on passed balls. It was a lead the Milleteers would not relinquish as they held on for the win.
With the three-peat complete the Milleteers have earned the status of being a PBL dynasty. With the core still intact it will be interesting to see if next season the team can make history, as no team in the PBL's modern era has won four in a row.
2012: History Is Made
After a season that was a little erratic, especially early, the Milleteers finished strong to capture their 4th PBL Championship in a row, a feat that no other team in league history can match. With essentially the same line up that hoisted the cup the year before with the additions Mark Walker, Kirk Smith, and Drew Boyer, the Milleteers looked even stronger on paper than the year before. The Milleteers got big contributions from the newcomers, but injuries and inconsistency plagued the team early on.
The team looked like it was going in the right direction after Ryan Walker's perfect game seemed to spark the squad, but it wouldn't be until a good showing at the annual Goodfish Lake Tournament where the Milleteers came up short in the final after only giving up two runs and three hits in three games versus good competition did the team start to put it together.
After cruising home in first place the Milleteers took on their familar foes from Bardo in the first round of the playoffs after the Athletics clinched on the last day of the season in the closest playoff race in PBL history as all six teams still had a shot at making the big dance all the up till the last day of the season.
As they have for the previous three championship runs the Milleteers needed a comeback in their last bats to take a 3-2 victory in game one. Down to their last out 2B Shawn Brinkworth hit a single, and Adam Pahl was put in to pinch run. Pahl stole second and Mark Walker had a clutch single to tie it up after he was down 0-2. Walker then scored the winning run in extra innings as he had a four hit playoff debut.
In the second game the Milleteers used a big 7th inning to put away the Athletics as they finally got to starter Ray Lehman, in what was perhaps his final playoff start in his legendary career. In the final the Milleteers squared off with the underdog Armena Royals who had finished in last place the previous two seasons. The young Royals peaked at the right time and swept the heavily favored Ryley Rebels in their semi final series.
The Royals continued their solid play in game one as they got to starter Jon Anstey for six runs and their ace Joel Boettger held the Milleteer bats in check. Game two saw a reversal of game one as Steven Pahl threw a four hitter and added a home run to force a deciding game.
In the finale the Royals used some sloppy defense to get out to an early two run lead behind their ace. The Milleteers would bat around in the fourth though and got a clutch single from rookie Kirk Smith to tie it, then a bases clearing ripped double from leadoff hitter Greg Zilkie to put it away as Anstey cruised the rest of the way for another championship win.
The championship run cemented the team's legacy as one of the all time great squads in the league's hundred plus year history, and the only team in the modern era that can boast four championships in a row. With the team getting contributions from top to bottom they lookpoised for an even longer run.
2013: Five In A Row
In a trying year that saw the league get more competitive, the Milleteers still found a way to win despite the lineup not always being at 100%. With Kevin Doyle still out for the year awaiting shoulder surgery the team was dealt another blow as his brother Murray blew out his knee a month before training camp and would require season ending surgery as well. To cope with the losses to the lineup and pitching staff the Milleteers looked to add some new and old faces. The team had trouble gelling as they stumbled to a third place finish and the worst regular season record in their history at 8-5-1.
At the end of the regular season the team seemed to be turning it around. The pitching was solid all year as Anstey and Pahl got help at the top of the rotation with a full season out of Ryan Walker. With Chad Soucy coming out of retirement to suit up the rotation was still the best in the PBL. The hitting and defense were another matter however as the hitting was inconsistent and the defense was terrible. The ship seemed to be righted however after a good showing that saw a short handed Milleteers squad beat some of the better AA teams from the NCABL on their way to a second place finish at the Goodfish Lake Tournament right before playoffs.
In game one of the playoffs the Milleteers had to start on the road against the hard hitting Armena Royals, who tied for first in the league and had taken two of three from the Milleteers in regular season play. Starter Jon Anstey out dueled Armena ace Joel Boettger and the defense held tight as the Milleteers cruised to a 4-1 win. The second game was an ugly affair as both teams kicked the ball around, but the Milleteers would prevail 10-8 on the strength of ten free passes to eliminate the team that was the class of the league for most of the year.
In the final it was a rematch of 2011 as the young Holden Blue Jays used their good young pitching and defense to finish at the top of the standings and eliminate the veteran Bardo Athletics in the first round. The Milleteers looked to go with the same formula they used against Armena as Anstey got the start in game one. He was cruising early on with a 3-0 lead, but tired in the fifth and errors allowed the Blue Jays to come back. With a short bench already the Milleteers had to dig deep as they lost their best hitter Trevor Pahl to a leg injury. His replacement, his light hitting brother Adam Pahl, would cue the comeback with a two out swinging bunt in the top of the seventh. After moving to second on a throwing error he was driven in by his brother Steve on a clutch line drive single. The Blue Jays would threaten to come back as they got the tieing run to third and had the winning run on first, but Chad Soucy got a huge strikeout to end it and send the Milleteers to a 1-0 series lead.
The second game was even more tense than the first one as the pitching battle continued. This time Holden sent their ace Logan Skori to the mound, while Leduc countered with veteran Steven Pahl. After Holden scratched out a run in the first the Milleteers countered with two of their own, and it would stay that way till the fifth when Holden would tie it up. Skori would continue to get out of jam after jam to keep his team in it as the Milleteers just could not get a clutch hit to break it open. After a scoreless top half of the seventh extra innings looked like a distinct possibility, but then the Milleteers got a little rally going with two outs. After an error and a single the Milleteers had the winning run at second in the form of pitcher Steven Pahl. With the game on the line Trevor Pahl and his injured leg were called upon to pinch hit. As he had only about one swing in him, he made it count as he lined one to center. The slow footed Steven Pahl got a good jump and was on his horse for the play at the plate, but the centerfielder bobbled it and the run scored uncontested for a walk off championship win.
It was a trying season at times with all the injuries, but in the end the new faces like Josh Johnson and Chad Soucy played a big part in the team's success and the team came together at the right time. This was the most vulnerable the team had looked during the streak, and with the league getting younger and more talented, it was a struggle, but the Milleteers still found a way to win. With a return to health from the Doyles the Milleteers should be in good shape to defend their crown next season.
2014: The Streak Ends
The Milleteers entered the season with virtually the same lineup that had hoisted the trophy the last five years. This continuity had been one of the team’s strengths, but the 2014 season had a bit of a different feel to it.
The team had always been able to count on a fast start out of the gate, but brutal spring weather saw the cancellation of all out door practice and exhibition games. That bats and gloves were rusty in game one as they got shut out in Holden 1-0 on an unearned run. Then the next two games saw the usually dependable bullpen cough up seventh inning leads with the help from a boat load of errors to start the season 0-3. Normally this wouldn’t be much of an issue in the PBL as a five hundred record or even worse is still good enough to make the playoffs, but 2014 was a different animal. The Milleteers scratched and clawed their way back in it to set up a must win in Ryley on the last day of the regular season.
With the season on the line the Milleteers finally played like their old selves as they used good pitching and defense to cruise to a 7-3 win to clinch a playoff spot. The good play was short lived however as the bats went cold and the defense sprung a bunch a leaks that lead to a first round sweep at the hands of the eventual champions from Ryley as they finally found a way to beat the Milleteers in the playoffs. Maybe the team tired down the stretch from having to play so many must win regular season games, but the lack luster playoff effort was no match for a hungry Ryley Rebels team.
It was a disappointing end to a great run that saw the team dominate the PBL like few before it. The team will have to do some soul searching in the offseason though, and possibly a little face lift as the squad now finds itself as the oldest in the increasingly competitive league. Maybe the sting of losing, something foreign to a good chunk of the roster, will light a fire under the team as they will enter the season in an unfamiliar role as contenders.
2015: Rebuild Begins
Despite bowing out early in the playoffs the previous year the squad had optimism going into 2015 as the team was the the class of the league after a tough first week that put them behind the eight ball early. That optimism was quickly crushed when the team learned that it would be without the services of both the Doyle brothers and the Walker brothers for the 2015 season. Management decided to go the youth route to try and replace some of the production as three rookie graduates of the Leduc Minor Ball program were brought in. TJ Grabia, Mykel Ruptash, and Brendan Huber had good first year campaigns, but the aging roster struggled to score runs on most nights and was in the bottom half of the league in terms of runs scored. This wouldn't have been much of a problem, but the defense was embarrasingly error prone.
The combination of inconsistent offence and terrible defence led to a brutal 0-4 start. The team scratched and clawed their way back into the playoff race behind the power pitching of Jon Anstey and Steven Pahl, and surprisingly found themselves controlling their own destiny going into the final week of the season with a winner take all showdown at home versus the expansion Rosalind Athletics.
Ace Jon Anstey got the ball for the big game, but a bunch of dropped fly balls in the outfield turned the game into a mess in a hurry and the offense dried up at the worst time as Milleteers embarrased themselves on the way to a lopsided loss that ended their playoff hopes. It was a fitting end to a frustrating season that saw some terrible defense torpedo the team any time it looked like it was about to turn the corner.
With a disappointing season in the books the Milleteers look to be in full rebuild mode. With the team now being by far the oldest in the league, it is a good thing the Leduc Minor Ball program is finally starting to produce some talent to replenish the roster. Despite the contributions from the rookies, career years at the plate from Steven and Adam Pahl, and still maybe the best one-two punch in the league at the top of the rotation in the form of Jon Anstey and Steven Pahl, it was clear the team needs more pieces to compete for a championship. Whether the pieces will be returning players or new youngsters coming up from the midget ranks, or a combination of both, the team should have a different look next year.
2016: Rebuild Continues
After a tough end to the season the year before the Milleteers came into the season optimistic. That optimism quickly dissapated however as injuries to virtually the whole pitching staff looked to derail the season. To start the year veteran Steven Pahl was the only healthy arm in the starting rotation, and thanks to some rainouts he held the fort until another veteran, Chad Soucy got off the DL. Then Pahl's shoulder would start to ache and needed a cortisone shot, but the duo combined to go 8-0 on the year and got the Milleteers to the brink of the playoffs. With three games left the Milleteers would need to win two to secure a spot. With the added boost of getting their ace Jon Anstey off the DL just in time to make a start against Beaumont the Milleteers looked to be in good shape. Anstey would deliver a great nine inning shutout performance but the offense was non existant and the Milleteers lost 1-0 in a ten inning heart breaker. They still had destiny in their hands but got destroyed by the eventual league champs from Rosalind to end their season out of the playoffs again.
Poor defense and base running plagued the squad all year, and the inability to be competitive without Pahl, Soucy, or Anstey on the mound was apparent as the team suffered multiple mercy losses this season, something that had not been seen in the previous 8 seasons. But despite the dissappointing result the team showed a two win improvement from the previous season and saw the continued development of youngsters like Brennan Huber, Mykel Ruptash and TJ Grabia. Even with the mistakes and terrible beatings some nights the team showed a lot more scrappiness then the previous season. With the remodel in full swing the team can expect even more new faces from the Midget ranks next season. If the team can get some healthy arms and limit some of the mistakes they should be primed to get back to the post season.
2017: Back In The Playoffs
​After a tumultuos off season that saw two league pillars in Bardo and Ryley combine to form the Tofield Braves which ended the centrury old tradition of the Bardo Athletics, the league then saw an expansion franchise from Sherwood Park, then the contraction of perenial favorites, the Beaumont Angels. In the end the league would be back down to seven teams, and the Milleteers would benefit from getting hard throwing cleanup hitter Kirk Smith back from Beaumont, as well as catcher Tyler Mathieu. The Milleteers also added some veterans as Ryan Swenson returned, as well as some other past their prime former PBLers. Despite adding some aged experience, it was the trio of youngsters in Mykel Ruptash, Brennan Huber, and TJ Grabia that drove the bus all year as the they all had career years at the plate. The rest of the offesnse was hit or miss, and the defense was inconsistent all year, but that trio provided enough offense to give the squad a chance most nights. On the mound it was the same old veteran arms in Pahl, Soucy, and Smith that shouldered most of the load, and were just good enough most nights to put the Milleteers in the driver's seat to win the pennant going into the final week.
Instead the club stumbled, only winning one of three, which dropped them down to fourth and set up a first round matchup with the defending champs from Rosalind, a team that the Milleteers just never seem to play well against. That trend continued into the playoffs as the Milleteers played horrid defense and the pitching was surprisingly suspect as the team suffered a pair of 15-5 losses to end the season, despite out hitting their opponents.
Despite the stumble and disappointing end to the season, it was an improvement over the last few years as the team was much better at the plate and showed more depth on the mound. Fielding still remains a struggle on a lot of nights, but with a key addition or two the squad should be poised to contend for the PBL Cup in seasons to come.
2018: One Game Short
In a busy offseason the PBL expanded to 9 teams as the Camrose Axemen rejoined the league and the Edmonton Expos joined as well. The Milleteers continued to build on their previous season as they added veterans Delton Kruk and Alex McIntosh to add some thump to the middle of the order, and got a full season on the mound from former ace Jon Anstey. Depsite the additions the team stumbled out of the gate to a 1-4 record due to some poor defense and lack of clutch hitting. With the season on early life support the Milleteers limped into Rosalind to face the 2 time defending champs with a skeleton crew and multiple players playing out of position. Team MVP Kirk Smith put the team on his back that night and dominated the champs, throwing a two hit shut out. This effort would spark the team as the squad would go 8-2 the rest of the way to lock up 3rd place and stay out of the newly created wild card game. Highlights would include Steven Pahl`s 1st PBL no-hitter at the age of 39 and a 9 inning 3-2 win against the surprisingly strong expansion Edmonton Expos to solidify a playoff berth. The Milleteers allowed the fewest runs in the league thanks to the best power pitching staff in the league and solid defense. On offesne, the team was streaky, but possessed a deep and powerful lineup when it got going. Despite the momentum going into playoffs the team suffered a couple of roster blows that would come back to haunt them. First they lost second baseman TJ Grabia to a broken thumb, and then lost gold glove catcher Tyler Mathieu for the finals.
In the first round of the playoffs the Milleteers drew the defending champs from Rosalind, In game one Kirk Smith powered through their lineup and a first inning bomb from Alex McIntosh was all he needed as he coasted home for a 6-1 victory. Game 2 saw wildness from starter Chad Soucy lead to an early 5-0 deficit, but the relief duo of Steven Pahl and closer Jon Anstey would keep the Milleteers in it and allow the offense to chip away to end the Athleitics title reign with a 9-8 victory.
In the final the Milleteers faced off against the powerful Armena Royals who won the pennant and led the league in offense and have historically been a tough matchup for the Milleteers. Despite this the Milleteers would use there power pitching and hitting to cruise to a game one victory despite a last inning scare started by an error at second base. Game two would see Milleteers starter Seteven Pahl hold the powerful Royals to just 4 runs in 5 innings despite another unearned run coming from a second base error and the Royals ramping up the running game as they would steal 9 bags on the night, depsite a change at catcher to the strong armed Brad Engel. After taking a line drive off the foot Pahl would leave the game in the hands of closer Jon Anstey as the game was tied 4-4. Anstey had a clean sixth but ran into trouble in the seventh as two runs would score with two outs on a misplayed fly ball at second base that would lead to a 6-4 loss. Game three would see the Milleteers hand the ball to dominant ace Kirk Smith, but he didn`t have his good stuff and some uncharacteristically shaky defense put the Royals up 7-0 early. The Milleteers would battle back with five runs in the fifth as they batted around, but it was to little, to late as the sloppy play in the field coud not be overcome. The Royals would add to their lead with another misplayed fly ball to second base and some passed balls to take the cup 8-5.
Despite the disappointing end, overall the season was a success as the team`s new found depth kept them in every game this year as the only loss by more than three runs was the first regular season game of the year. If the same squad can return healthy next year they should be serious contenders for the PBL cup.
