REGBURN– I’m hearing from multiple sources that the Tier 4 Dukes, after a very mediocre 41 years of existence, have already played their franchise’s final ever game (a 6-4 loss vs the Reapers).
Fresh off a Tier 3 Championship with the Tier 2 Misfits featuring Tier 1 players, Black Sox Manager Philippe Martin is dusting off his former franchise most thought was extinct after opting out in 2021, and is focussed on getting his band back together for one last ride. Phil and his “Leadership Council”, a Facebook Messenger Group similar to the SweatSox “Powers That Be” WhatsApp Chat (that I, Shaun Keay, am still not a part of), have recently begun recalling their scattered roster who found temporary homes around the NCBL last season.
Lawrence Pawelek, the longtime Duke of Dukes, has come to realize that if he couldn’t even make it out of the Tier 4 semi-finals with his Tier 2 ringers, what possible chance would he have next season without them. Over the last week or so, all members of the “Black Sox Five” have informed the Dukes that they will not be returning to Tier 4 in 2022; I suppose the joy of clobbering the Red Sox far outweighs the joy of shellacking the Bandits. The Dukes say goodbye to:
- Thomas “E9” Coyne
- King Louis the G(adbois)
- Stephane “Knee Brace” Leclair
- Mathieu “Put Me In Coach” King
- Ryan “Take Me Out Coach” Stewart
After this devastating purge, Pawelek is wisely choosing to throw in the towel over an aggressive & lengthy rebuild, and as Dukes GM is projected to personally collect nearly $1,420 in leftover Dukes monies from the league. Not even the return of Joseph William Beelen, who yo-yo’s back and forth between the Brewers and Dukes each year (with 2022 being a Tier 4 season) would be enough to keep this storied franchise afloat.
I’m told several Dukes have already reached out to multiple teams about open roster spots for 2022, specifically calling the Giants, Blue Jays, and Barons, all of whom have a recent history of untimely player shortages.
I’m not sure if the SweatSox are interested in picking up some of these scraps, the Powers That Be could not be reached for comment.
Final R.I.P. Dukes Notes/Thoughts:
- The Dukes franchise was founded in 1980 as the Blacks, but then for “unknown reasons” were rebranded the Dukes of Somerset in 1983
- The SweatSox franchise was founded in 1981 as the D.L. because Doug Dorion was injured, but then he got healthy, but sweaty, and we were rebranded the SweatSox in 1982
- The Blacks predate D.L.
- The SweatSox predate the Dukes
- With the fold, the SweatSox will be the only remaining franchise from the inaugural Ottawa Recreational Baseball League (ORBL) season in 1982
- The SweatSox don’t merge, we absorb
- Brian Yabsley is the only active Duke to have once played for the SweatSox
- Curtis Brown may have been on our spare list way back when
- We think Marc Larochelle tried out for the SweatSox once and got cut, although we could be confusing him with Mike Hindmarsh, who played one game and then cut us
- The highlight of the Dukes franchise was a 2nd place finish in the 2016 Pembroke Tournament, featuring several Black Sox, SweatSox, and Misfits, plus 1 crazy feminist (allegedly, I wasn’t there)
#WONTHEFRANCHISE