Reilly, 39, returns for another shot
Family guy wants it to mean something — something like an IBL championship
KITCHENER — The Burlington Herd honoured Sean Reilly with a commemorative bat on the weekend, recognizing his 20 remarkable seasons in the Intercounty Baseball League.
The Kitchener Panthers’ DH said thanks, politely smiled for the photo — then walked all over his hosts at Burlington’s Nelson Park.
Reilly smacked two singles and a double, drove in a pair of runs and walked, leading the Panthers to a 4-2 victory over Burlington, the hometown where he grew up playing baseball.
It was vintage Reilly, who at 39 is the league’s oldest player — yet remains one of its most productive hitters.
“I actually feel really good right now, which I was kind of surprised,” he said, the day after the game. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.” Last August, after the Panthers were swept in the semifinals, Reilly wasn’t sure he’d be back playing ball at all.
But when manager and close friend Dave teBoekhorst started talking about returning for another season, Reilly put his retirement plans on hold.
The pair, former teammates on the Guelph Royals, are kind of a package deal. They spend a lot of time talking baseball, making Reilly a valuable sounding board for the manager.
“We talk pretty much every day, even in the off-season, about what we need to do and who we need to get,” he said.
Reilly doesn’t have anything left to prove in the IBL.
Last season he set the league’s new all-time home run and hits records, passing Randy Curran and Kevin Hinton. The only thing left to pursue, he said, is a championship, something Kitchener hasn’t won since 2001.
“It’s pretty much 99 per cent of the decision. I love playing with the guys, but I’m sacrificing time with my family,” said the Guelph-based father. “So I want it to mean something.”
Drafted as a pitcher by the Minnesota Twins in 1995, after playing minor baseball in Burlington, he says winning another IBL title could mean the end of his career.
But he’s not saying there’s a final season in his mind, not yet.
“If we ended up winning a championship, I’d like to go out on top. But my body feels good. I could probably play another few years, but I’d like to spend some time with my family at some point.”
Still, walking away from the game he loves is easier said than done. What’s for sure is Reilly is back in a Panthers uniform for 2017, and he wants to win now.
“There’s a lot of if and buts, but we’ll be here this year, and hope this is the year,” he said.
The next Panthers game is at home Sunday at 2 p.m. against Brantford.