The prime of Sean Reilly
KITCHENER — Conventional wisdom has it that baseball is a young man’s game, and that a player’s abilities will decline as he passes his mid-30s.
Looks like someone forgot to tell Sean Reilly, the Kitchener Panthers’ formidable and age-defying designated hitter.
At 40, he’s one of the oldest players in the Intercounty Baseball League — and he’s also inarguably the league’s best offensive player. Heading into Wednesday’s game against the London Majors, he led the IBL in batting average (.473), runs batted in (50) and home runs (16).
Those kind of numbers are better than the ones he put up in 2015, when Reilly won the IBL’s first triple crown since 1981, and was named the league’s most valuable player. That was the third time in his 20-year career he was given the MVP honour.
He’s been lucky to be injuryfree this season, but he’s also benefitting from two decades of experience in the IBL. He strikes out infrequently, pounces on pitcher’s mistakes and when needed, can slap a ball the other way to get on base.
“I think I’m a smarter hitter now,” said Reilly, who occasionally plays first base. “I wish I knew then what I know now, when I was back in my prime. Back when I didn’t have aches.”
After a slow start in May, Reilly caught fire in June — starting with a three-homer game on his 40th birthday on June 10, and hasn’t slowed down since. He’s been hitting home runs at a rate of one in every 5.6 at-bats.
“I think that (three-homer) game set me off. I’ve tried to ride that as long as I can. In this game, you’ve got to ride the highs and keep the lows to a minimum,” he said.
A firefighter by trade, Reilly works hard to stay in shape. He’s more athletic than most designated hitters, and hustles down the baseline like a guy in his 20s.
His slumps are short-lived, and he’s mastered the mental side of the game and the ability to bounce back after an off-night. Reilly says he aims to get two hits in every game. But as confident as he is, the slugger admits he’s even surprised himself with his production in 2017.
“Baseball is a hard enough game as it is, it’s a game of failure. So I just try to go in confident, thinking I’m the best player on that field, whether I am or not,” he said. “But I didn’t expect this. I never know what to expect going into any season, especially when you get up there.”
With Reilly at the core of their offence, the Panthers (21-6 before Wednesday’s game against the London Majors) are clinging onto second place in the IBL with the playoffs just two weeks away. They had won eight in a row, and were tied 4-4 against London on Sunday when thunderstorms postponed the game.
For the result from Wednesday night’s game, visit therecord.com.
It helps that Reilly has leadoff man Yorbis Borroto and former Cincinnati Reds prospect Josh Garton hitting in front of him in the lineup on most nights. Borroto, the team’s slick fielding shortstop, gets on base a lot — he leads the team in walks, with 25, and is hitting at a .387 clip.
Garton, who bats left-handed, also appears to be getting his timing down after being away from the Intercounty Baseball league for a few years. A career .293 hitter in the IBL, he had three hits off a tough London starter last Friday, including a home run.
Behind him in the batting order, Reilly is backed up by Tanner Nivins and Justin Interisano, who have both been providing their share of extra thump to the lineup lately.
Panthers manager Dave teBoekhorst said Reilly puts a lot of time into his fitness, but he’s also blessed with a supreme hitter’s ability and instincts. As a former major-league pitching prospect, Reilly also knows how to think like a pitcher and outsmart them.
“He just gets better and better, year in, year-out. I don’t really have an answer for it. It’s just straight-up talent,” teBoekhorst said. “He could play until he’s 50, if he wanted to. It’s almost unfathomable, what he can do at the plate.”
The Panthers host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at Jack Couch Park. For more Panthers stories, visit therecord.blogs.com/panthers.