Chronicle 17-18 Issue 07

16 chronicle.durhamcollege.ca February 27 - March 5, 2018 The Chronicle
Sports
Blue Jays stars ready for 2018
Teams
inaugural
Winter Fest
has players
in high
spirits
Conner McTague
The Chronicle
Toronto Blue Jays players are back
in Dunedin, Fla. for spring training,
as the team turns it focus to
2018 after a disappointing season.
Coming off of two straight
American League Championship
Series appearances, expectations
were high for the Jays in 2017.
However, it was a season derailed
by injuries and inconsistent play
throughout the lineup, ultimately
leading to a 76-86 record.
One of those players who battled
injuries is second baseman
Devon Travis, who didn't play after
June 4 following surgery to repair
cartilage damage in his right
knee, an issue he also dealt with
during the 2016 ALCS.
The 27-year-old struggled
in April, but hit for an average
of .364, an on-base percentage
of.373, and a slugging percentage
of .646 in May, prior to going
down.
Travis has been plagued by injuries
throughout his three year
career, playing 213 out of a possible
486 games. He calls it frustrating
to be out of the lineup so
much but says he's going into 2018
feeling the best he ever has.
“I just can’t wait for the day
Blue Jays' legends Paul Quantrill and Pat Hentgen play a game of 'Heads Up' at the team's first ever Winter Fest.
where I don’t have to answer many
questions about my health, " said
Travis, at the team’s inaugural
Winter Fest at the Rogers Centre
in January. “I’m just excited to get
to that point in my career.”
Travis isn’t the only player
looking to rebound, though.
Pitcher Aaron Sanchez was limited
to eight starts last season due
to recurring blister issues on his
throwing hand. Shortstop Troy
Tulowitzki missed 96 games
due to quad and ankle injuries.
The Jays made it a focus to
improve their middle infield
depth in wake of Travis’ and Tulowitzki’s
durability woes by acquiring
infielders Aledmys Diaz
from the St. Louis Cardinals and
Yangervis Solarte from the San
Diego Padres.
One of the few players who
remained healthy last season is
pitcher Marcus Stroman.
Coming off a poor 2016, the
right-hander rebounded in a big
way in 2017 going 13-9 with a
3.09 ERA and 164 strikeouts in
201 innings while winning the
Gold Glove for fielding prowess
among pitchers.
The 200-innings is a notable
number for pitchers and those
who can consistently reach it are
considered among the game’s
elite, which Stroman hopes to become.
"I want to become one of the
top two, three, four, five pitchers
in the game. I want to be the best,"
he added with his usual confident
demeanour. "And I think I will be
one of the top, best pitchers in the
game within the next few years.
One hundred per cent. There's
not a single doubt in my head."
What's interesting about Stroman
is he doesn't need to strike
out 200 batters a season like
Cleveland ace Corey Kluber to be
effective.
He is primarily a pitch-to-contact
pitcher, evidenced by Fangraphs,
which indicate 62 per cent
of balls put into play off Stroman
are hit on the ground.
That number led all major
league pitchers.
Unlike a power pitcher like
Photograph by Conner McTague
Kluber, who averaged almost 12
strikeouts per nine innings a year
ago, Stroman fanned just 7.4 batters
per nine innings.
Though Stroman said he wants
to improve his strikeout numbers.
Stroman, the player fans have
come to love, gave an emphatic
answer when asked if he should be
the Jays’ opening day starter on
March 29 against the New York
Yankees at Rogers Centre, where
they will also honour the late Roy
Halladay, who died when his single
engine plane crashed off the
Gulf of Mexico on Nov. 7, 2017.
"Absolutely, 100 per cent," he
said. "I'll strike out (Aaron) Judge,
(Giancarlo) Stanton, all of them. I
ain't scared."
Mossavat's experience has brought success to UOIT
The 'Backs
have seen
their soccer
program
become a
winning one
Pierre Sanz
The Chronicle
Peyvand Mossavat has brought lots
of success to UOIT since becoming
coach of the Ridgebacks men’s and
women’s soccer teams. But he’s also
playing a role in the growth of local
soccer among younger players.
Mossavat, 47, spent his playing
days in and around the Canadian
Soccer League and National Professional
Soccer League playing
for the Toronto Olympians, Toronto
Supra and more.
He now coaches the UOIT
Ridgebacks men’s and women’s
teams and has been for the last six
years.
He has been named Ontario
University Athletics (OUA) coach
of the year four times and was
named the USports coach of the
year in 2016 after helping the
UOIT women to their first ever
OUA championship.
The Ridgebacks clinched a
bronze medal at nationals that
same season.
Mossavat also coached the
Ryerson Rams and the York Lions
prior to accepting the head coach
role at UOIT.
“I joined UOIT because they
supported my philosophy and
shared the same vision as me.
They were able to understand
what it takes to be successful,” said
Mossavat.
He also coached the Canadian
women’s national team in 2015
and 2017 at the Summer Universiade,
an international university
sports and cultural event in
Gwangiu, South Korea and Taipei,
Taiwan.
Along with coaching at university
level, Mossavat also helps out
in the community and recently
took on the academy director role
at DeRo United Futbol Academy
in Oshawa.
DeRo Academy is owned
by former Toronto FC player
Dwayne DeRosario and was
formed to helps young kids in the
community grow as players and
people.
“I was always quite interested
in coaching,” said Mossavat.
“I always wanted to give back
in a way and I think there was always
a teacher in me and I think
teaching and coaching goes hand
in hand.”
He has coached for about 30
years now and has seen soccer
grow.
He said the game has become
faster and more tactical, with different
formations and play. He
says while the game is changing,
it is important as a coach to grow
with it.
“Well, you’re always as a coach
evolving because the game is
evolving,” said Mossavat. “You
have to be able to change and
grow and it has impacted me because
I am always trying to educate
myself more.”
Mossavat says great things
are happening in the local soccer
community.
He says UOIT and Durham
College are growing and will be
adding new soccer fields in the
next few years. At DeRo academy,
he oversees the recruitment of
promising young players.
“I recently took on the academy
director role at DeRo United
Academy here in Oshawa to help
grow local soccer within the community,”
he said.
At UOIT, Mossavat says success
for the organization has come
down to the players buying into
his philosophy.
“I contribute part of our success
at UOIT to the great people
around me,” he said.
“Great players have bought
into our vision and they work hard
every day to make our vision come
true.”
Mossavat says he sees himself
coaching for at least the next 10
years but even after his coaching
career ends, he says soccer will always
be his passion.