Cardinals 'just ecstatic' as they prepare to play Welland in Hamilton's 1st CBL final since 2002

The Hamilton Cardinals are four wins away from bringing a championship back to a city that has  been waiting for nearly a quarter-century.

The Cardinals will play in the Canadian Baseball League championship series for the first time since 2002. They beat the Barrie Baycats 5-4 in 11 innings Saturday, advancing them to the final against the defending champion Welland Jackfish beginning Friday.

Third baseman Reyny Reyes hit a solo home run in the top of the 11th to clinch the best-of-seven semifinal series 4-2.

For Cardinals owner Eric Spearin, the trip to the final is the culmination of a years-long effort to bring winning baseball to Hamilton.

“We're just ecstatic,” Spearin said. “We've been working pretty hard over the past couple years to try to turn around the franchise.”

Spearin took over the team late in 2022. Before taking the job, he had spent most of his career in the United States.

"I really wanted to do something more in Hamilton, and you know, what better way [than] to try to turn around the local baseball team?"

The Cardinals had also never finished a regular season in first place until this year. They posted a franchise-best 31-17 record and won the pennant in the nine-team league.

Now, the team is preparing for a championship matchup against a team that Spearin calls a natural rival, given that their stadiums are just 50 kilometres from each other.

“We're kind of the comeback story and kind of the, I guess, a bit of an underdog,” he said, given that the Jackfish are the defending champs.

The Cardinals' run comes as the team says its support in Hamilton has grown substantially.

Outfielder Tyler Duncan, a Cardinal for five seasons, remembers playing in front of tiny crowds when he first arrived.

“My first