The end of an era has come for the Barrie Baycats as the baseball club says goodbye to two of the most recognizable members of its management team.
Baycats president David Mills and vice-president Paul Marley have both decided to step away from the team after 20 years.
Chris Gariepy, a board member and part of the Baycats ownership team, said the board had earlier been aware of the pair's decision to step away from the ball club, but that didn't make the announcement any easier.
“Dave missed one home game in his 20 years with the team, which is pretty incredible,” Gariepy told BarrieToday. “Both David and Paul are going to be missed greatly.”
In 1999, the Barrie Baycats were awarded an Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) franchise. Since then, the team has won seven IBL championships and, in the last few years, has been a model franchise with six straight titles.
In 2017, for example, the Baycats won their fourth straight title with a dominant regular-season record of 33-3 before going undefeated in the playoffs.
After 20 years, Mills says there came a point when he just knew it was time to step aside.
“Age and energy play a major role in the many tasks required to put a team on the field," he told BarrieToday on Monday. "Paul and I have been contemplating such a move for at least three years now.
"COVID set us back in 2020 with no season and with all the restrictions put in place to begin this season, it became somewhat frustrating to put everything together. A lot of the fun was missing," added Mills, who was always a fixture around the stadium on game night.
Mills had been with the team since 2001 and saw them win seven championships while he was at the helm, the first coming in 2005 and then six in consecutive years from 2014 to 2019 on a star-studded team.
He said his greatest memory is difficult to pin down, but he will also always remember how it all started on opening day — May 12, 2001. That was a special moment, says Mills.
IBL championship rings soon followed after that.
“The first championship in 2005 was a culmination of many positive things coming together," Mills said. "Observing many team and individual records over 20 years has been special. However, the greatest memories I will cherish are the people I have met over the years — so many are friends now.”
The club’s last championship came in 2019, before COVID shut down the 2020 season.
Before the 2021 season began, many of the core players had either retired or moved on. The team’s legendary manager, former pitcher Angus Roy, had also hung up the cleats.
This past season, the Baycats' dynasty officially ended when the team was swept by their rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in the IBL semifinals on Sept. 18.
Meanwhile, Marley had been with the franchise since 2000-01 and remained humble in the statement provided by the club.
“Everyone associated with the Baycats should take pride for all that has been accomplished in 20 years,” Marley said. “I have played only a small part in the many successes. It has been a pleasure to work in a class organization. I look forward to being at the park, enjoying Baycats baseball as a fan."
Mills said the Baycats organization remained successful throughout the years because of building a culture where everyone is considered family.
“This starts at the top with ownership and works all the way to volunteers, players, sponsors and fans. The dedication by all stakeholders is shown every season, every game, and is truly remarkable,” he said.
While Mills said he and Marley are stepping away in an official capacity and will miss the close interaction with everyone involved in the organization, they will still be diehard Baycats fans.
“I will miss the close interaction with the many people associated with the Baycats organization,” said Mills. “However, Paul and I will be at the games, enjoying the friendships that have been struck over the years.”
While this may close the door on the Mills and Marley chapter of the team, the now-former president says bigger days are still ahead.
“I am convinced that we will have another 20 years of great Baycats baseball in store,” Mills said. “We will have remarkable people take us to the next plateau. Online broadcasting of home games will be a great vehicle for everyone.”
Mills does have one regret, he says, and hopes it is rectified someday soon.
“The one regret that I have is that we were unable to have council support us to put a state-of-the-art stadium complex within the city. Hopefully, there is an appetite to accomplish this,” he said.
Gariepy says that while the Baycats board will be looking to fill those two vacant positions, he isn’t sure exactly what they’re searching for yet.
“We’re needing a David and a Paul — that's what every club needs,” he said. “You can’t replace them. They were heart-and-soul guys. We can only hope we get some people who will love the game, the team and our fans as much as they did.
"They knew the crucial role the volunteers play with us and no one loved that amazing group more than David and Paul. They are a special duo.”
