MA3: Back to the Masters

Andy Connolly has finally found a team.

“It’s been a long , hard fight, but I’m just happy to have a place to play this year,” says the 31-year-old catcher, set to begin next season as the Lakehead Thunderwolves.

It certainly has been a long journey, one that hasn’t quite reached its conclusion yet.

Connolly was drafted in 1994 as a short-stop in the third round. While playing high school ball he demonstrated a great deal of range, a good arm, and an ability to hit consistently, but it didn’t translate well into his professional baseball career.

“He just didn’t have the range to keep up. He looked good in high-school, but when he got around tougher competition, he just fell below the bar,” says one scout.

Not only did his defense not meet the mark, his offence was inconsistent as well, batting .300 in his first two years at BA ball, and then reaching a career high of .360 the following year.
In his final year, however, his average dropped below .300. Not much a problem if you have a bunch of home runs to compensate, but Connolly wasn’t a power hitter.

“I’ve never been the kind of guy who goes up to the plate looking to smash it out of the park,” he says. “I just want to get a base hit and help the team.”

The team released him after his fourth year, but it wasn’t long before Laurier scooped him up to play at the MA level. The team asked him to switch to the outfield, where he would have more time to react to balls hit to him, and still use his above average arm.

The experiment had mixed results.

While his defense improved, his offence didn’t.

“We are looking for players to really show they have something to offer in the big leagues,” says former coach Peter Erb. “Andrew had his moments here, but he just wasn’t consistent enough to put it all together”

After hitting .358 in the first two months of the season, Connolly went for an 0-27 stretch, and saw his average dip to .270.

He hit well enough to raise it back up to .290 in the final month of the season, but it wasn’t enough to change his reputation as a streaky singles hitter, with no power and not enough speed.
It was Don Seamonne, the pitching coach for Laurier, who suggested that Connolly make the move to pitching.

“He had a strong arm, and sometimes, during batting practice, he would pitch. He was just goofing around, but he reached the low 90s on his fastball, and had what could have been a great slider.”

But Laurier didn’t need another pitcher, especially one that was making the switch from the outfield at the MA level.

Connolly had to look for another team.

Goddard decided to give him a shot. Connolly had a 14-10 record with a 4.50 ERA over two years with Goddard, and although he thought he was getting the hang of his slider, and starting to develop a changeup, the team cut him.

He was without a home again.

At that point, Connolly thought his baseball career was finished.

“The pitching thing just didn’t work out for me. I tried coaching, but there isn’t much work for a guy who has a spotty track record in the minors.”

Connolly had to settle for working in the booth, calling minor league games for the HPL radio system. He spent four years doing that, and realized, finally, it wasn’t enough.

“I needed to get back in the game. I missed it. I needed it.”

He started on a rigorous training system that included a brief stint with Dalhousie, to show off his talents. This time he was trying out as a catcher.

“It was my girlfriend’s idea,” he explains. “It lets me use my arm, which everyone has always said is my strength, while allowing me to use what I picked up while pitching. It’s sort of the best of both worlds.”

Connolly performed well during his exhibition stint, but when it came time to make the final cuts, Dalhousie didn’t offer him a contract at the major league level. They didn’t even offer him a minor league contract.

“They said it was just too much of a risk because of my past. That if I ever expected to play in the majors, I had to show I could hit with some consistency.”

So Connolly started looking for a MA team. He finally found a home at Lakehead, an MA team with no major league affiliate.

“A few other teams said maybe, we’ll have to see how things shake out, but they were the only ones who actually offered me a contract.”

It’s hard not to be despondent. After three years already at the MA level, Connolly feels like he’s retracing his steps a little. But at least this time he knows what mistakes to avoid.

“I know a lot more know. I know how to use my swing to make the plays, and I’ve learned how to control the pace of a game behind the plate. I think I can really show people I belong at the major league level.”

Connolly says he knows it won’t be easy, but he’s got strong motivation

“The General Manager at Dalhousie said that if I have a strong showing this year they would take a look at me for their major league team next year. A couple other teams said that as well. So look for me back here soon.”