The 2022 season for the Ottawa Titans was something to remember, as the first-year franchise powered its way to the Frontier League Division Series. 

Despite the success, the Titans ultimately fell short of their goal, and the sting of the loss has only just begun to wear from the mind of Manager, Bobby Brown. Upon reflection, Brown has identified the foundation that was built, but says mistaking it for a blueprint for future roster construction sets the stage for disappointment. 

“In independent baseball, no matter how good of a year you had, don’t try to recreate what you had,” Brown said. “Every club is different, and you shouldn’t compare years. When you turn over half of the roster, things are going to be different. You can’t take anything for granted.” 

When the season ended last fall, Brown took the time to consider his roster. He highlighted a handful of shortcomings to rectify in the offseason, thinking specifically about what will play well at Ottawa Stadium, where the outfield gaps can feel quite cavernous. 

“I really liked our club last year, we could get on base, but I thought we were a little too reliant on one or two guys to [drive in runs],” Brown admitted. “I wanted to get a little deeper in the lineup, where we had threats [at the plate] more often.” 

In the Frontier League, a deep lineup is easier said than done. With clubs required to have 10 rookies on the roster - players who have either no pro baseball experience, or one prior season - young players have to be capable of contributions. 

In 2023, Brown will be looking to names like Mitsuki Fukuda, Taylor Wright, A.J. Wright, and Lucas Sweaney for big things, but intentionally, he has looked to add as many rookie-2 players (players with one previous year of pro experience) as possible. 

“If your rookies are contributing, you have a chance to win, and we have a whole lot of rookies with a full season of experience under their belt,” Brown said. “We’re not going to hide those guys, it’s not possible to hide 10 players on a 24-man roster.” 

The Titans’ returning players will be key to their success in 2023, particularly those part of the pitching staff, where a handful of key losses have been incurred. The losses of Taylor Jandron, Kevin Escorcia, and Gavin Sonnier are going to force some changes, with roles shifting around substantially. 

One of the determinations of a good team is flexibility, something Brown is reliant on to bring the best possible rotation on opening day. 

“We’re going to move Grant Larson to the rotation this year,” Brown explained. “I thought he was the best reliever in the league last season. He was a starter in college, so instead of getting 50 innings from him, we’re going to try to get 125 out of him.” 

While so much of the offseason is about building the best possible team to bring a championship to the nation’s capital, the reality is that independent baseball offers other challenges. Players are looking to make it back to affiliated ball, and with the added work that goes with playing in Canada for American players, sometimes, it isn’t the right situation. 

Players such as Jake Sanford, Kenny Williams, and Pat Ledet have been moved along for myriad reasons, be it for additional playing time, or being closer to home. Brown sees his players as human, and will do whatever he thinks is best, even when he would really like to have their bat - or their arm - in his lineup. 

“I got into coaching to help players and their careers,” Brown said. “You’re not going to become a millionaire coaching minor league baseball, so for me, I have a responsibility to win, but I try not to lose sight of why I got into this.” 

He hopes, as a result, players appreciate the gesture, and consider Ottawa if the chance ever arises again. 

“I’d like to think so,” Brown stated. “I might not always make a decision that a player agrees with, but I always try to put myself in their shoes. Being a former player myself, I hope they appreciate that.” 

With Major League Opening Day now in the rearview mirror, Brown is enjoying seeing baseball on his television once again, but with it, the nerves to return to Ottawa are back. There are now only days before the Titans begin their training camp, and as such, the roster is nearing completion. 

“A lot of teams in this league will bring 40 guys to camp, I just can’t do that,” Brown said. “I won’t bring anyone to camp unless they have a legitimate chance to make the team, so we’re trying to stick around 30, including the two guys we have to bring from the Frontier League tryout.” 

There’s still plenty of work to do before the first pitch flies against the Empire State Greys on May 12th, but Brown can already taste it.