By: Frankie Benvenuti

Another season in the Frontier League has drawn to a close, and once again, the Quebec Capitales are champions. 

In Ottawa, the Titans put together another special season, despite finishing 48-48, and seven games back of a postseason spot. Finishing sixth in the East Division sounds much worse than it actually was. The Evansville Otters - who gave the Capitales everything they could handle in the championship series - only won four more regular season games than the Titans. 

The margins were fine, to say the least. 

In the first month of the season, the Titans went 6-11, and on June 9th, they were a lowly 8-16. They put themselves behind the eight ball early on, largely thanks to a series of twists and turns that derailed their expected pitching staff. 

“We lost a lot of pitching from the first season,” said Titans’ Manager Bobby Brown. “We got four games into the season, we were 2-2, and we had no starting pitching. Now, we’re trying to take bullpen guys and make them starters, and we had to rush them, they weren’t built up. It just snowballed for about 24 days before we could correct it.” 

Managing a baseball team hasn’t always resulted in winning seasons for Brown, but he says that he has never been part of a team that spiralled the way the Titans did to start the season, making the recovery all the more impressive. 

“I’ve had some bad years as a manager, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a start like that,” Brown said. “For us to come back and be .500 at the end of the year makes me really proud of this club.” 

The recovery efforts weren’t aided by easy opponents, either. The Titans played 31-31 ball against the East Division, which included six teams who finished .500 or better, and two teams who won 60 games. In the West, only three teams reached .500, and no one won 60. 

“It was the best division in independent baseball, and there was nothing even close,” Brown said. “It was so competitive, the managers worked really hard to build their rosters, and those series in this division were like the playoffs all year. We’re up for that, and if we didn’t start the way we did, we may have gotten into the postseason.” 

The product on the field is only part of the equation. The business side, as baseball fans in Ottawa are well aware of, is equally as important. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Regan Katz is pleased with how the Titans’ second season went, citing improvement in numerous key areas. 

“The growth and support from the Ottawa/Gatineau area proves that we are on the right track,” Katz said. “We went into year one not knowing what to expect, and this year was definitely a success off the field. We are happy with the growth, both from fans and sponsors.” 

“Most times, a brand new team comes to a city and everything is amazing, but then it tappers off back to reality. For us, it has been unique. We’ve had fun building something up to what reality is going to be, and we keep climbing. We know the product is great, but the truth is, this is family-affordable fun, and I believe that is becoming contagious. This is a great, safe, and fun place to bring your family.” 

Around the ballpark, the Titans truly became the home team, as Ottawa tightened their grip on the club. More fans showed up to the ballpark, and it became more common to see them wearing Titans’ merch, whether it be a cap, jersey, or t-shirt. 

Every night at Ottawa Stadium was special. Whether it was one of the many theme games, a night capped off by fireworks, or because the action on the field was particularly enthralling, you always left the game feeling you got your money’s worth, if not more. 

For Katz, a championship is always the goal, but when a crowd of 4,602 turned up for the Titans’ final home game, he couldn’t help but feel immense pride. 

“If there’s any lasting image that I’m taking into the cold winter months it’s that crowd,” Katz said. “Anything over 2,000 feels wholesome and intimate, exactly what we want it to be, but that crowd at 4,600 was loud like 10,000. It was fantastic, it’s really what this is all about.” 

A few weeks into the offseason, the Titans have already made major announcements. They are seeking a stadium naming rights partner for the 2024 season, and announced further commitment to their 10-year plan, which will include new patio decks, continued renovations to the second and third-floor suits, and the recently introduced Hop Yard, which celebrates Ottawa’s local craft breweries. 

“This is our way of showing that we are committed,” Katz said. “We took the mantra of being here to stay, and as long as we keep seeing support, we’re going to put it right back in. This is about making this the city's facility, it’s for the fans, and improving the facility is a part of that.” 

If those updates didn’t make it clear, the focus is already on the 2024 season for the business side. 

“We’re immediately planning,” Katz said. “We ask what we want to improve on, what can we change, I’m already full-throttle into it. We call it the offseason, but that only really applies to on-field action.” 

The same can be said for the baseball operations. While player signings won’t come down for some time, Brown is already working to put together a roster he believes can take the next step in capturing the franchise’s first Frontier League championship. 

“A lot of people take a month or two off, but I don’t think I’m wired that way,” he said. “I have to look at something every day. I need to sit down at my desk for 15 minutes a day and get the game plan rolling for November and December. I have to be proactive.”