Skip to content

Boyd, Broatch win national baseball title

White Rock pitchers part of gold-medal winning Langley Blaze senior men's team
70005whiterockScreenShot2014-08-29at9.29.23AM
Leon Boyd (left) and Jordan Broatch (right) won a national senior men's baseball title with the Langley Blaze.

Leon Boyd’s medal collection continues to grow.

The 31-year-old Semiahmoo Peninsula native – and former White Rock Triton – was part of the Langley Blaze senior team that won gold at Canadian senior men’s national championships Aug. 24 in St. John’s, Nfld.

The Blaze won the championship game with a 3-0 win over Ontario’s Tecumseh Thunder.

“From the moment the plane landed in St. John’s, the guys were focused on winning and getting the job done,” said Blaze assistant coach Steve Petersen.

Boyd didn’t pitch against Tecumseh – Shane Kraemer went the distance on the mound – but saw action against Manitoba, pitching four-and-two-thirds of an inning.

Boyd wasn’t the only local player on the squad. Pitcher Jordan Broatch – who, like Boyd, is another Tritons alum who now coaches White Rock’s U16 Jr. Tritons – was on the roster, as were Surrey’s Dillon Reynolds and Mason Cratty.

For Boyd, the title is another is a long list of accomplishments on the baseball diamond.

A dual Canadian-Dutch citizen, the pitcher also has a European championship and world championship – both with the Netherlands national team – and a Holland Series Dutch league under his belt.

“I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been given the opportunities I have in baseball,” Boyd said.

“The trifecta is pretty cool.”

Boyd also pitched for the Netherlands at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Boyd  has also been involved in some of the most memorable international baseball moments in recent years.

He was part of the Dutch squad that twice pulled off massive upsets over highly ranked teams at the World Baseball Classic. In 2009, he was on the mound when the Netherlands twice defeated the high-powered Dominican Republic, and at the 2013 WBC, the Dutch beat Cuba 6-2.

His performance in 2009 earned him a professional contract from the Toronto Blue Jays. After two seasons in the Jays’ organization, he was released, and returned to the Dutch pro league.

He retired from pro ball a few seasons ago, and last spring announced his retirement from international play with the Dutch national squad.

– with files from Gary Ahuja