Sean Cleary Had A Season To Remember In 2014

Ask anyone familiar with the game of fastpitch what the most important part of the game is and the majority of the time the answer will be pitching.

Pitching has been and always will be the facet of the game that garners the most attention, especially at the elite levels. Sure things have changed over the years, as bat technology has advanced tremendously, but when it comes down to it everything comes back to pitching.

There is no doubt that fastpitch is a team game, but there is no denying that pitching has been and will continue to be the main focus of the game. A great pitcher, just like a great goaltender in hockey, are usually instrumental to their teams success. Sure there have been cases over the years when good pitching has been enough, but more often than not, pitching is the key ingredient to a teams success.

Harbour Main native Sean Cleary is cool, calm and collected in the pitchers circle and nothing seems to rattle the right-hander. Standing 46′ away from home plate, Cleary takes the sign, sets and delivers a pitch that snaps the glove of his catcher.

In 2014, Cleary finished the season with a 32-11 Overall Record, he fanned 522 batters in 280 innings (1.86 strikeouts per inning) and only walked 60 batters (0.21 walks per inning). Combine that with his 1.73 earned run average, 8 shutouts and 1 no-hitter and the numbers speak for themselves.

Sean Cleary was a member of the following teams in 2014: Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs (Senior League & Provincial), Defending Champions 3Cheers Pub Bud Light (Senior Men’s Nationals), Toronto Gators (Travel League & ISC) & Team Canada (Pan American Softball Championships).

Cleary and his Kelly’s Pub Molson Bulldogs teammates captured the 2014 Senior League Regular Season Title, Playoff Title and Provincial Title. In all three events, he was named Most Valuable Player. He was also named to the All-League Team (Pitcher), led the League in Wins (9) and led the League in Strikeouts (150).

At the 2014 Canadian Senior Men’s Fastpitch Championship, Cleary helped his Defending Champions 3Cheers Pub Bud Light Men’s Fastpitch Team complete the three-peat. He went a perfect 3-0 in the playoffs, with a microscopic 0.41 earned run average and 33 strikeouts in 17-innings. For his efforts, he was named Playoff Most Valuable Player.

In the ISC Travel League and ISC World Tournament, Cleary suited up for the Toronto Gators and helped the Gators to three second place finishes: Cephas Roth Tournament, Gremlins/Power Shootout & North American Showcase. In 82-Innings of work, he finished with a 9-5 Overall Record, a 2.48 earned run average and 116 strikeouts.

Cleary attended the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team Camp and was named to Team Canada’s Roster for the 2014 Pan American Softball Championships in Parana, Argentina. Team Canada finished the tournament with a 6-3 record and came away with a Bronze Medal at the event. He finished the tournament with a 3-1 Record, a miniscule 0.47 earned run average and fanned 65 batters in 30.1 innings.

Cleary was named to the 2015 Canadian Senior Men’s National Team Athlete Pool (40-Man Roster) and then was named 1-of-7 Core Players for the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team and will be attending the 2015 Senior Men’s National Team Selection Camp in May.

Cleary’s Overall 2014 Pitching & Batting Stats
Pitching: 32-11, 280IP, 69ER, 1.73ERA, 160H, 60BB, 522K, 8SHO, 1NH, 1SV
Batting: 23-79 .291BA, 13R, 4D, 6HR, 14BB, 19RBI

For his efforts, Cleary was named 2014 Softball NL Senior Male Player of the Year, 2014 St. John’s Molson-Coors Male Athlete of the Year (Tom “Dynamite” Dunne Memorial Award) and 2014 SportNL Senior Male Athlete of the Year (Ferd Hayward Memorial Award).

As a result, he became the third softballer to win the Softball NL Senior Male Player of the Year, St. John’s Molson-Coors Male Athlete of the Year and SportNL Senior Male Athlete of the Year in the same season!

Other softballers to accomplish this feat were Colin Abbott (1989) & Robbie O’Brien (1992).

Softballers Who Have Captured All Three Awards In The Same Season

Softball NL Senior Male Player of the Year
1989 Colin Abbott
1992 Robbie O’Brien
2014 Sean Cleary

St. John’s Molson-Coors Male Athlete of the Year
1989 Colin Abbott
1992 Robbie O’Brien
2014 Sean Cleary

SportNL Senior Male Athlete of the Year
1989 Colin Abbott
1992 Robbie O’Brien
2014 Sean Cleary