KITCHENER PANTHERS ANNOUNCE NEW FIELD MANAGER

Photo by Crystal Young

The Kitchener Panthers are pleased to announce the hiring of Bill Matetich as Field Manager for the 2023 Season.

Bill has an extensive baseball background, and has been involved in the IBL for many years. As a player, Bill played several seasons for the Stratford Hillers and won numerous IBL Championships. A noteworthy teammate of Bill’s was Philadelphia Phillies World Series Manager Rob Thomson, who he played aside during the mid 1980s Stratford championship runs. With several years of coaching experience under his belt, he last appeared as the Bench Coach of the Hamilton Cardinals during the 2022 season. 

Bill Matetich commented, “I’d like to thank Mike Boehmer, and everyone associated with the Kitchener Panthers for this exciting opportunity to follow in the footsteps of great Panthers Managers like Jack Couch, Bob McKillop, and Tom McKenzie. I already know of the talent on the roster coming in, and how supportive the fan base in Kitchener is from my previous playing and coaching days. It has always been one of my favourite places in the IBL to play and coach. I can’t wait to get started, with the goal of bringing the Panthers community an IBL Championship”.

Mike Boehmer, Panthers General Manager, stated, “We are pleased to welcome Bill Matetich to the Panthers Organization. We have a good young ball club, and Bill brings enthusiasm, experience, analytics, and baseball knowledge to the Panthers”.

Stay tuned for further announcements on the 2023 coaching staff, roster additions, upcoming stadium upgrades and exciting new partnerships as we stride forward into a new era of Kitchener Panthers Baseball! 

The Kitchener Panthers are a member of Canada’s top baseball league, the Intercounty Baseball League. The 102 year old summer league is one of the oldest baseball leagues in the world, with the league established in 1919, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind.