Hamilton's Boon named Most Valuable Player
Photo Credits ETHSImages
Owen Boon had a career season in 2025.
The Hamilton Cardinals’ right-hander threw the Intercounty Baseball League’s first no-hitter in nearly 50 years and then finished with the lowest earned-run average among qualified pitchers.
Boon was recognized with the IBL’s John Bell Memorial Trophy as its Most Valuable Player. The 32-year-old is the second Hamilton player to earn MVP honours after Tyler Duncan won in 2023.
Boon, who joined Hamilton before the campaign after eight seasons in London, had a 1.80 ERA in 70 innings. He went 6-1 in 11 starts with 88 strikeouts and 23 walks, and he held opposing hitters to a .174 average, which also led the IBL.
But the highlight of Boon’s season came July 10 during an 18-0 win in Kitchener. He needed 111 pitches to no-hit the Panthers, a feat that hadn’t been done since Cambridge Terriers pitcher Jesse Orosco did it on June 16, 1977 – two years before his major league debut with the New York Mets.
The All-IBL teams will be announced on Wednesday.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
John Bell Memorial Trophy
1927 Harold Lynch, Galt
1928 Jim O'Connor, Guelph
1929 Johnny Jones, Guelph
1930 Gordon Bradshaw, Galt
1931 Wilbur Kress, Galt
1932 James "Lefty" Hill, K-W
1933 Leo Doan, St. Thomas
1934 Alfred White, London
1935 Bruno Pollock, St. Thomas
1936 Frank Colman, London
1937 George Miskimmons, Stratford
1938 no selection
1939-45 War years
1946 no selection
1947 Bob Schnurr, Kitchener
1948 John Bain, Kitchener
1949 Tommy White, London
1950 Alex Kvasnak, Waterloo
1951 Wilmer Fields, Brantford
1952-57 no selections
1958 Johnny Ambrose, St. Thomas
1959 Stan Anderson, London
1960 Ron Stead, Brantford
1961 Wallace "Spud" Bush, Brantford
1962 John Poholsky, Guelph
1963 Ron Stead, Brantford
1964 Rolf Scheel, London
1965 Ron Stead, Brantford
1966 Al Greenberg, London
1967 Ron Stead, Guelph
1968 Bob McKillop, Kitchener
1969 Bob McKillop, Kitchener
1970 Tom McKenzie, Kitchener
1971 Bob McKillop, Kitchener
1972 Alf Payne, Toronto
1973 Bob McKillop, Kitchener
1974 Jim Ridley, Stratford
1975 Mike Kilkenny, London
1976 Denis Flanagan, Stratford
1977 Kevin Higgins, Stratford
1978 Jeff Jens, Stratford
1979 Brian Walters, Toronto
1980 Bill Martin, Kitchener
1981 Phil Turner, St. Thomas
1982 Gary Borg, Cambridge
1983 Mike Yearout, Kitchener
1984 Rob Froese, Kitchener
1985 Bill Byckowski, Toronto
1986 Kevin Aitcheson, Stratford
1987 Darrell Kemp, Niagara Falls
1988 Barry Petrachenko, Stratford
1989 Bill Byckowski, Toronto
1990 Rick Johnston, Toronto
1991 Scott Gardiner, Toronto
1992 Rick Johnston, Toronto
1993 Erik Laseke, Guelph and
Randy Curran, Kitchener
1994 Erik Laseke, Guelph
1995 Erik Laseke, Guelph, Jason Rausch, Kitchener, and Mark Fraser, Stratford
1996 Dominic Campeau, Toronto
1997 Rob Patterson, Toronto
1998 Randy Curran, Kitchener
1999 Jeff Pietraszko, Kitchener
2000 Randy Curran, Kitchener
2001 Rob Butler, Toronto
2002 Luke Baker, Kitchener
2003 Paul Spoljaric, Toronto
2004 Rich Butler, Toronto
2005 Ryan Spataro, Barrie
2006 Jordan Lundberg, Barrie
2007 Jeff Pietraszko, Kitchener
2008 Frank Hare, Guelph
2009 Jamie Pogue, Guelph
2010 Ryan Spataro, Barrie
2011 Sean Reilly, Barrie
2012 Frank Hare, Guelph
2013 Sean Reilly, Toronto
2014 Jordan Castaldo, Barrie
2015 Sean Reilly, Kitchener
2016 Tanner Nivins, Kitchener
2017 Sean Reilly, Kitchener
2018 Justin Marra, Toronto
2019 Jordan Castaldo, Barrie
2020 No season
2021 Garrett Takamatsu, Toronto
2022 Claudio Custodio, Guelph
2023 Tyler Duncan, Hamilton
2024 Seth Strong, Chatham-Kent
2025 Owen Boon, Hamilton