Bolton Brewers enshrine Cirone, Bond, and Wallace at first annual Hall of Fame Banquet

By Jim Stewart

The Bolton Brewers hosted their inaugural Hall of Fame Banquet at Caesars on Friday night.

The Brewers' rich, winning tradition was on display at the first-time event during which star players Eric Cirone (#59), Brett Bond (#9), and Adam Wallace (#51) were enshrined.  

The Brewers' current Player/Head Coach Mike Wallace served as Emcee and moved the program along with brief anecdotes about each of the inductees who were key players during Bolton's championship streak. The local ballclub won seven Strother Cups between 2009 and 2021. 

After the Banquet, Coach Wallace observed that “It's always nice to go down memory lane with those guys. It was sentimental to see so many of the old, retired players come in from Windsor, London, Sudbury, and Orillia. So many of the guys aged out and moved away with new jobs so it was great to have them back. It was also great to honor the traditions of the ball club and for the newer and younger Brewers to see those traditions and create their own new futures.”

The informal banquet—attended by over 100 players, coaches, family, and friends—featured a Poker Tournament that followed the buffet meal and replaced the team's annual golf tournament as its primary fundraiser.

Included amid the festivities on Friday night was the official unveiling of the Brewers' new navy, gold, and grey uniforms to reflect a rebranding of the 22-year-old North Dufferin Baseball League franchise.

The Brew Crew's jersey upgrade coincides with its move to a new home diamond at Taylor Fields in north Bolton where they'll kick off their NDBL season on Monday, May 11 by hosting the Midland Mariners at 7 p.m.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for Taylor Fields is scheduled for May 20.

The older Brewers' gear—reflecting the “Harvey Wallbanger Brewers” of the 1980s—was retired with seven championships in them—five in a row from 2009-2013 and two more in 2017 and 2021.

Wallace reflected fondly on that Dynastic Era: “Part of the legacy created by Eric, Brett, and Adam is that we represented ‘small town baseball' against larger centres—even Bob Elliott of The Toronto Sun wrote about our team's success. How could you not fall in love with the Brewers and the style of baseball we played?  It was a Cinderella Story to win those early championships—somewhat like a mid-major college team making a run at March Madness—but we turned into a league powerhouse and became favorites when we won the Cup seven times in twelve years.”

The Brewers will be looking to bounce back from an uncharacteristic fourth-place finish (12-9-1) in 2025.

Bolton eliminated the Lisle Astros in the first round of the playoffs, but fell to the New Lowell Knights in the semifinals.  The Knights—Bolton's nemesis during the last few seasons – won the Strother Cup in a nailbiting seven-game series with the Owen Sound Baysox.

One of the brightest stories connected to the Local Nine in 2025 was the play of Brewers shortstop Brett Chater. The talented veteran led the loop in hitting (.524) to capture the Creemore Star Trophy. Based on his stellar productivity in the batter's box and his fine play at shortstop, Chater earned the Bruce Jenkins Memorial Trophy as the NDBL's MVP.

Chater and his teammates—old and new—will look to re-establish the championship-winning traditions of the Bolton Brewers in the upcoming 2026 season.