OTTAWA-The tenth annual Baseball Canada National Teams Awards Banquet and Fundraiser was held on January 14th at Toronto’s Renaissance Downtown Hotel where another great night of Canadian baseball was celebrated.
"Once again, we were quite fortunate to celebrate Canadian Baseball excellence with so many committed alumni, MLB and Corporate Partners and Friends who have directly and indirectly contributed so much to the growth and development of our National Teams Program," said Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada's Head Coach and Director of National Teams.
Before dinner, a highlight video was shown featuring clips of various National Team events over the past decade. The video was capped with a montage of clips from Canada’s Gold Medal performance at the 2011 Pan Am Games.
After the dinner portion of the evening, Toronto Blue Jays Radio Voice Jerry Howarth took the stage to emcee the annual awards ceremony.
Long-time National Team Manager Ernie Whitt became the fourth member of Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence presented by RBC Wealth Management. Whitt first managed the Canadian National Team in 1999 after a 15-year big-league career. Whitt was in the dugout when Canada won Gold at the Pan Am Games in Mexico and said that it was the highlight of his baseball career.
Ryan Kellogg (Whitby, ON) took home the ESPN Wide World of Sports Junior National Team MVP honours after playing a key role in Canada’s second place finish at the COPABE World Junior Qualification Tournament in Colombia. Kellogg picked up two wins at the event including a victory over host Colombia that clinched a berth in the 2012 IBAF World Junior Baseball Championships.
Shortstop Jonathan Malo (Joliette, QC) played flawless defence at the IBAF World Cup in Panama and led Canada in batting average and hits as the team picked up the Bronze Medal. He was named to the tournaments All-Star team and kept his strong play going at the Pan Am Games where Canada defeated the United States in the Gold Medal game. Malo was presented with the Senior National Team MVP presented by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
The Stubby Clapp Award presented by Mizuno Canada was given to National Team pitcher Shawn Hill (Mississauga, ON). After battling arm injuries for much of his big-league career, Hill answered the bell for Canada and became the ace of the pitching staff at the IBAF World Cup and Pan Am Games. Hill turned in dominant performances in wins over Japan and the United States at the World Cup and pitched Canada into the Gold Medal game with a semi-final win over Mexico at the Pan Ams.
Rene Tosoni (Port Coquitlam, BC) made his big-league debut in April 2011 with the Minnesota Twins. Tosoni played in 60 games with the Twins in 2011 and received the Alumni Award from the L.J. Pearson Foundation for his efforts. This two-time Junior National Team player also represented Canada at the 2009 IBAF World Cup where the team captured the Bronze Medal.
Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) made his major league debut as a position player in 2011 with the Blue Jays after two elbow fractures ended his promising pitching career with the Baltimore Orioles in 2008. Loewen, the highest drafted Canadian ever (4th overall in 2002), was recognized with a Special Achievement Award presented by the MLBPA for defying the odds and playing in the big leagues once again. Loewen will head to Spring Training next month looking to win a job in the outfield with the New York Mets.
Blue Jays fans and baseball fans across Canada were treated to a glimpse of how special a talent that Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) is when he played his first two months in the majors last August and September. The graduate of the Junior National Team was given a Special Recognition Award from RBC Wealth Management after hitting .293 with 9 homeruns and 25 RBI in only 43 games with the Jays in 2011. Lawrie’s talent and passion for the game are attributes that have quickly made him a fan favourite in Toronto.
Before the evening concluded, several alumni members surprised Greg Hamilton by presenting him with a watch followed by a short video tribute as a token of appreciation for all of his hard work and dedication to Baseball Canada’s National Teams Program.
The evening also included check presentations from the Toronto Blue Jays and RBC Wealth Management to Baseball Canada at a value of $25,000 and $15,000 respectively.
“I can’t say enough about the support we’ve received from our sponsors,” explained Baseball Canada President Ray Carter. “They continuously show a vested interest in promoting the sport in Canada, both at the grassroots level and at the elite level."
Baseball Canada would like to thank everybody who made the tenth annual National Teams Awards Banquet and Fundraiser a night to remember.
See you in January 2013!
