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Juniors Swept in Doubleheader Against Mariners

Juniors Swept in Doubleheader Against Mariners

May 26, 2007

The Junior National Team kept it close in the early going of the game one, but let it slip away late as they fell 11-6 to the Seattle Mariners.  In the second game, the juniors took the lead in the first inning, but let it slip away in the second inning and could not create any offense the rest of the game and fell 5-1. In the first game, Phillippe Aumont of Gatineau, Québec took the loss after he allowed six runs, four earned, on five hits in four innings pitched.  He did however record seven strikeouts and only one walk. Offensively, Jordan Wideman of Mississauga, Ontario produced two of the Canadians’ six runs, going 1-for-2 with a two RBI triple.  James Kottaras of Markham, Ontario was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles. In the second game, the juniors were only able to generate four hits in the game, two of which came from Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C.  He was 2-for-2 with a double and a walk. Evan Hildenbrandt of Abbotsford, B.C. started the game and allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts in three innings of work. Colin Buckborough of Niagara Falls, Ontario followed and allowed two runs on three hits and struck out five.  Leslie Williams of Scarborough, Ontario finished the game and was dominant in his inning pitched, facing the minimum while striking out two. Next up for the Junior National Team in their Dominican Summer League tour will be the Texas Rangers on Saturday at 11 am.

Juniors Fall to Rangers

Juniors Fall to Rangers

May 26, 2007

The offense was once again invisible for the Junior National Team as they were only able to muster three hits, and along with the five errors they committed fell to the Texas Rangers 5-2. Michael Mutcheson of Morden, Manitoba produced the only RBI of the game for the Canadians, that coming in the ninth inning.  He was 1-for-4 with an RBI double.  The other two hits came from Ivan Hartle of North Vancouver, B.C., who went 1-for-3, and Mackenzie Harrison of St. Thomas, Ontario, who was 1-for-1.  The other run was scored by Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C. in the seventh inning off a wild pitch. Corey Pappel of Mississauga, Ontario took the loss, allowing one unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts in three innings pitched. Daniel Britton-Foster was hit around a little more, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits with a walk and three strikeouts in three innings pitched.  Ryan Kennedy of Calgary, Alberta closed things up, pitching three innings allowing one run on two hits with a walk and five strikeouts. The five errors committed by the juniors, three by Ivan Hartle, combined with the lack of offense was the downfall for the Canadians. Next for the Junior National Team will be the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Sunday at 11 am.

Juniors Victorious in First Dominican Summer League Game

Juniors Victorious in First Dominican Summer League Game

May 24, 2007

A six run fourth inning would carry the momentum for the Junior National Team as they would go on to defeat the New York Yankees 11-4 in Dominican Summer League action. The Yankees committed six errors on the day, while their pitchers allowed 14 walks. Nick Fogarty of Thornhill, Ontario got the win for the juniors.  He pitched two innings, allowing five hits, one of which being a home run, with a walk and two strikeouts. Starting the game for the Canadians was Brad Furdal of Ancaster, Ontario.  He allowed two runs, one earned, with two walks and four strikeouts in three innings of work. Evan Grills of Whitby, Ontario and Stosh Wawrzasek of Langley, B.C. finished the game for the juniors.  Grills gave up one run on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts in two innings pitched.  Wawrzasek went two innings, allowing only one hit with three strikeouts. Offensively, Brett Lawrie of Langley, B.C. went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.  Leslie Williams of Scarborough, Ontario was 3-for-5 with two RBI and Chad Stang of Surrey. B.C. went 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBI. The juniors were also aggressive on the base paths as they stole six bases during the game. Next up for the Junior National Team will be a double-header against the Seattle Mariners starting at 11 am Friday.

An Unexpected Opportunity

An Unexpected Opportunity

May 22, 2007

For Dayle Legros, becoming an umpire was not part of the plan. “It was kind of a fluke accident,” says Mr. Legros.  “They needed an umpire for a charity tournament.  I umpired all day and I told myself that I’d like to try this.” That moment happened almost 30 years ago and now Mr. Legros will be heading for his first international tournament in August for the World Junior Baseball Qualifying tournament in Mexico. “I’m really excited,” says Mr. Legros.  “I’m hoping it will be very competitive.” The St. Catharines, Ontario resident has been an umpire for several National Championships over his career.  He has also been an umpire for the now defunct Canadian Baseball League and the North Atlantic League. “I’ve even umpired behind Carlos Delgado,” explains Mr. Legros of the games he was calling the balls and strikes for the now defunct St. Catharines Blue Jays. Mr. Legros received the good news of his trip to Mexico this summer at a bit of an unusual hour. “I got a call at 11 o’clock at night from Eddie (Quinlan, supervisor of umpires for Ontario) that I was selected for an international (tournament),” recalls Mr. Legros.  “I was shocked, and a little bit surprised.” For the last 15 seasons, Mr. Legros has been an umpire in the Intercounty Baseball League in Ontario where former Major Leaguer and Senior National Team member Rob Butler plays.  Now that his first international experience will soon be here, he remembers what brought on this journey. “I love baseball,” says Mr. Legros.  “I also coach high school baseball, which is perfect because it allows me to do some umpiring during the summer, which I love.”

Junior National Team Roster Announced for Dominican Tour

Junior National Team Roster Announced for Dominican Tour

May 17, 2007

Baseball Canada announced the Junior National Team roster which will go to the Dominican Republic for the annual Dominican Summer League tour which starts on May 23rd. Among the 30 players named to the team is Philippe Aumont of Gatineau, Québec.  The 18-year-old prospect is projected to be selected in the first round of the upcoming Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft this summer.  The complete Junior team roster is a mix of Junior Team veterans and a new crop of talented young ballplayers. The junior team will play nine games on their tour against Major League Dominican Summer League teams.  Included in their schedule are games against the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Seattle Mariners, which they will play a doubleheader. “Right now, we’re taking it one step at a time in terms of evaluating our team,” says Greg Hamilton, Manager of the Junior National Team.  “We want to make sure that our players are ready to play at this level of international competition.” The DSL tour this year is in preparation for the World Junior Qualifier this August in Mexico and for the World Junior Baseball Championship in Edmonton next year. To view the roster and the 2007 Junior National Team schedule, go to the National Teams section of our website and click on the Junior National Team link.

Braves Sign Rheal Cormier

Braves Sign Rheal Cormier

May 15, 2007

The Atlanta Braves announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Rheal Cormier of Moncton, N.B.  The signing of Cormier will increase the depth in their bullpen. Cormier has no record in six games (three innings pitched) with a 9.00 ERA with the Cincinnati Reds this season.  He posted a 2-3 mark with a 2.44 ERA in 64 games (48 innings pitched) with the Reds and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006.  The 40-year-old reliever is known across the majors as a left-handed specialist. The 16-year Major League veteran now joins his sixth Major League club.  He has also been a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. Cormier has compiled a career record of 71-64 with a 4.03 ERA in 683 games (108 games started).  He has seven complete games, one shutout and two saves in 1221.2 innings pitched with 760 strikeouts.

Winterball Wants to Know Your Favorite MLB Team

Winterball Wants to Know Your Favorite MLB Team

May 10, 2007

You know about the Winterball program through your school and you know how fun and exciting playing Winterball is.  Now, with the help of Major League Baseball, Winterball wants to know who your favorite Major League team is. MLB.com is conducting a poll to find out which Major League team is the favorite in Canada.  You can vote for your favorite team at www.mlb.com/winterball and check out all the other fun stuff you can learn.  

Larry Walker is Named to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame

Larry Walker is Named to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame

May 10, 2007

His career is certainly exceptional.  Seven Gold Gloves, Five All-Star Game appearances, three Silver Slugger Awards, three time National League Batting Champion and the first ever Canadian to be named MVP in 1997, and that is only the beginning. Larry Walker was named to the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame for his career accomplishments during 17 seasons in the Major Leagues with the Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals. Walker has pieced together a career .313 average with 2,160 hits, 383 home runs, 1,311 runs batted in, 230 stolen bases and a .400 on-base percentage in 1,988 games. The former coach with Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic equated the honor of being named to the Hall with being named the National League MVP. “It’s a great moment,” says Walker in an interview with the Canadian Press.  “I’m Canadian and I’ll always be Canadian.” In 1997, the year Walker won the NL MVP, he put together arguably the best statistical season in Major League history.  The Maple Ridge, B.C. native hit .366 with 49 homers and 130 RBI that season.  He also stole 33 bases and had an on-base percentage of .452 with a .720 slugging percentage.  He was also in the top three in virtually every offensive category in the NL that season. “I’m proud of what I’ve done and hopefully I made a difference for some kids who may one day want to play baseball,” says Walker. Presently, Walker is a hitting instructor with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, but he hopes someday he will be a coach for Canadian Olympic and world championship teams. The gala induction dinner will take place at the Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto on Thursday, October 25, 2007.  Walker is among six athletes and two builders to be inducted into the Hall this year.

NCCP is Ideal for Coaches

NCCP is Ideal for Coaches

May 09, 2007

The sport of baseball continues to grow across Canada.  With the increase of kids registering to play this wonderful game, the demand for qualified coaches increases along with it. This is where the National Coaching Certification Program steps in.  From January till April this year, 1286 coaches registered on-line with the NCCP, which is in line to surpass the 2006 mark of 2585. One of the coaches who registered this year is Sylvain Labatt of Varennes, Québec.  He registered on January 7th and learned a lot from the on-line course. “The site is well thought of and is easy to navigate,” says Mr. Labatt of the website.  “There are extensive materials available and it’s very progressive. It’s an indispensable tool to help create uniformity in the training of coaches and it will help retain players.” It is comments like that that André Lachance, Manager of Baseball Operations with Baseball Canada, takes to heart. “It’s nice, but it’s not only from coaches but from the other sports also,” adds Mr. Lachance.  “The Coaches Association tells us that our on-line program is an excellent idea and other sports are starting to steal the idea.” Even with those words of encouragement from coaches who have participated in the on-line program, Mr. Lachance is always looking for ways to improve the product. “Right now we are developing the competition portion of the program and we are really investing our energy on that,” says Mr. Lachance. Baseball Canada organizes the program with the help of the provincial associations in order to cultivate the best possible coaches.  The small fee the coaches’ pay is reinvested in to the program in order to improve the product and achieve its goal. The current program was developed as part of the transition from the traditional National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) to a Competency Based approach and represents a partnership with Baseball BC. Baseball BC had developed an online library for coaches that outlined skill areas and the progressions for various age groups plus video examples of drills in action. The Baseball Canada site now employs the information from Baseball BC and has implemented an online exam for coaches of athletes at the initiation stage so that they may receive coach education and ultimately trained status in a progressive and flexible manner. If you are interested in registering with the NCCP, click here.

Chris Begg Promoted to Triple-A

Chris Begg Promoted to Triple-A

May 04, 2007

Chris Begg of Uxbridge, Ontario was promoted to Fresno of the Pacific Coast League from Double-A Connecticut of the Eastern League.  These teams are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants’ organization. The right-handed pitcher who was a member of the 2004 Canadian Olympic Team in Athens and a member of Team Canada at the 2006 World Baseball Classic was 2-0 with a 2.10 ERA in four games with 16 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched. Begg posted a 13-10 mark with a 3.40 ERA in 26 games and three complete games with Double-A Connecticut last season.



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