A total of 15 Canadian players were included on the opening day rosters for 12 different Major League Baseball Club yesterday. The players are as follows: Erik Bedard (Navan, Ont.) - Baltimore Orioles Adam Stern (Port Stanley, Ont.) - Boston Red Sox Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) - Kansas City Royals Mark Teahen - Kansas City Royals Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.) - Minnesota Twins Jesse Crain (Toronto, Ont.) - Minnesota Twins Rich Harden (Victoria, B.C.) - Oakland Athletics Peter Orr (Newmarket, Ont.) - Atlanta Braves Chris Reitsma (Calgary, Alta.) - Atlanta Braves Ryan Dempster (Sechelt, B.C.) - Chicago Cubs Jeff Francis (North Delta, B.C.) - Colorado Rockies Eric Gagné (Montréal, Qué.) - Los Angeles Dodgers Corey Koskie (Anola, Man.) - Milwaukee Brewers Rheal Cormier (Moncton, N.B.) - Philadelphia Phillies Jason Bay (Trail, B.C.) - Pittsburgh Pirates Canada also has 79 players currently listed in the minor leagues including outfielder Aaron Guiel (Vancouver, B.C.), shortstop Danny Klassen (Leamington, Ont.), pitcher Steve Green (Longueuil, Qué.) and first baseman Scott Thorman (Cambridge, Ont.) as well as catchers Pierre-Luc Laforest (Hull, Qué.), Russell Martin (Chelsea, Qué.), Eric Langill (Point Clair, Qué.), Maxim St. Pierre (Québec, Québec) who are all playing at the Triple-A level. Each weekday morning, Baseball Canada will track the progress of Canadian Major League Baseball players at www.baseball.ca. Here’s what happened last night. Position players 1. Red Sox Outfielder Adam Stern came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers. He did not get an at-bat. 2. Peter Orr of the Atlanta Braves went 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit single and one total base against the Los Angeles Dodgers. 3. Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Jason Bay was 0-for-1 with three walks and one outfield assist against the Milwaukee Brewers. Pitchers 1. Atlanta Braves closer Chris Reitsma picked up his first save of the game in a wild 11-10 win over the Los Angles Dodgers. The line on Reitsma: 1.1 Innings pitched, 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 14 pitches-10 strikes, 3 ground outs-0 fly outs, 6 batters faced. 2. Ryan Dempster threw to five batters for the Chicago Cubs against the Cincinnati Reds. The line on Dempster: 1.0 innings pitched, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 0 runs, 17 pitches-10strikes, 2 ground outs-0 fly outs, 5 batters faced 3. Phillies reliever Rheal Cormier threw one scoreless inning in a 13-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The line on Cormier: 1.0 innings pitched, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 runs, 0 strikeouts, 12 pitches-10 strikes, 3 ground outs-0 fly outs, 4 batters faced. Five MLB games tonight feature at least one Canadian player: Boston Red Sox vs. Texas RangersMinnesota Twins vs. Toronto Blue JaysOakland Athletics vs. New York YankeesAtlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles DodgersMilwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
In the first of 10 provincial association profiles, Baseball Canada speaks with Baseball British Columbia President Peter Buxton about the upcoming 2006 season in the country’s westernmost province. BASEBALL CANADA (BCAN) – In no particular order, what five events or initiatives are you looking forward to the most as you are in the midst of kicking off the 2006 baseball season? 1. Baseball Canada National Pee-Wee Championships: Victoria, B.C. PETER BUXTON (PB) – 1. Obviously we would have to say the hosting of the Pee-Wee National Championships in Victoria because that will be one of our biggest events. From a family perspective and participation point of view it’s one of the most enthusiastically supported championships across the country. Summerside, P.E.I., has led by example and proved what a great family event this can be. We think that in Victoria, people will find the same type of atmosphere. BCAN – With Baseball Canada’s National Pee-Wee Championships having been held in Summerside for eight consecutive years leading up to the event in Victoria, does that put a little bit of extra pressure on Baseball B.C. to put on a good show? PB – If you look back what transpired at our fall convention two years ago, you could even see then that we were ready to step up to the plate with the event in Victoria. We wouldn’t dare compare anything we do to Summerside, but what we want to do is create our own very special version of the championship. We’ve got an extremely strong core of volunteers with us and we’re going to make sure that all of the athletes and their families have a wonderful time. There’s always pressure to succeed at something like this, but we know that the volunteers in Victoria and Baseball B.C. are going to be able to pull it off. 2. Girl’s Baseball PB – We’re really pleased to be involved in girl’s baseball and continuing to develop in that area. We see that as a strong part of our mandate both provincially and nationally. If you look at our track record in participating in invitational tournaments and in Bantam (Girls) National Championships, B.C. has always been well represented by our teams. Al Foreman and Ken McKenzie who are two of our executives here are going to continue with this programming and we’re hoping to expand participation numbers and competing at a high-level on the national stage. 3. New Coaching Standards PB – We’re very proud to have a continuing involvement and taking of a leadership role in the new National Coaching Certification Program’s (NCCP) Introduction to Competition Module. Adam Debray (Baseball B.C. Information Director) continues to develop and expand our coaching website www.bettercoaches.com where people can find a video library of practice session and tips for coaches that will enable them to see first hand, on the internet, practical and modern coaching techniques. With that in mind, we’re excited to work in co-operation with Baseball Canada and the NCCP in helping develop and administer these new methods of coaching certification. See http://www.baseball.ca/eng_news_story.cfm?NewsID=811 for more information about the new NCCP program. BCAN – We’re now seeing the sport of baseball really taking advantage of information technology to expand the avenues by which we can develop athletes and coaches. What kind of impact do you see the Internet making in that regard? PB – It’s vital for a number of reasons. On the community level, it affords coaches the opportunity to see, first-hand, practical demonstrations of coaching techniques for practices and competition situations. Furthermore, it allows people to do things at their own speed on their own time in the comfort of their own home. We see it as a very exciting way to deliver this type of programming. Secondly, we feel very strongly Canada should be demonstrating to the international baseball community that we can play a leading role in the use of this technology for the distribution of this information. We are truly hoping that we can help develop an increase in participation in Europe, Asia, Australia and other markets that have already show an strong interest in baseball. 4. Rally Cap Program Pilot Project PB – We’re really looking forward to the North Delta Baseball Association’s participation, as a pilot project, in the Rally Cap Program. North Delta is a strong baseball association that has successfully represented B.C. on the national stage. North Delta’s president Bob Burkmar and his executive should be commended for their enthusiasm and their co-operation in making this a successful pilot project. Along with Baseball B.C.’s programming director David Laing that association is doing everything they can to make sure this pilot project will work very well. Given their long participation history in Canadian Baseball, we expect them to do an excellent job and we’re looking forward to them setting a standard for this program in B.C. See http://www.baseball.ca/eng_doc.cfm?DocID=212&Related=13 for more information about Baseball Canada’s Rally Cap Program. 5. Winterball Wonders PB – I was very surprised to hear that we had over 200 requests for the Winterball Program here this year and we see that as a huge success. We were given 67 kits to distribute and obviously all of them have gone out. The responses we’ve received from communities and schools have just been extraordinary. I’m looking forward to have an increased participation in this program and distributing even more kits in the coming year and meeting this very large demand to make this even more of a success story. BCAN – How exciting is it to see roughly triple the amount of requests originally anticipated for the Winterball Program in B.C.? PB – I think that’s fantastic. It fills a need in school curriculums and it’s a great introduction into the programming that will lead to an increased level of participation across the province. Another great thing about it is that, geographically, there are province-wide requests for participation in the Winterball program. I think it’s very exciting that communities in the dead of winter are interested in baseball and promoting an introduction to the sport to kids at the grassroots level. BCAN – How important do you feel it is to have the Winterball program in place in schools throughout the country and giving kids the opportunity to learn the game year round? PB – It is absolutely critical. We’ve seen, at the competition level, that getting a jump on the season is vital to our success here in B.C. and we always try to take advantage of it. If we can further extend that opportunity indoors to kids all across the province it’s critical to the development of our baseball programming not only from a skill perspective, but from an introductory perspective as well. See http://www.baseball.ca/eng_doc.cfm?DocID=69&Related=13 to learn more about Baseball Canada’s Winterball Program. Want to learn more about Baseball British Columbia? Visit their website at www.baseball.bc.ca That wraps up this weeks edition of Play Ball 2006! Come back next week as Baseball Canada sits down with Baseball Alberta’s Terry Murphy. Schedule: April 10: Play Ball 2006! Baseball AlbertaApril 17: Play Ball 2006! Saskatchewan Baseball CanadaApril 24: Play Ball 2006! Manitoba Baseball AssociationMay 1: Play Ball 2006! Baseball OntarioMay 8: Play Ball 2006! Baseball QuébecMay 15: Play Ball 2006! Baseball New BrunswickMay 22: Play Ball 2006! Baseball Nova ScotiaMay 29: Play Ball 2006! P.E.I. Amateur Baseball AssociationJune 5: Play Ball 2006! Baseball Newfoundland
It’s not even April yet and Baseball Canada has seen a surge in potential coaches seeking certification through the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). Since January, an astounding 612 people have signed up for the Initiation Coach Program, Baseball Canada’s new training module for future coaches. Baseball Canada estimates receiving up to 3,000 registrations within the next year – well beyond the 612 registrations received last year while the Initiation Coach Program was being phased in alongside the old training system. Under the old coach training system, potential coaches had to register for various technical courses along with further theory courses to begin their basic training. Under the new Initiation Coach Program, the technical and theory courses have been integrated. The result is a more efficient, more comprehensive program that will benefit future coaches as well as athletes. “The training coaches will receive will be more meaningful and directly related to what their needs are,” said NCCP contractor and New Brunswick Baseball’s Coaching Co-ordinator, Mike Bowes. “The previous program was more instructional-based while this one is more interactive. It will be more efficient in giving coaches the tools they need to become competent coaches – that’s the focus.” Another major benefit of the program is the fact that the introductory phase of the new Coach Initiation Program is completed on-line. Potential coaches can now receive their basic baseball-specific training at their own pace and on their own time, something which is receiving tremendous feedback from future coaches across the country. “The way the world works now people are more likely to do it this way,” said Bob Gillis, a technical representative with Baseball Nova Scotia. “It just makes it much easier to get people on board and begin the process of being an effective coach. That and you can have an unlimited number of people doing the courses all at the same time, which previously wasn’t possible. The Initiation Coach Program now also allows coaches to essentially better tailor their instruction to the level of competition at which they wish to coach. The new system features two different branches: “Regional Coach” and “Provincial Coach”. For example, an individual seeking to simply coach a Pee-Wee team in the local baseball league would follow the Regional Coach branch while those interested in coaching at the provincial or national levels would follow the Provincial Coach branch. The new training module will also distinguish between coaches who are “In Training”, coaches who are “Trained” and coaches who are fully “Certified”. “In Training” designates a coach who is currently taking courses. Once the coach completes the courses in question, he become “Trained.” In order for that coach to become “Certified”, he must then pass an evaluation process, which includes a module on making ethical decisions, a review of the coach’s portfolio and an observation session with a trained evaluator. “I think that’s something extremely important that has kind of been swept under the rug in the past,” said Saskatchewan Baseball Technical Director Greg Brons of the emphasis the Initiation Coach Program places on ethics. “Now, in this day in age with bullying and other such issues, it’s something that we definitely need to address because we need to be prepared for a multitude of scenarios that we may very well come across on any given day.” Furthermore, certified coaches will have to demonstrate a willingness to further their own education, keep learning, and stay up-to-date with new coaching methods in order to maintain their certification, which will come up for renewal every three years. All of the changes, says Baseball Canada Manager of Operations André Lachance, place a positive outlook on the future of Canadian Baseball. “This is only the beginning because we’re going to continue to improve many of the other coaching programs currently in place,” he said. “All of this is possible thanks to Baseball Canada’s Coaching Committee, which worked extremely hard over the last couple of years in order to allow us to introduce these more effective measures of training coaches.” Anyone interested in becoming a baseball coach at any level is encouraged to visit http:nccp.baseball.ca. Registration is only $37.45. Along with the registration, coaches will receive access to hundreds of videos and materials related to drills, practice plans and skill development tools over the NCCP website.
If Baseball America’s evaluation of the top-10 prospects of all 30 Major League Baseball clubs is any indication, the future of Canadian Baseball is promising as six canucks made the top prospects list for their respective clubs. Leading the list and rated No. 2 (the top pitcher) by Baseball America in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization is left-handed pitcher Adam Loewen, Canada’s highest-ever draft pick. Loewen, who was selected fourth overall in the 2002 MLB draft also received the largest signing bonus and major league contract ever handed out by the Baltimore Orioles to an amateur player. If those numbers don’t emphasize the confidence the Orioles have in Adam Loewen, his statistics on the field will certainly reinforce the belief that the Surrey, B.C. native will likely play in the Major Leagues in the near future. Loewen won seven of his last 10 starts in 2005 in addition to picking up a win in relief in his last appearance of the season with the High-A Frederick Keys. He finished the season 10-8 with a 4.12 ERA and struck out 146 batters in 142 innings of work. The 6’5”, 215 pound lefty also lead the 2005 Arizona Fall League with a 1.67 ERA. Although his up-side was well known within baseball circles, Loewen’s name wasn’t exactly a household name until he shut down a powerful American line-up at the World Baseball Classic, setting the tone defensively to pace Canada to a 8-6 upset of the U.S. where he threw 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and three walks. Loewen is expected to begin the season at Double-A Bowie. HISTORY: Selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round (fourth overall) of the 2002 MLB draft - Signed May 26, 2003. Of the six Canadians on Baseball America’s list, Dodgers’ catcher Russell Martin (Ranked No. 4 and the top catcher in the Dodgers’ system) will likely be the first to play in the Major Leagues. Martin, who many expected to be a late-season call-up to the Majors last season, opted to make his case for a spot on the Dodgers’ 2006 big league roster rather than playing in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. His decision may very well prove to be a wise career move. Thus far, Martin is batting .357 with one homerun, eight RBIs, five runs scored and only three strikeouts in 13 spring training games. Those numbers, paired with an hamstring injury suffered by projected opening day catcher Dioner Navaro on March 15, may very well translate into Martin’s first spot on a Major League roster. The more experienced Sandy Alomar Junior is expected to get the start over Martin (should Navaro not be healthy enough to play) on opening day. However, having had seven knee surgeries over his 18-year Major League career, you would think that Alomar would need a rest sooner or later, opening the door for Martin to take to the field for the first time. HISTORY: Selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 17th round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft - Signed June 13, 2002. At No. 2 on the San Diego Padres’ prospects list is Scarborough, Ontario native George Kottaras. Kottaras, who projects to be an offense-oriented catcher, is one of three Canadian backstops in the Padres’ Organization. He and Pierre-Luc Laforest (Hull, Qué.) are both currently listed on the Padres’ 40-man roster as back-ups to Doug Mirabelli and Mike Piazza. Kottaras played his first full professional season is 2005, splitting time between Hi-A Lake Elsinore and Double-A Mobile, batting .299 with 11 homeruns, 36 doubles and 65 RBIs. It is his offensive production that scouts believe will vault Kottaras into a starting position at the big league level by the end of the 2007 season. HISTORY: Selected by Padres in the 20th round of the 2002 draft; signed May 26, 2003. The Philadelphia Phillies’ No. 4 prospect, Scott Mathieson, has been making waves since being drafted in 2002. Off the field, Mathieson is quiet and mild-mannered. On the field, he’s a tenacious competitor and an extremely hard worker. Since being drafted, Mathieson has gained over 30 pounds of muscle and has added 12 MPH to his fastball in addition to developing solid second and third pitches. Despite not having pitched beyond Single-A, Mathieson proved he can throw at a high level, finishing second in the 2005 Arizona Fall League for strikeouts, fanning 36 batters in 26 innings of work. Mathieson also threw a hitless eighth inning setting up Canada’s upset of the United States at the World Baseball Classic. Mathieson will likely begin the 2006 season at Double-A Reading. HISTORY: Selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 17th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft - Signed July 3, 2002. The only Canadian who isn’t either a pitcher or a catcher to make it to his organization’s top-10 list is first baseman Joey Votto (Toronto, Ontario). At No. 9 in the Cincinnati Reds’ system, Votto is a catcher-turned-first baseman who can hit the ball a mile. The top first-base prospect in the organization, Votto walked 90 times in 2004 showing he can also be patient at the plate. The 22 year-old had a coming out party in his first two international tournaments with Baseball Canada’s national senior team in 2005, earning all-star honours at both the 2005 World Cup in the Netherlands and the 2005 CONCEBE Baseball Regional Olympic Qualifier in Phoenix, Arizona. Votto will likely begin the 2006 season at Double-A Chattanooga. HISTORY: Selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft - Signed June 5, 2002. The final Canadian to make the top-10 list is the only one to belong to Canada’s lone Major League Baseball organization, the Toronto Blue Jays. At No. 10 on the Blue Jays’ list is the hard-throwing Vince Perkins (Saanichton, B.C.). Perkins’ premiere pitch, a heaving sinking fastball is already a major-league pitch. As he continues to improve on his second and third pitches, the 24-year old will work his way up the Jays’ system. Perkins will likely begin the season at Double-A New Hampshire and might get called up to Triple-A Syracuse. HISTORY: Selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 18th round of the 2000 MLB entry draft; Signed May 24, 2001.
Canadian Marc Besteman (Bradford, Ont.) went five-for-six with a pair of RBIs to tie a Northern Illinois University record for hits in one game, Friday, in a 13-9 loss to the University of Nevada Wolfpack in Reno, Nevada. “It was great because each and every one of those came in a situation where we needed a hit,” said Besteman, adding he would have traded all of those hits in for a Huskies win. “But I would rather have had five sac bunts and a win than five hits and a loss.” With his parents on hand, having flow in from north or the border, Besteman (Bradford, Ont.) hit five singles to become only the fifth Huskies’ player and the first since 2002 to collect five hits in one game, his only hiccup coming in the eighth inning when he flied out to left field. With two away in the top of the ninth inning and Besteman coming to the plate representing the last out of the game, the 21-year-old was solely focused on keeping the inning and his team’s hopes of winning alive. “I didn’t know what the record was or that I was even going for a record there. My coach told me after the game,” he said. “I can recall having played a good double header, but I can’t recall ever picking up five hits in one game.” Besteman, who played on a myriad of Ontario provincial teams during high school and hwoattended the Canadian National Junior Team prospects’ spring training camp in 2003, is now hitting .293 with seven RBIs and three stolen bases in 14 games this season. Besteman’s record-tying game 1st : Single to right field3rd: Single up the middle4th: Single, advanced to second on the throw, RBI7th: Single up the middle, RBI8th: Flied out to left field9th: Single to left-centre field
Baseball P.E.I. is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kelsey McIntosh to the position of Executive Director. Originally from Souris, P.E.I., McIntosh and has been working as a Multi Sport Executive Director with Sport P.E.I. for the past 4 1/2 years. McIntosh has vast sport and recreation experience having been involved with baseball, football, and hockey as an athlete, coach, official and/or administrator. He also has administration experience with basketball, cycling, figure skating, ringette, synchronized swimming, tennis and the 55+ Games Society. McIntosh met the membership March 13th when Baseball P.E.I. held its Recognition Night and Presidents Meeting. The Recognition night was the Association's opportunity to award the 2005 Sport PEI Certificate of Achievements while the Presidents meeting outlined the plans for the upcoming 2006 season. Additional volunteers are always needed to assist with upcoming events. Anybody interested in becoming involved is asked to contact McIntosh. Baseball PEI welcomes McIntosh and encourages anyone with questions about the Association to contact Kelsey directly. He can be reached by Phone: (902) 368-4208 or Toll-free 1-800-247-6712 (in PEI) or by Email at kmcintosh@sportpei.pe.ca, by Fax at (902) 368-4548 or Toll-free Fax 1-800-235-5687 (in PEI) or by mail at Baseball PEI, P.O. Box 302, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 7K7.
Team Canada’s ride at the inaugural World Baseball Classic was an emotional roller coaster. First they fought off a pesky South African squad in one of the wildest games of the tournament. Then they shocked the world by beating a star-studded American team a day later, only to fall to an inspired group of Mexicans in their final game. Although the Canadians ended the tournament on a low point and failed to advance to the second round, there are reasons a plenty for Baseball Canada for which to be proud. Here are the top-five reasons why fans should not be disappointed with Canada’s finish at the World Baseball Classic. 5. Against what was hyped to be one of the best pitching staffs in the tournament, Boston Red Sox outfielder Adam Stern (Port Stanley, Ont.) lit it up offensively in an 8-6 win over the United States. Stern was a double away from hitting for the cycle, going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI. In addition, Stern was a rock in centre field making diving plays and leaping grabs against the wall to preserve Canada’s lead. After the first round of the World Baseball Classic, Stern was second in batting average and led the entire field in number of hits. With the departure of Johnny Damon to the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox outfield is considerably weaker than that of 2005. Canadians shouldn’t be surprised if they see more of Adam Stern this season. 4. Canada’s young guns were its best performers, especially on the mound. The four youngest Canadian pitchers, Jesse Crain (24), Vince Perkins (24), Scott Mathieson (22) and Adam Loewen (21) did not allow a single run and only gave up one hit over a combined 7.2 innings of work. In addition, Erik Bedard (27), Eric Cyr (27) and Steve Green (28) combined for 4 hits, 2 walks, 1 run and 8 strikeouts over 7.1 innings pitched. The future of Canadian baseball is in good hands. 3. As Baseball Canada shifts its focus to the Americas Olympic Qualifier which will be held in Havana, Cuba August 23 to September 2, it can take solace in the fact that more than half the players from its World Baseball Classic (18) team will likely be eligible to return to the national senior team. Any player not on a Major League Baseball 25-man roster is eligible for the tournament; meaning players like Loewen, Mathieson, Perkins, Green, Ryan Radmanovich, Scott Thorman and Stubby Clapp could help Canada on its quest for a second-straight Olympic berth. Depending on his status with the Boston Red Sox, Stern might also be available. Having recently retired from Major League Baseball, veteran pitcher Paul Quantrill would also be eligible. 2. Although Canada would have traded in their victory against the U.S.A for a berth in the second round of the World Baseball Classic, the upset of the American powerhouse has opened some eyes both north and south of the 49th parallel. Although Canada has come up with major victories in the past (1991 World Junior Championship gold medal, bronze medal at the 1993 World University Games, wins over both Cuba and the United States at the 1999 Pan-Am Games and a fourth-place finish at the 2004 Olympics), this year’s U.S.eh! game will likely go down as the most memorable. For baseball fans in the U.S. and around the world, the U.S.eh! game is the game that has put Canadian baseball on the map. Within baseball circles, Canada’s baseball teams have been earning more respect and although Canada has been producing more and more quality Major League players, fans who generally tune-out during international competitions have been oblivious the strides Baseball Canada has made over the last 15 years. Now that Canada has pulled off another major victory on the biggest stage against the best players baseball’s birthplace could provide, sports fans around the world are finally realizing that Canada is not just about hockey, curling, and ketchup sandwiches. 1. After the first round, Canada was no better or no worse than the two teams who advanced ahead of them. Canada was the only team in the entire World Baseball Classic field to be eliminated with two wins in its three first round games. After being tied with the United States and Mexico with two wins and a loss, Canada simply ended up getting the short-end of the stick on a tie-breaker rule in a sport that prides itself in determining a clear winner every time out. With two wins in the most competitive first-round pool at the World Baseball Classic, Canada’s team has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – Baseball Canada’s National Senior rallied to narrowly avoid being upset by a pesky South African team, Tuesday Night at Scottsdale Stadium, hanging on for a wild 11-8 victory in its first-ever World Baseball Classic Game. Three outs away from pulling off the biggest upset of the World Baseball Classic, South Africa and its 17-year-old reliever Jared Elario couldn’t prevent a four-run, ninth inning rally from Canada, who had to look to its bench for a hero. After entering the game late as a defensive replacement, Ryan Radmanovich (Calgary, Alberta) hit a 430-foot triple off the base of the wall in straight-away center to lead-off the ninth inning for Canada. Radmanovich was cashed in by a double to right by Adam Stern (Port Stanley, Ont.) to tie the game. Elario continued to struggle, throwing two wild pitches with Canadians on third base and giving up an RBI double to reserve outfielder Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) to run the final score out to 11-8. “How was that for an emotional roller coaster to start the tournament?” said Canada’s second baseman Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.). “This was probably a good game for us, not only because it was back and forth and we fought back to win the game, but because it lets us realize that anything can happen in a tournament like this.” After taking a 3-0 lead, South Africa came back to take a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Canada came answered with four runs in the seventh to regain a three-run lead, but with the bases loaded, South African second baseman Paul Bell cleared the bases with a double down the left field line to put South Africa up 9-8 going into the ninth inning. Bell went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, one run, one walk and four RBI. Corey Koskie (Anola, Manitoba) hit a two-run blast to right in the top half of the seventh inning to help Canada take a temporary 7-4 lead. Coskey finished the game 1-for-3 with two RBI, one double and three walks. "Usually, this is still early in Spring Training and you don't play with this intensity," said Koskie. "There was no 75 to 80 percent out there today. It was 100 to 110 percent all the way through. Nobody was leaving anything behind. You saw that with our guys, and their guys.” After a relatively uneventful first four innings where the two teams combined for only three hits, the offences took over and the wheels came off for almost every pitcher that came into the game for both teams. Canada got on the board first with a three-run fifth highlighted by a two-run double to right from Designated hitter Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.). South Africa came back to take the lead going into the sixth thanks in part to a bases clearing double from shortstop Brett Willemburg with the bases loaded. The game featured 16 walks, 8 wild pitches (all by South Africa), three hit batsmen and five errors. There were 47 base runners on the game behind only 27 hits. The game went 3 hours and 38 minutes, giving Canada just over 12 hours to prepare for their second game of the tournament. “We’ve got the win now and what we have to do is go home, get rested and be ready to face the Americans tomorrow,” said Stern. Canada will face the United States in the second match-up of the World Baseball Classic Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST at Chase field in Phoenix, Arizona. Adam Loewen will get the ball for Canada while Dontrelle Willis will start for the Americans.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – 21-year-old Baltimore Orioles prospect Adam Loewen will lead a group of young pitchers into Canada’s second World Baseball match-up against the United States this afternoon. The 6’5”, 225-pound left-hander will start the game on the mound for Canada, who is 1-0 after defeating South Africa Tuesday night in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Adam has a lot of talent coming out of that arm,” said Canadian Manager Ernie Whit of the fourth selection in the 2001 MLB draft. “He’s got tremendous stuff and the Americans have never seen him before, so I’m confident he can go out there and do very well.” Loewen, who led the 2005 Arizona Fall League in ERA (1.67) is Canada’s highest-ever draft pick and is rated No. 2 on Baseball America’s evaluation of the top prospects in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization. He threw two innings, allowing no runs, one hit and two walks during a spring training game for the Orioles in his last outing when he faced the Florida Marlins Thursday, March 3. It’s likely that Loewen won’t be the only young pitcher to throw against the U.S. 26-year-old Chris Begg, 22-year-old Scott Mathieson, and 24-year-old Vince Perkins will all be available after not being used in yesterday’s game against South Africa. Eric Cyr (27), Steve Green (28), Mike Meyers (28) and Aaron Myette (28) are also available. Including the position players, Canada’s World Baseball Classic squad features 10 players aged 25 or under. “I think that helps team chemistry a little bit,” said Mathieson, one of the top pitching prospects in the Philadelphia Phillies’ system. “We all realize that this is a big opportunity for us and we really look to feed off of each other as well as learning from the more experienced guys like Paul Quantrill or Rheal Cormier.” The collection of young players is part of a core group of athletes who have a wealth of international tournament experience, which some consider to be one of Canada’s biggest strengths under the World baseball Classic’s format. The 10 players under the age of 25 combine 42 international tournaments on various Baseball Canada’s National Team programs. Canadian Manager Ernie Whitt said that having such a talented group of young players projects a very good outlook for the future of Canadian baseball. “I think it’s going to bode very well for us because these guys are going to gain a lot of experience at this tournament,” said Whitt. “I think it’s really going to pay dividends for Canadian Baseball. This is a great opportunity for them to come in here and showcase their abilities under the spotlight. They’re going to come out competing against Major League hitters and there are going to be a lot of scouts out there. A lot of opportunities might arise out of this.” Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST at Chase Field in Phoenix. Fans can watch the game live across the country on all Rogers Sportsnet channels. Fans without cable or satellite packages can also follow the game live at www.worldbaseballclassic.com.
POENIX, ARIZONA – Navan Ontario’s Erik Bedard will be handed the ball on the mound for Canada’s first-ever World Baseball Classic match up tonight against South Africa. Bedard’s start was a late decision for Manager Ernie Whitt, who decided to start the Baltimore Orioles’ left-hander in order to have him available more quickly should Canada advance to the second round. Fellow lefty and Orioles’ prospect Adam Loewen, who was originally schedule to play against South Africa will now throw against the United States, Wednesday. “We just felt that if we pitched Bedard first, then his next assignment would likely fall against Japan in the next round, provided we qualify,” said Whitt. “We feel that Japan is a pretty good hitting ball club and that Bedard would match up better against them than Adam Loewen.” Despite the short notice, Whitt is extremely confident that Bedard will bring his A-Game in his first-start ever for a Canadian National Team. “Erik has a lot of experience on the mound and he’s one of the best pitcher’s in the game when he’s healthy,” said Whitt. “And he is healthy right now.” Bedard started the 2005 season 5-1 with a 2.09 ERA before going on the disable list in late may. He finished the season 6-8 with a 4.00 ERA. South Africa is expected to send the well-conditioned Carl Michaels to the mound. Michaels, a 24-year old once in the Milwaukee Brewers Minor League system, threw 13 innings in a 5-4 loss to the second-place Koreans at the 2005 World Cup in the Netherlands. Michaels allowed 12 hits and struck out 12 of the 53 batters he faced in that game. He was charged with only two earned runs but fired a wild pitch that sent the winning run home from third base in the bottom of the 13th inning. Game time is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. EST at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fans can watch the game live on Rogers Sportsnet East, Ontario and Pacific or tape-delayed at 1:00 a.m. EST on Rogers Sportsnet West. For those without cable television packages, the game will also be featured live at www.worldbaseballclassic.com.
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