The Mizuno Junior Elite Development Camp took place last weekend at the Rogers Centre and all fifty 15-16 year old kids got a taste of the big league experience by receiving some of the best instruction in the country and learning some new drills and techniques to the game of baseball. After the players reported on the Friday night, they were treated to the first of three Toronto Blue Jays games on the weekend. The on-field and off-field instruction began the following day with two “Life Skills” seminars. The first seminar was on strength and conditioning with former Blue Jays Strength and Conditioning Coach Jeff Krushell, who showed the kids proper stretching techniques and exercises to help prevent injuries and increase strength and endurance. The second seminar was a presentation by Mizuno Canada to introduce the players to some of the new equipment they have to offer and the importance of having the proper and comfortable equipment. After the second Blue Jays game, the players hit the field for some on-field instruction with some of the Blue Jays coaching staff, lead by third base coach Brian Butterfield with pitching coach Brad Arnsberg and first base coach Marty Pevey. With the help of coaches form across the country, the young men were put through several infield and outfield drills as well as bullpen sessions for the pitchers and catchers in the group. Following that was batting practice where groups would rotate from fielding to the batting cages to hitting. During this, pitchers were shown the Blue Jays weight training facility and show more exercise techniques. On the Sunday, it began with two more “Life Skills” sessions, first with Blue Jays Director of Canadian Scouting Kevin Briand who discussed career planning and talent assessment, followed by a presentation by Baseball Canada’s Director of National Teams Greg Hamilton about the National Teams Program. Once the kids took in their final Blue Jays game of the weekend, they took the field at Rogers Center for more instruction from the coaching staff, beginning with baserunning drills followed by additional infield and outfield drills along with catching instruction and pitchers fielding practice. Now all the practice for the weekend was done and it was time for the inter-squad game on Monday. The group would be split in to two teams, one coached by Brian Butterfield and the other by Marty Pevey. The coaching staff and scouts were on hand to evaluate the players in a game that saw 23 pitchers and all position players see action. Highlights of the game include Shane Kraemer of Chilliwack, B.C. and Steven Inch of Edmonton, Alberta to be the only two pitchers to face the minimum with Kraemer striking out one, while Inch fanned a pair. All pitchers with the exception of two recorded at least one strikeout in their inning of work. Offensively, Jordan Wong of Calgary, Alberta went 1-for-3 with a RBI triple, two walks and a run scored. Stephen Brien of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk and Jose Torralba of Mississauga, Ontario was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. With all that said, Team Pevey beat Team Butterfield 10-5 in the scheduled 12 inning game. After the game, the group was treated with appearances by Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons, pitchers Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett, and third baseman Troy Glaus for some instructional tips, autographs and photos. To see the photos of the event, click here.
Major League Baseball, Baseball Canada and Mizuno Canada will host some of the top 15-16 year old baseball players in the country for the 2007 edition of the Mizuno Junior Elite Development Camp at the Rogers Center this April, it was announced today. This select group of aspiring “big leaguers” from across Canada will receive on-field instruction from coaching and scouting staffs of the Toronto Blue Jays, Major League Baseball and Baseball Canada. “The comprehensive nature of the Mizuno Junior Elite Development Camp will allow these talented young Canadian players the opportunity to refine their skills while preparing them for competition at the next level,” says Greg Hamilton, Head Coach and Director of National Teams for Baseball Canada. “One of Major League Baseball International’s primary goals is building on the talent base of players all over the world,” said Paul Archey, Senior Vice President, International Business Operations, Major League Baseball. “With an MLB-record 19 Canadians on Opening Day rosters this year, MLB remains committed to helping elite young players develop the necessary skills, both on and off the field, to succeed at the Major League level.” From April 13 through April 16, the players will sweat through fundamental skills training designed by the coaching staffs that include hitting, pitching, infielding, outfielding, catching and baserunning. On the final day of the elite camp, participants will form two teams to compete in a Canada East vs. Canada West intra-squad game. In addition to the on-field training, the young men will participate in a series of “Life Skills” classroom seminars. Seminar topics include proper nutrition, career goal planning, strength and conditioning, injury prevention and rehabilitation, talent evaluation and assessment. “Mizuno is pleased to be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity to help these young athletes realize their dreams of playing in the Major Leagues,” said John Stacey, President of Mizuno Canada. “Our relationship with Baseball Canada continues to flourish and Mizuno will continue to help support the development of Baseball in Canada through grassroots programs.” Past players who have participated in the Mizuno Junior Elite Camp include current Major Leaguers Adam Loewen of the Baltimore Orioles and Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instructors include from the Toronto Blue Jays, third base coach Brian Butterfield, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, first base coach Marty Pevey and Director of Canadian Scouting Kevin Briand. Denis Boucher, former Major Leaguer and current pitching coach for the Canadian Olympic Team and Greg Hamilton, Head Coach and Director of National Teams for Baseball Canada are also included in the instructional staff. For media wishing to attend, please RSVP to confirm your attendance by contacting André Cormier at 613-748-5606 or by e-mail at media@baseball.ca.
The Boys of Summer got the 2007 season off and running and some of the home grown talent contributed to the excitement. Justin Morneau started his defence of the American League MVP by going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in a 7-4 victory for his Minnesota Twins over Erik Bedard and the Baltimore Orioles. Morneau hit his first homer of the season off Bedard in the second inning to open the scoring. He would also hit two singles, and he would hit Orioles’ catcher Paul Bako in a collision at the plate on a play at home plate in the fourth reminiscent of a hard body check in hockey. Also making an appearance in the game was Toronto native Jesse Crain. He pitched 2/3 of an inning, retiring both batters he faced, including a strikeout. Another Canadian making some noise on Opening Day was Jason Bay as he helped launch the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-2, 10 inning win over the Houston Astros. After the Pirates tied the game in the ninth, Bay came up to bat in the 10th with a man on and one out. The Trail, B.C. native, who was 0-for-4 at that point, took a 0-2 fastball from Astros’ reliever Chad Qualls over the left field fence to bring in the game winning runs. The marathon known as the Major League Baseball season continues with a couple other Canadians expected to make their season debuts. Shawn Hill will be taking the ball for the Washington Nationals as they face the Florida Marlins and Jeff Francis will be on the mound for the Colorado Rockies to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the Northern League announced the signing of a one-year contract with former Major Leaguer and Edmonton native Mike Johnson. “I'm back home, playing pro ball, still doing what I like to do in a city I love to live in,” said Johnson in an Edmonton Journal interview. “Our family was going to make this our permanent home in about a year, so it's like this was meant to be.” The six-foot-two, 180-pound right-hander pitched parts of five seasons in the majors from 1997-2001 with the Baltimore Orioles and the Montreal Expos. The 31-year-old compiled a career big league mark of 7-14 with a 6.85 ERA and two saves in 218 innings pitched. Johnson, who was a member of the 2004 Canadian Olympic Team in Athens, pitched for Somerset of the Atlantic League last season with a 5-4 record and a 4.34 ERA and nine saves. He missed the entire 2005 season after going through Tommy John surgery.
Baseball Canada has released its 34 man roster for the upcoming Spring Training Camp scheduled for April 19-29 at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando, Florida. 15 of the 34 players on the roster are from Ontario, 13 are from British Columbia, two are from Quebec and Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island each have one player. The squad will play eight exhibition games against Major League Extended Spring Training teams. 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.
The Rally Cap Program has unveiled its new report card for the 2007 season. The report card can be accessed through the website in our Development section and clicking on the Rally Cap Initiation Program link. The Rally Cap Program, which was initiated in 2006, is a nation-wide initiative meant to introduce better tools for players and coaches in order to enhance their first experience with the game of baseball. For more information regarding the Rally Cap program, please contact your local provincial association.
With Spring Training well under way and the start of the Major League season soon at hand, now is the time to see proven major leaguers hitting their stride and young prospects and minor leaguers trying to turn some heads in bids to earn roster spots. Within all that, there are some Canadians of note that have had productive springs thus far. Among the position players, Trail, B.C.’s Jason Bay is hitting .455 (5-for-11) with a pair of doubles and two RBI this spring for Pittsburgh. Peter Orr of Richmond Hill, Ontario has appeared in nine games for the Atlanta Braves this spring and is hitting .375 (6-for-16). Cincinnati Reds prospect Joey Votto of Toronto, Ontario has a homer and five RBIs while hitting .353 (6-for-17) in 12 games. Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Stern of London, Ontario is hitting .333 (2-for-6) in four games. Other players of note: Matt Stairs; Saint John, New Brunswick (Toronto Blue Jays): .313 (5-for-16), 2 RBI Pierre-Luc Laforest; Hull, Quebec (San Diego Padres): .300 (3-for-10), 2 RBI Justin Morneau; New Westminster, B.C. (Minnesota Twins): 5 RBI, 9 G Russell Martin; Gatineau, Quebec (L.A. Dodgers): .320 (8-for-25), 3 RBI Among the pitchers, Erik Bedard of Navan, Ontario is 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA in three starts (9.0 IP) for the Baltimore Orioles for the spring. Moncton, New Brunswick’s Rheal Cormier has made four relief appearances this spring and has a 2.25 ERA in 4.0 IP for Cincinnati. Victoria, B.C. native Rich Harden of the Oakland Athletics has posted a 0.00 ERA in two games (5.0 IP) with nine strikeouts. Ryan Dempster of Sechelt, B.C. has made four relief appearances (4.0 IP) for the Chicago Cubs, posting a 2.25 ERA. Other pitchers of note: Steve Green; Greenfield Park, Quebec (Baltimore Orioles): 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 3.0 IP, 4 K Shawn Hill; Mississauga, Ontario (Washington Nationals): 2,00 ERA, 3 GS, 9.0 IP Adam Loewen; Surrey, B.C. (Baltimore Orioles): 1-1, 2.25 ERA, 2 GS, 4.0 IP, 9 K Jesse Crain; Toronto, Ontario (Minnesota Twins): 1.50 ERA, 5 G, 6.0 IP Keep an eye out for these Canadians and many others as the 2007 Major League season is set to begin on April 1st.
The province of Manitoba will represent Canada at the 18th Annual World Children’s Baseball Fair 2007 to be held from July 29 to August 6 in Puerto Rico. The five children who will represent the country at the annual event where selected randomly through an application process which required the kids to fill out an application form, write a short essay and obtain a letter of reference. Over 70 kids from across the province applied for the event. The selected children are Nicholas Kehler of Altona, age 11; Graham Turko of McCreary, age 11; Paul Klassen of Winnipeg, age 10; Thomas LeStrat of Eriksdale, age 10 and Daryl-Ann Rawluk of Lorette, age 11. The group will be accompanied by chaperone Ken Sharpe, who is the President of the Manitoba Baseball Association. Each province gets a chance to represent Canada at the World Children’s Baseball Fair, with Alberta, Saskatchewan, PEI, Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland previously representing Canada since 2001. British Columbia will represent the country next year with Quebec and Nova Scotia the following years respectively. Chairman of the World Children’s Baseball Foundation of Japan Sadaharu Oh and the legendary Hank Aaron founded the event in the interest of promoting baseball and providing an opportunity to develop international relationships, goodwill and cultural understanding among the youth of the world.
Saskatchewan Baseball and Investors Group are proud to announce that Regina will host a clinic for coaches, parents, administrators and baseball fans on March 31 at the Regina Inn. The clinic will feature former Major Leaguer Al Oliver, who played 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Texas Rangers and Montreal Expos and Dave Robb, former Team Canada assistant coach and former coach in the Oakland Athletics organization. This will be a great opportunity for coaches to gather drills and new ideas for practices for the 2007 season. Coaches who do not have their NCCP Initiation (old Level 1) or Level 2 Technical will have the opportunity to receive their technical levels by attending this clinic. Individuals who are seeking Level 1 Technical (now called Initiation Coach) must do the on-line requirements before attending at http://nccp.baseball.ca/ If you wish to register for this symposium go to www.saskbaseball.ca for the registration form and send in to the Regina Sask Baseball Office by faxing to (306) 352-3669 or mail with payment to 1870 Lorne Street, Regina, SK., S4P 2L7. Early registration fee is $65 for active members and $97.50 for affiliate members. Fees for registration after March 23 are $75 for active members and $112.50 for affiliate members.
March 8, 2007 marks the one year anniversary of the biggest upset in Canadian baseball history when Team Canada beat the powerhouse Team USA 8-6 in the World Baseball Classic. That game solidified Canada’s place in the baseball world, and put this country on the map as a manufacturer of some serious baseball talent. With names such as Jason Bay, Justin Morneau, Matt Stairs, Jeff Francis and Erik Bedard already becoming stars in the Major Leagues, it was names such as Adam Loewen, Pierre-Luc Laforest and Scott Mathieson that really shined. But perhaps the one name that shined the brightest in that game was Adam Stern. Stern had a huge game for Canada with three hits, including an inside the park home run, and four RBIs and a couple of clutch defensive plays, including a leaping catch at the wall in center field to rob Chase Utley of an extra base hit to keep the Canadians ahead. “I thought ‘Oh my God,’” recollects Matt Stairs in an interview with the Toronto Sun. “Then Stern caught it and I thought ‘Oh my God, we’re going to win this.’” “It was a big deal, going up against all those All-Stars,” says Stern referring to the confidence boost of that game. “Guys like Dontrell Willis and Al Leiter; it helps get the jitters out because you realize it’s still the same game.” Although Canada would ultimately be eliminated from the inaugural tournament in the first round, that game stands out as one of the major highlights of the competition and of Canadian baseball history in general.
