Zero Canucks drafted by Canada's team, 10 rounds in

By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
First Jack Webb and then Dan Aykroyd starred in Dragnet.

In the TV series and movie by the same name the policeman would interview a witness veering off course and interject “Just the facts, ma’am.”

OK, just the facts ... two days into the three day draft of high schoolers and collegians. 

The facts ...

_ 306 players were selected in the first 10 rounds of the 40-round process.

_ Nine Canadians were chosen.

_ Zero were chosen by Your Toronto Blue Jays, owned by Rogers Communications, which bills itself on its web site as a “leading diversified public Canadian communications and media company.”

_ One Ohio player was selected by the Jays in the first two days. The Jays selected right-hander T.J. Zeuch from the Pitt University Panthers with their first pick. Zeuch is from Mason, Ohio, outside of Cincinnati. He might be the next Roy Halladay or he might be the next Adam Miller, Dan Denham or Alan Horne, all former Indians first round arms who never made the majors. 

Mason, Ohio is a 3 1/2 hour drive from Progressive Field, where Rogers found the new Blue Jays front office. 

_ Three members of the Indians front office run things at Rogers Centre: new president Mark Shapiro was hired by Rogers as president, Shapiro hired Ross Atkins as general manager with help of a search committee and Shapiro hired Andrew Miller to replace Stephen Brooks as executive vice president of business operations. Cleveland. Cleveland. Cleveland. However, the new executives will tell you, that’s it, that’s all. Eric Wedge, the former Indians manager touring the Jays minor league system? “Oh, he’s from the Seattle Mariners.” Yes Wedge did manage the Mariners (2011-13), but he managed in the Indians minor league system (1998–2002) before being managing Cleveland (2003-09).

_ Thirty rounds remain in the draft. 

_ Three Canucks were selected in 2015: 3B Connor Panas (Toronto, Ont.) in the ninth round, C Owen Spiwak (Mississauga, Ont.) in the 10th and INF Mattingly Romanin (Burlington, Ont.) in the 39th were selected. 

_ Two were chosen the year before: RHP Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) in the 10th and RHP Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.) in the 23rd.

_ Two more went in 2013: RHP Sean Ratcliffe (Ajax, Ont.) in the 18th and C Mike Reeves (Peterborough, Ont.) in the 21st.

_ Four were chosen in 2012: LHP Ryan Kellogg (Whitby, Ont.) in the 12th, LHP Shane Dawson (Drayton Valley, Alta.) in the 17th, OF Nathan DeSouza (Milton, Ont.) 26th and Shaun Valeriote (Guelph, Ont.) 39th.

_ Seven were selected by Canada’s team in 2011: RHP Tom Robson (Ladner, BC) in the fourth, SS Justin Atkinson (Surrey, BC) 26th, RHP Les Williams (Toronto, Ont.) 37th, RHP Chris Cox (St.George, Ont.) in the 39th, LHP Shane Davis (Belmont, Ont.) 42nd, LHP Jake Eliopoulos (Newmarket, Ont.) 43th and RHP Eric Brown (Thunder Bay, Ont.).

_ Six were chosen in 2010: OF Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) was first man in 2010 when he was chosen 16th, LHP Jay Johnson (Sussex Corner, NB) 26th, OF Philip Diedrick (Ajax, Ont.) 45th, RHP Connor Smith (Grimsby, Ont.) 46th, C Nick Studer (Toronto, Ont.) and C Kelly Norris-Jones (Victoria, BC). 

_ Eight went in 2009 including right at the top of the Jays board: LHP James Paxton (Ladner, BC) with the 37th pick, Eliopoulos second round, OF Jonathan Gilbert (Cap-Rouge, Que.) 40th, C Mike Reeves (Peterborough, Ont.) 42nd, INF Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ont.) 43rd, RHP Brandon Kaye (Langley, BC) 45th, RHP Jeffrey Gibbs (Toronto, Ont.), 48th and RHP Burke Seifrit (Surrey, BC) 50th. 

_ Four more in 2008 led by OF Michael Crouse (Port Moody, BC) 16th, OF Brad McElroy (St. Thomas, Ont.) 25th, LHP J.R. Robinson (Burnaby, BC) 31st and OF George Agyapong-Mensah (Mississauga, Ont.) 44th. 

_ There were four more in 2007 RHP Trystan Magnuson (Vancouver, BC) went in the first round (56th over-all), C Joel Collins (Richmond Hill, Ont.) 10th, SS Steve Condotta (Mississauga, Ont.) 13th and SS Kyle Gilligan (Etobicoke, Ont.) 27th.

_ Five more in June of 2006 with OF Jonathan Baksh (Mississauga, Ont.) in the seventh, OF Chris Emanuele (Mississauga, Ont.) 26th, 1B Kevin Denis-Fortier (Quebec City, Que.) 38th, LHP Lee Verweel (Toronto, Ont.) 45th and RHP Brad Cuthbertson (Edmonton, Alta.) 49th.

_ Four in 2005 LHP Rob Hogue (Edmonton, Alta.) in the 23rd, 2B Philip Carey (London, Ont.) 25th, LHP Jeff Tobin (Pickering, Ont.) 33rd and 1B Denis-Fortier 48th.

_ Three more in 2004 RHP Bobby Scott (Victoria, BC) 20th, LHP Jon Hesketh (Langley, BC) 42nd and 1B Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC) 50th.  

_ Two in 2003 LHP Aric Van Gaalen (Edmonton, Alta.) and RHP Paul Marlow (Surrey, BC) 46th.

_ Three in 2002 RHP Mike Roga (Pickering, Ont.) in the 12th, 1B Mike Galloway (St. Thomas, Ont.) 14th and Van Gaalen, 16th. 

_ Eight were chosen in 2001 SS Lee Delfino (Pickering, Ont.) 6th, LHP Sean Grimes (London, Ont.) 8th, C David Corrente (Chatham, Ont.) 14th, LHP Adam Daniels (North Vancouver, BC) 27th, RHP Mark McDonald (Burlington, Ont.) 29th, RHP Paul McDonald (Burlington, Ont.) 43rd, RHP Kevin Johnston (Surrey, BC) 44th and LHP Floyd Albert (St. Catharines, Ont.) 50th.

_ Six more in 2000 3B-OF Nom Siriveaw (Vancouver, BC) 9th, RHP Mark Perkins (Victoria, BC) 18th, (568th), C Alex Blackburn ( London, Ont.) 18th, RHP Lanny Patten (Drayton Valley, Alta.) 30th, 2B Jeremy Ridley (Milton, Ont.) 34th and RHP Mathew Kniginyzky (Mississauga, Ont.) 43rd.

_ Seven more in 1999 RHP Charles Tasiaux (Cap-Rouge, Que.) 31st, OF Aaron Fera (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) 32nd, LHP Doug Dimma (Richmond Hill, Ont.) 36th, RHP Robert Findlay (Etobicoke, Ont.) 37th, RHP Mike Tisdale (Peterborough, Ont.) 38th, RHP Brendon Stafford (Gloucester, Ont.) and RHP Brooks McNiven (Vernon, BC) 46th. 

_ Five in 1998 SS Lee Delfino (Pickering, Ont.) fifth, LHP Steve Murray (Ennismore, Ont.) ninth, OF Adam Stern (London, Ont.) 22nd, RHP Shawn Lynn (North York, Ont.) 28th and RHP Travis Beckham (Port Dover, Ont. 

_ Six in 1997 starting with RHP Travis Hubbel (Edmonton, Alta.) 13th, RHP Jamie Jenkins (Mirimachi, NB) 34th, RHP Simon Stoner (Prince George BC) 36th, RHP Todd Thompson (Trail, BC) 44th, RHP Cam Newitt (Little Britain, Ont.) 66th and RHP David Steffler (Keene, Ont.) 67th. 

_ Five in 1996 RHP Yan Lachapelle (Gatineau, Que.) third, OF Bradley Moon (Red Deer, Alta.) 23rd, LHP Mark Curtis (St. Albert, Alta.) 34th, LHP Mike Duperron (Prescott, Ont.) 47th and RHP Joshua Glober (Leaside, Ont.) 50th.

_ Three in 1995 C Blaine Forton (Lundar, Man.) sixth, Curtis 24th and SS Jess Bechard (Brantford, Ont.) 41st.

_ Three in 1994 3B Terry Adams (Toronto, Ont.) 26th, LHP Mike Zavershnik (Mississauga, Ont.) and Steffler. 

_ Two in 1993 RHP Joe Young (Fort McMurray, Alta.) third and RHP Mike Johnson (Sherwood Park, Alta.) 17th.

_ Two in 1992 Adams 21st and RHP Derek Brandow (London, Ont.) 29th.

_ One in 1991 LHP Steve Sinclair (Victoria, BC).

_ 25 Consecutive years that the Jays have drafted a Canadian going back to 1990 when only Canadians eligible for the draft were those attending school south of the border.

_ Nine Canadians selected in the first 10 rounds, one less than a year agao, which was the most since 2007, only the second time the total has reached double figures in the first 10 rounds. 

_ 30 Rounds remaining this year to avoid a shut out of Canadians by Canada’s team. 

They are the facts going into the final day of the 2016 draft.