2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
2012 Canadians draft list
Letters of Intent

By Alexis Brudnicki

CHICAGO, Ill. – It’s been a big week for Ryan Dempster.

First, the right-hander celebrated his 35th birthday in Cincinnati on May 3. He threw eight innings of shutout ball, striking out six Reds hitters but taking a no-decision in the game.

In his next start, Tuesday night at home against the Atlanta Braves, Dempster completed seven frames, allowing one run and striking out seven. Though has so often been the case this season, he did not earn a decision due to a lack of run support.

Before Wednesday’s day game at Wrigley Field, the Cubs gave away Ryan Dempster bobbleheads to thousands of fans, highlighting the hurler’s career achievements and recognizing his greatness thus far in the Cubs organization.

First on the list of accomplishments on the box that encompasses the pitcher’s bobblehead is that he “was the first Canadian pitcher to go to the Mid-Summer Classic since the Cubs’ Fergie Jenkins in 1972.”

Continuing the pattern of distinguishing Dempster’s successes as a Canuck, he is also listed as the third Canadian-born hurler in MLB history to record three 15-win seasons. In addition, he ranks second among Canadian-born pitchers with 2078 career innings pitched, 299 starts and 112 wins, behind Jenkins of course.

“I have a long way to go before I can catch up,” Dempster said last season of the Cubs legend. “But he’s just a great guy to be grouped with.”

The bobblehead box also lets Cubs fans know that Dempster struck out the side in the ninth inning of the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, is one of two of the only active pitchers with at least 100 career victories and at least 85 saves, and he was the Chicago organization’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente award in 2006, 2008 and 2011.

The native of Gibsons, B.C., is a regular candidate for community-based awards such as the Clemente honour, which is given annually to the player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual’s contribution to his team.”

Dempster is known around the clubhouse as one of the nicest, most friendly and accommodating guys, both by teammates and media. His approachable and sociable demeanour makes him engaging and just enjoyable to be around, one reason the other guys on the roster are willing to do anything for the pitcher.

Having a guy like the Canadian hurler around makes it easy on team personnel as well. Often, teams have to find players to make presentations, shake hands and smile for cameras. On the days when he isn’t taking the mound for the Cubs, Dempster can be found doing just that, as he did before Wednesday’s afternoon matchup.

As the Chicago club honoured Atlanta third baseman and 19-year veteran Chipper Jones, Dempster was the man handing over the Braves banner that has hung for years over the Wrigley Field scoreboard, a gesture by the Cubs to the future Hall of Famer.

And on Wednesday evening, to cap off the big week, the 35-year-old hosted the third annual Dempster Foundation Casino Night at Palmer House Hilton hotel. The Ryan and Jenny Dempster Family Foundation supports the awareness and assistance of 22q11.2 deletion, also known as DiGeorge Syndrome. The Cubs pitcher and his wife know firsthand about dealing with the disease because their daughter Riley is inflicted with it.

The casino night was considered a success, raising funds and awareness, and, much to the surprise of many, Dempster was able to convince all of his teammates to attend and help out. All of them.

Often, team events feature appearances from a few key players showing their faces and signing some autographs for the crowd. But, being the guy that Dempster is, he extended the invitation for the evening to the entire Chicago Cubs roster, and all of them showed up, donned tuxedos, and were ready to deal cards.

If only Dempster had the same support on the field, he might be a perfect 5-0 right now instead of 0-1. Through five starts, the right-hander has posted a 1.02 ERA in 35 1/3 innings with 36 strikeouts, but has been the beneficiary of only four total runs of support.

While the Canuck had a huge week to start off the second month of the season, there are at least four months left to play, plenty more support to be given, and more bobbleheads to hand out at Wrigley Field.

2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
2012 Canadians draft list
Letters of Intent

By George Farelli

Carter Bell was rolling along during this class-A California League season for the Visalia Rawhide.

And then the High Desert Mavericks came to town.

Bell (Courtenay, BC) opened the series with two hits and a walk in a 6-5 win,

The next game he singled and knocked in a run in a 4-3 victory.

And in the finale against High Desert he singled again in a 10-6 loss.

Next the Rawhide continued their homestand and Bell had a pair of hits and an RBI in a 5-3 win over the Stockton Ports.

And the next night Visailia beat Stockton 6-1 as Bell had two hits and an RBI.

Add it all up and Bell went 8-for-19 (.421) with three RBIs to earn Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week honours.

BEST PERFORMANCES WEEK V

Player / Class / Team AB R H HR RBI AVG

Carter Bell  -  A  Visalia 19 1 8 – 3 .421

Taylor Green  -  AAA  Nashville 11 – 4 – 1 .364

Mark Teahen  -  AAA  Syracuse 25 3 9 – 6 .360

Marcus Knecht  -  A  Dunedin 24 5 8 2 7 .333

Marc Bourgeois  -  A  South Bend 30 – 9 – 4 .300

Chris Robinson  -  AAA  Norfolk 27 1 8 – 8 .296

Jordan Lennerton  -  AA  Erie 27 4 8 – 5 .296

Emerson Frostad  -  IND  Lancaster 17 4 8 1 5 .471

Jimmy Van Ostrand  -  IND  Sugar Land 25 2 11 1 8 .440

(Minimum 10 At Bats required.)

BEST  PITCHING  PERFORMANCES  for  WEEK  V

JAMES  AVERY  RHP  –   AA  ERIE  SEAWOLVES

APP    IP    H    R    ER    BB    K    W – L    SV    WHIP    WK ERA

2     11.0   11   4     4       3      9      1-1        -      1.27        3.27

Avery made two starts this week, on May 3 he had an excellent game in a 1-0 victory over Altoona Curve, as he tossed a nine-inning complete game shutout and gave up only five base hits and struck out eight Altoona batters. His follow up start on May 8 was not as successful, as he lasted only two Innings and surrendered 11 Hits and four earned runs in a 9-4 loss to the Akron Aeros. His overall record for the Seawolves now stands at 4-2 with a 2.70 ERA.

SCOTT  RICHMOND  RHP  –   AAA   LAS  VEGAS  51’s

APP    IP    H    R    ER    BB    K    W – L    SV    WHIP    WK ERA

2     13.0   8     4     4       3     11    1-0        –       0.85        2.77

Richmond had another very good week for the 51’s, in two starts he picked up his thIrd win of the season and a no decision. On May 4, he beat the Salt Lake Bees 11-3, throwing six solid Innings and gave up five hits, three earned runs and struck out seven.  In his next start on May 9 he pitched seven strong Innings, allowing three hits and one earned run in 2-1 extra-inning loss to the Oklahoma City RedHawks, but was not involved in the decision. The two starts improved his record to 3-2 with a 5.83 ERA.

JAMES  PAXTON  LHP  –   AA  JACKSON  GENERALS

APP    IP    H    R    ER    BB    K    W – L    SV    WHIP    WK ERA

2     11.1    7    3     2       5     12     1-1        –       1.08        1.62

In Week Five, Paxton made two starts and picked a win and a loss. On May 3 he got the win in a 3-1 victory over Pensacola Blue Wahoos, as he tossed 5 1/3 innings, giving up three hits and one unearned run, while striking out five. On May 8 he took the loss in 2-1 game against Huntsville Stars, but pitched very well. He threw 6 innings, surrendered four hits, two earned runs and struck out seven Stars. The two games improved his over-all record with the Generals to 3-1 with a 2.60 ERA.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

PREVIOUS WINNERS

Week 1 — James Paxton (Ladner, BC) 

Week 2 — 1B Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC)

Week 3 — RHP Jameson Taillon (Woodlands, Tx)  

Week 4 — LHP Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC) 

2011 Canadians in the Minors

2010 Canadians in the Minors

2009 Canadians in the Minors

2008 Canadians in the Minors

2007 Canadians in the Minors

2006 Canadians in the Minors

2005 Canadians in the Minors

2004 Canadians in the Minors

2003 Canadians in the Minors

2002 Canadians in the Minors

2001 Canadians in the Minors

2000 Canadians in the Minors

1999 Canadians in the Minors

1998 Canadians in the Minors

2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
2012 Canadians draft list
Letters of Intent

61 Canadian players are on the rosters of  affiliated Minor League teams in 2012, plus four in independent leagues and five are playing in foreign leagues

R- indicates player is Injured, on Rehab Assignment, or on the disabled list.

Bold face indicates that the player has been promoted to the majors

Statistical data reflects all Minor League games played up to and including Wednesday, May 9, 2012.

ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS 

OF Ryan LaPensee, Lasalle, Ont.  (.152, 0, 1) Single-A Visalia Rawhide; (.286, 0, 1) Triple-A, Reno Aces.

INF Carter Bell, Courtenay, BC (.308, 0, 9) Single-A, Visalia Rawhide.

OF Marc Bourgeois, Granby, Que. (.292, 3, 16) Single-A South Bend Silver Hawks; (.364, 0, 3) Single-A, Visalia Rawhide.

ATLANTA BRAVES

R-OF Chase Larsson, Vancouver, BC (.303, 0, 3) Single-A, Rome Braves.

OF  Tim Smith, Toronto, Ont. (.343, 1, 5) Single-A, Lynchburg Hillcats.

BALTIMORE ORIOLES

C Chris Robinson, Dorchester, Ont. (.260, 0, 11) Triple-A, Norfolk Tides.

SS Chris Tremblay, Montreal, Que. (.135, 0, 1) Single-A, Frederick Keys.

SS Sammie Starr, Toronto, Ont. (.241, 1, 14) Single-A, Delmarva Shorebirds.

CHICAGO CUBS

OF James Adduci, Burnaby, BC (.289, 2, 9) Double-A, Tennessee Smokies.

INF Wes Darvill, Richmond, BC (.258, 1, 10) Single-A, Peoria Chiefs.

LHP Sheldon McDonald, Spruce Grove, Alta. (0-0, 0.00) Single-A  Peoria Chiefs.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

RHP Henry Mabee, Victoria, BC (2-0, 0.00, two saves) Double-A, Birmingham Barons.

C Mike Blanke, Granby, Que. (.259, 2, 11) Single-A, Winston Salem Dash.

CINCINNATI REDS

LHP  Jeff Francis, Vancouver, BC  (2-4, 4.15) Triple-A Louisville Bats.

RHP Kyle Lotzkar, Tsawwassen, BC  (0-1, 3.00) Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos; (3-0, 2.39) Single-A, Bakersfield Blaze.

INF  Brandon Dailey, Brantford, Ont. (.227, 1, 4) Single-A Dayton Dragons.

CLEVELAND INDIANS

C Luke Carlin, Aylmer, Que. (.302, 1, 8) Triple-A, Columbus Clippers

OF Nick Weglarz, Stevensville, Ont. (.213, 3, 10) Double-A, Akron Aeros.

RHP Rob Nixon, Welland, Ont. (0-0, 2.84, one save) Single-A Lake County Captains.

COLORADO ROCKIES

RHP Dustin Molleken, Regina, Sask. (2-0, 4.80) Triple-A, Colorado Springs Sky Sox.

C Lars Davis, Grand Prairie, Alta. (.293, 2, 11) Double-A, Tulsa Drillers.

DETROIT TIGERS 

RHP James Avery, Moose Jaw, Sask. (4-2, 2.70) Double-A, Erie Seawolves.

INF Jordan Lennerton, Langley, BC (.292, 6, 21) Double-A, Erie SeaWolves.

HOUSTON ASTROS

LHP Evan Grills, Whitby, Ont. (1-0, 2.93) Single-A, Lexington Legends.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

R-1B Jamie Romak, London, Ont. (.147, 0, 2) Triple A, Omaha Royals.

MIAMI MARLINS

C Cole Armstrong, Surrey, BC (.304, 1, 5) Triple-A, New Orleans Zephyrs.

INF Shawn Bowman, Coquitlam, BC (.282, 3, 16) Double-A, Jacksonvlle Suns.

2B Terrence Dayleg, Burnaby, BC (.264, 2, 8) Single-A, Greensboro Grasshoppers.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

3B Taylor Green, Comox, BC (.287, 1, 7) Triple-A, Nashville Sounds.

RHP James Henderson, Calgary, Alta (2-1, 0.00, one save) Triple-A, Nashville Sounds.

R-INF Brock Kjeldgaard, London, Ont. (.192, 2, 9) Double-A, Huntsville Stars.

OF Chad Stang, Surrey, BC (.241, 3, 12) Single-A, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

RHP  Stosh Wawrzasek, Langley, BC (0-0, 16.20) Single-A Brevard County Manatees.

MINNESOTA TWINS

LHP Scott Diamond, Toronto, Ont. (4-1, 2.60) Triple-A, Rochester Red Wings.

OF Rene Tosoni, Coquitlam, BC (.143, 0, 2) Triple-A, Rochester Red Wings.

RHP Andrew Albers, North Battleford, Sask.  (1-0, 4.50) Double-A, New Britain Rock Cats.

NEW YORK METS

C Jean Luc Blaquiere, Legardeur, Que. (.286, 0, 0) Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.

R-1B-OF Adam Loewen, Surrey, BC (.270, 3, 9) Triple-A, Buffalo Bisons.

OAKLAND A’s

OF Royce Consigli, Welland, Ont. (.258, 1, 10) Single-A, Burlington Bees.

SS Sean Jamieson, Simcoe, Ont. (.257, 0, 8) Single-A, Burlington Bees.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

RHP Phillippe Aumont, Gatineau, Que. (0-0, 6.00, four saves) Triple-A, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

C John Suomi, Etobicoke, Ont. (.182, 1, 1) Triple-A, Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.

R-RHP Chris Kissock, Fruitvale, BC (1-1, 6.00) Double-A, Reading Phillies.

OF Tyson Gillies, Vancouver, BC (.277, 1, 10) Double-A, Reading Phillies.

R-LHP Jay Johnson, Sussex Corners, NB (0-0, 4.15) Double-A, Reading Phillies.

RHP Colin Kleven, Kamloops, BC (1-3, 4.40) Single A, Lakewood BlueClaws.

LHP Ethan Stewart, Campbell River, BC (0-2, 2.61) Single A, Lakewood BlueClaws.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES

LHP Jameson Taillon, St. Andrews West, Ont. (1-2, 1.76) Single-A, Bradenton Marauders.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

RHP R.J. Swindle, Vancouver, BC (1-1, 4.76) Triple A, Memphis Redbirds.

SAN DIEGO PADRES

2B Chris Bisson, Orleans, Ont. (.276, 1, 10) Single-A, Lake Elsinore Storm.

LHP Mark Hardy, Campbell River, BC (2-3, 4.37) Single-A, Lake Elsinore Storm.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

INF Skyler Stromsmoe INF, Etzikom, Alta. (.279, 2, 8) Triple-A, Fresno Grizzlies.

C Eric Sim, Abbotsford, BC (.196, 1, 6) Single A, Augusta Greenjackets.

SEATTLE MARINERS

LHP James Paxton, Ladner, BC (3-1, 2.60) Double-A, Jackson Generals.

TEXAS RANGERS

C Kellin Deglan, Langley, BC (.257, 3, 4) Single-A, Hickory Crawdads.

TORONTO BLUE JAYS

RHP Scott Richmond, North Vancouver, BC (3-2, 5.83) Triple-A, Las Vegas 51’s.

OF Brad McElroy, St. Thomas, Ont. (.244, 0, 2) Double-A, New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

OF Michael Crouse, Port Moody, BC (.198, 1, 10) Single-A, Dunedin Blue Jays.

OF/DH  Marcus Knecht, Toronto, Ont. (.195, 4, 25) Single-A, Dunedin Blue Jays.

RHP Trystan Magnuson, Vancouver, BC (0-2, 5.06) Single-A Dunedin Blue Jays.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS

OF-3B Mark Teahen, St. Marys, Ont. (.304, 1, 26) Tripl-A, Syracuse Chiefs.

FOREIGN  LEAGUES

FRENCH  ELITE  LEAGUE

OF Anthony Cros, Kamloops, BC  (.429, 0 ,5) Les Barracudas de Montpelier.

INF/RHP Gregory Cros, Kamloops, BC  (.200, 0, 3; 1-3, 3.14) Les Barracudas de Montpelier

3B/RHP Kyle Orr, Victoria, BC  (.133, 0, 2; 0-0, 7.50) Les Barracudas de Montpelier

JAPANESE  CENTRAL  LEAGUE

RHP Scott Mathieson, Aldergrove, BC (1-0, 0.00) Yomiuri Giants.

MEXICAN  LEAGUE  

X-OF Scott Thorman, Cambridge, Ont. (.000, 0, 0) Leones de Yucatan.

INDEPENDENT  LEAGUES 

ATLANTIC  LEAGUE

LHP Bryan Dumesnil, Nanaimo, BC (1-0, 3.00, one save) Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.

C Emerson Frostad, Calgary, Alta. (.333, 1, 5) Lancaster Barnstormers.

RHP  Shawn Hill, Mississauga, Ont. (0-0, 33.75) York Revolution.

1B Jim Van Ostrand, Richmond, BC (.372, 1, 10) Sugar Land Skeeters.

2011 Canadians in the Minors

2010 Canadians in the Minors

2009 Canadians in the Minors

2008 Canadians in the Minors

2007 Canadians in the Minors

2006 Canadians in the Minors

2005 Canadians in the Minors

2004 Canadians in the Minors

2003 Canadians in the Minors

2002 Canadians in the Minors

2001 Canadians in the Minors

2000 Canadians in the Minors

1999 Canadians in the Minors

1998 Canadians in the Minors

2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
Letters of Intent

By Alexis Brudnicki

LONDON, Ont. – Baseball is a fight.

It’s a battle to get to the big leagues.

Beyond the joyous occasion of making it to the majors -– for the lucky and talented players that get that far –- is the struggle to stay in The Show.

Adam Stern fought the fight and is proud of what he accomplished throughout his playing career.

“Obviously everyone dreams of having a 10-year all-star career in the majors and that is what it is,” Stern said. “And I couldn’t get there. But my main thing is, I got to play in the big leagues; I got to make a lot of friends in the game. And you know what? I’m still in the game.

“Obviously you look back; you gave it everything you got. You make your own luck in this game and it comes down to, you weren’t good enough to play 10 years in the big leagues. That’s really what it comes down to. I cherish the experience that I got and the stories that I have, just to pass down to my own kids.”

The former outfielder spent 10 seasons playing pro ball, making it to the majors with the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles and the Milwaukee Brewers. He also played for Team Canada twice at the Olympics, both in 2004 in Athens, and 2008 in Beijing. He donned the red-and-white uniform again for both World Baseball Classics in 2006 and 2009.

And when you become a retiree at the ripe old age of 30, what comes next?

“The toughest thing is when you’re done playing, what do you do?” Stern said.

For Stern, life after baseball has become a life of even more baseball. The 32-year-old returned home to London and opened up the largest indoor  training facility and one of the biggest multi-sport complexes in Canada, Centrefield Sports.

He’s spending even more time at Centrefield now than he did in centre field during his career.

“No. 1 you train,” Stern said. “No. 2, it’s a business; you can’t not be here. So I’m usually here at one every day and I leave at 10 at night. It’s tough. I take Fridays off and I try to take most Sundays off.

“But I love it. It doesn’t feel like a job to me. I love coming in and it’s always changing. It always keeps you on your toes and it’s a great transition from not playing baseball. That’s the toughest thing is when you’re done playing, what do you do? And I think this really helped ease that part.”

The idea for Centrefield started when Stern and some other London-based ballplayers were trying to find a place to train during the off-season. They began with a much smaller facility, moving into a slightly larger space and then progressing into the 35,000 square-foot structure that Stern runs today. It is complete with a fully-turfed field, nine batting cages and a strength and conditioning area, among other amenities.

While the idea for Centrefield happened in London, everything didn’t start to materialize until Stern was away from home, making it all the more difficult to actually transpire.

“I was playing in Triple-A with the Brewers when I was trying to set all this up,” Stern said. “Whether it was trying to get all the renovations done and the clients in and sourcing different tenants and everything; it was tough.

“I was playing and all the guys were always interested on my team; they were kind of keeping up to date because they saw pictures of the place. And a lot of the guys that I played with, it was kind of cool because they’d be like, ‘That’s a neat idea, in the off-season, that’s pretty cool.’

“I knew down the road that this was going to be something I was going to do after I was done playing. So when I got this space, it was pretty special to find a place like this and for what you could turn it into for baseball.”

Stern has turned an old warehouse in the southeast end of town into a place both for young baseball players to learn and for professionals to continue to improve. He’s also combined the two, as all of the instructors at Centrefield are current or former pro ballplayers.

Londoners Jamie Romak, Chris Robinson, Brock Kjeldgaard and Brad McElroy spend the winter at the facility, both to work out and to instruct. Romak and Robinson are both currently in Triple-A with the Omaha Storm Chasers and the Norfolk Tides, respectively. Kjeldgaard and McElroy are in Double-A, with the Huntsville Stars and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Mike Ambrose and Adam Arnold, both from St. Thomas, are also instructors at the facility along with Jeff Helps of Wyoming and Kevin Mailloux of Windsor. All four last played independent league ball, with Arnold still in the pro ranks with the newly-formed London Rippers in the Frontier League.

Stern often finds himself faced with questions about the big leagues from the guys who are still playing,  his decision to stop playing, and how he dealt with certain situations he was up against.

“Since I’m the older one here there’s always some sort of advice no matter what their situation because with baseball it’s always changing,” he said. “Especially with those guys, they’re in, we call it grind-mode because they are grinding.

“Every day you’re in the game you’re fighting for your life. And they’re all trying to get to the big leagues; that’s where everyone wants to play. And they’re all real close but everything happens. Sometimes injuries creep in; sometimes situations change. And I think they know they can come to me if they need advice and it’s good to be seen that way.

“Obviously sometimes I wish I would have played a little bit longer but I knew that the situation didn’t call for that anymore. So they know they can always come and talk to me if they need to.”

As his days in pro ball get further away and new baseball memories are made, there is one moment in his playing career that Stern will never forget.

“The WBC in ’06 stands out,” he said. “Forever that will be my mark. There were people when I still played in the big leagues that would say, ‘Oh I remember you in the 2006 World Baseball Classic,’ because it happened to be against the USA.

“For me that was a special game and it always sticks out, with what the team did. We beat the USA and no one knew what to expect. It’s one of those things that was so exciting and of all of those guys on that team; a lot of them aren’t playing anymore. The experiences you get to have with that team out there was really cool. You’re never going to get that again and you’re always going to remember the camaraderie of the team.”

During the game that was called “the biggest upset in Canadian baseball history”, when Team Canada took down the Americans in the inaugural WBC, Stern notched three hits, one of them an inside-the-park home run. He drove in four runs and made a leaping catch at the wall in centre field, robbing Chase Utley of extra bases and keeping the Canucks ahead.

“That’s a special moment in history for baseball in this country,” Stern said. “I think everyone who was a part of that game and everyone who watched it and everyone who is going to play in the future should remember that these guys who were in that game, that’s a very special thing. We didn’t have the depth that the USA did, but it was just a real cool time for Baseball Canada.”

2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
Letters of Intent

By Alex Tufts

The Canisius Griffs concluded their conference series against the Iona Gaels with two shutout victories. Masterful performances by starting pitchers Billy Martin and Devon Stewart led the Griffs to a comeback series win.

A shutout for your team in college or summer baseball means two things: a win, and pitchers’ BP. In reward for an excellent performance on the mound, coaches will traditionally give all the pitchers on staff a chance to bring their swings out of retirement during the next practice. Pretty much all pitchers love this opportunity. Pitchers’ BP is a rare opportunity to showcase these supposed hidden talents that pitchers claim to have and to relive the days when “I hit bombs, man” or “I was a good hitter back in high school.”

These anecdotes and tall tales, ones that have been exaggerated by pitchers through years of being confined to the bullpen, usually evaporate once said pitchers swing through the first pitch.

Just as much as pitchers love an opportunity to take batting practice, hitters despise it and I can clearly see why. First, they are forced to observe about 12 vomit-inducing swings by pitchers. Then they must also collect the balls that come dribbling off the bats of the pitchers’ grotesque hacks.

The most frightening part of pitchers’ BP for some hitters, is that they must lend their precious bats to the untrained, unathletic, and sluggish hands of pitchers. I sympathize with the hitters. The staff strolls in on the day when they take batting practice and make a mockery of the talent that hitters work so hard to perfect. While the pitchers are swinging out of the their shoes trying to lift the ball over the fence, the real hitters are working diligently to stroke line drives to the gaps, a skill that does not come with nearly as much cachet as the BP-moonshot.

There are a variety of approaches that pitchers take when they step into the on-field hitting cage. The first is “The Hero Approach.” This guy thinks if he has a few good rounds of BP coach might pencil his name into the Mo. 3-hole next game. He works hard to stay inside the baseball and hit it where it is pitched. This guy also showed up to the yard early to work on his bat path and hit front toss. This plan is hopeless, delusional even. Cracking the lineup from a good day in Pitchers’ BP is as believable as the time-altered tales from his high school hitting days.

Another approach is what I call “The Ryan Fennell Approach.” Simply make contact. Try not to embarrass yourself by whiffing on six consecutive pitches or peppering the opposite side of the hitting cage. Get a few balls in play, maybe a few to the outfield if you are lucky, and call it a day. Prove your fellow teammates wrong who said that you would make your coach look like Nolan Ryan.

The last and only legitimate approach, in my mind, to taking pitchers’ batting practice is “The Get Big Approach.” Turn and burn. Don’t get cheated. Coil, collapse, and crush. Drop and drive. However you want to phrase it, you are swinging as hard as you possibly can and trying to hit bombs. Because really, who cares how many singles you can hit up the middle?

Who cares if you stayed on that outside pitch and let it get deep? The bottom line is you are a pitcher and maybe if you run into a batting practice meatball and hit it over the fence you can briefly recapture a time and place where you were not yelled at for touching the team’s bats.

For me, Pitchers’ BP is a hard tailing fastball in on the hands that says “you suck at hitting.” It is a rude awakening that reminds me how difficult it is to square up a baseball, even when it is laid right over the plate. After about 30 swings and convincing myself that the sweet spot on the bat is an urban legend, I usually pack it in.

I am always left with a greater appreciation for what hitters do day in and day out. But no matter how many roll overs you hit to third or three-hop cappers you hit into the L-screen, nothing validates a pitcher’s existence and pumps his egotistical tires more than a BP wall-scraper-homerun.

2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
Letters of Intent

By Devon Teeple

A total of 46 qualifying schools begin the journey to become the country’s best collegiate NAIA  team on Thursday.

Last year the Concordia Eagles became the first team from the Golden State Athletic Conference to win the World Series.

The Eagles return to defend their crown as the top seed in the Marion Bracket. But they will face some serious competition in LSU Shreveport (La.) (48-4), Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (44-10), Tennessee Wesleyan (45-11), Concordia (Calif.) (37-16), Oklahoma City (43-9), Lee (Tenn.) (50-8-1), Embry-Riddle (Fla.) (40-16), Oklahoma Baptist (46-12), and Faulkner (Ala.) (49-11); all earning tops seeds in their respective brackets.

In all, 20 Canadians were on the rosters of teams who still alive in post-season NAIA play.

Of the 45 qualifying schools, 15 are making their first opening round appearance and ten are playing in their fourth consecutive opening round; Lee, Oklahoma, Concordia and Oklahoma Baptist.

NAIA powerhouse and tournament host Lewis-Clark State (40-12) has 16 titles and will be looking to return to NAIA dominance.

All opening round action can be followed here, and when the World Series begins visit their website for all news and updates.

Please find below all the opening round brackets, courtesy of the NAIA.
Paducah Bracket

Hosted by Paducah Convention & Visitors Bureau – Paducah, Ky.

No. 1 LSU Shreveport (La.) with Canadians: Jared Mortensen (Abbotsford, BC), Greg Friesen (Regina, Sask.),  Reed Lavallee (North Delta, BC), Kym Barthel (Lethbridge, Alta.) and Cam Challand (Delta, BC)

No. 2 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)

No. 3 Bellevue (Neb.) with Canadian 3B-RHP Sean Mattson (Scarborough, Ont.).

No. 4 Peru State (Neb.)

No. 5 Grand View (Iowa)

Cleveland Bracket

Hosted by Lee University (Tenn.) – Cleveland, Tenn.

No. 1 Lee (Tenn.) with Canadian Ryan Zimmer (London Ont.)

No. 2 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)

No. 3 Missouri Baptist with Kyle Turner (Rosser, Man.)

No. 4 Avila (Mo.)

No. 5 Bacone (Okla.)

Oklahoma City Bracket

Hosted by Oklahoma City University – Oklahoma City, Okla.

No. 1 Oklahoma City

No. 2 Lubbock Christian (Texas)

No. 3 Sterling (Kan.)

No. 4 York (Neb.)

No. 5 Mount Marty (S.D.)

Azusa Bracket

Hosted by Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) – Azusa, Calif.

No. 1 Azusa Pacific (Calif.)

No. 2 Shorter (Ga.)

No. 3 College of Idaho

No. 4 Arizona Christian with Canadian RHP-OF Billy Clapperton (Calgary, Alta.)

No. 5 Menlo (Calif.) with Canadian SS-RHP Burke Seifrit (Edmonton, Alta.)

Hardeeville Bracket

Hosted by University of South Carolina Beaufort – Hardeeville, S.C.
No. 1 Faulkner (Ala.)

No. 2 St. Thomas (Fla.)

No. 3 South Carolina Beaufort

No. 4 Union (Tenn.) with Canadian 1B Jim Martin (Ajax, Ont.)

No. 5 Asbury (Ky.)

Kingsport Bracket

Hosted by Appalachian Athletic Conference – Kingsport, Tenn.

No. 1 Tennessee Wesleyan

No. 2 Georgetown (Ky.)

No. 3 Indiana Tech

No. 4 Campbellsville (Ky.) with Canadians INF-OF Ryland Chin (Strathmore, Alta.) and LHP Chad Leskiw (Selkirk, Man.)

No. 5 St. Francis (Ill.)

Hutchinson Bracket

Hosted by Tabor College (Kan.) – Hillsboro, Kan.

No. 1 Oklahoma Baptist

No. 2 Judson (Ill.)

No. 3 Rogers State (Okla.) with Canadians SS-2B Jeff Fyfe (Boisbriand, Que.) and SS Johan Ochoa (St. Amable, Que.)

No. 4 Tabor (Kan.) with Canadian LHP Dawson Newman (Peachland, BC) and RHP Brad White (Delta, BC)

No. 5 Dakota State (S.D.) with Canadians OF Corey Pasichnyk (Woodlands, Man.) and C-INF Colton Thurrott (Stony Plain, Alta.)

Daytona Beach Bracket

Hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) – Daytona Beach, Fla.

No. 1 Embry-Riddle (Fla.) with Canadian RHP Adam Paulencu (Sherwood Park, Alta.)

No. 2 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.)

No. 3 Biola (Calif.)

No. 4 Southern Poly (Ga.)

No. 5 Siena Heights (Mich.)

Marion Bracket

Hosted by Mid-Central College Conference – Marion, Ind.

No. 1 Concordia (Calif.)

No. 2 Point Park (Pa.)

No. 3 Taylor (Ind.)

No. 4 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio)

No. 5 Doane (Neb.)

2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
Letters of Intent
Concussions: three-part series

By Bob Elliott

Sean Bignall is listed at 5-foot-8 on the Arkansas Little Rock Trojans’ roster.

The Brampton left fielder looks a lot taller to pitchers as he circles the bases in his home run trot.

Bignall hit his 18th homer in a 9-8 extra-inning win over the Central Arkansas Bears to grab a share of the NCAA Div. I home run lead Tuesday. He’s tied with Samford Bulldogs outfielder Brandon Miller and Southeast Missouri State Redhawks third baseman Trenton Moses.

The Team Ontario grad was 4-for-5 in the win with a run-scoring triple, setting a UALR single-season record with 141 total bases. A year ago, he had two homers in 58 games for the Trojans.

Bignall set a UALR single-season record by hitting his 16th home run in the top of the eighth in an 11-2 loss to Louisiana Tech.

Big men on campus: Former London Badgers outfielder Byron Reichstein of St. Thomas, Ont., earned NJCAA Region 14 East conference player of the year with the Texarkana Bulldogs. He hit .368 with 11 doubles, two home runs and 27 RBIs. Reichstein also earned Region XIV East all-conference first team honours … Calgary outfielder Tyler Hollick earned NJCAA Region I player of the year honours with seven doubles, eight triples, a homer and 29 RBIs. Hollick is also 61-for-68 stealing bases and had 58 runs scored in 48 games.

More BMOCs: With his save in a 12-11 win over Lake Erie, Mississauga’s Billy Hurley of the Wayne State Warriors tied two school records: Most saves in a single-season (10) and career saves (18) … University of British Columbia Thunderbirds third baseman Andrew Firth of London was named to the All-NAIA West Team. Firth had a .353 average, four homers and 47 RBIs … Third baseman Drew Pettit of Fonthill, Ont., earned Capital One Academic All-District first team honours for the second consecutive spring with the Canisius Golden Griffs. Pettit is hitting .318 with three homers and 36 RBIs for coach Mike McRae … Etobicoke third baseman Michael Ferracuti of the Saint Mary Spires earned Kansas Collegiate Conference gold glove honours.

Hamilton Yard: My father, who won a couple of honours playing and coaching, always said that the highest honour someone could receive was to have a ball field named after him — while he was alive. Well, Greg Hamilton is still living, breathing and working about 18 hours a day as the director of Baseball Canada’s national teams. And when the Montpellier Barracudas take the field this summer in France, they’ll be playing at Greg Hamilton Baseball Park.

In 1993, Hamilton left his position as an assistant coach at Princeton University to coach Montpellier in the French Division 1 league. He stayed five years as they won three national championships.

Simply the best: Talented ball scribe Lyle Spencer of MLB.com polled Canadian writers to name the top five Canadians ball players ever, a sure argument-starter when it comes to rounding out the top five.

And the results are:

1. Fergie Jenkins, Chatham, Ont.

2. Larry Walker, Maple Ridge, B.C.

3. Justin Morneau, New Westminster, B.C.

4. Joey Votto, Etobicoke, Ont.

5. Matt Stairs, Fredriction, N.B.

On a roll: East York right-hander Jeff Gibbs is finishing strong with the Maine Black Bears. He has allowed two earned runs in his previous 13 innings, striking out 11 in two starts against the Albany Danes … London’s Jon Fitzsimmons has been dominant as the Canisius closer. He’s 1-1 with a 0.95 ERA and 10 saves … Toronto’s Maxx Tissenbaum, drafted by the Blue Jays in 2009, has impressed scouts watching the Stoney Brook Sea Wolves this spring. He’s hitting .367, with 12 doubles, three homers and 29 RBIs, while striking out three times in 161 at-bats … Hamilton’s Ryan Noack has a successful season closing for the Concordia (Ann Arbor, Mich.) Cardinals with eight saves and a 1.29 ERA. He was 4-2 with 15 walks and 37 strikeouts in 35 innings. He did not allow an extra base hit, holding opposing hitters to a .202 average.

NORTHERN LIGHT

LHP Scott Diamond only worked three scoreless innings for the triple-A Rochester Reds Wings against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees on Sunday.

That upped his record for 4-1 with a 2.60 ERA with seven walks and 26 strikeouts in 34.2 innings. But what earned Diamond the title as the best of the 58 Canadians in the minors came when he was recalled by the Minnesota Twins. He pitched seven scoreless innings, giving the Twins a 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday.

DRAFT NOTES

Whitby lefty Ryan Kellogg of the Ontario Prospects is expected to go between the third and sixth round when the annual draft takes place June 4-6. Kellogg is ranked 228th on the Perfect Game Scouting Service top 500 compiled by Allan Simpson, Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer.

Kellogg pitched five scoreless innings in a 10-4 win over the Etobicoke Rangers Tuesday at Connorvale in front of a double-digit crowd of scouts. He allowed only two hits, walked one and struck out 11.

The other Canadians in the top 500 list of high schoolers and collegians are London right-hander Dayton Dawe of the Ontario Terriers (340th), right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn of Goderich, Ont., and the Ontario Nationals (353rd); Calgary outfielder Tyler Hollick with Chandler-Gilbert College (391st); Burlington lefty Steven Dressler of the Ontario Blue Jays (455th); and University of British Columbia lefty David Otterman of Coquitlam, B.C. (480th).

Former Markham Mariner Carson Kelly now of Portland, Ore., is ranked 45th. Some scouts like Kelly as a third baseman, some as a right-hander. Kelly was named the top catcher at the 2007 Canadian peewee championships in Quebec City.

2012 Canadians in the Minors 
2012 Canadians in College
Letters of Intent
Concussions: three-part series

Canucks discuss the cultural differences 

Canucks fly high, but Maple Leaf does not

Canisius 3B Drew Pettit award-winning student

Tufts can pitch and blog too

McRae recruits from coast to coast

Canucks from Ed-to-Zed, as in Zimmer

Pettit, Tufts, Linseman honoured on seniors day

Linseman started with hockey then saw light 

Langley Blaze grads folow Lawrie from Buffa

By Alexis Brudnicki 

Buffalo, N.Y. — Ah, the age-old question.

Is it a grill? Or is it a barbecue?

The Canadians of Canisius College weigh in with their answers on said topic, as well as discussing the thing that the Americans make fun of all of them for.

Get to know some of the Canuck Golden Griffins a little bit better, as they discuss their favourite major league players, their favourite Canadian baseballers, what talents they possess outside of baseball, the differences between Canadians and Americans and what the Yanks find funny about them.

Offering their west coast insights are BC boys Brooklyn Foster, Mike Krische and Devon Stewart, and Alberta-born Shane Zimmer, most choosing their hometown hero as their favourite Canadian player. Answering for Ontario are Nathan Linseman, Drew Pettit and Billy Martin, mostly getting their votes in for a native of Etobicoke. Alex Tufts, of Kentville, Nova Scotia, makes a homegrown talent his No. 1 pick as well.

What the Canucks had to say in their video interviews …