RHP Mike Johnson (Edmonton, Alta.) was a Canadian workhorse in international play.

March 9, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

March 4, 2009, Dunedin Stadium.

Mike Johnson was going to take the ball -- Johnson always took the ball.

In 2008 with the La New Bears, he earned MVP honours in the Chinese Professional League, going 20-2. He recorded seven more than wins than runner-up Lou (LSL) Pote. The Bears would not allow Johnson to pitch for Canada even though the qualifier was being staged in Taiwan.

That MVP season earned him a contract with SK Wyverns in Korea. He made the 15-hour flight from Edmonton to Okinawa, Korea in February. Next he returned to Alberta for the birth of his child for three or four days. Johnson estimates round trip it was 30 hours. He flew South Korea to Tampa -- roughly 18-to-19 hours to meet Team Canada in March.

With Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, BC), Rich Harden (Victoria, BC), Jeff Francis (Delta, BC) and Erik Bedard (Navan, Ont.) not competing, Johnson got the nod to face Team USA at the SkyDome.

After the interview was done, Johnson had questions for three young writers about a new baby. You have to understand about the WBC they have two of everything: trainers, P.R. directors and travelling secretaries. One out of New York and one that Canada picked.

Some half an hour later after leaving the clubhouse, I passed by Johnson asking three writers with young kids questions. The U.S. PR director said to me, “what are they doing writing a book on this guy?” I said, “Ah, he is interviewing them.”

* * *

March 4, 2009, Dunedin Stadium.

While waiting for a player, I was standing down the left field line near the gate where the tractor and drag leave the field.

All of a sudden a pitcher wearing a Team Canada uniform wandered over from the bullpen.

“You and I have a problem, you shouldn’t have ripped me.”

I asked him to turn around, but there wasn’t a name on his jersey, so I asked, “When did I rip you and who are you?”

“One of the clubhhouse kids told me that you, a bearded guy, ripped me in your blog and that’s you.“

I was stunned, “Well you are wrong on a few points: I don’t write a blog, I don’t have a beard ... who are you?”

The reliever answered, “Dirk Hayhurst.”

I asked what he was doing wearing a Canadian uniform and he said, “There are two or three us here in case there are extended innings.”

* * *

March 6, 2009, Dunedin Stadium.

Davey Johnson took over for Buck Martinez as the American manager. He had been the bench coach in 2006.

“It’s payback time,” Johnson said before Team USA lost 6-5 to the Blue Jays in a spring game. “We got waffled three years ago in Phoenix. I don’t have to give a Knute Rockne speech. They know Canada beat us. I mean, we got whacked.”

Canada went up 8-0 and won 8-6, as lefty starter Dontrelle Willis allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings.

I asked Johnson if he had learned anything about Canaidan hitters three years before.

“Yeah,” said Johnson, “Dontrelle Willis can’t pitch.”

Future Hall of Famer, Larry Walker first base coach for Team Canada at the 2009 WBC.

March 6, 2009, Brighthouse Networks Field.

First base coach, Larry Walker trudged toward the Team Canada bus after the exhibition game against the Phillies.

“How many regulars did the Blue Jays use against Team USA today?” Walker asked.

The Jays had Joe Inglett, Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Kevin Millar, Scott Rolen, Travis Snider, Raul Chavez and John McDonald starting against Team USA.

“The lineup they fielded against us was embarrassing,” Walker said. “There is only one major-league team in Canada now and that is the respect that the Blue Jays show our Canadian national team? They fielded a bootleg lineup. Only guy I recognized was Michael Barrett. Plus the game wasn’t on TV, why not?”

Against Canada, the Jays had a lineup of Inglett, battling Jose Bautista for a back-up job, Barrett, fighting Chavez for the No. 2 catcher’s spot and McDonald with minor leaguers Russ Adams, Scott Campbell, Jason Lane, Randy Ruiz, Adam Loewen (Surrey, B.C.) and Buck Coats.

Around 11:30 that night my phone rang in my hotel. It was a Baseball Canada official.

“We just heard what Walker said about the Bue Jays.”

It was too good not to write.

“But Bobby the Blue Jays give us money.”

Well, first deadline was 11 ... “the papers are already on the streets.”

* * *

The two factions had Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda to throw out the first pitch. Except the New York office failed to phone Jenkins until two days before. He was already booked for an autograph signing before a Chicago Cubs game in Arizona.

So Lasorda went solo.

* * *

March 7, 2009, Rogers Centre.

While Johnson started for Canada, Jake Peavy started for the Americans. I saw Peavey and thought back to the Englebert Complex in February and asked Halladay if he was going to pitch. The year before at the all-star game at Yankee Stadium, with Toronto two games under .500, he used the phrase “Groundhog Day” to describe his frustration with the Blue Jays’ inability to improve the team and contend for a championship. Halladay joined the Jays’ rotation in 2000 and saw his team win 83 games, followed by 80, 78, 86, 67 and 80 victories.

That qualifies as Groundhog Day ... six more years of seeing his sub .500 shadow.

I asked him why he didn’t pitch for Team USA and told him it might be the best game played at the Rogers Centre that season. Game 1 drew 42,314. The only two games which attracted more were May 12 when former Jay A.J. Burnett lost 5-1 to Halladay in front of 43,737.

The Burnett-Halladay match may have drawn more, but the Team USA-Canada game had more energy. It was not a corporate crowd. It was almost as if, if you didn’t have a team jacket, you were not allowed through the turn styles. Indoor practices were cancelled. It was a crowd of fathers and sons rooting for Canada ... and some from Western New York.

After a one-out walk to Russell Martin, Joey Votto singled and Morneau grounded out to knock in a run ... Brian McCann hit a fly ball in the second to tie the score ... Canada went up 2-1 on a Votto homer ... Leading off the fourth Kevin Youkilis homered and one walk later, McCann hit a homer to make it 4-2 for the Americans ... And Johnson’s day was done, allowing four runs in four innings ... Chris Begg walked Youkilis and Dunn homered for a 6-4 lead ... Martin homered off James (Big Game) Shields to make it a one-run game in the seventh ... And off we went to the ninth with Canada down by two ... The most exciting inning had zero runs scored ...Phillippe Aumont, who had pitched at class-A Wisconsin Rapids in 2008, took over in the seventh allowing a Dustin Pedroia double, a Jimmy Rollins single and a Chipper Jones walk to load the bases ... Nervous time but Aumont bounced back like a bad cheque with the fans on their feet getting David Wright to line out, then striking out both Youkilis and Curtis Granderson. 3 outs ... In the bottom of the ninth, Votto doubled in Martin with one out ... Morneau grounded out ... two out ... Then Bay had an eight-pitch at-bat off JJ Putz before flying out to right. Said Putz, “I’ve never been in the playoffs, but it will be tough to top this.”

* * *

March 7, Yorkville.

No one has treated his former coach better than Joey Votto has treated Bob Smyth. Besides flying him in from Ladysmith, BC and giving him key to his room at the Four Seasons, where all the team stayed, he also shipped him the first uniform he wore with the Cincinnati Reds. He sent him a framed All-Star jersey and flew him to the annual Father’s Day golf tournament.

Smyth is not short on knowledge and passing it on. Votto told him not to try and adjust the swings of Derek Jeter or Chipper Jones. When he told me he was golfing with Goose Gossage, Ozzie Smith and Jim Rice, I suggested he not try to correct their putting grip.

With Smyth at the Four Seasons, Votto stayed at his home in Etobicoke and took the GO train into the stadium.

* * *

Pat Gillick, Hall of Fame general manager always said, “A pitcher’s job was not to pitch a shut out, but to give team his chance to win.” I think it was in Minnesota when Dave Stieb gave up a bunch of runs early and Toronto won late and I had that “what am I going the write?” with that far-off look in my eye (it wasn’t my only time).

Under Gillick’s rule Johnson allowed four runs, Canada scored five. Had the bullpen kept USA scoreless he would have been the game winner ... but he gave his team a chance. Tying run on second, ninth inning.

He made the 15-hour trip from Toronto to Korea. He allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings. So he headed back to La New, making five starts going 2-2 with a 6.58 ERA.

The next stop for Johnson, signed by Blue Jays scout Bill Byckowski, was the independent Edmonton Capitals. In all, Johnson pitched five seasons in the majors (7-14, 6.85, two saves) and 11 in the minors (58-45, 4.51), five in foreign lands (32-6, 3.49) and four in independent (11-17, 5.19).

Every year at WBC time, I think of Johnson. He didn’t always win, but he always, always gave his team a chance.

Elliott: Memories of 2009 WBC, Johnson, Votto, Walker