OTTAWA- Baseball Canada’s 50 for 50 contest, to determine the top moment/story in the 50 year history of the organization will be decided this week as two gold medal winning teams will go head-to-head in the final round.
Voting will take place on baseball.ca beginning at Noon EST today until Friday, August 1st at 10am EST.
The winner of the contest will be announced on baseball.ca on Thursday, August 7th, the same day that the Baseball Canada Cup begins in Saskatoon.
Read more on the two finalists:
Canada wins gold at 1991 World Youth Championships
Perhaps no other baseball competition has a tougher outcome to predict than the World Youth (18U) Baseball Championship. Put the best 16-to-18 year olds on the world’s biggest stage for the first time, and you’re in for an exciting roller coaster event highlighted by unexpected performances and unsung heroes, mental breakdowns and disappointments. The 1991 World Youth Baseball Championship in Brandon, Manitoba certainly proved to be a great show for the many spectators who attended, as Canada came out on top against all odds. After having lost to the Netherlands in exhibition play, the Canucks polished their game just in time for the start of the tournament. The opener was on July 26th, and Canada easily disposed of that same Netherlands team 10-0. The road to the finals was an excruciating 10-game journey that included matches against Australia, Cuba, Nigeria, Brazil, Mexico, and the USA. Daniel Brabant (Longueil, QC) made the start for Canada in the finals against Chinese Taipei, allowing only 4 hits in 5 2/3 despite his offense manufacturing little run support and his club falling behind 2-0. Jason Birmingham (Sarnia, ON) was brought in the game to replace an injured Brabant in the 6th, and recorded the final ten outs of the game in stellar fashion by throwing 3 1/3 scoreless innings. The offense came courtesy of Toronto Native Todd Betts, who hit a game tying double and Troy Croft of Newfoundland who belted a homer to right-center field in the top of the 8th. When it was all said and done, Canada defeated Chinese Taipei 5-2 in front of 5, 000 fans at Brandon’s Westbran Stadium, becoming the only Canadian team at the time (and still to this today) to win gold at the event.
Canada wins 2011 Pan Am Games gold medal
On October 25, 2011 a group of 24 players along with four coaches did something that no Senior Canadian team before had ever done – win a gold medal at a major international baseball competition. The 2-1 victory over the United States was a special moment for many long-time National Team players and especially members of the coaching staff including Manager Ernie Whitt who said this following the gold medal game: “I’m a US citizen but I feel like I’m a Canadian at heart. I couldn’t be more proud of these kids and more proud to have Canada written across my chest.” Whitt’s gold medal game starter Andrew Albers gave up a run in the first and then went on to throw 6 2/3 innings and allowed six hits, while striking out eight. With one-out in the sixth, Jimmy Van Ostrand’s double down the right field line scored two and Scott Richmond came out of the bullpen to retire seven straight to preserve the victory. The entire team was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in June 2012.
