OTTAWA – Larry Walker, Ernie Whitt and Bernie Soulliere, who represent three unique stories leading to three unique roles as they will help lead Team Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic in Toronto this March, will reunite in St. Mary’s, Ontario on June 20th when all three will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. “My congratulations go out to Larry, Ernie and Bernie. They all deserve this wonderful honour,” says Baseball Canada President Ray Carter. “I’m very proud to say that I am associated with all three of these fine gentlemen.” Walker, a true five-tool player whose career spanned 17 seasons, leads all Canadians in virtually every offensive career category, amassing 383 homeruns, 62 triples and 471 doubles among his 2,160 career hits, while stealing 230 bases along the way. The five-time All-Star and 1997 National League MVP, who also won seven Gold Glove awards and three batting titles, compiled a career .313 batting average and .565 slugging percentage which is 15th best in major league history. The Maple Ridge, British Columbia native will be the hitting coach for Team Canada at the WBC. "To me, the key word about this honour is the word 'Canadian,'" says Walker of his enshrinement. "I've tried to never forget where I've come from, even when I played in Colorado or St. Louis following my time in Montreal. I've always believed in representing my country proudly, and I just love the rest of the Canucks still in the game. They all are humble, they all rarely talk about themselves, and they all have a tremendous sense of pride when they put that Canadian jersey on. Since retiring, my priority certainly is to catch up on some valuable missed time owed to my children, but the comradery in the Team Canada clubhouse makes my role with them near impossible to pass over." "Larry is special - so unique, and so down-to-earth, a true Canadian" adds Greg Hamilton, Coach and Director of National Teams with Baseball Canada. "We are very fortunate to have Larry involved with Baseball Canada and the National Teams program. His easy-going nature makes him a natural on our coaching staff. He is so highly respected by all." “Larry has truly set the standard for Canadian position players,” adds Carter. “Many of the Canadians in the Major Leagues, Minor Leagues and at the amateur level in Canada are playing baseball because of Larry Walker and what he’s done for Canadian baseball.” Whitt, who currently manages in the Phillies farm system, is ranked fourth all-time in the Blue Jays organization in games played with 1,218. “The most Canadian non-Canadian you will ever meet,” as dubbed by Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame President and CEO Tom Valcke, was always a fan favourite in Toronto. After retiring as a player, he eventually returned to the Blue Jays organization as a coach for 12 years, including the last four with the Major League club. But some of Whitt’s greatest success in coaching can be found in his time as Manager of Baseball Canada’s Senior National Team. In his first stint with the team in 1999, he led them to a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. He would follow that up with a second place finish at the 2003 Olympic Qualifier in Panama, earning Canada's first Olympic birth since 1988. Then at those subsequent Olympic Games in 2004 in Athens, Whitt guided Canada to a fourth place finish. And Whitt was at the helm of arguably Canada’s greatest victory in international baseball when they defeated the United States in the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. Canada would finish the first round of that tournament with a 2-1 record but did not advance due to tie-breaker rules. "I'm thrilled to death - I mean, I've got chills running up and down me right now," says an ecstatic Whitt. “This is something I would never have dreamed of, to be put into another country's Hall of Fame. It is truly humbling. In addition to my fond memories with the Blue Jays, I've got to say that I have been very proud to wear the Team Canada uniform, and Canada can be assured we'll be giving everything we have to give in the upcoming Classic.” “Ernie has truly been one of the great leaders for our organization since he’s been on board, and he is a welcomed addition to the Baseball Canada family,” says Carter. “He is the consummate players' manager, fantastic to work with, he garners respect without demanding it, and he is all-inclusive - he involves everybody in the decision-making process,” adds Hamilton. Soulliere, who has helped make Windsor, Ontario one of Canada's true baseball hotbeds, has been volunteering behind the scenes for more than 40 years in amateur baseball circles as well as with numerous provincial and national teams. He coached Windsor teams to four Ontario championships and a pair of national titles in the '70's. He was the Chair when Windsor hosted the World Junior Championship in 1986, 1987 and 1993, and he was the general manager of Team Ontario when it won three consecutive Canada Summer Games gold medals in 1981, 1985 and 1989. The baseball lifer also served as vice-president with Baseball Canada from 1992-1997, and was the president of Baseball Ontario from 1993-1995. Soulliere has acted countless times as Team Canada's business manager, and will assume that role again at the WBC. “Wow ... I'm speechless,” says a surprised Soulliere. “This is a tremendous honour. So many great people have been inducted before me. I couldn't be going in with two greater names than Ernie Whitt and Larry Walker.” “I’ve known Bernie ever since I’ve been involved in Canadian baseball and he is simply a tireless worker,” says Carter. “He’s not a guy who simply says he’s on the team, he really works hard at it.” “We count on him to tie up all of the non-glamorous loose-ends. He is baseball, and he is Canada,” adds Hamilton. “The spotlight never finds Bernie Soulliere, but his relentless efforts allow the opportunity for everyone else's star to shine.” A posthumous induction will also be celebrated as Roy “Doc” Miller of Chatham, Ontario, who played over a century ago and died in 1938, will also be enshrined. All four new members will be inducted during a ceremony on June 20th, starting at 11 am at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Mary’s, Ontario.
OTTAWA – Baseball Canada announces that the Yorkton Minor Baseball Association in Saskatchewan has become the second minor baseball association in Canada and first in Saskatchewan to meet the Reaching Baseball Ideals (RBI) criteria. “This is a feather in the cap,” confirms Brian Trollope of the YMBA. “This shows our community and our surrounding communities that grassroots baseball is important.” The YMBA has incorporated the Rally Cap program for the upcoming 2009 season and according to Trollope, it is the missing piece of the puzzle for the association. “When we were at the Baseball Canada meetings, it really came to light that (the Rally Cap program) is what our young coaches have been wanting for so long.” Yorkton Minor Baseball already asks their coaches to complete the initiation level of the NCCP and that all Rep level coaches comply with the proper certification as per Baseball Canada. Also, the association has implemented Pitch Count form the Mosquito to Bantam levels and have a continually growing enrolment of girls playing baseball in the region. For 2009, RBI accreditations are awarded to local baseball associations that comply with the minimum operating standards in these four areas: Development Programs Membership with Baseball Canada Coaches Training Accessibility An Association can become a Baseball Canada RBI Approved Association in 2009 by meeting these following criteria: The Association is a member in good standing with the Provincial Baseball Association (as recognized by Baseball Canada) and with Baseball Canada through the registration of all players, coaches and umpires participating in the local Association. The Association is fully utilizing the Rally Cap program as the main Initiation program for kids between 5 and 8 The Association is providing support to its coaches by driving them to the Baseball Canada NCCP Programs ensuring that all Rep level coaches are properly certified as per Baseball Canada requirements and that all house league/community programs have at least one coach per team who have completed the Initiation Coach level at minimum The Association is providing access to all programs to boys and girls at any age The Association is in support and using the Baseball Canada pitch counts for the Mosquito and Pee-Wee divisions In order to become a RBI Approved association for 2009, simply send an email to rbi@baseball.ca addressing all the criteria mentioned above. Baseball Canada will contact you to approve your Association or to ask additional questions.
OTTAWA – When you first meet Don Gilbert, you meet an unassuming man who is very kind, gentile and welcoming to everyone. Those who do not know him have a hard time grasping that this man was the Supervisor of Umpires for Baseball Canada for 12 years. The very humble Lasalle, Ontario native is not one to point out his accomplishments without a little extra prodding. But what this man has done for umpiring in Canada is beyond extraordinary. Under his watch, umpires in Canada have gained notoriety on the international stage. More Canadian umpires have been assigned to international tournaments since Gilbert was elected to the position in 1996. But as mentioned before, the always humble Gilbert deflects the accolades. “The credit should really go to the many people in the provinces and provincial supervisors and the result of me saying ‘can you handle this, can you handle that.’ I got a lot of the credit for it but they did all the work.” Another major achievement was the creation of the Baseball Canada Umpires Operation Manual. The manual has helped standardize the administration and development of umpires at the national level. “We were able to develop an operations manual that kind of takes away the autonomy from anybody,” explains Gilbert. “You wouldn’t have a small group of umpires come in and say ‘this is how it’s going to be done.’ It’s become a process based on this document that says ‘this is how is has to be done.’” Gilbert however has done much more for umpires in Canada than simply being a supervisor. He brings over 30 years experience to the table as an acclaimed umpire. Gilbert had called games for numerous provincial, national and international tournaments. His proudest moment came in 2004 when he got the privilege to umpire the gold medal game at the Olympic Games in Athens. “The Olympics gave me a greater appreciation for professional umpires. The type of focus and concentration I had to do day in and day out for that tournament, it gave me a new found respect for professional umpires.” That appreciation was evident in his leadership style according to the man who has replaced Gilbert as Baseball Canada Supervisor of Umpires, Corrie Davis. “I think that Don truly cared about every umpire in Canada, whether it be a twelve year old in the Maritimes or a Level 5 guy from BC,” says Davis. “Part of what made him a great leader was the fact that he had empathy for us, he understood the specific challenges that umpires face, and he worked hard to make things easier for us.” ”If you were an umpire, he treated you like family.” More evidence of his empathy comes from Gilbert’s very first game as an umpire back in Ontario for a Mic Mac Junior game. “I was horrible,” recalls Gilbert. “I was calling pitches in the dirt for strikes.” From that point on, Gilbert got better and grew to become one of the best umpires in Canada. He has received several accolades, being named Ontario Umpire of the Year in 1992, Baseball Canada Umpire of the Year in 1997 and International Umpire of the Year by the IBAF in 2004. All that culminated in 2008 when he was enshrined in the Windsor/Essex Sports Hall of Fame. “I was extremely honoured,” says Gilbert. “That’s not supposed to happen to umpires.” But perhaps more impressive than his personal accomplishments are the achievements he helped build as Baseball Canada Supervisor of Umpires. “Leaders can’t be successful if they lead in a direction that people don’t want to go in,” remarks Davis. “I think that part of what made Don so successful is that he was able to steer the boat in the same direction that we were paddling in, and at the same time, motivate us to keep going.” “We are indebted to Don for his twelve years of leadership,” adds Davis. “Our program has grown significantly under his guidance. I think that the best way that we can thank Don is to take what he’s done for us, build on it, and provide even more opportunities for Canadian umpires to achieve their goals.”
TROIS-RIVIERES, QC - A prominent baseball figure in Québec can be currently found in “La belle province.” Former Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou was in Trois-Rivières as the guest speaker at the annual Baseball Québec Coaches Conference. Baseball Canada contributed to Alou’s appearance by financially supporting Baseball Québec. The first Major League manager to hail from the Dominican Republic discussed the pertinence to favour player development and player success. Over 285 coaches from all over Québec came to the Alphonse Desjardins Sports Complex in Trois-Rivières to hear Felipe Alou preach on baseball. Alou also praised the Baseball Québec programs and their coaches. “Theses coaches are well versed in the game of baseball,” says a passionate Alou. “No matter at what level you find yourself, the game is basically the same.” Alou is still with the San Francisco Giants organization, entering his third year as Assistant General Manager with the club. The greatest manager in Montreal Expos history in terms of wins has wonderful memories of his time in Montreal to go along with a couple of sour ones. “My promotion as manager of the Expos and being named the All-Star team manager in 1995 are certainly some of my fondest memories as a Major League manager,” confirms Alou. “I have to admit that I was particularly honoured when baseball awarded me the Manager of the Year in 1994. But that year also represents the most disappointing moment of my career, obviously because of the strike that shut down the season when we had the best team in baseball. It still breaks my heart to this day, as I’m sure it does for most fans in Québec and in Canada.” Felipe Alou will be at the helm for the Dominican Republic at the upcoming World Baseball Classic in March. The Dominicans will play the first round in Puerto Rico.
OTTAWA – The Baseball Canada National Teams Awards Banquet and Fundraiser auction was once again a complete success. However, there are still some items remaining and Baseball Canada wants to give you a second chance to win. Starting now until 4 pm ET on Monday, February 9th, bids will be taken on all remaining items which include a package for one week in ski and golf paradise in Panorama, British Columbia. This is only a peek into the extraordinary items that still remain. Click here to see the complete list of auction items. To bid, please send an e-mail with subject line “gala auction” to media@baseball.ca. Please include your name, item number, bid and phone number. Bids will be updated once daily at 4 pm ET. Auction winners will be notified on Tuesday, February 10th. Shipping charges will apply.
TORONTO – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) announced on Tuesday, January 27 that Canadian Women’s National Baseball Team member and York Lions women’s hockey player Autumn Mills (London, ON) will be recognized as one of the top female scholar-athletes from across the province at the sixth annual Women of Influence Luncheon.The event, which takes place on Tuesday, February 10, honours female-student athletes who have excelled in their chosen sports and fields of study. Mills has been a member of the Women’s National Team since 2005 and has been to two IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup tournaments, earning a bronze medal in 2006 and a silver medal in 2008. Also on her mantle is a Women’s National Championship with Team Ontario. In addition to her baseball prowess, Mills, a third-year right winger, has been an integral part of the Lions women’s hockey team over the past few years. Last season, she helped the Lions advance to the playoffs for the first time in five years as she finished fifth in team scoring with 11 points (six goals, five assists). She has already passed that mark this year and is currently fourth in team scoring with 14 points (eight goals, six assists). Away from athletics, she is an exceptional student and a dedicated instructor and volunteer. A member of the CIS Academic all-Canadian honour roll last season, Mills is in the concurrent education program at York and as part of her course load she has a teaching placement in an elementary school. “There are numerous other athletes at York that are eligible for this and I am honoured to be chosen for the award,” said Mills. “I’m really excited to be a part of something like this and I’m glad that my athletic and academic participation is being noticed.” When she isn’t studying or training, Mills volunteers her time to coaching a men’s baseball team and working as a skill coach with a youth squad. This past summer she conducted a girls baseball camp called All Girls Baseball Day in Nova Scotia, where she and Melanie Harwood (Thornhill, ON), another member of the national baseball team, led over 80 girls between the ages of five and 13 through drills and then acted as an umpire for some of their games. She has also been an instructor at Frozen Ropes Canada, a popular baseball and softball training centre. As if being in a highly demanding educational program, maintaining academic all-Canadian status, participating in two sports at a high level and volunteering were not enough, Mills holds down two part-time jobs to support herself while she attends school. The guest speaker at this year’s luncheon is two-time Olympic medalist Tonya Verbeek. Verbeek became the first female wrestler to win An Olympic medal, claiming silver in 55 kg freestyle at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Four years later in Beijing, Verbeek won a bronze medal to become the most decorated Canadian wrestler at the Olympic Games. Tickets to the luncheon are $88.20 each (taxes included) and can be purchased by calling Lisa Constanzo at 416-923-1688 ext. 23 or via e-mail at lconstanzo@powerpointgroup.com. The event will be held from 12pm to 2pm at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North Building), 255 Front Street West in Toronto, Ontario.
OTTAWA - Baseball Canada held its seventh edition of the National Teams Awards Banquet and Fundraiser on January 24 at Toronto’s Renaissance Hotel at Rogers Center and the event was once again a complete success. "Once again, we were quite fortunate to celebrate Canadian Baseball excellence with so many committed alumni, MLB and Corporate Partners and Friends who have directly and indirectly contributed so much to the growth and development of our National Teams Program," says Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada's Head Coach and Director of National Teams. "Baseball excellence in Canada continues to impact the game on a global scale and as such we are honored to have the support of so many of our country's key contributors." Baseball Canada also recognized its past, present and future with the annual awards presentation. Highlighting the awards portion was Larry Walker who was honoured with Baseball Canada’s first Wall of Excellence Award, presented by David Vander Voet of RBC Wealth Management. The numbers speak for themselves as Walker holds most Canadian Major League career records. The humble Maple Ridge, BC native tallied a .313 average with 383 homers, 1,311 RBI, 2,160 hits, 471 doubles, 230 stolen bases in 1,988 games. He was the 1997 NL MVP, putting together arguably one of the best single seasons in Major League history when he hit .366 with 49 homers, 130 RBI, 46 doubles, 33 stolen bases, .720 SLG in 153 games. “I would like to thank the Regina Pats who cut me twice, making my choice of careers that much easier,” says Walker jokingly while accepting his award. Brett Lawrie of Langley, BC earned the Junior National Team MVP award, sponsored by Disney’s Wide World of Sports, for the second time in three years. Lawrie was the offensive key cog of the Junior National Team at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton, winning the Triple Crown of the tournament batting .469 with three home runs and 16 RBI. He also displayed his power during the Dominican Summer Camp, hitting five home runs in a doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners Dominican team. Nick Weglarz of Stevensville, Ontario was recognized as the Olympic team MVP, presented by Steve Rogers of the MLBPA. Weglarz was a crucial part of Canada qualifying for the 2008 Olympics when he hit .450 with three homers and seven RBI at the Final Olympic Qualifier in Taiwan. He then proceeded to lead the team at the Olympics with a .400 average, two home runs and five RBI. He is also establishing himself in the professional ranks as he is now ranked third by Baseball America on the Cleveland Indians top 10 prospects list. The Stubby Clapp Award was presented to Scott Richmond of North Vancouver, BC, presented by Dave Bartlett of Mizuno Canada. Richmond is the personification of this award as he came from working the docks in Vancouver to taking the mound in the Majors. After completing his college career, the 6’5”, 220 lbs right-hander went to Edmonton to play independent ball with the Cracker-Cats. After three seasons, he signed with the Blue Jays in 2008 and quickly made his way to the big leagues, making his debut on July 30th. He earned his first Major League win on September 26th, throwing six shutout innings against the Baltimore Orioles. Alumni Awards were presented to Rheal Cormier of Cap Pele, NB and to Jeff Zimmerman of Carsland, Alberta, presented by Larry Pearson of the L.J. Pearson Foundation. Cormier is a two-time Olympian, participating in the 1988 and 2008 Olympics. Following the Beijing Games, Cormier retired from baseball. He pitched 16 seasons in the majors, collecting a 71-64 record and 4.03 ERA in 683 career games. Zimmerman was a solid reliever during his Major League career with the Texas Rangers. He owns a handful of club records, including most consecutive wins to start a season with nine and was an All-Star in 1999. He is now the Co-Chair of Baseball Canada’s Alumni Group and is a coach with the Junior National Team. Chris Reitsma of Calgary, Alberta was the recipient of a Special Recognition Award, presented by Steve Rogers of the MLBPA. Reitsma spent seven seasons in the Major Leagues, appearing in 338 games with the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners. The right-hander called it quits after the 2008 season when he represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Reitsma is now back in his native Calgary where he is involved in several endeavours, including working with mentally and physically disabled kids. And finally, a Special Achievement Award was given to Joey Votto of Toronto, Ontario, presented by Steve Rogers of the MLBPA, for his terrific season. After being a September call up in 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds where he hit .321 with four home runs and 17 RBI in 24 games, Votto completed his first full season by finishing second in voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award to Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs. The first baseman hit .297 with 24 home runs, 84 RBI and 32 doubles in 151 games in 2008. The evening included check presentations from Major League Baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Royal Bank of Canada to Baseball Canada at a value of $100,000, $15,000 and $10,000 respectively. “I can’t say enough about the support we’ve received from our sponsors,” said Baseball Canada Director General Jim Baba. “They continuously show a vested interest in promoting the sport in Canada, both at the grassroots level and at the elite level.” Baseball Canada would like to thank everybody who made the seventh annual National Teams Awards Banquet and Fundraiser a night to remember.
OTTAWA – On Monday, January 19, baseball fans will be able to purchase single game tickets to the opening round of the World Baseball Classic games hosted at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. Single game tickets will be available for purchase online at www.worldbaseballclassic.com and www.bluejays.com. The first pitch of the World Baseball Classic tournament in Toronto is on March 7, 2009 when Team Canada takes on Team USA. Teams from around the world will be competing from March 5 – 23 with six round-one games being played at Toronto’s Rogers Centre featuring teams from Canada, Italy, United States and Venezuela. Media credential applications for the North American portion of the 2009 World Baseball Classic are available online today at http://credentials.mlb.com. All applications must be submitted online by Friday, February 20th. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline. About the World Baseball Classic: The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories. In March 2006, 486 players (235 of them from MLB organizations) representing 16 teams from across the globe competed in the inaugural event. The upcoming World Baseball Classic will be played from March 5 - 23 and will again feature 16 of the greatest baseball-playing nations in the world. The tournament will be held every four years thereafter, with plans in place to expand the participant field beginning in 2013.
OTTAWA – The International Baseball Federation (IBAF) has released its first ever World Rankings for baseball and Canada is ranked seventh in a ranking of 44 baseball countries. Cuba is ranked number one in the world in the initial rankings, followed by the United States and Korea. Developed in conjunction with Scott Goode, a sports information director from Harding University (Arkansas), the rankings are based on a point total which IBAF member federations (teams) earn from IBAF-sanctioned events in a four-year window, or a period of time that encompasses two IBAF Baseball World Cups. “The IBAF is long overdue for World Rankings,” says IBAF President Dr. Harvey Schiller in a statement. “The level of competition worldwide grows stronger every year, and we need to begin to recognize the federations that are fielding teams and performing well, whether it is in an intra-continental tournament or a World Cup.” Teams earn points based on their finish in an event. A tournament winner takes home 50 points, second place, 40; third place, 30; and fourth place, 15. From there, points are divided evenly among the remaining teams in the event to ensure balance between tournaments that feature different-sized fields. Once points are rewarded based on a team’s finish, that amount is then multiplied by a number based on the strength of the event. Major world championships, such as an Olympic Games, IBAF Baseball World Cup or World Baseball Classic, all receive 4X multipliers. Minor world championship events (Junior, Youth or FISU University Worlds for example) have a 1X multiplier, and all other continental championships receive multipliers from 1X-.25X based on how many teams in the top-10 of the current IBAF World Rankings compete in the event. “We are confident that our rankings accurately reflect the performance of our federations over a four-year period,” says Schiller. “We are also proud to say that our top-20 features federations from six continents, further proof of baseball’s continued global growth.” The rankings will be used for promotional purposes only and will not necessarily be used by the IBAF or any other governing baseball body to organize events, nor are those groups required by the IBAF to do as such. New rankings will be released following every event recognized or sanctioned by the IBAF. Here are the top ten countries as ranked by the IBAF: 1. Cuba2. United States3. Korea4. Japan5. Chinese Taipei6. Netherlands7. Canada8. Mexico9. Panama10. Australia Complete IBAF World Rankings: http://www.ibaf.org/2008/world_rankings_09.html
OTTAWA – In the wake of continuing media coverage concerning the Canadian Revenue Agency’s decision to revoke Little League Canada’s charitable status, the Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball (Baseball Canada) would like to issue this official statement. In order to maintain the trust and confidence of our members, the sport community and the public in general, Baseball Canada would like to reaffirm that we are a separate entity from Little League Canada. Baseball Canada is the National Sport Organization recognized by the federal government and our charitable status remains in good standing. Ray Carter, President of Baseball Canada, would like to ensure Canadians do not misunderstand this situation. “It’s unfortunate to hear about the recent news regarding Little League Canada but our organization is separate from theirs and we want to make sure Canadians know it. We will continue to work to develop the great game of baseball as we have done so since 1964.” For more information, please contact André Cormier at Baseball Canada at 613-748-5606.
