Reports indicate that four-time Baseball Canada National Team member and Philadelphia Phillies prospect Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, B.C.), will make his first major league start, Saturday, against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. “It was one of the best days of my life so far,” Mathieson told mlb.com reporter Ken Mandel. “It’s something you wait your whole life for. I thought about it. I’ve dreamt about it. It’s really happening.” The 6’3”, 190-pound 22-year old right-handed pitcher will be the third Canadian to make his major league debut this year and like fellow British Columbia native Adam Loewen, now with the Baltimore Orioles, Mathieson will skip Triple A baseball on his way to the big leagues. In Double A Reading, this season, Mathieson led the Eastern League with 95 strikeouts in 85.2 innings of work, while giving up 67 hits and posting a 3.05 ERA on route to a 6-2 record. He struck out 11 batters on two separate occasions and has displayed tremendous control for a power-pitcher, tossing only one wild pitch in 13 starts and posting a miniscule WHIP* of 1.07. A 17th round Phillies draft pick in 2002, Mathieson also played for Canada’s 2002 National Junior Team, before joining the National Senior Team in 2005 for the Baseball World Cup and the CONCEBE Baseball Regional Olympic Qualifier. More recently, Mathieson contributed in Canada’s upset of the United States, throwing a hitless eighth inning at the World Baseball Classic’s U.S. Eh! game, and setting Steve Green up for the save and an 8-6 victory. Mathieson is set to become the 20th Canadian to play Major League Baseball this season. * Walks + Hits / Innings Pitched
In the seventh of 10 provincial association profiles, Baseball Canada speaks with Baseball New Brunswick Executive Director Jason Dickson about the 2006 season. BASEBALL CANADA (BCAN) – In no particular order, what five initiatives are you looking forward to the most for the 2006 baseball season? 1. Rally Cap Program JASON DICKSON (JD) – Our biggest initiative is to increase our registration numbers from last year. That begins with the Rally Cap Program which is a program that moves away from the traditional methods of instruction. I think that a lot of coaches that get in at that level are kind of unsure of what to do. The Rally Cap Program helps teach the kids specific skills sets and provide them with constant positive reinforcement. 2. Blue Jays Clinic JD – In keeping with trying to increase our numbers we’ll be welcoming four Toronto Blue Jays Clinics, which travels around four cities throughout the province (Fredericton, Moncton, St. John and Miramichi) in July and August. There will be around 75 to 80 kids at each clinic and they’ll receive professional instruction and coaching from current or former Blue Jays players and staff. The province was able to host the clinic two years ago and we’ve seen that it draws a lot of interest out here. Obviously people get to watch them on TV all the time, but it makes things pretty special when they travel out to the east coast and people get to see them in person. It’s a huge thing for these kids because they get pretty excited when they see that uniform. 3. Super Clinic JD - We are hosting the annual Super Clinic in December, so we’re in the process of getting things set up for that event. The Super Clinic presents a good opportunity for coaches in this area, who haven’t been able to travel, to get their Level 3 certification. The Super Clinic really draws more attention to the coaching world and people are more likely to get involved with coaching as a result. Obviously with the new National Coaching Certification Program and the online registration it’s a lot easier now for people to get into coaching and this clinic can really build on that. You’re obviously always trying to recruit new players, be we have to understand that it’s equally important to continue to recruit coaches. BCAN – The Super Clinic offers coaches a wealth of insight into the finer points of the game, from hitting fundamentals to situational team defence. What will be one of this year’s main points of focus? JD – This year we’ll try to do something different and couple in some player development clinics. We might even bring in a group of young players to give the coaches the opportunity to put into practice what they’re learning on site. It’s also an opportunity for some of these players to get a different perspective on the game. It’s great for them to get exposure to minor league coaches, somebody from Baseball Canada and other baseball people. BCAN – With both the Blue Jays Clinics and the Super Clinic happening in the same year in New Brunswick, how excited are you about how these events can help generate interest in the sport in your province? JD – From both the player’s standpoint and the coach’s standpoint we’re going to get two of the best opportunities to make a push to get people more interested in baseball. That’s very exciting. 4. Winterball JD – We had another really successful year of Winterball this year. We ordered an additional 26 kits and got them into the schools and, surprisingly enough, in some of these places it was the first time that kids were really introduced to baseball. We’ve got a couple of associations that have popped up again and that are looking to make resurgence into baseball, which is always a positive thing. That all goes back to the Winterball kits – They’re really useful to jog your memory. Winterball is a well-written and well-planned program that’s really easy to implement into the daily programs within the school systems. If this is a way to steal some time during the school day where kids are thinking about baseball and playing baseball during school hours, it’s like an extra practice. Seeing as we are somewhat weather shortened, Winterball Kits are really important to us. 5. Atlantic Championship JD – Last year, due to a few reasons, we ended up dropping our Atlantic Championships. We were talking about taking a year off, but after speaking with some of the different teams, especially at the intermediate level, it appears as though there’s great interest so it’s something we’re looking to jump into once again. For some of those intermediate teams that don’t head to the nationals, we’d like to give them something beyond the provincial finals. Coming up! Play Ball 2006! Baseball Nova ScotiaPlay Ball 2006! P.E.I. Amateur Baseball AssociationPlay Ball 2006! Baseball Newfoundland
More than half of the Canadians selected in the 2006 Major League Baseball entry draft, Tuesday and Wednesday, are current or former Baseball Canada National Junior Team members. Of the 38 Canadians selected, 21 have donned the red and white in National Junior Team programs including the MLB Fall Instructional League, the National Junior Team Spring Training Camp, the National Junior Team Dominican Republic Tour as well as the World Junior AAA Championships and its qualifying tournament. Twelve of the top 13 Canadians selected fall into the category, including current National Junior Team athletes Kyle Orr, Jonathan Waltenbury, Shayne Willson, Chase Larsson, Mehdi Djebbar, Kyle Gilligan, Matt McCarney, Tyson Gillies and Drew Parker. Click here for a complete list of Canadians selected in the 2006 MLB draft as well as breakdowns by clubs and provincial representation.
Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) and Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.) brought the count of Baseball Canada National Junior Team members selected on the first day of the Major League Baseball draft up to four, Tuesday. Willson, a 6’3”, 192 pound outfielder was selected in the 16th round (486th overall) by the Minnesota Twins while Larsson, a 6’2”, 190 pound left-handed hitting outfielder was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round (527th overall). With plus-power, a compact swing and an above average arm, Willson projects well as a corner outfielder or corner infielder at the professional level. Boasting an advanced hitting approach for a high school hitter, Larsson is capable of putting up good offensive numbers against both left-handed and right-handed pitchers. He is praised for his balance and discipline at the plate as well as his speed on the bases for his size. In all, seven Canadians were selected on Day 1 of the Major League Baseball entry draft. *Kyle Orr (Victoria, B.C.) - 4th Round (113th) - Los Angeles Dodgers*Jonathan Waltenbury (Bowmanville, Ont.) - 7th Round (210th) - Minnesota TwinsJonathan Baksh (Mississauga, Ont.) - 7th Round (216th) - Toronto Blue JaysJimmy Van Ostrand (Richmond, B.C.) - 8th Round (249th) - Houston AstrosChris Toneguzzi (Thunder Bay, Ont.) - 13th Round (392nd) - Milwaukee Brewers*Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) - 16th Round (486th) - Minnesota Twins*Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.) - 18th Round (527th) - Kansas City Royals The draft, which lasts 50 rounds, continues, Wednesday. * Denotes Baseball Canada National Junior Team member.
Kyle Orr (Victoria, B.C.) was the first Canadian to be selected in the 2006 Major League Baseball entry draft, today, being chosen with the seventh pick in the fourth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I hear the Dodgers organization is great for minor-leaguers and they’ve been really good to me along the way,” said the 17-year-old Lambrick Park Secondary School student who worked out at Dodger Stadium last week. “It’s just an honour because there are a lot of quality people over there.” A projected power hitter, Orr played a key role in helping the Canadian National Junior Team earn a third place finish at the World Junior AAA Championship qualifier last September. His offensive skills will once again be called upon when Team Canada travels to the World Championship in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, Sept. 17-27. "Kyle brings a tremendous presence to the middle of our lineup as well an outstanding leadership abilities on and off the playing field," said Baseball Canada's junior national team head coach, Greg Hamilton. The 6’5”, 205-pound Orr, who brings a left-handed bat to the lineup, has shown plenty of versatility in the past, playing four separate positions and being used as a designated hitter for the Canadian National Junior Team. Orr becomes the third Canadian in the Dodgers’ system, joining fellow Baseball Canada national team alumni Eric Gagné (Massouche, Qué.) and Russell Martin (Chelsea, Qué.) as well as catcher Eric Langill (Kirkland, Qué.) who is currently playing for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. “It’s definitely good knowing that there are others that have made it in your position,” Orr said of Canadian connections in Los Angeles. Orr, who has singed a letter of commitment to attend Kentucky University, has not yet decided whether he will sign with the Dodgers right away or opt to play for the Wildcats in Lexington, KY this fall. “I haven’t decided yet so we’ll see what happens,” he said. “I’m just kind of taking all of this in right now to make sure I make the right decision.”
Baseball Canada National Junior Team first baseman and outfielder Jonathan Waltenbury (Bowmanville, Ont.) was the third Canadian selected in today’s MLB entry draft, going in the seventh round (216th overall) to the Minnesota Twins. “I’m very happy with the Minnesota Twins,” said Waltenbury. “They have my favourite player (Justin Morneau) and when I was there during the pre-draft camp it just seemed like it was a good fit.” Waltenbury, a 6’3, 210-pound 17-year-old, has been one of the hottest hitters on Baseball Canada’s national junior team training circuit this year. “If I don’t go down to the Fall Instructional League and Spring Training in Florida and put up fairly decent numbers, I don’t think I’d be in the situation I am now,” he said. His numbers were more than ‘fairly decent’. Against Major League Baseball instructional teams and collegiate competition at the team’s spring training camp in Orlando Florida in April, Waltenbury posted a .444 average with five doubles, three walks and a homerun in 30 at bats. Last October, in Fall Instructional action, Waltenbury hit for a team-leading .421 average. “He’s an excellent high school hitter who has the potential to go on and have a successful Major League career,” said Baseball Canada’s national junior team head coach Greg Hamilton. “We wish him all the best and hope he’ll join us in the pursuit of a World Junior Championship in September.” The Henry Street High School student joins two other Canadians in the Twins’ system including former national team member Justin Morneau (New Westminster, B.C.) and right-handed pitcher Adam Hawes (Victoria Harbour, Ont.) who is currently throwing for the Single-A Beloit Snappers.
Ray Carter (Tsawwassen, B.C.) ran unopposed and retained his seat as Baseball Canada’s president while incumbent vice president Linda Lewis (Port Lambton, Ont.) was narrowly re-elected to Baseball Canada’s executive committee, Saturday, at the organisation’s Annual General Meetings in Ottawa. Ken Sharpe (Minnedosa,Man.) is the only new member of the three-person executive, running unopposed and replacing Baseball Québec’s Gilles Taillon as treasurer. A former Baseball Ontario president, Lewis edged challenger Peter Craig (Halifax, N.S.) by six votes to begin her third consecutive two-year term. Lewis, who joined Baseball Canada in 1989, has served on a range of committees focusing on sport development, championships, women’s baseball and fair play. She has also been heavily involved in human resources and finance committees in addition to being the current chairperson of Baseball Canada’s umpires committee. While her experience likely gave her a slight edge in this weekend’s election, Lewis agrees the close vote is a sign of a healthy organization. The current chair of Baseball Canada’s sport development committee and Nova Scotia board representative for two terms, Craig made it a close race by presenting the idea that turnover in an organisation can be beneficial. “That’s what ensures the future success of organizations,” Craig said as he addressed the membership moments before the vote, calling for fresh ideas and creative thinking to tackle new issues presented to Baseball Canada. “Innovative progression and innovative direction is going to bode well for the future. These things will directly translate into increased registration.” Lewis was quick to acknowledge the merit of Craig’s argument and says she’s looking forward to working with Craig and other members from across the country to ensure that Baseball Canada continues to move in the right direction. “I thought that Peter did a great job because he had a lot of valid points in his speech,” said Lewis. “We do have to look down the road and we will have to do a lot of things differently. We should look very seriously at a lot of what he said.” Carter says that the board members’ ability to work together effectively has been exemplary and he doesn’t expect that to change. “Everything went very well this weekend,” he said of the annual board meetings alongside the election process. “Our meetings were thorough and we were able to work through any issues we had very smoothly.” With the new executive committee in place and fresh from constructive meetings, Carter and Baseball Canada are set to embark on a new two-year term – one in which Carter vows there will be extreme emphasis on grassroots programs such as Winterball, Rally Cap and Long Term Athlete Development. “In addition to those there are a lot of very positive ideas that are re-surfacing and I’m very pleased with the progress that we keep making,” he said. “With more funding we would be able to put more programs into action, so that’s something we’re constantly trying to access.” In addition to organisational meetings and workshops, Major League Baseball Players Association Executive Director Donald Fehr was also on hand, Friday, to collect feedback from the Canadian federation with regards to the World Baseball Classic held in March.
Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects closed out their 2006 Dominican Republic Tour with a 5-5 draw in 10 innings, Thursday, against the Philadelphia Phillies. After Philadelphia scored a pair of runs behind two base hits and a double in the bottom of the ninth, both teams were held scoreless in the tenth and the exhibition game was declared a tie. After the teams exchanged runs in the first two innings, Canada took three-run lead into the fifth. Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.) reached on an error and promptly stole second. Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) then tripled to score Gilligan and was cashed in himself by a single from the bat of Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.) for a 4-1 Canadian advantage. The score stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when Philadelphia scored a pair of markers thanks to three consecutive singles off of Canadian reliever Jean-Francois Ricard (Saint Eustache, Qué.) to cut the lead to one run. Gillies scored on a ground out from Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) in the eighth, setting up the Phillies ninth that would tie the game for good. Six Canadian pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts: Michael Goemans (Guelph, Ont.) – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 SOPhillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Qué.) – 2 IP, 0 H, 0R, 3 SOJean-François Ricard – 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 SOCameron Gray (Toronto, Ont.) – 1 IP, 0 H, 0 RMatt Jebb (Toronto, Ont.) – 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 SODavid Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) – 1 .2 IP, 0H, 0R, 3 SO Gillies led the charge offensively, going 3-for-4 with three hits, one walk, two runs scored and an RBI. Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was also 3-for-4 with one RBI, while Larsson was 2-for-5 with one run scored and an RBI and Willson was 1-for-3 with one walk, one run scored and one RBI. Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) and Jeff Skelhorne-Gross had one hit each for the Canadians. The National Junior Team prospects will now turn their attention to their final training camp and exhibition series against the Cuban Junior National Team from Sept. 8 to September 16. The training camp will be used by Team Canada staff as the fourth and final step in the selection process for the roster of players to represent Canada at the 2006 World Junior AAA Championships in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba from Sept. 17 to 27. Canada’s Dominican Tour Results May 25 – Canada 9 Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3 Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3 Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada 5 Anaheim 4 May 29 – Canada 17 Cleveland 5May 30 – Canada 11 Cleveland 12May 31 – Canada 3 Toronto 12June 1 – Canada 5 Philadelphia 5
Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects lost two games in a row, Tuesday and Wednesday, to the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays, moving to 3-4 on their 2006 Dominican Republic Tour. The Canadians’ best chance at a victory over the two-game stretch came in a 12-11 loss to the Indians on Tuesday, a contest which they led 5-0 after the first inning. Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) scored from third on a single from the bat of Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.), while a double by Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) and singles from Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) and Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) gave Canada the early lead. However, Cleveland quickly got back into the game, taking Canadian starter Sheldon McDonald (Spruce Grove, Alta.) for four runs in the bottom of the second thanks to three singles, a double and a walk. Canada bounced back to take a 7-5 lead into the bottom of the sixth, where the Indians came up with a five-run inning with only a pair of hits as Colin Buckborough (Niagara Falls, Ont.) walked two batters, hit another two and gave up a grand-slam homerun to bring the count to 10-7 in Cleveland’s favour. A resilient group of Canadians, however, refused, to let the grand-slam get the better of them, clawing back to take an 11-10 lead in the slugfest mid-way through the seventh inning. Gillies kicked off the inning with a triple, which was followed by singles from Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.), Willson, and Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and a walk to Lawrie. The see-saw battle continued in the bottom half of the seventh where the Indians were able to draw a walk from Buckborough before slapping back-to-back doubles to score the final two-runs of the game and seal a 12-11 win. Right-handers Corey Hall (Regina, Saskatchewan) and Leslie Williams (Scarborough, Ont.) merit credit for shutting down a potent Indians offence. Hall, who threw 2.2 inning allowed only one hit and one run while Williams threw the final 1.2 innings, giving up only one hit while striking out one. Despite the loss, Canada had an impressive team effort offensively as six players had a multi-hit game: Tyson Gillies: 2-for-3, 2 runs, tripleBrett Lawrie: 2-for-4, 1 walk, 3 runs, 1 RBIShayne Willson: 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, doubleMark Ellis: 2-for-4, 1 walk, 1 run, 1 RBISteve Anderson: 2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI, homerunRicky Alvernaz: 2-for-3, 1BB, 1 RBI A big inning cost the Canadians again during a 12-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Wednesday, a game that was much closer than the final score indicates. Leading by a slim 4-3 margin and with the Canadians pressing, the Blue Jays exploded for an eight-run seventh inning to seal the win. Five singles, a hit batsman, a walk, and a double off of right-handed reliever Ryan Jenson (Langley, B.C.) accounted for damage. Canada scored first in the game as Jordan Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) cashed in Matt McCarney (Kanata, Ont.) with a base hit in top of the third inning. The lead was short lived as Toronto scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Canada clawed back to within one as Chris Dennis (Windsor, Ont.) scored on a double-play ball in the fifth and cashed in Brett Lawrie in the seventh to make it 4-3, setting up the eight-run Blue Jays' seventh. Canadian starter Mehdi Djebbar (Montréal, Qué.) did his part to get the Canadians off to a good start, striking out a pair while allowing two hits, two walks and no runs in the first two innings. Pierre Miville-Deschenes (Candiac, Qué.) threw the next two innings, allowing the four-run Blue Jays fourth. Before handing the ball over to Jenson, Justin Robinson (Langley, B.C.) threw a pair of innings, striking out one batter and allowing one hit. David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) pitched the final 1.2 innings without a hit and struck out one. Dennis went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Ellis went 2-for-3 with an RBI to lead Canada’s offence. Lawrie and Wideman both had one hit each, Willson and McCarney both score a run each and Gilligan chipped in with an RBI. Canada’s final game on the 2006 Dominican Republic Tour comes against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, in Guanuma, D.R. Canada’s schedule May 25 – Canada 9 Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3 Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3 Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada 5 Anaheim 4 May 29 – Canada 17 Cleveland 5May 30 – Canada 11 Cleveland 12May 31 – Canada 3 Toronto 12June 1 – Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies; 11 a.m. EST - Guanuma, D.R.
Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects cruised to a 17-5 win over the Cleveland Indians, Monday, improving to 3-2 on their 2006 Dominican Republic Tour. Five Canadian pitchers combined to allow only six hits, while the offence pounded out 18 hits on the way to victory. Canada blew it open with a four-run fourth inning behind triples by Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) and Chase Larsson (Vancouver, B.C.), a double by Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.) and a single by Jordan Wideman (Mississauga, Ont.) to make it 7-0 for the Canadians. Canada scored three more in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a 13-0 lead before Cleveland was finally able to get on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Starter Drew Parker (Surrey, B.C.) struck out four Indians and allowed one hit in two innings work to set the tone defensively for Canada. Matt Jebb (Toronto, Ont.) was equally impressive in relief throwing three no-hit innings while walking two and striking out three. Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Qué.) and Cameron Gray (Toronto, Ont.) each gave up a pair of runs and struck out two before David Francis (Mississauga, Ont.) gave up the final Indians run in the ninth. For the second straight day, Canada faced a group of wild pitchers. Six times, Canadian batters were issued free passes after being plunked. The difference this time around, compared to a 5-4 win over the Angels a day earlier, was that the bats came alive. Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) led the attack by going 3-for-6 with a first inning-homerun, two runs scored and a pair of RBI while Gilligan was 3-for-5 with one run scored and two RBI. Not to be outdone, Wideman went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, Ricky Alvernaz (White Rock, B.C.) was 2-for-3 with a walk and three runs scored and Larsson was 1-for-3 with three RBI. Leslie Williams (Scarborough, Ont.) drove in a pair of runs. Matt McCarney (Kanata, Ont.), David Narodowski (Vancouver, B.C.) and Anderson each collected one RBI. Canada’s next game comes against the Indians, Tuesday, in Boca Chica, D.R. Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. EST. Canada’s schedule May 25 – Canada 9 Seattle 6May 26 – Canada 3 Seattle 8May 27 – Canada 3 Minnesota 6May 28 – Canada 5 Anaheim 4 May 29 – Canada 17 Cleveland 5May 30 – Canada vs. Cleveland Indians; 11 a.m. EST - Boca Chica, D.R.May 31 – Canada vs. Toronto Blue Jays; 11 a.m. EST - Hato Mayor, D.R.June 1 – Canada vs. Philadelphia Phillies; 11 a.m. EST - Guanuma, D.R.
