Gord Gerlach of St. Albert, Alberta has been named the new field manager for the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the Northern League. Gerlach takes over for Frank Reberger who was recently let go by the organization. “I am happy to be managing the Cracker-Cats,” says Gerlach in a news conference with the media. The Cracker-Cats started the second half of the season with a 3-9 record, which is part of the reason Reberger was dismissed. But Gerlach, who was the team’s hitting coach before the promotion, sees his team making a charge for a playoff spot. “We certainly haven’t had a lack of effort. In fact, we’ve maybe had too much effort,” says Gerlach on his team’s recent struggles. “All we need to do is gain one game a week on the teams above us,” adds Gerlach. “We’re going to go step by step.” Gerlach is a former coach for the Senior National Team that participated in the World Senior Championship in 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2003. In 1999 he was a coach for the Senior National Team at the Pan-American Games and in 2005 he was coaching the seniors at the World Cup qualifier. In 2001, he was also a member of the coaching staff of the Junior National Team at the World Junior Baseball Championships.
Saskatchewan’s team for the Baseball Canada Cup may not have as big a selection of players to choose from as Ontario, Québec or British Columbia, but they will always put together a team that will compete to the end. Saskatchewan coach, Greg Brons thinks his team has a legitimate chance at taking a medal in this tournament. “If our pitching staff keeps the ball down and throw some strikes, I think we have a great shot at surprising some teams,” says Brons. There are three players returning to the squad from last year’s team and Brons hopes they can provide some leadership for this young group. “We’re pretty strong up the middle with Jon Cotter (Moose Jaw) as our shortstop,” says Brons. “We’re looking at Dustin Caplette (Moose Jaw), one of our pitchers from last year to lead, and there is Derek Wallace (Oxbow) at first base who is returning.” Saskatchewan will be holding a training camp in early August and play an exhibition game against Alberta before making their way to Québec. The 2007 Baseball Canada Championships are a single site event that will be held in Québec City from August 8-12 and August 16-19.
With the Baseball National Championships approaching, Ontario’s Senior Women’s Team is hoping to finish the season with the ultimate prize. The championships’ Senior Women’s category, which will take place from August 9-12, 2007, will have eight teams participating in the tourney. Included with Ontario in the invitational tournament will be Alberta, Manitoba, New-Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Québec and Québec City. “We’re always very competitive,” says Geoff Whent, coach for Ontario’s Senoir Women’s Team. “The last few years, we’ve had some pretty good teams and we’ve finished high in the standings,” adds Mr. Whent. Team Ontario is also made up with former and current Women’s National Team members such as Kate Psota of Burlington, Ontario and Ashley Stephenson of Mississauga, Ontario. The 2007 Baseball National Championships are a single site event that will be held in Québec City from August 8-12 and August 16-19.
Jamie Romak of London, Ontario was named the Carolina League’s Player of the Week for the week of July 9-15. The 21-year-old outfielder of the Class A Lynchburg Hillcats hit .533 (8-for-15) with two home runs, six RBI, seven runs scored, one stolen base and a slugging percentage of .933 for the week. “To be rewarded for having a pretty good week, it’s cool,” says Romak, “especially with the amount of Canadians that are playing and how well everyone is doing (this season).” Against division rival Frederick, the former Junior National Team member went 3-for-4 in two consecutive games, hitting two homers, driving in five runs and scoring four times in that span. “Going into the series, they were trying to pitch me in,” says Romak. “I backed off the plate about an inch or two and it seemed to make all the difference in the world.” Romak is hitting .279 with 15 home runs, 39 RBI and a slugging percentage of .533 this season.
The reigning American League MVP, Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C., was named the AL Player of the Week for the week of July 2-8. The Minnesota Twins first baseman hit .438 with four home runs, two doubles and 13 RBI for the week. He went 9-for-18 in a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox. In the July 6th game, he hit three long balls and drove in six runs. The former Junior and Senior National Team member is hitting .295 with 24 homers and 74 RBI after the first half of the 2007 season.
The 2007 season so far is an example of how Canadian players are continually ascending to the level of elite players in the Major Leagues and elsewhere. With the first half of the season in the books, let us take a look at how the Canadians are faring. Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C. was on fire to start the season. The 2006 American League MVP has 24 home runs, which ranks him second in the AL behind Alex Rodriguez. His 74 RBI are good for third in the AL. He is also hitting .295 and is on pace to hit 40 homers and score 100 runs for the first time in his career. Russell Martin of Chelsea, Québec is quickly distinguishing himself as one of the elite catchers in the game. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ backstop leads all catchers in runs scored with 51 and stolen bases with 16. He is second at his position with 60 RBI. He also has 11 homers and is hitting .306. The Dodgers are 47-33 when he starts and 2-7 when he does not. Erik Bedard of Navan, Ontario leads the Majors with 149 strikeouts. He is 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA with the Baltimore Orioles and continues to establish himself as the team ace. Other Canadians who are off to good starts in 2007: Jason Bay of Trail, B.C. - .256 AVG, 13 HR, 56 RBI Jeff Francis of Vancouver, B.C. - 8-5, 3.87 ERA, 80 SO, 34 BB Matt Stairs of Fredericton, N.B. - .287 AVG, 13 HR, 35 RBI, 195 AB Eric Gagne of Mascouche, Québec - 2-0, 1.32 ERA, 12 SV Ryan Dempster of Gibsons, B.C. - 1-3, 3.38 ERA, 16 SV, 33 SO, 34.2 IP Joey Votto of Toronto, Ontario is putting together a solid season of his own. The first-baseman with the Triple-A Louisville Bats with the Cincinnati Reds organization is hitting .315 with 11 home runs, 50 RBI and 10 stolen bases this season. At this rate, the 23-year-old could possibly make his Major League debut before the end of the season.
The festivities for the All-Star break in San Francisco were quite the experience for the Canadians who received the honour of participating. Justin Morneau of New Westminster, B.C. and Russell Martin of Chelsea, Québec both participated in their first MLB All-Star Game. Martin was voted in as a starter for the National League, becoming only the third Canadian to accomplish the feat after Larry Walker and Jason Bay. For Morneau, he was also able to participate in the Home Run Derby. The reigning American League MVP hit four long balls before being eliminated in a “swing-off” against Albert Pujols in the first round. In the game itself, their bats were silent with Morneau going 0-for-2 and Martin going 0-for-3. But the experience was not lost on these two young stars as they hope to have this experience again in the future. Speaking of future, the All-Star Futures Game saw three Canadians participate and contribute to their team’s success. Joey Votto of Toronto, Ontario, Mike Saunders of Victoria, B.C. and James Van Ostrand of Richmond, B.C. helped the World Team rise to victory over Team USA 7-2 in the game that took place on Sunday. For their part, Votto hit a solo home run to leadoff the sixth inning, Van Ostrand did the same to leadoff the seventh and Saunders drew a walk, stole two bases and scored twice. Now that the All-Star festivities are over, these young talented players will now rejoin their respective teams as they make their push for the playoffs for their respective leagues when the second half of the season begins on Thursday.
Jimmy Van Ostrand of Richmond, B.C. was added to the World Team roster for the All-Star Futures Game on July 8th in San Francisco, which is part of the festivities for Major League Baseball’s All-Star weekend. The 6’4”, 210 lbs outfielder with the Class-A Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League in the Houston Astros organization is hitting .299 with eight home runs and 43 RBI in 63 games this season. Van Ostrand was drafted in the eighth round of the 2006 MLB First Year Player Draft by Houston. The All-Star Futures Game is an exhibition featuring prospects that are divided into two teams, Team USA and the World Team. The players selected to participate are chosen by all 30 Major League clubs in conjunction with Baseball America and MLB.com. In total, 12 countries will be represented in this year’s edition of the game.
Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins are among the Major League stars who will participate in the 2007 All-Star Game in San Francisco July 10th. Martin from Chelsea, Québec was voted as the starter at catcher for the National League. The former Junior and Senior National Team member is hitting .306 with nine home runs, 55 RBI and 16 stolen bases this season. This will be Martin’s first All-Star appearance. Morneau from New Westminster, B.C. was selected as a reserve for the American League. It will be the first appearance at an All-Star Game for the first baseman. This season, the reigning American League MVP is hitting .277 with 20 homers and 61 runs driven in. The former Junior and Senior National Team member will also participate in the Home Run Derby. This will mark the fourth time in MLB All-Star Game history that two Canadians will participate in the game.
There was a time when everyone who followed baseball in Canada knew the name Jason Dickson. The right-handed pitcher from Chatham, N.B. was pursuing his Major League career with the Anaheim Angels during the late 90s, climaxed by his selection to the 1997 All-Star Game. Today, his name is a small reference to the game when it comes to his playing career. His continuing contributions to baseball however are more than just a footnote. Dickson went back to his roots once his playing days were over and is now the Executive Director with Baseball New Brunswick. He is also a coach for the New Brunswick Selects Team and was recently named as a coach for the Junior National Team. “I’ve always wanted to do something to give back to the kids and the community,” says Dickson on his role as coach. “Being a former professional athlete, I feel I have a better understanding of the profession, so it was an easy fit to start coaching.” His role with Baseball N.B. is much more than that of a coach. As Executive Director, the former Major Leaguer is in charge of coordinating and overseeing the sport’s programs and volunteers as well as contribute in the decision making with the board of directors. Most importantly, he wants to be seen as more than just a figurehead. “Baseball New Brunswick is also a business,” says Dickson. “I want to prove to people that I have some business savvy in me when it comes to marketing and making decisions, or at least provide information to the board (of directors) to help them make decisions.” Dickson's playing career started to take off when he was a member of the Junior National Team in 1991 at the World Junior Baseball Championship. He was a member of the only national team to ever win a gold medal at an international competition in baseball for Canada. Not bad for someone who almost did not make the team. “I was the last guy to get picked for the team,” remembers Dickson. He was not only a witness either; he was a key part of the team. In a round-robin game against the United States, Dickson came in relief in the second inning with the Americans ahead 4-0. The then 18-year-old would go on to shut down the Americans for 5 2/3 innings, giving up only one run, allowing his teammates to come from behind and put together a 10-6 comeback win. “That was special,” says Dickson. “I’m glad they had the confidence in me to put me in a situation like that.” His career continued to rise as he would be drafted in the sixth round by the California Angels in the 1994 draft. On August 21, 1996, Dickson would make his Major League debut against the New York Yankees and went on to throw 6 1/3 innings allowing one run on 10 hits with two walks and a strikeout in earning his first Major League win. 1997 was the season Dickson really made a name for himself in the Major Leagues. The young right-hander would post a 13-9 record with a 4.29 ERA, allowing 56 walks and striking out 115 in 33 games (31 starts) and a selection to the All-Star Game. Injuries however in the following years would put the brakes on his Major League playing career. After a few seasons in the minors with the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Kansas City Royals organizations, Dickson had a bit of a career rejuvenation when he was a member of the 2004 Canadian Olympic Team in Athens. In a pre-Olympic game, he pitched five scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the Netherlands. Then in Athens, he threw six solid innings in a 9-3 win over Italy and was once again solid in a 5-2 defeat to Cuba, taking the loss. After the 2004 season, the New Brunswick native retired as an active professional player and started to steer towards coaching. It has only been a couple of years that he has been a full-time coach, but it has been a little longer since he has been teaching younger players. “For me, I’ve really started coaching I guess in my last two, or three years as a player,” says Dickson. “I always try to be honest with the kids and I don’t sugar coat things,” adds Dickson of his coaching methods. His quick rise as a coach is comparable to that of his playing career as only three years removed from active duty; he is now one of the coaches for the Junior National Team and wants to take full advantage. “I’m really excited,” says Dickson. “Anybody who has ever put on that Team Canada jersey, whether as a player or a coach, you get that feeling of pride.” The passion for baseball will always be in Jason Dickson's spirit. The game is his life. He has always composed himself with dignity and respect and he wants to share those experiences with the kids and help them prepare for what is to come. “You want to teach these kids to become better baseball players,” says Dickson, “but you also want to teach them about lessons in life and to be better people and move forward no matter what they choose to do in the future.”
