Short Hops is a new, weekly look at news and information that is of interest to the Canadian baseball community from the pros to the local sandlots!
How YOU can help – Baseball Canada is pleased to join an initiative led by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) along with its 60 National Sport Organizations (NSOs), 24 Multi-sport Services Organizations (MSOs) and seven Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institutes (COPSINs) called #SupportSport. Support Sport is requesting $50 million per year in additional funding to support the national sport system. This new investment would represent the first increase to sport core funding in 15 years. Please visit supportsport.ca to find out more, and please, help us spread this message!
Albers back with the Twins – It’s been quite a ride for North Battleford, Saskatchewan’s Andrew Albers who earlier this week inked a minor league deal with an invite to spring training with the team he made his MLB debut with back in 2013, the Minnesota Twins. The 35-year-old is coming off a three-year stint in Japan where he pitched for the Orix Buffaloes including a memorable 2018 season where the southpaw went 9-2 with a 3.08 ERA. Albers returns to a Twins organization that signed him out of independent baseball following the 2010 season before he broke into the majors and pitched 60 innings with the club in 2013. This will be Albers’ 13th season in professional baseball that includes six appearances with the men’s national team highlighted by gold medals at the 2011 and 2015 Pan Am Games baseball competitions.
Josh Anderson, the baseball player – We love hearing about multi-sport athletes and Wednesday Night Hockey on Sportsnet told a wonderful story about current Montreal Canadiens power forward Josh Anderson being coached on the diamond by legendary baseball writer Bob Elliott with some terrific Georgetown (Ontario) squads. Elliott penned a terrific piece on those teams and some of the players he coached for his Canadian Baseball Network website while he recovered from a heart attack suffered two years ago. It can be read here.
Baseball PEI seeking a Rally Cap Coordinator – For those hearing about Baseball Canada’s Rally Cap program for the first time it’s our introductory program for baseball teaching the FUNdamentals of the game in a safe and fun environment. Our partners, Baseball PEI, are looking to expand their reach with the program across the island by staffing a Provincial Rally Cap Coordinator. This is a wonderful opportunity for an enthusiastic person to impact and grow the game and the youngest age groups. More info can be found here.
