Canada national baseball team

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The Canadian national baseball team is the baseball team which represents Canada in international tournaments.

Contents

[edit] Canada at the WBC

In June of 2005, Major League Baseball announced the formation of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), an international competition to be held in March of 2006 for the first time. Canada was one of the sixteen teams invited to play in the inaugural classic. Because the event will be held in March, before the North American baseball season traditionally starts, players active in Major League Baseball or any minor league affiliates are eligible to play in the WBC, making the team markedly different from the teams which represented Canada in the 2005 World Cup or the 2004 Olympics.

Before being eliminated after the first round, Canada played in Pool B of the tournament with Mexico, South Africa and the United States.

[edit] Round One

vs. South Africa

Team Canada was heavily favored to win their first game against South Africa, a team made up almost entirely by amateurs. However, South Africa put up a tough challenge to the Canadian team. South African starter, Carl Michaels pitched outstandingly; Canada couldn't get a run until the 5th inning, when they scored 3. However, the South Africans shockingly scored 4 runs of their own in the bottom of the 5th against Paul Quantrill. It was back and forth from then on. It looked like South Africa might pull off a monumental upset as they went into the 9th with an 8-7 lead. However, in the top of the 9th, the Canadians scored 4 times to win the game 11-8.

vs. the United States

After almost being upset by a surprising South African team, Canada pulled off an upset of its own with an 8-6 victory over the star-studded United States team. Scoring in each of the first five innings, the Canadians built an 8-0 lead using a combination of timely, patient hitting, steady pitching and clutch fielding. In the bottom of the fifth, the United States threatened a comeback, exploding for 6 runs, capped off by a Jason Varitek grand slam. The Canadian team held off the US the rest of the way, as neither team crossed the plate again in the game. Adam Stern had a strong outing, going 3 for 4, a double shy of the cycle, with an inside the park home run, as well as making several spectacular plays in center field to keep the game close.

vs. Mexico

After Canada's victory over the United States, they got shocked by the Mexican team in a 9-1 resounding defeat. Unfortunately for the Canadian side, this victory would eventually cost them the trip to the 2nd round of the tournament after the United States beat South Africa 17-0 and clinched the second place in Pool B. Canada, USA, and Mexico each finished with a 2-1 record in the pool, but Canada lost the tie-breaker based on runs allowed.

[edit] 2006 World Baseball Classic roster

Players' team affiliations reflect their status at the time of the tournament.

World Baseball Classic Logo

Manager

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Notable Staff

[edit] Results

Round One

  • March 7
    • Canada 11, South Africa 8

[edit] 2006 WBC Team Trivia

  • Pitcher Paul Quantrill announced that he would retire from baseball following the World Baseball Classic.
  • Coach Ernie Whitt is not, in fact, a native Canadian, but has dedicated himself to Canadian baseball in recent years. After a playing career spent mostly with the Toronto Blue Jays (where he remains very popular), Whitt is currently a coach with the Blue Jays (and rumoured to be next-in-line for the manager position). Furthermore, he has skippered other incarnations of the Canadian national team, including the 2004 Olympic team, which finished fourth. He is also now a Canadian citizen.

[edit] Canada at the Olympics

Canada qualified for one Olympic games, in the 2004 Summer Olympics. At the Olympics, the team finished fourth.

[edit] 2004 Summer Olympics roster

Canada
Posision No. Player Birth Club in 2004
OF 2 Rob Ducey May 24, 1965 Former Toronto Blue Jays
IF 4 Peter Orr June 8, 1979 Richmond Braves
IF 11 Richard Clapp February 24, 1973 Syracuse Sky Chiefs
P 14 Phil Devey May 31, 1973 Long Island Ducks
IF 16 Kevin Nicholson March 29, 1976 Altoona Curve
IF 17 Danny Klassen September 22, 1975 Toledo Mud Hens
OF 19 Adam Stern February 12, 1980 Greenville Braves
IF 20 Todd Betts June 24, 1973 Columbus Clippers
P 24 Shawn Hill April 28, 1981 Harrisburg Senators
P 25 Mike Johnson October 3, 1975 Edmonton Trappers
OF 26 Jeremy Ware October 23, 1975 Harrisburg Senators
OF 27 Jeff Guiel January 12, 1974 Syracuse Sky Chiefs
C 28 Andy Stewart December 5, 1970 Former Philadelphia Phillies
P 29 Jason Dickson March 30, 1973 Omaha Royals
C 30 Pierre-Luc Laforest January 27, 1978 Durham Bulls
P 31 Aaron Myette September 26, 1977 Louisville Bats
P 32 Mike Kusiewicz November 1, 1976 Indianapolis Indians
IF 33 Simon Pond October 27, 1976 Syracuse Sky Chiefs
P 34 Chris Begg July 8, 1974 San Jose Giants
OF 35 Ryan Radmanovich August 9, 1971 Somerset Patriots
P 36 Paul Spoljaric September 24, 1970 Former Toronto Blue Jays
P 37 Eric Cyr February 11, 1979 Salt Lake Stingers
P 38 John Ogiltree June 3, 1978 New Hampshire Fisher Cats
P 40 Chris Mears January 20, 1978 Toledo Mud Hens
Bench Coaches
Team
Manager		 12 Ernie Whitt June 3, 1952
Coach 42 Denis Boucher March 7, 1968
Coach 7 Marty Lehn October 4, 1963
Coach 10 Greg Hamilton July 25, 1965
Coach 21 Tim Leiper July 9, 1966

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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