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All in all, it has been a good week for Canadian baseball.
Coach Greg Hamilton’s Team Canada knocked off Korea 5-4 on Sunday night at the world junior championship and faced the Czech Republic last night to conclude pool play. Ajax’s Phil Deidrick hit a grand slam homer while Brantford’s Brandon Dailey had a pair of hits and Pickering’s Mike Smith gained the win with 41/3 scoreless innings
Canada will finish second and likely play Australia on Friday night when the elimination round begins.
Meanwhile, the Ontario Blue Jays pulled off a rare double, winning the American Amateur Baseball Congress’ (AABC) North Atlantic Regional tournaments at both the 18- and 16-year-old age groups. It’s the first time Ontario teams have earned berths to both tourneys in the same year.
The 18s, coached by Danny Bleiwas beat the South Troy Dodgers 6-3 at Geer Field in South Troy, N.Y., and will be off to the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, N.M., from Aug. 4-14.
Trailing 3-1 with one out and none on in the top of the seventh, the Jays rallied as they drew a pair of bases-loaded walks and hit three infield singles to score five runs. Burlington third baseman Scott Wilcox singled in the lead run and Ajax DH Jim Martin delivered a two-run single to give the Jays some insurance.
Pickering right-hander Eric Wood pitched into the seventh — allowing 10 hits in 62/3 innings walking one and striking out six — leaving with two out and the bases loaded. Mississauga’s Rob Good got the final out on a pop-up.
“It’s the best moment of my life,” Good told the Troy Record. “This is the biggest thing we’ll ever do, probably, as ball players. It’s a great moment for us.”
“I was on planet Mars the entire game,” Wood told the Record, which described Mississauga as a city based south of downtown Toronto. “There was so much intensity. This team is the best. I love every single one of these kids on this team. And this guy (nods to Good) comes in here and shuts the door. I don’t even have the words to explain it.
“We play every time, all our wins are by one run or two runs. We never give up. It’s just the way we are. We never give up. It’s so typical us, We’re always in the game. It doesn’t matter what the score is or who we’re playing.”
Bleiwas took over the Jays from Gary Wilson.
“We are together a little bit longer and I think that helps,” said Bleiwas. “I’ve had this group together since they were 16 with very few changes. We have a core. I think it helps the belief they have in one another when we get in situations like this, trailing into the last inning. I’m at a loss for words.”
An hour later, the Jays 16s, coached by Shawn Travers, thumped Jersey City, N.J., in Waterbury, Conn., earning a berth in the Mickey Mantle World Series in McKinney, Tex., Aug. 3-9. Markham right-hander Matt Davison started but had to come out with a blister.
Toronto reliever Rashad Moursalien went the rest of the to way for the win.
Oakville shortstop Kyle Hann made significant defensive contributions up the middle of the field.
The Jays beat the Jersey City Sharks 4-3, Waterbury Oak 5-3, then lost 11-9 to Long Island Sound and South Troy 8-2. Moursalien pitched six innings with eight strikeouts to get the win against Jersey City. Mississauga’s Jaideep Chadock was impressive in the decisive win over South Troy.
Erindale alumni
The annual Erindale Cardinals alumni game takes place Sunday Aug. 15 at Erindale Cardinal Field (Formerly 9th Line) in Mississauga. Batting practice starts at noon.
THE LOCAL SCENE
LOSS FOR OTTAWA BASEBALL
Ottawa’s Joe Tunney, who ran Connie Mack baseball in the Canadian capital, producing pro players like major-leaguer Doug Frobel and Dave MacQuarrie from the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians, as well as Joe Leeder, Wayne Crowder and Wayne Amyotte, of the Brockville Bunnies, passed away at age 90.
Canadian Little League
The Windsor Stars beat the Oshawa Royals 5-4 to win the seventh annual 16-team Hap Walters tournament at Erindale Cardinal Field in Mississauga.
Windsor went undefeated, beating Markham 11-1 in the one semifinal while Oshawa beat Erindale 8-0 in the other.
Canadian Little League
The Canadian Little League championships take place in Ancaster Aug. 7-14 and to the winner goes a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport.
NORTHERN LIGHTS
Michael Crouse
Rookie-class Gulf Coast Jays
Few times does a player put together a week consisting of 10 RBIs. Crouse, signed by Blue Jays scout Kevin Briand, did just that with eight hits, including three homers for the Gulf Coast Jays. The Port Moody, B.C. was the best of the 99 Canadians in the minors this week, hitting .471.
Runners-up: Max St. Pierre, of Pintendre, Que., hit .474 with a homer and three RBIs at triple-A Toledo (Tigers), catcher Cole Armstrong, Surrey, B.C. hit .357 with two RBIs for double-A Birmingham (White Sox); London’s Brock Kjeldgaard, .333, two homers, five RBIs class-A Brevard County (Brewers); Toronto’s Tim Smith, .333 with six RBIs at double-A Northwest Arkansas (Royals); Calgary’s James Henderson, two innings, four strikeouts for the win at Huntsville (Brewers) Newmarket’s Pete Orr, .333, triple-A Syracuse (Nationals), Taylor Green, Comox, B.C. .316 at Huntsville.