Slow Year for the Canadians, but …

As we pass the half way mark in the season, it becomes a time where people reflect on the year-to-date and what we should expect going forward.  I’ve always thought this is because the math becomes easy to do (i.e. take the stats, double them and you have a projected total for the year).  So why not look at the Canadians in the big leagues and see what has transpired to date.

So far this year we have seen a decrease in the number of Canadians playing at the major level.  2007 was a banner year with 23 appearances by northerners, but this year has lagged well behind, as we started the year with only 13 and have seen a few brief appearances by others (i.e. Chris Leroux in Florida).  A few injuries (such as Erik Bedard and of course don’t forget Jeff Francis who is lost for the season) have inhibited progress, and a few players in AAA are doing well and still might make an appearance.  Hopefully we can see that number rise.

The All-Star game is next week, and only 2 Canadians are representing … Justin Morneau and Jason Bay.  This is really no surprise, as these are the top two Canadians and are at the top of their games.  Many people, especially those located in the Cincinnati region, were not happy to see Joey Votto excluded.  He had a great start to the year, but of course his stuggles with anxiety and depression set him back.  I feel that based on the limited performance we saw of him, and giving no special consideration to his problems, he should have made the team.  At least they should have given him a second chance in the last chance voting that is going on now (vote Adam Lind!!).  A few Cubs fans wanted to see Ryan Dempster on the team, but his strong start has turned into a decent but not spectacular year.  Overall, we can always enjoy seeing Jason and Justin in the game, and it’s unfortunate that Morneau will not be defending his home run derby crown.

However, I was purusing a list of Canadians in the minor leagues, and to my great surprise there are 108 in the leagues from rookie level to AAA.  Yes, 108!  That should be some indication of the potential of these Canadians, and the possibility of seeing quite a surge over the next few years.  Now, baseball is not like the other sports where you can move through the development leagues rather quickly, so let’s not make any bold predicts about next year.  But in the upcoming years, 2007’s record of 23 should be challenegd, and I think surpased.  How long will it take until we see a canadian on every team?

One point of interest, the team with the most Canadians in the minors???   ———-  Your Toronto Blue Jays with 16, which included Scott Richmond who is now playing (and injured) with the parent club.  No surprise, given their recent drafting habits.  Second up was the Milwaukee Brewers (10 players), once again not a surprise given the amount of Canadians in their front office who bring a familiarity of the country to their team.  Last year’s draft star Brett Lawrie and Alexandre Periard are notables on the list.  Third place was, the New York Mets??  Wasn’t expecting that one, but they have 8 players in their system, including top prospects Shawn Bowman and Mike Nickeas.  So although there has been a dip in the numbers in the majors, the minors look strong.

The second half of 2009 should be a fun one to watch.  How taken with Jason Bay will Boston fans be, and can they sign him to a contract?  Can Mariner Erik Bedard, Cubs Ryan Dempster and Blue Jay Scott Richmond return from injuries to be successful pitchers?  Can Justin Morneau keep bing Justin Morneau, as he is on his way to being on of the greatest Canadian players of all time?  What new prospects will catch our attention?

Stay tuned, this should be fun …

The Next One

Fergie Jenkins, HOF Plaque

 

It has been 18 years since Canada has been able to celebrate the induction of a Canadian to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ferguson Jenkins, the great Chicago Cubs pitcher entered the great hall in 1991, and only a few weeks ago had his number 31 honoured by the Cubs, alongside Greg Maddox. The question many have been asking is ‘who’s next’?

This weekend, Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals great Larry Walker is inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame. This is a nice honour for him, and definitely not an unexpected one. He leads Canadians in almost all offensive categories, including 383 homeruns and a .313 lifetime batting average. The 5-time all star, 7-time gold glove winner and 1997 MVP has had a remarkable career.

Larry Walker, Colorado Rockies

The next step is hopefully the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Or is it? This is not like the Hockey Hall of Fame/mediocrity that lets in anyone with above average statistics. It has been very tough for many players to enter this hall, and debates remain about why some players have not been accepted. It will be tough for Canada’s greatest position player to make the cut. Here’s why:

1) Visibility. Most of his career was played in Montreal and Colorado. These aren’t the most highly watched baseball mediums, and many of the voting writers did not see him play very much, and don’t have an appreciation for his accomplishments.

2) Steroids. Let’s assume (because we have no definitive proof) that Walker achieved his numbers without  any ‘medical help’. These are excellent numbers, but they came in an era that we now know was filled with steroid users / cheaters. As a power hitter, he may  incorrectly be lumped into a category filled with suspicion and doubt. We don’t know what a player’s stats should look like during this period as they are all skewed with steroid using power hitters, and this may hurt his chances from a steroids point of view.

3) 383.  It appears that the magic number for a power hitter to make the hall is 500 homeruns.  Walker is 117 short of this benchmark.  Now, he was a great hitter with excellent averages, but the writers need to consider his total game, not just his HR output.

4) He’s Canadian. We’ve seen in the past the tendency of writers to give the ‘homer’ vote, or consider players because they played in their city / state or a from their city / state. Being from British Columbia and playing a great many games in Montreal, this factor will not help Walker. Unfortunate, but true.

So when he is finally eligible for consideration, we can only hope that the voters recognize his accomplishments, talents and do not make any false or unsubstantiated assumptions. I highly doubt he will make it on the first ballot, but Larry Walker is a deserving HOFer and we should someday soon be able to celebrate Canada’s second inductee.