2011 Ridley award winner, Doug Mathieson

*Doug Mathieson runs the Langley Blaze and scouts for the Minnesota Twins ....  

By Bob Elliott

When not hitting ground balls, getting players to the next level by explaining that they have to compete and how to compete, Doug Mathieson scouts for the Minnesota Twins.

Oh, he also does a little coaching on the side too, running the Langley Blaze.

Mathieson once again had the top Canadian selected in this week’s draft in right-hander Tom Robson, who went in the fourth round to the Blue Jays.

So, to Mathieson goes our 18th annual scout of the year award, named after the late Jim Ridley of Burlington, who died in 2008.

Ridley scouted for the Jays and the Twins and Mathieson and he were good friends.

Mathieson has had 29 players drafted since 2002, the tip of the iceberg being Brett Lawrie, a first-round choice of the Milwaukee Brewers and now the Jays third baseman in waiting.

His Blaze team in B.C., was selected the no. 1 high-school aged team in Canada by the Perfect Game uSA scouting service.

Besides Lawrie and Robson, graduates of the Blaze program include Kellin Deglan, a first-rounder selected by the Texas Rangers a year ago, Jordan Lennerton, Kyle Lotzkar, Carter Morrison, Wes Darvill, Stosh Wawrzasek and Justin Atkinson, who signed this week with the Jays.

All received signing bonuses of more than $100,000 uS.

Former Blaze, Scott Mathieson, Doug’s son, has overcome two Tommy John surgeries to make the Phillies bullpen on three occasions.

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JIM RIDLEY HONOUR ROLL 

    Previous  scout-of-the-year winners: 

YEAR WINNER HOMETOWN TEAM

1994 Bill Scherrer Buffalo Marlins

1995 Bill MacKenzie Ottawa Rockies

1996 Tim Harkness Hampton, Ont. Padres

1997 Ed Heather Cambridge Jays

1998 Wayne Norton Port Moody, B.C. Orioles

1999 Walt Jefferies Paris, Ont. Jays

2000 Claude Pelletier Ste-Lezare, Que. Mets

2001 Jim Kane Brampton, Braves

2002 Ken Lenihan Bedford, n.S. MLB

2003 Dick Groch St. Clair, Mich. Brewers

2004 Jim Ridley Burlington Twins

2005 Walt Burrows Brentwood Bay, B.C. MLB

2006 Alex Agostino Montreal Phillies

2007 Howie Norsetter Sydney, Australia Twins

2008 Greg Hamilton Ottawa Baseball Canada

2009 Jim Ridley Burlington Twins

2010 Jay Lapp London Brewers