Team Canada has 27 spots for its WBC 28-man roster
* Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC) is making his third appearance in the World Baseball Classic. This year's begins in March. .... 2012 Most Influential Canadians 2012 All-Canadian Team 2012 All-Canadian stats
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By Bob Elliott
And then there were six.
Greg Hamilton, director of national teams, was trying to find six starters for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Due to pitch restrictions two are needed per game.
Added to the provisional roster were right-handers Scott Richmond and Jameson Taillon, plus lefty Mark Hardy Thursday.
Manager Ernie Whitt has Shawn Hill, Chris Leroux, Scott Mathieson to go with starters Richmond, Taillon and Hardy.
Also added was outfielder Rene Tosoni brining the roster to 27, leaving a spot for Joey Votto, who has to pass a physical after being on the disabled list last year.
Taillon was born in The Woodlands, Tex., but is WBC eligible since mon Christie Kormendy was born and raised in the Lawrence Park area, while dad Michael Taillon grew up in St. Andrews West, near Cornwall. He was 9-8 with a 3.55 ERA at class-A Bradenton and double-A Altoona (3-0, 1.59) in the Pirates system.
Richmond was 11-7, with a 5.61 at triple-A Las Vegas after getting the final outs in the Pan-Am gold medal win, Hardy was 3-6 with a 4.71 ERA in 22 games (10 starts) mostly at class-A Lake Elsinore and double-A San Antonio for John Gibbons.
Tosoni hit .224 with four homers and 23 RBIs spending most of the season at double-A New Britain.
The 27 players submitted for Canada’s 28-man provisional roster for the third World Baseball Classic in Phoenix this March.
C Russell Martin, Montreal
Yankees G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 133 422 50 89 18 0 21 53 .211 .713
* 1B Joey Votto, Etobicoke
Reds G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 111 374 59 126 44 0 14 56 .337 1.041
2B Peter Orr, Newmarket
Phillies G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 35 54 6 17 5 1 0 7 .315 .772
Lehigh Valley-AAA 81 302 43 78 13 2 4 33 .258 .668
3B Brett Lawrie, Langley, B.C.
Blue Jays G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 125 494 73 135 26 3 11 48 .273 .729
SS Cale Iorg, Toronto
Toledo-AAA G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 47 134 9 21 7 1 1 6 .157 .439
LF Adam Loewen, Surrey, B.C.
Buffalo-AAA G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 59 207 32 47 10 0 8 26 .227 .719
CF Tyson Gillies, Langley, B.C.
Reading-AA G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 75 298 62 89 14 8 4 24 .299 .809
RF Michael Saunders, Victoria, B.C.
Mariners G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 139 507 71 125 31 3 19 57 .247 .738
DH Justin Morneau, New Westminster, B.C.
Twins G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 134 505 63 135 26 2 19 77 .267 .773
Bench
C Chris Robinson, Dorchester, Ont.
Norfolk-AAA G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 52 177 18 41 10 2 0 18 .232 .609
INF Taylor Green, Comox, B.C.
Brewers G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 58 103 8 19 7 0 3 14 .184 .605
Nashville-AAA 77 282 24 77 17 0 7 29 .273 .753
1B Jimmy Van Ostrand, Richmond, B.C.
Harrisburg-AA G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 80 271 37 84 12 0 10 30 .310 .835
OF Tim Smith, Toronto
Mississippi-AA G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 70 215 32 62 10 1 3 28 .288 .759
INF Jonathan Malo, Joliette, Que.
Quebec-IND G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 95 406 80 117 23 3 12 63 .288 .802
OF Rene Tosoni, Port Coquitlam, BC
New Britain-AA G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BA OPS
2012 60 223 19 52 10 0 3 11 .233 .615
Rochester-AAA 21 66 7 11 2 0 0 5 .167 .464
Starters
RHP Shawn Hill, Georgetown, Ont.
Jays W-L ERA G GS IP BB SO
2012 1-0 0.00 1 0 3.0 2 0
Laa Vegas-AAA 9-2 4.52 15 15 89.2 22 52
RHP Scott Richmond, North Vancouver, B.C.
Blue Jays W-L ERA G GS IP BB SO
2012 0-0 6.00 3 0 3.0 1 2
Las Vegas-AAA 11-7 5.61 27 25 134.2 43 112
RHP Chris Leroux, Mississauga
Jays W-L ERA G GS IP BB SO
2012 0-0 5.56 10 0 11.1 2 12
Indianapolis-AAA 4-0 3.11 21 7 63.2 14 56
Scott Mathieson, Langley, BC
Yomiuri, Japan W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 2-0 1.71 40 0 10 42.0 11 48
RHP Jameson Taillon, The Woodlands, Tex.
Bradenton-A W-L ERA G GS IP BB SO
2012 6-8 3.82 23 23 125.0 37 98
Altoona-AA 3-0 1.59 3 3 17.0 1 18
LHP Mark Hardy, Campbell River, B.C.
Lake Elsinore-A W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 2-5 5.62 13 7 0 49.2 9 47
San Antonio-AA 1-1 2.65 6 3 0 17.0 6 17
.
Relievers
Trystan Magnuson, Vancouver
Dunedin-A/New Hampshire-AA W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 0-5 3.20 38 0 5 50.2 10 50
LHP Andrew Albers, North Battleford, Sask.
New Britain-AA W-L ERA G GS IP BB SO
2012 4-3 3.75 19 17 98.1 12 73
Dustin Molleken, Regina
Colorado Springs-AAA W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 3-0 5.18 40 0 1 48.2 18 36
Nippon Ham, Japan 2-1 3.27 23 0 22.0 8 18
Jim Henderson, Calgary
Brewers W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 1-3 3.52 36 0 6 30.2 13 45
Phillippe Aumont, Gatineau, Que.
Phillies W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 0-1 3.68 18 0 2 14.2 9 14
Lehigh Valley-AAA 3-1 4.26 41 0 15 44.1 34 59
Jesse Crain, Toronto
White Sox W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 2-3 2.44 51 0 0 48.0 23 60
John Axford, Port Dover, Ont.
Brewers W-L ERA G GS S IP BB SO
2012 5-8 4.67 75 0 35 69.1 39 93
* Denotes Votto needs to pass a physical (knee) for approval to play.
Canadians not available to play
RHP Ryan Dempster, Gibsons, BC, Red Sox
LHP Scott Diamond, Guelph, Ont., Twins
LF Jason Bay, Trail, B.C. Mariners
LHP Jeff Francis, North Delta, B.C. Rockies
RHP James Paxton, Ladner, B.C. Mariners
RHP Rich Harden, Victoria, Twins
RHP Kyle Lotzkar, Delta, B.C., Reds
C George Kottaras, Markham, A’s
LHP Erik Bedard, Navan, Ont. Free agent