By George Farelli 
Canadian Baseball Network
Is there life after gold?

How do you stay interested when you return to your own organization and playing and winning the Pan Am Games on your home soil before a sold-out crowd dressed in red and white?

Well, consider ...

_ LHP Jeff Francis (Delta, BC) made his first start with triple-A Buffalo after his trip to Ajax and pitched seven scoreless against the Syracuse Chiefs allowing five hits and striking out five. 

_ RHP Jared Mortensen (Abbotsford, BC) made a start and a relief appearance with double-A Montgomery tossing nine scorelss as he allowing six hits and struck out five.

_ LHP Shane Dawson (Drayton Valley, Alta.) returned home to class-A Lansing and pitched six scoreless against Dayton, striking out 10.

_ Peter Orr (Richmond Hill, Ont.), who made the mad dash from first to home to score on Team USA’s double errors, batted .333 (5-for-15) with an RBI at triple-A Colorado Springs.

Yet, the returning gold medal winner who had the best first week back -- the best week of any of the 89 Canadians in the minors was Seattle Mariners farmhand Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) to earn Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week honors for Week XVI.

Check out the numbers. They are legit, I had to double check just to make sure I didn’t make a mistake. I don’t think I’ve ever had similar numbers for a player in any one week. 

O’Neill was in the batter’s box when reliever David Huff tried to work a back-door pick on Orr with Skyler Stromsmoe (Bow Island, Alta.) on second. Huff threw the ball away, Stromsmoe scored the tying run and Orr dove hear first to score the run-off winner.

In 22 at-bats, O’Neill went 12-for-22 (.545) with five homers and 12 RBIs for class-A Bakersfield.

Makes you wonder what would have happened had O’Neill been given a chance to swing the bat. 

How the week that was went for the Langley Blaze grad with the Bakersfield Blaze

_ Didn’t play in a 3-1 loss to the Stockton Pilots before 2,034 at Banner Island Ballpark. 

_ Went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in an 8-5 win over the San Jose Giants in front of 2,146 fans at Sam Lynn Ballpark. He hit a two-run homer to centre in the first on the first pitch he had seen as a Blaze since July 3, and a lead-off homer to centre in the fifth putting the Blaze up 6-3. When Stromsmore returned to triple-A Sacramento, he was sent to San Jose and playing third he had a pair of doubles and knocked in a run.

_ Singled in two at-bats with two walks in a 2-1 loss to San Jose before 1,328 fans.

_ Was 2-for-3 with a double, a homer and four RBIs in a 7-4 win against San Jose in front of 1,503 on Colby Lewis Bobblehead Night. O’Neill hit a two-run homer to right into the catwalk in the first and hit a two-run double to centre for a 4-1 lead. 

_ Was hitless in a 9-1 loss to San Jose before 491 fans. 

_ Was 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs in an 11-5 win over the High Desert Mavericks before 530 fans. He doubled in a run in the first, hit a two-run homer to centre in second for a 7-1 lead, doubled in the fourth and had a run-scoring single in the fifth. 

_ Was 3-for-4 with a double and a solo homer in a 13-2 loss to High Desert in front of 313 fans. O’Neill homered to left in the first. C Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) had a pair of hits, including a double and knocked in a pair of runs.

His Carlos Delgado-like week consisted of 12 RBIs on 12 hits: five homers, four doubles and three singles.   

Signed by M’s scout Wayne Norton (Port Moody, BC) O’Neill has 21 homers this season and OF Gareth Morgan (Toronto, Ont.), another Norton sign, has five with the Rookie Class-Arizona Mariners. 

And Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) earned a contract from the Toronto Blue Jays and reported to triple-A Buffalo.

All the stories of the returnees were not good:

_ Like Stromsmoe, RHP Chris Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.) was moved by the Philadelphia Phillies to Double A Reading from Triple A Lehigh Valley.

_ 1B Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC) was released by the Detroit Tigers at Triple A Toledo and quickly signed by the Atlanta Braves and was assigned to Triple A Gwinnett
Braves.
 
BEST OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCES
Player / Class / Team    AB    R    H    HR    RBI    AVG
Tyler O’Neill - A Bakersfield    22    10    12    5    12    .545
Dalton Pompey - AAA Buffalo    25    5    10    -    2    .400
Dustin Houle - A Brevard County    15    1    6    -    3    .400
Maxx Tissenbaum - A Charlotte    10    1    4    -    1    .400
Eric Wood - AA Altoona    13    3    5    -    -    .385
Michael Foster - Rkie AZL Cubs    18    5    6    -    4    .333
Pete Orr - AAA Colorado Springs    15    3    5    -    1    .333
Brett Siddall - A Vermont    16    3    5    1    3    .313
                               
Jonathan Malo - IND Quebec    16    4    6    -    2    .375
Carter Bell - IND Washington     14    -    5    -    1    .357
Brock Kjeldgaard - IND Sioux City    20    4    6    1    4    .300
(* Minimum 10 AB’s required.)                        
(Stats for Dustin Houle include three games with Rkie Helena and one with A Brevard County)
  
BEST PITCHING PERFORMANCES 
JARED MORTENSEN  RHP - DOUBLE A MONTGOMERY BISCUITS 
AP  IP   H   R  ER  BB  K   W-L   SV  WHIP  WK ERA
2  9.0  6   -   -    3   3   1-0    -    0.89    0.00 
Mortensen also was a member of Team Canada at the recent Pan Am Games, and certainly did not experience any let down upon his return to his regular team. He made two appearances for the Biscuits this week, one start and one in relief. On July 23rd in a 6-0 shutout victory over Jackson Generals he pitched seven scorless, gave up five base its while striking out two Jackson hitters, to earn his sixth win of the season. On July 28th he made a relief appearance in an 8-0 loss to Tennessee Smokies and pitched two scoreless, giving up only one base hit, but was not involved in the decision. These two appearances improved his record with Montgomery in the Double A Southern League to 6-3 with a 3.09 ERA. 

JEFF FRANCIS  LHP  -  TRIPLE A BUFFALO BISONS
AP  IP   H   R  ER  BB  K   W-L   SV  WHIP  WK ERA
1  7.0  5   -   -    -   4   1-0    -    0.71    0.00 
A third member of Team Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games to make this week’s list of pitching highlights, Francis also had an excellent outing in his first start back with his regular team Buffalo Bisons. On July 28th in a 6-0 win over Syracuse Chiefs he pitched seven scoreless, gave up five base hits while striking out four Syracuse hitters, to earn his fith win of the season. His current record with Triple A Buffalo in the International League
is now 5-0 with an excellent 1.58 ERA. 

SHANE DAWSON  LHP -  SINGLE A LANSING LUGNUTS
AP  IP   H   R  ER  BB  K   W-L   SV  WHIP  WK ERA
1  6.0   2   -   -    -   1   1-0    -    0.33    0.00
In his very first start for Lansing upon his return from playing with Gold Medal winning Team Canada at the recent Pan Am Games in Ontario, Shane produced another pitching gem. On July 24th in an 18-1 rout of the Dayton Dragons he tossed six scoreless gave up just two base hits while striking out 10 Dayton hitters, to earn his 12th win of the season.  His overall record with the Lugnuts now stands at 12-4 with a 2.95 ERA, and his 12 wins lead the Single A Midwest League.

 
MARC GELINAS  RHP - IND QUEBEC CAPITALES
AP  IP   H   R  ER  BB  K   W-L   SV  WHIP  WK ERA
1   6.0  6    -   -    2   5   1-0    -    1.33    0.00
To say Gelinas is on a personal hot streak is to put it mildly, as this week he made another excellent start for the Capitales and in the process, extended it to four consecutive starts. On July 24th in a 7-2 win over Garden State Grays he pitched six scoreless, gave up six base hits while striking out five Grays batters, to earn his ninth win of the season. In his last 30 2/3 innings he has surrendered just 14 base hits and zero earned runs, while striking out 25 opposing hitters. His Can Am League record with Quebec now stands at 9-2 with an outstanding 1.90 ERA.
 
MOVES AND TRANSACTIONS
RHP Philippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) - Free Agent signs Minor League contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, and is assigned to Triple A Buffalo Bisons.
 
1B Jordan Lennerton (Langley, BC) - Released by the Detroit Tigers at Triple A Toledo Mud Hens. As a Free Agent signed a Minor League contract with the Atlanta Braves, and is assigned to Triple A Gwinnett Braves.
 
RHP Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) - Acquired by Philadelphia Phillies in a trade with Washington Nationals which involved Jonathan Papelbon. Pivetta not yet assigned to a Phillies affiliate.
 
RHP Jim Henderson (Calgary, Altal.) - Activated from Disabled List by the Milwaukee Brewers at Triple A Colorado Springs Sky Sox.
 
RHP Chris Leroux (Montreal, Que.) - Moved by Philadelphia Phillies to Double A Reading Fightin’ Phils from Triple A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.
 

3B Lachlan Fontaine (North Vancouver, BC) - Moved by the Seattle Mariners to Single A Clinton Lumber Kings from Rookie Class AZL Mariners.
 
C Dustin Houle (Langley, BC) - Moved by Milwaukee Brewers to Single A Brevard County Manatees from Rookie Class Helena Brewers.
 
OF Brett Siddall (Windsor, Ont.) - Moved by Oakland A’s to Single A Vermont Lake Monsters from Rookie Class AZL Athletics.
 
C Chris Shaw (Winnipeg, Man.) - Moved by the Baltimore Orioles to Single A Aberdeen Ironbirds from Rookie Class Gulf Coast Orioles.
 
RHP Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) - Moved by the Atlanta Braves to Rookie Class Danville Braves from Rookie Class Gulf Coast Braves.
 

LHP Ethan Stewart (Campbell River, BC) - Moved by the Philadelphia Phillies to Single A Clearwater Threshers from Double A Reading Fightin’ Phils.
 
1B Freddie Freeman (Windsor, Ont.) - Sent out on Re Hab Assignment by the Atlanta Braves at Rookie Class Gulf Coast Braves.
 
LHP Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) - Placed on the Disabled by Toronto Blue Jays at Triple A Buffalo Bisons.
 
INF Stephen Wickens (Whitby, Ont.) - Placed on the Disabled List by Minnesota Twins at Double A Chattanooga Lookouts.
 
C Jordan Procyshen (Calgary, Alta.) - Placed on the Disabled List by the Boston Red Sox at Single A Salem Red Sox.
 
 
 
INF Kingsley Alarcon (Toronto, Ont.) - Free Agent signed by White Sands Pupfish IND Pecos League.