Former Okotoks Dawgs and Indiana Hooisers 1B Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) batted .500 to earn POW honours. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs

September 23, 2021

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

Ever since the 1909 class-C South Atlantic League season the cry has been the same.

“Look out ... Look out ... Look out for the Lookouts.”

In their first year of existence, the Chattanooga Lookouts won the 1909 Sally League beating the Augusta Tourists in seven games.

This year as the double-A season wound down, there was a different cry:

“Look out ... Look out ... Look out for Lloyd.”

1B Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) had the best week of the 143 Canucks in the minors to earn Canadian Baseball Network minor league player of the week honours for Week XX.

Lloyd went 5-for-10 (.500) with three RBIs raising his average 30 points.

Since their first year of existence, the Lookouts have been in the Southern Association (1910–1943; 1944–1961), the South Atlantic (1963) and Southern League (1964–1965; 1976–2021).

How the week that was went for the former Okotoks Dawg, Lloyd ...

_ Batting eighth and playing first base, he was 2-for-4 and knocked in a run as the Lookouts edged the Mississippi Braves 6-5 before 1,643 fans at AT&T Field. Lloyd led off the sixth with a single to centre to kick off a two-run spurt to tie the score, singled to left in the seventh to cut Mississippi’s lead to 5-3 and reached on an error in the eighth as the tying and winning run scored.

_ Playing first and batting fifth, Lloyd doubled to drive in a pair of runs in a 4-2 win against Mississippi in front of 2,247 fans at AT&T. He doubled in the fourth to centre with the bases loaded scoring two runs for a 2-1 lead, while the runner from first was thrown out at the plate.

_ Batting clean-up and playing first, he had two hits in a 5-4 loss to Mississippi. He singled to centre leading off the second, was hit by a pitch in the sixth and singled to right in the seventh.

Lloyd hit .245 with four doubles, eight homers, 15 RBIs and an .839 OPS in 36 games at the Reds-rookie class Arizona Complex League entry (four games) and Chattanooga (32).

The next two games were rained out so the Lookouts finished the season 58-54 (.518 winning mark).

Best Offensive Performance

Player/Class/Team AB R H HR RBI AVG

Matt Lloyd - AA Chattanooga 10 1 5 - 3 .500

Jake Sanford - A Hudson Valley 11 2 5 1 3 .455

Otto Lopez - AAA Buffalo 18 5 8 1 5 .444

Kole Cottam - AA Portland 12 3 5 - - .417

T.J. Schofield-Sam - A Stockton 20 1 8 - 3 .400

Edouard Julien - A Cedar Rapids 22 6 6 3 9 .273

Tyler Black - Rkie ACL Brewers 22 - 6 - 3 .273

(Minimum 10 ABs)

Best Pitching Performance

LANDON LEACH RHP - A FT. MYERS MIGHTY MUSSELS

APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA

1 2.0 - - - 1 3 1-0 - 0.50 0.00

In the game of baseball, injuries to pitchers are not unexpected. In fact they can and often do, derail an entire career. So when you hear of a recovery from an injury, and in particular when it involves a Canadian pitching prospect, it’s welcome news.

When Landon Leach made a relief appearance on June 29 of this year with FCL Twins in the Rookie Florida Complex League, it was his first game experience since Aug. 17, 2018. Having essentially missed three full seasons due to injury and the COVID-19 pandemic, no doubt it must have been a great feeling to be “back on the bump.” Now active with Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels the Twins affiliate at Low A-Southeast, he had an excellent outing on Sept. 18 in a 3-0 win over Tampa Tarpons. He pitched two hitless innings in relief, and zero runs while striking out three Tampa batters, and was credited with his first win of the season.

What’s unique about this game, it was that he shared a no-hitter with three pitching teammates, and it was the first accomplishment for the Ft. Myers franchise since 2011. The result improved Leach’s overall record for the 2021 season, including his stint with Rookie FCL Twins, in a total of 12 2021 pitching appearances, to 1-3 with a 6.06 ERA.

* * *,

Player of the Week

Week I _ Noah Skirrow (Stoney Creek, Ont.) Jersey Shore BlueClaws (Phillies).

Week II _ Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Jays) and Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.) class-A Charleston River Dogs (Rays).

Week III _ Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, Ont.) class-A Hillsboro Hops/class-A Visailia Oaks (Diamondbacks)

Week IV _ Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC) class-A Rome Braves (Braves)

Week V _ Edouard Julien (Ancienne-Lorette, Que.) class-A Ft. Myers Mighty Mussels (Twins).

Week VI _ RHP Logan Hofmann (Muenster, Sask.) class-A Bradenton Marauders (Pirates)

Week VII _ INF-OF Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Jays).

Week VIII _ RHP Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC) class-A Lynchburg Hillcats (Cleveland)

Week IX _ RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) double-A Wichita Wind Surge (Twins)

Week X _ C Kole Cottam (Knoxville, Tenn.) class-A East Greenville (Red Sox)