July 9, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

In 2022 we decided to dedicate our annual three-day blog to a Canadian who had supported the game.

This year the blog is a celebration of Adam Loewen’s career and his late wife Lynda. Loewen was selected fourth overall in North America, highest ever by any Canadian born player. He was chosen by the Baltimore Orioles, the two sides came to an agreement, he headed to Chipola College and signed hours before the end of the close period -- days before the 2003 draft.

Loewen’s career came to an end in March after he cranked it up one more time to pitch for Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Loewen (Surrey, BC) took over for Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC) with two out in the fifth to face Team USA’s MVP row. He walked three-time MVP Mike Trout and former MVP Paul Goldschmidt before getting Nolan Arenado to fly out to centre. Arenado had finished in the top five in MVP voting three times.

Loewen struck out Kyle Tucker to open the sixth and then manager Ernie Whitt went to reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC). Loewen headed into the dugout where he received congrats from Canadian Hall of Famer Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.), Greg Hamilton (Orleans, Ont.) and Cooperstowner Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, BC).

“How about Adam Loewen tonight?” Walker asked after the 12-1 loss. “He faced four legit stars at age 39 and didn’t give up a run.”

Others told us of tears in the dugout. Loewen had not pitched affiliated ball since 2018 with the triple-A Round Rock Express. He also had at-bats that year both with the New Britain Bees and Round Rock in 2018.

No matter the time of year or the event, Loewen has always answered the call for Canada. He has worn a Canadian uniform in nine international events, according to Adam Morissette: the 2000 18U World Cup, the 2002 U18 World Cup, the 2006 WBC, the 2009 World Cup, the 2010 Pan Am qualifier, the 2012 WBC qualifier, the 2013 WBC, the 2019 Pan Am qualiifier and the 2023 WBC.

Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.) who started the game was 20 years younger and had never pitched above double-A. Loewen was in the same situation in 2006 when he had a scoreless 2 2/3 outing against Team USA. Canada went up 8-0 and won the game 8-6

At 6-foot-6 Loewen was larger than life when the World Juniors was played in Quebec. After he was drafted, the Orioles allowed him to hit (which he did batting .700) but not to pitch. We remember the Junior National Team working out at the Rogers Centre that year and the Orioles happened to be in town ... with Loewen telling us “and no one from the Orioles even said hello to me.”

Cuba beat Canada and afterwards players from Cuba wanted to have their pictures taken with Loewen. Like veteran scouts sometimes say: “Usually the kids can evaluate their own team better than us ... the kids always know.”

Players from Japan asked to have their pictures taken with Loewen. In international games he would face USA’s No. 1 Jeremy Bonderman and always batted third. He was one of the rare Canucks eligible -- and talented enough -- to play four seasons with the Juniors along with 1B Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.), 3B Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) and LHP Evan Grills (Limoges, Ont.).

Loewen is the answer to a trivia question? Name the only player to make the majors three times at three different positions?

_ After two relief appearances in 2006, he made his debut starting against future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson and the New York Yankees. Next came back-to-back starts facing future HOFer Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays and then future HOFer Tom Glavine of the New York Mets. He was 0-2 with a 7.40 ERA. We remember Orioles GM Mike Flanagan joking “we called the kid up to the major leagues ... after four starts he’s going to think he’s pitching in the Hall of Fame league.”

_ A stress fracture to his left shoulder in 2008, ended his pitching days for the time being. That fall he went to instructional league with the Orioles in Sarasota -- as a hitter. After discussing a contract with the Orioles, he signed with the Blue Jays and in the next three years, he was with class-A Dunedin, double-A New Hampshire, triple-A Las Vegas and was as a September call up with the Blue Jays. He went deep against Orioles’ Tommy Hunter. Next came two seasons in the outfield at triple-A Buffalo (part of one season as a Met farmhand), the next as a Jays and New Hampshire.

_ In 2014, he became a pitcher again, after almost six years away from the mound, signing a two-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched out of the Phillies’ bullpen for 20 games in 2015 and another eight games the next year with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Loewen could have continued to play after the 2018 season but there was serious health concerns at home. Two years earlier, his wife Lynda was diagnosed with breast cancer while five months pregnant with the couple’s second child. With two youngsters Loewen needed to be home, as friend Shi Davadi wrote in a story for Sportsnet.

Davidi explained how the Loewens moved from Scottsdale, Ariz., to Bothwell, Wash., to enjoy the outdoors with their young sprouts Lucas and Lucy, spending time with family and friends. There was remission and then the cancer returned. Lynda died on Dec. 10, 2021, at age 37.

As Buck O’Neill said on the stage at Cooperstown when he was not elected ... “people ask me if I hate the fact I was not elected ... no, I don’t. I HATE CANCER.”

At the Baseball Canada banquet in January, Lowen and I had a long talk. He was asking me about my brush(es) with death at Okotoks, Alta. Feb. 2, 2019. Outside of Hall of Famer Walker a player had not asked me that many questions about what happened, being “zapped” back to life twice by people I’d never met (photographer Angela Burger, trainer Savannah Blakely, fireman Geoff Scott, plus former Anaheim Angel Lou Pote, an Okotoks Dawgs coach, who I did know) and my 16 days in hospital.

Alone in the hallway at Chase Field outside the clubhouse last March I apologized to Loewen explaining how in January I was unaware of him losing his wife.

I said, “I have no idea why a young woman of 37 years was taken and a lump like me is still kicking around. It does not seem fair.”

So we dedicate this blog to Adam Loewen’s pitching and hitting career and his late wife Lynda

Previous Dedications

2022 _ Warren Bechard (Brantford, Ont.) -- whose son Jesse Bechard held most Kent State Golden Flashes hitting record andwhen retired. Warren was a constant promoter and supporter of this website. He was an enthusiast.

2023 _ Lynda Loewen and her husband’s pro career which began in 2002 and came to an end in the desert 21 seasons later.

* * *

How many Canucks: This is a down year for Canadian talent. A year ago, 15 were selected and eight more signed free agent contracts for a total of 23 players. A total of 14 signed six-figure signing bonuses, led by former University of British Columbia Thunderbird RHP Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC), a seventh rounder who went to the Atlanta Braves and Langley Blaze grad RHP Jacob Zibin (Langley, BC) a 10th rounder to the Cleveland Guardians. Each signed for $1.2 million US.

We asked 16 scouts and evaluators their predictions -- with a low of five to a high of 15 -- with the average coming out to 10.2 players.

So how come we have more than that on our Canadian Baseball Network top Canuck list? Because we have faith.

Only Ontario Blue Jays INF Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) is expected to go on Sunday, Day I. Later tonight we’ll finalize our final list on who will go in rounds three to 20.

RHP Chad Jenkins, who the Blue Jays selected in the draft the last time they chose 20th over-all.

* * *

The best-ever at 20th for the Jays: This is an easy choice. Only once have the Jays selected 20th overall. That was in 2009 when they chose Kennesaw State RHP Chad Jenkins. He was given a $1.359 million bonus. He pitched in 46 games for the Blue Jays, but made only six starts.

The 2009 draft is more remembered for the Jays second first-round pick LHP James Paxton (Ladner, BC), selected 37th overall from the University of Kentucky and Toronto Mets LHP Jake Eliopoulos (Newmarket, Ont.). The Jays did not sign either.

When it was published that the Jays could not reach agreement with Paxton’s agent Scott Boras, Paxton was not allowed to pitch for Kentucky. It was a good pick. Paxton is in his 10th year and has a 62-34 record in 147 starts with a 3.53 ERA. He has struck out 895 men in 810 2/3 innings.

* * *

Where are Canucks ranked on other lists? _ We’ll start with new baseball bible, founded by Allan Simpson

Baseball America’s Top 500 prospects list:

66. SS Myles Naylor Ontario Blue Jays Mississauga, Ont.

164. LHP Connor O’Halloran University of Michigan Mississauga, Ont.

313. OF Jorge Valdes Ontario Blue Jays Milton, Ont.

418. LHP Jérémy Pilon Academie Baseball Canada Valleyfield, Que.

478. RHP Matt Duffy Canisius College Burlington, Ont.

486. LHP Matt Wilkinson Central Arizona/Okotoks Dawgs White Rock, BC

Perfect Game’s top 500

55. 3B Myles Naylor Ontario Blue Jays Mississauga, Ont.

163. LHP Connor O’Halloran University of Michigan Mississauga, Ont.

Victoria Eagles INF Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC)

221. INF Sam Shaw Victoria Eagles/TNXL Victoria, BC

295. INF Bryce Arnold Campbell University Grimsby Ont.

352. OF Matt Evans Great Lake Canadians Tillonsburg Ont.

415. RHP Parker Burgess Toronto Mets Douro-Dummer Ont.

460. RHP Jackson Soucie Wabash Valley College Cambridge, Ont.

476. OF Charles Davalan Academie Baseball Canada/TNXL St-Bruno-de-Montarville, Que.

MLB Pipeline Top 250 draft prospects list:

64. SS Myles Naylor Ontario Blue Jays Mississauga, Ont.

164. LHP Connor O’Halloran University of Michigan Mississauga, Ont.

* * *

Jays first pick (20th overall) - SS Arjun Nimmala Tampa, Fla. HSer.

Nimmala was ranked the eighth best prospect by Perfect Game, 17th by Baseball America and 12th by Prospects Live.

Baseball America scouting report

Ht.: 6’1” / Wt.: 170 / Bats: R / Throws: R

School: Strawberry Crest HS, Dover, Fla.

Commit: Florida State

Age At Draft: 17.7

BA Grade: 55/Extreme

Tools:Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 50. Field: 55. Arm: 55.

Nimmala is one of the youngest players in the 2023 class and will still be 17 on draft day. He stood out as an underclassman for his impressive defensive aptitude in the middle infield, but as he’s added strength to his wiry frame, his tools have taken a jump and so has his draft stock. A 6-foot-1, 170-pound shortstop, Nimmala has plus bat speed and takes aggressive swings. He showed shockingly good raw power throughout the summer in batting practice for a player of his current size and physicality, with quick-twitch hands and a whippy bat that allow him to make impressive impact now, with plus raw power a possibility as he fills out. He generates impressive power with a quick turn, but his approach and contact ability need continued refinement. He expands the zone too frequently, and while he’s capable of driving both fastballs and breaking balls, he’ll also get too steep with his bat path and swing under pitches, as well as wave over them below the zone. He should stick at shortstop in pro ball, where he has the requisite actions and arm strength for the position. He’s a bouncy athlete who moves well to both sides and has solid hands, though he’s more of an average runner and often is slow to get out of the box and down the first base line. Some scouts who like him have placed Alfonso Soriano comps on Nimmala, as a power-hitting infielder. He’s committed to Florida State.

Prospects Live scouting report.

Nimmala is a certified freak of nature. Not only is he extremely young for the class (he won't turn 18 until December), he's already proven to be the best prep shortstop in this class with a well-rounded profile. It's premium bat speed with an excellent bat path from the right-side, hitting for both average and power, though breaking balls can be an issue. It's all fields juice, too, and projects as plus/double-plus moving forward. With the uber-projectable nature of his frame, he may wind up getting into all of it. He's expected to stick at the six, as well, given his soft hands, great range, and present arm strength on throws across the diamond. Players like this don't grow on trees. - Tyler Jennings

The Blue Jays do not have a second-round pick since they signed free-agent Chris Bassitt.

* * *

How many picks on Day 1? _ Well, there will be 28 first-round picks one in the prospect promotion incentive round, 10 in the competitive balance round A, 30 in the second round, six in the competitive balance round B and three compensation picks. All that adds up to 70 players who will hear their names go on Day 1 of the three-day draft.

Rounds 3-to-10 will go Monday and 11-to-20 on Tuesday via conference call.

* * *

Arjun Nimmala Review I: “Big power, big strikeouts.” _ said an AL Evaluator, who scouted the Jays first-round pick.

That scouting report sounds like it would fit most major leaguers.

* * *

Canuck scout pulls trigger on first-round pick SS Arjun Nimmala: Former Ontario Blue Jays RHP Jamie Lehman (Brampton, Ont.), a Blue Jays crosschecker, scouted Nimmala for scouting director Shane Farrell. The area scout is Brandon Bishoff, who also older brother Matt Bishoff was involved with the Jays selecting SS Bo Bichette

Lehman was drafted (29th round) by then Montreal Expos scout Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.). He played six seasons with the Washington Nationals, the Expos and the Blue Jays. Lehman was also elected to the Ontario Blue Jays Hall of Fame.

* * *

First Canuck: And the first Canadian selected is zero surprise. Former Ontario Blue Jays 3B Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) who played for the Junior National team as well. He went 39th overall to the Oakland A’s. The A’s are attempting to move to Las Vegas.

Oldest brother Josh Naylor went in the first round (12th overall) in 2015 to the Miami Marlins and three years later Bo Nayler went in the first round (29th) to Cleveland. Josh was given a signing bonus of $2.2 Million and Bo was given $2,578,137 by the Guardians. Slot money for 39th is $2,202,500

Josh _ first round.

Bo _ first round.

Myles _ supplemental first round.

High standards.

* * *

Party time in Cleveland: With Sunday afternoon being the final day before the all-star break we wondered if both Josh and Bo Naylor made it home to Mississauga after a 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Josh had a single in four at-bats.

There was no need to rush home. Mom Jenece, dad Chris and Myles went to Cleveland and the Naylors watched the draft unfold as a family.