June 5, 2021

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

This time there was not an Adam Loewen, a Jameson Taillon or a David Huff for Team Canada to lean on playing Team USA.

The No. 2 ranked Americans were leading 3-1 in the bottom of the eighth, when they sent 10 men to the plate to score seven runs for a 10-1 win over 13th ranked Canada before 839 fans at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach.

You can always see something different watching international ball and there was something real special on display by this umpiring crew, with Venezuela’s Elvin Jimenez working the plate. Logan Forsythe was on first base when Tristan Casas hit a drive to right field. The umps signalled home run.

Right fielder Jesse Hodges (Victoria, BC) spotted the ball sitting atop the fence and threw the ball into the infield. Manager Ernie Whitt came out to argue it was not a home run. The umps agreed and placed Casas on second, but allowed Forsythe to score.

Whitt protested, as he did in Winnipeg against Team USA during the 1999 Pan Am Games, it was a ground rule double so the runner from first should remain on third. The WBSC replay man’s official ruling was that the ball has to leave the field to be a home run ... the ball hit the bar and stayed in play.

“We knew the ball didn’t go out,” Whitt told Baseball America’s award-winning scribe Alexis Brudnicki. “So we asked for a video replay. They confirmed it was not (a homer). So that means that they killed the ball as a double. They said that the guy on third would have scored, I said, ‘He can’t score. If you ruled it a double, it’s two bases.’

“That was the whole gist of everything. If you go to the replay, the guy that was on first base was standing on third base at the time when the ball came into the infield. So again you can’t make a ruling that goes one way and then change it to go another way, in my opinion.”

The technical committee ruled because Hodges made a play on the ball, it was deemed the runner would have scored ... since he only stopped at third when he saw the umps signal home run. There was confusion for sure, but do most runners stop at third when an umpire is signalling home runs?

After the lengthy delay, Whitt removed Leroux and went to Travis Seabrooke (Peterborough, Ont.) who hit a man, struck out the next and then fielded a comebacker and threw wildly to first.

After that it was not pretty: single, triple, homer and Team USA and manager Mike Scioscia had a berth in the Olympics in 49 days. Canada dropped to 0-2 in the Super Round.

Yet, with a win over the Dominican Republic Saturday afternoon Canada can still advance. The runner-up and the third-place team in the final qualifier will play June 22-26 in Puebla, Mex. Whitt said he felt if Canada beats the Dominican “our chances of going on to Mexico are very good.” Both the Dominican and Venezuela are 1-1 with Venezuela playing Team USA. But as the saying goes in international ball “you never know.”

“The umpires got it right after we discussed it,” said Whitt, “but then they decided well we’re going to advance the runner from first base, give him three bases, but the guy who hit the ball, only two bases. That’s something different for me.”

* * *

REMEMBER WHEN: Loewen (Surrey, BC), then 21 without a start above class-A, pitched 3 2/3 scoreless for Canada against a Team USA with future Hall of Famers in an 8-6 Canada upset win at the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Taillon, then 20, with six triple-A starts, worked four innings for the Canucks allowing one run as USA rallied for seven runs in the final two innings for a 9-4 win at the same field in 2013. Taillon was born in Lakeland, Fla., but his mother is from the Toronto area and his father from St. Andrews West, Ont. making him WBC eligible.

Huff, then 29, with 115 games in the majors, was on the mound for Team USA with a one-run lead and Canuck runners on first and second in extra innings of the gold medal game of the Pan Am Games in Ajax. Huff tried a back-door pick-off throw which sailed into right, the outfielder’s throw sailed over third and Pete Orr slid home knocking the ball loose. End of snowball fight.

* * *

UP NEXT: With Andrew (No-hit) Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) on the mound, the Canucks have a chance.

Many have given so much to the Baseball Canada program whether pitching on short rest, zero rest, or through an injury. Mike Johnson (Sherwood Park, Alta.) did it. Shawn Hill (Mississauga, Ont.) did it. So, too did Chris Begg (Uxbridge, Ont.). Well, add Leroux’s name to the list.

“What he’s doing is incredible,” said Begg in the seventh inning. “Obviously he’s a different pitcher than he was when he was in the big leagues, but the innings that he is eating up to save the bullpen is extremely valuable. The Dominican Republic game is make or break for Canada.

“At some point, the older guys will pass the torch to the younger guys and they’re the ones who will pitch in the high leverage situations. But every role is important.”

Leroux was playing peewee for the Mississauga North Tigers in 1996 when Luke Williams was born in Park Ridge, Ill.

After a scoreless fourth, Williams, 24, hit an 0-1 pitch from Leroux, 37, to left field for a solo homer to put Team USA up 2-1. Leroux has not pitched pro ball since winter ball in 2016-17 for the Navegantes del Magallanes in Venezuela and the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican.

He worked 4 1/3 innings until the wall ball allowing two runs a triple by winter Olympian Eddy Alvarez and the Williams homer.

Leroux was drafted as a catcher in the ninth round by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2002. He headed to Winthrop University and three years later was chosen in the seventh round by the Florida Marlins.

As a freshman, he combined catching and worked 2 2/3 innings out of the bullpen in 2003. The very first weekend the next spring Winthrop was in trouble. Coach Joe Hudek visited the mound, catcher Leroux arrived with his gear on and Hudek said “get the gear off ... you’ve got the ball.”

“Leroux threw all his pitches for strikes and kept the hitters of balance,” said pitching coach Denis Boucher. “We needed those innings to keep our bullpen ready for tomorrow. We win and we go to Mexico.”

Leroux allowed four runs -- three earned -- in his heroic outing allowing three hits in his 63-pitch outing (39 strikes, 63%) as he threw more pitches than starter Kellogg.

PROTEST THIS: With Team USA up 6-3 in the 11th inning at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg in 1999, Whitt headed to the mound to speak to Chad Ricketts (Waterloo, Ont.) The ump told Whitt that the manager had used his trips and had to remove Ricketts. Whitt maintained he had another trip remaining.

Whitt was ejected, but Canada paid the $200 fee and protested. Ten minutes later, play resumed and the protest had been denied. C Andy Stewart (Brockville, Ont.) hit a three-run homer and Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) blooped a single into left to deliver the winning run. Canada was out the $200, but left with the win.

ON THE MOUND: LHP Ryan Kellogg (Whitby, Ont.) made his second start for Canada on two days rest. He started and pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in Canada’s 6-5 win over Cuba on Tuesday which eliminated the Olympic powerhouse from further contention. He threw 59 pitches (35 strikes, 59%) in his three-inning outing allowing one run.

A Jarren Duran double, plus two walks, saw Kellogg look in to Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) with two out and the bases loaded. He retired Tristan Casas when he bounced a 1-1 pitch to second.

Kellogg turned a 1-6-3 double play with Jonathan Malo (Laval, Que.) taking the throw to face the minimum in the second. With one out in the third Duran singled, advanced on a ground ball and scored on an Eric Filla single for a 1-0 lead. The Chicago Cubs farmhand allowed four hits and walked two.

AT THE PLATE: Jacob Robson (Windsor, Ont.) tagged a solo homer off 14-year major league veteran Homer Bailey and added a single ... Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) doubled with one out in the seventh ... The other hits went to Wes Darvill (Langley, BC), Eric Wood (Oshawa, Ont.), Michael Crouse (Port Moody, BC), Michael Crouse (Port Moody, BC), J.D. Osborne (Whitby, Ont.) and Hodges.

WHERE DID ALL THESE GUYS COME FROM: Well, the Team Canada roster comes from five provinces, from cities Vancouver to Montreal. The Langley Blaze have the most with four representatives.

Langley - Wes Darvill (Langley, BC), Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC), Tyson Gillies (Vancouver, BC), Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC).

Ontario Blue Jays - Daniel Pinero (Toronto, Ont.), Jacob Robson (Windsor, Ont.), Eric Wood (Oshawa, Ont.).

North Shore Twins - Michael Crouse (Port Moody, BC), Will McAffer (North Vancouver, BC).

Ontario Terriers _-Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.), Travis Seabrooke (Peterborough, Ont.).

Team Ontario - John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.), Chris Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.).

Toronto Mets - Connor Panas (Etobicoke, Ont.), J.D. Osborne (Whitby, Ont.)

Associés de Laval - Jonathan Malo (Laval, Que.),

Cardinals de LaSalle - Josue Peley (Montreal, Que.)

Douglas College - Scott Richmond (Vancouver, BC).

Okanagan College - Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.).

Ontario Prospects - Ryan Kellogg (Whitby, Ont.)

North Batlleford Beavers - Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.)

Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs - Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.)

St. Michael’s Academy Crusaders - Brendan McGuigan (Austin, Tex.)

Vancouver Pharaohs - Scott Richmond (Vancouver, BC)

Vauxhall Academy Jets - Ben Onyshko (Winnipeg, Man.)

Victoria Mariners - Jesse Hodges (Victoria, BC)

Windsor Selects - Evan Rutckyj (Windsor, Ont.), Jacob Robson (Windsor, Ont.)

STEEEE-RIKE ONE: Hall of Famer Andre Dawson threw a Bob James-like ceremonial first pitch for a strike.

AND ON THE DIET COKE OUT-OF-TOWN SCOREBOARD: Jose Bautista had three hits and knocked in three runs while Melky Cabrera was 1-for-4 as the Dominican beat Venezuela 14-4.