Now Pitching … Not Adam Loewen

It takes a lot of courage to quit a job that you have been successful at and start over at a new one.  It also takes a great deal of intelligence to understand the long term risks to your health and put yourself first instead of money, fame, and a major league career.

But that’s exactly what Adam Loewen did this week when he announced that he was done with elbow surgeries and would restart his career as a position player.  He refused the suggestion of yet another surgery and decided to start over by picking up a bat and changing his career.  I can’t say I believe his would be the preferred choice of most MLB players, given the amounts they are paid in the majors versus the minors.  Loewen showed that money is not at at the top of his priority list.

Now, we’ve seen this happen before, with the notable case being that of St. Louis Cardinals’ Rick Ankiel.  Not too many people have forgotten his post-season pitching performance where he continually tested the strength of the screen behind home plate to the dismay of the catcher.  Most thought his baseball career was done, but he stuck with it, moving through the Cardinals’ farm system and eventually making it back to the majors last year where he’s had great success and is one of the reasons the Cardinals are still in contention.  Most had written the team off before spring training.

So now we get to see if Loewen can be as successful.  Let’s hope that the percervearavnce that got him to the majors continues, and we can once again head to Camden Yards to cheer on the Canadian.  Now that would be a great story.

Congrats to the Drafted Canadians

This year’s MLB draft was a good one for Canada, and history making as well.  The most notable pick was Brett Lawrie of Langley, BC who became the 4th highest Canadian draft pick of all time, and the highest position player.  Only Adam Loewen, Jeff Francis and Phillipe Aumont have been picked higher than this year’s 16th overall pick.  He is now the property of the Milwaukee Brewers, an organization with a few prominant Canadians in their managerial ranks who probably had some good knowledge of the Canadian.

It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Lawrie lasted one more pick.  The Toronto Blue Jays picked 17th, and if he had been available he would have been a logical pick for them.

On the second day of the draft (yes, it goes for multiple days! we saw another 31 Canadians drafted.  Here’s the list:

• Andrew Albers; North Battleford, SK (10^th round, 315^th/Padres), LHP
• Brad Furdal; Ancaster, ON. (11^{th round}, 323^rd/Rays), RHP
• David Francis; Mississauga, ON (12^th round, 370^th/Braves), RHP
• Marcel Champagnie; Bolton, ON (15^th round, 469^th/Angels), SS/OF
• Carter Morrison; Langley, BC (16^th round, 479^th/Reds), CF
• Stosh Wawrzasek; Langley, BC (16^th round, 488^th/Brewers), RHP
• Michael Crouse; Port Moody, BC (16^th round, 489^th/Blue Jays), OF
• Nick Bucci; Sarnia, ON (18^th round, 548^th/Brewers), RHP
• Jordan Meaker; Burlington, ON (20^th round, 618^th/Diamondbacks), RHP
• Mathieu Poirier; Montreal, QC (21^st round, 634^th/Athletics), RHP
• Mitch Delaney; LaSalle, ON (21^st round, 650^th/Yankees), 1B
• Carter Bell; Courtenay, BC (22^nd round, 657^th/Giants), INF
• Marcus Knecht; Toronto, ON (23^rd round, 698^th/Brewers), OF
• Michael Gosse; Pitt Meadows, BC (23^rd round, 703^rd/Tigers), 2B
• Lionel Morrill; Edmonton, AB (24^th round, 726^th/Twins), OF
• Brad McElroy; St. Thomas, ON (25^th round, 759^th/Blue Jays), OF
• J.R. Robinson; Burnaby, BC (31^st round, 939^th/Blue Jays), LHP
• Jordan Lennerton; Surrey, BC (33^rd round, 1003^rd/Tigers), 1B
• François Lafreniere; St-Bruno, QC (34^th round, 1017^th/Giants), RHP
• Ruddy Rio-Nunez; Montreal, QC (35^th round, 1066^th/Phillies), OF
• Nick Purdy; Grafton, ON (36^th round, 1075^th/Royals), RHP/OF
• Clay Caufield; Toronto, ON (38^th round, 1160^th/Yankees), RHP
• Nick Fogarty; Richmond Hill, ON (40^th round, 1208^th/Brewers), LHP
• Benson Merritt; Smithville, ON (42^nd round, 1259^th/Reds), RHP
• George Agyapong-Mensah; Mississauga, ON (44^th round, 1329^th/Blue Jays), RF
• Jean-François Ricard; Montreal, QC (44^th round, 1334^th/Mets), LHP
• David Cooper, Edmonton, AB. (44^th round, 1337^th/Diamondbacks), SS
• James Kottaras; Markham, ON (45^th round, 1357^th/Brewers), 2B
• Ashton Florko; Trail, BC (45^th round, 1359^th/Cubs), LHP
• Nathan Linseman; Ariss, ON (45^th round, 1361^st/Tigers), LHP
• Leonardo Ochoa; Longeuil, QC (48^th round, 1428^th/Giants), SS