Hartley Miller's Slap Shots July 17th, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009 03:45 AM

Let’s play Ball! Yes, the much-anticipated World Baseball Challenge has finally arrived.

This international sporting event has been in the planning stages for many months, and will dominate the Prince George sports scene for the next 10 days. The organizers have spent many long and tireless hours in preparation to host an excellent spectacle.

Initially, the host committee was looking for a “big splash” with many big name teams committing to the tournament. However, as it turned out, more teams dropped out than actually travelled to PG. It isn't the organizers fault that many world-class teams withdrew citing reasons such as world economic conditions, sponsorship cutbacks, political situations and defections, and the swine flu. Teams that pulled the plug from the tournament include Cuba, Beijing Tigers (China), Chinese Taipei, Venezuela, Croatia, Great Britain, Reno Astros and the Seattle Studs.

In addition, steroids squealer, Jose Canseco, was ready to participate, if the price was right, of course. However, Jose felt that there was more money in MMA. Without Canseco on board, controversy may be at a minimum.

It has been seven years since the World Baseball Challenge celebrated an event like this, with Grand Forks, BC the last home in 2002. Nevertheless, this year’s participants, despite the small number, are impressive. Therefore, here are my unofficial pre-tournament rankings:

1. USA (35 game winning ended last week)

2. Canada (strong pitching and solid all around line-up. May give the Americans a scare)

3. Team BC (Late entry but very experienced & ex-pro component)

4. PG Westcana Electric Axemen (never underestimate home cooking. The Axemen are bolstered by several key additions from throughout Canada)

5. Germany (Don’t overlook a team that nearly qualified for the Beijing Olympics)

6. Bahamas (Are they Washington Nationals of this tournament? Sleeper with no pressure)

I expect that most team’s caliber of play will be similar to Triple or Double “A”. Most of the players
will not make the big leagues, but there are many to keep an eye on:

USA: The 22-man team is comprised of the top non-draft-eligible college players in the country. The
roster contains 13 major league draft choices. Leading the way is infielder Christian Colon (Cal State Fullerton). The sophomore batted .263 in 24 games for last year's National Team and led the team in hits.

Right Hander Gerrit Cole of UCLA leads the 10-member pitching staff. He is a first-round draft choice of the New York Yankees in 2008 (28th overall) who possesses a 98-mph fastball.

Canada: Sammy is certainly a Starr on the team. Starr, from Toronto, has pro potential, as does RHP, Danny Britton-Foster of Ladysmith, BC. Starr and Britton-Foster are among several UBC athletes on the team.

BC: This roster includes players from the 2008 Baseball Canada Senior championship team. The most recognizable name is former major-leaguer, RHP Aaron Myette, of Vancouver, who plays for Fraser Valley in the Pacific Metro Baseball League. Myette is a former first-round draft choice of the Chicago White Sox. He made 30 starts in a six-year MLB career with the White Sox, Texas Rangers, Cleveland Indians, and Cincinnati Reds. Another player to watch for is infielder Devon Franklin, an ex PG resident with college experience and semi-pro in Australia.

PG: Designated Hitter Darren Doucette brings a big bat. The 6-4, 290 pound Doucette is the All-time home run leader in Nova Scotia senior baseball, and was named top hitter at nationals three times (1999, 2002 in PG and 2007). First baseman Paul Wilson, one of the top hitters Prince George minor baseball has produced is captain and will provide leadership. He went three for nine, with five RBI's last weekend in three exhibition victories over St Albert. Wilson played college baseball at North Idaho College (teammate of Trail’s Jason Bay of the Boston Red Sox).

Germany: This line-up is comprised of players from the German pro league. Outfielder Donald Lutz is playing for the Cincinnati Reds organization in the Gulf Coast League, and Brother Sascha Lutz an outfielder, plays for the Mannheim Tornados.

Bahamas: This team is young, quick and dangerous; in other words, no stars to highlight.

The round robin will give everybody a chance to familiarize themselves to Citizen Field. All teams will make the playoffs but in a modified page playoff system teams one and two will have a big advantage. The top two round robin teams meet each other with the winner moving on to the championship game. The loser of the first-second place game will need just one win against one of the other four teams to qualify for the final.

Expectations are this will be the best baseball Prince George has ever witnessed live and in living color. Despite some setbacks in securing teams, the host committee can be very proud that this highly anticipated tournament has arrived. PG has lacked a marquee sports event in the summer. That will change in the next week and a half. Moreover, this is only the beginning as plans are already in the works for Prince George to host a bigger, better WBC in 2011.

From the quote rack:

Anna Kournikova showed up at a World Team Tennis match with a huge diamond ring on her left ring finger. The jeweler reports that the diamond sat down in straight sets.

A 3-year old boy was unhurt as he survived an 8-mile ride atop his toy truck down a river in British Columbia. He was apparently giving lessons to Tom Brady.
In Florida, a woman sitting on a toilet was shot in the leg when the person in the next stall accidently dropped their loaded gun. What was Plaxico Burress doing in the ladies bathroom?

A fan who was booted from Yankee Stadium for a trip to the restroom during the playing of 'God Bless America' has been awarded $10,000 in a lawsuit. Boy, and we thought bathrooms were profitable for Canseco and McGwire.

Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California

Manny Ramirez was ejected in the fifth inning of his fourth game back from his female fertility drug suspension. The Dodgers outfielder apologized afterwards, but explained that it was “that time of month.”

The former Montreal Expos, now the Washington Nationals, have the worst record in baseball at the All-Star Break. So much for all those who say it's only a one-way street of the U.S. exporting shoddy entertainment to Canada.

The Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders are 0-2 and the lowly Hamilton Tiger Cats are
1-1. This might serve as a cautionary tale for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and a tale of hope for the Detroit Lions. Okay, let's not get carried away about the Lions.

Colorado Avalanche star Joe Sakic announced his retirement after 20 years, saying, “every athlete has to decide when it’s time to move on…” And Brett Favre added “not exactly.”

Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California (www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com)

A report says Canadians will have to work longer or have more kids to remain internationally competitive. The report was issued by a group including Brett Favre, Chris Chelios and Travis Henry.

Twitter has scored another 1st, as they were able to capture the whole press conference announcing the signing of Jay Bouwmeester with Daryl Sutter in less than 140 characters.

Over 1.6 million people applied for tickets to see the memorial service of Michael Jackson. This surpasses the previous record for people wanting to see a morbid spectacle set by Maple Leaf season ticket hopefuls.

Contributor Derek Wilken of Calgary (http://smacksport.blogspot.com/)

So President Obama threw out the first pitch at the All-Star game. They were gonna ask Joe Biden, his wind-up usually lasts 15 minutes.

Although no longer using female fertility hormone, Manny Ramirez continues to pound the ball. Not surprising. Word is that now before each at bat he chants "By the power of Isis give me strength."

Fan appreciation day at Citi Field this year will be on October 2. Odds on favorite to be the most appreciative: The '62 Mets.

Billy Mays' tombstone inscription: "He reached his pitch count."

Joey Chestnut won the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest by downing 68 dogs in 12 minutes. He then set the world record in the ten-yard dash.

Comedy writer Marc Ragovin of New York

Joey Chestnut defended his title in the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest, beating Takeru Kobayashi by eating 68 hot dogs in twelve minutes. The contest would have been held at Yankee Stadium, but contest organizers said that many hot dogs there would cost $15,000.

The Tribune Company has reportedly sold the Chicago Cubs for $900 Million. So while you can't put a price on happiness, we have just found out the cost for misery.

Comedy writer Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va (http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.com/)

A 15-year-old girl in Staten Island fell into an open manhole, as she was texting while walking.
… Her last tweet: “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’.

The National Health Service of Britain is under fire for promoting an orgasm a day to school children as part of good cardiovascular health. Upset British children were saying, “What? Just one?”

A golfer in Washington was sentenced to one and a half years in prison for bashing another player on the head with a 6-iron during a fight over slow play. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due, though. Before he was hauled away, he replaced the divot.

Comedy writer Jerry Perisho http://monologuewriter.blogspot.com/

And in case, you missed it:

Wimbledon officials admit they scheduled good-looking women on Centre Court to help boost television ratings. Obviously, this is a change of policy since Martina Navratilova competed.

Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio stations 94X and the Wolf@97fm. He also writes for the PG Free Press. Send along a quote, note or anecdote to hmiller@94xfm.com

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Hartley Miller's Slap Shots July 17th, 2009

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