Justin Morneau, who drove in a run in Canada’s 6-4 win over the Blue Jays Tuesday, will need pound away at the opposition in the team’s WBC campaign.
This should have happened a long time ago. Walking out onto the field at Dunedin Stadium on this cool March morning, I couldn't help but smile at the sight of Justin Morneau, Jason Bay, Russell Martin and some familiar looking major-league players wearing their Team Canada uniforms. As a lifetime baseball fan growing up in a hockey-mad nation, this is the first time that I've seen Team Canada play that didn't involve some clutching and grabbing.
This edition, in training to take part in the second World Baseball Classic, which begins in Japan on Thursday and at the Rogers Centre this weekend, is going to have to pound away at the opposition if they hope to advance out of their pool against the United States, Venezuela and Italy.
With injuries forcing Jeff Francis and Rich Harden to the sidelines, and Ryan Dempster saying, "Thanks, but no thanks," Canada's starting rotation for this tournament is thinner than the Olsen twins. Blue Jays right-hander Scott Richmond, who wasn't made available for last summer's Beijing Olympics but is, interestingly, available for this WBC, would have to be considered the ace of the staff despite having all of five major-league starts under his belt.
That, alone, should tell you that this team isn't likely to pitch their way into the second round. No, if Team Canada is to upset the Americans -- unlikely -- or the Venezuelans -- possibly -- it will be its bats that will have to show the way.
(Note to you blogmeisters: I wasn't being a "homer" when I picked Canada to finish second in their pool. It's my opinion that, with Johan Santana and Carlos Zambrano unable to participate because of injuries, Canada's bats are lethal enough to pound their way past Venezuela.)
And let's take a closer look at those bats. Lined up two through five, this will be tough for any opposition pitching staff to navigate through. Dodgers' all-star catcher Martin will hit second and is one of the best in the business. In 155 games last season, he drove in 69 runs on 25 doubles and 13 home runs while stealing 18 bases. He'll be followed by Joey Votto, likely ticketed to the outfield, who is coming off a breakout season with the Reds. Votto blasted 24 home runs and drove in 84 runs while batting .297 in 151 games, his first full season in the majors. Votto will play in left with Morneau being entrenched at first base.
Morneau, the 2006 American League MVP, is one of the top hitters in all of baseball, coming off a three-season stretch where he has averaged 29 home runs and 123 RBIs while batting .298 over 159 games. And then once you've waded through those three hitters, up steps Jason Bay. Manny Ramirez's replacement in Boston has topped the 30-HR, 100-RBI plateau in three of his past four seasons and was the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year playing on a poor Pirates team that provided him with very little protection.
With hitters of that quality, even the United States staff, which is being weakened by the day as more pitchers remove themselves from consideration, will have a devil of a time holding them in check.
Now this is not to say that Team Canada doesn't have some pitchers that could step up and prove us all wrong. Twenty-year-old right-hander Phillippe Aumont, a native of Gatineau, Que., and the 11th player chosen in the 2007 June draft by the Mariners, has an electric arm and could shut down the opposition. His key will be keeping his pitch count down.
The same for 25-year old left-hander David Davidson of Richmond Hill, Ont., who picked up the save in Canada's 6-4 win over a collection of mostly Blue Jays minor leaguers on Tuesday afternoon. And keep an eye on another 25-year-old lefty, Nanaimo, B.C.'s Bryan Dumesnil. His 2008 numbers show that he has the ability to get hitters out on a regular basis.
Lots of positives on the 2009 edition of Team Canada. Sure, most come from the offensive side of the roster, but in a short tournament like this, anything is possible. Truthfully, I don't think that they have a shot to win the competition. But they won't be embarrassed.
Let the games begin!
