Andrew Forsyth
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Posts by Andrew Forsyth
Vancouver Canadians Season Recap – Pt. 1: Playoffs
06 months ago
With the Nat Bailey dust now long settled on the 2011 campaign, it is time to look back on the season, the playoffs and the prospects who made their mark in Vancouver.
If you have to tag a single word to the Canadians’ 2011 playoff run it would be, “clutch.” The team of future Jays turned around an abysmal second half road record winning three-straight games on unfriendly diamonds, shirked frustrating offensive numbers and pitched their way through a drama filled playoff to win their first Northwest title. This was all the more impressive after three players got call-ups to the Lansing Lugnuts and a change in coaching altered the complexion of the squad.
Not only did the Canadians battle under the leadership of their new skipper, Rich Miller, but they shone in the playoff spotlight where Vancouver fans were treated to the emergence of players who rose to the challenge and surpassed expectations.
In this first recap segment, we’ll look at a few of the sleepers who stepped up in a big way in the playoffs and deserve a good hard look going into 2012 Spring Training. (more…)
The Northwest League Championship
08 months ago
It was ten days ago on a sun-soaked Sunday afternoon that the Vancouver Canadians topped the Tri-City Dust Devils in one of the most exciting games ever played at old Nat Bailey Stadium. For our readers that couldn’t be in Vancouver, JaysProspects was there covering the hustle and heart that the C’s brought to the field that day. For anyone who wanted to get a bit of the atmosphere- here you are. Enjoy!
CHAMPIONS!
08 months ago
In Their First Year as a Jays Affiliate The Vancouver Canadians Win Top Prize in the Northwest
There was a quiet intensity that carried on the gentle breeze through the grounds at Nat Bailey Stadium on Sunday morning. With the previous night forgotten, anticipation was running high as everyone from the bench to the grounds crew and the fans filing into the seats were wondering if today could be the day for the Canadians.
The C's celebrate their championship win after defeating Tri-City 9-2
It didn’t take long for the C’s-ville faithful to realize that they were witnessing something special as Jesse Hernandez and Vancouver retired the first nine Dust Devils in order. It took until the 4th inning before Tri-City would finally find an answer to the young RHP when a double off the bat of Jared Simon would cash in Brian Humphries from first to open the scoring.
But the Canadians were quick to find a response for Tyler Gagnon when, after singles from Kevin Patterson and Andy Burns and with two out, an eleven pitch at bat by Pierce Rankin ended in a hard line drive over the mound and into centre field. When the dust had settled on the play (which included a throwing error by CF Brian Humphries) the Canadians had scored two runs with Rankin safely standing on third. Shane Opitz would send Rankin home on a base hit putting the C’s up 3-1. And there it would stay with both teams trading a scoreless fifth.
The sixth would remain scoreless thanks to the continued brilliance of Hernandez who completed the inning having allowed only one earned run on three hits with a career-high nine strikeouts, giving way to Bryan Longpre. However, it was the seventh frame that would prove fatal for the Dust Devils when the C’s would send eight batters to the plate for a total of 5 runs including a leadoff solo shot from Jon Berti and a bases clearing triple from Balbino Fuenmayor.
Both teams would add a single run in the eighth but everyone in the stadium could see that this was Vancouver’s day. And so, with Drew Permison on the mound (affectionately known as the ‘Perminator’), two out and one on, Jaron Shephard grounded past the mound into the waiting glove of Jon Berti who dished to Shane Opitz at second for the 4-6 put out sending the Nat into a frenzy.
Stay tuned to JaysProspects.com for followup on the C’s playoff win.
The Battle For The Northwest
18 months ago
The Canadians battled back against the top team in the Northwest and will try to clinch the title tonight
If last Sunday’s playoff series opener against the Eugene Emeralds was to be any indication of the C’s playoff hopes, most fans at The Nat would have predicted bidding goodbye to 2011 with a whimper and a limp. Few baseball fans would blame them. After barely finding a spot in the playoffs and dropping their final road series with little offensive output, Vancouver stumbled from their first contest with Eugene being thoroughly out pitched and out hit and with the next two must-win games in unfriendly territory.
Jesse Hernandez stares down the barrel against Eugene's Zach Kometani
Enter Jesse Hernandez and the Vancouver bullpen. Hernandez allowed only one run over four innings of work backed by solid innings from Tyler Ybarra, Aleson Escalante and Bryan Longpre who combined to allow only two more runs over the next five frames. Meanwhile, the C’s offense exploded with 10 runs on 10 hits including a 3 run bomb from Jonathon Berti setting the stage for a deciding game at PK Park.
The final would feature a start from 2010 1st rounder Aaron Sanchez who was golden through four and two-thirds allowing only one hit and keeping the Emeralds well away from the scoreboard. Although Eugene would chip away at the 5 run lead that Vancouver had built it was a clutch none out, bases loaded, 9th inning stand by closer Drew Permison that punched the C’s ticket to the finals.
And so, having sealed the upset and exorcised their road woes from the second half, the Canadians put recent Bluefield call-up Ajay Meyer on the bump in Tri-City to take on the Dust Devils. Out of the blocks Vancouver never Tri-City see a lead, pulling away in the sixth inning with two runs that would cement the 6-3 final score and send the series to Vancouver needing just a victory to claim the league Championship.
Blake McFarland will look to seal the C's Championship bid tonight
Tonight Nat Bailey Stadium will play host to one of the biggest games in Vancouver Baseball history as Blake McFarland takes to the mound to try and clinch the title against Christian Bergman and the Tri-City side. The game will be broadcast online at www.canadiansbaseball.com and on air on The Team 1410 radio station with Rob Fai calling all the excitement.
On behalf of the jaysprospects.com team and ball fans across the Lower Mainland I’d like to wish the C’s the best of luck. Go Canadians Go!
Party Rockin’, Playoff Style
08 months ago
For the past week, the collective gaze of the Vancouver faithful has been trained on the scoreboards of the Eugene Emeralds and the Everett Aquasox. Due to the eccentric Northwest League Playoff format the Canadians, who finished the season 7 games off the pace in the second half standings, still managed to find their way into the playoffs after Everett failed to catch Eugene on the last day of the season. The runoff for a scenario where the same team clinches both playoff pennants is that the team with the best overall season record not already in the playoffs would clinch the final spot. Enter the first half C’s record that tied for the best in the league.
And so, while on the long bus ride home from Boise, Idaho on Saturday night the Canadians, huddled around Bryan Longpre with cellphone in hand, anxiously awaited pitch by pitch updates through a tense 9th inning stand that saw the Aquasox down two with the bases loaded and none out. After three agonizing at bats, the ‘Sox had seen their season go down on strikes and the Canadians’ bus erupted in euphoria and a party shuffle from Jesse Hernandez.
The Canadians will try to improve on their 5-7 season record versus the Emeralds in the first of the best-of-three series this afternoon at The Nat. Vancouver will be in tough against the Eugene side that powered through both half seasons but will try to stay to the same ‘one pitch at a time’ mentality that has produced a playoff birth. Fans can likely look for an appearance from flamethrower Noah Syndergaard who was reacquired from Lansing last week.
You can listen to all three games of the Western Division Playoff Series live with Vancouver’s own Rob Fai at www.canadiansbaseball.com
Prospect Profile: Garrett Maines On That First Big Hit and His Journey to Vancouver
110 months ago
Garrett Maines- C
NDFA 2010
Previous Club: GCL Blue Jays
There is something remarkable about seeing that first home run of your team’s still young season leave the ballpark. Apparently it feels even better when you have just watched it sail from the barrel of your own bat, over the brightly lit Scotiabank Field wall and into the Vancouver night.
At least that is how Canadians’ catcher Garrett Maines felt when he belted his first professional home run and fist pumped his way over home plate on Sunday at The Nat. “It felt very good” Maines said, beaming at the recollection. “I didn’t even really realize it went out until I was rounding second and I saw the crowd on its feet cheering. It just really felt good to be able to contribute to my team in a positive way like that.”
Maines, a native of Brandon, Florida and former University of Tampa Spartan, had a few twists in his road to becoming a Jays prospect. Declining a draft offering by Pittsburgh in his first year of junior eligibility, Maines elected to finish school and left college to play 2009 with the Midwest Sliders of the Frontier League. After his 22 game stint in Independent ball, he signed with the Chicago Cubs early in 2010 but was sent to the Blue Jays GCL instructional team as a NDFA following spring training.
Asked about his experience in the Gulf league he chuckled “Well it’s hot, long and there are no fans so it’s hard to get energy out of a game. More than anything it’s a real test, more mental than physical.” Responding on how he liked the Vancouver scene so far Maines lauded the great atmosphere. “I love the fans. It’s everything it was built up to be down in Florida.”
The fans certainly love the C’s second catcher for his offensive contribution on Sunday and his willingness to spend time post-game with the younger fans. His goal for his time in Vancouver: In a word “Consistency. It’s funny, I’m actually really good friends with Pierce Rankin (Vancouver’s everyday backstopper). He knows I’m after his job and I know that he’s out to keep his job now. I just want to contribute any way I can and hopefully move up one step every year.” He also said that he had been taking advantage of Manager John Schneider’s wealth of baseball knowledge. “He’s a former catcher and I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can from him.” Though Sunday was his first start, C’s fans have gotten a glance at all three of the team’s catchers so far this week and will be sure to see more of Maines as the Northwest season rolls on.
For updates on Garrett Maines and other Jays prospects in Vancouver stay tuned to jaysprospects.com and be sure to check out canadiansbaseball.com for live gameday audio, news releases and more.
UPDATE: Maines tore through Everett’s Memorial Stadium in two starts during the Canadians’ first road trip of the season. Thursday night saw him go 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs in the DH slot in a 9-3 win over the Aquasox. Backstopping for Justin Nicolino on Friday night, Maines followed up with a 2 for 4 effort notching his first triple and second round-tripper of the season providing all of the runs the Canadians would need in a 2-0 win while bringing his average to a fear-inducing .417 over 3 starts. The C’s are 2 for 2 in series wins and move on to Salem-Keizer to face the 1-7 Volcanoes .
In other news, Justin Nicolino put in another solid 5 innings of work to pick up his first win of the season. He has held opponents off the scoreboard in his first two starts of the campaign.