The Canadian baseball team had a good and bad Olympic experience in 2004. The bad part was losing in the semi-finals to a strong Cuba team, having led late in the game. The Canadians did not expect to be playing Cuba in the semis but Australia pulled out a round robin win that helped them avoid Canada and place Cuba in the way of the Canadians. On the good side the team did make it to the semi-finals and many players still talk of qualifying for the Olympics, and the bus ride back to the hotel singing Oh Canada, as the highlight of their season. Now the Canadians get to start down the Olympic road again, the road to China in 2008 starts today in Arizona as Canada faces Nicaragua. The top four teams, out of six in this tournament, advance to the Americas Olympic qualifier next August in Havana. Last week in Arizona I talked with three of the Canadian hopefuls about their seasons.
Adam Loewen
Adam Loewen is 21 years old and hails from beautiful British Columbia, as do a number of other pitchers such as Rich Harden, Jeff Francis, and the Blue Jays Vince Perkins. Loewen played for the Walleye Chiefs in the BC senior league and played on the mainland and on the island. Loewen also played for team BC when he was 17 and remembers winning a national championship. “I remember we came back and beat Quebec in the last inning.” Loewen has played for team Canada before, on its youth teams. “I played for three years, when I was 16 to 18. We mostly played in Canada. My first year the world championships were in Edmonton, so we only played in Canada. The year after that we went to the Dominic Republic and even played some of the rookie ball teams down there. The last year the world championships were in Sherbrooke, Quebec.”
Loewen is the highest drafted Canadian ever, taken fourth overall by the Baltimore Orioles in 2002. Loewen did not sign immediately as he and the Orioles had a disagreement over money. “I went to junior college for a year for the experience as the Orioles and I weren’t seeing eye to eye. I had a lot of good advice that helped me.”
Entering 2005 Baseball America rated Loewen as the Orioles third best prospect. Loewen throws four quality pitches, a fastball that sits in the low nineties, a curve, a change-up and a slider. The only knock on Loewen has been his control. In 2004 Loewen allowed 84 hits in 93 innings, but he also walked 67. Loewen did have some shoulder problems in 2004 but he was able to rehab through exercise and strengthening, and avoided surgery. In 2005 Loewen again battled control issues primarily in the first half of the season. Loewen made 27 starts and again allowed fewer hits than innings pitched, 130 hits in 142 innings. Loewen K’d more than a hitter per inning, 146, but again walked 86 hitters. Loewen battled more control issues in the first half but then started making progress in the second half, as his work to develop a repeatable delivery paid off. “I think my arm was healthier all year and that helped me get my velocity back and has made by breaking pitches sharper.” Loewen is still not all the way back but he has made substantial progress. In the AFL Loewen was leading the league in ERA until his final start, but still finished with a 1.67 ERA against some of the best hitting prospects in baseball. Loewen reduced his walk rate to 14 in 27 innings. “This is a good hitting league so it’s good to come here and do well even though I didn’t have a great season. It feels good to finish like this.”
Scouts really like Loewen’s stuff, as one said, “Four major league pitches, what’s not to like?” Loewen probably needs another season of consistency and refining his command but could be in Baltimore by September. The other wild card there is what effect, if any, will Leo Mazzone have on Loewen?
George Kottaras
George Kottaras was a latecomer to baseball, having played softball until he was 15. Kottaras then started playing for the York Pioneers followed by a stint with the Etobicoke Rangers and then a season for the Ontario Blue Jays. Kottaras had been a catcher in softball but baseball was different. “I had to learn to throw and block pitches and call a game and hit. The whole game is different so I had to go back and start from scratch.” Kottaras went to Milliken Mills High School in Markham but they didn’t have a high school team so George concentrated on club baseball. After high school Kottaras followed a familiar path for Canadian baseball players, playing for Connors State junior college in Oklahoma. “Connors State was a great place to go and I had signed to go to Florida State after junior college, but the Padres drafted me.”
Kottaras was selected in the 20th round of the 2002 draft and last year was ranked as the Padres #3 prospect by Baseball America. The Padres had Kottaras ticketed for Lake Elsinore to start 2005. Kottaras stayed at Lake Elsinore until early August when he was promoted to AA Mobile. At Lake Elsinore Kottaras hit .303 with 29 doubles and 9 home runs. In 101 at-bats with Mobile Kottaras hit .287 with seven doubles and two home runs. Kottaras has a good eye; he walked 69 times over both stops while striking out 83 times. Kottaras was happy with his season. “I am just trying to learn, soak it all up. I struggled a little bit when I first got to AA but I made some adjustments and did all right.”
Kottaras is not a big guy physically, probably 5’10” and not broad, but he does have power, as evidenced by his 47 extra base hits this year. Scouts like Kottaras but think his swing is too pull conscious right now and feel he will have to use all fields to progress.
Joey Votto
Joey Votto played his baseball for the Etobicoke Rangers in the Ontario rep ball loop. In this loop players play in southern Ontario, as opposed to teams like Team Ontario who travel to the US for tournaments and exposure. Votto did play one year for the Canadian Thunderbirds but the majority of Joey’s playing time was with Etobicoke. Votto has a simple reason for playing for Etobicoke. “I really liked playing for Bob Smyth, he was an important part of my life.” Interestingly Votto played one year on the same team as Kottaras, who came over to play with Etobicoke.
Votto played high school baseball for Richview Collegiate, also in Etobicoke. After high school the Cincinnati Reds selected Votto in the second round of the 2002 draft. In 2005 Votto played for the Sarasota Reds in the Florida State League where he hit 17 home runs among his 42 extra base hits. Votto hit .256 and showed a keen eye drawing 52 walks as against 122 strikeouts. Votto profiles as a left handed first baseman where his developing power will be an asset. Votto was on the taxi squad in the AFL, meaning he could only play on Wednesdays and Saturdays. In 36 at-bats Joey hit .250.
Votto was ranked as the Reds #4 prospect coming into 2005 and will likely head for AA next April.
Batters Box extends our best wishes to the Canadian Team. Let’s make it to the Olympics again guys!
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