Scrolling through Baseball America’s weekly report on MiLB transactions yielded up a couple of finds - most notably, blog favorite and FLP Zack Segovia has been picked up by the Washington Nationals.  Best wishes to Zack with his new club.

Quick note on Gary - our Taiwan “affiliate”, Hansioux has an update:  Gary’s back with the Bears.  He’s also posted a quick vid of a pre-game warm-up.   Ummm…, different. 

 Gary also dropped by the blog a week or so ago and was kind enough to give out his email for anyone who had any questions -  burnhambaseball21@hotmail.com.

Finally for today, quick update on Keith Reed.  Keith disappeared for a short period of time in 2007 - we finally tracked him back to Japan before he signed with the Newark Bears of the Independent Atlantic League.  Here’s a quick interview conducted last summer after he returned stateside.

ITW: You were one of the Orioles first round draft picks in the 1999 draft; were there any other teams interested in drafting you that year?

Keith Reed: I took batting practice in Three Rivers [Stadium] for the Pirates before the draft. Dana Brown was the scout and they talked about selecting me with their pick in the first round.

ITW: What expectations did the Orioles communicate to you after they drafted you?

Keith Reed: They didn’t really give me any specific expectations. I wanted to go out and try to improve every year and get to the big leagues in a few years. It took a while for me to develop and I didn’t develop as fast as they hoped. I finally got my chance in `05.

ITW: The Orioles left you exposed to the Rule 5 Draft in 2001. Were you hoping to get taken by another team?

Keith Reed: Anything to get to the big leagues, that’s what ran through my mind. I ended up back at AA, but I can only worry about things I can control.

ITW: How do you prepare for a game?

Keith Reed: Basically, I try to get loose, shag balls in batting practice, stretch and run a bit. If I have faced the pitcher before, I look back at what he got me out on, or, if someone else knows what he has, we talk about what he has; I ask people who know him.

ITW: What would the scouting report on you say?

Keith Reed: It would say ‘a 5 tool guy’. I have the ability and the work ethic. I have the ability to get back into affiliated ball and the ability to compete at the big league level.

ITW: In 2005, the Orioles called you up to take Sammy Sosa’s place on the roster. How did that feel?

Keith Reed: It felt pretty good. Friends told me I would be the answer to a trivia question. I would have like to stick around a while longer, though.

ITW: It seemed like you were starting to put it all together for the Orioles the last few seasons. Do you have any regrets you aren’t still with them?

Keith Reed: I had some good years the last few seasons, but I didn’t know if I was going to be an organizational guy with them or not. I wanted to test the waters to see if there were any better opportunities there for me. It didn’t seem like the Orioles were interested in having me back.

ITW: Is there any one player in the majors you have tried to model your game after?

Keith Reed: I have always like Vlad [Guerrero]; I wear #27, play right field, don’t wear batting gloves. He has power and speed as well. He is a good guy who is never in trouble. I have never met him.

ITW: Compare the major leagues, minor leagues and the independent leagues.

Keith Reed: Independent & AAA are pretty much the same. There are a lot of guys here with big league experience. I don’t have like 4 years in the big leagues so I really can’t compare them.

Seems like this question gets asked about guys like Gary Burnham every spring.  How can I guy who hits .XXX year after year, never get shot at the bigs?  In Gary’s case of course, the numbers are pretty decent:

.

Got that?  At the AA level or better, his average over 8 seasons was .294.  294.  Maybe his defense didn’t warrant a full time spot on a Major League roster, but never even a September call up?  No invites to Spring Training?  Couldn’t someone have used a left handed DH off the bench in a pinch hit situation?  Sadly for Gary, the answer has always been “no”.

In other FLP news, Chris Roberson who was recently traded to the Orioles, didn’t make the 40 man roster.  Baseball America expressed everyone’s surprise:

So, hold on–the Orioles lost Jeff Fiorentino as a waiver claim, after booting him off the 40-man roster to make room for Roberson . . . and then they don’t think enough of Roberson to keep him on the 40-man? At least they still have Roberson in the organization, as he has re-signed a minor league deal. Fiorentino is on his third team this offseason now with the Athletics.

One of the frequent “knocks” against Ottawa (in this post 9-11 world) was that it was just one more hassle for players always needing additional documents.  Seems like Ottawa - hell, Canada isn’t alone.

Today was the day they celebrated Chinese New Year at the kids’ language school.

Bek gets ready for the dance of the bumblebees.  I think that’s her “game face”.

It’s also Zakky’s 11th birthday.  Hard to believe.

Charging hard, a foot race to the loose ball.

Regular programming resumes later. Have a great weekend.

John Russell, who managed the Lynx this season, seems to be the favourite to take over the Pittsburgh Pirates job — replacing another one-time Ottawa manager, Jim Tracy.

I wrote at Out of Left Field way back in the winter that Russell might have been the best major-league prospect on the Lynx. It has been a long time coming for the former catcher, who was shortlisted for a couple major-league managing posts last season, particularly the Washington Nationals and his former club, the Texas Rangers.

Related:
Pirates manager: Russell the choice? (Beaver County Times / Allegheny Times)

The dream of a Can-Am League baseball team in the capital seems to have died a quiet death. But did anyone see that Chris Neil wore a funny hat at Senators practice yesterday? Get that on the front page. No one cares about any other sport right?

As noted by the commenters, the Can-Am League sent out a press release today saying it plans to go ahead with eight teams for the 2008 season: Atlantic City Surf, Brockton Rox, Grays (traveling team), Nashua Pride, New Jersey Jackals, Les Capitales de Québec, Sussex Skyhawks and Worcester Tornadoes. 

There’s so much inchoate rage bottled up here that it’s best to just leave it at that. Miles Wolff came to down with a damn good idea, a damn good plan for Ottawa’s small-but-loyal core of baseball followers, one that would also help our national program.

Whatever the reason, our civic leaders showed him the back of their hands for reasons that are impossible for a layperson to understand. They had a choice of baseball or litigation, and chose litigation, AKA Lawyerball. How is Carl going to explain it to his 10-year-old son who lives and breathes baseball that the politicians in this city only care about sports when it’s a good photo-op for them? Our mayor has no problem sporting a goofy grin and throwing a football around at Lansdowne Park, but someone with an established baseball track record comes in saying he can make a Can-Am League team work here, and it’s like, oh no, his opinions can’t be valid because he’s not from Ottawa.

This is a great city in many ways, but it’s so blinkered, myopic and provincial that it’s not even funny. For the 1,002nd time, we have enough baseball fans here to make it work. Bringing in the Can-Am League was the most cost-effective, pain-free thing for the city to do… love to hear the spin-doctoring on this!

Carl’s “not promising” comment in re: just made me heartsick — and no baseball fan outside of Ohio should be feeling heartsick when Game 1 of the World Series is going on.

In all honesty, it was hope-against-hope during the whole process of trying to talk some sense to Ottawa city councillors and staffers about why pro baseball deserves to keep going. It’s not you, Miles Wolff, it’s Ottawa, where there is a certain element that takes almost sadistic, self-justifying pride in trashing anything that people might enjoy.

By the way, here’s a funny take from south of the border on the state of the game in our country. It totally gets it wrong, but if you’ve followed the inaction from the city, you’d understand why:

“It left me wondering, while the pro ranks have diminished, what is the state of the game itself up in Canada? Do they even still play it up there? Or is the country so hockey mad that they a) haven’t really noticed that all the pro baseball teams have gone south and b) don’t play much baseball on the youth level any more?”
– Foster’s (N.H.) Daily Democrat, Oct. 24

It’s too funny by half if that’s the impression that’s been left south of the border by this politicians in this city and this country and their refusal to stand by a game, which a record number of Canadians are playing professionally. (More Canadians play baseball in the NCAA than in hockey.) Meantime, Baseball Canada would have had desperately needed new bigs at Lynx Stadium, but apparently that’s not a priority, even though we actually did better in baseball at the last Olympics than we did in men’s ice hockey. (You could look it up.)

So thanks, everyone at City Hall, for letting down everyone.

Mr. Kiiffner is off on vacay with the wife and kiddies, so he’s asked for a guest blogger for the next couple days.

The basic message today for Ottawa ball fans is to hang in there. True, the clamouring and the push to get a Can-Am League franchise in our town has been in the 11th hour for more than a month, but believe it or not, there is still time.

The league has given Nashua, N.H., through the end of this week to firm up its plans to remain in the league for the 2008 season. By that logic, there is still plenty of time for Ottawa city council to come around and see that, as has been said, many times, many ways, baseball is the best use of the ballpark off the Queensway. 

I’m sorry, but this just sounds a little too good to be true:

“Mr. Butler reiterated that, contrary to some reports, his group is fronting the millions needed for the construction work, to be headed by local Ottawa firm M.P. Lundy Construction Ltd.

He said he’s held meetings with a number of interested stakeholders over the last few weeks.

He said the proposal, if accepted, would see an end to the current lawsuit between the Ottawa Lynx and the city over alleged parking promises, with OSG swallowing a potential $3.4 million bill.

It would also keep baseball in the capital, he said.

“We decided that, for the benefit of community, we’d embrace what (the Can-Am League) is trying to do, and give them a chance to continue playing baseball in that facility,” he said.

The Can-Am league had been hoping to locate a baseball franchise in Ottawa in time for next season. Recently, commissioner Miles Wolff was in Ottawa to meet with councillors to push for that idea rather than a capping the stadium.”

Thanks to an astute blog reader who caught the story; Pete Toms, you’ve been scooped.  What I find problematic, and as the title of the post notes, Mr. Butler is trying awfully hard to be all things to everyone - a solution for the Can Am League, a solution for the Lynx (i.e. assuming that 3.4 million dollar debt that the City believes is owing), a solution for the City (i.e. the stadium doesn’t become another Lansdowne Park).  I’m just wondering one little thing.

Why?

Is retrofitting the baseball stadium to turn it into a concert venue that lucrative a venture?  I don’t think the numbers work out, nor did others (”You’ll never get that kind of money back“).  So what’s going on?  I believe part of the problem for Mr. Butler is that he needs what the Lynx have: the lease.  It won’t be good enough to convince the City that his proposal will fly if he doesn’t have the rights to operate Lynx Stadium along with it.  I’m just not sure why he appears to want it so badly. And what about Mr. Wolff’s desire to play next year instead of waiting until 2009? No problem.

“However, Mr. Butler suggested construction would occur simultaneously with a baseball season.
“Let them play, and we’ll build around it,” he said.”

Play during construction of a domed stadium? That’s beginning to sound awfully desperate. It has all the makings of a B-movie - and a bad B-movie at that. Is there lost treasure buried in centrefield that none of us know about? Fools! If I could just get my hands on that lease!!!!

More later….

Guess who won the Rogers “Suite Deal” for August 31?!!!  Maybe I should start buying 50-50 tickets….  Sorry about the blogging delays of late, there’s just been a lot of running around along with the baseball itself.  The stint over at Out of Left Field is done; it was a different style of blogging, but I adapted and had a good time with it.  It does take a lot of time though - I have no idea how Neate does it, no idea at all.

Quick thoughts from the most recent homestand - nice wins yesterday and today, both saves picked up by proud new Dad Brian Sanches.  Way to go, Brian!  We had a good time on Sunday, before, during and after the game.  I dropped “the boy” off at 10 for his bat-boy duties, went home, picked up everyone else, came back, watched a closely pitched, tight ballgame and then settled in for the booster club’s barbecue while we waited for Zak to finish up.  Had another interesting conversation with blog favorite, Gary Burnham, who, according to Doris, looks much younger when he’s in civvies.  It’s nice to have the chance to get some feedback from the players, as well as the opportunity to let them know how much they’re appreciated.

The world record attempt fell short this year, due entirely to the inability of the locals to maintain something resembling an attention span.  I’m reticent to call people out, especially since more than 3,000 of them showed up, but for heaven’s sake people, would another 10 minutes kill ya’?

More to come, with some photos….

At least for a call up.

Cheerleading begins for Joe.

*** UPDATE ***

I’m going to have start crossing my fingers more often - Smokin’ Joe Thurston has been called up! Now stuff like this does our heart good, you know? Joe was my immediate thought when I read about the Utley injury this morning. I went over to a few of the Phillies message boards I follow, and the reaction to the injury and the possible roster solutions were swift - and decidedly negative. And that was before it was announced Joe was being called up. It’s even worse now (and no, I’m not posting the link - regular readers will be able to figure out the “source” website). I suppose if I was a die hard Phillies fan, I might empathize more in this situation - many of the “Phans” see the loss of Utley as a death blow for their playoff hopes. But is it any reason to completely eviscerate a guy as decent as Joe? My fingers are crossed once again; I’m hoping Joe metes out an unholy a$$ kicking upon opposing pitchers and pulls a complete “Coste” on the Phans.

Unfortunately, moving Joe up has meant that Danny Sandoval has been taken off of the 40 man roster and designated for assignment. The other move which happened today saw Brett Myers taken off the DL - I thought this would result in Clay Condrey being returned to Ottawa, but they sent down Mike Zagurski instead.

With the loss of Joe and potentially Danny, and the addition of Javon Moran, Mike Zagurski and Michael Garciaparra, this will be a different looking ball club when they return home next week.