Mop Up’s Spill of the Day

El Dominicano/Canadiense Connecion

My boy Jorge Arangure Jr. over at ESPN has a pretty awesome blog called “La Esquina” that I have mentioned before.  It covers all of the goings on in Caribbean baseball.  A few days ago he penned a post that discussed how, in an effort to ramp up the competition that the Canadian National teams play, Director Greg Hamilton instituted an annual trip to the Dominican Republic to play top-flight Dominican prospects.

On Thursday, this year’s team will begin its 10-game tour with a matchup against the Twins’ DSL team at Minnesota’s academy in Boca Chica.

The tour’s high level of competition tests the players’ skills, though the other challenges of the trip — the lack of familiarity, the foreign language, the preponderance of poverty on the island — are another test for the young players. Hamilton said players are often awestruck by the scant resources they see during their bus rides to each individual academy.

“You learn a lot about yourself as a player and as a human being when you’re out of your comfort zone,” Hamilton said. “As they move forward in life, it’s good for them to garner different perspectives. They get a real appreciation for some of these player’s backgrounds, and for those who will move on to professional baseball, they will learn the realities from which some of their future teammates come from. This trip helps them to become a better teammate.”

Adam Loewen and Phillippe Aumont can be counted among those who have played well on similar trips in the past. Both Loewen and Aumont went on to become first-round picks.

“In many ways, this is a defining moment for many of our kids,” Hamilton said.

Wade Miller on the DL/Davis Romero Demoted

51s Today is an MLB blog that follows the Toronto Blue Jays’ AAA affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s.  I posted a comment on the site yesterday wondering why Wade Miller hadn’t pitched since May 9th and that night, the author of the site Jeremy Owens emailed me back and gave me the full scoop.

Wade Miller has an abdominal pull and Mike Basso (51s manager) does not know when he will return to the club; Scott Campbell is in Florida rehabbing a groin injury for an indeterminate time; and Russ Adams needs about two and a half more weeks to completely heal his broken hand.

Other nuggets include the demotion of Davis Romero to the AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats and Brian Burres being dropped from the Triple A rotation to make way for the arrival of Cecil and Ray.

Blue Jays fans can also keep track of the next generation of Toronto players through 51s Today, and any questions they may have for their favorite prospect can be left as a comment and addressed in a future post.  Jeremy Owens has media credentials and attends all home games.

Blogosphere Links

The Blue Jay Hunter has a t-shirt design that will be a sure-fire hot seller.

Go Jays Go caught the “Eck” saying the “S-word” in a broadcast.

Don’t hate on Cito. Hate on the NL. Sports and the City does, anyway.

Brian Butterfield is officially a god among men and The Mockingbird has the stats to prove it.

In case you missed it, Jordan Bastian chatted with Dustin McGowan who is throwing from 120 feet today. He hopes to be on a mound sometime next month.

MLBTrade Rumours talks about how the Jays aren’t looking to deal or add arms.  Same old story, EH!?!?

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Callum Hughson

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