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The identities of the 24 men who will represent Canada in baseball at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games were announced by Baseball Canada today. The men will play out in Ajax, about an hour east of downtown Toronto, in the President's Choice Ajax Pan Am Ballpark from Saturday, July 11 through Sunday, July 26. The Blue Jays will mostly be on the road during this period (which includes the All-Star break)
Canada won gold the previous Pan Am Games in Mexico back in 2011.
In January, it was reported that Pan Am Games and Major League Baseball worked out a deal to allow minor leaguers--defined as those who are not on a 40-man roster--to participate in the summer competition. So Dalton Pompey, while he is playing in double-A, is not eligible to play.
Andrew Albers and Jeff Francis, who were pitched with the Blue Jays earlier this season, have been named to the 24-man Pan Am roster alongside starter Shane Dawson of the Lansing Lugnuts. Former Blue Jays Adam Loewen (who has returned to pitching again) and Shawn Hill have also been tapped to join the team. The coaching staff has a number of former Blue Jays as well, from manager Ernie Whitt, to coaches Paul Quantrill and Denis Boucher. Stubby Clapp, who played in the Blue Jays organization at the double-A and triple-A levels and is currently the hitting coach at New Hampshire, is also a coach for the team.
Here is the full roster as announced by Baseball Canada
Position | First | Last | Hometown |
Pitcher | Andrew | Albers* | North Battleford, SK |
Pitcher | Phillippe | Aumont* | Gatineau, QC |
Pitcher | Shane | Dawson | Drayton Valley, AB |
Catcher | Kellin | Deglan | Langley, BC |
Pitcher | Jeff | Francis* | Delta, BC |
Outfielder | Tyson | Gillies | Vancouver, BC |
Pitcher | Shawn | Hill* | Georgetown, ON |
Infielder | Jesse | Hodges | Victoria, BC |
Infielder | Sean | Jamieson | Kitchener, ON |
Outfielder | Brock | Kjeldgaard | London, ON |
Pitcher | Colin | Kleven | Kamloops, BC |
Infielder | Jordan | Lennerton | Langley, BC |
Pitcher | Chris | Leroux* | Mississauga, ON |
Pitcher | Adam | Loewen* | Surrey, BC |
Pitcher | Kyle | Lotzkar | Delta, BC |
Pitcher | Dustin | Molleken | Regina, SK |
Pitcher | Jared | Mortensen | Abbottsford, BC |
Outfielder | Tyler | O’Neill | Maple Ridge, BC |
Infielder | Pete | Orr* | Newmarket, ON |
Catcher | Chris | Robinson* | Dorchester, ON |
Pitcher | Evan | Rutckyj | Windsor, ON |
Outfielder | Tim | Smith | Toronto, ON |
Infielder | Skyler | Stromsmoe | Bow Island, AB |
Outfielder | Rene | Tosoni* | Port Coquitlam, BC |
* Players with Major League Baseball experience
Position | First | Last | Hometown |
Coach | Denis | Boucher | Lachine, QC |
Therapist | Dave | Blatz | Steinbach, MB |
Coach | Stubby | Clapp | Windsor, ON |
Coach | Greg | Hamilton | Peterborough, ON |
Coach | Paul | Quantrill | Port Hope, ON |
Equipment Manager | Keith | Sanford | Windsor, ON |
Team Leader | Bernie | Soulliere | Windsor, ON |
Coach | Larry | Walker | Maple Ridge, BC |
Manager | Ernie | Whitt | Clinton, MI |