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Vancouver Cannons
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Tuesday, 05 March 2013 06:19 |
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Vancouver Cannons right-hander Connor Noble will pitch for the Canadian Junior National team in Orlando, Florida in April.
Connor impressed Greg Hamlton, the head man for Baseball Canada. “Connor did a nice job at our fall camp,” Hamilton says. "He's a competitive, bulldog kind of kid and we’re excited to have him involved.”
Noble is the fourth Cannon to connect with the junior nationals. In 2009 three Cannons, pitchers Tommy Robson and Vaughn Covington and catcher Rowan Wick, all played on the Canadian team.
All three have since started pro careers. Covington, an 11th round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds, and Wick, who signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, are both working out with the Cannons during winter training. |
The Cannons are the youngest team in the PBL this season with a load of talented rookies on the Vancouver roster.
PITCHING—The Cannons have two aces on the mound, LHP Trevor Anderson and RHP Connor Noble. Both were Select alternates last season and Noble, who leads the PBL in strikeouts, is odds-on to be a mainstay of the B.C. staff this time around. Anderson is headed to UBC next September, bringing his plus fastball, solid breaking ball and outstanding pick-off move to the Thunderbirds.
The rest of the Cannons pitching staff is mostly young but very talented. Solid righthanders Brandon Marklund and Luc Hamel and outstanding lefty Bradley Smith will see a lot of innings, plus a strong group of junior hurlers. The veterans include hard-throwing closer Lee Jensen and swing man Justin Gadey.
CATCHING—Mike Orosz is the workhorse heart of the Cannons, catching both ends of doubleheaders and playing third base when junior receiver Nick Favaro is behind the plate. Besides being a blue chip catcher Mike runs very well and is our most consistent hitter. Favaro, only in grade 9, has already crushed a pair of home runs and has been invited to B.C. Selects camp along with Noble and Marklund.
INFIELD—Luc Hamel has solidified the Cannons at shortstop with excellent middle infield support from Byron Prasad and Taylor Ginnetti. All three are back next year along with a promising flock of rookies, including Max Wood, who has impressive range and a quick bat, hard-hitting Ian Creamore, who always battles, consistent and versatile Geoffrey Legg, and first baseman Alex Bott, who has a smooth swing and picks very well.
OUTFIELD—The Cannons outfield features Josh Gaudette, one of the most talented young players we’ve ever had, veteran power hitter Brandon Favaro, promising rookies Wood, Mohamed Imdakem, Alex Cyr and Legg, all back again next year, plus Armand Ewusie, who can fly and has burgeoning power.
COACHES—Head coach Dave Empey has put together the strongest coaching staff yet for the Cannons. That includes Jason Andrew, one of the best hitting instructors in the business, versatile Josh Hundal, former Cannon Jovan Ewusie, outfield coach Joe Marklund and former UBC pitcher Jordan Anderson.
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Tuesday, 19 April 2011 06:49 |
After finishing in the playoffs in their first two seasons the Cannons are a young team in 2011, especially on the mound.
PITCHERS—The pitching staff includes Connor Noble, Taran Kingsbury, Trevor Anderson, Tyler Ang, Justin Gadey, Jake Uhryniuk, Lee Jensen and Cayden Orallo, who will all be back next year. Add to that lefthander Justin Krieger, who is rehabbing a foot injury, Jovan Ewusie, who will start and close, and Brandon Favaro, who injured his thigh in a pre-season game and is also rehabbing. Unfortunately, Vaughn Mabone, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery, won’t pitch this season but he will swing the bat as a DH.
CATCHERS—Kirk Sorensen and Mike Orosz are solid behind the plate and Orosz will be back next season.
INFIELD—The Cannons have an abundance of infielders, including the versatile Ewusie and veterans Corbin Henderson and Gray Griffiths. Those three will anchor the middle of the batting order. Grade 10 shortstop Byron Prasad is an outstanding rookie with speed and grade 11 Keno Magano has range at second and can swing the bat. Matt Yee and Noble add depth and Krieger, Anderson, Gadey and Jensen will be at first base.
OUTFIELD—Ewusie will see a lot of centrefield when he isn’t pitching or playing shortstop. When Favaro is healthy he’ll tie down right field. Johnny Stephens adds power and the depth includes Mike Van Hombeeck, Orallo, Henderson, Ang, Anderson and Kingsbury.
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Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:57 |
The Cannons' first draft pick, Rowan Wick, is off to a solid debut with the University of St. John's. Rowan has been a starting outfielder in all three of the Red Storm's early season games in Florida, going two for eight, including a home run.
Rowan was drafted in the 19th round by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010 but decided to sign with Big East powerhouse St. John's instead of turning pro. Baseball America has St. John's ranked 23rd in NCAA Division One baseball, which means Rowan will be in the national spotlight. |
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Wednesday, 09 June 2010 00:00 |
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Rowan Wick became the first Cannons draft pick when the Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 19th round. Rowan, who has a scholarship offer from St. John's University in New York, was the 579th player chosen in the MLB draft. Let's put the draft in perspective. There are more than 200,000 players eligible to be drafted each June. Only 1,500 are actually selected. But many in the later rounds aren't offered enough money so only about 750 sign pro contracts. Of those more than 90 per cent of the players never make it to the major leagues. And only a few of them last long enough in the bigs to become free agents and make huge money. The success of Ryan Dempster, Justin Morneau, Jeff Francis and Rich Harden, all ex-PBL standouts from the 1990's, is remarkable. As Walt Burrows, the head of the Canadian Major League Scouting Bureau, says, "They're not only major leaguers, they're stars." This is only our second season in the PBL and the Cannons expect to have many more players drafted in the years to come. The draft wrapped up with the 50th and final round. The last pick (number 1,525) went to the Yankees and they chose James Rice, a 6-3, 190-pound 21-year-old catcher from Western Kentucky. Wonder what it feels like to wait that long and then be the final player selected. |
After finishing in the playoffs in their inaugural season the Cannons added a junior team this time around and depth to their lineup.
What’s more the Cannons have a pair of national team players, including power righthander Vaughn Mabone, who has been gunned in the low 90’s, and Rowan Wick, a strong left-hand bat with a great arm, who catches and plays right-field. Rowan has been impressive with the Canadian team and was drafted in the 19th round by the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cannons pitching staff also features a trio of lefthanders, including returnee Justin Krieger, rookie Jordan Ramirez and transfer Jacob Hein. Add to that righthanders Alex Graham, who has earned a starting spot, and rookies Niko Economou and Taran Kingsbury. The bull pen includes righthanders Nathan Parade de la Feraude and Kirk Sorensen.
Veteran Carney Chamberlain and Sorensen are the main men behind the plate. Left-handed hitting Chamberlain has been on a tear early this season and leads the Cannons in batting average.
Krieger and Ramirez take turns at first base. The middle infield is solid with Jovan Ewusie at short and Tanner Morache at second and Corbin Henderson and Tyler Yorko hold down third base.
The Cannons outfield is anchored by Jackson Gooch in center, with Ian Horne, Brandon Favaro and Wick on the corners.
The coaching staff has also been expanded. Besides supervising head coach Dave Empey and assistant Grant Rimer, who ran the Cannons last season, Jason Andrew, who has extensive experience with both Langley and Abbotsford, and Clint Hosford, who pitched in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization for six years, have joined the Cannons as senior coaches.
Also on hand are assistant GM Mike Kelly, assistant coach Evan Romanchuk and junior coach Parker Kynoch. |
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The Cannons are the youngest team in the PBL with seven grade 10 players. "We’re a development program," says head coach Dave Empey. "Our goal is to put players into pro baseball and college programs. We just want to be competitive in our inaugural season."
PITCHERS
The Vancouver staff will be anchored by strong veteran RHP Allen Rimer, lefty Sean Callegari, who throws four quality pitches, and hard-throwing rookie prospects Vaughn Mabone and Tom Robson. Righthander Scott Boatter will be a swing man as a starter and reliever, and the bullpen includes Steven Roller, Justin Krieger, Brendan Lim and Aleksi Mattlar.
CATCHERS
Rowan Wick and Carney Chamberlain, who both have power from the left side, and young Kirk Sorensen will handle the catching for the Cannons. Wick has earned a trip to the Dominican with the national junior team.
INFIELD
Rookie Jovan Ewusie and Chris Ross, in from midget AAA, anchor the left side of the infield and Tanner Morache is solid at second base. Chris Brien, Krieger and Callegari give the Cannons strong defence at first base.
OUTFIELD
Jackson Gooch is solid in centerfield and the corners include Johnny Stephens, a young, promising hitter, plus Chamberlain, Wick, Callegari, Krieger, Sorensen and Roller, who give the Cannons depth in the outfield.
AT THE PLATE
To score runs the Cannons will rely heavily on Ross and Morache at the top of the order, plus power swings from Chamberlain, Wick, Brien and Lim. "We also have some young hitters who will keep getting better," says Empey.
COACHES
The Cannons staff includes Dave Empey, who has coached a dozen pro players, including Ryan Dempster of the Chicago Cubs, and assistants Grant Rimer, a veteran baseball guy, and Miller Morache, a young coach with great potential. |
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Monday, 15 December 2008 20:33 |
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The Cannons were born in November, 2008, the newest franchise in the Senior PBL. They’re up and running and will be in full flight for the 2009 season. The Cannons have started workouts and any new players should contact head coach Dave Empey at 604 771-9736 or daveempey@shaw.ca.
The 2009 roster will be a mix of PBL veterans, plus bantam AAA graduates and midget players. "There hasn’t been a Vancouver PBL team for several years," says coach Empey. "A lot of talented young men weren’t in the league because it was too difficult to travel to other areas. The Cannons will give them all open access to the Premier League. This will broaden the player base for Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond and bring a renewed interest in the whole area."
Dave Empey coached the North Shore Twins from 1993-2001 and his players included Ryan Dempster, Simon Pond and Chris Mears, who have all played in the major leagues. Pond, who spent 13 years in professional baseball, was with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2004 and Mears pitched for the Detroit Tigers in 2003. Both of them were on the Canadian team in the Rome Olympics.
Dempster has pitched in the big leagues for 11 years and recently signed a four-year, $52 million contract with the Chicago Cubs after winning 17 games last season. Acknowledged as the Cubs’ leader, Ryan is a superb advertisement for a baseball education in the PBL.
"Ryan Dempster is by far the most important piece to our clubhouse," says Cubs infielder Mark DeRosa. "Just his charisma, his character. We talk about it a lot, being around him for two years. He makes the guys around him better people—not only better players, but better people off the field."
Dempster, who was a National League all-star in 2000 and 2008, will be a team sponsor for the Cannons, as well as giving financial aid to baseball in Gibson’s where he grew up.
In all, Empey has helped players get drafted 19 times. And 10 of them have played professionally, including Dempster, Pond and Mears and pitchers Clint Hosford and Adam Daniels, infielders Dom Laurin and Nom Siriveaw and outfielders Ryan Kenning, Matt Huntingford and Connor Janes.
Janes, an assistant coach with Terry McKaig’s UBC Thunderbirds, will also help out with the Cannons.
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