Ernie Whitt eyes adding WBC success to his achievements with Canadian national team
TORONTO — Since first managing a spirited, underdog group to inspiring upset wins over the United States and Cuba and a bronze medal on the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Ernie Whitt has guided the Canadian nationwide crew to a formidable slate of accomplishments.
There was qualifying for the 2004 Olympics after which a fourth-place end on the Athens Games. An epic win over a superstar-laden United States crew on the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. A bronze medal on the 2011 International Baseball Federation World Cup, because the occasion was then recognized. A couple of weeks later on the Pan American Games, victory over the Americans for gold — a senior squad first, a feat repeated in 2015 when Toronto hosted the occasion.
The important hole on the résumé?
Advancing past the primary spherical on the World Baseball Classic, a field he’s intent on checking subsequent spring when the event returns for the primary time since 2017.
“It’s a big goal,” Whitt mentioned throughout a gathering of nationwide crew management teams on the latest winter conferences in San Diego. “That’s one thing that we haven’t finished and we’d like to have that chance. The (2006) win towards the United States was nice, however it didn’t assure transferring on, so the opposite video games are necessary additionally.
“That’s why we’re hoping that we get the players necessary, and we go on and have a great tournament.”
The Canadians are making good inroads on that entrance, though as one longtime government famous, nothing is closing till the participant truly reveals up at camp. Still, prime gamers like Freddie Freeman, Tyler O’Neill and Cal Quantrill have all mentioned publicly that they intend to play, which bodes effectively after a tough 0-3 displaying for Canada in 2017.
If all continues to go effectively, the Canadians might have Freeman (Dodgers) at first, Abraham Toro (Mariners) at second base, Otto Lopez (Blue Jays) at shortstop, and Charles Leblanc (Marlins) at third base, with Bo Naylor (Guardians) and Kellin Deglan (Blue Jays) behind the plate.
Josh Naylor (Guardians), Jared Young (Cubs), Jacob Robson (Tigers), and touted prospect Edouard Julien (Twins) are candidates to affix O’Neill within the outfield, or DH.
Quantrill, Nick Pivetta (Red Sox) and Jameson Taillon, who’s all in favour of enjoying however simply agreed to a $68-million, four-year cope with the Chicago Cubs that would complicate his availability, are a place to begin for the rotation. Matt Brash (Mariners), Rowan Wick (Cubs) and Rob Zastryzny (Mets) are doubtless choices to entrance the bullpen.
Joey Votto (Reds) and Mike Soroka (Atlanta), each recovering from accidents, might not be accessible.
A brand new event format that features an enlargement to twenty groups places Canada into a well-known pool that features arch-rivals the United States and Mexico together with Colombia and Great Britain. The prime two groups advance to the quarter-finals, when the competitors strikes a single-game elimination format.
“I like the fact that you’re not carrying records over, you’re just moving on to quarter-finals and semifinals, it’s this straight progression,” says Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of nationwide groups. “You don’t have to look as much at creativity in getting out of your pool as you are looking at just trying to win certain games to get there. And then you when you start playing again, you have to beat somebody to get to the next round.”
Whitt will likely be counting on the nationwide crew tradition that began with that 1999 Pan Ams crew and has since been maintained to assist drive whoever finally ends up on the Canadian roster.
The former Blue Jays catcher believes this system’s id begins creating with the junior nationwide crew and builds as gamers proceed with their careers.
“That’s what leads to good culture, there’s an expectation we have with them of what we look for in a player,” says Whitt. “I want 100 per cent participation from the players if they’re there. I want them to buy into it completely. The fact that we try to maintain guys that have been on the team and experienced some of the wins that we’ve had filters down to the younger players so when they’re gone the younger players can become the veteran group.”
While nationwide crew gamers typically speak about a Canadian mentality on the sphere, that’s extra reflective of the group’s persona and traits than a selected model of sport. Rather than being married to at least one kind of sport, Whitt’s strategy is to adapt to the skills at hand.
“I try to look at what our players’ abilities are and try to get the best out of their ability, not ask them to do more than they’re capable of doing,” he says. “We’ve had teams where we had bashers and it was like, OK, we’re not going to run into outs, we need to let them put the ball over the wall. We’ve had teams where we’ve had to move runners, do hit and runs, bunt — all the stuff the analytics say you shouldn’t do any more. To me it’s looking at your personnel and putting them in position to be successful.”
He’ll do the very same factor once more in March, the place 4 video games are assured and a shot at being among the many closing eight beckons.
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