The 2016 Canada Cup is coming to Fort McMurray.
The tournament is a flagship event for Baseball Canada, 200 of the best Under-17 baseball players in the country will flock to Fort McMurray from Aug.3-Aug.8, 2016, representing their home provinces.
Each of the ten Canadian provinces will be represented and will send their best 20 players to form their all-star team.
“I think with the Baseball Canada Cup it’s kind of our premiere event, because its elite development, its moving things forward as far as these athletes, many of them go on and play college baseball or move on with our National team, or some sign pro and move right out of this. In that area its kind of our premiere, all-star, elite event. As far as in the development of the long term athletes and where it fits in the model this would be our prestige event,” said Director General of Baseball Canada Jim Baba.
The tournament runs in a two pool format, an ‘A’ pool with four teams and a ‘B’ pool with six teams. Both pools can win the event with a crossover playoff.
‘A’ pool teams will play a double round robin, while the ‘B’ pool will play a single round robin. Pool placement is selected based on tournament results over the three previous years.
The ‘A’ pool will carry what Baseball Canada considers the elite and established teams, while the ‘B’ pool will have the “up and comers” said Baba.
Games will be played at the new diamonds being constructed at MacDonald Island park including Shell place.
“We’re looking forward to it, it’s some place that hasn’t hosted a Baseball Canada event in the past. Construction of the new field is appealing to us. I think it’s a good spot for the Canada Cup to go,” said Baba. “I think the fans will find the baseball is terrific. Out of that tournament there will always be a number of players who will be on our Junior National Team as we move forward into the new year. People like Justin Morneau, Brett Lawrie, and Gareth Morgan who was just drafted last year by the Seattle Mariners have played in this event and have gone forward from there to have pretty good careers.”
Notable players who have played in the tournament include: Eric Gagne, Jeff Zimmerman, Corey Koskie, Ryan Dempster, Aaron Guiel, Jason Dickson, Stubby Clapp, Justin Morneau, Rich Harden, Jeff Francis, Russell Martin, Brett Lawrie, Michael Saunders, Phillippe Aumont, John Axford, Adam Loewen, Chris Robinson, Chris Leroux.
The tournament is one of the main tools used to identify talent for the Baseball Canada National Junior Team (Under-18).
It’s also a major scouting event for Major League Baseball (MLB) and college teams.
“They’re (MLB) looking so they can do their reports in August for next year already. There will also be colleges that show up, depending which ones will, everybody is trying to beat the other one. So there will be the odd college programs trying to recruit too,” said Baba. “The radar guns will be up. It’s always an interesting thing to see that as part of your event, they get to see the athletes in elite competition as well. Not playing say for their club team and facing someone who maybe is not to their calibre and hitting a home run. Now they see how they do against another kid who is ranked fairly highly in the draft world and see how that person can handle the bat against them and vice-versa.”
The tournament was last hosted in Alberta in 2008 in Medicine Hat, they’ve hosted the tournament three times (2008, 2006, 2005).
Alberta has never won the tournament in its 26 year history, although it did win Silver last year in Saskatoon, losing to British-Columbia.
B.C, also happens to be the winningest province in the history of the tournament with 11 gold medals, followed by Ontario (8), and Quebec (6).
The tournament will once again be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 2015, before shifting to Fort McMurray the following year.
The Regional Recreation Corporation, and the Fort McMurray Minor Baseball Association (FMMBA)are holding a joint news conference tomorrow Jan.9 , 2015, at 1:30 p.m at MacDonald Island. FMMBA has confirmed with MyMcMurray that the announcement is in regards to the Canada Cup of Baseball.
