Despite what Harold Reynolds said in 2015 about Canada's inability to catch a baseball, Canada is back for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Canada is in Pool C with United States, Mexico, Colombia, and Great Britain at Chase Field, home of the MLB Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Top 2 teams advance. The United States will be one of those teams. Canada has never advanced out of the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Canada did go 2-1 in 2006 but not strong enough to advance. A 10-3 win over Mexico in 2013 is the only WBC victory for Canada since then. 0-2 in 2009, 1-2 in 2013, and 0-3 in 2017. In 11 games, opponents have outscored Canada 82-48.
Date | Opponent | Time | Cdn TV | U.S. TV | |||||||||||||||||||||||
March 12 | Great Britain* | 3p | Sportsnet | Fox Sports 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
March 13 | United States | 10p | Sportsnet One | Fox Sports 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
March 14 | Colombia | 3p | Sportsnet | Fox Sports 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
March 15 | Mexico* | 3p | Sportsnet One | Fox Sports 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
* home games. All times Eastern. |
Games will also air in French on TVA Sports in Canada and in Spanish on FOX Deportes in the United States. Rich Waltz will call the WBC games with Buck Martinez providing analysis on the international feed carried by Rogers Sportsnet.
Game coverage is also streamed via the Sportsnet and Fox Sports outlets.
Team Canada's primary issue is that their depth has not been strong and players have bad timing with injuries or newly signed free agents to participate. Joey Votto, James Paxton, Jordan Romano, Mike Soroka, and Rowan Wick are not available for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Freddie Freeman, Bo Naylor (brother of Josh), Abraham Toro, and Tyler O'Neill are the most famous players on the offensive side. Phillippe Aumont, John Axford, Matt Brash, Adam Loewen, and Cal Quantrill are notable pitchers. If coaches could play, Team Canada would be in better shape.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who could have played for Canada, chose to play for the Dominican Republic, but withdrew from the 2023 version.
The outlook for Canada would be much different with Josh Naylor, Nick Pivetta, Jameson Taillon, Zach Pop,
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"We were talking about foul balls in the stands up in Toronto, and because there's not a lot of people that grew up playing baseball in Canada, they're not used to catching a lot of balls in the stands … not many people catching that one, anyway." — Harold Reynolds (2015).
Canada could use some more minor league teams on Canadian soil. The COVID-19 pandemic made that even more problematic with teams, such as the Vancouver Canadians, having to play south of the border.
CanadianCrossing.com MLB coverage
Canada played a pair exhibition games in Arizona prior to the World Baseball Classic: the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday in Mesa and the Seattle Mariners in Peoria yesterday.
Jared Young had a strong 2 RBI double in the first inning against the Cubs. The team lost 11-7 to the Chicago National League franchise.
Seattle defeated Team Canada 5-3 yesterday in Peoria, AZ.
Here's hoping for a respectable Canada showing in 2023.
photos credit: Baseball Canada
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