2023 Program - Issue 8

MEET OUR MASCOTS

Q&A WITH IAN CURCHILL

SUPERSTAR SERIES

JOHN GIBBONS - AUGUST 8

HOW JOSE BAUTISTA’S BAT-FLIP LED

NASWELL PAULINO TO VANCOUVER

TEAM ROSTERS

9 GET TO KNOW YOUR CANADIANS FRONT OFFICE STAFF

Meet the team behind our team as we feature those who work around the clock to ensure your best ballpark experience.

14 2023 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

This is your chance to map out the entire summer using our vibrant and colourful Promo Schedule that shows you every single moment this season. A great tool to plan out the games you absolutely HAVE to see this season.

22 MEET THE 2023 VANCOUVER CANADIANS

This year’s squad is looking to bring home Northwest League Championship #5! Let’s meet this year’s ‘Boys of Summer’!

34 STEINER STORIES: NASWELL PAULINO

How Jose Bautista’s bat-flip led Naswell Paulino to Vancouver

32 HOW TO SCORE THE BASEBALL GAME

A Scorekeeping 101.

40 Q&A WITH IAN CHURCHILL

2023 Vancouver Canadians pitcher Ian Churchill makes his way to the mound in the latest instalment of C’s Chat.

48 MEET OUR MASCOTS!

The Canadians feature not one, not two, but seven amazing mascots all with their own claim to fame! Take a look at the colourful characters that keeps fans smiling all summer long.

50 KIDS FUN PAGE

Fun kids activities

Team president Andy Dunn and his staff have been working tirelessly to ensure that our return to Nat Bailey Stadium gives you any number of opportunities to create new and lasting memories with your colleagues, friends, and loved ones.

We have continued our important work through the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation. Over 300 local children will join our program this year and we look forward to getting back out in the local community through a multitude of commitments that we proudly honour. We hope that you will continue to support our team and our community alongside us.

Enjoy the game and thank you for choosing to spend your time with us. We are proud to showcase the future stars of the Toronto Blue Jays for you and hope that today is another chance for you to create a memory with us all summer long.

Here’s to many, many more years of fun and memories here at historic Nat Bailey Stadium.

Our content hits home with readers. We’re the trusted source for community news, award-winning stories and local flavour.

Glacier Media is part of the largest local news network in Canada Ask us about audience targeting. Visit goteam.glaciermedia.com

FRIDAYS Gates Open at Noon. First Pitch 1:05

The Vancouver Canadians Baseball League is looking for your help this season. Your assistance will help more than 300 local children between the ages of 6-11 learn a number of life skills on the diamond including teamwork, fair play and how to develop confidence and pride.

If you would like to make a donation to Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation, please go to www.vancouverfoundation.ca/vancouvercanadians and click on the donate button.

THANK YOU for supporting the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation and Vancouver Canadians Baseball League. Because of your generosity, we can move forward and bring a summer of fun and memories to children from right here in our own neighbourhoods.

FRONT OFFICE STAFF

JAKE KERR CHAIR OF VANCOUVER CANADIANS BASEBALL

Born and raised in Vancouver, Jake Kerr attended the University of British Columbia before completing his MBA in Economics and Finance at the University of California at Berkeley. A Canadian business icon, Mr. Kerr has been the recipient of the Order of Canada and Order of British Columbia for his remarkable contributions to both our country and province.

Taking ownership of the Canadians back in 2007, Mr. Kerr has led the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club to eight (8) franchise attendance records, multiple Larry McPhail Awards for excellence within the Northwest League, and Minor League Baseball’s most coveted accolade - the John H. Johnson President’s Trophy, awarded to MiLB’s most complete franchise.

ANDY DUNN PRESIDENT

Andy Dunn has been with the Vancouver Canadians since 2007, helping guide Canada's only affiliated Minor League Baseball franchise to a number of national accolades including the coveted John H. Johnson President's Trophy (2013) presented to the most complete franchise in MiLB - marking the first time in the award's 40-year history that a Canadian-based organization received the honour.

Known by many in the baseball world, Andy has twice been named Florida State League Executive of the Year (1999, 2000) and also Northwest League Executive of the Year (2008), and has helped the Canadians reach new heights with 10 Northwest League awards during his tenure in Vancouver including multiple John H. Johnson & Larry MacPhail Awards

JEFF MOONEY CHAIR OF THE VANCOUVER CANADIANS BASEBALL FOUNDATION

In addition to his valuable contributions to the Vancouver Canadians, Jeff Mooney is Chairman Emeritus and a major shareholder of A&W Food Services of Canadians Inc. Today, A&W is a strategy-driven organization that has grown to over 1,000 locations across Canada. A&W has been recognized as one of the 50 Best Managed Companies in Canada for the past 10 consecutive years, and in 2008, it was honoured to become an official member of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Platinum Club.

Mr. Mooney is an alumnus of both the University of Saskatchewan and Harvard University Graduate School of Business. In 2003, Mr. Mooney received Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee Medal and three years later was inducted into the Restaurant Hall of Fame(2006). In 2016, Mr. Mooney was inducted into the B.C. Business Laureates Hall of Fame and this year received the Order of Canada

ALLAN BAILEY GENERAL MANAGER

Allan Bailey has been with the Vancouver Canadians since 2007 and was appointed General Manager on September 5th, 2018, after spending the previous seven seasons as the organization's Assistant General Manager. Allan has led several departments during his tenure with the C's including the Nat Bailey Stadium Box Office and its ticket operations as well as his more recent efforts in Team Operations handling everything from player housing and travel right through to Information Technology (IT). Born in Victoria, B.C., and raised on the Lower Mainland's Sunshine Coast, Allan completed his education at McGill University while playing five seasons with the McGill Redbirds baseball program. Prior to university, Allan played for the North Shore Twins of the B.C. Premier League

STEPHANI ELLIS ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER

Returning for her ninth season with the Vancouver Canadians Stephani handles a wide variety of key organizational elements including Group Sales as well as the C's social media platforms. She was promoted to Assistant General Manager role prior to the 2019 season and was the recipient of the 2019 Northwest League Female Executive of the Year for her work with the C's.

After a standout collegiate softball career at California University of PA where Stephani played for the Vulcans and was named a Regional All-American, the Prince of Wales Secondary graduate and former Team BC member began her marketing career with the Canadians.

Stephani works in concert with group leaders who expect the Canadians to provide an excellent ballpark experience with each visit out at Nat Bailey Stadium.

BRENDA CHMILIAR FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

Brenda is entering her 16th season out at Nat Bailey Stadium but her second as Financial Controller for the Vancouver Canadians. She spent the first 10 years with Aramark Food Services in the company's financial division, dividing her time between at Nat Bailey Stadium and Rogers Arena. Brenda is responsible for all aspects of the Vancouver Canadians financial operations. She is right at home here at Nat Bailey Stadium, as much of her childhood was spent playing baseball on the local fields in Kamloops

STEVEN MAISEY MANAGER OF TICKETING OPERATIONS

Steven enters his fourth season with the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club, and his first as Manager of Ticket Operations.

After graduating from Langara College with a diploma in Recreation Leadership Management, and interning for the Vancouver Whitecaps, Steven began his career with the Canadians on the operations side of the club, spending the two seasons (2018 –19) as a member of the A&B Tools Rental Grounds Crew. Steven transitioned into his current role as Manager of Ticket Operations in January 2020, and looks to maintain the service standards that fans have come to expect of the Canadians. In the offseason, Steven volunteers his time as a skills coach for the Vancouver Thunderbirds Minor Hockey.

WALTER COSMAN VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING

With more than 20 years of Sales & Marketing experience here in Vancouver, Walter decided to put those skills to work in the sport he's most passionate about, baseball. With a B.A. from the University of New Brunswick, Walter has worked with Proctor & Gamble, Molson Canada, Granville Island Brewing and Steamworks Brewing. Walter was also General Manager of Petcurean leading a staff of more than 70 people. With a long-standing corporate partnership with the Canadians prior to his arrival in May of 2019, Walter joins our club fully aware of the standard that has put the C's among the best in Minor League Baseball

CHARLENE YAROSHUK ACCOUNTING COORDINATOR

Charlene is excited to be entering her fifth season with the Vancouver Canadians as their Accounting Coordinator. In 2020 she graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. Growing up in the Vancouver area she spent most of her free time practicing martial arts and currently has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

TYLER ZICKEL MANAGER OF BROADCASTING & MEDIA RELATIONS

Tyler joined the Canadians in 2021 and is now in his sixth season in the Blue Jays organization and ninth in MiLB. Before the C's, Tyler served as the Director of Promotions & Entertainment and Road Radio Broadcaster for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Over the course of three seasons in Manchester, he oversaw the entire in-game presentation and promotions departments while traveling throughout the Eastern League calling 'Cats games. Tyler began his MiLB career in 2014 as a communications intern for the High-A Lake Elsinore Storm in Southern California and was promoted twice in three years.

The San Diego native earned his B.A. in English from Whittier College in Los Angeles, where he played on the Poets baseball team and was elected Student Body President. He and his fiancée Kate make their offseason home in Portland, OR with their dog Rosie.

Proud to support the

AVAILABLE ON THE CONCOURSE AND at THE 3RD BASE CRAFT ZONE

KENDRA CHIN MARKETING COORDINATOR

Kendra joins the C’s Marketing department for her first full season of baseball. She has recently completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with specialization in Marketing and Human Resource Management. Prior to joining the team at The Nat, she worked for several years in the health & fitness industry. Her goal is to intertwine her passion for sports with her business background. In her spare time, she coaches basketball to inner city kids. This Vancouverite also likes spending her free time playing basketball, tennis, golf, and skiing.

JACOB NAKHLEH SALES COORDINATOR

Jacob returns for his eighth season with the C’s and his second as Sales Associate. Joining the club for the 2016 season, Jacob began his time with the C’s in the Box Office, first as a Ticket Sales Representative, then as Box Office Assistant, with his transition to sales coming at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

Jacob graduated from the Edwards School of Business at the University of Saskatchewan in 2021 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance. When Jacob’s away from the Nat, you can find him watching Blue Jays baseball, Seahawks football, or, if he’s lucky, ice fishing in Saskatchewan.

OTHON DIAZ SALES ASSOCIATE

Othon is originally from Mexico and moved to Canada to earn his MBA. He has experience working in the marketing department of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico professional baseball team in the Mexican Baseball League.

Throughout his life, Othon has been involved in sports. He spent many years training and competing on an international level in sprint kayak where he won three Pan-American medals in 2014 and 2017.

In his free time, Othon helps coach the U16 & U18 canoe and kayak sprint team at False Creek Racing Canoe Club. He loves watching baseball games at Nat Bailey Stadium while enjoying some good tacos.

LEVI WEBER HEAD GROUNDSKEEPER

Levi is no stranger to the Northwest League, with prior experience with the Spokane Indians as their Head Groundskeeper at Avista Stadium. His talents have also allowed him to be the field manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers at the Spring Training Facility in Arizona.

The Colton, WA native graduated from Washington State University with a Double Major in Turfgrass Management and Fruit and Vegetable Management and two minors in Horticulture and Agricultural Systems.

In his time away from the ballpark, you can find him on the golf course, weight training or enjoying time with family and friends.

COOPER MISIC SALES COORDINATOR

Cooper is a former Langley Blaze pitcher, took his talents south of the border to play for both Galveston College and at Central Washington University. He graduated from CWU with a Sports Management degree with a specialization in Business.

Prior to joining the Canadians, he was a member of the Ground Crew at Northview Golf & Country Club.

LIAM GUERRIERO SALES ASSOCIATE

2023 is Liam’s first season with the C’s as a Sales Associate. The 23-yearold graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from their four-year program.

A native of Waterloo, Ontario, Liam grew up playing competitive hockey for the Waterloo Wolves. He loves playing and watching hockey, baseball, golf and football. He’s a fan of the Boston Bruins, Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Browns and Rory McIlroy.

BOX OFFICE ASSISTANT BALLPARK AND STADIUM OPERATIONS

ZACH MAHAFFY BROOKS PRIMO CHRISTIAN WILSON TRAVIS PORTER

2023 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE

CRAFT CORNER ICE COLD - FRESH BEER - LOCATED

IN THE -

3RD BASE FOOD COURT

PROUDLY SERVING

ROAD TO THE SHOW

The Canadians are a part of the Toronto Blue Jays organization. The C’s are a High A affiliate of the Blue Jays. That means they are in the middle of the Toronto farm system, slightly higher than the Dunedin Blue Jays (Low A) and the Gulf Coast Blue Jays (Rookie). Baseball players work their way up through the organization in hopes of getting to the big leagues. Toronto is in the American League and pulls its talent from these teams.

CASEY CANDAELE MANAGER

MATT HAGUE HITTING COACH TIM NORTON PITCHING COACH

CARSON PHILLIPS BULLPEN COACH

JUSTIN ECHEVARRIA COACH JAKE MCGUIGGAN DEVELOPMENT COACH

JOHN SCHNEIDER MANAGER

DON MATTINGLY BENCH COACH

PETE WALKER PITCHING COACH

GUILLERMO MARTINEZ HITTING COACH

CALEB DANIEL ATHLETIC TRAINER JUSTIN BATCHER STRENGTH COACH ROSWELL DEL ROSARIO ASST. STRENGTH COACH

KARA TERRY DIETITIAN ROB DiBERNARDO MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH

RYAN MORETTI TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT

MARK BUDZINSKI FIRST BASE COACH

LUIS RIVERA THIRD BASE COACH HUNTER MENSE ASSISTANT HITTING COACH JEFF WARE ASSISTANT PITCHING COACH, BULLPEN DAVID HOWELL ASSISTANT PITCHING COACH, STRATEGY GIL KIM FIELD COORDINATOR DAVE HUDGENS MAJOR LEAGUE HITTING STRATEGIST ADAM YUDELMAN MAJOR LEAGUE COACH ALEX ANDREOPOULOS BULLPEN CATCHER LUIS HURTADO BULLPEN CATCHER

CESAR MARTIN MANAGER MITCH HUCKABAY HITTING COACH

DREW HAYES PITCHING COACH

CHRIS SCHAEFFER COACH

MATT VON ROEMER DEVELOPMENT COACH

LUKE GREENE ATHLETIC TRAINER

CASEY CALLISON STRENGTH COACH

GEOFF STALLMAN DIETITIAN

RAUL PIMENTEL MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH

KEVIN MCCARTHY TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT

BRENT LAVALLEE MANAGER

DANIEL CANELLAS BENCH COACH

RYAN WRIGHT HITTING COACH

JOEL BONNETT PITCHING COACH

ASHLEY STEPHENSON POSITION COACH

AUSTIN BIBENS-DIRKX BULLPEN COACH ROELVIS VARGAS ATHLETIC TRAINER

TOMMY LABRIOLA STRENGTH COACH

YUKA SANUI DIETITIAN

RAUL PIMENTEL MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH

LUKE STATLER TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT

DONNIE MURPHY MANAGER

GEORGE CARROLL BENCH COACH

MATT YOUNG HITTING COACH

CORY RIORDAN PITCHING COACH

YOEL HERNANDEZ BULLPEN COACH PETR STRIBRCKY DEVELOPMENT COACH

JJOSE MAYORGA MANAGER

PAUL ELLIOTT HITTING COACH

COREY HART HITTING COACH

FRED LANDERS HITTING COACH

JAIME LEVER HITTING COACH

ANTONIO CACERES PITCHING COACH

ANDY FERMIN MANAGER

DEIFERSON BARRETO COACH RICARDO NANITA HITTING COACH

ROBELIN BAUTISTA PITCHING COACH

JOSE MATEO COACH JAIR MORELOS COACH LUIS SILVA COACH

BRANDON HAMMERSTROM ATHLETIC TRAINER

ROSWELL DEL ROSARIO S&C COACH

GEOFF STALLMAN DIETITIAN ERIKA MONSALVE MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH

CARLOS POLANCO TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT BRENDAN KELLY PITCHING COACH

DELTA CLEARY JR. COACH

ASHLEY PONCE COACH

DANIEL TUCKER ASSISTANT COACH JON WOODWORTH ATHLETIC TRAINER FRANK ESPOSITO ATHLETIC TRAINER

ALAIN PACHECO ATHLETIC TRAINER YSIDRO REYES ATHLETIC TRAINER

IMBEWER ALVAREZ STRENGTH COACH JOSEPH CARDONA STRENGTH COACH

BRYAN ROSALES DIETITIAN

ERIKA MONSALVE MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACH

ISIDRO LOPEZ TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT

SYDNEY JENKINS S&C COACH

EDWIN ORTIZ STRENGTH COACH

BRYAN ROSALES DIETITIAN ERIKA MONSALVE MENTAL PERFORMANCE

COACH STEVEN CARDONA TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT

MANAGER: 33 Brent Lavallee

BENCH COACH: 24 Danny Canellas

PITCHING COACH: 20 Joel Bonnett

HITTING COACH: 12 Ryan Wright

PRONUNCIATIONS

POS. PLAYER COACH: 2 Ashley Stephenson

BULLPEN COACH: 38 Austin Bibens-Dirkx

ATHLETIC TRAINER: Roelvis Vargas

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING: Tommy LaBriola

DIETITIAN: Yuka Sanui

MENTAL COACH: Raul Pimentel

TECH ASSISTANT: Luke Statler

Devereaux – dev-er-row | Abdiel – AWB-d-yell | Pardinho – par-DEEN-yo | Naswell – NAZ-well | Dahian – dye-ANNE

Jommer – JOE-murr | Doughty – dough-tee | Kasevitch – KASS-uh-vitch | Estiven – ESS-tuh-vin | Rainer – RAIN-er

Turconi – turk-OH-knee | Dasan – duh-SAWN | Devonte – de-VON-tay | Lavallee – luh-VALLEY | Cañellas – kuh-NAY-yus

Stephenson - Stevenson | Bibens-Dirkx – BIB-ins DURKS | Roelvis – row-ELVIS | Labriola – LAB-ree-ola

Yuka Sanui – YOO-kah sa-NEW-ee

MANAGER: 12 Ryan Scott

HITTING COACH: 50 Michael Fransoso

PITCHING Coach: 22 Cameron Ming

COACH: 2 Sergio Plasencia

COACH: 7 MJ Rookard

TRAINER: Dan Laberry Trainer: Stephanie McLain

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING: Drew Weidner

QUALITY CONTROL/VIDEO COORDINATOR: Marlin Lagesse

PRONUNCIATIONS

Raul Altantara (al-kaan-tr-uh), Randy Bednar (BED-narr), Nick Davila (DAH-vee-luh), Blake Rambusch (RAM-bush), Brandon Schaeffer (SHAY-fer), Reid VanScoter (van-SCOOTER), Matt Willrodt (WILL-rod), Hogan Windish (WIN-dish)

FIELD STAFF

BRENT LAVALLEE 33 MANAGER

• Entering his second year as Manager in Vancouver, coming off a 67-62 campaign... Served as a Manager for the first time in 2021 while with the FCL Blue Jays... Played at LSU Shreveport until 2009 and joined their coaching staff as a Graduate Assistant in 2010...Started as a full-time assistant in 2012 and was named the Head Coach in 2016...In three years, his teams produced with an overall record of 12657 and claimed the last two conference championships.

• The North Delta, British Columbia, native played for LSU for five seaons, including a medical redshirt campaign...Played a total of 200 games and earned 2009 1st Team All-Canada while runner up for Canadian College Baseball Player of the Year.

DANNY CANELLAS 24 BENCH COACH

• The 28-year-old is taking on a Bench Coach position for the first time...Entering his fourth season as a coach...Spent 2022 with Single-A Dunedin as a Position Coach...Served in the same capacity for Vancouver from 2019-2021.

• The former catcher and relief pitcher played Rookie-level baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014 and 2015...He also signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays on October 9, 2017 and was assigned to the Gulf Coast League, Lansing, and Dunedin at various parts during the 2018 season.

JOEL BONNETT 20 PITCHING COACH

• Entering his second year in professional baseball and his first as a Pitching Coach, having spent the 2022 season as Bullpen Coach with High-A Vancouver...Started as a Pitching Coach at The University of Illinois Springfield and worked in the same role at Southwest Minnesota State University, Hendrix College, and Benedictine University.

• The native of Springfield, IL, played four seasons at NCAA III North Park University, spending time as both a starter and a closer...Finished his career 7th all-time in appearances (23) and 4th all-time in saves (7)...Was an all-conference second team honoree as a senior 2012, while in 2010 he earned the Rawlings/American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Central Region Gold Glove Award.

RYAN WRIGHT 12 HITTING COACH

• Made his Minor League coaching debut in 2021, in his current role, after his debut with Class-A Lansing was cancelled in 2020...Began his coaching career at Capital High School in Boise, ID, from 2015-2016... Was a Graduate Assistant at California State University Northridge in 2016... Joined the organization from Montana State University Billings where he was on staff since 2017... Served as the Hitting Coach & Recruiting Coordinator at MSUB... Has also managed the Spearfish Sasquatch Baseball Club in Spearfish, SD (20182019), and the Kelowna Falcons Baseball Club in Kelowna, BC (2019).

• Played collegiately at the University of Utah, Treasure Valley Community College, and Oklahoma City University.

ASHLEY STEPHENSON

POSITION COACH

• 2023 is Ashley’s first season with the Blue Jays...Follows Jaime (Vieira) Lever as the second female coach in the organization...Coached with the Canadian Women’s National Team since 2018, leading to a Bronze medal at the COPABE Women’s Pan-American Championships in 2019, and was the first woman to manage the Women’s National Team when Canada played against USA in Thunder Bay in 2022...Was also the first woman to coach in the Canadian Futures Showcase, hosted by the Blue Jays baseball academy in Ottawa last year...Made history in November as she became the first woman to capture Baseball Canada’s Lionel Ruhr Elite Coach of the Year Award.

• Was an original member of the Women’s National Team in 2004 and played for 15 years...Won four Women’s Baseball World Cup medals (three bronze, one silver), and a silver at the Pan American Games in 2015.

AUSTIN BIBENS-DIRKX 38 BULLPEN COACH

• Officially retired in January and is entering his first year in professional baseball as a coach, taking on Bullpen Coach for Vancouver.

• The native of Salem, OR, was selected out of the University of Portland by the Seattle Mariners in the 16th round of the 2006 draft...Eventually reached the Majors for 37 games while with Texas in 2017 and 2018...Has also pitched in the Venezuelan Winter League, the Dominican Winter League, the Mexican League, and the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

2023 ROSTER

COOPER BENSON 15

PITCHER

HT: 6-0 WT: 210

B/T: L/L

DOB: 8/3/00

HOMETOWN: San Luis Obispo, CA

’22 CLUBS: FCL, Dunedin

ACQUIRED: 17th, ’21, Arizona State

RYAN BOYER 21

PITCHER

HT: 6-2 WT: 225

B/T: R/R

DOB: 5/4/97

HOMETOWN: Bradford, PA ’22 CLUBS: College, DUN, VAN, NH ACQUIRED: FA, 1/27/22

IAN CHRUCHILL 35

MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ 23

HOMETOWN: Santa Barbara,CA ’22

Dunedin

10th Rd, 22, San Diego

HOMETOWN:

Dunedin, Vancouver

15th Rd, ’19, Jefferson HS (FL)

HUNTER GREGORY 16

B/T: R/R

DOB: 11/16/98

HOMETOWN: Chesapeake, VA

CLUBS: Vancouver ACQUIRED: 8th Rd, ’21, Old

DEVEREAUX HARRISON 26

PITCHER

HT: 6-0 WT: 190

B/T: R/R

DOB: 11/8/00

HOMETOWN: Vacaville, CA

’22 CLUBS: College, DUN, VAN

ACQUIRED: 9th Rd, ’22, Long Beach State

RYAN JENNINGS 32

PITCHER

HT: 6-0 WT: 190

B/T: R/R

DOB: 6/23/99

HOMETOWN: San Antonio, TX

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin

ACQUIRED: 4th Rd, ’22, Louisiana Tech

ADAM MACKO 30

PITCHER

HT: 6-0 WT: 180

B/T: L/L

DOB: 12/30/00

HOMETOWN: Vauxhall, AB

’22 CLUBS: Everett (SEA)

ACQUIRED: Trade (SEA), 11/16/22

ABDIEL MENDOZA 29

PITCHER

HT: 5-11 WT: 195

B/T: R/R

DOB: 9/19/98

HOMETOWN: Chitre, PAN

’22 CLUBS: Vancouver

ACQUIRED: Waivers (TEX), 12/8/21

KEVIN MIRNADA 17

HOMETOWN: Dolega, PAN

Did Not Play

INT FA, 8/4/22

JUSTIN KELLY 9

PITCHER

HT: 6-1 WT: 195

B/T: R/R

DOB: 12/2/98

HOMETOWN: West Jordan, UT

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: ND FA, 7/21/21

CONOR LARKIN 25

PITCHER

HT: 6-1 WT: 205

B/T: R/R

DOB: 3/17/99

HOMETOWN: Royersford, PA

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: 9th Rd, ’21, Penn State

ERIC PARDINHO 43

DOB: 1/5/01

HOMETOWN: Bastos, Sao Paulo, BR

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: INT FA, 7/2/17

NASWELL PAULINO 4

PITCHER

HT: 5-11 WT: 205

B/T: L/L

DOB: 4/17/00

HOMETOWN: San Cristobal, DR ’22 CLUBS: Vancouver

ACQUIRED: INT FA, 7/4/16

RAFAEL SANCHEZ 18 PITCHER

HT: 6-1 WT: 215

B/T: R/R

DOB: 08/22/99

HOMETOWN: Antilla, Cuba

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

DAHIAN SANTOS 1

DOB: 2/26/03

HOMETOWN: Acarigua, VZ

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

MATT SVANSON 41

HT: 6-5 WT: 235

B/T: R/R

DOB: 1/31/99

HOMETOWN: Lake Zurich, IL

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: 13th Rd, ’21, Lehigh

ANDERS TOLHURST 36 PITCHER

HT: 6-4 WT: 190

B/T: R/R

DOB: 09/13/99

HOMETOWN: Santee, CA

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin

ALEX DE JESUS 27

INFIELDER

HT: 6-2 WT: 185

B/T: R/R

DOB: 3/22/02

HOMETOWN: Santo Domingo, DR

’22 CLUBS: Great Lakes (LAD), Vancouver

ACQUIRED: Trade (LAD), 8/2/22

ACQUIRED: INT FA, 5/13/22

ACQUIRED: INT FA, 7/2/19 GEISON

JOMMER HERNANDEZ 19

CATCHER

HT: 5-11 WT: 185

B/T: R/R

DOB: 10/20/00

LYLE LIN 36

HT: 6-1 WT: 200

B/T: R/R

DOB: 6/26/97

HOMETOWN: Taipei, Taiwan

ACQUIRED: 23rd Rd, ’19, Grossmont College

HOMETOWN: Tampa, FL

2nd Rd, '20, Florida State

HOMETOWN: Puerto Plata, DR ’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: MiLB FA, 9/8/21

’22 CLUBS: Hillsboro, Amarillo, Reno

ACQUIRED: MiLB FA, 4/10/23

KEKAI RIOS 20

CATCHER

HT: 5-10 WT: 205

B/T: R/R

DOB: 6/06/97

HOMETOWN: Kaneohe, HI

’22 CLUBS: Great Lakes, Tulsa

ACQUIRED: Waivers 03/27/2003

CADE DOUGHTY 7

INFIELDER

HT: 6-1 WT: 200

B/T: R/R

DOB: 3/26/01

HOMETOWN: Denham Springs, LA

’22 CLUBS: College, Dunedin

ACQUIRED: 2nd (CB), ’22, Louisiana State

VANCOUVER CANADIANS 2023

HOMETOWN: Palo Alto, CA

2nd Rd, ’22, Oregon

ESTIVEN MACHADO 14

INFIELDER

HT: 5-10 WT: 180

B/T: S/R

DOB: 10/4/02

HOMETOWN: Barlovento, VZ

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin

ACQUIRED: INT FA, 7/3/19

HOMETOWN: Yardley, PA

MICHAEL TURCONI 28

INFIELDER

HT: 5-11 WT: 185

B/T: L/R

DOB: 6/24/99

HOMETOWN: Beaver Falls, PA ’22 CLUBS: College, Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: 15th Rd, ’22, Wake Forest

PEYTON WILLIAMS 40

OUTFIELDER

HT: 6-5 WT: 255

B/T: L/L

DOB: 9/14/00

HOMETOWN: Des Moines, IA

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin

ACQUIRED: 7th Rd, ’22, Iowa

DASAN BROWN 6

OUTFIELDER

HT: 6-0 WT: 185

B/T: R/R

DOB: 9/25/01

HOMETOWN: Oakville, ON ’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: 3rd Rd, ’19, Abbey Park HS (ON)

DEVONTE BROWN 5

OUTFIELDER

HT: 5-10 WT: 210

B/T: R/R

DOB: 10/15/99

HOMETOWN: Hinesville, GA

’22 CLUBS: Dunedin

ACQUIRED: NDFA, 7/26/22

GABBY MARTINEZ 11 OUTFIELDER

HT: 6-0 WT: 175

B/T: R/R

DOB: 7/24/02

HOMETOWN: Maracaibo, VZ ’22 CLUBS: Dunedin, Vancouver

ACQUIRED: INT FA, 7/24/18

GARRETT SPAIN 13

OUTFIELDER

HT: 6-0 WT: 185

B/T: L/R

DOB: 9/21/00

HOMETOWN: Clarksville, TN

’22 CLUBS: Vancouver

ACQUIRED: 15th Rd, ’21, Austin Peay State

ROELVIS VARGAS ATHLETIC TRAINER

TOMMY LaBRIOLA STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

YUKA SANUI DIETITIAN

RAUL PIMENTEL MENTAL COACH

LUKE STATLER TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANT

JESSE MENDEZ CLUBHOUSE MANAGER

CANADIANS TO REACH THE MAJOR LEAGUES

The Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club has welcomed more than 800 players onto its rosters since 2000. That’s a lot of guys all striving to one day reach the bright lights of the Major Leagues. Here is a list of every one of our players who has arrived at the game’s highest stage and play in Major League Baseball.

Supporting local charities in our community

APRIL 12 SUPPORTING

APRIL 26 SUPPORTING

MAY 10 SUPPORTING

MAY 31 SUPPORTING

JUNE 14 SUPPORTING

JUNE 28 SUPPORTING

JULY 26 SUPPORTING

AUGUST 9 SUPPORTING

AUGUST 23 SUPPORTING

AUGUST 30 SUPPORTING

HOW TO SCORE A BASEBALL GAME

Different fans have different methods of keeping a scorecard, and many use their own notations. But here's a simple method: For example, If the hitter grounds out to shortstop, for example, write in "6-3," which shows the shortstop threw him out at first base. If the hitter flies out to left field, write a "7."

If the batter gets a hit, write in the hit according to which base he reached. Each corner of the box represents a base, with the lowerright corner being first.

If he singles, put a "-" in the lower right. If he doubles, write a "=" in the upper right, and so on. For a walk, use "BB" in the lower right. As the runner advances, mark the appropriate symbol in the appropriate corner.

1ST INNING

1. SINGLED, ADVANCED ON NEXT BATTER'S WALK, TOOK 3RD ON FIELDER'S CHOICE, SCOREO ON NO. 4 BATTER'S DOUBLE

2. WALKED, LATER FORCED OUT, SHORTSTOP TO SECOND BASE

3. REACHED ON FIELDER'S CHOICE, ADVANCED TO 3RD ON NEXT BATTER'S DOUBLE, SCORED ON NO. 5 BATTER'S SINGLE

4. DOUBLED, SCORED ON NO. 5 BATTER'S SINGLE

5. SINGLED, ADVANCED TO 2ND ON NEXT BATTER'S SINGLE, STOLE 3RD BASE, THROWN OUT ON GROUNDER, SHORTSTOP TO CATCHER

6. SINGLED, STOLE 2ND BASE

7. REACHED 1ST ON FIELDER’S CHOICE

8. POPPED OUT TO 2ND BASE

2ND INNING

9. LEADOFF WITH DOUBLE

1. FLIED OUT TO CENTERFIELD

2. POPPED OUT TO SHORTSTOP

3. STRUCKOUT SWINGING

BASIC UMPIRE SIGNS FOR THE PLAYERS AND FANS

Umpires use a number of signals. Some of these are familiar and are associated with the Rules of Baseball, like safe, out, foul, etc. These are a few you are likely to see when scoring a game.

If a runner scores, put a circle at the bottom of the box, and inside the circle put the symbol of the play and/or the player that drove him in. For example, if the No. 5 hitter drives in two runs with a single, mark his single in the bottom right of his box and mark a circle with the number "5" in the boxes of the runners who score (Some people like to use uniform numbers here, so you can tell who did what, even after lineup changes).

At the end of each inning, total the hits and runs for that inning only. At the end of the game you'll be able to add the innings total to get the game score.

1. CENTER FIELDER

2. SHORTSTOP

3. 1ST BASEMAN

4. 3RD BASEMAN

5. RIGHT FIELDER

6. LEFT FIELDER

7. DESIGNATED HITTER

8. 2ND BASEMAN

9. CATCHER

DOUBLE

HOME RUN PLAY BALL INFIELD FLY FAIR BALL

DELAYED DEAD BALL TRAPPED BALL/SAFE HOLD UP PLAY COUNT TIME/DEAD BALL

FOUL BALL

FOUL TIP STRIKE OUT

NASWELL

BY BEN STEINER / PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK STEFFENS

2,937 kilometres split Toronto and San Cristobal in the Dominican Republic. Yet, for Vancouver Canadians pitcher Naswell Paulino, the distance was insignificant.

STEINER STORIES: NASWELL PAULINO

Paulino, 22, remembers 2015 and watching the Toronto Blue Jays from his home in the Dominican when fellow countryman Jose Bautista fired a home run in the bottom of the seventh inning in the 2015 ALDS against the Texas Rangers. From then, Paulino didn’t just want to make pro baseball; he wanted to join the Blue Jays.

“I’ve played baseball since I was five years old, and so playing professionally is something I had dreamed of all my life,” he said. “In 2015, the Blue Jays were my favourite team because they had a lot of Dominican players. So for me, the bat flip was special -- I have a t-shirt with the picture on it.”

In 2023, Paulino is enjoying a successful campaign with the Vancouver Canadians, competing in his third North American season with the Blue Jays organization after playing with the Low-A Dunedin Blue Jays in 2021 and the C’s in 2022.

Nine months after the Blue Jays passed the Rangers and fell to the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 ALCS, Blue Jays’ Vice President, International Scouting & Baseball Operations, Andrew Tinnish, visited the Dominican Republic. When he lay eyes on Paulinho, then an outfielder, he saw the potential for the mound.

While Paulino, then 16, had never pitched, he switched to the position and hasn’t looked back since. Tinnish liked what he saw.

Paulino began taking baseball seriously at 14, trying out for some of the top developmental programs in the country. At that point, he moved into the city to push his game to the next level. He was in an academy, training every day, away from his family, who were miles away.

At 16 years old, on an ordinary day, as he approached batting practice, Tinnish asked him to throw a bullpen session. A few hours later, there was an opportunity with the Blue Jays, as Paulino put pen to paper with the MLB organization.

“I was smiling the whole time,” he said.

He played pro in 2017 in the Dominican Summer League. In 2018; however, the 5’11” right-hander sat out the season due to a suspension. Returning in 2019, Paulino split the year between the now-defunct Bluefield Blue Jays and then High-A Lansing.

For most, playing in the DSL is a massive achievement. There is similar branding to major league clubs, and it is the most apparent pathway to the major leagues outside of the United States.

“Back home, you feel like it's the big leagues,” Paulinho said of a season where he made the DSL All-Star team. “Everyone is looking at you because you play with the Blue Jays.”

When he moved to the U.S.A. in 2019, there were many challenges. Although baseball was a familiar aspect in the first season, and many of his minor league teammates spoke Spanish, the move wasn’t simple. He was far from the life he knew, living in a foreign country and fighting to learn the language as quickly as possible.

“I didn’t know very good English, so it was hard,” he said of the move. “It was different every day too. In the Dominican, you always eat rice and chicken, and here you eat many different things, which was difficult.”

As he sits in the sun-soaked seats of Nat Bailey Stadium ahead of a June game which he isn’t scheduled to play, Paulino feels right at home, despite being farther than he has ever been from where he grew up.

While Nat Bailey Stadium may be over 4,000 kilometres away from Downtown Toronto’s Rogers Centre, just having the Blue Jays patch on his sleeve means a lot to Paulino, who looks to one day stare down a batter where Bautista once thrived.

“First, there was a lot of rain when I got here, but the people are very welcoming, and the support at the stadium and in the city is cool,” he said. “This is the best in the league; the other teams get 500 people, and we always get at least 2,000, even on a Tuesday.”

CELEBRATE WITH CANADA’S MVP

Canadians’ baseball and Keg Caesars. There’s nothing more synonymous with summer. All season long, you can enjoy our famous cocktail at The Keg Caesar Bar, located along the third-base line at Scotiabank Field. And once the game ends, you can enjoy a Caesar and mouth-watering steak at one of 13 locations in the Lower Mainland area.

Proud Partner of the Vancouver Canadians

IAN CHURCHILL

BY NIALL O’DONOHOE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK STEFFENS

2023 Canadians pitcher Ian Churchill makes his way to the mound in the latest instalment of C’s Chat.

Churchill’s journey to pro ball started in his hometown of Santa Barbara, California where he attended San Marco High School. Striking out 156 batters and posting an earned run average of 2.51 over three years, Churchill earned first-team All-Conference honours in his senior season.

Churchill attended Santa Barbara City College in 2018 and struck out 65 batters in 66 innings but he really found his stride in summer college ball. He went 7-0 with a 1.55 ERA and had a strikeout-walk total of 44-9 in 40-2/3 innings for the Mat-Su Miners. He was named an Alaska League All-Star and was rated as that circuit’s fourth-best prospect by Baseball America, citing “his feel for pitching and ability to generate swings and misses without electric stuff is what impressed evaluators the most”. That was the springboard to a banner 2019 season as Churchill won eight of 10 decisions with a 1.96 ERA and one save for the Vaqueros after striking out 98 batters and walking 27 in 82-2/3 innings. That led to Churchill taking home CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association) Pitcher of the Year award and receiving ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association) All-America, All-State and AllSouthern California honours.

The 2020 season saw Churchill head to Tucson, Arizona join the Arizona Wildcats where he struck out 15 batters over 11-2/3 innings to go along with a 3.09 ERA before the season was cut short by the pandemic. In 2021, Churchill pitched just 13-2/3 innings and struck out 12 batters. He threw a shutout inning against Mississippi in the NCAA Tucson Super Regional and got to pitch against Stanford in the College World Series.

CHURCHILL

It was back to California for Churchill in 2022 as he transferred to the University of San Diego. He went 3-2 with a 4.17 ERA, a 57-12 K/BB total and four saves in 54 innings for the Toreros. That included six no-hit innings of relief against Loyola Marymount on April 14 and four shutout innings against Vanderbilt over two appearances in the Corvallis Regional on June 3 and 5.

An All-WCC (West Coast Conference) Second-Team All-Star, Churchill got the attention of Toronto Blue Jays scout Jim Lentine and the Jays wound up selecting the lefty in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft.

Churchill’s pro debut came in Dunedin as he struck out a batter in a shutout inning against Tampa on August 10. His next outing saw him contribute a perfect frame in Dunedin’s no-hit effort against Tampa on August 14. The first professional win for Churchill was in Bradenton on August 26 as he stranded a runner and struck out three over 1-2/3 scoreless innings. Other highlights were two whiffs over 2-2/3 innings in Tampa on August 30, back-to-back four strikeout appearances including 2-1/3 shutout stanzas in Palm Beach on September 10. In the postseason, Churchill earned a hold in Game 1 of the Florida State League final against St. Lucie on September 18. For the year, Churchill posted a microscopic ERA and WHIP of 0.75 and 0.92 respectively over 12 innings, striking out 18 and walking five.

It was back to the Florida State League for Churchill in 2023 and that was bad news for opposing batters who hit just .162 against him. He struck out two over two shutout innings for a win at Palm Beach on April 19 and racked up three more whiffs and two spotless stanzas for another victory against the Cardinals on April 23. That was part of a scoreless April who struck out 12 hitters and walked five over 9-1/3 innings that month. Churchill’s record improved to 3-0 when he punched out five batters at Tampa on May 18. He ended his Dunedin tenure with seven scoreless appearances with a 15-3 K/BB mark in 11 innings.

That convinced the Blue Jays brass to promote Churchill to Vancouver on June 10 and he made his debut on June 13 by striking out 2022 Golden Spikes Award winner Ivan Melendez in a perfect frame to finish off a win against Hillsboro. His next outing at the Nat was on June 16 as he stranded two inherited runners and struck out one over 1-1/3 scoreless innings in an eventual victory against the Hops. He hung another zero and struck out a batter to complete a win at Eugene on June 22.

C’s Plus Baseball caught up with Churchill during the team’s homestand against Hillsboro in mid-June. This interview has been edited for clarity.

C’s Plus Baseball – You’re from California. Did you have a favourite major league team or player growing up?

Ian Churchill – My Dad was a really big Dodgers fan growing up. Believe it or not, I didn’t watch much baseball growing up. I was a huge skateboarder and was really into that. And then once I did start watching baseball, I was more (into) just my favourite players. I loved watching Clayton Kershaw. I loved watching C.C. Sabathia and all these other great lefty starters.

CPB – How did you get started in baseball?

IC – It was one of those things where I always played it growing up and it was funny because I can’t tell you how many times I probably told my Dad I wanted to quit. I did Little League and everything like that. I never made an all-star team or anything like that.

I played right field, and batted pretty low in the lineup. Wasn’t a whole lot for me. It wasn’t a whole lot of love to want to go to the field and stuff like that. But I kind of stuck with it and I think it was around early like high school. I remember I just started just getting better and I think I just started hitting puberty. And I just started getting into it and started to really fall in love with baseball and stuff like that. And it just kind of took off from there

and I think I got into it a little late. So I ended up going to junior college.

CPB – As far as skateboarding goes, has that helped you as far as baseball goes?

IC – Gosh, I don’t know. Maybe. Believe it or not, I wasn’t even a good skateboarder. It was just one of those things I always did with my buddies and stuff like that. I skateboarded. I did like BMX. I used to even do downhill longboarding where we had, you know, you had the gloves and you had these pucks on your hands. And I’d go down mountains at like probably upwards to like 60 miles an hour for some reason. I don’t know why I did it. But I wanted to do whatever and I wanted to hang out with my friends. And then one day, everyone starts getting pretty serious about baseball so I decided to too. And that’s just kind of how it happened.

CPB – You go to junior college in Santa Barbara. What was that experience like?

IC – It was awesome. I was really kind of in between where I wanted to go. For most of high school, I don’t even think I thought college baseball was even like an option. I’d always thought I was just going to follow in my brother’s footsteps and go to school. And we have a sheet metal shop in downtown Santa Barbara. And I just thought I was going to do that. And I still remember I had a coach come up to me one day and was like, ‘Hey, you know, you got a shot playing in college. You should go do it.’ And my junior college coach reached out to me. I went and toured and watched a game. And I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to go and do this.’ So I decided to go there and get to stay at home as well. Stay home and kind of figure it out and decide what I want to do.

CPB – You eventually transferred to Arizona, and go to a College World Series. What was that like being in Arizona?

IC – It was awesome. Arizona was great. I played with some really great players and stuff that are still playing. And it was awesome. Had the whole COVID experience, which kind of blew, but I made the most of it. And to be able to go to the College World Series is pretty awesome with that team. And we had some good games, playing against Vanderbilt, you know, at a night game and having my family be there and stuff was awesome. And then being able to get on the mound and stuff. Omaha was a pretty awesome experience. I feel like I’m pretty lucky to be able to say that I was able to go and do that and participate in that so it was awesome.

CPB – There are a couple of Arizona State guys (with the C’s) in Lyle Lin and Cooper Benson. Is there a bit of a rivalry there?

IC – No, those guys are awesome. Pretty great guys. I haven’t really felt the competitive rivalry or anything like that. It’s cool. CPB – You eventually transferred to San Diego. Why did you decide to go there?

IC – After I got my bachelor’s degree, I was ready to go and get my master’s and I think I was kind of ready to step away from baseball after that. And I wanted to just kind of get a start on the rest of my life. And I thought San Diego was closer to home and I could kind of finish out that last year, have my family be there and just be surrounded by the family that I also had in San Diego. So it just seemed like a perfect opportunity. And yeah, I just kind of went there and kept going and fell in love with San Diego. I mean, how can you not? And I ended up having the chance to keep on playing.

CPB – And things went really well with the Toreros so much so that you get drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. Were you expecting that at all?

IC – No, I thought the only way I was going to get drafted was if the planets aligned and the Pope said a special prayer for me. So yeah, I ended up getting super lucky and that happened. But it was awesome, it was really cool. And to be able to share that with my family and all my coaches. Everyone was super excited for me. I think the Blue Jays were really kind of the only team that really talked to me. I sat down with (scout Jim Lentine) in a Starbucks for like three hours and we just talked baseball. And he had an awesome experience of playing. He really just talked about how awesome the Blue Jays organization was. I was sold not only because I just wanted to play, but because it sounded awesome. And then draft day came around. I got a phone call from him and said yes and it just kind of ended up working out. It was awesome.

CPB – You report to Dunedin and they put you through a draft camp. Did that help you get used to the rigours of pro ball?

IC – Yeah, it was awesome. I think at first, obviously you’re kind of looking around and you’re wondering, like ‘Oh, how’s this going to go? Who are all these guys and stuff?’ I feel like the draft class I was in was an awesome group and we all got along immediately. And draft camp was awesome because all the staff and coaches were so nice.

‘Where does this work for you and this and that? And let’s get you settled in before we send you out.’ So it was pretty nice to know that someone was there basically to say, ‘Hey, you know, we have your back and welcome to family’ and stuff like that. And that was really cool. I really enjoyed draft camp and just being able to meet everyone and then being able to come back during spring training and see everyone again. And I had already kind of made some of those relationships. That was awesome.

CPB – Take us what a typical day at draft camp was like.

IC – It felt like it was kind of a new thing every day. One day it was like, ‘Hey, wake up.’ You know? Then it was, ‘Get some breakfast’. They take us through kind of a warm-up thing and then we’ll throw and get introduced to a lifting block or something and how we do it all. And we’ll have a meeting kind of going over, ‘Hey, this is what pro ball entails’ or ‘This is something to look out for when you’re playing this and that. Here’s a couple of cues and stuff like that. So it was cool. We were able to get a little road map on something that’s going to happen that you might not expect, but they can give you just a little bit of a heads up. That was nice. So it was awesome. They did a really good job of kind of preparing the guys for what was to come.

CPB – I’m sure you meet a whole bunch of people when you’re down in Dunedin at first, kind of getting used to everything and everyone. Was there anybody who stood out to you?

IC – Mental coach John Lannan. The guy is just the man. I had a lot of great conversations with him. Just a couple of like-minded individuals. Kind of one of those guys that you want in your foxhole, so to speak. So he’s the man. I liked him a lot. And we were in contact and stuff a lot when he was in Dunedin. He really helped with the transition. And maybe in some of those times when things aren’t going great, he was always there for a laugh or to give you a hug if you needed it. So he’s a guy that means a

lot to me.

CPB – When the draft class arrives, things really turn around for the Dunedin Blue Jays as you go all the way to the finals. Talk about that first pro experience and getting to go on that special run.

IC – That was awesome. It was cool. I think it was just to get a lot of guys coming from college that might even be coming off playoffs of their own. It was cool. Just a lot of guys that were eager to play, eager to win. And I think we brought a lot of good energy to that clubhouse. And it was cool to kind of keep going on that run and kind of fell short at the end. But I think we all knew that we kind of gave it our all. And it was kind of one of those things where the ending just happened to be, ‘Hey, that’s just baseball.’ It plays out. Nobody’s fault or anything like that. But it was great. I mean, a great first pro ball experience for sure.

CPB – Was there anything you worked on specifically in the offseason?

IC – I think for me it was just trying to be to see what are all these pro guys do. I think I was just shocked at looking at a lot of these guys and being like, ‘Dang, these guys are all big dudes that are strong. They move fast.’ And it’s like I might have a good arm and stuff, but there are a lot of things I need to work on. So I tried working on getting a little stronger, a little faster. On the pitching side, I tried working on my slider and stuff like that. So it’s kind of one of my goals is to get that a little better. And I feel like I finally cracked that a little bit and I’m throwing that in games now and just kind of overall doing that. And I think also even in the offseason, just kind of resting. And then I was trying to work on finishing up some school, getting my finish my masters.

CPB – Your pitch mix right now, what is it that you are throwing?

IC – Fastball, change up, slider.

CPB – Fastball, four-seam or two seam?

IC – Four-seam. It just moves a lot because I’m left handed.

CPB – I read something that I think it’s through Baseball America. Their initial scouting report was your fastball is in the low 90s. But here (in your first outing with the C’s), you’re up to 93, 95. When did you pick up those extra couple of ticks of velocity? Was it a gradual thing?

IC – I think it was just kind of a gradual thing. Shout out to the boys in Dunedin. We were all trying to gain a couple of ticks. We were just trying to figure out what we could do. And it made a pretty great environment of just trying to chuck a baseball as hard as we could during catch play and stuff. Running and pulling down and stuff like that. And lifting heavy weights and just trying to get psyched up. So I think doing that after a while, we just kind of slowly built up some stuff. So I think a lot of those guys are starting to throw harder over there too, which is cool.

CPB – As far as the slider goes, did anyone teach you a grip or did you figure it out yourself?

IC – Man, spring training was actually kind of tough. I felt like I was working on a new grip every day or week. And it was always trying to find something new and I just couldn’t find anything that clicked. Then when I got into the season, I just kind of was like, ‘Whatever.’ And I went back to fastball and changeup and was having some success.

But then my coach (Cory Riordan) just kind of sat me down and was like, ‘You need to throw it.’ So I worked on it and I finally found something that I wanted. I’ve been throwing it in games and it’s been working.

CPB – The changeup, circle change or split change?

IC – I guess you could say it’s kind of like a circle change. I don’t put a circle or anything. I kind of keep my fingers apart. It’s kind of weird.

CPB – It’s not like a Kevin Gausman special?

IC – No, no. I wish. But no, I haven’t got that one in the bag just yet.

CPB – Spring training, your first one. What was that experience like for you?

IC – It was awesome. It was kind of cool to just be around all these guys. It was all these guys that you hear stories about and stuff. Or guys that already had friendships and stuff and they talked about. I didn’t get to meet them when I was in Dunedin. So it was cool that I got to meet some great guys and met some of the guys on the team here and stuff like that. So that helped because it made the transition here a lot easier.

CPB – In Dunedin, you had a 0.00 ERA for the month of April. And then your last seven appearances with the D-Jays were scoreless. What was the key to your success?

IC – I think just trusting my stuff. I think knowing that I had the stuff to go out there and get guys out. Towards the last couple of outings that I had there too, I just kind of knew that again, the slider. Just knowing that ‘Hey, there’s a good one in there somewhere.’ You just got to go out and throw it. So I’m hoping I can just kind of carry that over here and keep that same mindset.

CPB – You get the call to Vancouver. How did you find out?

IC – We were in Bradenton. I had gotten done with the game. Just kind of getting ready to hop in the shower. I got told to put a shirt on and go in the manager’s office. I sat down, the manager (Donnie Murphy) told me I’m coming up here. He just said, ‘Go and do what you’re doing here. I’m sure you’ll have some success.’ It was awesome. A lot of friends and stuff were really happy for me there.

CPB – So it was pretty straightforward. No joking around?

IC – No. I think there wasn’t too much joking. I think we’d actually lost that night so it was kind of just, ‘Hey, come in, get it over with. Get out of my office’.

CPB – I did see you in Everett on the weekend (Saturday, June 10). So it was the Saturday when you first arrived?

IC – Yeah, I came on Saturday. Six-hour flight, an Uber and I made it. I think I was in my hotel room for like half an hour and then I came to the field. So pretty tired, but yeah, I was ready to go for Sunday if needed. It was cool to meet with the team there. It was actually great. My assistant pitching coach in Arizona (Cameron Ming) is the pitching coach right now for the Everett AquaSox. So I just kind of showed up and I was like, ‘Hey, surprise!’ He was like, ‘Hey.’ I mean, he didn’t even know I was still playing baseball. So he was like, ‘Are you coaching?’ I was like, ‘I’m not that old!’ Yeah, so it was awesome. It was cool. And to be able to call my family and stuff and tell them I was going there is great. Actually, it sucked because they were planning a trip to Dunedin and they couldn’t get their money back from the Airbnb. So they’re actually going there. They’re going to hang out in Dunedin. Good thing Dunedin is a good spot still so they’re going to go have fun there.

CPB – You got to pitch here (Tuesday, June 13). What was the experience like getting your first experience at the Nat under your belt?

IC – A little chilly. A little chilly than Florida. No, but it was great. I mean, obviously tons of fans and stuff like that and exciting. So it’s cool. Just got warmed up and went in and not too many nerves luckily but it was cool. And then to have a good win like that was awesome to be a part of that.

CPB – Final question. The Canadians have five different uniforms. Black, red, white, gray, and the classic blue. I don’t know if you’ve seen them yet, but do you have a favourite one of the bunch?

IC – Ooh, I’ve only worn the red and black so far. So I feel like it’s not fair for me to comment on that yet. I think the blue ones look really, really cool. But right now I think the black ones are also really cool too. I wore that (Tuesday, June 13) so I like that one a lot too.

Home Field Advantage

BY LINA SETAGHIAN

MEET OUR MASCOTS

The Vancouver Canadians have an army of mascots that are all designed with one common goal – ensure everyone out at historic Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium has fun! From a loveable bear to a trio of sushi that are ready to rock – not to mention a condiment and utensil? The Canadians mascots are truly one of a kind!

BOB BROWN BEAR

Debut: 2007

Occupation: Canadians’ official mascot

Favourite Pastime: Meeting fans, giving high fives and hugs, posing for photos

About BBB: Makes more than 150 local community appearances every year and named after Vancouver’s Mr. Baseball, Bob Brown who dedicated his whole life to the game we love so dearly.

CHEF WASABI

Debut: 2008

Occupation: Chef, professional racer

Favourite Pastime: Running, cooking

Make-Up: Whether you buy wasabi in root form or as a green powder, there is one thing that is for sure - Chef Wasabi is one spicy addition to our Sushi Race!

MS. BC ROLL

Debut: 2008

Occupation: Pageant queen, professional racer

Favourite Pastime: Beating Chef Wasabi in Sushi Races and hanging out at the ballpark

Make-Up: Combination of barbecue BC smoked salmon and fresh cucumber with a little mayonnaise to keep her rollin'.

MR. KAPPA MAKI

Debut: 2008

Occupation: Staying cool, Professional Racer

Favourite Pastime: Attending birthday parties, winning races

Make-Up: Few slices of cucumber wrapped in rice and then rolled in a piece of dried seaweed. Sleek and light - Mr. Kappa Maki is always a tough competitor.

SADAHARU SOY

Debut: 2015

Occupation: Pot Stirrer, Professional Racer

Favourite Pastime: Cooking, meeting fans, running

Make-Up: Known to add a little saltiness to any meal, Sadaharu Soy was named after the legendary baseball slugger Sadaharu Oh who’s legend is global. Sadaharu is both physical and a little trickly during the sushi races!

CHOP N’ STIX

Debut: 2018

Occupation: Hand Tools, Professional Racers

Favourite Pastimes: Helping people, racing

Make-Up: Renewable, reusable and environmentally friendly! Chop & Stix come to the ballpark to keep the peace between the super competitive sushi and sauce. Connected at the top, Chop & Stix have a few challenges to iron out during the race – but they always get an A for effort.

KIDS FUN PAGE

CATCH THE FLY BALL

START

BASEBALL WORD SEARCH

BASEBALL CROSSWORD PUZZLE

FINISH

CONNECT THE DOTS

BAG BALL BATTER BEAN

BENCH BULLPEN BUNT CHARGE CLEANUP COUNT CURVE DECK

DIAMOND DOUBLE DRIVE DUGOUT

ERROR FIELD FIRST FLY FORCE FOUL GLOVE GROUNDER HIT HOME LINED MOUND OUT PITCH PLATE POPUP

RUN SACRIFICE SAVE SCORE

SECOND SINKER SLIDE

SPITBALL SPLITFINGER STRETCH STRIKE

THIRD WALK WILD WINDUP WORLDSERIES

ACROSS

1. Baseball players are usually safe here

5. Leather object worn on hand to catch baseballs

6. Metal or wooden object used to hit the ball

7. Hat worn by baseball players

8. A ball hit out of bounds

10. Player who throws the ball over homeplate

13. The area between the three bases and home plate

DOWN

1. A game played on a diamond

2. A baseball game has nine such divisions

3. Catches the ball thrown by the pitcher

4. The area of the field furthest from the batter and outside the diamond

9. Calls strikes and balls

11. Group of people playing a game

12. When a player can run around all the bases on just one hit

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL!

BASEBALL WORD JUMBLE

WHICH TWO ARE EXACTLY ALIKE?

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• Vancouver Canadians drawstring bag and bag tag

• Exclusive Rookie Team Member adjustable cap

• Reserved Grandstand ticket to all Sunday and Tuesday home games, based on availability (22 games)

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• 15% discount at the C’s Team Store

• Family Packs are available for the 2023 Season

PACIFIC TOYOTA DEALERS

+ HARD HAT GIVEAWAY

FRIDAY, AUG 11

Gates Open at Noon. First Pitch 1:05

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FRIDAY APRIL 7

THURSDAY JUNE 29

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SATURDAY JULY 15

SATURDAY JULY 29

SATURDAY AUG 12

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