Sorry for the drop-off in updatery, folks, but I’m working on a really
big freelance project that has taken me across country three times (so
far) and eaten up every minute that I don’t forcibly give to my wife
and 8-month-old boy. And on top of that, I’ve got a fever that, should
anyone suggest it to you as a form of relaxation, you need to have that
person committed immediately.

I had been quietly recovering for some time, thinking I should take the
time to update Notes, when 2005 Vancouver third baseman Jeff Baisley
(left) came out last night with a three-home run game for Kane
County that puts him firmly at the top of the Midwest League homerun
totals with 11 this season. The 34 runs he’s driven in are worth noting
too - go Buttah!

Also worth noting on the ex-Canadians front is some kid they call Nick
Swisher, who used to show up at The Nat in 2002. The Swish was playing
in Vancouver before I got to this fine city, but man, has he kicked on
since, lighting it up for Oakland in the majors. After 164 at bats in
the 2006 MLB season, he’s hitting .299, has smooshed 14 dingers, has 37
RBIs on the board, and his OBP is approaching .500 - not too shabby for
a kid that barely managed to hit .250 in his 13 games wearing red,
white and blue. CBS Sportsline rates him, as of now, the #1 left
fielder in the game based on stats so far this season.

A guy who had great fun at the expense of batters in Van City last season was reliever Jason ‘Death’ Ray (no, not this Jason Ray).
Though Ray (pictured right) showed Nuke LaLoosh velocity, he also showed
Nuke Laloosh control, while racking up ungodly K’s mixed in with
horrific walks, on his way to a . Well, the Death Ray has skipped a
level this season, moving straight up to High-A Stockton - and he’s
being turned into a starter, and the results have been worth watching.
As of the time of writing, Death Ray has a 3-1, 3.46
line, with 48K’s thrown into the mix over 41.2 innings pitched over 9
starts. And if that’s not enough, he has only given up 25 walks - far
better than the 1:1 K:BB ratio of times past. If Ray continues to show
promise (and maybe gets a few longer starts), he’ll move up the ladder
fast.

Just like Jason Windsor, 2004 Vancouver Canadians
starter who found himself rested late last season in AA ball after
suffering arm tiredness, but has bounced back this year (4-1, 2.97 in
AA) and earned himself an early AAA promotion. Injuries in the Oakland
major league lineup have basically depleted the AAA bullpen, which
necessitated Windsor’s early upward shift, which at the time was
considered a little risky. But Windsor has been en fuego since the
promotion, racking up a 3-0 record with a 2.08 ERA. His 16 K’s look
even more impressive when you realize he has only walked 3 hitters in
17.1 innings pitched. Sudennly, all those people who claimed Windsor
was, at best, a middle relief guy, are starting to wonder if they sold
the kid short.

Hey, I’ll come out and say it - he’s a #5 starter RIGHT NOW, and he’ll
blossom into a good #3 guy within the next 12 months. If anyone has the
bulldog attitude necessary to make it in the bigs, it’s J. Windsor.

Who
else has been awesome this season? Anthony "Pecs" Recker, that’s who
(seen left). The Recking Ball has pounded a .340 BA in Kane County to
this point, including 3 long bombs, and an OPS of .903 - that’s some
pretty sweet progress for the big man. Thanks to Saint from Athletics Nation for the heads up on that one.

Let’s see, who else from last year’s Canadians team is rocking out…
oh yeah. Travis Buck is hitting .302 in AA after hitting nearly .350 in
High-A earlier in the year, causing several to pontificate that he’ll
be movig up shortly. If T-Buck ends up in AAA ball in the next few
weeks and he continues his doublee-hitting ways (he’s hit 6 in 53 at
bats, and had notched 17 in Stockton), a September call-up to the bigs
is a distinct possibility… and just think, you could have seen him
play in our town for $7 last season.

The bottom line on all this is, you guys in Vancouver (yes, I’m talking
to you) need to go support your damn ball team in 2006. Not just
because it’s the least expensive family entertainment anywhere in the
lower mainland, and not just because Oakland always gives us great
talent to watch when they draft, and not even because of local pride.

Go see your Vancouver Canadians because the guys you see at The Nat in
2006, will be the Nick Swisher’s, Rich Harden’s, and yes, even Sammy
Sosa’s of tomorrow. And in some cases, like Travis Buck, it could
literally be tomorrow…

We’ll be updating more frequently over the weeks ahead as the college
draft looms. Got plenty of irons in the fire, and a very special
surprise that will add to the look of the site in the days ahead.

Stay tuned!