As Inoel Deaza serves up softballs to the Tri-City Dust Devils, I
figured maybe it’s time for a quick news wrap-up, so that, just maybe,
C’s fans have something to talk about that doesn’t start with "not
again."

JERMAINE MITCHELL INJURY UPDATE:
Don’t expect to see the J-Train in red white and blue any time soon -
the guy is wearing a boot on his foot, courtesy of the plunking he took
off Spokane Indians pitcher, Brennan Garr. We all knew the Injuns would
start hitting batters once they were behind – it’s tradition for the
Rangers affiliate, after all – but what wasn’t expected was that
Mitchell, who was walking around freely on the foot after the game,
would start feeling it days later and show enough damage on his MRI to
warrant a couple of weeks out of the game.

I’m told he’ll be wearing the cast until somewhere around this time
next week, and you’d have to expect he’ll have a week or so once it
comes off to make sure he’s healthy before he starts again, so though
he’s not done for the season, his season is pretty badly damaged.
Thanks Spokane, you bastards.

JASON WINDSOR BACK DOWN TO AAA:
2004 Vancouver Canadians
pitcher Jason Windsor pitched reasonably well in his major league
debut, but got pretty much schooled by the Boston Red Sox in his second
start last week. A series of days off for the A’s in the weeks ahead
meant the team had little need for a #5 starter, so Windsor was kicked
back downstairs to Sacramento for a little more polish.

More after the fold:

He’ll join 2001 Vancouver Canadian Dan Johnson, who certainly wouldn’t
have expected he’d be in AAA right now after the season he had with
Oakland last year, but he’s making up for lost time, belting .438 with
6 long bombs in 15 games, leading many to guess whether he might get
promoted shortly, and perhaps pass 2002 Vancouver Canadian, Nick
Swisher (who is hitting sub .200 for July) on the way down.

DALLAS BRADEN – EN FUEGO:
2004 Vancouver screwball proponent, Diamond Dallas Braden, got belted
in his first rehab start in high-A ball after shoulder surgery. Well,
you wouldn’t know if from his second start, where he threw for 5.1
innings, no hits, 2 walks and a whopping 8 K’s. Ladies and gentlemen,
Braden is back.

NEW CANADIANS OWNER TALKS TO CKNW RADIO:
On this morning’s Bill Good show, Jake Kerr, a Vancouver-based forestry
magnate who calls himself an "old baseball nut", spoke of his plans for
the Vancouver Canadians should his ownership bid be approved. From the
Canadians press release this morning regarding the appearance:

He stressed that buying the Canadians won’t be primarily a
money-making venture for him and his partners. Instead, Mr. Kerr has a
community-minded approach to his vision for the ball club.

Mr. Kerr stressed the importance of offering value to Vancouver
baseball fans. He sited plans to increase pre-game festivities to
include more activities for children and more entertainment for
families. He also mentioned plans to improve the concessions and
seating at Nat Bailey Stadium to improve the baseball experience for
all Canadians fans. His motivation with the Vancouver Canadians is to
provide the best possible product to the value-minded sports fans and
families in Vancouver.

I’ve heard Kerr speaking in the press box a few times to various local
sports journos, and I like what I hear from him. He’s certainly
committed to keeping the C’s at The Nat (something that, frankly, I
think is a poor move for the long term, based on the limitations of the
area), he’s prepared to spend bulk bucks to bring the place up to
standard, he’s determined to market the team properly, and he seems
okay with the fact that he might never make a profit on his investment.
Heck, I’m in.

STEVE SHARPE: GETTING IT TOGETHER
2004 Vancouver Canadians
starter Steve Sharpe hasn’t had an easy time of his minor league
career. Sure, he was on fire in his debut pro year, earning NWL
all-star honours, but since then it’s been kinda slow. His 2005 in Kane
County was less than desirable, including a demotion down to Arizona
rookie ball when he was refused entry into Canada due to a driving
infraction. 2006 saw him shifted to the bullpen in Kane County, and
once there, he busted out his turbo booster to quickly become the
team’s closer.

A kick upstairs followed, and Sharpe is now shutting the door on teams
in the California League, striking out 17 in 13.1 innings pitched, with
a single walk given up in that time, and four games saved. If Sharpe
can keep this kind of form up, he’ll be headed to AA in quick time, and
as Jason Windsor has shown, it’s a real small leap to the bigs from
there. Keep up the good work, Sharpie.

SCOTT DEAL TALKS TO SCOUT.COM – LITERALLY:
Scout.com’s Oakland Clubhouse has posted an audio interview with Scott
‘Real’ Deal, in which the pitcher admits that he’s not throwing as fast
as he was in school, but he’s okay with that, because he’s adapting to
the ‘Oakland Way’ of throwing strikes, hitting your spots, and getting
ahead of hitters really well. He sure as heck seems to be handling it -
he also says he’s getting his speed back slowly, which has got to suck
for opposition hitters, who are already being held to a .179 BA by the
kid.

To listen to the audio interview, click here.

VANCOUVER CANADIANS HOLD LOU GEHRIG/ALS TRIBUTE THIS TUESDAY:
The C’s will honour New York Yankee legend Lou Gehrig while raising
awareness for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; AKA Lou Gehrig’s Disease,
this Tuesday, in partnership with the ALS Society, which raises funds
to support research towards a cure for ALS.

Fans present for August 1’s game will see a re-enactment of Gehrig’s
famous "Luckiest Man" speech before the game, so get there early to
catch what the team calls a "dramatic spectacle of one of the most
storied moments in baseball history."

ISAAC OMURA: WHAT THE…?
Remember last season’s 2004 second baseman, Isaac "The Flyin’ Hawaiian"
Omura? Well, it’d be understandable if you didn’t, as Omura struggled
for 90% of the season, only coming into his own at the end of the year,
only to be benched for players from rookie ball.

Well, this season has been a different story for the Windjammer, and
he’s not only hitting well in Kane County, he’s found himself playing
as the team’s regular #2 hitter, and he’s KILLING the ball. Omura is
hitting .306, he’s drawing walks, he’s cut down his K’s dramatically,
and he’s even hitting for power. Seriously! Should Omura keep this form
up, he might find himself up a level before the end of the season.

JASON RAY: STILL FILTH, AND NOW LESS WILD:
Jason ‘Death’ Ray was last year’s version of Nuke Laloosh for the
Canadians. Drafted as a pitcher after converting from the outfield just
one season earlier, Ray showed as much speed as anyone in the A’s
system, but his control was all over the place. This season, he’s
learned a little something, and the results are devastating for
opponents: He went 6-1 with a 3.02 ERA in Kane County, then 4-2 with a
5.21 ERA in high-A Stockton, and though he’s leveling off in the
California League, he’s walking a lot less than he once did, while
still striking out plenty.

SITE TO SLOW DOWN OVER THE NEXT MONTH
I’m going to be in Australia for three weeks from this coming Friday,
so this may be the last news post here for a while. Game reports will
also be reduced in size because, well, I won’t be around to see them,
so will have to go from box scores. I was hoping to bring a few people
aboard this season to help with the game reports, but none of them have
worked out, so apologies in advance for the reduction in depth of
reports as we head into the stretch, but hopefully we can still
maintain this website’s reputation as the premier minor league club
blog online, and kick on next year for season 2007 – a season that will
possibly include video footage of games!