Pompey covering all the bases
After a one-day training camp, manager Ernie Whitt brought the 2017 version of Team Canada to play the Blue Jays in the first of two exhibitions — the second vs. the Yankees on Wednesday — prior to opening World Baseball Classic play against the Dominican Republic.
Mississauga native Dalton Pompey hit leadoff for Canada and played centre field, crossing the field to saddle up against his current team, the Jays. He might be viewed as both a WBC rookie and a clubhouse veteran.
“It’s a little bit of both,” Pompey smiled. “I just try to enjoy the time, just going out there having fun with the guys. I don’t get many opportunities to do this, so I try to make the most out of it. It was just kind of weird being on the other side and playing the Blue Jays. I didn’t want to talk to anybody (with the Jays) before the game. I wanted to be serious about it. It went well.”
Pompey reached on an error in the first inning and scored Canada’s opening run on a Freddie Freeman ground ball. He added two singles, a walk and stole a base. Despite his unwavering belief in himself and continuing status as a prospect, the 24-year-old Pompey can use this WBC platform of five games — start- ing with Canada’s 7-1 win over the Jays — to re-establish his major-league credentials if all goes well. If that’s the goal, he’s off to a good start. “I don’t think I’m re-establishing anything,” Pompey said with a frown. “I’m just going out there and trying to show teams, and my team that I play for, what I can do.
“This is an opportunity for me to go out and only help myself. I don’t see any negatives in doing it, trying to help Canada in the process. Hopefully it’s more than five games.”
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The question clearly did not meet Pompey’s standards, not simply the use of the word “re-establish” but also the depiction of Canada’s tournament as just five games. If they finish in the top two of Pool C against the Dominican Republic, the U.S. and Colombia, they live to fight another day in San Diego in round two.
Make no mistake. There is a huge difference in the way Team Canada plays internationally, feeding off the Three Musketeers mantra of “All for one and one for all,” compared to a regular Grapefruit League contest where, as an established player, you get your at-bats early, pack your stuff, shower and head to the parking lot. Canada has forever managed to overcome a talent gap by playing as a tight team.
“Yeah, yeah, 100 per cent,” Pompey said of the different feel of this game compared to the first 10 in Grapefruit League play. “Just more intensity. Guys were more in tune with, ‘OK, what can we do to help the team?’ Today, I didn’t even think about myself once. I just thought about: What can I do to help the team? It’s a little different than when you’re playing for yourself in spring training and just trying to make the team.”
It wasn’t just as Canada’s leadoff batter that Pompey found himself contributing. In the fifth inning, with Justin Smoak on second base, Jake Elmore ripped a ball headed to left-centre field. Pompey raced over and dove to record the third out and save a run. It was his first start of the spring in centre.
“I knew most of the guys, just because I’ve been here,” Pompey said. “Elmore likes to hit the ball the other way. The ball hit off the end (of the bat) towards left-centre. I knew where Tyler (O’Neill) was playing and I figured, I’m the only one to catch it. I got close to it and I just pulled a Kevin Pillar.”
Another young Canadian who excelled on this day was Mississauga native and first baseman Josh Naylor. Just prior to Pompey’s catch, Naylor speared a drive ripped down the line and turned it into a double play. Later in the game, he smashed a double to left-centre off top Jays prospect Conner Greene.
The 19-year-old lost some potential WBC playing time when Freddie Freeman stepped up to volunteer for Canada, thus joining Justin Morneau as the primary DH-1B combo. But back at Braves training camp, when Freeman was asked what he was looking forward to, he had mentioned meeting some of the young kids with tremendous power he had heard about, led by Naylor.
“I feel honoured that he knew who I was,” Naylor said. “We’re just here trying to have fun and win a cham- pionship. That’s the main goal and we’re absolutely happy to have Freddie. It’s an honour to represent Canada.”
The toughest puzzle for Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt to solve before the games start to mean something is not the position players. It’s the pitching. Whitt has one more exhibition to see pitchers he doesn’t know well, and to decide on roles for the late innings in his bullpen — and there’s only one off-day to work with.
Six pitchers on Canada’s roster faced the Jays, with the most effective being starter Andrew Albers. Eric Gagne, whose last MLB appearance was in 2008, hit 93 m.p.h. on the scoreboard radar.