Relievers John Axford, Jim Henderson -- National Honors from Canada

[Mass Haas]

To the minor league fans, just making sure you are aware there are two distinct threads in the Major League Forum re: John Axford and Josh Butler.

 

Each thread includes local newspaper articles, the type you've seen often in this forum.

 

Please continue any discussions within the linked threads.

 

John Axford

 

Josh Butler

[Mass Haas]

Re-opened this notification thread to link to Corey Provus' audio interviews:

 

John Axford -- September 8th

 

Josh Butler -- September 22nd

[Mass Haas]

For lack of a better thread to add on to, Bob Elliott (formerly with the slam.ca site we used to rely on for North of the Border news), who knows Canadian baseball as well as anybody, named RHP's John Axford and Jim Henderson the 2009 Canadian Professional Co-Pitchers of the Year (by the Canadian Baseball Network).

 

Now that's an awkward sentence, but you got the message. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Link

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Aspiring major leaguer helping young Dawgs

By Bruce Campbell, WesternWheel.com, Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

 

An award-winning pitcher is spending his off-season helping youngsters in the organization that catapulted his baseball career - the Dawgs.

 

Jim Henderson, 27, a pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, was selected the 2009 Canadian Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Canadian Baseball Network.He is residing in Okotoks for the winter, volunteering his time to help young ballplayers train at Okotoks Dawgs' camps.

 

"I was with the Dawgs the first year they started in Calgary when I was 13," Henderson said. "I got exposed (to scouts) so much by playing with the Dawgs. They helped me out tremendously."

 

Henderson played for seven or eight years with the Okotoks Dawgs organization. It was while with the Dawgs program that Henderson was scouted by Midland College in Texas when he played in a tournament in Arizona - a tournament the Junior Okotoks Dawgs continue to attend.

 

From Midland College Henderson went to the University of Tennessee-Wesleyan before being drafted by the then Montreal Expos in 2003. Boy, have things changed since 2003. The Expos are gone; Henderson is knocking on the door of the majors with the Brewers; and the Dawgs moved to Okotoks from Calgary in 2007.

 

To top it off, the youngsters in the Okotoks Dawgs' camps are taking ground balls and batting practice at the spectacular Duvernay Fieldhouse adjacent to Seaman Stadium."It blew me away the first time I saw it," Henderson said. "It is amazing. To see how far this program has come is amazing."

 

Henderson has also come a long way since injuring his shoulder while pitching with the Iowa Cubs in 2008 the Chicago Cubs' Triple A affiliate. He pitched only one month that year.He was released by the Cubs and signed with the Brewers for the 2009 season. Henderson ended the2009 season with the Huntsville Stars in Alabama, the Brewers' Double A club, where he had a 1-0 record and a 2.57 ERA."I had shoulder surgery last year (2008) and I need to get stronger," Henderson said. "But I pitched the full season healthy which was a big step for me."

 

He also pitched for the bronze medal-winning Team Canada in the World Cup in Italy in the fall. "The World Cup was an experience of a lifetime," he said. "I had an opportunity to try out for the Olympics, but injuries have kept me from participating. To get a medal was a big accomplishment for the team and for me."

 

He has signed a minor league contract with the Brewers and his goal is to play for their Triple A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds - just one step from the Big Leagues (Henderson came close to being called up to the Chicago Cubs in 2007, but the shoulder injury prevented him from making his Major League debut).

 

He realizes he would be a million miles away from the Bigs without the help of the Dawgs. That's why he is spending the winter in Okotoks, to help train young ballplayers, just like the Dawgs did for him as a youngster."I am pretty passionate about the Dawgs program and I want to show these kids that they can do the same things that I have - this is the right place for them," he said.

 

http://www.westernwheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/jimhenderson-300x200.jpg

 

Jim Henderson helps two young players with their pitching mechanics at the Okotoks Dawgs Duvernay Fieldhouse on Thursday. Henderson was named Canada's Minor League Professional Pitcher of the Year. Photo by Bruce Campbell

[Mass Haas]

The Beest is best -- Top 100 Canadians in baseball

Numbers in parentheses represent 2008 and 2007 ranking, respectively:

4. Doug Melvin, GM, Milwaukee Brewers (7, 3)
23. Gord Ash, assistant GM, Brewers (27, 20)
32. Brett Lawrie, second baseman, Milwaukee Brewers (9, -)
58. Jay Lapp, amateur scout, Brewers (66, 42)
76. Marty Lehn, scout, Brewers (63, -)

[Mass Haas]

One way to guarantee plenty of ink about yourself is to be from Canada --

 

Axford looks to brew success in '10

By BOB ELLIOTT, TORONTO SUN

 

John Axford got Albert Pujols to pop up in the bottom of the 10th inning on the final day of the season.

 

Not a bad way for the Milwaukee Brewers rookie from Port Dover, Ont., who began the season at class-A Brevard County to register his first save.

 

"Bring that with you next spring," Brewers manager Ken Macha said.

 

Teammates congratulated Axford, surely a tiding of good things to come in 2010 after Axford struck out David Freese and Khalil Green before getting Pujols out, saving a 9-7 Milwaukee win.

 

Axford has taken pen to paper to figure out the Brewers' bullpen spots.

 

"Seth McClung has gone, another guy was non-tendered, LaTroy Hawkins signed as a free agent and they added an arm in the Rule V (Chuck Lofgren)," Axford said. "I think there's one spot open."

 

Axford was presented a special recognition award at the annual Baseball Canada Fund Raiser banquet Saturday.

 

Released by the New York Yankees in 2007, Axford was signed by London's Jay Lapp in February of 2008.

 

"There was supposed to be a few scouts there but there was a snowstorm, Jay was the only guy who made it," Axford said.

 

Adam Stern of London, Ont., received the World Cup MVP Award after helping Canada to bronze at the World Cup in Italy, Canada's first medal.

 

Representing Major League Baseball, Bruce Froemming handed over a cheque for $50,000, Jim Fanning and Sean McCann gave $25,000 cheque from the Blue Jays and the Royal Bank handed out $15,000.

[Mass Haas]

The Rattlers' Chris Mehring checks in with Jim Henderson