Local Mimico kid goes 3 for 3 including a home run in his MLB debut

Global warming?

 

I think if you look at the ages of these players you would see that they would have been at a very impressionable age when the Blue Jays went back to back. The late eighties early nineties the Jays were immensely popular across the country and for kids in BC Larry Walker was a huge influence.

 

House-league registration is down maybe, but high school ball and college/university ball (at least in Ontario) is much more prevalent than it was even 15 years ago. There are also more elite travel teams than there were in the early 90's. Teams like the Ontario Blue Jays didn't exist back then (I think it was 96 or 97 when they were formed).

For whatever reason (Bill Bychowski may have had some impact on the amount of scouting done on Canadian kids) there are way more bird dogs up here than there were when I played. In the early 90s, elite kids played from May to August and that was it. You might have one kid per team that would play NAIA or NCAA ball when they were old enough. But with more scouts, high school ball, college ball, and elite programs, I'm not surprised at the number of Canucks making good lately.

 

just a technicality, but votto struck out as a pinch hitter on tuesday in his debut. but wednesday was his first start. so he's hitting .750, not 1.000

 

Sea, you're absolutely right about elite travelling teams. And I forgot about the Ontario Blue Jays.