Expect exciting action at the Thunder Bay International Baseball “The Worlds” Junior Tournament at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay July 23 – August 1. Team Canada is pictured here in warm-up games versus Chinese- Taipei.
46 games, 12 teams, 10 days, 1 champion–the countdown is underway for a prestigious sporting event taking place not far from Minnesota’s North Shore—the 2010 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) World “AAA” Junior (18U) Baseball Championship will be held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada July 23 – August 1.
Over the course of 10 days, teams will play a total of 46 games from USA, Cuba, Venezuela, Panama, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, France, Czech Republic, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Canada.
Since the inception of the Junior Worlds in 1981, numerous Major League stars have played in this event including Joe Mauer, Paul Konerko, Michael Cuddyer, Justin Upton and Jeremy Bonderman from the United States and Ryan Dempster, Larry Walker and Russell Martin from Canada. Korea’s Shin-Soo Choo, Chinese Taipei’s Chien-Ming Wang and Kendry Morales of Cuba have also participated in this event.
Eric Valent made a name for himself in part because of what he did in the World Juniors in 1994-5. The Phillies made him a first-round pick in 1998 and he played five years in the Major Leagues. Currently a scout for the Phils, Valent played in the World Championship title game at Fenway Park in 1995.
“As a baseball fan, you’re going to see future Major Leaguers play there,” Valent said. “You’re going to see at least six or seven guys here who will be playing in the Major Leagues and you’ll get to see what they are like as a 17-year-old. I was a teenager when we played at Fenway and there weren’t many fans in the stands that day but we won the gold medal and were able to do a victory lap around the stadium. What a great way to cap the summer.”
“In 1994, in Brandon [Manitoba], Eric Gagne came out of that thing. We had Joe Mauer in ’99 and we brought him to Taiwan with us as a 16-year-old. I grew up in Minnesota so I knew about Mauer and it was tough convincing people to look at a kid who wasn’t from the south. But we got Joe to come with us, he learned some things and the next year he was a leader in Edmonton.”
There have been 22 competitions dating back to 1981. Last year’s United States squad won the COPABE Pan AM Championships AAA Championship in Venezuela. That team featured Bryce Harper, the top pick in last month’s First-Year Player Draft.
That the tournament is being played in Thunder Bay is also viewed as a positive, according to Eric Campbell, USA Baseball’s general manager. He was the associate director of America’s silver-medal winning team in Edmonton in 2000, a squad that spent time working out in Thunder Bay.
“After we had the Junior National trials in Joplin, Missouri, we played some high school all-star teams and then flew to Thunder Bay,” Campbell said. “It was a great, great stop. We ended up winning the silver and could have won the gold and we got off to a great start in Thunder Bay. What we did in Joplin was more organizational. What we did in Thunder Bay was start our campaign.”
The caliber of play will be outstanding but the Junior Worlds offers much more than excitement on the field. TheThunder Bay International Baseball Association (TBIBA), the IBAF and the Arts and Heritage Alliance of Thunder Bay (AHA) have joined forces to create a one of a kind festival of entertainers, artisans and cultural events.
The World Festival will consist of the four components—the World of Entertainment, the World of Arts and Culture, the World of Information and the World Stage. Each World component will showcase the diversity and talent that is abundant in Thunder Bay and in Northern Ontario.
“Fans that come to the games will experience a slice of the culture that is Thunder Bay and see some of the best 18 and under baseball players on the planet,” said Event Director Warren Philp. “This will be a an amazing sporting and entertainment event—one that is perfect for the whole family.” Event organizers encourage families to discover the fun, excitement and drama of world-class junior baseball. With that in mind, the event offers “children 13 and under” reduced price tickets and free admission for toddlers two and under.
Adult and children’s tournament passes are $125 and $75 respectively (or just $2.73 and $1.63/game), guaranteed a reserved seat at all games, including medal games at Port Arthur Stadium plus tickets for all Baseball Central games.
For more information visit www. worldbaseball2010.com or call the ticket office at 807-345-2255 or Toll Free at 1-877-422-3201.
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