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Big bat locked in |
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Written by JASON PETERS
Citizen staff
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Wednesday, 06 August 2008 |
Darren Doucette, a slugger from the Dartmouth (N.S.) Moosehead Dry, circles the bases after hitting one of two home runs in a game against the Prince George Axemen during the 2002 Baseball Canada Senior Championship at since-demolished Monty Gabriele Park. Axemen second baseman Darrell Gervais saw Doucette launch a pair of three-run shots in the game. Doucette, teammate Jason Bailey, a left-handed pitcher, and local players Jason Cage and Jeremy Kral were added to the host team for the 2009 World Baseball Challenge on Wednesday. The tournament runs July 18-25 of next year at Prince George Citizen Field. (Citizen file photo)
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NOVA SCOTIAGRAHAM ALLARDJIM SWANSON
That’s the sound of a home run ball landing after being in orbit for six years. This ball was sent into the outer limits by Darren Doucette at the 2002 Baseball Canada Senior Championship and it knocked the host Prince George Axemen out of the tournament.
OK, so six years of flight time is a slight exaggeration. But, the point is, Doucette -- who played for the Dartmouth Moosehead Dry in the 2002 nationals at Monty Gabriele Park -- is one big bomber.
And, thankfully, he’ll be launching his home run shots for the Axemen at the 2009 World Baseball Challenge.
Doucette, a 37-year-old who is one of the most feared power hitters in the nation, has been named to the Axemen roster for the WBC, set for next July 18-25. He was recruited by manager Jim Swanson, who also announced on Wednesday three other WBC Axemen players -- Dartmouth pitcher Jason Bailey and local products Jason Cage and Jeremy Kral.
Doucette, a six-foot-four, 290-pounder who has been compared to major leaguer Mark McGwire, didn’t hesitate to accept Swanson’s invitation to swing his mighty bat for the Axemen. Next season will be Doucette’s last year of baseball, and he saw participating in the WBC as a perfect way to finish things off.
“I’ll come out for that tournament and then come back home and we’re hosting the (Canadian) senior championships here next year,” he said from Dartmouth. “That would be right after the (WBC) tournament so it would be a great way to wrap up my career.”
Doucette was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals but never broke into the majors. As a minor leaguer in the Cards’ organization, he smacked 18 home runs in three seasons.
Here in Canada, Doucette has left his fingerprints all over the game. He has won two senior national championships with Dartmouth, in 2004 in Moncton and in 2005 in Kamloops. In the title game in 2004, the Moosehead Dry beat Saskatoon 10-4, powered by Doucette’s two home runs and seven RBIs.
Other teams confirmed for the 2009 WBC are Canada, the U.S. and Chinese Taipei. Cuba and Japan are working through the details of their potential involvement. Japan won’t make a final decision until after the Beijing Olympics.
The WBC will mark Doucette’s first crack at an international tournament and he’s looking forward to seeing what kind of damage he can inflict against opposing pitchers.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Doucette, who recently thumped a home run ball close to 500 feet in the Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League. “It’s one of those things where, the better the pitching, the better I hit. During the regular season, you face some pitching that can throw your timing off. You’re not seeing great pitching and you kind of get into bad habits that way. But I’ve always been able to raise my game in the big tournaments and big situations with the better pitching.”
Speaking of better pitching, that’s precisely what Bailey is expected to bring to the Axemen lineup. Going back to 2000, he’s 9-1 at national championship tournaments. With his left-handed delivery, he helped the Moosehead Dry to those senior titles in 2004 and 2005. Both years, he was picked as the tournament’s top pitcher.
“If there’s one guy you want on the mound with the season on the line, he’s the guy,” Doucette said.
“It’s pretty amazing what he can do. It’s just a shame he’s five-foot-nine, five-foot-10. He never got a look from many pro scouts but I’ve seen pretty much the best there is and he’s one of the top two or three pitchers I’ve ever seen, professionally or amateur.
“He’s got a fastball (in the) mid-80s. It’s ridiculous how he hits his spots. You hardly ever see the catcher move his glove to have to catch the ball. He’s got a nice tight slider, a good change-up. I guess his best feature is probably his heart and his competitiveness. He just refuses to lose. Even on days when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he will not lose for you.”
Cage, a right-handed chucker, plays for the Westwood Sports Pub Royals of the Prince George Senior Baseball League. He was named the league’s top pitcher in 2006 and 2007.
Cage, 35, is thrilled he’ll be on the Axemen lineup card for the WBC.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s going to be the highest calibre I’ve ever played. There will be a lot of really talented players and it will probably be the pinnacle of what we can do in baseball around here.”
One of Cage’s best qualities is his versatility.
“They way I’ve played before (for the Axemen), I’m a main pitcher, I get in in the later innings if someone gets in trouble,” he said. “Possibly (I’m a) starter if we get guys going full games later on, and I can maybe use my speed on the basepaths and play in the field a little bit.”
Kral, meanwhile, represents the next wave of men’s baseball in Prince George. The 18-year-old catcher and infielder was a standout in the local Babe Ruth program and with the junior BID Construction Grays.
“He can catch, he can play almost anywhere in the infield and he has played in the outfield,” Swanson said. “He has one of the best arms in town and could even take on a relief appearance if needed. His best asset is his work ethic, and it’s impressive to see a player so young take such a professional approach to his plate appearances. Jeremy will only get better by facing the kind of competition we’ll see at the WBC.”
For the WBC, the Axemen now have nine players on their roster. Three others are pitchers -- Prince George’s Graham Allard, and Vancouver-bred throwers Andrew Brock and Mike Parkin. Position players Paul Wilson (first base) and Cory Therrien (outfield) are also on the club.
CURRENT ROSTER
The nine players now confirmed for the host Prince George Axemen squad for the six-team World Baseball Challenge international tournament, July 18-25, 2009:
Paul Wilson, 1B, Prince George Darren Doucette, DH, Nova Scotia
Andrew Brock, RHP, Burnaby Jason Bailey, LHP, Nova Scotia
Mike Parkin, RHP, Kelowna Cory Therrien, OF, Prince George
Jason Cage, RHP, Prince George Jeremy Kral, C/IF, Prince George
Graham Allard, RHP, Prince George
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 August 2008 )
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