Here's a trivia question for all you sports buffs.
In what two professional sports leagues has there been a player selected first overall in that league's player draft who has competed in his chosen sport in Prince George?
If you said the National Hockey League, that's one half of the answer. Defenceman Chris Phillips, the first-overall choice of the Ottawa Senators in 2006 played in Prince George against the Cougars when he was a member of the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders.
The other league with a P.G. connection is Major League Baseball.
In July 2009, pitcher Gerrit Cole of Team USA was as an all-star at the World Baseball Challenge at Citizen Field. Two weeks ago, with the first-overall pick in the MLB draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Cole, a six-foot-four, 220-pound righthander, who played college baseball for the UCLA Bruins.
The fact Cole was going places in his baseball career when he got to Prince George was no mystery. The previous summer, New York Yankees took him in the first round of the 2008 draft, 28th overall, but Cole turned down a contract offer from the Yankees and went back to the Bruins.
Betty-June Gair and Shirley Gratton were volunteer hostesses for Team USA and they remember Cole as a polite Californian who paid a sticky price at the end of the tournament for being named the all-star righthanded pitcher.
"He was a nice kid and he was so talented with the ball, you could just see it," said Gair. "I thought, this kid's really going to go far. He was probably the best in that tournament."
One other WBC player for Team USA, righthanded pitcher Trevor Bauer, was picked third overall in the June 6 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Two others from the U.S. team that beat Germany 8-1 in the WBC final heard their names called in the first round. Pitchers Sonny Gray went 18th overall to the Oakland A's and second baseman Kolten Wong was picked 22nd overall by the St. Louis Cardinals.
The 2010 draft had four WBC veterans in the top-12 overall, including shortstop Christian Colon (fourth overall, Kansas City), lefthanded pitcher Drew Pomerantz (fifth overall, Cleveland), outfielder Michael Choice (10th overall, Oakland) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (12th overall, Cincinnati). Colon broke his ankle in the game trying to steal second base against Team Canada and did not get to see the end of the WBC.
As hostesses, Gair and Gratton followed the U.S. team around, running errands for them while they were based at the UNBC student residence, then following them to all the games.
"We'd see them before the games and spent a little time with them an it was fun," said Gair. "I remember Gerrit saying Prince George was like a little hidden jewel.
"The team came right from Japan to Prince George and one of the executives from the team, who wasn't a player, had his grandma pack his bag because he was going to Canada, where it's cold. Well it was 37 degrees and he had big wool socks and a heavy jacket and he didn't have anything to wear and we were all laughing about that when I went to the airport to pick him up."
The team had all its meals at the UNBC campus and then went to Prince George secondary school to change into their uniforms.
"They didn't want barbecues, they didn't want outings, they were here to win," said Gratton. "They didn't want any entertainment."
After the tournament, all the U.S. players were going directly to their respective professional teams from Prince George and Gratton took one of the coaches to a thrift store to buy used luggage for the players. Gratton and Gair posed for pictures with some of the players and offered the team a case of pop.
"That was a mistake, because they wore it," said Gratton. "It was just when they were leaving and this one kid [Cole] was so annoyed because those were his traveling clothes and they were soaked."
n Gair and Gratton have both volunteered to work as ticket checkers for this year's tournament, July 8-17. Cuba, Japan, Chinese-Taipei, the Beijing Tigers, the Bahamas and Team Canada are confirmed for the 10-day tournament.
"If people only realized how lucky we are to have this," said Gair. "It's a miracle that we can get things like this in our city."
Said Gratton: "Last time we had good ball, but this time I think there's more competition for the stronger teams. It's one we should support, so we'll get it back in two years, and hopefully it will make youth baseball grow in our city, because it's down."
Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets for $199 (reserved seats) or $149 (grandstand bleacher).
n The WBC committee announced Friday that Rawlings has come aboard as a sponsor and will provide all the balls used in the tournament and will supply the player-of-the-game awards, as well as new batting helmets for the Cuban national team.
MLB draft/WBC connection
Following is a list of players selected in the Major League Baseball draft who played in the 2009 World Baseball Challenge at Prince George Citizen Field.
Team U.S.A.
RHP Gerrit Cole, first overall, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2011; 28th overall, New York Yankees, 2008
RHP Trevor Bauer, third overall, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2011
RHP Sonny Gray, 18th overall, Oakland A's, 2011
2B Kolten Wong, 22nd overall, St. Louis Cardinals, 2011
SS Christian Colon, fourth overall, Kansas City Royals, 2010
LHP Drew Pomeranz, fifth overall MLB draft choice, Cleveland Indians, 2010
OF Michael Choice, 10th overall, Oakland Athletics, 2010
C Yasmani Grandal, 12th overall, Cincinnati Reds, 2010
OF Bryce Brentz, 36th overall, Boston Red Sox, 2010
RHP Asher Woijochewski, 41st overall/second round, Toronto Blue Jays, 2010 (signed)
RHP Chad Bettis, 76th overall/second-round, Colorado Rockies, 2010
IF Rick Hague, 83rd overall/third-round, Washington Nationals, 2010
C Blake Forsythe, 89th overall/third-round, New York Mets, 2010
IF Rob Segedin (alternate on USA team), 112th overall/third round, New York Yankees, 2010
LHP Cody Wheeler, 151st overall/fifth-round, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2010
OF Tyler Holt, 300th overall/10th-round, Cleveland Indians, 2010
Team Canada
SS Sammie Starr, 34th round, Baltimore Orioles, 2010
LHP Mark Hardy, 43rd round, San Diego Padres, 2010
Team B.C.
RHP Aaron Myette, former starting pitcher with Texas Rangers/Chicago White Sox/Cleveland Indians/Cincinnati Reds (43rd overall,Chicago White Sox, 1997); member of 2004 Canadian Olympic Team
C John Margaritis, 23rd round, California Angels, 1996
BAHAMAS
LHP Darren Bowleg, 77th round, New York Yankees, 1994
Prince George Westcana Electric
C/3B Brooklyn Foster, 43rd round, Arizona Diamondbacks, 2009
