Projecting the 2011 Fisher Cats Opening Day Roster

Don't think 1BJW has disappeared. If you thought that, you're wrong! But I've decided to take the time to project the Double A Fisher Cats' Opening Day roster that I unfortunatley will not be seeing on April 7th, but will definitely listen on the radio. Here we go...

C Travis D'Arnaud
1B Michael McDade
2B Jonathan Diaz
3B Ryan Schimpf
SS Adeiny Hechavaria
LF Michael Crouse
CF Anthony Gose
RF Adam Loewen
DH David Cooper

C Ryan Budde
SS Luis Sanchez
OF Adam Calderona
1B Roan Salas
IF Callix Crabbe

SP Zach Stewart
SP Joel Carreno
SP Chad Jenkins
SP Reider Gonzalez
SP Randy Boone

RP Matt Daly
RP Ronald Uviedo
RP Evan Crawford
RP Vince Bongiovanni
RP Boomer Potts
RP Alan Farina

Keep in mind, this is just Opening Day as we will most likely see Deck McGuire among many others throughout the season.

Quotables: 1BJW's Sound Bites of the Year

We here at 1BlueJaysWay regularly bring our readers exclusive interviews and features with various minor league players and team personnel, during the season. We've browsed through our best Q&A's from 2010 to bring you the best 1BJW interview quotes of the year.

Check out the list below, and click each link to check out the best interviews we were lucky enough to bring you over the past year.

-Eric Thames on which teammate he feels deserves more recognition..."Darin Mastroianni is a stud. He's a machine. He plays pretty much every day. He goes balls out every day!"

-Chad Jenkins on pitching to wooden bats compared to aluminum..."I mean, I still like, I guess, I still hear those noises, in bed sometimes those pings"

-Zach Stewart on pitching in New Hampshire's cold April weather..."The few games we've played there so far, it's been really cold. We didn't have a ton of fans show up yet, but I guess it's been better than you could expect because we had 2 or 3 games in a row when it was in the 30's and 40's and it was sleeting and stuff. We didn't even want to be there, so I am sure the fans didn't want to be there."

-Travis d'Arnaud on how he spends his off-season..."(The) off-season for me is a way for me to fall in love with baseball more and more as each year goes. It's because I don't get to play baseball for a few months and it drives me crazy."

-Kyle Drabek, in August, on his estimated time of arrival for the big leagues..."I feel like I'm ready. All my pitches are where I want them. It's up to (the Blue Jays). If they have a plan for me...I'll be ready for whenever I get the call."

-Tom Filer on pitching in Toronto..."Toronto, when I was there, it was a fever pitch. Back in the 80's through the early 90's, that place was sold out every night. I love that town. The eclectic sampling of people you come across, it was really neat..."

-Adam Loewen, a former MLB pitcher, on taking a second journey through the minors- this time, as an outfielder..."I always said to myself, if my arm blew out, or if I had a serious career threatening injury, that I'd want to come back as a hitter."

-Sal Fasano on facing Randy Johnson during his playing days..."I went 0 for my first like 12 against him with like 11 punchouts. I think the first time I made contact we had a party."

-Jake Marisnick on silencing the haters..."Yeah I mean, ah, I wasn't, didn't swing to well in high school and ah, or my senior year and ah, I mean people were talking but I mean it's baseball. Slumps happen. You are not always hitting the ball great, you are not always hitting the ball bad. I mean, you go through a lot of things and ah, I mean things worked out."

-Ryan Goins on facing guys with arm side run with sink..."He threw it, like, middle away where I wanted it and I was like 'I gotta swing', so and I hit it and I was like 'oh goodness'."

-Drew Hutchison on what he did between being drafted and signing a pro contract..."Ah, you know just hung out you know ah, all summer and ah, I played all summer and then, you know, we were able to come to terms at the end of the summer and, you know...just, it was pretty.....it was cool."

-Michael Crouse on being drafted..."So for it to be the Toronto Blue Jays, a Canadian team, being me from Canada, it was a great feeling."

-Justin Jackson on who he would like to meet in the game..."If I had to go with anybody else I'd like to meet probably Pujols, talk a little hitting with him. See if he can give me a few tips."

-A.J. Jimenez on converting from the OF to catcher and what was the most difficult part of the transition..."Ah, I mean it's the tough one you get tired quickly, I mean everything is harder than other positions."

-Kevin Ahrens on what he did this past off-season..."It was real awkward 'cause one day in December it actually snowed in Houston and I built a little miniature snowman out there and it was just, you know, one of the funnest times I've had."

-Darin Mastroianni on his favorite ballplayer growing up..."I was a New York boy, so Derek Jeter. How do you not like Jeter growing up in New York?" (We still love him anyway)

-Luis Rivera on who should have been the Eastern League Most Valuable Player..."I know (Trenton) has Laird as the MVP, but for me Eric Thames should be the MVP! He hit 27 homers, had 104 RBI, batted .290. He had huge numbers!"

And a bonus 5 interviews for ya from the 2009 season in Lansing, that we debuted on the site in 2010, just cuz we can!

-Matt Daly on closing out a game in front of the home crowd..."Even when you hear them cheering and stuff, you know, you kinda, it kinda feeds in your head that, that they are kinda with you and stuff."

-Joel Carreno on how he is feeling on the mound..."I'm feel berry good. Berry, berry good."

-Mike McDade on what the team does during rain delays to pass the time..."Playing cards, talking, just messing around, fooling around a little bit, just trying to stay loose with each other, listen to some music, maybe eat a sandwich or something. That's pretty much it."

-Henderson Alvarez's translator on how he got a pro contract..."His first try out with Toronto Blue Jay, so he throw 88 - 89, um he lie to the scout (about his age?), so he sign him that day."

-Mel Queen on pitching to Henry Aaron..."So, I told the catcher I'm gonna pitch him inside, the manager said 'no'. Anyways to make a long story short I pitched, threw him fastballs inside the next three times up and struck him out all three times."

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Around the Winter Leagues: Blue Jays

It's hot stove season, but there's still plenty of baseball action going on around the world. Below, we'll take a look at how Blue Jays prospects are doing in various Winter leagues.


In the Venezuelan League-

Outfielder Darin Mastroianni posted a .365 batting average with 1 homerun, 18 RBI and 11 steals in 37 games for the Aguilas. Mastroianni batted .301 with a .788 OPS in 132 games for Double A New Hampshire during the 2010 regular season.

Ronald Uviendo, who the Blue Jays acquired from the Pirates in exchange for Dana Eveland this year, is pitching for the Leones. In 17 games (10 starts), the 24-year-old Uviendo has a 4-2 record with a 2.39 ERA. With Double A New Hampshire, after the trade, Uviendo went 5-3 with a 5.31 ERA in 25 games.

20-year-old first base prospect Roan Salas, a native of Venezuela, has played in just two games with the Aguilas. In those games he is 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Righty hurler Nestor Molina is 4-2 with a 2.77 ERA and has struck out 25 batters in 26 relief innings for the Cardenales. Right-handed opponents are batting .196 against Molina, while left-handers have hit at a .343 clip against him. Molina was signed as a free agent out of Venezuela in 2006 at age 17.

Also on the Cardenales roster is catcher Jonathan Jaspe. The switch-hitting 25-year-old has a .244 average with 2 homers and 5 RBI in 19 games. Jaspe batted .238 in 61 games for Double A New Hampshire in 2010.

David Cooper, a lefty hitting first baseman that also played with New Hampshire in 2010, struggled in 6 games as a member of the Bravos. Cooper went 3-for-17 (.176 avg.) with no extra base hits.

Right-handed pitcher Wes Etheridge, acquired by Toronto this off-season, posted a 1-2 record and a 2.76 ERA in 6 games (3 starts) with the Caribes. Etheridge, a 12th round draft pick by Milwaukee in 2007, spent the 2010 regular season pitching for Maui in the independent Golden Baseball League.

The man with the best name of the bunch, Balbino Fuenmayor, has a .268 average with 1 homerun and 5 RBI in 18 games. Fuenmayor is a 21-year-old first baseman who resides in Venezuela.

Jesus Merchan, a 29-year-old infielder, has posted a .308 average with 2 doubles and 3 RBI in 14 games for the Navegantes. The former Phillies prospect batted .310 in 44 games at two levels of the Toronto system in 2010.

Henderson Alvarez, who pitched with the High A Level Dunedin Blue Jays this year, has looked good in 10 starts, despite not earning a win for the Tiburones. Alvarez has a 0-1 record with a 2.13 ERA with just 1 homerun allowed. The 20-year-old is a native of Venezuela. 

In the Puerto Rican League-

Willie Collazo, a 31-year-old lefty pitcher, has posted solid number for the Gigantes. In 7 games, Collazo is 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA and has held opponents to a .213 batting average. Collazo, a native of Puerto Rico, also pitched 2 relief outings in the Venezuelan League this year.

In the Dominican League-

Joel Carreno, a 23-year-old righty pitcher, posted a 2-1 record with a 3.25 ERA and 24 strike outs in 27 2/3 innings for the Leones. Carreno went 9-6 with a 3.73 ERA at High A Dunedin in 2010.

Starting pitcher Luis Perez is 2-5 with a 4.23 in 11 games for the Leones. Perez, a lefty, has an unimpressive 21/17 strike out/walk ratio. In 28 combined games between Double A and Triple A this year, Perez had a 10-11 record with a 5.40 ERA.

Ivan Contreras, a 23-year-old second baseman, is just 0-for-2 with 6 runs scored and 5 steals, appearing primarily as a pinch runner in 21 games for the Gigantes. Contreras played in the Angels system during the 2010 regular season.

Right-handed hitting outfielder Moises Sierra has a .273 average and a .909 OPS in 18 games for the Gigantes. The 22-year-old has been appearing as a reserve player lately. Sierra batted .211 in 20 combined games for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and High A level Dunedin during 2010.

Jonthan Diaz went hitless in 11 games with 1 RBI for the Gigantes. Diaz, a 25-year-old infielder, batted .239 with 2 HR and 43 RBI in 127 combined games at Double A and Triple A during the 2010 regular season.

Edwin Encarnacion who batted .244 with 21 homers in 96 games with the Blue Jays in 2010 is on the Aguilas roster. In 15 Dominican League games, Encarnacion is batting .246 with 3 homeruns and 11 RBI. The righty hitting Encarnacion is also just 1-for-12 (.083 avg) against lefty pitchers...the lone hit was a homer.

Adam Loewen has a .355 batting average with 2 homeruns and 7 RBI in 9 games with the Toros. Loewen also batted .333 with 5 homeruns and 19 in 14 games in the Arizona Fall League. The left-handed hitting Canadian was once a Major League pitcher, but is on his way back up through the ranks as an outfielder, after injuries ended his pitching career.

33-year-old righty pitcher Winston Abreu, signed by Toronto in late November, has looked excellent in 16 games for the Toros. The former Major Leaguer has not allowed an earned run in 14 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .143 batting average.

In the Mexican League-

22-year-old outfielder Jon Del Campo, who played in 28 games with High-A level Dunedin in 2010, went hitless in 3 games with the Venados. The switch-hitter Del Campo is a native of Mexico and was a 20th round draft pick in 2006.

In the Australian League-

24-year-old pitcher Shane Benson allowed 2 earned runs in 2 innings for the Blue Sox. Benson only appeared in one game back in November.
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I never did end up getting any info on Alan Farina

It all started with a kind offer. I decided to take him up on it.

Good day sir,
I am writing you in response to your gracious offer for video and your thoughts on Blue Jays prospect Alan Farina.
I have a Jays blog and we did a massive post a while back on all of the prospects in the system. At that time, we had very little info on Farina.
I would like to update the post now and would appreciate any thoughts you may have on him, or anybody else. We just used second hand info on his out pitch and repertoire.
Thanks for your time.
--
The Man with the Golden Arm

I can be very diplomatic when the time calls for it. He replied, quite quickly in fact, with this.

Farina pitched at one of the AFL games I attended, but I don't believe I got any video of him. Pitching was really down in the league this year, so I spent most of my time watching hitters from down the first and third base lines. 

I think I saw every Blue Jay hitter who was in the league at least once. Any one in particular you'd want info on?

Adam

Yes, yes there is.

Well shit.
Your site is the one with the kick ass prospects write ups and what not. It wouldn't be right to just rip off your insights and say they were my own.
That being said, I would love to share ANY Blue Jays related stuff you can give with our readers. In my experience, video is especially valuable. Guys taking BP, infield warm up, in game situational plays, whatever.
Absolutely anything you wanna include in the way of scouting reports, personal observations, what you overheard other people saying etc is a bonus.
Really appreciate the help.
I will run everything I plan to post by you, once it's completed, if you wish.

Now I'm pretty sure he can see I'm not a square. 

Sounds good. Maybe you can give me a guy or two who you want to know more about and I'll give you some info.

Translation: What do you wanna know?

AFL guys from this year?

Eric Thames for sure.
Conflicting reports by the "experts" on his game.
Mike McDade and Adam Loewen would be a distant second and third.

There always comes a time when you have to get specific. 

What are some of the conflicting reports you've heard about Thames? Maybe I can help clear those up. I've seen him four or five times now. 

At this point I go find some stuff off the top of my head. He may have been testing me a little bit.

Well Sickels likes him. Thinks his power is legit.

The stuff behind the BA paywall says he is strong and projects as an average LF.
And Klaw hates him. "Don't see him as more than a fringe regular. Probably a 4th OF or up-and-down guy."
All have him in the big leagues in some role. Interested on your take.

Wait for it.....

Thames really improved his core strength and agility between the time I saw him last spring and last fall. He went from being a bulky dude who looked ready to pull a muscle at any point to someone with very impressive flexibility and athleticism.

I haven't broken down his swing in detail yet, but it is a bit long. He has enough power to put a charge into the ball regularly. A rhythm hitter, I think he borders on being too selective at the times -- takes a lot of pitches. He'll chase out of the zone and take some ugly swings when he's behind in the count. Thames gets good reads in the left field, has solid speed and can make some impressive plays. His arm is below-average.

I think Thames has a chance to turn into a near-average regular. And he'll almost certainly be a big leaguer. But he may not hit enough to be a starting left fielder for a playoff caliber team.

Loewen is an amazing athlete for a dude his size. As most people would expect, he has a cannon of an arm. He's a very impressive runner for a giant, too. And he has elite raw power. He won't ever be much of a contact hitter, but he went from being hopeless for much of the 2009 AFL season to decent in 2010. I see him as a power bat off the bench, but he might manage to turn into someone that a big league team feels comfortable starting a few days a week, when the matchup looks good.

AKA the good stuff. Not really a whole lot I can add at this point. But I give it a go.

Thames does yoga religiously. Could explain the body type transformation.
Interesting take on Loewen. My buddy who works at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame said he saw him back before he got drafted while he was still a pitcher and raved about his power with the stick of all things. That was like 5 or 6 years ago.
Thanks for that.
You got any video on either guy you can share?

I guess you could call me greedy but someone told me to always keep your eye on the prize.

Yep. I'll upload some video of both taking BP today.
Oh and McDade is not a big leaguer for me. Poor approach to hitting
and no defensive value.

Bonus!

That's awesome. Thank you.
Do you think Loewen gets selected in the Rule 5 draft?

Just one more thing.....

Eh, Loewen would be a gamble in the Rule 5. Maybe. He'd get embarrassed at the plate.

This is good news people.

Here are those videos.

Money in the bank. Is it just me or does the ball sound different coming off the bat of Thames?

If you got something on the brain and you are not a moron, why don't you try shooting Adam an email adamf@projectprospect.com and see what happens.

If you don't wanna bother with that, then you should at the very least follow him on Twitter. May I also suggest you bookmark this site and subscribe to this channel on YouTube while your at it.

Rock solid stuff.

Quickly:

Speaking of the Rule 5 draft, it's tomorrow and I have a prediction.

J.P. and the Mets will take Brad Emaus and they will keep him all season.

Call it a hunch.

Blue Jays' Arizona Fall League Wrap Up

For the Toronto prospects selected to participate, the five-week long Arizona Fall League has come to an end. The six-team league’s season wrapped up on Saturday, when the two division winners met in a winner-takes-all championship game. The team that featured 7 Blue Jays minor leaguers, the Peoria Javelinas, visited the Scottsdale Scorpions in the nationally televised match up.

Each roster in the AFL features 7 players from 5 different organizations. The Javelinas team was made up of prospects from the Houston, Boston, Seattle, Cleveland and Toronto organizations.

The championship contest was a close game, but the scoring was wrapped up in the bottom of the 4th inning, when Nationals infielder Steve Lombardozzi drove home Rockies outfielder Charles Blackmon with a double off of Mariners' pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen. The hit gave the Scorpions a 3-2 lead that they would not relinquish. Wilhelmsen took the loss, while Nats lefty Sammy Solis earned the win.

Below is a full run down of how Blue Jays prospects performed in Arizona this Autumn and notes on where fans can expect some of these players to spend their time next year.

Pitchers:

24-year-old righty hurler Matt Daly struggled in 10 Arizona Fall League outings. He went 0-1 with a save and an 8.74 ERA while striking out 5 and walking 8 in 11 1/3 innings. Daly had done well with High-A Dunedin this year, going 2-2 with 31 saves and a 2.50 ERA in the Florida State League. Daly was a 13th round draft selection in 2008. Daly should reach Double A at some point next season, but his spring may determine how soon that happens.

Alan Farina continued his outstanding 2010 by posting a 0.87 ERA with no decisions and a save in 10 AFL relief appearances. In 49 combined games between Dunedin and Double A New Hampshire, Farina held opponents to a .134 batting average and went 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA. The 24-year-old right-hander could see action at the Major League level next year. Farina was a 3rd round draft choice in 2007.

Marc Rzepczynski, who has seen action at the Major League level with the Blue Jays over the past couple of seasons, was exceptional in 6 starts with the Javelinas. Rzepczynski rocked a 4-0 record and a 1.16 ERA, while holding opponents to a .214 batting average. In his last 2 outings, he struck out 15 and walked only 1 in 11 innings pitched. Expect the lefty Rzepczynski to compete for a ML roster spot in spring training next year.

2010 New Hampshire Fisher Cat Danny Farquhar was also with the Javelinas, but was traded to Oakland last week, in a deal with Oakland for Rajai Davis.

Position players:

First baseman Mike McDade, who batted .267 with 21 HR and 64 RBI in 128 games with High-A Level Dunedin this year, continued a solid calendar year. In 22 Arizona Fall League games, McDade rocked a .375 batting average and a 1.007 OPS. The 21-year-old was a 6th round draft pick in 2007. McDade seems to be a lock to play with the Double A Fisher Cats in 2011.

Eric Thames, who was an offensive beast all season long for New Hampshire, posted a .264 avg. while slugging 3 HR and driving in 16 runs in 23 AFL games. Thames, an outfielder, turned 24 years old this month and should see action at Triple A Las Vegas next season.

Cuban import Adeiny Hechavarria played in just two games with the Javelinas. He went hitless in 4 at bats. Hechavarria, a shortstop, batted .273 with 3 homers, 34 RBI and a .665 OPS in 61 Double A games in 2010. Hechavarria, who is on Toronto's 40-man roster, will hope to move up next year as he continues to learn on the job.

Lefty hitting outfielder Adam Loewen shined in 14 AFL games, batting .333 with 5 homeruns and and 19 RBI against opposing pitchers. Loewen, a converted pitcher and native of Canada, spent the full 2010 regular season with Double A New Hampshire, should be ready for a step upward in 2011.

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Drabek Outdueled in Eastern League Playoff Opener

TRENTON, NJ- The expected pitchers duel proved to be just as advertised. Thunder prospect Dellin Betances and Fishercats ace Kyle Drabek went to battle on the Waterfront Park mound on Wednesday night in the opening game of the Eastern League Division Series.

Drabek, the prized pitcher who came to the Toronto organization last off-season in the trade that sent Roy Halladay to Philadelphia, retired the first 9 batters he faced. Betances, a New York native, kept pace, with a huge cheering section behind him.

Betances, making his fourth start above Class A, hurled 95 mph gas at New Hampshire and mixed speeds well enough to keep the Fishercats guessing. Betances stepped his game up, as he was facing the Eastern League's anointed pitcher of the year. In 5 1/3 innings, the 22-year-old righty struck out 8 while walking just 1 and allowing 2 hits.

New Hampshire pitching coach Tom Signore talked about the outstanding efforts from the pitchers. "It was a well pitched game by both teams. Betances is a strong prospect and did great. If you look at (Kyle's) velocity, it was the best he's been all season...his high was 97. Stuff wise, he was better tonight than the night he threw the no-hitter (against New Britain on July 4th)," Signore said.

"Sometimes you don't win these games. That's what makes baseball so interesting," Signore added.

The second time through the lineup, Drabek was not as lucky. Trenton lead-off man Austin Krum worked a 4-pitch walk that changed the pace of the game. A fielders choice moved Krum to 2nd base, where he quickly stole 3rd. Daniel Brewer then plated Krum with a single that gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead.

Drabek's breaking pitches were working, but the command just wasn't there to maximize their effectiveness. The 22-year-old right-hander threw first pitch strike to only 8 of 22 batters and took the loss, going 6 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 earned run, while striking out 5 batters. "I had trouble throwing strikes, and a lead-off walk is never good," Drabek stated. "They were just able to put some things together and get (the run) in."

"It was a little hard to find the strike zone tonight. I don't know why. I was pretty much battling the whole game."

When Betances' pitch count exceeded 90 in the 6th inning, manager Tony Franklin pulled his 6-feet-8-inches tall starter in favor of the bullpen. The Fishercats hoped to have an easier time against the Thunder relief corp.

Trenton surely had a bit more success once Drabek was pulled in favor of Trystan Magnuson. With 1 out in the 7th inning, Trenton designated hitter Rene Rivera launched a deep drive to left field for a solo homerun that padded the Thunder lead to 2 runs.

The Fishercats threatened late. In the 8th inning, short stop Adeiny Hechavarria reached with a lead-off single off of Thunder righty JB Cox. After Eric Thames struck out and Shawn Bowman popped to short, David Cooper walked. But Cox was pulled from the game and ambidextrous hurler Pat Venditte made his way to the mound and downed Adam Calderone on strikes.

In the 9th, with Trenton closer Justin Pope on the mound, Adam Loewen started things off with a single. Following a strike out by catcher Matt Liuzza, pinch hitter Ricardo Nanita stroked another single that moved Loewen to third base. Center fielder Darin Mastroianni stepped to the plate ready to inflict some damage. Already 1-for-2 on the night with 2 sacrifice bunts, Mastroianni drilled a liner right at Thunder third baseman Justin Snyder, who snagged the ball and stepped on the bag ahead of a retreating Loewen to end the game on a stunning double play, giving Trenton a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 series, with a 2-0 victory.

After the game Drabek asserted his belief in the Fishercats' chances to recover and win the series. "Our team's still confident. We feel like we're the best team in this league. And I think we'll be alright." 

Notes:

New Hampshire had lead-off runners on base in 6 of 9 innings, but failed to score a single run. Trenton's attendance for game 1 of the Eastern League Division Series, 2,806, was their lowest attendance figure of the season. Betances earned the win in his 4th Double A start...he has now struck out 28 opponents in 19 2/3 innings with Trenton.

Loewen Working Hard at Conversion to Hitter

At age 26, Adam Loewen is in the midst of climbing toward his second big league career. Currently an outfielder with Toronto's Double A affiliate, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Loewen was once the top pitching prospect in the Orioles system and reached the Major Leagues as a starting pitcher. Faced with potential career threatening injuries, Loewen chose to convert himself to an everyday position player.

In 2002, the 18-year-old lefty Loewen became the highest Canadian draft pick in Major League Baseball history. At age 22, in 2006, Loewen was leading his native Canada in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, and holding American all-stars like Chipper Jones, Mark Teixeira and Derrek Lee hitless, while earning a win. Later that year he made his Major League debut with the Orioles.

By 2008, Loewen had appeared in 35 Major League games, posted an 8-8 record and had a 5.38 ERA. However, his pitching career would be cut short after suffering two stress fractures in his left elbow. Doctors inserted a 4 1/2" screw in the elbow to assist with the healing process of his first break in 2007. The healing did not go as expected and Loewen fractured his elbow again the following year. Once he was out of options, the Orioles released Loewen and he subsequently became a free agent. Looking for a home with which to restart his professional baseball career, this time as a hitter, and faced with a log jam of young outfielders in the Baltimore system, Loewen signed with Toronto after the Blue Jays contacted his agent.

The transition was an easy one for Loewen to decide upon, as the idea of becoming an everyday player was always in the back of his mind, throughout his first rise to the big leagues. "I always said to myself, if my arm blew out, or if I had a serious career threatening injury, that I'd want to come back as a hitter," Loewen said, in an exclusive interview with 1BlueJaysWay's Jay Ballz. "It happened, and I could still throw from the outfield. So, it was a blessing in disguise."

Loewen credits a lot of Blue Jays personnel, including Single A hitting coach Justin Mashore, for helping him reinvent himself as a baseball player. He also gives himself a helping of props. "I think really what it comes down to is, am I willing to stay in the cage for extra swings and keep working a lot harder than other guys, because I have a lot of ground to make up," Loewen proposed.

Last year, in his first season as a full time professional hitter, Loewen struggled. In 103 games at high A level Dunedin, he batted .236 with 4 homeruns and 31 RBI. After stepping up a level, this year, Loewen is showing that his hard work has paid off. Through his first 27 games with Double A New Hampshire, Loewen was batting .264 with 4 homers and 14 RBI. Loewen's average has slipped a bit in three games since then, going 1-for-11 in those match ups.

Toronto General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, who signed Loewen to a two-year deal following the 2008 season, when Anthopoulos was Assistant GM, has stated on record that Loewen would likely need between 1,000-1,200 at bats before the organization might know if Loewen could become the next Rick Ankiel. Currently with the Royals, Ankiel had great difficulty throwing strikes, once he reached Majors as a pitcher with St. Louis in 2000. After those pitching struggles, Ankiel successfully converted himself to an outfielder and has become an everyday Major League hitter.

Loewen passed 710 plate appearances, since his conversion, this week, so the plateau where the Toronto brass could make an accurate assessment of Loewen's progress should come soon. Anthopoulos admits that, "Loewen has made great strides," and his statistical production this season will surely determine his future in the Toronto system.

Many players do not get the sort of second chance that Loewen is enjoying now and he's grateful for the chance to climb the ladder toward the Majors a second time. "I love playing everyday. I really do enjoy every minute of it, even when things aren't going my way," Loewen said. "I feel blessed for this opportunity to come back and play every day."

Reflecting back on his first stint in the big leagues, Loewen cites facing the Yankees as some of his most fond memories. "My first start was against Randy Johnson, at Camden Yards and I ended up getting a no decision. That was a really big thrill for me, to pitch against the Yankees and do well against them," Loewen said. Also worthy of note, Loewen was the very first pitcher in Major League history to face Cy Young Award winners in his first four starts, as, after Johnson, he was matched up against Tom Glavine and Roy Halladay twice.

As a native Canadian, Loewen followed the Blue Jays during his childhood. Possibly destined to focus himself on being an everyday position player, Loewen grew up admiring Ed Sprague, Paul Molitor and John Olerud. "I guess I kind of looked toward the hitters rather than the pitchers," Loewen said. "I didn't have really many favorite pitchers."

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Jay Ballz runs PhoulBallz.com, a site that covers the Phillies organization, from the bottom to the top. He also has a weekly baseball segment on The Shore Sports Network in New Jersey. You can follow Jay on Twitter by clicking HERE.