The 2015 Canadian Little League Championships are fast approaching. Host Club East Nepean is celebrating their 60th year and on top of their long history in Ottawa, the club has made it’s mark in Major League Baseball (MLB).
The most known today would be Andrew Tinnish. Tinnish is currently the Assistant GM of the Toronto Blue Jays. The East Nepean Little League alumni went on to play for Brock University, a walk on to the team, and was named captain.
Tinnish helped guide the new baseball program to two National Championships and in 2012 was named the best ballplayer in Brock History. Today, Tinnish is one of only five Canadian baseball-operations executives in the MLB.
Another celebrated East Nepean Alum is Douglas Frobel. Frobel was signed as an amateur free agent in 1977 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing with the organization until 1985. He also played for the Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians. There is a baseball field in Nepean named after Frobel, next to the Nepean Museum.
Finally, Mike Kusiewicz was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1994. He was named Minor League Players of the Year in 1998, was a nine time member of Team Canada and was named the Ottawa Baseball Player of the Year in 2006. Kusiewicz is back in Ottawa now, running “Mike’s Baseball Camps” year-round in Nepean.
Some of the best 11 and 12 year old baseball players in Canada are coming to Barrhaven in less than a month. Looking at this list of East Nepean Little League Alumni going on to the pros, it might not be that hard to imagine some of these players taking that jump as well.
Be sure to get your autographs at the 2015 Canadian Little League Championships, you might be watching the next professionals.
2015 Canadian Little League Championships Updates 