Time to learn some things about Alejandro Kirk. Time to see if everyone’s favourite cannonball catcher can not only barrel pitches all over the yard, not only operate with an ultra-marathoner’s resting heart rate under the extreme pressure of MLB competition, not only win hearts and minds with each smooth, bad-bodied swing that incredibly, impossibly, crosses the plate on plane, with pure force and balance, making big-league pitching look astonishingly unchallenging to square up. Time to learn what kind of career he could have.
Because we know he can hit. At least we believe he can. How could you believe anything else? How could you not buy in? Yes, last season’s .983 OPS was produced from a microscopic 25 plate-appearance sample. Yes, those were his only 25 occasions standing in a batter’s box above high-A. Yes, he doesn’t even have a full minor-league season to his name, having topped out at 92 games and 372 plate appearances in 2019, when he hit .290/.403/.465 with 55 walks versus 39 strikeouts against A-ball pitching. Yes, his track record is minute.
But if you’ve watched him play, you know. That’s all there is to it. There’s something different about young Kirk — something unique and unexplainable. And if his play doesn’t arouse hope in your heart then maybe being a baseball fan just isn’t for you.
Thing is, there’s so much more to big-league catching — which is why Kirk’s 2021 season ought to be so enlightening. Having won a Toronto Blue Jays roster spot outright with an undeniable spring training, the 22-year-old will be asked to regularly handle pitchers at a higher level of competition than he ever has before. To guide arms through challenging circumstances, velocity fluctuations, command inconsistency, physical maladies, uncooperative umpiring — and get them out the other side so they can continue cashing big-league cheques. To game-plan, game-call and game-manage for a team with post-season designs. To communicate effectively with pitchers, coaches and umpires in his second language. To pitch frame, block balls, control baserunners, save runs. To prove that his dart player’s physique — listed at 5-8, 265 pounds — can withstand the rigours of 162.
“Kirky, in a short amount of time, has improved. The conversations that we have are solid. He asks good questions. He’s very composed and he’s very confident — which is great. And the language barrier has decreased,” Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said prior to his team’s 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s kind of a work in progress for Kirky. But his confidence is growing. And that helps a lot when you’re calling a major-league game. When you’re struggling mentally, not sure, there’s some uncertainty — that can lead to some issues back there.”
And to that end, Sunday provided Kirk with his first true test. A regular-season debut. A rubber match in the Bronx coming off a pair of games that felt more like late September contests than early April ones. A pitcher on the mound in 25-year-old right-hander TJ Zeuch who, like Kirk, won himself a roster spot with an impressive spring, but, like Kirk, carried plenty of question marks into the day.
Zeuch is a throwback in today’s high-spin, high-velocity, high-strikeout era, predominantly featuring a low-90s sinker meant to find bats rather than miss them and produce soft, groundball contact as a result. It’s a fine formula when you’re locating, but a dangerous one if you’re up in the zone — particularly at a homer-happy offensive environment like Yankee Stadium, and particularly against a super-charged lineup like New York’s. When you aren’t out-stuffing anyone, confidence, trust and conviction are everything. And like Walker said, that begins with the guy behind the plate calling your pitches.
“I think any time you come to the big leagues, pitchers have a tendency to shy away from the aggressiveness and try to miss bats. And I think with (Zeuch), with the action on the ball, it’s a matter of trusting it and trusting the sink,” Walker said. “It’s tough to pitch in Yankee Stadium, there’s no doubt. But the big leagues are the big leagues. And the sooner you can get over that hump, the better.”
It was Kirk’s job to guide that process and who could deny the results? Zeuch scattered three hits and a walk over four innings Sunday, dodging some solid contact, watching some plays get made behind him and coming away from his outing without a run crossing the plate.
Kirk kept Zeuch moving quickly and unpredictably, starting the game’s first two batters with sinkers, its third with a changeup, its fourth with a cutter, its fifth with a sinker, its sixth with a cutter and its seventh with a sinker.
That carried Zeuch through two innings unscathed and into the third when he faced trouble for the first time, surrendering consecutive one-out singles. In that moment, Aaron Judge walking to the plate was the last sight anyone wanted to see. But Kirk and Zeuch followed a first-pitch sinker down and in with a well-located cutter up and away to get the imposing Yankees designated hitter to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
“We wanted to use the sinker on the extension side of the plate a lot because a lot of these guys like to hit the ball that’s coming down and in. But I think some of the bigger guys, you can get under their hands,” Zeuch said.
“And I think in that situation, two guys on, one out, big spot for a ground ball — that was the approach. Get in and then get away from him so he hits it off the end of his bat. And it worked out well for us and the defence did a great job turning the double play.”
Zeuch threw plenty of sinkers on the day, as he does, mixing in cutters and sliders to right-handed hitters, while deploying the odd changeup against lefties. His misses trended off the plate rather than over the heart of it, which is what you want. And considering the importance of working toward the bottom of the zone for a pitcher of his profile, Zeuch can come away from the afternoon satisfied with his pitch chart:
It’s always difficult to discern just how much credit a catcher is due for a fine pitching performance, but it’s safe to say Kirk is owed something here. Zeuch certainly wasn’t shaking Kirk off very often, and that he ran up seven swinging strikes on only 63 pitches speaks to a smart gameplan and keen in-game decision making from a young battery facing one of baseball’s most unforgiving lineups. Never mind the fact Kirk saved a run blocking a spiked Trent Thornton curveball with a runner on third in the fifth. Nor that he helped guide four Blue Jays relievers through 3.2 innings of scoreless relief behind Thornton
“Kirk’s great back there. Everything he put down, we were on the same page. If I did shake him off, he knew what I wanted to go to right away,” Zeuch said. “The way we talk to each other in dugout, the way we communicate — it’s great to just build confidence.”
Remember, that’s supposed to be the hard part for Kirk. That’s supposed to be where he’s behind. So, an 0-for-3 day with a walk while standing next to the plate is all well and good when considering the sound job Kirk did while crouched behind it.
As he stepped in for his first plate appearance in the top of the second, the Blue Jays had already taken Yankees starter Domingo German deep twice in the inning — first, a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opposite-field solo shot; second, a two-run Randal Grichuk bomb wrapped around the left field foul pole. If he was eager to join the party, Kirk didn’t show it. He patiently worked a 3-1 count, took what should have been ball four for a called strike, and then took another pitch off the plate to claim his six-pitch walk.
His next time up, already facing a new pitcher in Yankees reliever Michael King, Kirk saw four more pitches and flew out to right. In his third trip, and his second look at King, he bounced out on the first pitch he saw. In his final plate appearance, facing King again in the ninth, Kirk got jammed and popped out on the infield.
Hey, not every day’s going to be a laser show. Those will come, you can bet. If you’ve watched him play, you know. What’s most important over the next six months is learning some new things about Kirk. About what he can do behind the plate, about how he can handle pitchers, about how far he’s come. About what kind of career he could have.
“Obviously, we know he can swing the bat, right? I mean, everybody’s seen that,” Walker said. “But I think defensively he’s improved on calling a game. He’s working well with our pitchers. All the things you need to see to add someone to the roster and to (have confidence in) giving you quality innings at the major-league level. It’s apparent with him. He’s checked the boxes up to this point.”
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
