April 4 2024

VICTORIA, B.C. — Their father was once the most-feared hitter in the Major Leagues, a perennial all-star with a big personality who won a World Series, a batting title, and could change any game with one swing.

Manny Ramirez Jr., 21 (pictured above left), and Lucas Ramirez, 18 (pictured above right), carry the same potential — Manny Jr., a booming right-handed power hitter, with Lucas a lefty with a power stroke who has committed to the University of Tennessee for the fall.

Both outfielders who can DH, Manny Jr. and Lucas are excited to be coming to Victoria, to further develop under Head Coach Todd Haney, a former MLB player, and a coaching staff that also includes former pro player and coach Scott Anderson and former MLB pitcher Steve Sinclair.

“These are notable signings not just for us, but for the entire West Coast League — this will be exciting news for our fans and sponsors, no question,” said Jim Swanson of the HarbourCats. “They come highly recommended by our former pitching coach, Alec Adame, who is coaching Manny Jr. at ELAC (East LA College). It’s been a pleasure working with the family to set this all up, and we know Victoria will welcome them all with open arms — to the city rated the best city in the world. Alec was here in 2015 and knows how great the baseball environment is at Wilson’s Group Stadium at RAP.”

So far this spring Manny Jr. leads ELAC with three home runs and has 18 runs driven in over 20 games, adding nine doubles and walking 14 times. The 6-3/210 outfielder is a freshman who is a product of Calvary Christian high school in Clearwater, FL.

Lucas is a graduating high school senior at powerful American Heritage in Florida and is a possible high-round pick in the upcoming draft thanks to already developing power from the left side. He is already built like a pro at 6-3/200.

They have a tremendous baseball role model to aspire to. Manny Ramirez played 19 seasons and batted .312 with 555 home runs, the 15th highest total in MLB history — he starred for Cleveland, Boston, and the Dodgers, and finished with time for the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He was a 12-time all-star, was MVP of the 2004 World Series when the Red Sox ended their long title drought, won the 2002 American League batting title, and was the Hank Aaron Award winner in 1999 and 2004. He was also part of a second Red Sox team to win the World Series in 2007, and hit more post-season home runs (29) than anyone else in the history of the game. He finished top-10 in MVP voting in the American League eight years in a row (1998-2005).

The HarbourCats open on the road May 31 in Kamloops, the start of back-to-back series in Kamloops and Kelowna, before returning for the June 7 home opener against Wenatchee. The HarbourCats will be on the road this summer in Kamloops, Kelowna, Edmonton, Wenatchee, Ridgefield, Port Angeles, Bellingham, and six games in Nanaimo against the Island-rival NightOwls at Serauxmen Stadium. Teams visiting Victoria this year are Wenatchee, Nanaimo, Bellingham, Port Angeles, Kelowna, Edmonton (two series), Kamloops and Corvallis, along with non-league games against the Redmond Dudes, Dub Sea Fishsticks, the SIBL All-Stars, and Victoria Mavericks All-Stars.

The regular season runs until August 7, with WCL playoffs running from August 10 to August 16.

Single game tickets are now available for the HarbourCats 2024 season including the home opener on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 6:35pm against the Kamloops NorthPaws. These can be purchased online at www.harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale via the HarbourCats office or by calling 778-265-0327.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you are a 2023 Season Ticket holder who has not yet renewed your seats for the 2024 season, please do so by April 15th, 2024 or your seats will be released and available to the public for sale. Please call Christian at 778-265-0327 ASAP to renew your seats.

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Island WCL teams and Golden Tide of CCBC to be first Canadian teams outside the Blue Jays to employ system used in MLB

For immediate release

April 3, 2024

NANAIMO and VICTORIA, BC — The ownership group that oversees the two West Coast League teams on Vancouver Island — along with the Victoria Golden Tide of the CCBC — has added another key development tool to the programs of the Victoria HarbourCats and Nanaimo NightOwls.

The teams will become the first Canadian baseball teams aside from the MLB Toronto Blue Jays to employ the PitchCom system, a one-way device which allows the catcher to communicate signals to the pitcher without any concern of having those signals picked up by the other team.

PitchCom is the standard in this new technology area, used exclusively at the MLB level.

This move aligns with other leading technology that the HarbourCats, NightOwls and Golden Tide have employed ahead of other peer programs — including digital-broadcast quality streaming game coverage, and AI and other aspects for platforms led by Online Director Chris Beveridge. The Golden Tide will be the first to use PitchCom, as the CCBC regular season started last weekend.

“The mandate of our programs is to develop players in a winning environment, and we are developing more players for the pro level than any other Island sports teams,” said Jim Swanson, a former coach and scout who oversees the programs, noting that five MLB players have been produced from nine seasons of HarbourCats baseball in the WCL.

“Everything we do is geared to preparing our exceptional college players for entry into the professional level — our coaching and front office personnel are dedicated to providing the pathway to those pro opportunities. We are proud to partner with PitchCom to help our catchers and pitchers in particular get ready for the technology at the pro level.”

The system is a one-way communication that allows the catcher to call for the pitch type, location or situation, through a small button pad, and audio receivers allow the pitcher and an infielder to hear the selection. The system was developed in part to answer issues around sign-stealing issues at the MLB level.

The Golden Tide can use and test the system under Head Coach Ethan Fox, who is also part of the HarbourCats summer staff.

“PitchCom is a big step for the NightOwls, HarbourCats and Golden Tide,” said Swanson. “Players are going to be excited about this addition.”

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Single game tickets are now available for the HarbourCats 2024 season including the home opener on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 6:35pm against the Kamloops NorthPaws. These can be purchased online at www.harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale via the HarbourCats office or by calling 778-265-0327.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you are a 2023 Season Ticket holder who has not yet renewed your seats for the 2024 season, please do so by April 15th, 2024 or your seats will be released and available to the public for sale. Please call Christian at 778-265-0327 ASAP to renew your seats.

Source

Todd Hollandsworth was a third round pick of the Dodgers after a stellar high school showing in the Seattle area — he would go on to win the World Series with the 2003 Florida Marlins and play 12 MLB seasons and more than 1,100 games, with the Dodgers, Indians, Marlins, Rockies, Rangers, Cubs, Braves and Reds. He was the 1996 National League rookie of the year with the Dodgers, batting .291 with 26 doubles and 21 stolen bases.

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Tugg bats and throws left like his dad, and is now a prized developing freshman at Illinois State. His teammate Minshew is a valued 90mph-plus power arm out of the bullpen who is already being used as a freshman.

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Felix, a physical player with power, is being watched closely this spring by NightOwls pitching coach Gorm Heimueller, and projects as a star catcher at the baseball factory at Cal Poly — where Heimueller was a pitcher many decades ago on a team that featured Ozzie Smith.

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Hadley is a power lefty bat, a former Langley Blaze star, who was going to join the NightOwls in 2023 until he was injured. He’s second in at-bats with Barton this spring, batting .355 with five doubles and a home run, and 16 RBIs.

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Noonan is at Grossmont College but is making the jump to SDSU, a slick shortstop who smashed eight home runs as a freshman.

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Welter, a valuable lefty for deployment out of the bullpen at Serauxmen Stadium, is filling a key role for the Trojans this spring.

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