Mitchell Canham
Encyclopedia
Mitchell "Mitch" Canham (born September 25, 1984 in Richland, Washington
) is a catcher
in the Oakland Athletics
organization. In college, he played for the Oregon State Beavers
baseball team. Canham was on both the 2006 and 2007 OSU teams which won back to back NCAA Baseball National Championships at the College World Series
in Omaha, Nebraska
, as well as the 2005 team which made it there and lost in two games. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres
of Major League Baseball
with the 57th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
.
in Lake Stevens, Washington
, where he was a three-sport star and honor student.
n second team by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper and as a third team All-American by Baseball America
. He ended the season as a third-team All-American selection by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
of the Northwest League
and the Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm
. With the Emeralds Canham batted
.293 with two home runs, four doubles
, one triples
, 34 his
and 18 RBIs
in 28 games. In just two games with the Storm Canham had no hits and one RBI.
In Canham spent the entire season with Lake Elsinore of the California League
. He hit .285 with eight home runs, 28 doubles, five triples, 119 hits, 13 steals
and 81 RBI in 113 games.
saw Canham a promotion to the Double-A San Antonio Missions
of the Texas League
. He finished the '09 campaign batting .263 with six home runs, 20 doubles, three triples, 107 hits, five stolen bases and 53 RBI in 111 games.
; the circumstances surrounding Dustin Canham's death received national attention based on a perceived cover up
by the military and allegations that the death was due to hazing
.
Canham's great uncle, Major General Charles D. W. Canham, commanded the 29th Infantry Division's 116th Infantry Regiment during its D-Day
landing on Omaha Beach
, earning the Distinguished Service Cross
for valor in combat.
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
) is a catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
organization. In college, he played for the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
baseball team. Canham was on both the 2006 and 2007 OSU teams which won back to back NCAA Baseball National Championships at the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, as well as the 2005 team which made it there and lost in two games. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
with the 57th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft
2007 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 7 and June 8, 2007...
.
Pre High School
Canham played for the Lake Stevens Junior Athletic Association (LSJAA) Tigers from 1995-1996. The team was coached by Mike McCarty.High school
Canham attended Lake Stevens High SchoolLake Stevens High School
Lake Stevens High School is a high school located in Lake Stevens, in the Lake Stevens School District, of Washington state, in the United States. LSHS currently educates grades 10-12.-Academics:...
in Lake Stevens, Washington
Lake Stevens, Washington
Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States that surrounds the lake bearing the same name. It is southeast of Marysville, north of the city of Snohomish, and east of Everett...
, where he was a three-sport star and honor student.
College
Canham was named to the preseason All-AmericaAll-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n second team by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper and as a third team All-American by Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
. He ended the season as a third-team All-American selection by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
San Diego Padres
Canham began his professional career in with the Short-Season Eugene EmeraldsEugene Emeralds
The Eugene Emeralds is a minor league baseball team in Eugene, Oregon, United States. They are a short-season Class A team in the Northwest League, and have been a farm team of the San Diego Padres since 2001....
of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
and the Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore Storm
Lake Elsinore Storm
The Lake Elsinore Storm is a minor league baseball team in Lake Elsinore, California, USA. It is a Class A - Advanced team in the California League, and is a farm team of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays its home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond...
. With the Emeralds Canham batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.293 with two home runs, four doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, one triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, 34 his
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and 18 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 28 games. In just two games with the Storm Canham had no hits and one RBI.
In Canham spent the entire season with Lake Elsinore of the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High-A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. He hit .285 with eight home runs, 28 doubles, five triples, 119 hits, 13 steals
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
and 81 RBI in 113 games.
saw Canham a promotion to the Double-A San Antonio Missions
San Antonio Missions
The San Antonio Missions are a minor league baseball team based in San Antonio, Texas. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres major-league club. The Missions play in Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, located in San Antonio...
of the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. He finished the '09 campaign batting .263 with six home runs, 20 doubles, three triples, 107 hits, five stolen bases and 53 RBI in 111 games.
Personal life
Canham's mother died while he was a freshman in college. His younger brother, Dustin Canham, died in 2008 while serving with the United States Marines in DjiboutiDjibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
; the circumstances surrounding Dustin Canham's death received national attention based on a perceived cover up
Cover Up
Cover Up is an American action/adventure television series that aired for one season on CBS from September 22, 1984 to April 6, 1985. Created by Glen A. Larson, the series stars Jennifer O'Neill, Jon-Erik Hexum, Antony Hamilton, and Richard Anderson....
by the military and allegations that the death was due to hazing
Hazing
Hazing is a term used to describe various ritual and other activities involving harassment, abuse or humiliation used as a way of initiating a person into a group....
.
Canham's great uncle, Major General Charles D. W. Canham, commanded the 29th Infantry Division's 116th Infantry Regiment during its D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
landing on Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
, earning the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
for valor in combat.
External links
- Career stats at Baseball-Reference (Minors) and milb.com.