Canada's repeat championship in the Pan-Am Games, capped by a 7-6, 10-inning victory over Team USA, brought more pride north of the border, and one cannot help but think it may have injected new life in struggling York starter Shawn Hill.
The veteran had only won once in eight decisions this season, but he returned from nearly a three-week absence this week and quickly turned in five innings of one-hit, one-run work for the Revolution to earn a 5-1 win over Long Island.
"The Pan Ams was always in the back of my mind, even in the offseason, as long as I could contribute at the level I wanted to, rather than just being another body out there, taking a spot because of my experience," the 34-year-old told SportsNet.ca, saying he hopes to keep pitching for a few more seasons.
Previously the chief spokesman for Commissioners Bowie Kuhn and Peter Ueberroth, Bob Wirz has been writing extensively about the Atlantic League and Independent Baseball since 2003. He is a frequent contributor to this site as well as writing his blog, www.IndyBaseballChatter.com.