Mitch Canham

Mitch Canham
Oakland Athletics
Catcher
Born: September 25, 1984 (1984-09-25) (age 27) Richland, Washington
Bats: Left	Throws: Right

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Amateur career

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 School in Lake Stevens, Washington, where he was a three-sport star and honor student.^[3]

College

Canham was named to the preseason All-American 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.^[4]

Professional career

San Diego Padres

Canham began his professional career in 2007 with the Short-Season Eugene Emeralds 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 2008 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.

2009 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.

Personal life

Canham's mother died while he was a freshman in college.^[3] His younger brother, Dustin Canham, died in 2008 while serving with the United States Marines in Djibouti; 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.^[3][5]

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.^[3]

References

1. ^ "Mitch Canham". OSUBeavers.com. http://www.osubeavers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=24962&SPID=1962&DB_OEM_ID=4700&ATCLID=130916&Q_SEASON=2006. Retrieved 2006-06-21. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "2007 MLB.com Draft Tracker". MLB.com. http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2007/drafttracker.jsp. Retrieved 2007-06-21. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "ESPN - A brother's burden: Baseball in a time of tribulation - MLB". http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3492010&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 
4. ^ ""LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S" ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TEAMS". http://www.baseballnews.com/allamericans/currentallamericans.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-30. 
5. ^ "Marine's death in Africa wasn't hazing, Corps says". http://www.seattlepi.com/local/369272_marine03.html. Retrieved 2008-07-17. 

External links

• Career stats at Baseball-Reference (Minors) and milb.com.

Persondata
Name	Canham, Mitchell
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1984-09-25
Place of birth	Richland, Washington
Date of death
Place of death