By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
For the past month, I’ve been posting an “Uplifting Canadian Baseball Photo/Video of the Day” on Twitter and Facebook.
I realize that many of you don’t follow me on social media, so each Friday, my plan is to share the top three (most retweeted, liked or shared) of these posts with you (from the previous five days).
I hope these photos/videos will bring a smile to your face during these challenging times.
1. The 52nd anniversary of the city of Montreal being awarded an MLB franchise.
This photo of legendary Montreal Expos executives and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Jim Fanning and John McHale was, by far, the most shared of my posts on Facebook from the past week. These two men are the most responsible for bringing Major League Baseball to Canada.
2. A fitting goodbye to Exhibition Stadium
This footage (below) of Toronto Blue Jays slugger and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee George Bell belting a walk-off, two-run home run off Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Thigpen in the 10th inning of the final game at Exhibition Stadium on May 28, 1989 was popular on my Facebook page.
And really, you couldn’t have written a better script for the last game at Exhibition Stadium.
3. Montreal Expos prospect “3B and Infielder” Matt Stairs
Today is the 28th anniversary of Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and Fredericton, N.B., native Matt Stairs’ major league debut. He was sent to the plate to pinch-hit for Montreal Expos pitcher Jeff Fassero in the 10th inning against Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rob Dibble. Stairs struck out, but he went on to club a MLB record 23 pinch-hit home runs.
These two 1989 minor league Stairs cards (below) always bring a smile to my face. These cards list Stairs’ positions as “Infielder” on one and “Third Base” on the other. Stairs once told me he was a shortstop in his teenage years.
Thanks for these uplifting stories in these challenging times. Keep the good work.
Thanks for reading and your kind words.
One of the saddest things about this pandemic for me is that I have not been able to play softball at Matt Stairs Field on Matt Stairs Way. (We are still hopeful that there will be a shortened season.)
Hi David. Hope you will be able to do that soon. Thanks for your support.
Those are three great ones Kevin.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your comment and support, Scott.
As I continue to miss baseball in these unusual times, the last homer by George Bell shown above brings back a nostalgic, fortunately not negative memory. The pitch before George Bell hit his walk-off homer was a line drive foul ball line into the first base stands which unfortunately rather harshly hit my then 17 year old daughter on the left elbow. While attending to her thankfully not too serious injury, after the initial pain just a bruise that lasted a few days, I missed George’s home run. However, as a result, I have a great trivia question that forever thrills my baseball loving three grandsons. i.e Who was the last fan hit by a foul ball in the old Exhibition Stadium? The answer, of course, is their Mother.
That’s a great story and trivia question, David. Thank you for sharing this and for your support of the blog.