By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
Here’s a summary of three of my most popular posts on social media (Facebook and Twitter) from this past week.
1.Bill Atkinson (Chatham, Ont.) becomes the first Canadian to pitch for the Montreal Expos on Canada Day.
Posted on Facebook on Canada Day
On July 1, 1977, right-hander Bill Atkinson (Chatham, Ont.) became the first Canadian to toe the rubber for the Montreal Expos on Canada Day. He tossed the final 1-1/3 innings and recorded the save for the Expos in their 5-3 win over the New York Mets in the second game of a doubleheader at Olympic Stadium.
Mike Johnson (Edmonton, Alta.) became the second Canadian to pitch for the Expos on Canada Day when he started against Florida Marlins right-hander and fellow Canuck Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.) at Olympic Stadium in 2000.
2. 41st anniversary of Dave Stieb’s major league debut
Posted on Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and longtime Toronto Blue Jays ace Dave Stieb made his major league debut 41 years ago this past Tuesday. In his first start, he allowed six runs (five earned) in six innings in a 6-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium.
It wasn’t until the then 21-year-old right-hander threw complete games, allowing just one earned run in each, in his third and fourth starts on July 9 and July 14, 1979 that Blue Jays fans would see the youngster’s top-of-the-rotation potential.
3. I discovered an incredible Adam Stern (London, Ont.) baseball card.
Posted on Facebook and Twitter on Tuesday
I live in London, Ont. I’m a Canadian baseball history nut and I write about baseball cards. So how did I not know about this great 2006 Flair Showcase Adam Stern card (below) until Tuesday?
Few Canadian baseball fans will ever forget the “Miracle on Grass” on March 9, 2006 when the Canadian national squad – thanks largely to Stern – upset the powerful Americans in their first-ever World Baseball Classic matchup at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. Stern went 3-for-4 with an inside-the-park home run, a triple and four RBIs. He also made two outstanding defensive plays.
This great card, which I should’ve known about earlier, shines the spotlight on Stern’s tremendous performance that day.
If you haven’t met Billy Atkinson you need to go to Chatham and have a chat with him. Awesome guy.
Stieb, is there anybody better that put on a Jays uniform for pitching?
Sterny, such a great player. Wish someone had given him a better shot
Thanks for your comment, Scott. I agree on all three of your statements.
Thanks for some more Canadian baseball memories.
Thank you for reading and your support.
Thanks for another awesome post. Now I’ve got to get a copy of that Adam Stern card
Thanks for reading. I’d like to buy that Stern card in bulk, but I can’t seem to find it online anywhere.