But What Do I Know? . . . Larry Walker, Fergie Jenkins, HOF inductees, Joey Votto

January 28, 2024

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Some Canadian baseball news and notes from the past week:

–Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was a Colorado Rockies teammate of Todd Helton for eight seasons. The Canadian slugger, who was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020, is happy to welcome Helton into the exclusive Cooperstown fraternity. Walker joined The MLB Network’s Hot Stove on Friday to talk about Helton and what the new inductee can expect in July. “I’m in the Hall of Fame now and I messaged Todd yesterday and it’s been four years and it still hasn’t hit home with me and basically that’s telling me it’s never going to. I don’t think I’m ever going to really let it all sink in and I don’t know if I want to because every year I get to go back there [to Cooperstown] I enjoy it more and more,” Walker told The MLB Network. “But when you step in that room [at the private inductees dinner] and Todd’s going to find out this summer what it’s like . . . I don’t want to give away too many secrets in there because Todd’s in for a surprise . . . It’s really neat to sit down and hear the stories and the laughter . . . It’s a pretty amazing thing, walking through those doors and seeing all those guys.”

-On Thursday when Helton was in Cooperstown for the 2024 inductees press conference, someone snapped this great photo of him pointing at Walker’s plaque that was shared on the Rockies Twitter feed:

-Canadian Baseball Network editor in chief Bob Elliott shared on Twitter on Thursday that left-hander Mike Kusiewicz (Ottawa, Ont.) roomed with Helton while they were with the Rockies’ double-A affiliate New Haven Ravens in 1996. Kusiewicz, a national team alum who was an eighth-round pick of the Rockies in 1994, posted a 3.30 ERA in 14 starts for the Ravens that season while Helton batted .332 with seven home runs and 51 RBIs in 93 games before being promoted to the big leagues that August.

-According to Scott Crawford, of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Helton had three Canadian Rockies teammates during his career: Walker (1997 to 2004), Dave Wainhouse (Toronto, Ont., 1998) and Jeff Francis (North Delta, B.C., 2004 to 2008, 2010, 2012-13).

-Canadian baseball legend Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) recently relaunched his social media accounts. “I understand that staying connected with you, the fans and our communities is crucial and I genuinely regret any inconvenience by the lack of not posting recent information. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I’ve faced challenges in maintaining our regular posting schedule,” wrote Jenkins in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “Please know that I value your support, comments and engagement, and I am actively working to rectify the situation. The Ferguson Jenkins new team is dedicated to providing you with relevant and timely content, and we are taking steps to ensure that this delay does not happen again in the future.” Also, on Tuesday, Jenkins congratulated longtime Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre on his election to the Hall of Fame and posted a photo of them together (See below). Jenkins had 93 wins in six seasons with the Rangers during his career and now lives in Frisco, Texas.

-In the 2024 Hall of Fame inductees press conference on Thursday, Beltre spoke about the impact former Montreal Expos manager Felipe Alou has had on him. Both of them are from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Beltre said Alou has known him since he was a baby. “I remember my first year [with the Los Angeles Dodgers] we played the Expos. We went to Canada and he was waiting for me outside the clubhouse to congratulate me and welcome me to the big leagues. That was a really neat moment for me,” recalled Beltre on Thursday.

–Jon Heyman, of The New York Post, reported on Wednesday that the Los Angeles Angels are one of the teams interested in first baseman Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.). After 17 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, the 40-year-old Votto is a free agent and he plans to play in 2024. In other Votto news, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reported that Reds’ president of baseball operations Nick Krall all but confirmed that Votto would not be returning to the Reds when asked by season ticket holders on Wednesday.

-Former Montreal Expos and national team pitcher Mike Gardiner (Sarnia, Ont.) needs our help. His son Eric has been diagnosed with cancer. “He has tumors on his colon and both lobes of his liver. The doctors are performing more tests to try and figure out the type and stage of his cancer,” writes Gardiner on a Go Fund Me page he created for his son. “In the past month Eric has lost 30 pounds and is currently in the hospital trying to gain some strength, manage the pain, and figure out a plan. He is hoping to start treatment soon and is determined to battle this cancer with a positive attitude. Unfortunately, he and his wife, Nicole, find themselves facing a challenging journey. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Not only does cancer take a toll on a person’s physical and mental health, but also poses a huge financial burden. Since Eric will not be able to work for the foreseeable future, we are creating this GoFundMe campaign to raise funds that will help his family with medical bills not covered by insurance and the basic necessities of living (food, rent, and utilities).” Please go to this Go Fund Me page and give what you can to help Eric.

-Congratulations to Mark Teahen who will have his No. 10 retired by Saint Mary’s College of California (SMC), his alma mater. SMC made the announcement on Thursday. In his three seasons at the college from 2000 to 2002, Teahen hit .368 (still a program record) with a .466 on-base percentage and a .993 OPS in 157 games. In his final college campaign, he had a slash line of .412/.493/.624. His college performance convinced the Oakland A’s to select him with the 39th overall pick in the 2002 MLB draft. Teahen would eventually play parts of seven big league seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Though he was born in Redlands, Calif., Teahen has maintained a dual Canadian/American citizenship and he played for Canada in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. His father Mike hails from St. Marys, Ont. and played for the Canadian national team in the ’70s.

-Please take a moment to remember Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and Manitoba baseball legend Gladwyn Scott who was born on this date in 1932. The Hamiota, Man., native dedicated more than 60 years to baseball as a player, coach, builder and volunteer. Though he didn’t play organized baseball until he was 16, Scott eventually pitched on his hometown squad with his brother Glennis. His father, Jim, was the team’s catcher. At age 20, he began coaching and he would later serve in numerous administrative capacities, including managing three Hamiota teams to provincial championships. He was also a coach on Canada’s first national team, the country’s 1967 Pan Am Games entry. From 1983 to 1987, Scott was president of the Manitoba Baseball Association and a vice-president with Baseball Canada from 1986 to 1989. He also scouted part-time for the Blue Jays from 1987 to 1993 and for the Atlanta Braves from 1994 to 2001. For his contributions to baseball in his province, Scott has been inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. He passed away in 2022 at the age of 90.

-This week’s trivia question: Outside of Gladwyn Scott, name another Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee that was born in Manitoba. Please provide your answer in the “Comments” section below.

-The answer to last week’s trivia question (Who holds the record for most home runs hit by a Canadian player for a Canadian major league team in a single season?) was Montreal-born Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who had 48 home runs for the Blue Jays in 2021.

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