Chavarria elected to B.C. Sports Hall of Fame

April 17, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Former major leaguer and longtime umpire Ossie Chavarria has been elected to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

The provincial sports shrine unveiled its class of 2026 on Wednesday.

Chavarria will be inducted in the Builders-Coaches category.

“Ossie’s impact on baseball in B.C. and across the country is truly unmatched,” said B.C. Baseball in a statement. “A well-deserved honour for a lifetime dedicated to the game.”

The induction ceremony will take place on a yet to be determined date in the fall.

The B.C. Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 induction class consists of five athletes, three builder-coaches, one team, one pioneer and one media member. A full list of the inductees can be found here.

Born in Panama but a longtime B.C. resident, Chavarria was a highly respected umpire for more than four decades — from international to local levels.

His excellence as an umpire came after a successful 15-season pro career as an infielder that included two major league campaigns with the Kansas City Athletics (1966-67) and three seasons with the triple-A Vancouver Mounties (1965, 1967-68).

Among Chavarria’s career highlights as an umpire are officiating baseball at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and at the 1983 and 1999 Pan Am Games.

In total, Chavarria served as an umpire at the national and provincial levels for 40 years, from 1977 to 2017.

On top of his accomplishments as a player and umpire, he also served as an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s national team at the 1987 Pan Am Games and 1988 Olympics. He was also a coach at the Vancouver-based National Baseball Institute from 1986 to 1990.

Chavarria also worked as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984.

For his efforts, he was inducted into the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the B.C. Baseball Umpires Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

Induction into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame is considered the highest sporting honour in the province. Since 1966, the B.C. shrine has inducted 462 individuals and 71 teams.

“After months of anticipation, we’re energized to begin telling the stories and marking the outstanding achievements of our Class of 2026,” said Tom Mayenknecht, chair of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. “Honouring the past – and inspiring the future – is at the very heart of the mission of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and this year’s honourees truly exemplify the best of sport in this province and beyond.”