By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada It turns out that April 13 is a fairly significant date in Canadian baseball history. Over the years, four Canadians made their major league debuts on this date, while Pete Rose made history as a Montreal Expo and a Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer preserved a win for TomContinue reading “April 13: Four Canadian MLB debuts, Rose makes history as Expo”
Author Archives: cooperstownersincanada
But What Do I Know? . . . Fergie Jenkins, Larry Walker, James Paxton, Mike Soroka, Ron Taylor
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: -Congratulations to Canadian baseball legend Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) who will become the fourth former Chicago Cubs player to be honoured with a statue outside Wrigley Field. The Cubs made the announcement on Tuesday. The legendary right-hander had sixContinue reading “But What Do I Know? . . . Fergie Jenkins, Larry Walker, James Paxton, Mike Soroka, Ron Taylor”
Why Mark Bomback started on Opening Day for the Blue Jays 39 years ago today
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada When you examine a list of the Toronto Blue Jays’ Opening Day starting pitchers, all the names you’d expect to see are on it. There’s Roy Halladay (seven Opening Day starts), Dave Stieb (four), Jimmy Key (three), Pat Hentgen (two) and Jim Clancy (two). Other prominent names on theContinue reading “Why Mark Bomback started on Opening Day for the Blue Jays 39 years ago today”
Five things you should know about . . . Marquis Grissom
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Who is the most exciting player in Montreal Expos history? I’m not talking about the club’s best player or most productive hitter, but who’s the one Expo you found to be consistently electrifying? Who’s the one Expo whose athleticism regularly astounded you? Tim Raines, Andre Dawson and Vladimir GuerreroContinue reading “Five things you should know about . . . Marquis Grissom”
But What Do I Know? . . . Luke Easter, Jordan Romano, Michael Saunders, James Paxton, Jose Bautista
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: -It has become an Easter tradition on this blog to pay tribute to ex-big league slugger Luke Easter on Easter Sunday. “Luscious Luke” was a hulking, 6-foot-4, 240-pound slugger who became the 11th African-American to compete in the bigContinue reading “But What Do I Know? . . . Luke Easter, Jordan Romano, Michael Saunders, James Paxton, Jose Bautista”
Remembering when George Bell hit three homers on Opening Day
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada It’s the most dominant Opening Day performance in Toronto Blue Jays history. On April 4, 1988, George Bell unleashed his frustrations and fury on Bret Saberhagen at Royals Stadium in Kansas City to become the first big leaguer to belt three home runs on Opening Day. Almost as newsworthyContinue reading “Remembering when George Bell hit three homers on Opening Day”
Canadian ball hall inductee Dick Fowler would be 100 today
*To commemorate Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Dick Fowler’s 100th birthday, I’m re-running this article that I wrote about his no-hitter that was published last September. By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada No one could’ve predicted that Dick Fowler would make history on September 9, 1945. Just eight days earlier, the 6-foot-4 Toronto nativeContinue reading “Canadian ball hall inductee Dick Fowler would be 100 today”
But What Do I Know? . . . Jordan Romano, Joey Votto, Andrew Albers, Bill Slack
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: –The Toronto Blue Jays announced on Thursday that closer Kirby Yates has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2021 season. The Blue Jays are now looking for someone to step in as closer. They have yet toContinue reading “But What Do I Know? . . . Jordan Romano, Joey Votto, Andrew Albers, Bill Slack”
Five things you should know about . . . Travis Fryman
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada When most people think of Travis Fryman, they remember him as a steady, productive Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. But to me, Fryman will always be a fresh-faced 20-year-old shortstop for the double-A London Tigers at Labatt Park. I was a baseball-crazedContinue reading “Five things you should know about . . . Travis Fryman”
Tours of historic Labatt Park to be offered this summer
Official Tourism London News Release London, Ont. – Beginning this summer, Labatt Memorial Park, home of the London Majors and the world’s oldest baseball diamond, will be offering exclusive behind the scenes public tours of this legendary facility. With a history dating back to 1877, Labatt Memorial Park has played an important role on theContinue reading “Tours of historic Labatt Park to be offered this summer”
