Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My regular roundup of former Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos news: – The National Baseball Hall of Fame released their 2021 ballot on November 16. There are 25 notable ex-players on the ballot, including seven former Blue Jays. Four ex-Jays - Roger Clemens, Jeff Kent, Scott Rolen and... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada One of the benefits of spending a lot of time reading old stories about the Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos is that I've stumbled across a number of fascinating long-forgotten photos. Here are two highlights from this week's research: Tony Kubek in a Toronto Blue Jays' uniform? Most... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Former Montreal Expos right-hander Hal Dues passed away on October 20 at the age of 66. Longtime Expos photographer Russ Hansen was the first in Canada to report the news when he shared it on his Facebook page. Dues died in his hometown of Dickinson, Texas. No cause of... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Here's my weekly roundup of former Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos news: - On Friday, the Chicago White Sox declined their $12-million option on Edwin Encarnacion for next season, making the former Blue Jays slugger a free agent. Encarnacion, who clubbed 239 of his 424 big league home... Continue Reading →
He’s the most versatile player ever to don a Montreal Expos uniform. During the 1970 season, Ron Brand, who was primarily a catcher, played every position except for pitcher and first base. “I believe I’m the only guy who’s ever caught 300 [major league] games and played all of those other positions more than once,”... Continue Reading →
Canadian baseball fans are most likely to remember Jim Gosger for his tenure with the Montreal Expos, but it was his performance in Toronto 50 years ago that earned him his first major league starting assignment. Now a spirited, kind-hearted, 72-year-old living in Port Huron, Mich., Gosger has fond memories of his 1965 season with... Continue Reading →
Steve Shea, a reliever on the Montreal Expos first team, passed away on March 4 in North Hampton, N.H., at the age of 72. A cause of death was not released, but a comment below his online obituary suggests that it was not unexpected. The right-handed throwing Shea was purchased by the Expos from the... Continue Reading →
On this day in Canadian baseball history: November 14, 1984: The Montreal Expos sign Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker to a contract with a reported $1,500 signing bonus. When the big, strong Canadian inked his first professional baseball contract, he still preferred the Montreal Canadiens to the Montreal Expos, but after the longtime hockey... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations about stories around the baseball world from a Canadian perspective (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): - The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont., is offering fans a chance to own a piece of Toronto Blue Jays history. The ball shrine is selling seats from Exhibition Stadium, the first... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations about stories around the baseball world from a Canadian perspective (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): - Congratulations to Gibsons, B.C., native Ryan Dempster who became the 10th Canadian player to be part of a World Series-winning team when the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals last night. A starter... Continue Reading →