Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Who was Whitey Ford's manager when he recorded the lowest ERA of his professional career? The answer is Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee George Selkirk. The Huntsville, Ont., native was the dugout boss of the class-A Eastern League Binghamton Triplets in 1949 when Ford, then a fresh-faced 20-year-old,... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Bill James, baseball’s most influential statistician, ranked him as the greatest second baseman in major league history, and fans that watched Joe Morgan play at Jarry Park would probably agree. The infield legend, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 77 from a reported nerve condition (a... Continue Reading →
Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) were mound rivals and perennial National League Cy Young Award contenders between 1967 and 1972. By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada After it was announced that longtime St. Louis Cardinals ace Bob Gibson had passed away on Friday, Canadian baseball legend Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) paid tribute to... Continue Reading →
Photo: Minnesota Twins program By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Without Rod Carew, Tony Fernandez probably wouldn’t have recorded more hits than any other player in Toronto Blue Jays history. Fernandez, who rapped out 1,583 hits with the Blue Jays, idolized the Panama-born Hall of Famer and modeled his batting stance after him. And if... Continue Reading →
Lou Brock served as a coach with the Montreal Expos in 1993. By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada On top of his 3,000 hits, 938 stolen bases and first-ballot induction in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Lou Brock is also the answer to an important Canadian baseball trivia question. Who was the first major... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Without Rod Carew, Tony Fernandez probably wouldn’t have recorded more hits than any other player in Toronto Blue Jays history. Fernandez, who rapped out 1,583 hits with the Blue Jays, idolized the Panama-born Hall of Famer and modeled his batting stance after him. And if you were lucky enough... Continue Reading →
Gaylord Perry and Fergie Jenkins forged a fast friendship when they pitched together on two mediocre Texas Rangers teams in 1975 and 1980. And when you stop to think about it, it's easy to understand why these two pitching legends hit it off. Both were workhorse right-handers whose goal in every start was to toss... Continue Reading →
"He doesn't just hit pitchers. He takes away their dignity." Don Sutton, on Willie Stargell's propensity for belting long home runs. That must have been how Montreal Expos southpaw Dan McGinn felt on July 16, 1969. With the Pittsburgh Pirates trailing 6-2 in the top of the eighth inning at Jarry Park, Stargell strolled... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Whitey Herzog called Bruce Sutter the "Sandy Koufax of relievers," and on September 8, 1977, the Montreal Expos certainly felt the same way. Armed with his overpowering split-finger fastball, the bearded right-hander entered the game at Wrigley Field in the eighth inning with the Cubs and Expos deadlocked in... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Bill James, baseball's most influential statistician, ranks him as the greatest second baseman in major league history, and fans that watched Joe Morgan play at Jarry Park would probably agree. In 43 games at the old Montreal ballpark, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound second baseman clubbed seven homers and recorded a... Continue Reading →