Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
Jay Schroeder, the Toronto Blue Jays' 1979 first-round pick, stretches with coach Jimy Williams at Blue Jays spring training in Dunedin, Fla., in 1981. Photo: Toronto Star Archives/Toronto Public Library July 6, 2022 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada The Toronto Blue Jays have had their share of outstanding first-round picks, but they have also... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Many longtime Canadian baseball fans can recall the Toronto Blue Jays defeating the Chicago White Sox 9-5 in snowy conditions at Exhibition Stadium on April 7, 1977 in their first regular season game, but how did the team fare in its first spring training contest? Well, that contest took... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Two former Toronto Blue Jays pitchers, a highly respected executive from the club's early years and a beloved coach died in 2021. As the end of the year approaches, let's take a moment to remember them. Elliott Wahle, the Toronto Blue Jays’ original administrator of player personnel, shown here... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Chuck Hartenstein, a relief pitcher on the 1977 Toronto Blue Jays, passed away on Saturday at the age of 79. The University of Texas Athletics department reported his death on their website on Tuesday. After major league tenures with the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Most longtime Toronto Blue Jays fans can tell you that Bill Singer threw the first regular season pitch in the franchise's history on that snowy day at Exhibition Stadium on April 7, 1977. But who caught that first pitch? The answer is Rick Cerone, who turns 67 today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoyXVG2Xc6E... Continue Reading →
Elliott Wahle, the Toronto Blue Jays' original administrator of player personnel, shown here second from the right, passed away on Friday at the age of 69. He is pictured here at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in St. Marys, Ont., in 2018 with ex-Blue Jays (far left to right) Paul Hodgson (Marysville,... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · Veteran right-hander Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.) has signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican Professional League for the 2020 season. This will be the right-hander’s 18th professional campaign. The 35-year-old Molleken informed me, however, that he will pitch for Canada... Continue Reading →
Ron Fairly, the only player to be named an all-star as a member of the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 81. A cause of death has not been released, but the Seattle Mariners, whom Fairly had most recently worked for as a broadcaster, shared the news... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · On July 1, 1969, the Montreal Expos defeated the Chicago Cubs 11-4 in front of 19,858 fans at Jarry Park in the first major league game played in Canada on Canada Day. Expos pitcher Steve Renko was the star of the contest, holding the... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: I won’t pretend that I really know Chris Colabello, but I do know this, in 29 years of going to spring training in Dunedin and attending Toronto Blue Jays games, I’ve never met a kinder, more generous player. I’ve told this story before, but in... Continue Reading →
