By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada The first "Boomer" Wells to play for the Toronto Blue Jays wasn't given much of an opportunity to excel with the club. And in hindsight, it's hard to understand why. In August 1981, when the 6-foot-5 slugger, whose birth name is Greg, was summoned to the big leagues for... Continue Reading →
Tag: 1981
But What Do I Know? … Tim Wallach, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Carlos Delgado
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): Admittedly, I’ve been feeling nostalgic about the Montreal Expos lately, but last night I concocted a 2013 Toronto Blue Jays' coaching staff comprised entirely of 1981 Expos. This is merely a pipe dream and not to be... Continue Reading →
1981 Montreal Expos: Whatever happened to . . . Wallace Johnson
If you happen to see Wallace Johnson at the Montreal Jazz Festival this summer, stop and buy the man a drink.After all, the former pinch-hitter extraordinaire, who frequently returns to the city for this landmark event, was the author of arguably the most important hit in Montreal Expos history.His two-run triple off of New York... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? … Charlie Lea, J.P. Arencibia, Dave McKay
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): It’s been a sad year for those of us who have fond memories of the 1981 Montreal Expos team that lost to the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. Right-hander Charlie Lea became the third member... Continue Reading →
Former Expo Charlie Lea dies at 54
Charlie Lea, the only Montreal Expo to toss a no-hitter at Olympic Stadium, died at his home in Collierville, Tenn., on Friday. Reports indicate that the 54-year-old, former all-star died of a massive heart attack. Lea, who had been working as a radio analyst with the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals' Triple-A affiliate), was interviewed... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? … Eric Thames, Ryan Dempster, Warren Cromartie
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): If Eric Thames is going to be one of the Jays outfielders of the future, why did he DH for 10 of the 13 games during his big league call-up? Surely it can’t be because Corey Patterson... Continue Reading →
Ex-Expos – Whatever happened to … Charlie Lea
He’s the only Montreal Expo to toss a no-hitter at Olympic Stadium. And more than 29 years later, Charlie Lea, now an analyst on Memphis Redbirds’ (St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A affiliate) radio broadcasts, still remembers the game vividly. “I walked four guys, so it wasn’t like it was a perfect game,” he reflected modestly, in... Continue Reading →