Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: – Rest in peace to Canada's hockey dad, Walter Gretzky. He passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 after battling Parkinson's disease and a number of other health issues. The senior Gretzky was also a big baseball... Continue Reading →
Former Toronto Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ has signed a one-year, $8-million deal with the Minnesota Twins. Photo: Minnesota Twins/Twitter January 26, 2021 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly roundup of former Toronto Blue Jays news and notes: Player Signings –LHP Matt Dermody has signed a one-year deal with the Seibu Lions of... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: On the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, Wayne Gretzky shared that baseball was his favourite sport when he was growing up. The Brantford, Ont., native, who’s the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, said that if he had been given the choice of playing professional hockey or... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: Just a reminder that the annual Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction festivities begin this Thursday with a home run derby and celebrity slo-pitch game starting at 6 p.m. at Rotary Field on the Hall of Fame grounds in St. Marys, Ont. Admission to the... Continue Reading →
Here’s some information on what sounds like a fascinating new book about British Columbia baseball legend Ernie Kershaw. The book is written by Vancouver sports researcher and historian Len Corben. Information on how to order the book can be found at the end of this blog entry. I’ve already ordered my copy. *********************************************************************************************** By Len... Continue Reading →
He was as passionate about baseball as he was about justice. That’s a good way to remember Ontario Superior Court judge Randy Echlin, who passed away on Friday after a courageous battle with cancer at age 60. Despite several conversations with Randy over the past decade, it wasn’t until about five years ago that I... Continue Reading →
Wee Willie Keeler is best remembered as a prolific slap hitter with the Baltimore Orioles, but the diminutive outfielder played his final professional season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1911. Lured north of the border by former Baltimore teammate, Joe Kelley, who was managing Toronto’s Eastern League club, the 39-year-old Keeler hit .277 in... Continue Reading →
In recent years, British Columbia has become a hotbed for baseball talent. Current major leaguers Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC), Jason Bay (Trail, BC), Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, BC), Rich Harden (Victoria, BC), Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC) and Blake Hawksworth (North Vancouver, BC) all hail from Canada’s western-most province. But 55 years ago, Bob Alexander... Continue Reading →