Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
Montreal Gazette reporter Dink Carroll referred to Homer "Dixie" Howell as "the prodigal son." The description was apt when you consider that Howell played parts of six seasons, in four separate stints, with the Montreal Royals. No matter where the likeable catcher traveled during his lengthy professional baseball odyssey, his road always seemed to point... Continue Reading →
He lost his big league job to Duke Snider and had to compete for playing time with Roberto Clemente, but Dick Whitman still managed to forge out a 13-year career in professional baseball. Born in Woodburn, Ore., in 1920, Whitman played for the semi-pro Silverton Red Sox alongside future big leaguers Johnny Pesky and Joe... Continue Reading →
Is he Charlie or Tim? That's the question that still follows one of the longest tenured Montreal Royals around. You see, Charlie Thompson (as identified in the Montreal Royals team photo above and on his 1954 Topps baseball card) is presented as "Tim Thompson" on his 1958 Topps card. And if you conduct a Google... Continue Reading →
He pitched two scoreless innings in the 1952 World Series against the powerhouse New York Yankees and in parts of five major league seasons in total, but Ken Lehman experienced his greatest success on the diamond in Montreal. In three seasons with the Montreal Royals from 1953 to 1955, the six-foot left-hander won a Junior... Continue Reading →
It was Jackie Robinson who reportedly encouraged the Brooklyn Dodgers to sign Bobby Wilson out of the Negro Leagues. And when No. 42 spoke, the Dodgers listened, especially after his 1949 season in which he won the National League batting title and was named league MVP. Born in 1925 in Dallas, Texas, Wilson proved to... Continue Reading →
From ace starter in Montreal to World Series-winning closer in Brooklyn, Ed Roebuck certainly proved his versatility on the mound in the mid-1950s. After tying for the team lead in wins (18) with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1954, Roebuck made the big league Dodgers as a reliever the following spring. Brooklyn bench boss Walter... Continue Reading →
"He was not a star, but a nova, appearing, flaring and disappearing . . . " Roger Kahn, The Boys of Summer It would be difficult to describe Joe Black's major league career more accurately and eloquently than Kahn did in his acclaimed 1972 book about the Brooklyn Dodgers. After toeing the rubber in... Continue Reading →
When Glenn Cox debuted with the Montreal Royals in the spring of 1951, the first batter he faced was Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers' Triple-A Royals were battling their big league peers in an exhibition game, and as Robinson dug into the batter's box, Cox, then a raw, 20-year-old right-hander, stared in for a sign from... Continue Reading →
[twitter-follow screen_name='coopincanada'] It's not easy being a prospect when the player you're touted to replace is a perennial all-star and fan favourite. That's the position that Humberto "Chico" Fernandez found himself in after he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a 19-year-old in 1951. Once the slick-fielding shortstop was in the Dodgers' system, it... Continue Reading →
Who was the first player to walk to the plate in a major league game on the West Coast? The answer is Gino Cimoli, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound San Francisco native who was selected to bat leadoff for the Dodgers in their first regular season contest representing the city of Los Angeles. With his friends and... Continue Reading →
