My weekly Canadian baseball news "But What Do I Know?" column discusses Michael Soroka, Edouard Julien and George Bell.
But What Do I Know? . . . Michael Soroka, Edouard Julien, Jamie Romak, George Bell, John Olerud
But What Do I Know? . . . Jeff Francis, Fergie Jenkins, Babe Ruth, Larry Walker
Babe Ruth, who hit his only regular season minor league home run in Toronto, was born on this date in 1895. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Some Canadian baseball news and notes: -Congratulations again to former Colorado Rockies ace and London, Ont., resident Jeff Francis who was elected... Continue Reading →
Original Blue Jay Chuck Hartenstein passes away at 79
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 →
A look at Hall of Famer Ted Simmons’ Canadian Connections
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada He played in the long shadow of Johnny Bench and then Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk. And somewhere along the way, baseball fans and writers forgot just how good Ted Simmons was. But the eight-time All-Star catcher is finally getting his due. On Wednesday, he'll be inducted into the... Continue Reading →
Five things you might not know about . . . Rick Cerone
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 →
Five things you should know about . . . Jesse Jefferson
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Jesse Jefferson, a workhorse starting pitcher on the early Toronto Blue Jays teams, would've turned 72 today. The underrated right-hander, who hailed from Midlothian, Va., passed away in 2011 after a courageous battle with prostate cancer. He was just 62. Selected by the Blue Jays from the Chicago White... Continue Reading →
He played for the Blue Jays? . . . Phil Niekro
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Who's the first former Toronto Blue Jays player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame? That's a question that often stumps Canadian baseball fans. And you can be forgiven if you don't remember Phil Niekro - who's the answer to the question - making three starts... Continue Reading →
Rod Carew turns 75, a look at his Canadian connections
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 →
Forty-three years ago, O’s manager Earl Weaver forfeits game at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada The headline in the Toronto Star the next day read, “When the rain came, Earl went home.” And many of those in attendance at Exhibition Stadium on September 15, 1977 still reminisce about the most costly tirade of Hall of Fame skipper Earl Weaver's career. A master strategist and... Continue Reading →
Remembering Tom Seaver and his Canadian connections
It seems fitting to show a Canadian Tom Seaver card today -- this is a 1979 O-Pee-Chee card made in London, Ont. By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has passed away at the age of 75. The National Baseball Hall of Fame shared the news of his death in... Continue Reading →