By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada In the first inning of his major league debut, a nervous 21-year-old Larry Landreth peered in for the sign from his catcher Gary Carter. Glowering back at him from the batter’s box was reigning National League batting champion Bill Madlock – an intimidating right-handed hitter nicknamed “Mad Dog.”Continue reading “Ex-Expos: Whatever happened to? . . . Larry Landreth”
Tag Archives: first Canadian
January 8, 1991: Fergie Jenkins becomes first Canadian elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame
Twenty-nine years ago today, Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) became the first – and still only – Canadian inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. The Canadian pitching legend was elected in his third year of eligibility along with fellow right-hander Gaylord Perry and seven-time American League batting champion Rod Carew. Jenkins grewContinue reading “January 8, 1991: Fergie Jenkins becomes first Canadian elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame”
But What Do I Know? . . . Larry Walker, Joey Votto, Pat Hentgen, Jacques Doucet
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: It was 19 years ago today that Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker became the first Canadian to win a big league MVP Award. The left-handed-hitting slugger captured the National League honour by batting .366 and belting 49 home runs during the 1997 season. HeContinue reading “But What Do I Know? . . . Larry Walker, Joey Votto, Pat Hentgen, Jacques Doucet”
August 24, 1993: Kevin Reimer becomes first Canadian to register six hits in a MLB game
It would’ve been understandable if Kevin Reimer was too exhausted to savour the fact that he had just made Canadian baseball history. After all, on August 24, 1993, when the left-handed hitting slugger became the first and only Canadian to record six hits in a major league game, he accomplished this in a grueling, extra-inningContinue reading “August 24, 1993: Kevin Reimer becomes first Canadian to register six hits in a MLB game”
Dave McKay: The first Canadian to play for the Toronto Blue Jays
In 2008, I had the opportunity to interview Vancouver, B.C., native Dave McKay. He was the only Canadian in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup in their first game on that snowy day on April 7, 1977. McKay would later play for the Oakland A’s and has now served on Tony LaRussa’s coaching staff for closeContinue reading “Dave McKay: The first Canadian to play for the Toronto Blue Jays”
