My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Ah, the fickleness of fandom. I find it fascinating that some of the same fans that wanted Alex Anthopoulos fired in May are now the angriest that he’s leaving. Some baseball pundits have suggested that Anthopoulos would be a good fit with the Miami... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Michael Young, Bo Schultz, Kal Segrist
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • I can’t wait to watch the defending champion Canadians take on the United States in the Pan Am Games gold medal baseball game tonight. This is a dream match-up for the Pan Am Games and their TV rights holder, CBC, in a sport that... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Farhan Zaidi, Devon Travis, Ron Stead
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Sudbury, Ont., native Farhan Zaidi was named the general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers last week to become the sixth Canadian to be named a big league GM. The others are George Selkirk (Huntsville, Ont., Washington Senators, 1964 to 1969), Murray Cook (Sackville,... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Baseball Canada Banquet Edition
[twitter-follow screen_name='coopincanada'] Here are a few tidbits I gleaned from attending the annual Baseball Canada National Teams Awards Banquet and Fundraiser yesterday at the Rogers Centre: - Blue Jays broadcasting icon Jerry Howarth, the long-time emcee of the banquet, was battling a case of laryngitis, so his radio booth partner Mike Wilner was called in... Continue Reading →
Book Review – Full Count: Four Decades of Blue Jays Baseball
Late in Full Count: Four Decades of Blue Jays Baseball (2013, Random House Canada), Jeff Blair writes that the Blue Jays “won the off-season.” After the club’s blockbuster with the Miami Marlins and their acquisition of R.A. Dickey, Blair – a Globe & Mail columnist who doubles as a radio show host on Sportsnet 590... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? … Scott Richmond, George Kottaras, Jackie Robinson
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): If you’re wondering – like I was – why Scott Richmond (Vancouver, B.C.) isn’t pitching for Canada in the World Baseball Classic qualifier in Germany, it’s because (as Bob Elliott notes in the Toronto Sun today) his... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? … The All-Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend Edition
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): Around 1,500 people were on the Hall of Fame grounds on Saturday for the events surrounding the induction of Expos legend Rusty Staub, New Brunswick-born big leaguer Rheal Cormier, current Milwaukee Brewers GM Doug Melvin (Chatham, Ont.)... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? … Brandon Morrow, Jeff Francis, Mike Sirotka
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): Being named the Toronto Blue Jays’ closer is becoming a lot like being tabbed the starting goalie of the Philadelphia Flyers. No matter who assumes the role, they seem doomed to fail. I hope Blue Jays... Continue Reading →
Second worst trade in Toronto Blue Jays history
Say what you want about J.P. Ricciardi, he certainly made some questionable moves during his tenure as the Jays’ general manager, but the fast-talking Massachusetts native wasn’t the author of the two worst trades in franchise history. He didn’t ship Michael Young and David Cone out of Toronto for Esteban Loaiza and the equivalent of... Continue Reading →
The 10th anniversary of the worst Blue Jays trade in franchise history
This is the story of how one Canadian big league general manager fleeced another Canadian general manager out of a player that would become one of the best infielders in Major League Baseball. Well, the story isn’t that simple. And Doug Melvin, a Chatham, Ont., native and then general manager of Texas Rangers, will admit... Continue Reading →