My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: It was 26 years ago today that Chatham, Ont., native Fergie Jenkins was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to become the first – and still only – Canadian player honoured by the Cooperstown shrine. The 6-foot-5 right-hander won 284 major league games... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Paul Quantrill, Tim Raines, Gary Carter, Ralph Branca
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: Congratulations to Port Hope, Ont., native and Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Quantrill who’s set to become the ninth member of Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence. He will be honoured during the organization’s National Teams Awards Banquet & Fundraiser set to take place at... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Tim Raines, John Sullivan, Fergie Jenkins
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • According to Ryan Thibs, who tracks the baseball writers’ Hall of Fame ballots each year (Tracker here: http://is.gd/KSjpP7), Montreal Expos great Tim Raines has been voted for on 80.1 per cent of the 141 ballots made public. Candidates need 75 per cent support to... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Jeff Francis, Fergie Jenkins, Ron Taylor
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Congratulations to Jeff Francis (North Delta, B.C.) on his successful 11-year major league career. Hall of Fame writer Bob Elliott shared on the Canadian Baseball Network on Friday that Francis is retiring. A first-round pick (ninth overall) in the 2002 MLB amateur draft, the... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Brett Lawrie, Scott Diamond, Otto Velez
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Having Lawrie and Lowrie on the same team in the same infield is a typo waiting to happen for a baseball writer. Fortunately for them, the Oakland A’s are reportedly looking to trade Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.). Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Russell Martin, Jack Graney, Tom Henke
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • For a major league team to make the postseason these days, they require their stars to be stars, but they also need to have one or two outstanding performers that come out of nowhere. The Toronto Blue Jays have five such players. Twenty year-old... 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? . . . Drew Hutchison, Ron Fairly, 1994 Montreal Expos
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Drew Hutchison’s 2015 season is shaping up to be eerily similar to Ricky Romero’s 2012 campaign. Both were Opening Day starters in those respective seasons and both benefitted from strong run support prior to the All-Star break. In 2012, Romero was 8-4 with a... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Josh Donaldson, Jeff Francis, Gene Tenace
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • After the Toronto Blue Jays traded third baseman Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) to the Oakland A’s as part of the package for Josh Donaldson on November 28, almost every Jays fan I encountered said that they wished the club hadn’t traded Lawrie. My standard... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Jim Fanning, Andrew Albers, Joe Carter
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • The official obituary for Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Fanning appeared in Saturday’s London Free Press. The life of the legendary Montreal Expos executive and field manager, who passed away of heart failure on April 25 at the age of 87, will be... Continue Reading →