Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
February 1, 2023 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada When Jesse Barfield was 13, he was sitting in the upper right field bleachers at Comiskey Park watching the Chicago White Sox with his friends, when he leaned over to them and said, “You know one day I’m going to be playing right out there.” “And... Continue Reading →
Two former big league pitchers, a legendary Toronto Blue Jays outfielder and a grassroots coach and executive who has devoted seven decades to baseball have been elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Former Montreal Expos left-hander Denis Boucher (Montreal, Que.), ex-Oakland A’s right-hander Rich Harden (Victoria, B.C.) and rifle-armed ex-Blue Jays right fielder Jesse Barfield will be inducted in a ceremony at the Hall of Fame grounds in St. Marys, Ont., on June 17. Longtime Manitoba baseball coach and executive Joe Wiwchar will also be inducted.
Toronto Mets alum and Wright State Raiders infielder Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) has a chance to go in the first round of the MLB Draft today. Photo: Wright State Athletics By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: -The first round of the MLB draft starts tonight... Continue Reading →
June 14, 2020 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: - Veteran right-handers Scott Mathieson and Scott Richmond, who were both born in Vancouver, had hoped to pitch for Canada at the Olympics this summer and then retire. With the Olympics postponed until 2021, however, both... Continue Reading →
June 11, 2020 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Tom Goffena, the first player the Toronto Blue Jays ever selected in the MLB June amateur draft, has passed away at the age of 61. According to his friend, Mark Bulle, Goffena had been battling colon cancer for the past 10 years. "Tom passed away... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: - Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) posted this powerful photo (below) on Twitter on Tuesday. He also shared a more personal message two days later. He is an important voice to be listening to... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · So you think it’s easy for writers to fill out their National Baseball Hall of Fame ballots? Go ahead and pretend you have a vote and fill out your own ballot. This was an exercise I undertook on Thursday, and let me tell you,... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · Up until my mid-teens, he channeled his inner Mickey Mantle to hit me countless fly balls down Thames Crescent in Dorchester, Ont. And I chased them pretending to be Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby or Dale Murphy. He’s a kind, quiet, patient, gentle and responsible... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · Bodog, an online gambling site, is listing Corunna, Ont., native Rob Thomson as the favourite to be the new manager of the New York Yankees in wake of Joe Girardi’s surprising dismissal on Thursday. Thomson, who has been with the Bronx Bombers organization for... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · It’s good to know that Etobicoke, Ont., native Joey Votto is not only a Hall of Fame calibre player, but a Hall of Fame guy. You’ve probably read about Votto’s relationship with Walter “Superbubz” Herbert, a six-year-old fan with neuroblastoma. Votto had met with... Continue Reading →