Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
If you talk to a Toronto Blue Jays fan who’s old enough to have gone to games at Exhibition Stadium, one of the first things they are bound to do is break into an imitation of the way P.A. announcer Murray Eldon used to introduce Willie Upshaw.
Fifteen years before Rickey was being Rickey in Toronto, Rico was being Rico. Rico Carty, who died on November 23, was a great hitter but an equally great character.
My weekly Canadian baseball news "But What Do I Know?" column discusses Owen Caissie, Nick Pivetta and Matt Stairs.
October 18, 2022 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Willie Horton turns 80 today. As a Detroit Tiger, he was a four-time all-star, a World Series champion and the team's first black superstar whose efforts earned him a statue at Comerica Park. His No. 23 has also been retired by the club, and if Tigers... Continue Reading →
June 26, 2022 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada -In recent weeks, Boston Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) has been one of the most dominant major league pitchers. In his last 10 starts, dating back to May 7, the Canuck righty is 8-1 with a 1.85 ERA and has struck out 65 batters... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada It was 40 years ago yesterday that first baseman John Mayberry was named the captain of the Toronto Blue Jays. "I felt like the club needed a leader and that's why I appointed Big John," Blue Jays manager Bobby Mattick told reporters at the time. "He was the only... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada As a Detroit Tiger, Willie Horton was a four-time all-star, a World Series champion and the team's first black superstar whose efforts earned him a statue at Comerica Park. His No. 23 has also been retired by the club, and if Tigers fans were to anoint another Mr. Tiger,... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · In his 36 years with the Toronto Blue Jays, Jerry Howarth was a constant source of positivity and kindness and his narrative skills were second to none. The Blue Jays radio broadcasting icon was rightfully honoured with the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Jack... 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 down while pretending to be Jesse Barfield. He’s a kind, quiet, patient, gentle and responsible man who has literally... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • When John Mayberry Jr. doubled in the 10th inning for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, he became part of the first father-and-son combination to appear in a game for the club. His father, of course, manned first base for parts of five seasons... Continue Reading →
