Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
Is he Charlie or Tim? That's the question that still follows one of the longest tenured Montreal Royals around. You see, Charlie Thompson (as identified in the Montreal Royals team photo above and on his 1954 Topps baseball card) is presented as "Tim Thompson" on his 1958 Topps card. And if you conduct a Google... Continue Reading →
Jesse Owens is the only person that could beat Jack Cassini in a foot race. At least that's what the former Montreal Royal told the Arizona Republic in an interview in March 2008. "I could hit, and I could run like hell," Cassini told the paper. The ex-big leaguer was 88 when he made this... Continue Reading →
"He was not a star, but a nova, appearing, flaring and disappearing . . . " Roger Kahn, The Boys of Summer It would be difficult to describe Joe Black's major league career more accurately and eloquently than Kahn did in his acclaimed 1972 book about the Brooklyn Dodgers. After toeing the rubber in... Continue Reading →
Writer’s Note: Jackie Robinson would've turned 95 today. In honour of his birthday, I present to you the short bio that I wrote for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s website. Prior to breaking Major League Baseball’s colour barrier in 1947, Jackie Robinson starred at second base for the Montreal Royals, a Brooklyn Dodgers farm... Continue Reading →
When Glenn Cox debuted with the Montreal Royals in the spring of 1951, the first batter he faced was Jackie Robinson. The Dodgers' Triple-A Royals were battling their big league peers in an exhibition game, and as Robinson dug into the batter's box, Cox, then a raw, 20-year-old right-hander, stared in for a sign from... Continue Reading →
[twitter-follow screen_name='coopincanada'] It's not easy being a prospect when the player you're touted to replace is a perennial all-star and fan favourite. That's the position that Humberto "Chico" Fernandez found himself in after he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a 19-year-old in 1951. Once the slick-fielding shortstop was in the Dodgers' system, it... Continue Reading →
*This is part of my ongoing series of articles about members of the 1954 Montreal Royals. While manning left field for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Don Thompson threw out New York Yankees second baseman Billy Martin to end Game 4 of the 1953 World Series. But while this toss was one of the highlights of Thompson's... Continue Reading →
Roberto Clemente appears comfortable and serene as he signs autographs for an eager group of kids in the above photo that was snapped at Jarry Park in 1970. But if you examine this baseball legend's numbers in Montreal during his professional career, you'd have to think that Clemente was frustrated for much of the time... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations about stories around the baseball world from a Canadian perspective (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): - Struggling ex-Toronto Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero - who was dropped from the club's 40-man roster on Saturday - could draw inspiration from Adam Lind, who, just over 12 months ago, was similarly removed from... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations about stories around the baseball world from a Canadian perspective (Please follow me on Twitter @kevinglewsports): - According to Sportsnet.ca, Montreal native Chris Leroux, who was Canada's best starting pitcher in this year's World Baseball Classic, has signed with Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Japan's Central League. The 29-year-old right-hander had been designated... Continue Reading →