After Fred McGriff was drafted by the Yankees in 1981, he was assigned to their Gulf Coast League club. His first manager was Carlos Tosca.
Tosca, McGriff’s first pro manager, reflects on HOFer’s early years
Emotional Boucher grateful for Canadian ball hall honour
With friends and family sitting close by, Denis Boucher found it difficult to hold back the tears at his Canadian ball hall induction ceremony on Saturday afternoon in St. Marys, Ont.
Five things you might not know about Willie Upshaw
September 30, 2022 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada He was Pat Gillick’s favourite player. At least that’s how Willie Upshaw was described in some newspaper articles in the 1980s. And the description seems appropriate. After all, it was Gillick who drafted and signed Upshaw for the New York Yankees in 1975 and then again,... Continue Reading →
August 18, 1995 – Tom Henke records 300th MLB save
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Twenty-six years ago today, Tom Henke registered his 300th major league save when he secured the final four outs for the St. Louis Cardinals in their 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYbrLoDljdU In a Canadian baseball fan's perfect world, Henke would've reached that milestone with... Continue Reading →
He played for the Blue Jays? . . . Dave Parker
Dave Parker played 13 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1991 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Do you remember when the Cobra was a Blue Jay? No one would blame if you don't. After all, Dave Parker was only a Blue Jay for three weeks 30 years ago. But in that short tenure... Continue Reading →
Elliott Wahle, original Blue Jays’ administrator of player personnel, passes away at 69
Elliott Wahle, the Toronto Blue Jays' original administrator of player personnel, shown here second from the right, passed away on Friday at the age of 69. He is pictured here at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in St. Marys, Ont., in 2018 with ex-Blue Jays (far left to right) Paul Hodgson (Marysville,... Continue Reading →
Ex-Blue Jays News: Bass, Dermody, Happ
Former Toronto Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ has signed a one-year, $8-million deal with the Minnesota Twins. Photo: Minnesota Twins/Twitter January 26, 2021 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly roundup of former Toronto Blue Jays news and notes: Player Signings –LHP Matt Dermody has signed a one-year deal with the Seibu Lions of... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Jamie Romak, Felipe Alou, Pat Gillick, George Bell
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: – I was happy to see fellow London, Ont., native Jamie Romak be named this year's recipient of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Tip O'Neill Award on Thursday. In a year with so much gloom, this is a... Continue Reading →
He played for the Blue Jays? . . . Phil Niekro
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Who's the first former Toronto Blue Jays player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame? That's a question that often stumps Canadian baseball fans. And you can be forgiven if you don't remember Phil Niekro - who's the answer to the question - making three starts... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Larry Walker, Jordan Romano, Cal Quantrill, Pat Gillick
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: - It was 31 years ago today that Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and 2020 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) made his major league debut. Batting sixth and playing right field for... Continue Reading →