Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: One of the best things about the Toronto Blue Jays signing catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be listening to Buck Martinez say his name on TV broadcasts. One of the worst things will be trying to spell his last name correctly. For the record, at 14... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Just how good has Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) been in his first 10 big league seasons? His career WAR – an all-encompassing statistic that measures the numbers of wins a player (taking into account their offensive and defensive contributions) adds to their team above... Continue Reading →
His first professional baseball contract was signed in a quintessentially Canadian setting. New Brunswick native Billy Harris was competing in a hockey tournament in Buchans, Nfld., when Brooklyn Dodgers scout Bill O’Connor secured the stocky 19-year-old’s signature on a piece of paper. Although the five-foot-seven Harris was a standout stickhandler, it was his right arm... Continue Reading →
*I thought I would re-run this blog entry on baseball pioneer Larry Doby that I wrote back when I started Cooperstowners in Canada. Not many people read it at the time, but I believe Doby's story is worth another look.* Like Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, the first African-American to play in the American League, also... Continue Reading →
Roy Campanella wasn’t one to wallow in his hardships. But if anyone had a right to be bitter, it was the stocky catcher from Philadelphia. Forced to endure unspeakable racial taunts as a minor leaguer, “Campy” persevered to become the best catcher in the big leagues from 1948 to 1957, only to have his career... Continue Reading →