Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada He was the first rifle-armed Toronto Blue Jays right fielder. Before Jesse Barfield, Shawn Green, Raul Mondesi and Jose Bautista, there was Steve Bowling. The former University of Tulsa running back was the starting right fielder for the Blue Jays in the franchise’s first game on April 7, 1977.... Continue Reading →
He’s the answer to one of the more challenging Canadian baseball trivia questions. Who is the only person to be in a big league uniform for the first game at Exhibition Stadium and the first game at the SkyDome? The answer is Chuck Hartenstein, who was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays bullpen for... Continue Reading →
As a new year approaches, it’s a good time to look back and savour the memories of the Canadian baseball legends that we lost in 2011. In part one of my two-part series, I've created obituaries for the legends that we lost during the first half of 2011: Roy Hartsfield, January 15 After 15 seasons... Continue Reading →
Before guiding the Dodgers to four World Series titles and seven National League pennants, Hall of Fame skipper, Walter Alston, honed his managerial skills with the Montreal Royals. Born in Venice, Ohio on December 1, 1911, the legendary bench boss enjoyed a brief, uneventful stint in the big leagues as a player. His only major... Continue Reading →
They had their differences, but Ernie Whitt has come to appreciate how difficult Roy Hartsfield’s job was during the Toronto Blue Jays’ formative years. Hartsfield, who managed the Blue Jays for their first three seasons, passed away on Saturday at the age of 85. “Roy was put into a situation where you knew that you... Continue Reading →
The snow blanketing the field for the Toronto Blue Jays' inaugural game on April 7, 1977, must have been a shock for Roy Hartsfield, the team’s first skipper who had managed the Padres’ Triple-A club in Hawaii for the previous four seasons. But a little snow wasn’t about to cool Hartsfield’s excitement. After 15 seasons... Continue Reading →