Belmont, Ont., resident and former Detroit Tigers pitcher Mike Kilkenny passed away on Thursday at the age of 73. Born in Bradford, Ont., on April 11, 1945, Kilkenny was an unlikely major leaguer. His high school didn't have a baseball team and he grew up at a time when Canadians were not eligible for the... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know?. . . John Axford, Pedro Martinez, Robin Yount, Eric Cyr
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · Port Dover, Ont., native John Axford has signed a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays that includes an invite to big league spring training. The 6-foot-5 reliever struggled in 2017 after beginning the campaign on the disabled list with a right shoulder... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Rob Thomson, Matt Stairs, Justin Morneau, Jesse Barfield
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · Bodog, an online gambling site, is listing Corunna, Ont., native Rob Thomson as the favourite to be the new manager of the New York Yankees in wake of Joe Girardi’s surprising dismissal on Thursday. Thomson, who has been with the Bronx Bombers organization for... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Gary Carter, Dave Stieb, Kirk McCaskill, Fergie Jenkins
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: Yesterday would’ve been Montreal Expos legend Gary Carter’s 63rd birthday. It seems fitting that Carter’s birthday falls on the same date as the first-ever Expos regular season game. Carter would’ve turned 15 on April 8, 1969 when the Expos defeated the New York Mets (the... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Russell Martin, Tim Raines, Fergie Jenkins
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: If it seems like Russell Martin has hit a lot of clutch, late-inning home runs for the Toronto Blue Jays this season, that’s because he has. Thirteen of the Montreal native’s 19 homers have come in the sixth inning or later. Thirty-two years ago today,... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Jose Bautista, Goose Gossage, Jesse Litsch
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Rule No. 1 of Canadian baseball blogging is don’t criticize Jose Bautista unless you’re prepared for an onslaught of vitriol from his online supporters. I’ve learned this the hard way over the years. So on Thursday, when Goose Gossage called Bautista “a disgrace to... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Jose Bautista, Brandon Morrow, Ken Robinson
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • On Monday, when reporters asked Jose Bautista what it will take for the Toronto Blue Jays to re-sign him after his contract expires at the end of the season, the slugger said that he had a dollar amount in mind (rumored to be at... Continue Reading →
Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Doc Younker passes away
Long-time baseball trainer and 2005 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Harold “Doc” Younker passed away on Saturday at the age of 94. Younker served as a trainer in amateur and professional baseball for more than 50 years. “Doc was a kind, dedicated man who selflessly looked after players in Canada and the United States... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Tim Raines, Bartolo Colon, John Olerud
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • If you’re not convinced that Tim Raines should be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame after reading this Sporting News article, you’ll never be convinced. This story shares many of the former Montreal Expo’s supporting statistics that were up dug up by... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? . . . Josh Donaldson, John Hiller, Brett Cecil
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson is on pace to post a 9.2 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) this season. WAR is an all-encompassing statistic that measures the number of wins a player (taking into account their offensive and defensive contributions) adds to their... Continue Reading →