Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
Ron Johnson, shown here with the Montreal Expos' triple-A Indianapolis Indians in 1984, has died of complications from COVID-19. He was 64 By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Ron Johnson, who played five games with the Montreal Expos in 1984, passed away from complications from COVID-19 in Morrison, Tenn., on Tuesday at the age of... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada Here's my weekly roundup of former Toronto Blue Jays and Montreal Expos news: - On Friday, the Chicago White Sox declined their $12-million option on Edwin Encarnacion for next season, making the former Blue Jays slugger a free agent. Encarnacion, who clubbed 239 of his 424 big league home... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · Ladner, B.C., native James Paxton allowed just one earned run in 5 2/3 innings in his debut with the New York Yankees against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. Paxton’s start represented the first time in nearly 43 years that a Canadian pitcher has started... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · After Toronto Blue Jays back-up catcher Luke Maile went 2-for-4 with a walk-off single and three RBI in the second game of his club’s doubleheader sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, Montreal native Russell Martin, who started the first contest, was playfully... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: · Thanks to the baseball card above, every time I watch the Cleveland Indians play I feel like Bryn Smith is also somewhere in the team’s dugout. This is a 1982 Topps Future Stars card that features then Montreal Expos prospects Terry Francona (now Indians... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: Congratulations to Vancouver, B.C., native and ex-Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Scott Richmond for helping the EDA Rhinos capture the Taiwan Series championship yesterday. The 37-year-old right-hander won nine games and hurled 152-2/3 innings for the Chinese Professional Baseball League club and was named the league’s... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: The 1982 Topps Montreal Expos Future Stars card (pictured above) showcases Terry Francona and Brad Mills together on their first Topps baseball card. Both played for the Expos’ only playoff team in 1981 and 35 years later, Mills is serving as Francona’s bench coach for... Continue Reading →
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 →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • The first spring training game I ever went to was in Dunedin, Fla., on March 20, 1987. The Cincinnati Reds were playing the Toronto Blue Jays and I was an eager 13-year-old with an autograph book. I was shy, but I stood above the... Continue Reading →
During the summers of 1983 and 1984, one of the favourite ways for my brother Paul and I to pass our time was to write fan letters to big league baseball players and ask for their autographs. The Montreal Expos players proved to be particularly obliging. I think the first player we heard back from... Continue Reading →