Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda once said, “Listen, if you start worrying about the people in the stands, before long you’re up in the stands with them.” Well, it’s a good thing that Toronto Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos and manager John... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • For a major league team to make the postseason these days, they require their stars to be stars, but they also need to have one or two outstanding performers that come out of nowhere. The Toronto Blue Jays have five such players. Twenty year-old... Continue Reading →
By Kevin Glew Cooperstowners in Canada You wouldn’t believe the stories this retired cabinetmaker can tell you. Like how he hated throwing batting practice to Roberto Clemente, because almost everything the free-swinging outfielder hit went right back “through the box.” Or about how he shared a spring training complex with Jackie Robinson. “Vero Beach (the... Continue Reading →
He didn't quite make the big leagues, but Wally Fiala must have been able to tell some great stories about his professional baseball career. The gritty infielder, whose road to the big leagues was blocked by Brooklyn Dodgers superstars like Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges, roomed with the spirited and loquacious Tommy... Continue Reading →
He pitched two scoreless innings in the 1952 World Series against the powerhouse New York Yankees and in parts of five major league seasons in total, but Ken Lehman experienced his greatest success on the diamond in Montreal. In three seasons with the Montreal Royals from 1953 to 1955, the six-foot left-hander won a Junior... Continue Reading →
If you spend any amount of time with Bob Elliott, you’ll quickly discover that he’s passionate about three things: his family, baseball and his hometown of Kingston, Ont. That’s why his induction into the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame on Friday was every bit as meaningful to him as being honoured by the... 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 →
When I worked at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys in 2008 and 2009, I found myself fascinated with a 1954 Montreal Royals team photo. From 1939 to 1960, the Royals were the Triple-A farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers, so baseball immortals like Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella and Don... Continue Reading →
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories: From the things I never thought I’d see file: Tommy Lasorda is on Twitter (@TommyLasorda). Here’s a sample tweet from the Dodgers legend and Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer: I can't wait to get a free serving of @PandaExpress Golden Treasure Shrimp today:... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week, I wrote about Walter Alston’s successful tenure as manager of the Montreal Royals, before he became a legendary skipper with the Dodgers. “The Quiet Man,” as he was sometimes dubbed, would pilot the Dodgers for 23 seasons, leading them to four World Series titles and seven National League pennants. But Alston isn’t... Continue Reading →
