Tony La Russa used to be a Mountie. No, not that kind of Mountie, although the legendary skipper, who will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27, does have a law degree. What we're referring to, however, is La Russa's 1968 season with the Oakland A's Triple-A Vancouver Mounties. The... Continue Reading →
Joe Nossek recalls special night in Vancouver in 1968
As a rookie with the Minnesota Twins in 1965, he played alongside Harmon Killebrew and registered hits off of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale in the World Series. Later as a coach, he helped restrain George Brett in the infamous pine tar game, was one of the first to shake Hank Aaron’s hand after the... Continue Reading →
But What Do I Know? … Jason Motte, Ernie Whitt, Jose Bautista
My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports): There are no Canadians playing in this year’s World Series, but Cardinals closer Jason Motte was born in Port Huron, Mich., just across the border from Sarnia, Ont. The bearded stopper is a spitting image of Hall... Continue Reading →
Dave McKay: The first Canadian to play for the Toronto Blue Jays
In 2008, I had the opportunity to interview Vancouver, B.C., native Dave McKay. He was the only Canadian in the Toronto Blue Jays lineup in their first game on that snowy day on April 7, 1977. McKay would later play for the Oakland A's and has now served on Tony LaRussa's coaching staff for close... Continue Reading →