Kevin Glew’s Canadian Baseball History Blog
Canadian baseball fans are most likely to remember Jim Gosger for his tenure with the Montreal Expos, but it was his performance in Toronto 50 years ago that earned him his first major league starting assignment. Now a spirited, kind-hearted, 72-year-old living in Port Huron, Mich., Gosger has fond memories of his 1965 season with... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • The ERAs of R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle, Drew Hutchison and Aaron Sanchez, who have been in the Toronto Blue Jays’ starting rotation for the entire season, are 5.76, 5.54, 6.17 and 4.26 respectively. The ERAs of the top four starters – Randy Wolf, Scott... Continue Reading →
Jim King, who was named the International League's MVP while with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1960, died on February 23 in Fayetteville, Ark., at the age of 82. On top of his heroics in Hogtown, King also clubbed 117 home runs in parts of 11 major league seasons between 1955 and 1967 with the... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • Just 35 days after Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, died, Mr. White Sox has also passed away. Legendary outfielder Minnie Minoso died early Sunday at the age of 90. The trailblazing Cuban, who suited up in major league games in five different decades, played parts... Continue Reading →
Don Johnson, who pitched parts of five minor league seasons with the International League's Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1950s, died of kidney failure in Portland, Ore., on February 10 at the age of 88. Though his wild and hard-drinking ways sometimes overshadowed his on-the-field performance, Johnson managed to pitch in parts of seven big... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • New Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has been traded twice during his big league career and both times it was for a Canadian. The Blue Jays, of course, acquired him from the Oakland A’s on Friday for a package highlighted by Brett... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • George Shuba, who played parts of three seasons with the Montreal Royals (1946, 1951, 1956), passed away on Monday in Youngstown, Ohio at the age of 89. The 5-foot-11 outfielder spent his entire professional career in the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. And though he competed... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • When John Mayberry Jr. doubled in the 10th inning for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, he became part of the first father-and-son combination to appear in a game for the club. His father, of course, manned first base for parts of five seasons... Continue Reading →
Courtesy of Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame St. Marys, Ont. – On September 5, 1914, a 19-year-old Boston Red Sox pitching prospect stepped up to the plate in the sixth inning and belted a three-run home run off of Toronto Maple Leafs hurler Ellis Johnson at Hanlan’s Point Stadium on Toronto Island. Few thought much... Continue Reading →
My weekly observations and notes about some Canadian baseball stories: • With his victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday, Richmond, B.C., native James Paxton has won the first six decisions of his big league career. Surprisingly, this is not a Canadian record. Toronto, Ont., native Jesse Crain won the first 11 decisions of his... Continue Reading →