But What Do I Know? … Justin Morneau, Roy Oswalt, Tim Raines

My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports):

 Tough luck Minnesota Twins slugger, Justin Morneau, was in Toronto for the annual Baseball Canada National Teams Awards banquet on January 14. Over the past two seasons, the New Westminster, B.C. native has been hampered by a variety of injuries, including a concussion as well as neck, wrist, knee and foot problems. “You know you haven’t had a good season when you’ve had as many surgeries as home runs,” Morneau noted about his 2011 campaign.

 If I was a betting man, I’d bet that Jesse Litsch has thrown his last regular season pitch for the Toronto Blue Jays.

 Speaking of the Jays, they will pay a combined $8.5 million for the services of veteran relievers Darren Oliver and Francisco Cordero in 2012. I share this because former Astros ace and three-time all-star, Roy Oswalt, who has hurled 180 or more innings in seven of his last eight seasons and is fully recovered from a  back injury, is still a free agent. Oswalt is seeking an $8-million, one-year contract. I’d rather have Oswalt in the rotation than Oliver and Cordero in the pen.

 I had the pleasure of speaking with Montreal Expo pinch hitter extraordinaire Wallace Johnson by phone on Thursday. I asked the Indiana native, who played in Montreal from 1981 to 1984 and then again from 1986 to 1990, whether he felt Tim Raines belonged in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. “I know Tim Raines is a Hall of Famer,” he responded. “That’s one guy that I’m amazed that folks didn’t realize how great he was. He could do anything on the ball field. And I hate to make comparisons because I get in trouble, but if Rickey Henderson is in the Hall of Fame, Tim Raines should be in the Hall of Fame. I think ‘Rock’ brought much more than just the stealing of bases. He was a switch hitter that won a batting title. He could do all kinds of things. I think without a doubt he should be in the Hall of Fame. I’m his No. 1 booster here in Gary, Indiana. We’ve got Andre (Dawson) in there, we’ve got Gary (Carter) in there, Dave Van Horne and now we need to get ‘Rock’ in there.”

 Earlier in January, my editor at CBC Sports, Doug Harrison, enjoyed a candid interview with Larry Walker, after the Maple Ridge, B.C. native again fell well short of election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. You can read Doug’s interview with Walker here: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/opinion/2012/01/qa-larry-walker-on-his-hall-of-fame-snub.html

 The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame will announce their 2012 inductees on February 7. I’ll have detailed coverage on this site. Stay tuned also to the Hall’s website for updates: http://baseballhalloffame.ca/

Valcke recognized for global baseball efforts

Courtesy of www.baseballhalloffame.ca

Los Angeles – Canada’s Tom Valcke was presented a special recognition award on Sunday at the World Children’s Baseball Fair (WCBF) 20th Anniversary Commemorative Award Gala at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. The head table at the event also featured a virtual Who’s Who of baseball, including WCBF founders and world homerun kings Hank Aaron and Japan’s Sadaharu Oh, accompanied by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, and hall-of-famers Lou Brock and Frank Robinson.

USA Baseball CEO Paul Seiler was the presenter of the prestigious award, and noted that Valcke was honoured due to his long-time dedication to coaching and his outstanding support of the WCBF.

Valcke, the outgoing president & CEO of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, has taught baseball in 17 different countries, and was the Technical Commissioner at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as well as the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics.

“Tom is recognized around the world as not only an experienced, knowledgeable and winning coach, but as a coach of coaches,” said Seiler.

Bud Selig and Tom Valcke in Los Angeles at WCBF gala“Tom’s passion for baseball, his tireless work ethic, and his ongoing commitment to youth is second to none. He’s a great motivator who is contagious, and having seen him in action abroad, he is separated from the pack because of his ability to keep things light and positive regardless of the inevitable curve balls thrown our way when we undertake these endeavours.”

“It is nice to see Tom receive this honour, but, quite frankly, I am confident that his best days lie ahead of him.”

In Valcke’s acceptance speech, he praised the founders, staff, his fellow coaches, volunteers and sponsors of the WCBF, where baseball serves as the medium for breaking down perceived cultural barriers, noting that 4,730 boys and girls have now participated in the event representing 85 different countries.

Valcke closed by saying he has always been inspired by Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson, who preached that: “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

Fanning reflects on the 1981 Expos

Jim Fanning is Canadian baseball royalty.

The ebullient former Montreal Expos manager, who turned 84 in September, remains active in Canadian baseball circles.

With over 60 years in professional baseball as a player, manager, executive, ambassador and most recently a fill-in analyst on Blue Jays’ radio broadcasts, the amiable Fanning, who resides in London, Ont., is a living diamond legend and master storyteller.

After playing in the Cubs system, Fanning was hired by fellow Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer, John McHale, as a special assignment scout for the Milwaukee Braves in 1963. The following year he was promoted to assistant general manager.

When McHale agreed to become the president of the expansion Montreal Expos in 1968, he tabbed Fanning to be the first general manager of the club. In his 25-year tenure with the Expos, Fanning helped build the franchise from scratch and served in several different capacities, including two stints as the field manager (1981-82, 1984).

When Fanning took over as the field boss in 1981, he had drafted or helped develop the skills of 21 of the players on the roster. The revered baseball man would guide the Expos to their first and only playoff berth in 1981, leading the team to within one win of advancing to the World Series.

For those of us who are longtime Canadian baseball fans, the 1981 Expos still hold a place in our hearts. Sadly, three members of that beloved squad passed away in 2011. Dick Williams, who started the storied campaign as the Expos manager died on July 7, while pitchers Woodie Fryman (February 4) and Charlie Lea (November 11) also passed away. In 2011, it was also announced that Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter was battling brain cancer.

“Woodie was one of my all-time favourites, if not the all-time favourite,” said Fanning, prior to the Baseball Canada National Teams Awards Banquet in Toronto last Saturday.  “He was like a brother to me. He was just a fantastic person. He was great on the club. He was great with the other players. He was an advisor and he was a fun guy. When I lost Woodie, I lost one of my best friends in baseball.”

Fanning also shared fond memories of Lea.

“I remember everything about Charlie Lea,” said Fanning. “I remember when he came through our system he didn’t start below Double-A Memphis. And it wasn’t long before he was in Triple-A and in the big leagues. He was pretty much a natural pitcher, with natural stuff. Pitching coaches didn’t have to do a lot with him. He was a little ahead of his development stage when we first signed him. And he was a fine major league pitcher.”

But it hasn’t been all bad news for the 1981 Expos over the past year. The club’s leadoff hitter, Tim Raines, saw his support jump by 61 votes in the National Baseball Hall of Fame balloting this January. And the fleet-footed outfielder now seems destined to eventually have a plaque in Cooperstown alongside teammates, Gary Carter and Andre Dawson.

“Tim had a long career. He played long enough to have compiled all kinds of stats from base-stealing to extra base hits to home runs for a little guy,” said Fanning. “He is truly for me a Hall of Famer. I think very definitely. He’s one of the top base-stealers in the history of the game, and he has done all of those other things with his offence and what he could do as a player, he could just churn things up. We didn’t have a steal sign with Timmy Raines, he’d just go. I don’t know of a greater baserunner . . . He was a great physical specimen and a really great guy.”

It’s hard to believe that more than 30 years have passed since Rick Monday belted that ninth inning home run that ended the 1981 Expos’ World Series hopes. Fortunately the stories of that team carry on through Fanning, who’s nothing short of Canadian baseball royalty.

Barry Larkin’s Canadian connections

During his 19-year big league career, Barry Larkin feasted on Canadian hurlers Rheal Cormier and Ryan Dempster, but fared poorly against Paul Quantrill and Mike Johnson.

And though the 12-time all-star and most recent National Baseball Hall of Fame electee enjoyed a four-hit game against the Montreal Expos on May 29, 1992, he hit only .272 overall against the Canadian club.

Let’s take a look at some of the legendary shortstop’s Canadian connections:

 In 124 games against the Expos, Larkin registered 128 hits, including 10 home runs. His first homer against Montreal was belted off of reliever Bill Campbell in the fourth inning of an 11-5 Reds’ victory on April 6, 1987 in Cincinnati.

 In 65 games at Olympic Stadium, Larkin batted .279 with two homers and 28 RBIs. His first round-tripper in Montreal was clubbed off of right-hander Randy St. Claire in the seventh inning in a Reds’ 12-6 win on May 13, 1987.

 Larkin had four Canadian teammates over the course of his career: Nigel Wilson (1995), Chris Reitsma (2001 to 2003), Ryan Dempster (2002, 2003) and Aaron Myette (2004).

 Among the notable ex-Blue Jays that Larkin played with in Cincinnati are Tony Fernandez (1994), David Wells (1995), Juan Guzman (1999) and B.J. Ryan (1999).

 Among the notable former Expos he played with are Pete Rose (1986), Bill Gullickson (1986), Tony Perez (1986), Terry Francona (1987), Jeff Reardon (1993) and Lee Smith (1996).

 As mentioned, New Brunswick-born southpaw Rheal Cormier dreaded facing Larkin. The star shortstop hit .500 (six for 12) off of him, including a home run and a double. Larkin also batted .350 off of Dempster, although all seven of his hits off the Sechelt, B.C. native were singles.

 The pride of Port Hope, Ont., Paul Quantrill held Larkin to just one hit in five at bats, while Edmonton-born righty Mike Johnson didn’t allow a hit to the perennial all-star in three at bats in his start for the Expos  on May 31, 2000.

 Larkin’s last big league hit (his 2,340th) was recorded on October 2, 2004 against Jason Bay (Trail, B.C.) and the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was a pinch-hit single off of Mike Gonzalez. Former Blue Jay Ryan Freel pinch ran for Larkin.

But What Do I Know? … Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Brett Lawrie

My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports):

 Any hopes that I had for Canadian Larry Walker receiving more Hall of Fame support from baseball writers this year were dashed this morning when I read about the ballots cast by 15 MLB.com scribes. Unbelievably, not one of them voted for Walker. The three-time batting champ and seven-time Gold Glove winner from Maple Ridge, B.C. was named on just 22.9 per cent of writers’ ballots.

 As expected, Barry Larkin was the only player elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). A 12-time all-star, nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner and 1995 National League MVP, Larkin is definitely a worthy inductee. For the record, Larkin hit .272 and recorded 128 hits in 124 games against the Montreal Expos. He never played against the Blue Jays.

 You know you’ve officially graduated into adulthood when you utter the phrase, “Those crazy kids.” That’s what I find myself saying when I read Brett Lawrie’s Twitter exchanges with his teammates. I love Lawrie’s energy and intensity, but I can’t say I always understand his tweets.

 I’m surprised there’s not more of an uproar from Jays fans about the Darren Oliver signing. Sure, the team needed a left-hander for the bullpen, but paying $4 million to a 41-year-old southpaw who averages a batter or two per outing seems exorbitant.

 I’ve written a lot about the former Blue Jays on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot, but one of the ex-Jays I’ve omitted from my analysis is Ruben Sierra. Sierra, who spent a forgettable 14 games with Toronto in 1997, was on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year and failed to garner a single vote.

 I like the idea of a reality show about the 2012 Florida Marlins proposed by my writing colleague Landon Evanson. One of his suggested titles: The Old Man and the Z – the show would capture the interactions between the volatile Ozzie Guillen and the equally temperamental Carlos Zambrano. Sounds like Celebrity Apprentice set in a baseball clubhouse.

 One of my pet peeves is listening to people gripe about how much big league players make, but even I think it’s ridiculous that in this economy, the Chicago Cubs can afford to pay Carlos Zambrano $15.5 million not to pitch for them in 2012.

BBA recommends Larkin, Bagwell for Hall of Fame

Courtesy of baseballbloggersalliance.wordpress.com

(If you want to read about who I’d vote for, follow this link: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/opinion/2012/01/mcgriff-raines-worthy-of-cooperstown.html)

BBA recommends Larkin, Bagwell for Hall of Fame

In the annual polling of members of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance, former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin and former Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell were recommended for induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is the third year the organization has conducted this survey of the membership.

Larkin, a 12-time All-Star who fashioned an .815 OPS over 19 seasons, received the largest percentage of votes, being named on 84.25% of the 148 ballots cast. This is the highest percentage garnered by any player in the three years of BBA voting.

Bagwell, who hit 449 HR and had a .948 OPS in his 15 seasons in Houston, was selected on 115 ballots for a 78.77% rate. As with the official voting done by the Baseball Writers of America, a player must be named on 75% of the ballots to be recommended by the alliance.

Last year, the BBA recommended second baseman Roberto Alomar and pitcher Bert Blyleven, both of whom were inducted into Cooperstown during the summer. In 2010, no player reached the 75% mark in BBA balloting, the year that outfielder Andre Dawson was selected for the Hall by the baseball writers.

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance’s vote has no impact on the official vote taken by the Baseball Writers of America. However, the BBA has often been a predictor of major awards granted by the writers.

The final voting results are as follows:

Barry Larkin 84.25%
Jeff Bagwell 78.77%
Edgar Martinez 60.27%
Tim Raines 57.53%
Alan Trammell 44.52%
Mark McGwire 41.10%
Larry Walker 35.62%
Lee Smith 33.56%
Jack Morris 32.19%
Don Mattingly 29.45%
Rafael Palmerio 28.77%
Fred McGriff 28.08%
Dale Murphy 16.44%
Bernie Williams 11.64%
Juan Gonzalez 6.16%
Javy Lopez 2.74%
Brad Radke 2.05%
Tim Salmon 1.37%
Bill Mueller 0.68%
Phil Nevin 0.68%
Ruben Sierra 0.68%
Tony Womack 0.68%
Jeromy Burnitz 0.00%
Vinny Castilla 0.00%
Brian Jordan 0.00%
Terry Mulholland 0.00%
Eric Young 0.00%

The Baseball Bloggers Alliance was established in the fall of 2009 for the purpose of fostering collaboration and communication among bloggers from across baseball. The BBA has quickly grown to its current membership of 347 blogs, including some of the most prominent blogs on the Internet, spanning all major league teams and various other general aspects of the game.

More information about the BBA can be found at their website, baseballbloggersalliance.wordpress.com, or by contacting the founder and administrator of the organization, Daniel Shoptaw, at founder@baseballbloggersalliance.com.

But What Do I Know? … Darren Oliver, Gio Gonzalez, Reed Johnson

My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports):

 Look on the bright side Blue Jays fans: The Rangers may have outbid Toronto for Yu Darvish, but the Jays outbid Texas for 41-year-old left-handed reliever Darren Oliver (sarcasm intended).

 The Washington Nationals’ decision to deal four top prospects to Oakland for the wild but effective Gio Gonzalez evokes memories of the Expos’ deal for Bartolo Colon on June 27, 2002. To land the portly ace, the Expos parted with three top prospects named Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore and Brandon Phillips.

 Interesting stat of the week: Former Jay Reed Johnson was hit by a pitch (11) more than twice as many times as he walked (5) in 2011 while with the Cubs.

 Until I read that Jack Morris’s career WAR (a statistic that measures how many wins a player adds above what a Triple-A replacement player at their position would contribute) was lower than former Twins starter Brad Radke, I believed the longtime Tigers ace should be in the Hall of Fame. Now I’m not so sure.

 There was no finer man in Canadian baseball circles than Randy Echlin who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer on August 12. It’s a nice gesture that the Canadian Baseball Network has decided to name their annual award for the top Canadian minor league hitter after the former judge. Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.) and Taylor Green (Comox, B.C.) were named co-winners of this year’s award.

 Toronto Sun reporter Mike Zeisberger wrote a nice tribute to Bob Elliott, after Elliott was named the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s J.G. Spink Award recipient for 2012. In the tribute, Zeisberger includes an interesting tidbit about the Blue Jays’ 1993 trade deadline activity. Prior to officially acquiring Rickey Henderson from the A’s, Blue Jays GM Pat Gillick had also worked out a deal with the Mariners for Randy Johnson. Gillick backed off on the Johnson deal when the Henderson swap was finalized, but it’s still fun to imagine The Big Unit pitching in Toronto.

In Memoriam – Remembering Canadian baseball legends that died in 2011 – Part 2

As a new year approaches, it’s a good time to look back and savour the memories of some of the Canadian baseball legends that we lost in 2011.

Here are obituaries of the legends that passed away in the second half of the year:

Dick Williams, July 7
Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008, Williams piloted the Oakland A’s to two World Championships (1972, 1973) and also guided the Red Sox (1967) and Padres (1984) to Fall Classic berths. To Canadians, he was best known as the fiery bench boss of Montreal Expos from 1977 to 1981, leading the club to two 90-win, second-place finishes in 1979 and 1980. Prior to becoming a manager, Williams suited up for parts of 13 seasons in the big leagues with the Dodgers, Orioles, Indians, A’s and Red Sox. He also played with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1953 and 1956 and he secured his first professional managerial gig with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1965. The outspoken Cooperstowner died of  an aneurysm on July 7 at the age of 82.

Hideki Irabu, July 27
This onetime Japanese phenom is best remembered for his controversial three-season tenure with the Yankees from 1997 to 1999. Though often labeled as a bust, he did win 13 games for the Bronx Bombers in 1998 and 11 more in 1999. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound right-hander was dealt to the Montreal Expos in December 1999 and made 14 starts for the club in 2000 and 2001, before concluding his career as a closer with the Texas Rangers in 2002. Irabu committed suicide in his California home at the age of 42.

Randy Echlin, August 12
He was as passionate about baseball as he was about justice. That’s a good way to remember Ontario Superior Court judge Randy Echlin, who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer at age 60. In baseball circles, the modest Toronto native rarely boasted about his more than 30 years as Canada’s foremost authority on employment law. In 2003, he became a judge and presided over more than 100 employment law cases in Ontario. But it was as a baseball fan that I knew Randy. His knowledge of the game would’ve made him a great sports radio host and his tireless support of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is one of the key reasons that the institution has survived. Most recently, he served as the chair of the inductee selection committee for the St. Marys, Ont.-based ball shrine.

Mike Flanagan, August 24
What Blue Jays fan can forget Flanagan’s gutsy, 11-inning performance against the Tigers on the second last day of the 1987 campaign? The witty southpaw spent parts of four seasons in Toronto and was a key hurler on the Jays’ 1989 division-winning squad. Most fans, however, will remember Flanagan’s 15-season tenure with the Baltimore Orioles, where he would capture a Cy Young Award in 1979 and a World Series ring in 1983. He also served as an executive with the Orioles after he hung up his spikes. Flanagan committed suicide on August 24 at the age of 59.

Jesse Jefferson, September 8
Selected by the Blue Jays in the 1976 expansion draft, Jefferson was a mainstay on the club’s pitching staff from 1977 to 1980. Despite an ugly 9-17 record, Jefferson posted a respectable 4.31 ERA and tossed 217 innings for Toronto in 1977. On May 23, 1978, Jefferson would set a team record by pitching a 12-inning complete game against the Boston Red Sox. Despite struggling to hold his spot in the rotation in 1979 and 1980, Jefferson would hurl an impressive 11-inning shutout against the Oakland A’s on May 16, 1980. He died of prostate cancer in his hometown of Midlothian, Va., at the age of 62.

Charlie Lea, November 11
One of just nine big leaguers born in France, Lea would record 62 wins in seven seasons with the Expos and Twins. The likable right-hander made history on May 10, 1981 when he tossed a no-hitter against the Giants to become the first – and only – Expo to register a no-hitter at Olympic Stadium. An injury would sideline him for the Expos’ 1981 post-season run, but he rebounded to record 12 wins and a 3.24 ERA in 1982. With 13 wins at the all-star break in 1984, Lea was named the National League’s starting pitcher for the midsummer classic at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In recent years, he had been working as a radio analyst with the Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate). He died at his home in Collierville, Tenn., of a heart attack at age 54.

Ron Stead, December 5
Stead grew up in Toronto close to Maple Leaf Stadium where he would hone his pitching skills by tossing batting practice. As his arm strengthened, he would sign a playing contract with the Leafs. The Leafs sent him to the Florida State League, where he recorded 17 wins and a sparkling 2.43 ERA for Gainesville in 1957. Following that campaign, Stead elected to return to Canada, where he would join the Intercounty League’s Brantford Red Sox. In his near decade with Brantford (1958 to 1966), the crafty southpaw evolved into the top pitcher in the circuit and led the Red Sox to six championships. He brought his overpowering arsenal to the Guelph C-Joys in 1967 and led the club to a league title in 1970. Stead also pitched at the 1967 Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg for Canada’s first national team. Though he retired in 1972, Stead still ranks as the Intercounty League leader in wins (104), innings pitched (1,365) and strikeouts (1,231). He died of pancreatic cancer on December 5.

In Memoriam – Remembering Canadian baseball legends that died in 2011 – Part 1

As a new year approaches, it’s a good time to look back and savour the memories of the Canadian baseball legends that we lost in 2011.

In part one of my two-part series, I’ve created obituaries for the legends that we lost during the first half of 2011:

Roy Hartsfield, January 15
After 15 seasons as a dugout boss in the minors, this Chattahoochee, Ga., native was named the first manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. The old school, story-telling skipper, who spoke with a deep Southern drawl, guided the Jays’ to a 9-5 victory in snowy conditions in the club’s debut on April 7, 1977, his first game in a three-season tenure in Toronto. In all, Hartsfield spent 43 years in baseball as a player, coach and manager. During his playing career, he suited up with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1953 and 1954. In retirement, he resided in Georgia and fittingly passed away in a town called Ball Ground at age 85.

Ron Piche, February 3
Born in Verdun, Que., in 1935, this hard-throwing right-hander was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1955 and would make his big league debut in 1960. Suiting up alongside Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews, Piche finished 27 games and notched nine saves that season. He would also pitch for the California Angels in 1965 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966. In parts of 16 minor league seasons that included stops in Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg and Quebec, Piche recorded 130 wins and an impressive 2.96 ERA. After retiring as a player, he became the Montreal Expos director of Canadian scouting from 1977 to 1985. More recently, his public relations work with the Expos earned him the nickname “Monsieur Baseball.” For his efforts, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. He died in his home province at age 75 after a long battle with cancer.

Woodie Fryman, February 4
The first of three members of the 1981 Montreal Expos to pass away in 2011, Fryman died at his home in Ewing, Ky., at age 70 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. A member of the Expos Hall of Fame, the crafty southpaw enjoyed two stints with the club (1975-76, 1978 to 1983) and was the team’s Player of the Year in 1976. In total, Fryman pitched in 18 big league seasons with the Pirates, Phillies, Tigers, Reds and Expos and won 141 games.

Chuck Tanner, February 11
Tanner, the manager of the 1979 World Series- winning, “We Are Family” Pittsburgh Pirates, passed away after lengthy illness at age 82. Though best remembered for his 20 seasons as a big league manager that also included tenures with the White Sox, A’s and Braves, Tanner was also a solid outfielder, who hit .313 in 1,454 minor league games, prior to his coaching career. His minor league resume included 98 games with the International League’s Toronto Maple Leafs in 1960 and 1961.

Gino Cimoli, February 12
One of the longest tenured Montreal Royals players, Cimoli played 10 seasons in the big leagues and was the first batter in Los Angeles Dodgers history. The versatile outfielder suited up for Montreal from 1949 to 1952 and then again in 1954 and 1955. His finest minor league season came with the Royals in 1955 when he hit .306 and knocked in 85 runs. Cimoli died in Roseville, Calif., of kidney and heart complications at age 81

Duke Snider, February 27
Before he became the “Duke of Flatbush,” Snider was Montreal’s “Duke of Delorimier.” After starting the 1948 season with the big league Dodgers, Snider was assigned to the Montreal Royals in mid-May. Playing his home games at Delorimier Stadium, the young slugger hit .327, belted 17 homers and drove in 77 runs in 77 games, enough to earn him a big league call-up in August. He would proceed to enjoy an 18-year big league career that saw him hit .295 and belt 407 home runs. Snider was also selected to eight all-star teams, was a member of two World Series-winning clubs and was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980. Following his playing career, he managed in the Dodgers’ and Padres’ organizations before returning to Montreal to serve as a TV analyst on Expos broadcasts from 1973 to 1986. A diabetic, Snider had been in declining health for several months before he passed away at age 84 in Escondido, California.

Reno Bertoia, April 15
Born in Italy in 1935, Bertoia moved with his family to Windsor when he was just 18 months old. With fellow Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer, Father Ronald Cullen, as his coach and mentor, Bertoia developed into a local baseball star and top big league prospect at Assumption High School. On August 31, 1953, he inked a deal with the Detroit Tigers that included an $11,000 signing bonus. Bertoia, who had never played a game in the minors, enjoyed his best season in 1957, when thanks to a torrid early stretch, he was leading the American League with a .383 batting average on May 16. In 1959, after being dealt to the Washington Senators, Bertoia would club a career-high eight homers.  In all, the smooth-fielding Windsor native would play parts of 10 seasons in the majors. After hanging up his spikes, he would teach history in Windsor for 30 years and scout for the Tigers and Blue Jays. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma two months prior to his death at age 75.

Mel Queen, May 11
Born in Johnson City, N.Y., Queen inherited some of his talent from his father, also named Mel, who pitched in the big leagues between 1942 and 1952. Mel Jr. would make his major league debut with the Cincinnati Reds as an outfielder in 1964, but was transformed into a pitcher in 1966. He put together his finest major league campaign the following year, when he won 14 games and recorded a 2.76 ERA in 31 contests. Following his playing career, he started coaching with the Indians in 1979 before joining the Jays organization as a pitching instructor in 1986. Queen is best known for his tenure as the Jays’ pitching coach from 1996 to 2000. In his four seasons in that capacity, Jays hurlers won three Cy Young Awards (Pat Hentgen – 1996, Roger Clemens 1997 & 1998). Queen died of lung cancer at age 69.

Billy Harris, May 28
Born in Duguayville, N.B., Harris caught the eye of big league scouts when he led the Dieppe Junior Cardinals to a Maritime championship in 1949 and the Moncton Legionnaires to a senior title the following year. Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951, the Canuck hurler notched 18 wins and recorded a 2.19 ERA for Class-D Valdosta in his inaugural pro campaign. He would top that the next season when he won 25 games, tossed 12 shutouts and registered a miniscule 0.83 ERA for the Class-B Miami Sun Sox. In 1954, he debuted with the Triple-A Montreal Royals. Trapped in the pitching-rich Dodgers system behind legends like Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Don Newcombe, Harris had little opportunity to shine at the major league level. After recording 16 wins with Montreal in 1957, the determined Maritimer was called up and made his first –- and only –- big league start on September 27 of that year. In all, Harris pitched for 15 pro seasons and amassed 174 wins. For his efforts, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Harris had been hospitalized to treat a series of bleeding ulcers just prior to his death. He passed away at his home in Kennewick, Wash., at age 79.

Pedro Martinez: Expos cap on plaque?

When he came to Montreal in 1994, he was a scrawny, wild-throwing right-hander thought to be too fragile to be a starting pitcher.

Four seasons later, he left the city as a Cy Young Award winner and the best starting hurler in baseball.

And while it’s true that Pedro Martinez wasn’t widely recognized as a superstar until he was dealt to the Red Sox, it was in Quebec that he learned how to pitch.

So while the surefire Hall of Famer will likely be pictured in a Red Sox cap on his Cooperstown plaque, Martinez told a Montreal Canadiens publication (http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=587553) in August that he’d be just as happy to be portrayed in an Expos cap.

“I thought about that recently and I would be just as happy to go in as a Red Sox player or an Expo. It would mean a lot to me to do that for the fans in Montreal who have lost so much,” Martinez told the magazine, “but it’s MLB’s decision and I’m pretty sure I would be inducted with Boston.”

Following in the footsteps of his brother, Ramon, Martinez signed with the Dodgers in 1988. After a two-game stint with the Dodgers in 1992, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound hurler was employed primarily as a reliever by the club in 1993. It’s often reported that manager Tommy Lasorda believed Martinez was too frail to be an effective starter.

On November 19, 1993, Martinez was dealt to the Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields. It was not a popular trade amongst Expos fans. DeShields was the sparkplug of the club’s offence and had never stolen less than 42 bases in any of his four seasons in Montreal.

But under the tutelage of Expos pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and the fatherly touch of manager Felipe Alou, Martinez blossomed into a topnotch starter. In 1994, the fiery Dominican posted 11 wins and a 3.42 ERA in 23 starts to help the Expos to the top of the National League East division. The team boasted a 74-40 record and was six games ahead of the Atlanta Braves when the players’ strike wiped out the season.

Martinez told the Habs magazine that he believed that the Expos squads of that era could’ve won multiple championships if the team had been kept intact.

“We were that good and we knew we could beat anybody,” he said.

Unfortunately after the strike, fire sales of their high salaried players became an annual occurrence for the Expos and the team would never return to dominance. Martinez, himself, improved to 14 wins and a 3.51 ERA in 30 starts in 1995. That campaign, he also tossed nine perfect innings against the San Diego Padres on June 3 before squandering a hit in the 10th frame.

In 1996, he added 13 more victories, fanned 222 batters and was named to his first all-star team. But his 1997 season was one for the ages. While the Expos finished just 78-84, Martinez registered 17 wins, a microscopic 1.90 ERA and 305 strikeouts in 241-1/3 innings, making him the first right-hander since Walter Johnson in 1912 to reach 300 strikeouts and record a sub 2.00 ERA in a season. For his efforts, he became the first – and only – Expo to win the National League Cy Young Award.

By the end of that campaign, Martinez had become hugely popular in Montreal and Expos president Claude Brochu had assured fans that he wouldn’t trade the team’s ace. His promise, however, was short-lived. Citing the club’s dubious finances, he dealt Martinez to the Boston Red Sox for Carl Pavano and a player to be named later (Tony Armas Jr.) on November 18, 1997.

Many point to the Martinez trade as the death knell of the Expos. Most diehard fans that were still clinging to the idea that club could contend again were finally fed up.

During his seven seasons in Boston, he would win 117 games, be selected to six all-star teams, collect two more Cy Young Awards, lead the American League in strikeouts three times and in ERA four times. His outspokenness and propensity to pitch inside also propelled the rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees to new heights.

Martinez was also a key starter on the 2004 Red Sox team that captured the franchise’s first World Series title in 86 years. But even though he had been with the Red Sox for seven seasons by that point, part of his heart still resided in Montreal.

“I would like to share this with the people of Montreal,” said Martinez in an TV interview amidst the World Series clubhouse celebration (you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUXq7ZVXgvU). “They’re not going to have a team anymore. My heart and my ring is with them too.”

Martinez would sign with the Mets following the 2004 campaign and pitch parts of four seasons in the Big Apple, before finishing up his career with nine starts for the Phillies in 2009.

Without overwhelming you with statistics, Martinez’s career numbers compare favorably with those of Cooperstowners like Whitey Ford, Juan Marichal and Sandy Koufax. The dominant right-hander amassed 219 wins and a .687 winning percentage (seventh best all-time). His career WAR (an all-encompassing statistic that measures how many wins a player is worth above a minor league replacement player) was 75.9, which ranks ahead of Hall of Famers like Ford, Marichal, Don Sutton, Bob Feller, Jim Palmer and Don Drysdale. Martinez also averaged 10.04 strikeouts per nine innings, which is the third best ratio in major league history.

“At his best, Pedro Martinez was (the) planet’s best pitcher for a period of three years,” tweeted ESPN senior writer Buster Olney. “So he should be an easy first ballot choice.”

Martinez may have played the bulk of his career outside of Montreal, but his tenure in the city remains special to him.

“The fans here are so passionate and they know their baseball,” he told the Canadiens magazine. “Plus, we were all so comfortable here that none of us wanted to leave. In my opinion, it (Major League Baseball) not only could have worked here, it could still work. Actually, if we could have done what the Canadiens did as a franchise with the way they promote hockey and support the team, anything would’ve been possible. We would have gotten our downtown park and the fans would still have their Expos or “Nos Amours” as they used to call us.”