October 12, 2015

Dear Harold: You Suck. Love, Canada

I’ve said some dumb things before. Some might say this happens on a daily basis. But I don’t have a job that requires me to say words and things on national television.

Sunday night, during the Jays – Rangers game, FOX Sports commentator Harold Reynolds (who gets paid a nice sum of money to say words and things on tv) made a comment that I’d say falls under the classification of “a special kind of stupid”. A hard foul ball into the stands prompted Reynolds to make a comment about fans in Toronto not being properly equipped to catch foul balls because,

“there’s not a lot of people who grew up playing baseball in Canada. They aren’t used to catching balls in the stands”.

And the internet in Canada blew up, nearly melting all of our igloos:

Even the second Canadian to ever suit up for the Jays had to point out Harold’s off-side comment:

Now, this isn’t the first time the Jays have experienced some tough-love from our American neighbours. Remember the upside-down Canadian flag during the 1992 World Series?

And if you are curious to know what happened following the “flag flap”, this is a really interesting article by the Marine Corps who carried the flag the following game.

But this? This is a blatant insult to the entire county. We don’t know how to catch a ball. Really?

Hey Harold, in case you needed a brief history lesson, we’ve actually been playing the sport in this country for a while:

– first documented game on Canadian soil: 1838

– Babe Ruth’s first professional home run – hit on Canadian soil in 1914

– before Jackie Robinson would break the colour barrier, he’d play professional ball in Montreal, for the Royals

Hey Harold, ever hear of Larry Walker? The 7-time gold glove right fielder for the Montreal Expos. Yes, he’s Canadian. He also wants you to know he can catch:

And even though Hall-of-Fame pitcher, Fergie Jenkins is in the hall mainly for throwing a baseball, we can all assume he knows how to catch it. It got thrown back to him more than it got hit back to him, with his 3,192 strikeouts after all. Oh, and he just happens to be Canadian.

Are you really that ignorant, Harold? Or are you part of a giant conspiracy the US has against our Canadian team? Sound crazy? Don Cherry doesn’t think so:

“We’re getting stiffed. You know why we’re getting stiffed? Because they do not want a Canadian team in the final. That’s my opinion.”

But that’s a whole other pile of moose droppings…

I think it’s safe to say Harold, that many Canadians do know how to catch a ball. What we don’t do? Take crap from a brutal announcer like you.

September 23, 2015

Goodbye Yogi – Baseball Legend Dies at 90

Photo via Neilleifer.com

As some of you know, I’ve been writing a book for the past year…make that almost two. Yes, I may have underestimated how long this takes.

I interviewed 50 ball players and personalities, many of them Hall of Famers. There are three I’m the most proud of. Sitting with George Brett in the President’s box in Kauffman Stadium ranks up there. Interviewing my childhood idol, Dave Winfield also makes that top list, as does my interview with Cito Gaston. Ok, maybe I have more than three favourites. But this interview I hadn’t mentioned to many people. This one was very special, and I was planning on keeping as a surprise. Well, perhaps now is an appropriate time to say that it was Yogi Berra, and let us all take this time to say goodbye to a baseball legend.

Yogi was a man who beat the odds. What do I mean? Just like Pete Rose was told, Yogi was probably too small for baseball, at 5’7″ and 185 lbs. The Yankee catcher would go on to hit 358 HR’s over his 19-year tenure, being selected to the All-Star team 18 times! He was also a 13-time World Series Champ, and won the MVP 3 times. Not bad for 5’7″, eh?

I was talking to a seasoned veteran baseball writer back when my book was just an idea, and mentioned I wanted to interview Berra.

“You need to be more realistic”, he said. “Yogi doesn’t do interviews anymore”.

Well that was true, as I discovered. But I persisted, and Yogi agreed to an interview via his son Dale, who asked Yogi my questions for me. I asked Yogi to tell me the funniest conversation he had on a baseball field. This was his response:

In St Louis, playing against the Browns, the temperature was in the high 90’s and Casey made me catch both games of a double header. I started arguing every call the umpire made in an effort to get thrown out…the umpire said to me, “Yogi, you can curse me and call me every name in the book, but if I’m staying out here, you’re staying, so shut up!”

Shortly after my interview with Yogi had been completed, Yogi’s wife Carmen passed away. 18 months later, the great Yankee slugger has joined her.

Yogi was perhaps most famous for his hilarious stories and sayings. “It ain’t over ’till it’s over”, is perhaps one of the best known.

Well, it ain’t over Yogi.

Your legend will live on forever.

September 9, 2015

Cito Gaston Exclusive Interview: 2015 Blue Jays

Watch as I discuss the 2015 Blue Jays with Cito Gaston, and we make connections to the 1992 and 1993 World Championship teams that he managed. The 3-part interview is posted below.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

August 27, 2015

History Repeating Itself?

With each win, the 2015 Blue Jays climb closer to that long-awaited playoff birth.

The Championships of 1992 and 1993 seem SO long ago. They were. I have friends who weren’t even alive for the Jays first World Series title.

But with AA pulling off a sequence of blockbuster trades, and those pieces making an immediate impact, suddenly the connections between the ’92 and ’93 squads and the current team don’t seem so far-fetched. In the off-season, late 1991, the Jays signed free agents Jack Morris and Dave Winfield (on consecutive days). Those who watched the 1992 team will no doubt remember the significance both Morris and Winfield had during the regular season, and during October baseball. In the off-season this past winter, the Jays signed free agent Russell Martin, and 10 days later pulled off a mammoth trade for Josh Donaldson. It’s obvious what an impact those two have made thus far.

It’s the end of August and the Jays are in first place, two games up on the Yankees. Hey, they’ve already started selling post-season tickets!

There are so many moments from both championships that stand out for many fans, but one of the most talked about is the “triple play that wasn’t” during the 1992 World Series.

I reminisced with Kelly Gruber, the Jays third baseman during that memorable play.

Fans may remember that in fact, it was this very day, August 27th, back in 1992, when Jeff Kent and Ryan Thompson were traded to the Mets for David Cone. Cone would contribute to the championship with a 1 – 1 record and 3.22 ERA.

David Price has been the masterful pitcher everyone expected he would be, upon his arrival. Toronto has their first true ace since Roy Halladay. It’s exciting to think about what he could accomplish this October.

Over two decades after Carter’s home run disappeared over that left field wall, we find our blue birds that much closer to going back to the playoffs and possibly taking another run at a World Series.

So, is history repeating itself?

September 25, 2014

Storybook Ending for Derek Jeter

USA TODAY Sports Images

It was his final home game in Yankee Stadium.

Everyone wondered how he would be honoured. Would he be pulled off the field with two outs in the 9th, allowing the fans time to appreciate him? Nah, that’s not his style. Derek would have rather ended that inning by turning a double play, or maybe by making his signature jump-spin to throw out a runner one final time.

But Baltimore is gunning for home field advantage in the playoffs and had no intentions of letting up. Two Orioles home runs later and suddenly the game was tied. It took the air out of the crowd, but only momentarily once everyone realized what had just been set up.

One more at bat for The Captain.

The Yankees executed as they almost always do, and with a runner on second in the bottom of the 9th inning, Jeter did what everyone hoped – what everyone expected him to do.

He came up big, one more time.

As the AL East dominant force that often beat up on my hometown Blue Jays, I can honestly say this was the first time I found myself cheering for a Yankee win. Why?

Because baseball, is the easy answer.

Because Jeter played the game the way a true hero was supposed to play it. With passion, with pride, and with integrity. And it’s hard not to cheer for someone like that.

Thank you, Derek Jeter. Thank you for always respecting the game.

RE2PECT.

June 16, 2014

2014 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Induction & Events

Hall of Fame 2014

This week signifies two very important things: The first day of Summer (finally!), and the Induction Ceremony for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (which falls on the same day). What better way to kick of the season?

I had the pleasure of attending the induction ceremony last year, and interviewed Rob Ducey, George Bell, Tim Raines, who were all being inducted into the 2013 Class. I also connected with Shirley Cheek, who was accepting the induction award on behalf of her late husband, Toronto Blue Jays’ broadcasting legend, Tom Cheek. More on that here.

This year, the festivities span several days, offering something for the whole family. The Hall of Fame is proud to announce this year’s inductees: Tim Wallach, Dave Van Horne, Murray Cook, & Jim Ridley.

The 3x Gold Glover was also a 5X All-Star, and 2x Silver Slugger

Tim Wallach was a 3x Gold Glover, a 5X All-Star, and 2x Silver Slugger

Van Horne was the Expos announcer for 32 years!

Murray Cook was the GM of the Yankees, Expos, and Reds

Jim Ridley was a player, a scout, and a coach

Jim Ridley was a player (Milwaukee Braves), a scout (Tigers, Jays, Twins), and a coach (Olympics, Pan Am Games)

The events kick-off on Thursday, July 19^th with a celebrity softball game, which I’m honoured to have been invited to participate in (obviously as media, not as a celebrity!). The teams will be represented by Tim Wallach, and Hall-of-Famer Fergie Jenkins. Other celebrities include Dave Van Horne, Murray Cook, Jim Fanning, Paul Spoljaric, Billy Atkinson, many other notable former professional players, as well as representatives from Team Canada Fastball. There will also be a Slo-pitch homerun derby.

I was discussing past celebrity games with the Director of Operations of the HOF, Scott Crawford, who outlined one of his favourite memories from just a few years ago being Larry Walker hitting a homerun out over right field corner wall. Last year Tim Raines and George Bell played. This year there will be even more celebrities. This is an event you don’t want to miss!

Friday (June 20^th) is possibly the busiest day of the week. The day kicks off with the 4^th Annual “London Salutes Canadian Baseball” fundraising breakfast, sponsored by Lerners Lawyers and the London Convention Centre. There with be a Q & A with the celebrities, a live auction, and O’Canada by Canadian legend Michael Burgess. Also in attendance will be George Bell, Devon White, and Duane Ward.

Later that morning is the 18^th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic & Sports Banquet. The list of incredible celebrities is way too long to list, but include the likes of Tom Henke, Tony Fernandez, Paul Beeston, and Babe Ruth’s Granddaughter Linda Ruth Tosetti. There is a banquet following the tournament, and tickets can be purchased separately as well.

Finally, Saturday June 21^st kicks off with a Baseball Family Street Festival from 9 am to Noon, with a variety of events for kids of all ages. The induction ceremony starts at 1 pm, with a Blue Jays Honda Super Camp following, at 3 pm, where youth will get the opportunity to receive baseball instruction from Duane Ward, Devon White, and George Bell. I attended the Guelph Honda Super Camp, more on that here.

If you needed any more reasons to attend, this year is very special in that the inductees cover all facets of the game of baseball. Tim Wallach played for the Expos for the majority of his career, Dave Van Horne was an announcer for the Expos for 32 years and now covers Marlins games, Murray Cook is a Canadian who was the General Manger of the Yankees, Expos, and Reds, and Jim Ridley was a scout from 1976 – 2002. The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame continues to build and expand, and is well worth the drive to St Marys.

For more information click here, or call the Hall of Fame directly at: Phone: 519-284-1838, Toll-free: 877-250-2255

May 15, 2014

Jays Honda Super Camp Guelph

Devo gives batting instruction

The Toronto Blue Jays Honda Super Camps kicked off this past weekend, starting in Guelph, Ontario. Boys and girls between the ages of 9-16 had the opportunity to attend the two or three-day baseball camp and receive instruction from George Bell, Lloyd Moseby, Devon White, Roberto Alomar, and Sandy Alomar Sr. I connected with a Jays rep and discussed the camps, and also spoke with an employee from the Royal Distributing Athletic Centre, where the camp was held. You can hear those interviews and more, here.

Robbie Alomar works on fielding drills

In a recent blog post I wrote for Model Sports Fan, I discussed why I thought that Colby Rasmus might not be a Blue Jay too much longer. I went into more detail about this in my latest podcast.

April 28, 2014

The Future of Baseball Gloves

Carpenter Trade – Premium Baseball Gloves

Interview with Scott Carpenter discussing the advantages of using synthetic baseball gloves.

When discussing the importance of tradition in sport, baseball often tops the list, possibly being the most “traditional” of all. Yet in some cases, holding onto what is traditional can possibly hold the sport back, or even hurt it. Sounds and smells associated with the sport are, “the crack of the bat”, “the feel of the grass”, and “the smell of the glove”. That smell of course being a leather baseball glove. However, one man who has become a pioneer in the development of new baseball gloves is Scott Carpenter. His business is certainly located in a traditional baseball town, being Cooperstown, NY. That’s where the tradition ends though, as his baseball gloves that are made with synthetic materials are proving to be lighter, stronger, and superior to the traditional leather gloves used by most. But this isn’t just a gimmick or a fad. Many professional ball players are now starting to use Carpenter gloves.

RA Dickey wearing a Carpenter Glove

So why are they better?

Most players are stronger and faster today than they were 20 or 30 years ago. While one can argue that performance-enhancing drugs are the cause of that, it is an argument for another day. It does mean that the balls are sometimes being hit harder, and players need to react faster. In baseball, timing and specifically reaction time right down to fractions of a second can be the difference between safe and out, a home run or a fly ball, and even be the difference between a catch with a glove, or taking a hard-hit ball of a body part or worse, the face. Baseball has seen some serious injuries over the past season or two, as a result of a pitcher taking a come-backer off the head, not getting the glove up in time to protect themselves. It makes sense then, that buy wearing a lighter glove, one’s reflexes can move the glove faster, which means more plays made and more balls caught.

Another advantage to using synthetic materials Scott mentioned, is that the gloves don’t “wear” or stretch as traditional leather gloves do. Carpenter gloves are not only lighter, but also stronger. That means the feel doesn’t change, and the comfort remains the same throughout the life of the glove.

Want proof they’re better?

As I mentioned, professional players are already using Carpenter gloves. Something more significant is that the Pro players are opting out (or are going to be opting out) of glove contracts (I didn’t even know that was a thing!) to wear Carpenter gloves. Scott stated in his interview with me that he doesn’t pay players to wear his gloves. So what does this mean? It means that players are choosing to wear Carpenter gloves over a glove they would be paid to wear. To me, that speaks volumes to the quality of the product.

Frank Viola III is the proud new owner of a Carpenter Trade glove:

Frank Viola III’s Carpenter Trade Glove

If you’re looking to learn more, listen to my interview with Scott Carpenter here.

You can visit his web site at: www.carpentertrade.com

April 24, 2014

Cardinals HOF Inductees on Cardinals Museum

Base-Stealing Legend, Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock. Pic via Robert Rohe, rrohe.com

The St. Louis Cardinals fans have a lot to be proud of. A Championship-calibre team, a thriving baseball city, Hall-of-Fame alumni like Lou Brock & Ozzie Smith, and now, a world-class facility called Ballpark Village, which features a series of bars and restaurants, new seating decks in left field (across the street from Busch Stadium), and a new Cardinals Hall-of-Fame and Museum. In a recent series of interviews, I connected with Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Chris Carpenter, and Museum Designer Kelly Giles. You can listen to my review of the facility, the weekend, and some clips from the aforementioned interviews here.

You can check out more pics from Ballpark Village and the stadium in a recent blog post, here.

Kelly Giles , graphic designer from PGAV Destinations planned and designed the Museum, you can learn more about them here.

Ozzie Smith on Twitter: @STLWizard

April 17, 2014

Cardinals 2014 Home Opener & Ballpark Museum Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Busch Stadium at Night

Listen to my interviews with Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Chris Carpenter, and Cards Museum designer Kelly Giles.

I rode the metro link from my hotel and got off right at the foot of the stadium. It was the night before the Cardinals home opener, as well as the official ribbon cutting for Ballpark Village’s Museum and Cardinals Hall of Fame. There’s something special about a baseball stadium at night. It could be the stories it holds. It could also be the excitement in the air, and the anticipation of another potentially successful season for the baseball-crazed city.

Cards fans camp out in hopes of getting home opener tickets.

I took some time to admire the bronze statue of Stan Musial, then continued my walk and stopped to check out more statues honouring Cardinal greats, some of whom I would be interviewing the following day.

Stan The Man

The Greatest Cardinal Ever.

Cardinals Greats

Upon approaching Ballpark Village, I heard a familiar voice. ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball was being broadcast on the giant outdoor screen, so of course it was Dan Shulman I was hearing. Dan was a guest on my show last year, you can listen to that here. What a terrific spot to watch ball games, especially when the weather is nice!

Ballpark Village

There was a brief press conference the following morning, and the official ribbon cutting for the museum. After being the first official group to tour the museum (along with the inductees), I had the opportunity to interview Tony La Russa, Lou Brock, and Ozzie Smith. I made friends with a local photographer, Robert Rohe, who was kind enough to snap these great shots for me.

Interviewing 2014 HOF Inductee Tony La Russa. Pic via Robert Rohe, rrohe.com

Base-Stealing Legend, Hall-of-Famer Lou Brock. Pic via Robert Rohe, rrohe.com

I even managed to grab former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, and Cardinals 2006 & 2011 World Series Champ Chris Carpenter for an interview. Following my interview, he bravely ventured downstairs and through a sea of Cardinals fans. Can you spot him? It’s like playing a giant game of “Where’s Waldo”.

Cardinals Ballpark Village has one of the largest TV’s I’ve ever seen!

Despite the steady rain that had been falling all day, the Cardinals home opener commenced. The “Cardinals Nation” boasts a strong following of some pretty serious fans. In St. Louis, baseball is #1. After what I witnessed, I would say it’s really a culture. Cards fans take their baseball seriously. One group of young fans I made friends with snapped this great shot for me from a balcony in Ballpark Village. You can see what a terrific view you get of the field from across the street.

Pic via Christina

Overall, I would have to put Busch Stadium & Ballpark Village toward the top of my list of “must-see” baseball destinations. Regardless of whether or not you are a Cardinals fan, touring through the museum and Cards Hall of Fame is a real treat, and you can grab a frosty beverage from any number of happening spots to watch the game live, or on any number of ridiculously large televisions.

Those seats under the “Cardinals Nation” sign are in Ballpark Village across the street!

To learn more about Busch Stadium and the hot spots to visit in St. Louis, Alicia from Ballparksonabudget.com did a review of Busch Stadium in 2012.

Also, my good friend Malcolm from Theballparkguide.com has plans to visit Busch Stadium in the future. Malcolm was a guest on my show recently, you can listen to that here.