Morneau homers off Canuck Dempster, Stairs leader vs. countrymen
* Found an old email Tuesday from Paul Allan, Associate Director of Athletics, Minnesota State University, asking: How many times has a Canadian homered off of a Canadian in MLB? Justin Morneau just hit a 440-footer off Ryan Dempster in Texas … So, we asked the answer man, North Bay’s Neil Munro …
Letters of Intent
2012 Canadians in the Minors
2012 Canadians Drafted
2012 Canadians in College
By Neil Munro
This wasn’t too hard to research using the SABR home run log.
It happened 41 times (since 1871) – 46 times if you include players like Kevin Reimer and Mark Teahen.
Players like George Selkirk and Pete Ward had very few batting opportunities against Canadians.
Fergie Jenkins gave up lots of homers in his career but rarely faced a Canadian batter.
Larry Walker did not go face many Canadian pitchers for the first half of his career.
Tip O’Neill never hit one against a Canadian but he did serve one up in his limited pitching appearances.
Matt Stairs of Fredericton, N.B. had the most homers off Canadian pitchers with six, followed by Larry Walker of Maple Ridge, B.C. with five, Jason Bay of Trail, B.C. and Morneau had four apiece.
Stairs hit homers off Dempster and Reitsma in consecutive games in 2002. And Stairs hit two homers off Dempster in same game in 2003 (July 3).
Dempster was the most generous pitcher to his fellow Canadians serving up nine homers. Phil Marchildon was second giving up five to Canadians.
Roy Halliday was also particularly kind to Canadian batters, serving up nine, including three to Justin Morneau.
Canadians homering off Canadians
Batter Team League Year Pitcher Team
Pop Smith Colu AA 1883 Bob Emslie Balt
Pop Smith Colu AA 1884 Tip O’Neill S.L.
Bill Phillips Brkl AA 1885 Bill Mountjoy Cinc
Jeff Heath Clev AL 1940 Joe Krakauskas Wash
Jeff Heath Clev AL 1941 Phil Marchildon Phil
Jeff Heath Clev AL 1942 Dick Fowler Phil
Frank Colman N.Y. AL 1946 Phil Marchildon Phil
Goody Rosen N.Y. NL 1946 Ed Bahr Pitts
Sherry Robertson Wash AL 1946 Phil Marchildon Phil
Jeff Heath Clev AL 1947 Phil Marchildon Phil
Sherry Robertson Wash AL 1948 Phil Marchildon Phil
Tim Harkness L.A. NL 1962 Ray Daviault N.Y.
Tim Harkness N.Y. NL 1963 Ron Taylor S.L.
Larry Walker Color NL 1997 Jason Dickson Anah
Larry Walker Color NL 1999 Ryan Dempster Flor
Matt Stairs Oakl AL 1999 Paul Spoljaric Toron
Larry Walker Color NL 2001 Ryan Dempster Flor
Larry Walker Color NL 2001 Eric Gagne L.A.
Matt Stairs Milw NL 2002 Ryan Dempster Cinc
Matt Stairs Milw NL 2002 Chris Reitsma* Cinc
Larry Walker Color NL 2003 Chris Reitsma* Cinc
Matt Stairs Pitts NL 2003 Ryan Dempster Cinc
Matt Stairs Pitts NL 2003 Ryan Dempster Cinc
Jason Bay Pitts NL 2005 Jeff Francis Color
Jason Bay Pitts NL 2006 Jeff Francis Color
Justin Morneau Minn AL 2006 Erik Bedard Balt
Matt Stairs Detr AL 2006 Ryan Braun K.C.
Joey Votto Cinc NL 2007 Ryan Dempster Chic
Justin Morneau Minn AL 2007 Erik Bedard Balt
Russell Martin L.A. NL 2007 Shawn Hill Wash
Jason Bay Pit-Bos BL 2008 Eric Gagne L.A.
Justin Morneau Minn AL 2008 Jeff Francis Color
Jason Bay Bost AL 2009 Scott Richmond Toron
Joey Votto Cinc NL 2009 Rich Harden Chic
George Kottaras Milw NL 2010 Blake Hawksworth S.L.
Joey Votto Cinc NL 2010 Ryan Dempster Chic
Russell Martin N.Y. AL 2011 Rich Harden Oakl
George Kottaras Milw NL 2012 Ryan Dempster Chic
Joey Votto Cinc NL 2012 Scott Diamond Minn
Justin Morneau Minn AL 2012 Ryan Dempster Texas
Russell Martin N.Y. AL 2012 Jesse Crain Chic
HRs Hit by Canadians Born Outside Canada
Batter Team Team League Pitcher Team
Kevin Reimer Milw AL 1993 Kirk McCaskill Chic
Kevin Reimer Milw AL 1993 Kirk McCaskill Chic
Kevin Reimer Milw AL 1993 Paul Quantrill Bost
Mark Teahen K.C. AL 2008 Jeff Francis Color
Mark Teahen K.C. AL 2009 Scott Richmond Toro
Notes: Chris Reitsma is a Canadian citizen born in the USA, Kevin Reimer and Mark Teahen were born in the USA
