Butler, Lebel, McKnight elected to Baseball Ontario HOF
Former Toronto Blue Jay Rob Butler, longtime Sault Ste. Marie baseball leader Michael Lebel and longtime Newmarket Baseball Association and Baseball Ontario administrator Don McKnight have been elected to the Baseball Ontario Hall of Fame. Photo: Baseball Ontario
September 8, 2026
Official Baseball Ontario News Release
A former Major Leaguer and two longtime administrators who dedicated much of their lives to the game make up the Baseball Ontario Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
Former Toronto Blue Jay Rob Butler, longtime Sault Ste. Marie baseball leader Michael Lebel, and longtime Newmarket Baseball Association and Baseball Ontario administrator Don McKnight are the three members of the 2026 class.
Rob Butler
For East York native Rob Butler, the dream of playing for his hometown Toronto Blue Jays became a reality when he received the call to the Major Leagues while playing with triple-A Syracuse.
Butler was in Syracuse on a Friday night when he learned he would be joining the Blue Jays the following day in Detroit. As he walked from the first-base dugout toward the clubhouse in the right-field corner, Butler recalled having tears in his eyes. A hometown kid from East York was about to play for his hometown team.
During his time with Toronto, Butler appeared in 17 games, batting .271 with two RBIs and two stolen bases.
He also recorded a pinch-hit single against Curt Schilling, who tossed a five-hit, 2-0 shutout in Game 5 of the World Series.
Butler returned to the Blue Jays in 1994, batting .176 with five RBIs. After spending the 1995 season in Toronto's minor-league system, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies, appearing in 43 games and batting .292 with 13 RBIs. He played another eight games for Philadelphia the following season, finishing his Major League career with 109 games played.
His involvement in baseball didn't end with his playing career.
Butler went on to operate a hitting academy in Ajax, has coached with Canada's Junior National Team and has remained involved in the game at a high level. He currently manages the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Michael Lebel
Michael Lebel has been an integral part of baseball in Sault Ste. Marie for decades, serving as a volunteer, coach and executive.
He has served as president of the Soo Minor Baseball Association for roughly 35 years and has played a significant role in growing the game throughout Northern Ontario.
Lebel founded the Soo Black Sox, the Great Lakes Baseball League and the Northern Elite Baseball League. His contributions to the local sports community were recognized in 2017 when he was inducted into the Sault Ste. Marie Sports Hall of Fame.
On the field, Lebel has won seven provincial championships with local clubs and finished as an Ontario runner-up six times.
After years of involvement in the game, he returned to the dugout in 2020 to lead the 18U team.
Why return?
“I’ve asked myself that same question,” Lebel said.
The answer was simple: he missed the game.
A longtime member of the Algoma Baseball Association, Lebel has also served as head coach of the 18U Soo Black Sox and led the task force responsible for the creation of Sinclair Yards, a seven-field baseball complex in Sault Ste. Marie.
Don McKnight
Don McKnight's involvement in baseball spans eight decades.
His baseball journey began as a player with the Newmarket Baseball Association in the late 1940s. He later became heavily involved off the field, serving as a coach, umpire and administrator with the Newmarket Baseball Association, York Simcoe Baseball Association and Baseball Ontario.
After coaching his two sons, McKnight remained involved in the game and transitioned into administration, eventually becoming a key leader with Baseball Ontario.
He served as a longtime Baseball Ontario director and as president of the organization from 2006 to 2008.
“I guess it was just a natural progression. I just tried to help out wherever I could over the years,” McKnight said at the time of his induction into the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame. “I think it is great to be recognized.”
McKnight was inducted into the Newmarket Sports Hall of Fame in 2012, and the marquee baseball diamond at the Newmarket Fairgrounds bears his name.
His contributions extended well beyond Newmarket.
In 2012, McKnight served as chef de mission for the Ontario youth team that captured gold at the Canada Cup. He also represented Baseball Ontario at the Ontario Summer Games in Toronto.
Together, Butler, Lebel and McKnight represent three distinct paths through the game — as a player, coach, volunteer and administrator — united by decades of dedication to baseball in Ontario.
They will be inducted as members of the Baseball Ontario Hall of Fame Class of 2026.