BWDIK: Albers, Hicks, Lawrie, Martin, Raines, Timlin

Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.), right, converses with John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.), left, prior to the Baseball Canada Awards banquet on January 10. Photo: Eugenio Matos, Baseball Canada

January 18, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Martin to return as WBC coach for Canada

While being interviewed on stage at Baseball Canada’s Awards banquet on January 10, Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) confirmed that he’ll serve as a coach for Canada in the World Baseball Classic in March.

Martin was also a coach for Canada at the 2023 event.

The Montreal native was the starting catcher for Canada at the 2009 WBC. In two games in that tournament, he went 2-for-9 with a home run, a double and three runs.

In his 14-season major league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays, Martin was a four-time all-star who batted .248 with 191 home runs in 1,693 games. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Hicks had great Canadian moments in first MLB season

As noted in last week’s column, Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) has confirmed he’ll suit up for Canada at the World Baseball Classic in March. It will mark the first time he has played for the national team.

The Toronto Mets alum spent the 2025 season with the Marlins after being selected from the Detroit Tigers in the Rule 5 draft. In 119 big league games last year, he batted .247 with a .346 on-base percentage with six home runs and 45 RBIs.

When Hicks was on stage to receive the Stubby Clapp Award at the Baseball Canada Awards banquet on January 10, emcee Mike Wilner noted two special Canadian accomplishments that Hicks had during his rookie major league campaign.

The first was that Hicks belted his first major league home run off fellow Canadian and then Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) on April 19. It was a two-run blast in the top of the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park in a Marlins’ 11-10 loss.

Then, on May 18, Hicks was behind the dish for Port Hope, Ont., native Cal Quantrill‘s immaculate inning for the Marlins. Quantrill struck out three Tampa Bay Rays batters on nine pitches in the top of the fourth inning and earned the win in the Marlins’ 5-1 victory at loanDepot Park.

Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) has pitched for Canada in several international competitions, but he has hung up his playing spikes. Photo: Baseball Canada

Albers enjoying fatherhood

Former big league left-hander Andrew Albers (North Battleford, Sask.) is retired and enjoying fatherhood. He and his wife, Michelle, welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Avery in 2025.

“We’ve been really lucky. She’s been an awesome baby,” said Albers prior to the Baseball Canada Awards banquet on January 10. “She sleeps and she’s pretty happy most of the time. So we’ve been really lucky that way.”

For the record, the baby is not named after Steve Avery, the former Atlanta Braves star and a lefty like Albers.

When he’s not busy being a father, Albers is teaching online courses with the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre and is serving as an instructor at the Going Yard Baseball Academy in Saskatoon.

Over the years, Albers has pitched for Canada at several international tournaments, but at 40, he says he’s not capable of competing against pro competition any longer.

“I wish I could still pitch. I would love to,” said Albers. “Unfortunately, there comes a day when you just can’t do it anymore. I actually tried to get it going for the Pan Am qualifier this year [2025] and the body was very adamant that that wasn’t going to happen.”

But Albers has no regrets about his playing career that saw him pitch 13 professional seasons, including parts of five in the majors with the Minnesota Twins, Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners.

“The nice thing for me when I look back on my career is that I probably overachieved and got to play a lot longer than I should have, so I’m really content with that,” said Albers.

Beltran, Jones leading National Baseball Hall of Fame voting

Former outfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones are leading in the National Baseball Hall of Fame BBWAA voting, according to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame ballot tracker.

Of the 199 baseball writers’ ballots made public, Beltran has 187 votes (89%), while Jones has 175 (83%). To be inducted, candidates are required to have their name checked on 75% of ballots.

Former left-hander Mark Buehrle has received 49 votes (23.4%) to lead all ex-Blue Jays on the ballot. Ex-Jays infielder Omar Vizquel has 24 votes (11.5%), while Edwin Encarnacion has garnered two.

The Hall will announce its 2026 class on Tuesday at 6 p.m. E.T. on the MLB Network.

Ex-Blue Jay Jeff Kent was elected by the Hall’s Contemporary Era committee in December.

Nine years ago, Raines was elected to Hall of Fame

It was nine years ago today that longtime Montreal Expos outfielder Tim Raines was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his 10th year on the ballot. His name was checked on 86 per cent of the ballots. Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez were also elected.

A fifth-round pick of the Expos in 1977, Raines excelled for parts of 13 seasons in Canada. From 1981 to 1987, he was selected to seven consecutive all-star games and was named the MVP of the 1987 Midsummer Classic. During that same period, he also won a National League batting title in 1986 and topped the Senior Circuit in runs twice and in stolen bases four times.

In 1,452 games with the Expos, Raines set franchise records in runs (947), stolen bases (635), triples (82), walks (793) and singles (1,163). He also ranks second in Expos history in batting average (.301) and hits (1,622).

Raines was the third player to be inducted to be pictured in an Expos cap on their plaque, following Gary Carter (2003) and Andre Dawson (2010).

Happy Birthday to Brett Lawrie!

Former Blue Jays infielder Brett Lawrie was born in Langley, B.C. on this date in 1990.

He honed his skills with the Langley Blaze and the Junior National Team before being selected in the first round (16th overall) of the 2008 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. After two strong seasons in the Brewers’ organization, he was traded to the Blue Jays for right-hander Shaun Marcum on December 6, 2010.

Lawrie would be a sparkplug third baseman in his four seasons for the Blue Jays prior to being dealt to the Oakland A’s on November 28, 2014 as part of the package for Josh Donaldson. He socked a career-high 16 home runs with the A’s in 2015 before being swapped to the Chicago White Sox for the 2016 season.

In all, in six MLB campaigns, he batted .261 with 71 home runs in 588 games.

Timlin to be inducted into Red Sox Hall of Fame

We think of him as a Blue Jay, but Mike Timlin excelled in his final six big league seasons with the Boston Red Sox, helping them win two World Series (2004, 2007). For his efforts, he was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame on January 10.

In six seasons with the Bosox, Timlin posted a 3.76 ERA and registered 27 saves in 394 relief appearances, which are the fifth most in franchise history. His finest season with the Sox came in 2005 when he went 7-3 with a 2.24 ERA and topped the American League with 81 appearances.

Six years prior to landing with the Red Sox, Timlin was completing his tenure with the Blue Jays. He toed the rubber for the Blue Jays for parts of seven campaigns from 1991 to 1997. Most Canadian baseball fans remember him for recording the final out of the 1992 World Series. In the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 6 of the 1992 World Series, Timlin was summoned from the bullpen to replace Jimmy Key. He fielded a bunt from Otis Nixon and threw it to Joe Carter at first base for the final out.

Timlin was also a member of the Blue Jays’ 1993 World Series-winning team. In all, he has four World Series rings.

Black named Padres’ special advisor

Bud Black has been hired as a special advisor to baseball operations by the San Diego Padres.

The 68-year-old Black, whose father was born in the Edmonton area and his mother in Melville, Sask., previously managed the Padres from 2007 to 2015.

After being let go by the Padres, Black was hired to manage the Rockies in 2017. He piloted the club to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018. In total, he put together a 544-690 record in parts of nine seasons with the Rockies before he was fired 40 games into the 2025 season.

Black has 1,193 managerial wins, which are the 47th most in big league history.

Prior to managerial career, Black registered 121 wins in a 15-season big league pitching career that included three appearances (two starts) with the Blue Jays in 1990.

Sanchez to pitch for Mexico in WBC

Bob Elliott, of the Canadian Baseball Network, reported last Saturday that former Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez will pitch for Mexico at the World Baseball Classic.

The 33-year-old Sanchez hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2022, but he was dominant with the Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League this off-season, going 4-2 with a 1.55 ERA in eight starts.

Sanchez pitched his first six big league seasons with the Blue Jays from 2014 to 2019. Many predicted stardom for him after he went 15-2 and topped the American League with a 3.00 ERA in 2016. But his career has been plagued by injuries, including a blister issue on one of his pitching fingers.

There’s a good chance Sanchez will pitch to current Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk in the WBC.

January 18th Birthdays:

1938 – Curt Flood, all-star and trailblazing outfielder (died in 1997)

1944 – Carl Morton, former Expos pitcher (died in 1983)

1955 – Dave Geisel, former Blue Jays pitcher

1963 – Bill Sampen, former Expos pitcher

1990 – Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.), former Blue Jays infielder

1990 – Gift Ngoepe, former Blue Jays infielder