My mother, Glenyce Glew, first on left, was a good enough sport to have this family photo taken in Cooperstown in 1987 or so. That’s me second from the left wearing a Dale Murphy uniform, then my dad and my brother.

May 10, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Happy Mother’s Day!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there!

And especially to my mom, Glenyce Glew, who my dad and I have dragged to enough Toronto Blue Jays games over the years that she has become a spirited fan.

I’m very fortunate in that not only does my mom enjoy baseball, she’s also loving, supportive, compassionate and generous. She also sometimes reads this blog.

I love you, mom.

Fergie Jenkins’ mom

This is one of my favourite photos of Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) (above). Here he is pictured with his mother Delores at Wrigley Field.

Jenkins’ mom lost her vision after giving birth to him, but that didn’t stop her from coming to many of his games. She would sit in the stands and listen to the game on a portable radio.

Jenkins pitched a shutout 55 years ago today

It was also 55 years ago today that Jenkins tossed a complete-game, three-hit shutout for the Chicago Cubs against the Philadelphia Phillies.

It was the first shutout ever thrown at Veterans Stadium which had opened one month earlier.

Jenkins struck out 12 batters in the game. It was his sixth of 24 wins in his 1971 National League Cy Young Award winning campaign.

Hicks continues to excel for Marlins

Catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) has exceeded all expectations for the Miami Marlins this season.

Here are a few of Hicks’ latest accomplishments:

-Since last Sunday, he has added five more RBIs and is third in the National League with 34.

-He belted two more home runs this week to give him nine on the season. That ties him with Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin for the second-most by a National League catcher. Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman has 10.

-He leads the Marlins in slugging percentage (.564) and OPS (.930).

-He has struck out just 12 times in 37 games

-I missed this last week, but he had 28 RBIs in March and April. This made him the first catcher in MLB history to have 28 RBIs in a season before May 1.

Lopez leading MLB in hits

Otto Lopez, Hicks’ Marlins and WBC teammate, is leading Major League Baseball with 55 hits and a .353 batting average.

Lopez, who spent part of his youth in Montreal, also leads the Marlins in doubles (11) and runs (27) and has five stolen bases, four home runs and 16 RBIs.

Lopez is in his second season as the Marlins’ everyday shortstop.

Blue Jays hired Paul Beeston 50 years ago today

Fifty years ago today, the Blue Jays made one of their best moves.

They hired Welland, Ont., native Paul Beeston as their first executive.

After graduating from Welland High & Vocational School, Beeston obtained a bachelor of arts degree, majoring in economics and political science, from the University of Western Ontario in 1968. He was hired by Coopers & Lybrand in London and received his chartered accountant designation in 1971.

He remained with the London firm until he was hired by the Blue Jays as vice-president of administration on this date five decades ago. After a short tenure in that role, Beeston was promoted to vice-president of business operations.

His rise through the Blue Jays’ ranks continued when he was named executive vice-president of business in 1984 and president and chief operating officer (COO) in 1989.

On December 13, 1991, he was appointed the chief executive officer (CEO) of the franchise, overseeing the Blue Jays’ two World Series-winning teams. He later became the president and chief operating officer of Major League Baseball.

He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Lea tossed a no-hitter on Mother’s Day in 1981

It was 45 years ago today that right-hander Charlie Lea became the first Montreal Expos pitcher to throw a no-hitter at Olympic Stadium.

He accomplished the feat in the second game of a doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants. Lea scattered four walks and struck out eight in the Mother’s Day contest.

Sadly, Lea passed away in 2011 when he was just 54.

I had the privilege of interviewing him in 2010 and I asked him about the no-hitter. He told me the only time during the game he feared he’d lose the no-hitter was when Giants catcher Milt May hit a line drive in the fifth inning.

“Milt May, a left-handed hitter for the Giants, hit a very hard, one-hop line drive, maybe a step to the side of Rodney Scott at second base. That ball was hit on the nose, but Rodney picked it very easily,” recalled Lea.

Former Blue Jays manager Bobby Cox dies

Former Blue Jays manager Bobby Cox passed away on Saturday at the age of 84.

He managed the Blue Jays to a 355-292 record in four seasons, from 1982 to 1985, and helped transform them from a last-place club into perennial contenders.

“Playing for Bobby Cox was a real pleasure,” Rance Mulliniks told me in a 2023 phone interview. “He was great to play for. All that Bobby ever asked was that you be prepared and that you give your best effort . . . He taught me how to really play to win at the major league level and how to be not just a major league baseball player, but how to be a professional in your approach.”

But Cox is best known as the Hall of Fame manager of the Atlanta Braves. He led them to 15 division titles (including 14 consecutive), five National League pennants and a 1995 World Series title.

“We are overcome with emotion on the passing of Bobby Cox, our treasured skipper. Bobby was the best manager to ever wear a Braves uniform,” said the Braves in a statement on Saturday. “He led our team to 14 straight division titles, five National League pennants, and the unforgettable World Series title in 1995. His Braves managerial legacy will never be matched.”

Cox suffered a stroke in 2019 and from congestive heart failure in recent years.

I would like to extend my condolences to his family.

Blue Jays acquired Buck Martinez 45 years ago

Forty-five years ago today, the Blue Jays acquired catcher Buck Martinez from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for outfielder Gil Kubski.

The then 32-year-old, right-handed hitting catcher fit nicely into a platoon with Ernie Whitt behind the plate with the Blue Jays. Martinez proceeded to enjoy his best offensive seasons with Toronto, belting 10 home runs in both 1982 and 1983.

In total, he’d play parts of six seasons with the Blue Jays before transitioning into broadcasting.

Happy Birthday to George Kottaras!

Who is the only Canadian to hit for a cycle in the major leagues since 1900?

The answer is Scarborough, Ont., native George Kottaras who did it with the Brewers against the Houston Astros on September 3, 2011. The jersey he wore in that game is in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s collection.

Kottaras, who played parts of seven big league seasons from 2008 to 2014, turns 43 today.

Happy Birthday to him!

Remembering Allan Roth

Please take a moment to remember Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Allan Roth who was born in Montreal on this date in 1917.

In 1944, Roth made a pitch to Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey about the importance of advanced statistics such as on-base percentage. Rickey grew intrigued with the young Canadian and hired him in 1947, making him the first statistician ever on a major league club’s payroll.

Roth would collect and analyze stats for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers until 1964. The mathematically minded Canuck recorded every pitch and wrote his stats out by hand.

Roth later wrote a column for The Sporting News and worked the NBC and ABC games of the week until 1990, feeding data to broadcasters such as Al Michaels and Vin Scully.

“Long before there was Mary Poppins, there was Allan Roth,” Scully once said.

Roth was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2010. He was also named one of SABR’s 2019 Henry Chadwick Award winners. This award was established by SABR to honour the game’s great researchers.

Roth passed away in 1992 at the age of 74.

Naylor heating up for Mariners

Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) has found his batting stroke.

He currently has a eight-game hitting streak in which he is 12-for-33 (.364 batting average). He has had multi-hit games in three of his last five contests.

Since the beginning of the month, he has boosted batting average from .214 to .247.

In 37 games, he has five home runs and 20 RBIs this season, his eighth in the big leagues.

Carlin made MLB debut 18 years ago

Eighteen years ago today, Luke Carlin (Hull, Que.) made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres.

He started at catcher and batted eighth against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.

So, what starting pitcher did he catch in his first MLB game?

That would be Greg Maddux.

And Carlin did a fine job. Maddux allowed just three hits and an unearned in six innings.

Carlin also caught Trevor Hoffman, another Hall of Famer, in that contest. Hoffman retired the side in the ninth to earn the save in the Padres’ 3-2 win.

Remembering Roland Gladu

Please take a moment to remember former big leaguer and Quebec baseball legend Roland Gladu who was born in Montreal on this date in 1911.

Gladu enjoyed a 23-year playing career in the pro, semi-pro and foreign professional baseball ranks.

In 1944, he got his only taste of big league action when he batted .242 with a home run and seven RBIs in 21 games for the Boston Braves. The following year, he suited up for his hometown Montreal Royals and enjoyed an outstanding season, batting .338 with 12 home runs, 45 doubles, 14 triples and 105 RBIs.

Towards the end of his playing career, he also served as a player/manager and later became a scout for Cleveland (1953) and the Milwaukee Braves (1954 to 1964). As a Braves scout, he signed Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Claude Raymond (St. Jean, Que.) and Ron Piche (Verdun, Que.).

He passed away on July 26, 1994 at the age of 83.

He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2021.