BWDIK: Doucet, Jenkins, Kent, Martin, Paxton
Newly elected Hall of Famer Jeff Kent began his pro career in St. Catharines, Ont.
December 14, 2025
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
Some Canadian baseball news and notes:
Kent began pro career in St. Catharines
Jeff Kent was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Era committee last Sunday. Kent began his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992, batting .240 with eight home runs in 65 games before being dealt to the New York Mets for right-hander David Cone.
What you might not know about Kent is that he began his professional baseball career with the St. Catharines Blue Jays of the Class-A Short-Season New York Penn League in 1989. That season he topped the league with 13 home runs and led his team with 37 RBIs.
Also on that 1989 St. Catharines team?
An 18-year-old catcher named Carlos Delgado, who hit just .189 with no home runs and 11 RBIs in 31 games. That’s the same Delgado who finished second (with nine votes) to Kent in the Hall’s Contemporary Era voting last Sunday.
Doucet snubbed for the Frick Award again
Legendary Montreal Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet was a finalist for the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Ford C. Frick award for the 13th time, and for the 13th time, he wasn’t voted the winner.
On Wednesday, Joe Buck, longtime play-by-play commentator for Fox Sports, collected the 2026 honour.
I have no particular beef with Buck, but I was hopeful that this was finally Doucet’s year.
Since 1978, three Spanish-language broadcasters – Buck Canel (1985), Jaime Jarrín (1998) and Felo Ramírez (2001) – have captured the Frick Award. But there has never been a French-language broadcaster that has won.
Not only was Doucet an outstanding play-by-play man, but he invented a whole new glossary of baseball terms to help French-speaking fans understand the game.
For 33 seasons, Doucet broadcast Expos games as the radio voice on their French network (1972 to 2004). Prior to that, he covered the team for La Presse. He returned to the booth from 2012 to 2022 as the Blue Jays’ French-speaking TV voice on TVA. Doucet won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Jack Graney Award in 2004 and he was elected to the Canadian ball hall in 2020.
Doucet turned 85 this year.
Paxton a possibility to pitch for Canada at the WBC
Baseball Canada national teams director Greg Hamilton and senior national team manager Ernie Whitt participated in World Baseball Classic media day on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla.
From Hamilton’s and Whitt’s discussions with the media, it appears Josh Naylor and Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.), Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.), Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.), Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.), Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) and Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) plan to play for Canada. Relievers Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.), Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) also seem to be on board.
Hamilton also said Freddie Freeman wants to play but is dealing with a small health issue.
I was surprised that it was also mentioned that left-hander James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) might pitch in the tournament. A Junior National Team alum, Paxton pitched parts of 11 big league seasons but he retired after the 2024 campaign. The now 37-year-old southpaw never suited up for Canada at the World Baseball Classic during his major league career.
Jenkins reacquired by Rangers 48 years ago
On this date 48 years ago, Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) was reacquired by the Texas Rangers from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher John Poloni and cash.
Jenkins had previously pitched for the Rangers in 1974 and 1975 before being swapped to the Red Sox. The Canadian baseball legend proceeded to post a 22-21 record and a 3.47 ERA in 58 games (57 starts) for the Sox in 1976 and 1977.
His return to the Rangers in 1978 was a triumphant one. At the age of 34, the rejuvenated righty went 18-8 with a 3.04 ERA in 34 games (30 starts) and tossed 16 complete games.
Two Canadians taken in Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 draft
Canadians Archer Brookman (Pointe-Claire, Que.) and Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) were selected in the Minor League Phase of the Rule 5 draft on Wednesday.
They were two of the 55 players chosen in the minor league portion of the draft.
Just 13 players were taken in the Major League Phase, none of which were Canadian.
Brookman was selected 30th by the Atlanta Braves from the Detroit Tigers. An Académie Baseball Canada and Ohio State University alum, Brookman is a catcher who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tigers in 2022. He spent three seasons in the Tigers’ organization. In 2025, the 26-year-old Canuck batted .230 with two home runs and 22 RBIs in 60 games for the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps.
Seven picks after Brookman, Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) was chosen from the St. Louis Cardinals by the Red Sox. A 15th round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, the Okotoks Dawgs grad suited up for parts of three seasons in the Reds’ organization, making it as high as double-A before joining the independent American Association’s Sioux City Explorers in 2023 and batting .321 with 14 home runs in 88 games. He was then signed by the Cardinals and hit .269 with 17 homers and 77 RBIs in 121 contests for the double-A Springfield Cardinals in 2024. This earned him a promotion to the triple-A Memphis Redbirds this year, where he hit .272 with eight home runs in 78 games. He will turn 30 in March.
Unlike players selected in the Major League Phase of the Rule 5 draft, players chosen in the minor league portion can remain with their new club without any restrictions.
Popkins named Baseball America’s MLB Coach of the Year
On Wednesday, Toronto Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins was named Baseball America’s MLB Coach of the Year.
Formerly the Minnesota Twins hitting coach, Popkins was hired by the Blue Jays prior to the 2025 season to spark an underperforming offence. And he succeeded.
“Along with new assistant Lou Iannotti and incumbent Hunter Mense—whom the Giants hired as hitting coach in November—the 36-year-old Popkins helped push an offence that ranked 23rd in runs scored in 2024 up to fourth in 2025, with largely the same personnel,” wrote Baseball America in their story about Popkins.
“Blue Jays across the roster praised his work, be it players rebounding from down seasons, such as George Springer, Bo Bichette, Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho and Myles Straw, or players at various stages of establishing themselves in the majors, such as Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Nathan Lukes.”
Fifteen years ago, Martin signed with Yankees
It was on this date 15 years ago that catcher Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) departed the Los Angeles Dodgers to sign a one-year, $4-million contract with the New York Yankees.
He went on to belt 18 and 21 home runs for the Bronx Bombers in 2011 and 2012 respectively and help them advance to the post-season each year.
On November 30, 2012, Martin left the Yankees for a two-year, $17-million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ex-Jay Goins joins Padres’ coaching staff
Former Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins has been hired to be the infield coach of the San Diego Padres under the club’s new manager Craig Stammen.
Goins served in the same role with the Los Angeles Angels in 2024 and 2025. In June 2025, he was promoted to Angels’ bench coach after manager Ron Washington took a medical leave.
Blue Jays fans will best remember Goins for his defensive wizardry in the infield on the Jays’ 2015 and 2016 post-season clubs.
30 years ago today, Leiter left Jays to sign with the Marlins
It was exactly three decades ago today that left-hander Al Leiter departed the Blue Jays to sign a three-year, $8.6-million contract with the Florida Marlins.
It was a deal that sparked the ire of the Blue Jays’ brass who had stuck with Leiter through a long list of injuries and blister issues that limited him to just nine big league appearances between 1989 and 1992.
In 1994, Leiter enjoyed his first full healthy season with the Blue Jays, going 11-11 with a 3.64 ERA in 28 starts, only to bolt to the Marlins after the campaign.
Fun Canadian baseball stat of the week:
What’s the most MLB wins recorded by a Canadian left-hander?
Here is your answer:
December 14th birthdays
1965 – Ken Hill, former Expos pitcher
1974 – Billy Koch, former Blue Jays pitcher
1981 – Shaun Marcum, former Blue Jays pitcher
Support the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is in the midst of their annual year-end fundraising appeal. They could really use your support. You can read more about the appeal and make a donation here.