R.I.P. Larry Millson, legendary Canadian baseball writer

Legendary Canadian baseball writer Larry Millson has died at the age of 83. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

October 7, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Legendary Canadian baseball writer Larry Millson has died at the age of 83.

The news of his passing was shared by a number of his media colleagues and the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon.

“We are saddened to learn of the passing of legendary baseball writer and 2016 Jack Graney Award winner Larry Millson,” said the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in a statement. “Larry’s career in Journalism spanned more than 60 years. This included working the Blue Jays beat for The Globe and Mail for close to three decades where he established himself as one of our country’s most respected and authoritative sports writers. Last year, at the age of 82, Larry could still be found in the Blue Jays’ press box covering the club’s postseason run. Larry was a true baseball writing legend and it’s believed that no one has written more articles about the Blue Jays than him. We would like to extend our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.”

Born in Toronto in 1943, Millson, a Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) graduate, got his start in the newspaper business with the Hamilton Spectator in 1964. He’d also write for the St. Catharines Standard, the Toronto Star and the Toronto Telegram prior to joining The Globe and Mail in November 1971.

At The Globe and Mail, he established himself as a valuable and versatile reporter who, on top of baseball, also wrote about hockey, football, the Olympics, soccer, basketball and horse racing. In 1981, he won a Sovereign Award for best thoroughbred-racing story of the year. He also covered the Green River murders while he was in Seattle on a baseball assignment in 1984.

Millson was assigned to the Blue Jays beat in 1980 and worked full-time in that capacity for 26 years. He was in the Blue Jays’ press box for both World Series triumphs and has likely written more articles about the club than any other reporter.

In 1987, he penned his first book, the groundbreaking Ballpark Figures: The Blue Jays and the Business of Baseball. It was one of the first books to examine the complex business side of the sport. He also co-wrote ex-Blue Jays trainer Ken Carson’s memoir, From Hockey to Baseball: I Kept Them in Stitches, which was published earlier this year.

After leaving The Globe and Mail in 2009, Millson covered baseball for MLB.com, The Canadian Press, Baseball America, The Sports Xchange, Field Level Media and various other newspapers.

Larry Millson (middle) receives the Jack Graney Award from Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame board members John Starzynski (left) and David Morneau (right) at Olympic Stadium on April 1, 2017. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

For his efforts, he was the recipient of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Jack Graney Award in 2016. The St. Marys, Ont.-based shrine presents this award annually to a member of the media who has made significant contributions to baseball in Canada through their life’s work.

“I’ve been lucky enough already, having played as an 11-year-old with John Hiller, having sold programs at old Maple Leaf Stadium, having watched Sparky Anderson in his early managing days with the Leafs, having interviewed Casey Stengel in the dugout at Shea Stadium in the early, comical days of the Mets and, on the same day receiving advice from Yogi Berra, who found out I made the trip on train: ‘Take the plane next time, kid, it’s faster.’” Millson said in November 2016 after he was announced as the Graney winner.

“I feel blessed to have covered the Expos at Jarry Park and the Blue Jays in the friendly confines of Exhibition Stadium and it goes on. More than that, there are the people who work at the ballparks in various cities that you get to meet and eventually know over the years, the elevator operators, ushers, press box attendants. To have had all of that and then get this award, it’s kind of overwhelming.”

In recent years, on top of continuing to be a regular in the Blue Jays’ press box, Millson could often be spotted at Toronto Maple Leafs games at Christie Pits.

“Even after stepping away from full-time beat coverage, Larry remained a familiar and welcome presence in the Rogers Centre press box, continuing to share his love of baseball through his writing, his stories, and the friendships he built throughout the game,” wrote the Toronto Blue Jays in a statement this aftenoon.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Larry’s family, friends, and former colleagues. His contributions to baseball journalism and the Canadian baseball community will be remembered.”