Posts in Major Leagues (MLB)
Shushkewich: Emotional Martin enters Canadian ball hall
Shushkewich: Emotional Martin enters Canadian ball hall

“For over 14 years, Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) was on the biggest stage in professional baseball, appearing in front of hundreds of thousands of fans every time he stepped onto the field.

Today, the former Toronto Blue Jays backstop took on another stage, one that saw him earn one of the highest honours for a Canadian baseball player in the smalltown of St. Marys, Ont.

Martin was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their 2024 class, joining a prestigious group of individuals who had a positive impact on Canadian baseball. Splitting his time between the Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Yankees from 2006 to 2019, he retired as one of the top catchers from north of the border.”

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Canadians in MLB, Major Leagues (MLB)Tyson Shushkewich
Martin, Key, Stephenson, Heisler, Godfrey, Birnie to be inducted into Canadian ball hall on Saturday
Martin, Key, Stephenson, Heisler, Godfrey, Birnie to be inducted into Canadian ball hall on Saturday

Six new members will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in a ceremony on the Hall of Fame grounds on Saturday.  Former Toronto Blue Jays all-stars Russell Martin (East York, Ont.) and Jimmy Key will be inducted alongside national team infielder and trailblazing coach Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, Ont.) and national team pitching legend Rod Heisler (Moose Jaw, Sask.). Onetime Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey, who played a significant role in bringing Major League Baseball to Toronto, and longtime Toronto Leaside baseball executive Howard Birnie will also be honoured. 

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Major Leagues (MLB), SandlotsCBN Staff
Elliott: Soccer owner Bautista connects in BP, with new uniform and cap
Elliott: Soccer owner Bautista connects in BP, with new uniform and cap

“Way back in 1999-2000, Jose Bautista was a two-way man for coach Jeff Johnson’s Chipola College Indians.

Bautista filled the gaps with line drives, showed light-tower power to left and if needed would be used as a closer in the Florida state JUCO championships ... hitting 96 MPH.

And now all these home runs later, all these teams later (eight ... but he is really only associated with one) and all these years later, he is still a two-way man.”

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Bob Elliott, Major Leagues (MLB)Bob Elliott
Mark Whicker: Poof! And there went the Pac-12 Conference ... Gone
Mark Whicker: Poof! And there went the Pac-12 Conference ... Gone

“The Pacific-12 Conference walked off the scene Saturday.

Tommy Splane, a .237 hitter, stroked the base hit that scored Emilio Correa in the bottom of the ninth, and Arizona wiped out a three-run deficit to beat USC, 4-3, at Scottsdale Stadium.

It was the final baseball game in Pac-12 history. In fact, it was the final sporting event in Pac-12 history. Arizona will go on to play host to a regional this weekend, but USC, which built the most durable dynasty in the history of the league, didn’t make the field.”

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Canadians in College, Major Leagues (MLB)Mark Whicker
Mark Whicker: Ohtani thriving at plate with Dodgers, but should he pitch again?
Mark Whicker: Ohtani thriving at plate with Dodgers, but should he pitch again?

“Like most players who leave Anaheim, Shohei Ohtani has thrived.

Thriving is not something that’s automatic after you’ve already won two MVP awards, because the threshold of thriving is already at 30,000 feet. Yet Ohtani, as a Dodger, is hitting .364 with a .676 slugging percentage, a 1.108 OPS, a 211 OPS-plus (compared with the league average), 12 home runs, 16 doubles, and 63 hits, as of Wednesday night. The averages are all career highs, and the batting average is 60 points better than his previous high, set last season in his farewell to Orange County.”

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Major Leagues (MLB)Mark Whicker