St. Marys, Ont. – Two men that helped make the Montreal Expos one of baseball’s most competitive franchises of the 1980s will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on June 21 in St. Marys, Ont.
Long-time Expos third baseman Tim Wallach and former general manager Murray Cook will be honoured, along with legendary Expos broadcaster Dave Van Horne. Onetime Canadian national team coach and highly respected scout Jim Ridley will also be inducted posthumously.
The induction ceremony, which will take place starting at 1 p.m. on June 21 on the Hall of Fame grounds, will be part of four days of activities presented by the Town of St. Marys. The schedule of events will also include a celebrity slo-pitch game and home run derby on June 19, a London Salutes Canadian Baseball breakfast and the Hall’s 18th annual celebrity golf tournament on June 20, a Baseball Family Street Festival on June 21 and a Toronto Blue Jays Honda Super Camp for kids on June 21 and 22. (See complete agenda below).
“Thanks to the efforts of our volunteers and sponsors, we’ve been able to add even more events to our induction festivities this year. There’s truly something for everyone during the four days of activities,” said Scott Crawford, the Hall’s director of operations. “I’m very proud to honour the careers of four worthy inductees who, each in their own way, have made a permanent imprint on baseball in this country.”
2014 Inductee Bios
Tim Wallach
Né en 1957 à Huntington Beach en Californie, Tim Wallach est le meneur chez les Expos de Montréal dans plusieurs catégories dont les matchs joués (1767), les coups sûrs (1694), les doubles (360), les points produits (905) et le nombre de but total (2728). Surnommé « Eli » par ses coéquipiers, Wallach se retrouve aussi en troisième position pour les points marqués (737) et quatrième pour les circuits (204).
Repêché au 10e rang par les Expos en 1979, Wallach a débuté sa carrière professionnelle comme voltigeur avant de devenir le meilleur joueur de troisième but de l’histoire de l’équipe. En 13 saisons avec les Expos, de 1980 à 1992, Wallach a été invité à cinq matchs des étoiles (1984, 1985, 1987, 1989 et 1990), a gagné trois gants d’or (1985, 1988 et 1990) et deux bâtons d’argent (1985 et 1987). Il a aussi été nommé la recrue de l’année Topps en 1981, a mené les frappeurs de la Nationale pour les doubles en 1987 et en 1989 en plus de terminer quatrième au scrutin du joueur le plus utile à son équipe en 1987.
Wallach spent the final four seasons of his 17-year big league career in Los Angeles with the Dodgers and the Angels. Since retiring as a player, the long-time Expo has become a highly regarded coach at both the professional and collegiate levels. This season, he is serving as the Los Angeles Dodgers bench coach. In recent years, Wallach has been inducted into the Cal State Fullerton (his alma mater) Titan Athletics Hall of Fame (2005) and the College Baseball Hall of Fame (2011).
Dave Van Horne
He calls games for the Miami Marlins now, but for hundreds of thousands of Canadians Dave Van Horne will always be the voice of the Montreal Expos. The Easton, Pa., native was performing radio play-by-play duties for the Richmond Braves (Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate) from 1966 to 1968 when he first met John McHale (then the Atlanta Braves president). When McHale became president of the Expos, he offered Van Horne his first big league radio gig in 1969.
Behind the mike for the Expos’ first game on April 8, 1969 until the end of the 2000 season, Van Horne became known for his smooth baritone and trademark catch-phrases like “Up, up and away!” when the Expos hit a homerun. In his 32 seasons with the Expos, he broadcast the down-to-the-wire pennant races in 1979 and 1980, the team’s only post-season run in 1981 and Dennis Martinez’s perfect game on July 28, 1991 – a performance that inspired, perhaps, his most famous call, “El Presidente, El Perfecto!”
En 2001, Van Horne a accepté le poste de descripteur des joutes des Marlins et a décrit le championnat de la Série mondiale en 2003. Comme le hasard fait souvent bien les choses, Van Horne et les Marlins étaient les visiteurs lors du tout dernier match des Expos au Stade olympique le 29 septembre 2004.
In 1996, Van Horne received the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Jack Graney Award for broadcasting excellence and 15 years later, he was the recipient of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s equivalent honour, the Ford C. Frick Award. Now in his 46th year of broadcasting major league games, Van Horne is set to become the second Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (Tom Cheek is the other) to have won both the Jack Graney and Ford C. Frick Awards.
Murray Cook
Born in Sackville, N.B., in 1940, Murray Cook has spent more than half a century in professional baseball. After graduating from Ohio University with a master’s degree in history in 1962, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played shortstop and third base in the lower levels of their system for parts of four years, before hanging up his spikes to become the general manager of their Class-A affiliate in Gastonia in 1966.
Cook a suffisamment impressionné les Pirates, qui l’ont promu dans les bureaux du grand club en 1967 où il a été nommé l’assistant au directeur des équipes mineures. Il a gravi les échelons jusqu’au poste d’assistant au directeur des opérations des équipes mineures en 1972 et directeur du recrutement en 1977.
After 21 years in the Pirates organization, Cook was hired to be the New York Yankees scouting director in January 1983. Just over six months later, he was named the club’s general manager, becoming just the second Canadian to be a big league GM (Huntsville, Ont., native George Selkirk was the Washington Senators GM from 1964 to 1969). Cook remains just one of five Canadians to serve as a GM at the major league level. The others are Selkirk, Gord Ash (Toronto Blue Jays, 1995 to 2001), Doug Melvin (Texas Rangers, 1994 to 2001; Milwaukee Brewers, 2003 to present) and Alex Anthopoulos (Toronto Blue Jays, 2009 to present).
En 1984, les Yankees ont fait un peu de ménage et Cook s’est retrouvé vice-président et directeur du recrutement. Au début du mois de septembre de la même année, il a remplacé John McHale comme directeur-gérant des Expos de Montréal. En près de trois ans avec l’équipe, on se souviendra du repêchage de Randy Johnson, la signature de Dennis Martinez et de son travail de reconstruction qui a fait des Expos une équipe impliquée dans plusieurs courses au championnat.
Il a par la suite occupé le poste de directeur-gérant avec les Reds de Cincinnati et de dépisteur pour les Twins du Minnesota, les Marlins de Miami, les Red Sox de Boston et les Tigers de Détroit. En 2010, il a été nommé le dépisteur de la Côte est de l’année. Il est présentement à l’emploi des Tigers.
Jim Ridley
Après deux saisons comme voltigeur dans l’organisation des Braves de Milwaukee en 1964 et 1965, Jim Ridley est revenu au Canada, lui qui est né à Toronto, où il aura un impact significatif sur le baseball dans son pays au cours des quatre décennies suivantes.
While continuing his playing career in the Intercounty Baseball League – where he was named league MVP with Stratford in 1974 – Ridley launched his storied coaching and scouting career. He began as a part-time scout with the Detroit Tigers in 1973, before joining the Toronto Blue Jays in 1976 to run the club’s first tryout camp in Utica, N.Y. In his 26 years as a scout with the Blue Jays, Ridley was the driving force behind the club’s decisions to sign Canadians like Paul Spoljaric, Rob Butler and David Corrente. He also served as a coach with the Blue Jays’ rookie-level affiliate in Medicine Hat from 1978 to 1980.
Au niveau national, Ridley a dirigé l’équipe nationale junior pendant six campagnes, gagnant des médailles de bronze aux Coupes du monde de 1983 et 1987. Il était à la tête de l’équipe olympique en 1988 et aux jeux Panam en 1991. En 2002, Ridley est devenu dépisteur pour les Twins du Minnesota et a découvert Jon Waltenbury et Rene Tosoni.
Ridley est décédé des suites du cancer le 28 novembre 2008. À sa mémoire, le Canadian Baseball Network décerne annuellement le prix Jim Ridley au meilleur dépisteur du pays.
Agenda of Events
The Hall would like to acknowledge the Town of St. Marys, the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Marys Cement Company for their sponsorship and support in making the following events possible:
Thursday, June 19
Événement : Home Run Derby & Celebrity Slo-Pitch Game
Time: 6 p.m. – Home Run Derby – Team Canada Slo-Pitch players, including Todd Cadenhead, Kyle Knetchel and Jeff Gare vs. Team Canada Fastball players, including St. Marys resident Dale Levy.
7 p.m. – Celebrity Slo-Pitch Game – Team Wallach vs. Team Jenkins
Location: Rotary Field on the Hall of Fame grounds, 386 Church Street
Cost: Free
Celebrities scheduled to appear at the game include Fergie Jenkins, 2014 inductees Tim Wallach, Dave Van Horne and Murray Cook, and past inductees Steve Rogers and Jim Fanning. Ex-big leaguers Paul Spoljaric, Billy Atkinson, Derek Aucoin, John Upham and Dave Davidson will also be on hand. Other athletes participating include St. Marys Lincolns players Fraser Lewis and Mike Siddall, boxer Fitz Vanderpool, special Olympian Jesse Clifford and Jim Ridley’s son Jeremy (who was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2000). Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Friday, June 20
Événement : London Salutes Canadian Baseball breakfast sponsored by Lerners and the London Convention Centre. Special guests include Tim Wallach, Dave Van Horne, Fergie Jenkins, George Bell, Duane Ward and Devon White. Former Montreal Expos executives Murray Cook (2014 inductee) and Jim Fanning (2000 inductee) will also be in attendance.
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Location: London Convention Centre, 300 York Street
Cost: Tickets are $50 each or a table of eight for $400. Advance registration only. To order tickets, visit the Hall’s website.
This event will feature a hot buffet breakfast, a presentation on London baseball history, the national anthem sung by renowned Canadian actor and singer Michael Burgess, a live auction and raffle and a Q&A session with the baseball greats in attendance.
Friday, June 20
Événement : 18th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic and Banquet
Time: Registration at 10 a.m. Tee-off at 11 a.m. Banquet starts at 5 p.m.
Location: St. Marys Golf and Country Club, 769 Queen Street East, St. Marys, Ont. Banquet will be held on Hall of Fame grounds, 386 Church Street.
Cost: $1,250 per foursome or $250 per individual player. There’s still room for a few foursomes. You can also purchase tickets to the banquet only for $60 each. Doors open for the banquet at 5 p.m. To register, please call (519) 284-1838 or e-mail us at [email protected]
Your registration fee includes 18 holes of golf, a continental breakfast, lunch, a supper banquet, hole sponsorship and the opportunity to golf with a celebrity. Individuals (who pay $250) will enjoy all the same perks, with the exception of the hole sponsorship.
Celebrities will include 2014 inductees Tim Wallach, Dave Van Horne and Murray Cook, as well as past inductees Fergie Jenkins (1987), Jim Fanning (2000), Don McDougall (2002), Steve Rogers (2005) and George Bell (2013). Ex-big leaguers Devon White, Duane Ward, Billy Atkinson, Larry Landreth, Paul Spoljaric, Dave Davidson, John Upham and Derek Aucoin will also being teeing it up, along with Blue Jays radio personality Mike Wilner, former Olympian Jon Lockwood, renowned singer and actor Michael Burgess, onetime Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell, Stanley Cup champion player and coach Terry Crisp and ex-NHL official Bruce Hood.
Saturday, June 21
Événement : Baseball Family Street Festival
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
Location: Queen Street (downtown St. Marys)
Cost: Free
This event will feature music, Toronto Blue Jays inflatables, store sales, food and book signings. There will also be appearances by Toronto Blue Jays alumni George Bell, Duane Ward and Devon White, as well as Blue Jays mascot, ACE, between 10 and 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, June 21
Événement : Induction ceremony for Tim Wallach, Dave Van Horne, Murray Cook and Jim Ridley. Ridley will be inducted posthumously. The ceremony will be emceed by Canadian broadcasting legend Rod Black. Critically acclaimed singer and actor Michael Burgess will sing the national anthem.
Time: 1 p.m.
Location: Hall of Fame grounds, 386 Church Street
Cost: Free.
Celebrities will be signing autographs at 3:30 p.m. The cost is $10 per person, per trip through the autograph line. The Hall of Fame will be running a barbecue, museum tours and a silent auction on site. Baseball games will also be played on the diamonds.
Saturday, June 21
Event: Intercounty Baseball League game: Barrie Baycats vs. Hamilton Cardinals
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: St. Marys Cement Plant Field, Hall of Fame grounds, 386 Church Street
Cost: Free.
Saturday and Sunday, June 21 and 22
Événement : Toronto Blue Jays Honda Super Camp for kids (ages 9 to 16)
Time: Saturday – 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Hall of Fame grounds, 386 Church Street
Cost: See website (below) for details. Must pre-register at https://web-secure.mlb.com/campaign/gfi/?dir=tor_honda_super_camps&c_id=tor&camp=St.%20Marys
Each participant will receive eight hours of instruction, a Blue Jays t-shirt, a Blue Jays hat, a baseball manual, autographs and a Roberto Alomar 12” baseball glove. Blue Jays alumni Duane Ward, George Bell and Devon White will provide instruction at the camps.
