TOP OF THE TENTH – NEWS FROM THE CANADIAN BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

Top of the Tenth – September 27

Museum update: Excitement continues to build as BaAM works on their design of the new museum. Scott has been spending a good deal of time there sorting through artifacts as the first of many steps for properly archiving one of the world’s biggest baseball collections.  It’s a rare privilege. Outside, the museum front entrance got a huge facelift this week with the installation of the garden.

Looking ahead, Scott will be talking about the Hall of Fame and Museum to a group in Stratford on October 3.

Activity on our fields has slowed down but October still brings 29 different practices and games on weekends, so come spend a wonderful fall day at the ballpark if you’re in the area. We’re fortunate to have Doug Goudy as our Site Supervisor and Rod Betteridge as our Equipment Manager providing their expertise all season, along with groundskeeper John Rietmeyer (summer student Chad Leslie has gone back to school). Together, they make our site one of the best in the county.

Check out this sunset photo by Sherri Barber on our Instagram page, Sherri and her husband provided professional packing materials and much appreciated storage space in a secure facility when the collection was packed up last fall.

From the collection:  We recently rediscovered a fascinating book entitled ‘The 1911 Berlin Green Sox: A Day By Day Account of a Magic Season’ by Kitchener-area resident Benno W. Rosinke.  The team played only one season but dominated the Canadian Professional Baseball League that year. The author, for whom this was a labour of love, certainly was thorough.  He combed the Kitchener Library holdings for press clippings, box scores, photos, political cartoons of the day to present a complete picture of the season. He even included our logo in the section devoted to CBHFM Hall of Famer George ‘Knotty’ Lee.

In his preface, Benno writes, “Their story is worth saving.  They were ordinary men, most of limited talent and no big deal, who through skill and good fortune became a big deal for one year….Most are forgotten, even to their own families, but their story deserves to be saved for a little longer. “  Kind of sums up CBHFM’s raison d’etre too.

The 2019 annual membership drive is underway so if you want to obtain great induction weekend benefits you should consider a carte de membre.  And Christmas will be here before we know it!

Canadians in MLB:  Canadian media have jumped all over a report by Bob Nightengale of USA Today that Stubby Clapp, who was inducted into our Hall of Fame in 2017 with the Canada 2015 Men’s National Team, is on the radar of major league teams looking for a manager for 2019.  Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star is speculating about the Blue Jays. For ten points: What’s Stubby’s given name? Answer below.

With one more strikeout James Paxton will become the 13th Canadian to strikeout 200 batters in a single season. The all-time leader is Fergie Jenkins with 274.

Recommended reading from the Canadian Baseball Network:  Turner Spoljaric becomes third member of family to pitch in T12.  Also from CBN, Danny Gallagher’s article about a baseball sci-fi novel written by Sudbury-area writer Ray Boudreau.

Another reminder:  The 3rd annual Canadian Baseball History Conference will take place Saturday & Sunday, November 3rd and 4th at The Old Courthouse in London, Ontario.  Highlights of the conference include a recreation of the historical Beachville game in 1838 and a tour of Labatt Park, the oldest continually operating ball field in North America.  We’ll be there with artifacts, books and merchandise. Cost is $70. For further details, please click ici..

Answer to the Stubby question:  Stubby was born Richard Keith Clapp on February 24, 1973 in Windsor, ON.  He’s actually Stubby III, having inherited the nickname his Grandfather and Father.  His son Cooper is known as Stubby IV.