{"id":13029,"date":"2014-10-02T15:02:12","date_gmt":"2014-10-02T19:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baseballhalloffame.ca\/?p=13029"},"modified":"2014-10-02T15:02:12","modified_gmt":"2014-10-02T19:02:12","slug":"morneaus-batting-title-the-highlight-of-a-great-season-for-canadians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baseballhalloffame.ca\/fr\/morneaus-batting-title-the-highlight-of-a-great-season-for-canadians\/","title":{"rendered":"MORNEAU’S BATTING TITLE THE HIGHLIGHT OF A GREAT SEASON FOR CANADIANS"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"04<\/a>St. Marys, Ont. \u2013 When Justin Morneau secured the National League batting title on the final day of the regular season, it topped off what has been an excellent year for Canadians in the big leagues.<\/p>\n

The New Westminster, B.C., native\u2019s .319 batting average cemented him a spot in Canadian baseball lore alongside Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and Tip O\u2019Neill (Woodstock, Ont.), the only other Canadians to win major league batting crowns. One of the bats that Morneau used this season will soon be displayed at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning a batting title is a tremendous accomplishment, but what makes it even more special is that Justin did it wearing No. 33 with the Colorado Rockies just like Larry Walker did,\u201d said Scott Crawford, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame\u2019s director of operations. \u201cWe\u2019re very happy for Justin. He has always been a great ambassador for baseball in our country and he\u2019s been extremely generous to us over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the artifacts that Morneau has donated to the Canadian ball shrine are a bat from his first big league game, a bat from his 1,000th<\/sup> game and the ball that he hit to record his 130th<\/sup> RBI in 2006 to tie Walker\u2019s single-season, Canadian record. The ball that Morneau slugged for his 1,467th<\/sup> career hit, which tied him with George Wood (Pownal, P.E.I.) for the second-most hits by a Canadian, as well as the cleats he wore when he\u00a0tied and surpassed Wood, are also on their way to the museum.<\/p>\n

The batting crown is yet another award for Morneau, who has previously captured the 2006 American League MVP Award, two Silver Slugger Awards (2006, 2008) and the 2008 State Farm Home Run Derby trophy. This honour is also the latest addition to a growing list of awards that Canadians have won in recent years (See list below).<\/p>\n

But Morneau wasn\u2019t the only Canadian to shine at the big league level in 2014. Montreal native Russell Martin posted a .402 on-base percentage and threw out 39 per cent of runners attempting to steal off of him. He also recorded his 1,000th career hit on August 13. The bat he used to register that historic hit is now on display at the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

Mississauga, Ont., native Dalton Pompey rocketed through the Toronto Blue Jays\u2019 minor league system to make his big league debut on September 2. And Jays fans won\u2019t soon forget his performance on September 26, when he notched two triples and a double and made a highlight-reel catch in centre field. The spikes Pompey wore in his first major league game are being sent to the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

One day prior to that, Pompey and Scarborough, Ont., George Kottaras, made history when they were both in the Blue Jays\u2019 starting lineup, marking the first time that two players from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were in the Jays lineup at the same time. The lineup card from that game is also en route to the Hall.<\/p>\n

Ladner, B.C., native James Paxton also made a strong impression in 2014. In his first 14 big league starts \u2013 dating back to 2013 \u2013 the Canadian left-hander\u2019s ERA sat at 1.73, which was the third-best ERA a starting pitcher has ever registered in their first 14 starts, behind only Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Steve Rogers (1.31 for the Expos in 1973) and Tony Bonham (1.67 for the Yankees in 1940 and 1941). Paxton finished the season with six wins and a 3.04 ERA in 13 starts. One of his game-worn gloves is being shipped to the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that we recognize today\u2019s big leaguers in our museum,\u201d said Crawford. \u201cWhen we can add a glove or a bat from a Canadian playing in the big leagues right now, it helps us increase the interest level in kids that visit our museum, which is one of the most important things that we can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of some of the artifacts that the Hall has received or will be receiving from Canadians that played in the big leagues this season:<\/p>\n