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

Director of Operations Scott Crawford was in Clearwater, Florida for two days and was able to watch some baseball spring training.  He caught up with Hall of Famers Pat Hentgen, Rob Ducey, Ernie Whitt and Peter Orr, plus had a chance to watch the future Blue Jays play including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette.

Now back at work, Scott will be speaking to the Friends of Rotary In Stratford, Ontario today,  March 22, about the Museum renovation. His presentation will be followed by CBHFM member and volunteer Andrew North, who will introduce attendees to the work of the Canadian Centre for Baseball Research.  Scott’s also booked for the PitchTalks Town Hall featuring Mark Shapiro on Thursday, April 5th, 7 – 10:30 p.m. at the Royal Theatre in Toronto. Full details are available at http://www.homestandsports.com/upcoming-shows/.

We’ve received our first donations of artifacts for 2018.  The first, which is in a video on our Twitter account, is a well-used (read ‘very dirty’) hard hat from a fan in the Wrigley Field bleachers.  It was presented to Ferguson Jenkins at his 75th birthday party in Chicago and he has given it to us. Calgary’s Mike Soroka , who was the Atlanta Braves’ 2017 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, sent us an autographed hat, while AZ Diamondbacks catching prospect, Andrew Yerzy, born in North York, Ontario, gave Scott an autographed hat at the Baseball Canada banquet in January.

The Lince family from Port Hope, Ontario sent us their Dad’s glove for our collection.  Used by father Earl in games played in Oshawa and Georgetown during the 1930s and 40s, the glove is much smaller than the equipment of today and, while it has the characteristic padding for the heel of the hand, it’s is on the outside of the glove.  

Focus on our volunteers:  This time we’re introducing CBHFM’s 2016 Randy Echlin Lifetime Volunteer award winner and St. Marys native Nelda Mossip-Oliver.  Nelda is a kind of den mother to us and wears many hats in the organization. She helped us with bingos for many years, has landscaped and tended the flower beds around the Museum and, perhaps most importantly, is our unofficial photographer.  From Induction Week events, to minor ball games and special events such as our volunteer appreciation night, she has taken thousands of candids for us.

Nelda got involved shortly after the first induction here, when interviews were done upstairs at the St Marys curling rink, also enlisting the help of her husband, professional photographer Maurice Oliver.  She and her four sons have always loved and played baseball, as well as other sports. Nelda was thrilled when the CBHFM came to town. “I knew it would be very good for St. Marys and it has been.”

Speaking of our annual volunteer appreciation and recruitment event, it will be held in April during the evening so we can watch a Blue Jays game, while swapping stories and eating delicious food.  Date and time coming soon. Out-of-towners are most welcome to attend.

Recommended reads:  Rosie Di Manno’s profile of Braden Halladay in the Toronto Star  https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2018/03/17/roy-halladays-son-is-a-chip-off-the-old-doc.html

And the Vancouver Sun’s choices for the All-time BC Baseball Team:
http://vancouversun.com/sports/baseball/walker-morneau-bay-highlight-our-papers-all-time-b-c-baseball-team/wcm/7df2d10d-d35b-4b6b-9702-fc46e54fdbe8