As the CBC is currently conducting its Greatest Canadian contest, we here at Batter's Box feel that we ought to offer our readers the baseball version. Although our version offers less production value, public debate and patent absurdity than the original, it has the potential to provoke what Batter's Box is all about - fine baseball conversation from a Canadian perspective.
The CBC's top one-hundred candidates include thirteen athletes, none of whom are baseball players. Fergie Jenkins missed the cut, but Ed Belfour is on the list. Avril Lavigne and Bret "the Hitman" Hart were both up for consideration, whereas Larry Walker was not. Something's amiss with the voting process that yielded that list. It's really too bad that top one-hundred candidate Nellie McClung is not still around; she could have fought the CBC to get suffrage for the sane.
We offer you twenty choices for The Greatest Canadian Baseball Player. The criteria are as nebulous as they are in the CBC's contest - the greatest degree of demonstrated or latent, uh, greatness.
To get on the ballot, a position player must have played at least 1000 Major League games, and a pitcher must have pitched at least 1000 innings. There are twenty players (eleven position players and nine pitchers) would meet those criteria.
Here they are; tell us who you think is The Greatest Canadian Baseball Player.
Position Players
George Gibson
Career: 1905-1918
From: London, ON
Position: Catcher
Teams: Pittsburgh (NL), New York (NL)
Best Season: 1909 (.265/.326/.361)
Career: 4190 PA, .236/.295/.312, 15 HR, 345 RBI
Jack Graney
Career: 1908-1922
From: St. Thomas, ON
Position: Outfielder
Team: Cleveland (AL)
Best Season: 1916 (.241/.355/.384)
Career: 5576 PA, .250/.354/.342, 18 HR, 420 RBI
Led AL in doubles in 1916 (41)... led AL in walks in 1917 (94) and 1919 (105).
Jeff Heath
Career: 1936-1949
From: Fort William, ON
Position: Outfielder
Teams: Cleveland (AL), Washington (AL), St. Louis (AL), Boston (NL)
Best Season: 1941 (.340/.396/.586)
Career: 5560 PA, .293/.370/.509, 194 HR, 887 RBI
All Star in 1941 and 1943... led AL in triples in 1938 (18) and 1941 (20)... finished in the top ten in homeruns in AL six times during the 1940's.
Arthur Irwin
Career: 1880-1894
From: Toronto, ON
Position: Shortstop
Teams: Worcester (NL), Providence (NL), Philadelphia (NL), Washington (NL), Boston (PL), Boston (AA)
Best Season: 1883 (.286/.306/.374)
Career: 4190 PA, .241/.299/.305, 5 HR, 391 RBI
Tip O'Neill
Career: 1883-1892
From: Springfield, ON
Position: Outfielder
Teams: New York (NL), St. Louis (AA), Chicago (PL), Cininnati (NL)
Best Season: 1887 (.435/.490/.691)
Career: 4720 PA, .326/.390/.458, 52 HR, 757 RBI
In 1887, led AA in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, triples, homeruns and runs batted in... repeated as batting champion in 1888.
Frank O'Rourke
Career: 1912-1931
From: Hamilton, ON
Position: Thirdbaseman
Teams: Boston (NL), Brooklyn (NL), Washington (AL), Boston (AL), Detroit (AL), St. Louis (AL)
Best Season: 1925 (.293/.350/.436)
Career: 4606 PA, .254/.315/.333, 15 HR, 430 RBI
Youngest player in NL in 1912 (17).
Bill Phillips
Career: 1879-1888
From: St. John, NB
Position: Catcher
Teams: Cleveland (NL), Brooklyn (AA), Kansas City (AA)
Best Season: 1886 (.274/.313/.369)
Career: 4458 PA, .266/.299/.374, 17 HR, 534 RBI
Terry Puhl
Career: 1977-1991
From: Melville, SK
Position: Outfielder
Teams: Houston (NL), Kansas City (AL)
Best Season: 1980 (.282/.357/.419)
Career: 5479 PA, .280/.349/.388, 62 HR, 435 RBI
NL All Star in 1978.
Pop Smith
Career: 1880-1891
From: Digby, NS
Position: Secondbaseman
Teams: Cincinnati (NL), Cleveland (NL), Buffalo (NL), Worcester (NL), Philadelphia (AA), Louisville (AA), Columbus (AA), Pittsburgh (AA), Pittsburgh (NL), Boston (NL), Washington (AA)
Best Season: 1890 (.229/.353/.322)
Career: 4623 PA, .222/.287/.313, 24 HR, 358 RBI
Led AA in triples in 1881 (17).
Matt Stairs
Career: 1992-present
From: Tay Creek, NB
Position: Outfielder
Teams: Montreal (NL), Boston (AL), Oakland (AL), Chicago (NL), Milwaukee (NL), Pittsburgh (NL), Kansas City (AL)
Best Season: 1999 (.258/.366/.533)
Career: 4058 PA, .266/.359/.494, 194 HR, 634 RBI
Larry Walker
Career: 1989-present
From: Maple Ridge, BC
Position: Outfielder
Teams: Montreal (NL), Colorado (NL), St. Louis (NL)
Best Season: 1997 (.366/.452/.720)
Career: 7663 PA, .314/.401/.568, 368 HR, 1259 RBI
Five-time All Star... 1997 NL MVP... Seven Gold Gloves... batting titles in 1998, 1999 and 2001... led NL in on-base percentage and slugging percentage in 1997 and 1999... led NL in doubles (44) in 1994... led NL in homeruns in 1997 (49).
Pitchers
Reggie Cleveland
Career: 1969-1981
From: Swift Current, SK
Teams: St. Louis (NL), Boston (AL), Texas (AL), Milwaukee (AL)
Best Season: 1973, 14-10, 3.01
Career: 105-106-25, 4.01, 1809 IP, 930 K
Rheal Cormier
Career: 1991-present
From: Cap Pele, NB
Teams: St. Louis (NL), Boston (AL), Montreal (NL), Philadelphia (NL)
Best Season: 2003, 8-0-1, 1.70
Career: 65-59-2, 4.01, 1123.3 IP, 706 K
Russ Ford
Career: 1909-1915
From: Brandon, MB
Teams: New York (AL), Buffalo (FL)
Best Season: 1914, 21-6-6, 1.82
Career: 99-71-9, 2.59, 1487.3, 710 K
Led FL in saves in 1914... led AL in homeruns allowed in 1912, 1913 and FL in 1914... led AL in losses in 1912 (21).
Dick Fowler
Career: 1941-1952
From: Toronto, ON
Teams: Philadelphia (AL)
Best Season: 1947, 12-11, 2.81
Career: 66-79-4, 4.11, 1303 IP, 382 K
Led AL in losses in 1946 (16).
John Hiller
Career: 1965-1980
From: Toronto, ON
Teams: Detroit (AL)
Best Season: 1973, 10-5-38, 1.44
Career: 87-76-125, 2.83, 1242 IP, 1036 K
Led AL in games and saves in 1973... missed entire 1971 season after suffering a stroke... All Star in 1974... fourth in AL in MVP voting in 1973.
Ferguson Jenkins
Career: 1965-1983
From: Chatham, ON
Teams: Philadelphia (NL), Chicago (NL), Texas (AL), Boston (AL)
Best Season: 1971, 24-13, 2.77
Career: 284-226-7, 3.34, 4500.7 IP, 3192 K
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1991... three time All Star... NL Cy Young in 1971... top ten in Cy Young voting six times from 1967 to 1978... led NL in wins in 1971 and AL in 1974... led his league in homeruns allowed seven times... led AL in strikeouts in 1969.
Phil Marchildon
Career: 1940-1950
From: Penetanguishene, ON
Teams: Philadelphia (AL), Boston (AL)
Best Season: 1947, 19-9, 3.22
Career: 68-75-2, 3.93, 1214.3 IP, 481 K
Led AL in walks in 1942 and 1947... led AL in losses in 1946.
Kirk McCaskill
Career: 1985-1996
From: Kapuskasing, ON
Teams: California (AL), Chicago (AL)
Best Season: 1986, 17-10, 3.36
Career: 106-108-7, 4.12, 1729 IP, 1003 K
Led AL in losses in 1991 (19)... top ten in AL ERA in 1986, 1989 and 1990.
Paul Quantrill
Career: 1992-present
From: Port Hope, ON
Teams: Boston (AL), Philadelphia (NL), Toronto (AL), Los Angeles (NL), New York (AL)
Best Season: 1997, 6-7-5, 1.94
Career: 66-76-21, 3.74, 1186.7 IP, 689 K
All Star in 2001... led his league in games in each of the last four seasons.
So there you have it, Bauxites. Who is The Greatest Canadian Baseball Player?
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