* Paul Beeston, president and CEO, winner of the sixth annual most influential Canadians poll for 2012, right, shakes hands with Buffalo Bisons owner Bob Rich sealing the deal to move the triple-A affiliate down the QEW ...  2012 All-Canadian Team 2012 All-Canadian stats

 

2012 Canadians in the Minors  2012 Canadians Drafted 2012 Canadians in College Letters of Intent 2012-13 Canadians at Canadian schools

 

By Bob Elliott

Chicken and egg questions give us problems.

Which came first?

Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos who did the work to put together the 12-player deal with the Miami Marlins and the seven-player deal with the New York Mets?

Or Jays president Paul Beeston getting approval from Rogers Communications for the extra expenditures?

It was THE question to answer as we tried to decide who was the who was the  most influential Canadian in baseball in 2012 in in our sixth annual poll.

While both Anthopoulos and Beeston had seasons to forget -- like their team, the trading of their manager, who told them a year before he didn’t want to stay -- they finished strong the year strong.

The Jays made deals with the Miami Marlins and New York Mets, which could mean the opening day starter, Ricky Romero, is No. 5 in the rotation.

Who deserved the most credit?

The chicken, played by Anthopoulos, or the egg, with Dudley Moore’s under study, Beeston, who also made arrangements for the Jays to have their triple-A team in Buffalo rather than Las Vegas.

We were trying to decide between the deal maker or the banker when Doug Kelcher, GM of the Burlington Twins of the Intercounty League, phoned with season’s greetings.

Kelcher told of Beeston visiting Kelcher’s grand daughter, Jess Dunn, 13, at Sick Kids and bringing catcher J.P. Arencibia with him.

The room was crowded. Beeston and Kelcher adjourned to the hall, so Jess could talk with Arencibia her favorite player.

“I mean you can’t make this stuff up,” Kelcher said. “Here comes a guy down the hall in a huff and says ‘just the guy I’m looking for.”

Beeston and Kelcher exchanged glances.

Then, according to Kelcher the man said “the wireless on the next floor is not working and it’s Rogers. What are YOU going to do about it?”

Beeston, a man uncertain that this internet technology will ever gain traction, told the man he’d call Nadir Mohamed, president and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc. the next day to ask to put one of his best technicans on the problem.

Anyone who can get approval to raise the Jays payroll over $120 million AND fix the wireless at Sick Kids ... has to be the most influential Canadian in baseball in 2012.

 

2. Alex Anthopoulos (3).

Manager John Farrell was shipped to the Boston Red Sox, for Mike Aviles on Oct. 21, where Farrell told the Jays he wanted to go 12 months earlier. On Nov. 3, Esmil Rogers was acquired for Aviles and in the next 43 days 10 others -- Maicer Izturis, Jeremy Jeffress, Melky Cabrera, Emilio Bonifacio, Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson, Jose Reyes, R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas -- who were all in the majors in 2012. The changes give the Jays the most talent in the AL East.

The Montrealer brought back manager John Gibbons to run $120 million US team payroll, north of the $97.9 million roster Gibbons had opening day 2008. Said one agent: “Like him or not, the kid has stones, a brain, and a set of ethics. I’ll take him over a lot of the Ivy Leaguers.”

 

3. Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada (1)

The Ottawa resident didn’t guide Canada to three medals this year as he did in 2011 when Canada won bronze (World Cup), silver (World Junior qualifier) and gold (Pan Am Games) yet it was another strong year. Canada moved to sixth in the world ranking winning silver at the World Juniors in Korea and ran the table against Great Britain and Germany to qualify for the WBC in Arizona. “Canada was the class of the tournament and they treated all our guys first class,” said Sam Dempster, the Team Great Britain manager.

Canada had the second best year of any country (behind only Chinese Taipei) internationally and was named COPABE (Confederacy Pan American Baseball) Federation of the year in September.

 

4. Arlene Anderson (20).

Miguel Cabrera accomplished something which hadn’t been done since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski won the triple crown in 1967. Cabrera led the AL in homers, RBIs and batting average, all the while using a Sambat. Anderson and hubby Jim Anderson, bought controlling interest in the Maple Bat Corporation five years ago from founder Sam Holman.

The Carleton Place factory churns out 18,000 bats a year, including Cabrera’s 34-inch, 32-ounce, MC-1 model. Ryan Braun led the National League in homers using a Sam Bat. Troy Tulowitzki, Justin Upton, Andre Either, Nick Swisher and Kendry Morales are among more than 100 Sam Bat clients. Project manager Alfred Maione was at Game 4 of the World Series as Cabrera ended his homerless streak.

 

5. Dr. Marc Philippon (16).

Alex Rodriguez had hip problems in post-season play reporting discomfort to Joe Girardi in Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Orioles after he was lifted for Raul Ibanez. Rodriguez said his right hip bothered him. An MRI exam in New York hospital showed zero problems with the right hip.

Rodriguez had a routine November checkup at Dr. Philippon’s Vail, Col., offices and he identified problems in the left hip. The Yankees said early this month Rodriguez would need 4-to-6 months to recover. Dr. Philippon, a Hamilton native and McMaster grad, performed ARod’s 2009 surgery on his right hip.

 

6. Doug Melvin (2).

Six blown saves by John Axford saw him lose his closer’s role by July 17 and four more in the same month by his replacement Francisco Rodriguez caused a mid-season meltdown for the NL Central champs. Melvin then dealt Zack Greinke after Greinke declined to sign a contract extension before free agency but he got three good prospects from the Angels, including their shortstop of the future, Jean Segura.

Milwaukee made a run at the second NL wild card berth winning 83 games to finish five back of St. Louis. With ownership cutting payroll significantly (from $100 million to $80 million roughly), the Chatham Ont. native who was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, has not been allowed to spend this winter.

 

7. Nadir Mohamed, president and CEO, Rogers Communications (8).

Fill the Rogers Centre with fans and only a few hundred would be able to pick the Vancouver native out in the crowd. But he’s a big man on campus -- the Rogers Campus. In fact he’s the biggest.

When Beeston went for approval to bump the payroll to $120 million area code he dialed 1-800-Nadir. Born in Tanzania, he’s lived in India and attended school in England he has helped put the face on the 2013 Jays.

 

8. Pat Gillick (5).

Gillick has been busy since giving the GM’s reins to Ruben Amaro. He’s an adviser to the president Dave Montgomery and Amaro, scouts amateurs prior to the June draft and is heavily involved on trade talks and discussions on free-agent signings.

A Canadian citizen, the Seattle resident served on the Hall of Fame pre-integration era committee, which elected former Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, catcher Deacon White and umpire Hank O’Day to Cooperstown. His HOF autograph is worth money, but he asks card show operators and collector to make donations to Dennis Gilbert’s Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, raising $30.000, since his induction.

 

9.  Peter Morris, historian (-).

The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) has tracked and researched players, Hall of Famers and one-game wonders for over 40 years. SABR created the Henry Chadwick award, as important as the J.G. Taylor Spink award, and the former Toronto resident was amongst the intial class of nine in 2010. He’s written five books from East Lansing. Mich.: Baseball Fever: Early Baseball in Michigan; A Game of Inches: The Stories Behind the Innovations That Shaped Baseball; Level Playing Fields: How the Groundskeeping Murphy Brothers Shaped Baseball; But Didn’t We Have Fun? An Informal History of Baseball’s Pioneer Era, 1843–1870 and Catcher: How the Man Behind the Plate Became an American Folk Hero.

A Toronto resident until 2001 when his mother, Ruth, who received an appointment to the Order of Canada as an advocate for justice reform and founded Toronto’s first bail residence, as well as a halfway house for ex-offenders, passed, he was on the HOF pre-integration committee.

 

10. Joey Votto, Reds first baseman (7).

Suffering a torn ligament in his knee, he underwent surgery July 15 and returned at less than 100% on Sept. 5 unable to generate power. Votto was homerless in the 30 games after he returned with seven RBIs, yet he still hit .330 and had the highest on-base mark in the NL, playing 111 games.

He became Canada’s highest paid athlete in April and will earn $17 million in 2013 and then his 10-year, $225-million extension begins. Votto, who hopes to be able to contribute in March in the WBC, has the highest batting average on balls in play (BABIP) among active players with 1,500 or more plate appearances. He has a .359 BABIP, followed by Matt Holliday (.345), Miguel Cabrera (.345) and Kevin Youkilis (.322).

 

11. Larry Walker, HOF candidate (9).

Walker was named on 22.9% of the ballots, up from 20.3% and sits eighth of the returnees on the ballot. He’s expected to slip a little with Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling, Craig Biggio and Sammy Sosa in January muddying the voting waters and Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Tom Glavine and Jeff Kent making an appearance for the first time in 2014 and then begin to increase his voting totals.

It’s an uphill climb and a long process, yet North Bay stats guru Neil Munro makes a strong case for Walker (canadianbaseballnetwork.com/articles/larry-walker-the-case-for-cooperstown/) showing his home/road splits were better than some HOF outfielders.

 

12. Dan Shulman, broadcaster, ESPN (12).

Shulman’s band keeps breaking up (he lost broadcast partners Buck Martinez and Terry Francona to the dugout) and never misses a beat. He was presented the 2011 National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in June and is a 2012 nominee (results will be announced in January). Shulman will be voice of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball along with Orel Hershiser and new analyst John Kruk — soon to be a manager after Shulman makes him look smart?

The Thronhill resident reached a multiyear extension in October to do baseball, play-by-play hoops with Dick Vitale and post-season radio. And eye witnesses says he brings to mind memories of Sal Butera coaching third base for his son Ben Shulman’s Thornhill Reds peewees, which  Shulman says is his dream job.

 

13. Jeff Mallett, part owner, San Francisco Giants (22).

The 12th employee of Yahoo, the Victoria, B.C., native could be found in a hallway outside the champagne-spritzed Giants clubhouse at Comerica Park in October after a Series sweep over the Tigers -- just as he was in Arlington two years ago when the Giants won.

Before moving to the Bay Area where he has lived for 25 years he pitched at the Little League championships in Trail, B.C. and then turned to soccer. Besides the Giants, he owns a portion of AT&T Park, the Bay Area’s regional sports cable TV network, class-A San Jose and a soccer club.

 

14. Fergie Jenkins: Hall of Famer (15).

The only Canadian-born player in Cooperstown will be honoured at the Dennis Gilbert's Professional Scouts Foundation Dinner in Beverly Hills on Jan. 12 when he receives A Scouts Dream award for outstanding achievement in baseball History. Jenkins always gave credit to the men who signed him: Chatham high school teacher Gene Dziadura and Phillies scout Tony Lucadello.

The Fergie Jenkins elite league got off the ground this spring and Jenkins still makes appearances across the country with speaking engagements.

 

15. Jerry Howarth: broadcaster, Blue Jays (14).

One down, one to go. The late Tom Cheek was named the 2013 Ford C. Frick winner for his 4,306 consecutive games from the Jays booth. This fall when on-line voting begins loyal Jays fans should turn their attention to Howarth, Cheek’s former partner to begin the long process.

Howarth had worked over 5,000 games from the Jays booth missing for Robbie Alomar and Pat Gillick’s induction ceremonies as well as his son Ben and Joe’s graduations and other family functions. A Canadian citizen since 1994, he coaches hoops in the winter at an Etobicoke High School.

 

16. Farhan Zaidi, director baseball operations, Oakland A’s (27).

Billy Beane’s top aide, along with David Forst, Zaidi believes in evaluating long term, because going with the popular perception of players is a recipe for mediocrity. So the A’s dealt Trevor Cahill and Gio Gonzalez for a bevy of prospects to reduce costs and then signed free-agent Cuban Yoenis Cespedes -- and won the AL West.

The Sudbury-born California-Berkeley grad provides pre-draft statistical analysis and trades using FIP (fielding independent pitching), BABIP (batting average on balls in play), ground ball/fly ball rates and line drive percentages when comparing players.

 

17. Dr. Jason Smith, Blue Jays physician (-).

Smith is one tall drink of water at 6-foot-4. The Calgary native attended Princeton, was a fourth-round draft of the Flames in 1993 and played the 1996-97 season at Saint John in the AHL. His season ended early due to concussions.

What makes him tower above other doctors is the fact Smith began doing Tommy John elbow surgery five years ago. When Chris Leroux had the injury pitching at Winthrop University his school paid for it. But for Canadian high schoolers looking at a $30,000 bill from Dr. James Andrews, where Smith trained for a year in Birmingham, Ala, he is a Godsend. All a parent needs is an OHIP card or Canadian insurance and the operation is covered. He can’t reveal who had surgery but Vancouver right-hander Vaughn Covington, an 11th round pick of the Reds, is one.

 

18. Jeffrey Royer, general partner, Arizona Diamondbacks (21).

His family was an original founding investor in the club and his involvement has grown to part of the general partnership, roughly 30% of the Diamondbacks. He committed $160 million over a 10-year span to the team, after growing up in Wisconsin and graduating from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisc. home of former Jays announcer/Frick winner Tony Kubek.

The Toronto resident is an independent director, as well as being a corporate director of Shaw Communications. He is a director of Galtronics Corporation, Channel Oy and the Massuah Hotels.

 

19. Andrew Tinnish, assistant GM, Blue Jays (19)

Anthopoulous stuck with his plan to collect extra draft picks, but it was scouting director Tinnish and his staff who used the extra picks wisely. The Jays have moved four first round picks -- Kevin Comer, Asher Wojciechowski, Joe Musgrove, Noah Syndergaard, second rounder Justin Nicolino and third rounder Jake Marisnick -- acquiring J.A. Happ in July, before the Marlins and Mets deals.

And after signing his top three picks D.J. Davis ($2 million signing bonus), Marcus Stroman ($1.8 million) and Matt Smoral ($1 million) Tinnish was promoted to assistant GM.

 

20. Vince Horsman, pitching coach class-A Lansing (HM).

When minor league bosses Doug Davis, Charlie Wilson, assistant GM Tony LaCava and pitching co-ordinator Dane Johnson spoke at the Bobby Mattick Complex in March assigning lefty Justin Nicolino, plus right-handers Aaron Sanchez and Noah Syndergaard to class-A Lansing, they were handing the young arms over to Horseman. The Lansing Trio combined to go 26-14, with a 2.52 ERA under Horsman’s fine tuning. He may not have changed any of three into top prospects but most important -- he didn’t ruin anyone.

He’ll never have another trio like that and he made them better. The Dartmouth native was inducted into the Nova Scotia Hall of Fame in November along with Olympic paddler Steve Giles, former Boston Bruin Glen Murray, table tennis player Julie Barton and the 2001 King of Donair soccer club. Way of the road, way of road boys.

 

21. Scott Diamond, Minnesota Twins (-).

The Guelph lefty went undrafted as a high schooler and a collegian at Binghamton University. Yet in typical Canadian fashion he did not give up. He pitched in a summer college league and just as he was about to had back to campus the Atlanta Braves scouts saw him and signed him to a free-agent contract.

This season the Guelph lefty won 12 games for the Twins -- for the best year for any Canadian pitcher. He was supposed to pitch in the WBC but arthoscopic elbow surgery to remove a bone chip and now hopes to be ready for opening day with the Twins. He pitched for coach Danny Thompson with Team Ontario.

 

22. Claude Delorme, VP stadium development (11).

The manager imploded in the first month, the owner blew up the roster at the end of the season as the Marlins drew 2.2 million, the worst attendance for a new stadium’s first season in 11 years. They averaged 27,400 oer game, 1,479 more than the Jays’ average.

Players and visitors to the city loved the Marlins 37,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof stadium a plan spear headed by the Sturgeon Falls, Ont. native, who graduated from Laurentian University. Local tax payers are irate after Miami-Dade County financed its $347.5 million share with a $319.3 million muni and subsequent debt sales.

 

23. Keith Pelley, president, Rogers Media (15).

The Jays are under the Rogers media umbrella, which reports to Pelley. He oversees the Sportsnet properties, was responsible for the new Sportsnet magazine, Maclean’s magazine CITY-TV and hiring.

The likes of Ken Whyte, Scott Woodgate and Ryan Johnston hired newsmen Shi Davidi, Stephen Brunt and Michael Grange plus Mike Cormack, an increased presence on the Sportsnet web site and magazine.

 

24. Rob Thomson, third base coach, New York Yankees (17).

The Corunna, Ont., like Derek Jeter signed by scout Dick (The Legend) Groch) shook a lot of hand this season: an AL high 245 after his Yankees hit homers and he waved home runners 804 times from third base coach for Joe Girardi’s 95-win team.

Next year will his 24th year with the Yanks and has five World Series rings, the first four as minor-league field coordinator. While most Canucks move south, Thomson has moved Stratford, as Justin Bieber tours. The town was big enough for the two of them.

 

25. Walt Burrows, Canadian director, MLB Scouting Bureau (25).

The WBC means an even busier year than normal for the Brentwood Bay, B.C., resident. He’ll scout Italy, Team USA and Mexico before Canada opens in Phoenix. Then, it’s back to his regular work, evaluating Canadian high schoolers from coast to coast, instructing at MLB’s scout school, scouting the Dominican Republic Bureau and is the double-A Texas League (he was one of the first to marvel at Mike Trout).

Only Murray Zuk (Padres) of Souris, Man., and Claude Pelettier (Mets) of Ste-Lezare, Que., have scouted Canada longer. In June, 27 Canadians were drafted, 16 of whom signed, plus one free agent headed to the pros.

 

26. Dr. Ron Taylor, Blue Jays club physician (28).

The man with the Hall of Fame friends (former St. Louis catcher Tim McCarver, Robbie Alomar and Pat Gillick) is regarded a HOF doctor by his peers. Besdies his family practice he runs the S.C. Cooper sports medicine clinic at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto three nights a week.

Taylor, who celebrated his 75th his birthday, sees one and all: from a weekend warrior to a draft eligible player. In both cases the goal of the former two-time World Series hero is to get the athlete healthy and onto the diamond as quickly as possible.

 

27. Brett Lawrie, third base, Blue Jays (10).

His walk-up music could be Terri Clark’s Hold Your Horses (“Hold your horses, you’re steppin’ outta line, Like a team of untamed stallions.”) Lawrie’s first full season saw him attempt to steal home with Jose Bautista batting, two out and the bases loaded (OUT!).

The Langley, B.C., native operates on all-ahead full. Does manager John Gibbons rein him in? Make him show some accountability? Will they clash head on like north bound freight on track II meeting the south bound passenger train? Lawrie is still a pup and could still own this town with his enthusiasm, if dialed down past the helmet-throwing, “it’s the way I play” base running.

 

28. John Ircandia, managing director, Okotoks Dawgs (24).

The Dawgs drew 2,202 to its 2,650-seat Seaman Stadium in 22 Western Major Baseball League games -- seven less fans than the next three teams (Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Regina) combined.

He’s the George Steinbrenner of the Prairies: besides the $8 million Seaman Stadium, Donald R. Seaman and the late Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman, part owner of the NHL’s Calgary Flames, is $2 million the Duvernay Fieldhouse and a new Tourmaline Field.

 

29. Joel Wolfe, agent, Wasserman Group (36).

The former Bishop’s University student works at the Los Angeles-based agency. His father and mother, who went to school with William Shatner, are from Montreal, he has a summer home in Ayer’s Cliff, Que. and maintains Canadian citizenship. He also represents Rich Harden of Victoria, B.C. who did not pitch last year, but is making a comeback, has signed with the Twins and is considering pitching in the WBC.

Wolfe also looks after Giancarlo Stanton, Mark Trumbo, Chase Utley, Travis and Chase d’Arnaud, Jason Kubel, Delmon Young, Bud Norris and former first rounder Trevor Bauer ($3.4 million bonus from the Diamondbacks).

 

30. RHP Ryan Dempster, Boston Red Sox (32).

Signed a two-year, $26.5 million free-agent deal after pitching with the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers, after turning down a deal to the Atlanta Braves. Dempster could have major influence on the WBC -- if he decides to pitch.

Dempster won 12 games last season and now has 124 career wins, second to only Fergie Jenkins -- plus 87 saves -- in 15 years. He’s raised roughly $20,000 for his fantasy auction packages and this year will do the same Jan. 12 at the annual Baseball Canada fund raiser at the Renaissance Hotel, usually in the character of former Cubs broadcaster Harry Carry.

 

31. Gord Ash, assistant GM, Milwaukee Brewers (18).

The Brewers were 12 games under .500 on Aug. 19 before rallying, winning 26 of 35 games to get within 3 1/2 games of the Cardinals for the second wild-card berth Sept. 26.

Ash and his dear friend Melvin take turns making trips with the team. The former Jays GM and Toronto native, owns 5% of the AHL Milwaukee Admirals. The Brewers and Jays shared the lead for the most Canucks in the June draft (four) and had 12 Canucks in the minor-league system..

 

32. Scott Moore, president Rogers broadcasting (35).

Moore is responsible for broadcasting all 162 Blue Jays games on Sportsnet and The Fan. And he tries to control Bob (The Franchise) McCown as his rating make The Fan the No. 1 station in the market place.

He’s responsible for Jamie Campbell and Gregg Zanun’s pre-game shows, bulked-up coverage on the road, increased presence in SportsNet connect. Moore made sure SportsNet aired World Baseball Classic qualifying games from Germany and March’s Team Canada schedule.

 

33. Justin Morneau. Minnesota Twins (39).

After starting only 69 games during in injury-plaqued 2011 (four surgeries) and battling concussion-like symptoms, Morneau made 133 starts in 2012. The former MVP from New Westminster, B.C. hit 19 homers going over the 200. He now has 204 career homers, fourth on the all-time list amongst Canadians behind Larry Walker (383), Matt Stairs (265) and Jason Bay (211).

He is Canada’s conscience when it comes to the game in this country.

 

34. Fred Wray, agent, Octagon (41).

The Calgary native looks after Marlins Logan Morrison, a superstar in the making, with a cult like following on Twitter. He also represents  Charlie Furbush, Mariners; pluz Jason Castro, Astros;  Bryan Petersen, Marlins; David Carpenter, Garrett Richards, minor-leaguers all-star Matt Long and minor leaguers Matt Shoemaker, Mike Bianucci, Mike Piazza, all of the Angels; as well as minor leaguers Kevin Munson, Diamondbacks; Jordan Cote, Yankees; Steve Perakslis, Cubs and Shaq Thompson, Red Sox, who started as a true freshman at the University of Washington as either a safety or a linebacker.

He represents Mississauga’s Chris Leroux of the Pirates honed in on  Jeff Gibbs from Maine falling head over heels after seeing the East York righty's MPH fastball at UNC in the Chapel Hill regional, who was drafted in the ninth round by the Diamondbacks in June.

 

35. Allan Simpson, Perfect Game cross-checker (29).

The Baseball America founder and only media member inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame writes in a prolific manner for the Perfect Game scouting service, rating prospects for the 20013 draft on all 53 draft areas (50 USA states, plus, Canada, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.).

The Kelowna, B.C. native is involved with the ambitious plans as Perfect Game moves from Jupiter, Fla. to Georgia with 14 diamonds and a hotel complex. He takes over for the late Randy Echlin, running the Canadian HOF selection committee.

 

36. Russell Martin, catcher, Pirates (23).

He is the most popular ball player in Quebec, making personal appearances in Montreal before Christmas. After hitting 21 homers in 133 games, making 128 starts, for the Yankees (.211 average, 53 homers, .713 OPS) he signed a two-year, $17 million deal with Pittsburgh.

Born in East York, raised in Chelsea, Que., and a Montreal resident he brings his Joie de vivre to Pittsburgh. A former infielder in college playing second and third, he suggested playing short in the WBC, but he will be behind the plate.

 

37. Jacques Doucet, broadcaster (33).

He help his home province fall in love with one team, his beloved Expos, now Doucet, is turning Quebec on to another team, the Blue Jays. He did 60 games on TVA Sports as play-by-play TV voice of the Jays, after working 33 seasons the play-by-play radio voice of the Expos on the French-language network (more than 5,000 game including post-season assignments).

The Montreal native was on the Frick ballot for the seventh time -- as was Tom Cheek, the Frick winner. Doucet, who will win eventually, is often amongst the leaders voters in on-line balloting which earns him a spot on the final ballot and deserves to win. Between the Expos’ departure and the Jays he worked Quebec Capitals games in the independent Cam-Am League. He had received Medal of Honour from the president of the Quebec National Assembly for contribution to Quebec society.

 

38. Jason Sinnarajah, executive, Cleveland Indians (-).

Born and raised in Toronto he grew up playing ball at Bond Park, then in grade 10 his family moved to Bellingham, Wash. in 1995, playing against Justin Morneau and then attending Boston College. He lived/worked in Australia and Japan for a few years, before joining Google in San Francisco. Indians president Mark Shapiro had people working on strategy across the organization, creating an executive development fellowship, hiring Sinnarajah this summer. The Indians are looking to hire from business schools and find data driven approaches to problems.

 

39. Mike McRae, coach, Canisius College (33).

The Niagara Falls, Ont. made the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference post-season for six consecutive season. His Golden Griffins own a 142-88 (.617) record the last four years.

The only Canadian NCAA Div. I head coach has 13 Canucks on his roster: Michael Booth of Lakeshore, Ont., London’s Jon Fitzsimmons, Brooklyn Foster, Langley, B.C., Langley’s Michael Krische, Mississauga’s Billy Martin, Etobicoke’s Connor Panas, Iannick Remmillard, of Valleyfield, Que., Thornhill’s Jason Rubenstein, Windsor’s Brett Siddall, Cambridge’s Tyler Soucie, Devon Stewart, Maple RIdge, B.C., Mississauga’s Jose Torralba and Shane Zimmer of St. Albert, Alta. Next fall Windsor’s Jake Lumley and Brampton’s Zachary Sloan headed to the Buffalo campus.

 

40. Ray Carter, president, Baseball Canada (37).

Baseball Canada’s has been on a run since 1999 and the man who has his hand at the tiller for most of the time has been Carter. The Tsawwassen, B.C., resident Carter is in his 13th year running Baseball Canada.

Carter assembled the Ottawa staff of Jim Baba, Greg Hamilton, Andre Lachance, Kelsey McIntosh, Adam Morissette and Denise Thomas which has Canada ranked sixth in international ranking, despite being the only one of the top 15 ranked countries without a pro league.

 

41. Stephen Brooks, CFO, Blue Jays (43).

The Prince George B.C., native is in charge of counting the Jays incoming revenue and outgoing costs, so he has been busy with his calculator and his fingers. He is a former player with a spot in his heart for amateur ball.

And he proved himself to be a dynamic speaker at the Durham College sports seminar, although he cheated to win best speaker honours by bringing along autographed Robbie Alomar jerseys.

 

42. Dave McKay, first base coach, Chicago Cubs (31).

McKay enters his 27th year coaching in the majors and his second season as the Cubs first base coach for manager Dale Sveum. He was with the A’s for seven seasons and the Cardinals for 16 years, so he knows his way around the NL Central.

The Vancouuver native  was inducted into the Canadian National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. The original Blue Jay will work with base runners and outfielders.

 

43. Ron Tostenson, scout, Chicago Cubs (51).

Tostenson had a busy year cross checking for scouting director Tim Wilken. He was in strong on both first rounder, outfielder Albert Almora, a Hialeah Gardens, Fla. high school and right-hander Duane Underwoood, a Marietta, Ga. high schooler. Almora was paid $3.2 million while Underwood’s signing bonus was $769,600.

The former Blue Jays scout from Kelowna, B.C. cross-checked before the draft, covered Canada, Japan and Latin America.

 

44. Wayne Norton, scout, Seattle Mariners (30).

A good production for a scout? One guy every other year is outstanding, 20 in a career is a staggering total. All of which makes it all the more impressive for Port Moody, B.C., Mariners scout. He covers Canada and Europe: Victoria’s Mike Saunders (133 starts) and Italy’s Alex Liddi (30).

Gatineau’s Phillippe Aumont, signed by Bob Engle and Norton, made his Phillies debut. This summer Norton drafted and signed right-hander Logan Seifrit of Spruce Grove, Alta.

 

45. Charlie Wilson, director, minor league operations, Blue Jays (38).

He’ll sleep a lot better this summer. No more calls from Las Vegas or the coast when the Jays triple-A team is on the coast: “Ah, Charlie we had a man go down tonight and need someone for tomorrow.”  And maybe some day double-A New Hampshire will move to Ottawa as the Jays attempt to go all Canadian.

While it was difficult for scouts to see the Jays move prospects, it was tougher for Wilson, who has daily contact in this his ninth year on this job, He sets budgets, signs international free agents, and runs spring training.

 

46. Alex Agostino, area supervisor, Phillies (51).

He can do it all, even after being promoted to North East supervisor (which means he covers Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York, except for the city, western Pennsylvania, plus eastern Canada). How does one see UCONN and Boston College play in different parks on the same day at the same time? He has three part-time scouts to pick the best for him to see. He also drafted  lefty Fernando Fernandez-Beltran in the 27th round.

At Baseball Quebec he’s in charge of all the high school program now up to 20 from Rivière-du-Loup to Gatineau, he’s an on-air insider with 98.5 (best drive time ratings in Montreal) and host Michel Villeneuve, this summer will manage the Phillies scout team in the Area Code games and in the off-season he runs an instructional academy for youngsters. Grew up n Expo fan but has World Series rings from the Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies.

 

47. Doug Mathieson, Langley Blaze (44).

It was a down year on the coast (“there’s not even anyone good enough to steal,” joked a visiting scout), yet Lawrie’s former coach, Mathieson, who runs the Langley Blaze crew, still had a good year.

Now scouting  for the Diamondbacks, he’s also Blaze GM, coach and guru signed hard-throwing Jeff Gibbs, the East York, right-hander selected in the ninth round from the University of Maine and given a $90,000 bonus and Windsor outfielder Damion Smith for $80,000 in the 27th round. Plus Tyler O’Neill could be the top high schooler selected in June.

 

48. Mike Wilner, The Fan-590 (95).

He’s on air, on the pre, pre-game show, during the game and on the post-game show. He writes and tweets. He fills in on TV. But he’s done that all before. This year he lobbied -- successfully.

Wilner pushed long and hard each night for fans to vote to the late Tom Cheek, then Cheek advanced to the second round of 41 and finally the final three of the on-line nominees which went on to the 21-man Frick committee to consider. He helped get Cheek, in his seventh year on the ballot, then Frick winners did the rest. Plus, Wilner made the second round of 41 too.

 

49. Phil Lind, vice-chairman, Rogers Communications (31).

The UBC grad is a regular at ownership meetings representing the Jays. It was the classy Lind, long-time Rogers employee, who talked the late Ted Rogers into purchasing the Jays.

He has obtained a CRTC license for a baseball channel and talk at the 2011 winter meetings was that it was coming soon to Canada but nothing yet. The MLB Network is something to behold, Now when it crosses the border will it be known as the Canadian Baseball Network or MLB Network North.

 

50. Denis Boucher, Yankees scout (52).

The Lachine, Que. native, was pitching coach of Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic qualifier in Germany as Canada beat Team Great Britain and Germany. One of the few men to pitch for both the Jays and the Montreal Expos, have the same role at the WBC in March, teaching the “Lachine slider.”

The Yanks drafted London right-hander Dayton Dawe in the ninth round and gave him a $100,000 signing bonus.

 

51. Jonah Keri, ESPN (47).

Now that he’s given an extra 2% to his last book — The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Team from Worst to First (ESPN Books/Ballantine) about the Tampa Bay Rays the Montrealer is working on The Definitive History of the Montreal Expos (Random House Canada) for release in the spring of 2014, the 10th anniversary of the Expos’ move.

Keri’s advice to young authors: “write, write, write,” which is what he did ... for Baseball Prospectus, Baseball America, ESPN.com, The New York Times, Grantland, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Sports, FanGraphs, SI.com, Salon, Playboy, Penthouse, Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal. He also hosts a hit Podcast.

 

52. Jay Lapp, scouting supervisor, Brewers (26).

Not the busiest year for the London, Ont. resident on draft day. While the Brewers took four players -- including Toronto first baseman Bryan Saucedo a ninth rounder; Winnipeg catcher Chris Shaw, a 39th rounder and Brampton outfielder Derek Jones none of Lapp’s three picks signed.

Every scout has a best sign. Lapp was making the drive from home in a snowstorm to a workout at The Baseball Zone in Mississauga. The result? Signing John Axford, who grew up to be the Brewers’ closer.

 

53. Terry McKaig, coach, University of British Columbia (59).

The UBC Thunderbirds were not able to defend their NAIA West tournament title, eliminated by a 7-1 loss to the Concordia Cavaliers, to finish the season with a 28-19 record. Lefty David Otterman from Coquitlam, B.C. was signed by Brewers scout Marty Lehn gaining a $141,700 signing bonus, while 24th North Vancouver infielder Keaton Briscoe, a 24th rounder signed with the Boston Red Sox, giving the program 19 players drafted.

McKaig’s incoming class of freshman this fall includes: Toronto’s Jeremy Newton, Calgary’s Brendan Rose, Guelph’s Turner Spears, Alex Webb, of White Rock B.C., Waterloo’s Bruce Yari. And booked for next fall are: Victoria’s Mackenzie Catto, Victoria’s Scott Jones and Welland’s Nick Spillman.

 

54. Chris Mears, scout Boston Red Sox (49).

The former Victoria, B.C. resident had three players drafted: shortstop Stephen Williams, a 16th rounder from Seminole State College, who signed for $125,000, outfielder Khiry Cooper, 25th round, Nebraska, who signed and outfielder Chris Carlson, Orange Coast Community College, who did not sign. 33rd rounders. A wide receiver Cooper transferred to Tulsa for his final year of eligibility.

Mears lives in Oklahoma and covers Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South and North Dakota already has two others in the system. A former Mears’ sign, Jeremy Hazelbaker had 19 homers, 64 RBIs, 36 stolen bases at double-A Portland and triple-A Pawtucket and Jeremy Kehrt, a 47th rounder, 8-3 with a 4.31 ERA at Portland and Pawtucket.

 

55. Jim Baba, director general, Baseball Canada (58).

The Moose Jaw, Sask. native chaired the International Baseball Federation tournament commission, was competition director for World Juniors -- so why didn’t Canada win gold? -- in Korea and was part of the three-man technical committee for the WBC qualifier in Taipei.

He ran the first ever technical commissioner’s training course for IBAF in August training 22 people in Japan. (How do I know? I phoned his cell ... 5 AM in Japan, woke him up and he answered.) When Canada was named COPABE (Confederacy Pan American Baseball) Federation this summer in the Dominican Republic, the trophy was presented to Baba. He’s also an IBAF rep on the review committee for the technical side of the WBC rules.

 

56. Kevin Briand, cross checker, Blue Jays (63).

The Montrealer was promoted to a the role pro cross checker after last season and had input on major-league player evaluations. Briand developed  his scouting background as the Jays director of Canadian scouting beginning in 2004, when he used to keep tabs on high-school players across the country.

Name a province, name a small association, it still considers Briand the face of the Blue Jays as he usually came bearing gifts (a cheque from the Jays for new bats and balls or field improvements). People don’t forget that.

 

57. Ellen Harrigan, director, administration, Los Angeles Dodgers (57).

Every woman occupying an office in any of the 30 major-league teams head offices can expect extra work landing on their desk of in their email or inbox. The Agincourt native with the major-league work ethic, probably saw the largest increase of anyone.

Dodgers GM Ned Colletti hired former Blue Jays Latin America scout Bob Engle after he left the Mariners. Engle and his three-man staff will try to restore the Dodgers to their place of prominence in Latin America. Under McCourt the scouting budget in the Caribbean was cut. And that means tons of work for Harrigan.

 

58. Bill Byckowski, scout, Cincinnati Reds (68).

Former Jays scouting director Chris Buckley has the Brampton native, former director of Jays Canadian scouting, working as his East Coast cross checker with responsibilities for Canada and from Maine to Florida, a larger area he held his final few years with the Jays.

Byckowski drafted Brock Dykxhoorn of Goderich, Ont., but the 6-foot-8 right-hander chose to go West Virginia University. Byckowski draft Kyle Lotzkar of Tsawwassen. B.C. pitched in the Futures Games in Kansas City.

 

59. Bill Shaikin, columnist, Los Angeles Times (60).

The Montreal-born scribe did an excellent job as national president of the Baseball Writers of America Association this season, some days wearing either an Expos’ cap or Team Canada WBC wind breaker

With the McCourt divorce deal over and the team sold, Shaikin is free to cover the Dodgers and $250 million trades as when they added Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett and Carl Crawford from Boston, the key components in a nine-player deal, the biggest in Dodgers history.

 

60. Gary Picone, coach, Lewis-Clark State College (61).

Picone stepped down in June after the Warriors fourth straight 1-2 trip to the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Id. The Warriors’ finished at 42-14. Last year Picone’s team was 38-17 record named the NAIA West Region’s Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year in 2011 by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

Despite stepping down the Trail, B.C. native maintains his title as LCSC’s athletic director and first came to the school in 1972 as an outfielder for coach Ramon Hooker. Brandon Bufton, Kevin McLeod, Carsen Nylund and Will Thorp, all from Surrey, B.C., were on the Warriors’ roster.

 

61. Jamie Lehman, scout, Blue Jays (54).

His third season scouting Canada saw Toronto tie for the lead with Milwaukee (four apiece) when it came to most Canadians drafted. Lehnman signed Milton’s Nathan DeSouza for $100,000, lefty Shane Dawson of Drayton Valley, Alta. for $90,000, and Guelph’s Shaun Valeriote. He also selected the most talented high schooler -- Whitby lefty Ryan Kellogg, who chose to attend Arizona State.

The Brampton resident also drafted Grant Heyman of Pittsford, N.Y. in the 11th but didn’t sign him and signed Trey Pascazi of Rochester N.Y. a 23rd rounder. Mississauga’s Dalton Pompey, a Lehman sign, was hitting .300 in Vancouver before breaking second hamate bone.

 

62. Jake Kerr, owner, Vancouver Canadians (89).

You could say that the Canadians are more popular than Roberto Luongo in B.C. ... well you could say the Boston Bruins are more popular than Luongo in the pre-holidays lock-out season.

Vancouver-born Kerr is the managing partner and principal owner with the Canadians. Jeff Mooney, another owner, is with A&W Canada. Mooney is also Canadian. Together they helped re-furbish Nat Bailey Stadium. A friend of Phil Lind — they attended UBC together — Kerr made his money in forestry. They had the second-best attendance in the league and is 2-for-2 in Northwest league titles.

 

63. Jim Stevenson, area scout, Houston Astros (47).

The former Leaside coach had one draft, lefty Dallas Keuchel reach the majors. A seventh rounder from the University of Arkansas in 2009, was 3-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 16 starts for the Astros. Previously he signed Yovani Gallardo, Mike Bascik and Dana Eveland.

In his fifth year with the Astros he signed Dallas Baptist second baseman Austin Elkins, a 17th rounder, a NY-Penn League all-star with a .272 average, five homers, 25 RBIs and a .757 OPS, reliever John Neely from Texas Tech, 28th, had 37 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings at Tri-City and Texas-Arlington righty Lance Day who went 8-1 with a 3.05 ERA at Grand Prairie in indy ball and Tri-City, finishing amongst the NY-Penn league leaders. Bobby Doran, a Stevenson fourth rounder from 2010 was 6-2 with a 4.83 ERA at double-A Corpus Christi.

 

64. Murray Cook, scout, Tigers (72).

When the Canadian Junior National Team is making its rounds through Florida, Chad Mottola’s father-in-law, Cook, is usually watching. A Sackville, N.B., native, the former GM of the Yanks, Expos and Reds, is one of the reasons the Tigers’ solid scouting has a deep farm system and keeps winning.

Cook earned scout of the year at the 2010 winter meetings and was named eastern scout of the year in 2011.

 

65. Danny Thompson, Ontario Terriers (64).

How many Canadian coaches get shout outs from a coach at the College World Series? Stony Brook coach Bill Senk praised Thompson on college ball’s biggest stage for helping him wind up with four Canadians: Belle Ewart shortstop Cole Peragine, America East rookie of the year, Kitchener’s Tanner Nivins, who earned First Team America East honours, Brampton reliever Jasvir Rakkar, named to the America East All-Academic team ... all played for Thompson’s Terriers.

Senk discovered Toronto’s Maxx Tissenbaum, his clean-up hitter, watching the Ontario Cup and spotting the Ontario Mets second baseman. Tissenbaum earned Canadian Baseball Network first team and player the year honours. Burlington’s Thompson turned coaching duties of the 18s to Scott Van De Valk, while Mike McCarthy looks after the business end. In all, 102 Terriers have landed scholarships, 24 have made the Canadian Junior National Team and 16 have been drafted.

 

66. Steve Wilson, Pacific Rim supervisor, Chicago Cubs (55).

A year ago when there were 50 rounds in the draft seven free agents signed. This year there were only 40 rounds only one signed: third baseman Jesse Hodges. The Victoria native scout signed the Victoria infielder in Seoul, Korea at the World Juniors. Hodges hit a game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth and scored the winner in the 10th in a win over Japan and was 2-for-4 in Canada’s 1-0 win over Team USA.

Centre fielder Jae-Hoon Ha, a Wilson sign, hit .273 with six homers, 47 RBIs and a .737 OPS at double-A Tennessee.

 

67. William Humber, historian (55).

Each spring the director of Eco Seneca Initiatives at Seneca College teaches pre-spring training classes for fans. Every year he has an excellent, well-rounded program of guestsm (except for one week). Humber is a very dynamic speaker himself, enthralling crowds at Cooperstown and St. Marys to mention a couple of locales.

Author of 11 books, he tracked the all-time list of Canadians to appear in the major (not an easy task when you are trying to decide who was first into the pool in the 1870s: Bob Addy, Tom Smith, The Only Nolan or Bill Phillips). He’s written about the histories of African Canadian athletes as well as baseball and bicycling in Canada.

 

68. Tom Valcke, iCASE GM (40).

After 10 years, the Windsor native left the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Feb. 29. The baseball lifer isn’t going far: to Stratford to open iCASE next September, billed as the first academy in Ontario combining training with a full-time academic education for high schoolers in grades 11 and 12.

Baseball academies are big in B.C., Alberta and Quebec, but Ontario’s first will provide info on college entry procedures, SAT testing, how the draft works, etc.. The former scout served as IBAF technical director at events around the world.

 

69. Paul Quantrill, pitching coach, Ontario Terriers (42).

The Port Hope resident is the pitching coach for Scott Van de Valk’s Terriers and may have the top two high school pitchers in the country: Peterborough’s lefty Travis Seabrooke and Cal Quantrill, Paul’s son.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer (841 appearances — more than any other Canadian) will also be the bullpen coach for Team Canada in the WBC in Arizona this March and ready to come on in relief ... should an opposing hitter crowd the plate.

 

70. Tom Tango, statistical consultant, Seattle Mariners (73).

The Montrealer provides whatever GM Jack Zduriencik or Tony Blengino, special assistant to the GM want. He does statistical analysis for help in evaluating players for the Mariners. He does not go by his real name and is known as TangoTiger on-line.

He co-authored the book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, has done work for the Jays in the past and is one of the main men working on the web site to get Tim Raines elected to the Hall of Fame (raines30.com).

 

71. Raimondo Callari, scout, San Francisco Giants.

The Montrealer spent two seasons in the Expos minor-league system (hitting .212) but those who can ... can, those who can’t play ... teach, or scout as the saying goes. Callari had been scouting Canada for the Giants since 2008 and coaches at the Academie du Baseball Canada, tutoring infielders and outfielders. His draft Jonathan Jones,23rd rounder in 2011, hit .282 with six homers 29 RBIs and an .838 OPS for the rookie-class Arizona League Giants. And in 2008, he drafted Carter Bell, Francois Lafreniere and Leonardo Ochoa.

The late Bobby Prentice won the most Series rings by Canadian scout, with three (1968 Detroit Tigers, 1992-93 Blue Jays). Montreal’s Alex Agostino ( 2003 Marlins, 2008 Phillies), Regina’s Wayne Morgan and Georgetown’s Bill Byckowski (1992-93 Blue Jays) and Callari have two apiece. Callari also gives clinics and coaches Lac St. Louis.

 

72. Jon Lalonde, pro scout, Blue Jays (65).

The former scouting director is a now pro cross checker for the Jays. And his reports were consulted as the Jays went through a busy November-December. When Alex Anthopoulos talks about getting “extra looks” Lalonde is one of the many scouts doing the extra looking.

Lalonde drafted the likes of J.P. Arencibia and Jake Marisnick, who was dealt in the Miami Marlins 12-player deal.

 

73. Tom Tippett, information services, Boston Red Sox (70).

He runs the Sox information system doing analytical work, although all the info from the last two seasons hasn’t been as good as say three or four years ago.

Founder and president of Diamond Mind, Inc., with simulation software, the Scarborough’s native attended University of Waterloo before moving south to Harvard. He began consulting with the Sox baseball operations in 2003 and was hired full time in 2008.

 

74. Stubby Clapp, hitting coach, class-A Dunedin (71).

Paul Beeston is not fooling around with this all-Canadian approach: a team in Vancouver, a team in a Niagara Falls suburb (Buffalo), maybe a team in Ottawa and now hiring Canada’s Mr. Baseball on the international stage.

From Windsor, Ont., he began earned his reputation at the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg in 1999 and the county has been in love with him ever since. He managed class-A Tri-Cities (Astros) in Troy N.Y. this season to a 51-25 record before joining the Jays.

 

75. Danny Bleiwas, coach, Ontario Blue Jays (66).

His team have the best June (draft wise) of any team in Canada. Bleiwas and Sean Travers saw their alum, Pickering third baseman Eric Wood go in the sixth round from Blinn College to the Pirates, as the top Canadian.

Others selected, who played for Thornhill resident: Whitby outfielder Julian Service, 21st round Orioles; Milton outfielder Nathan DeSouza, 26th, Toronto Blue Jays; Toronto 1B Bryan Saucedo, 29th, Brewers; Windsor outfielder Jacob Robson, 30th, Padres; Brampton right-hander Christian Botnick, 34th, Cubs and Brampton outfielder Derek Jones, 39th, Brewers.

 

76. Rob and Rich Butler, Home Run Academy (67).

The ex-Blue Jay and his brother Rich had the best high school arm in Canada in Whitby lefty Ryan Kellogg, a regular at their facility in Ajax, Ont., since he was a pup. He became the Ontario Prospects’ stud hoss and them had the same Canadian Junior National Team,

Kellogg chose to attend Arizona State rather than sign with the Toronto Blue Jays. Now the Butler Bros. set about the uneasy task of finding the next Kellogg.

 

77. Scott Crawford, Georgetown, Canadian Hall of Fame (-).

The Georgetown native has been on the job for 10 months, but he has been busy. A fourth diamond is being built -- where the usual induction ceremonies take place -- fund raising is under way for a new building and a fact-finding group from St. Marys visited Cooperstown this month looking for ideas on how to make their museum more attractive.

Crawford knows the ropes having been Tom Valcke’s left hand all those years, so he should not have a problem being the No. 1 man.

 

78. Les McTavish, coach, Vauxhall Academy (74).

He saw his former right-hander, Logan Seifrit, of Spruce Grove, Alta., go in the 33rd round drafted and sign with the Mariners.

In May, Vauxhall and the Prairie Baseball Academy played the first annual Tanner Craswell and Mitch MacLean memorial game with the Craswell and MacLean families on hand from PEI, plus survivor Shayna Conway. Raimont Energy’s Greg Vavra and Shell Canada were title sponsors of the event with the initial count of over $14,000 being raised. A good deed by the Stettler, Alta. native and his troops.

 

79. Dean Bender, vice president, Rogers Sportsnet (60).

If you were impressed by the impressed level of commercials for Jays games last year as I was, the Ryerson grad and former creative director of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment deserves the credit. He will have plenty of new material to work with this season, what with all the additions.

 

80. Ryan McBride, coach, Toronto Mets.

A third-year coach of the Mets, his first two seasons have been memorable, In year one, the Mets beat defending champ Houston Raiders to capture the NABF World Series in Youngstown, Ohio and this year the Mets were runners up in the 96-team Pastimes National championship in Indianapolis and had a third place finish at the NABF. McBride has helped secure a site for the Mets indoor home at Out of the Park Sports.

The Mets have capable people in GM John Jepson, Jason Chee-Aloy, director of operation, coach Rich Leitch and Whitby native McBride, who brought senior ball back to historic Kinsmen Stadium in Oshawa.

 

81. Mike Lumley, coach, London Badgers (90).

Whether you are a 10-year-old, a grade 12 student, or attend the University of Western  and play for the Mustangs you know Lumley, the former Detroit Tigers farmhand. And when it rains his team(s) indoors to Centre Field Sports — 12,000 square feet of cages and indoor turf -- run by Adam Stern (No. 101 on this list).

Lumley’s team won bronze at the midget national edging Quebec. It is the fourth consecutive year that the Badgers have brought home a medal and the sixth time in the Badger history, participating in the nationals nine times in the past 16 years

 

82. Jason Bryans, scout, Kansas City Royals (77).

Ontario coaches complain they seldom see Bryans. That’s because the Windsor resident is so busy driving across the Ambassador bridge or through the Windsor tunnel to games in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Illinois.

Bryans signed outfielder David Lough, an 11th round pick from Mercyhurst College (PA) in 2007, who had 10 homers, 65 RBIs, a .275 average and a .737 OPS in 130 games at triple-A Omaha. Lough made the Royals as a September call-up appearing in 20 games. Matt Ridings, a 41st round pick in 2010 from Western Kentucky, who went 10-5 with a 2.63 ERA in 36 games (10 starts) at class-A Kane County and class-A Wilmington.

 

83. Bob Huggins, Cold North Wind (92).

The Ottawa resident has his PaperofRecord.com site, which is extremely influential and popular amongst historians as it contains within its archives old issues of The Sporting News, which used to be the Bible of Baseball.

Rather than squinting at the library micro film, Huggins thought it would be a better idea to have every newspaper ever published on his web site.

 

84. Doug Walton, producer, Sportsnet (83).

Stepping into the shoes of departed Rick Briggs-Jude is not easy task. Walton now sits in the big chair for meetings to discuss the pre-game show plus the opening of the game telecast and talking points for broadcasters Buck Martinez and Pat Tabler.

Jays games showed improve ratings: 518,000 viewers per game in 2011 up to 598,000 viewers (a 15.44% increase) although earlier in the season before the injuries the Jays were hitting numbers in the 700,000 range.

 

85. Jason Takefman, GM, Vancouver Canadians (-)

The Canadians are 2-for-2 winning the Northwest League championship since affiliating with the Jays. Kellen Sweeney, Balbino Fuenmayor and D.J. Davis, each had three hits in the 12-9 win over Boise, while Art Charles had three RBIs in the title game, which featured a seven-run eighth.

The Montrealer, began working for the Canadians in 2006, was promoted to GM in September replacing Andrew Seymour, The C’s drew an average of 4,445 to Nat Bailey, second best in league.

 

86. Stu Scheurwater, minor-league umpire (-).

Scheurwater has been a pro ump for five seasons and is the only Canadian working above double-A. He joined the Canadian national umpiring program in 2000, rose through the ranks and by 2005 worked his first Baseball Canada nationals. Scheurwater, 27, is a rising stars in the minors, assigned to Arizona Fall League which is reserved for prospects. He heads to triple-A Pacific Coast next season and the next step is being assigned to major league spring training games.

Besides Scheurwater, the other Canucks working are Barrie’s Scott Costello class-A New York Penn next year and Grimsby’s Dave Attridge who worked rookie-class Gulf Coast League this summer. Now, they have influence.

 

87. Scott Secord and Paul Pettipiece, Pointstreak (76).

The businessmen are making in roads with their stats package. This season they carried games and schedules for all indy leagues, 12 summer college leagues as well as the Baseball Canada nationals to the B.C. Premier League, Intercounty, Canadian College Conference, Eastern Canadian Premier League, Ontario Universities and a number of U.S. leagues, including the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

Chatham, Ont. is known for being the home of Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins, Doug Melvin and our own Bill Lankhof, but when it comes to keeping track of who does what in indy ball and college ball, these two Chatham, Ont. guys are continuing to keep Chatham on the map.

 

88. Joel Landry, coach, Academie Baseball Canada (85).

The Montreal-based ABC had Montreal lefty Fernando Fernandez-Beltran of the ABC and the Canadian National Junior Team in the 27th round to the Phillies, as chosen by Alex Agostino.

Since taking over for Richard Emond the ABC has not missed a step, however, it has faced increased competion from other schools within the province..

 

89. Rob Ducey, Carmen City Dolphins (43).

The former big leaguer from Cambridge, who played 14 years in the majors, signed as an advisor to the president and head of operations with the Delfines de Ciudad del Carmen, an expansion team in the Mexican League in 2012.

The team, however, was sold by Colombian businessman, Dr. Carlos Mejia Berrio after a 51-60 season, Ducey is unsure of his next step. The Carmen City web site shows lists Ducey as a coach under manager Felix Fermin.

 

90. Andrew Collier, GM, Winnipeg Goldeyes (86).

Remember how major-league teams chased Mike Veeck when he ran the St. Paul Saints? Eventually someone will come after the Goldeyes GM. Winnipeg drew 285,263 for an average of 5,705 leading the league in attendance at beautiful Canwest Global Park. The Goldeyes won the American Association championship for the first time since 1994, with an 8-3 win over the Wichita Wingnuts to sweep the series and were voted organization of the year for the second year in a row. Not with gimmicks, but good ball.

Collier asked Scott Neiles, owner of Home Run Sports, to organize the first ever Manitoba Hall Of Fame game. HOF inductees were treated to a Goldeyes game after being recognized on field before to the game as the Goldeyes wore throwback uniforms from the team that was inducted this past season (Hamiota RedSox, 1986-1990).

 

91. Rob Jack, social media director, Blue Jays.

Jack put together the highly-successful baseball camps across Canada from Newfoundland to British Columbia and almost provinces in between. Duane Ward and T.J. Burton set up the camps with Baseball Canada which has brought in the likes of formrer Jays Hall of Famer Robbie Alomar, Jesse Barfield, George Bell, Jose Cruz, Candy Maldonado, Lloyd Moseby and Homer Bush among others.

And he also set up this weekend's Baseball Canada clinic at the Rogers Centre.

92. Ben Nicholson-Smith, writer, MLB Trade Rumors.com (94).

Nicholson-Smith had the newser on Joey Votto’s impeding  contract extension with Cincinnati. He wrote excellent pieces on Prince Fielder’s deal with the Tigers and Josh Hamilton’s signing with the Angels.

Top day for the site was July 31, the non-waiver trade deadline, when MLBTR had 3,485,401 page views, establishing a all-time record for the site. The former Western and Carleton university grad was one of two writers working that day for the Chicago-based site.

 

93. Matt Higginson, scout, A’s (80).

Higginson was ahead of the curve wanting to sign Picking third baseman Eric Wood in 2011, after drafting him in 37th round. The A’s were unsuccessful and Wood headed to Blinn Community College.

Now Wood’s name is now listed with the likes of major leaguers -- all top Canucks, all who made the majors -- Brett Lawrie, Mike Nickeas, Adam Loewen, Adam Stern, Scott Thorman, Justin Morneau, Kevin Nicholson, Chris Reitsma, Ryan Dempster, Phillippe Aumont and Jackson Dickson plus prospects like Jameson Taillon and James Paxton. All shared the title of the top Canadian selected in their respective years.

 

94. Jean Philippe Roy, coach, Quebec City.

Roy may be the only man in the country who runs a high school program (Cardinal Roy and Pointe Levy) and a college program (St Lawrence College) in the Quebec City area. He coached the Junior Capitals, formerly the Diamants of the Quebec Junior Elite team for 17 season.

Roy, also a scout for the Brewers, is one of the reasons that the Quebec City area player registration increases year after year.

 

95. Jamie Campbell, broadcaster, Sportsnet (88).

Campbell is a calming voice in at times a stormy pre-game show with Gregg Zaun. Campbell brings out the best of Zaun in an easy and smooth manner. He doesn’t bait, he asks.

Campbell is unusual from a TV standpoints like Buck Martinez he has works hard at his profession, is always on the field and developing relationships with players, looking for nuggets to pass on to viewers.

 

96. Dan Vertleib, agent (81). 

The Vancouver agent is one of three partners with the TWC agenency -- with McGill educated Jamie Murphy and Paul Cohen. They had three players go in the top 60 overall selections: Lucas Sims (21st overall) the Atlanta Braves who signed for $1.65 million; Jeff Gelalich, 57th overall, Reds, $825,000 and Mitch Nay, 58th, Blue Jays $1 million.

And oh yes, Rays’ Evan Longoria to a 10-year, $136 million extension.

 

97. Michel Laplante, president, Les Capitales de Québec,(-).

The well-liked Val D’or native has climbed to El Presidente and concentrates on Canadian talent (Surrey, B.C.’s Jeff Duda won the Star of Stars award) on the way to winning the Cam-Am League title. In doing do they drew 152,663 fans to Municipal Stadium for a league second-best total of 3,116 2nd, a scant 177 fans behind the Rockland Boulders.

The 14th season of the Capitales ended with a 10-3 win over the New Jersey Jackals at Yogi Berra Stadium for manager Patrick Scalabrini. And next season the Eagles Trois-Rivières enter the league.

 

98. Sam Dempster, coach, Durham, Great Britain (99).

Dempster was in Germany managing Great Britain and his team battled the Canucks for seven innings before a late onslaught made Canada a lopsided winner.

The man whose roots trace to Kingston and claims he learned everything knowledge from Jim Lutton and Marc Picard, coaches the Durham College Lords, national champs in 2011. The Lords were short this year losing 12-11 to Cape Breton as right-hander Chris Kemlo was named to the all-tourney team.

 

99. Ryan Armstrong, pitching instructor, The Baseball Zone (93).

There may be instructors who work with more young arms, but we can’t think of any as the young and old flock to the Mississauga hitting facility, run by Mike McCarthy and Rick Johnston.

It’s where John Axford was scouted and signed, where Mark James got his second chance and Toronto lefty Adam Kudryk straightened out his mechanics before signing with the Diamondbacks.

 

100. Dave Martin, collector (-).

If you are into newspapers this Ottawa translator is your man. He has the 1908 Chicago Tribune coverage from the World Series, the Detroit Free-Press in 1909, the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1910. His speciality is publications, newspapers, guides and programs going back 112 consecutive seasons from the beginning of the American League in 1901 to today.

He says he saves original newspaper coverage of every post-season game as well as marquee events, covering the exploits of Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Walter Johnson and Ty Cobb. His library includes Baseball Magazine (1908-1957), Sport magazine (1946-2000), the Sporting News (1920s-1980s), plus Reach and Spalding Guides (the latter two 1902 forward) plus each team’s yearbook from the 1980s back.

 

HONOURABLE MENTION

Luke Adams, Toronto, MLB Trade Rumors.com; Jeff Amos, Oyen, Alta., Badlands Academy; Alex Andreopoulos, Etobicoke, Ont., bullpen catcher, Jays; Don Archer, White Rock, B.C., scout, Angels, Paul Aucoin, Brantford, Ont., owner, Brantford Red Sox.

 

Curtis Bailey, Red Deer, Alta., scout, MLB Scouting Bureau; Evan Bailey, coach, Okanagan Athletics; Drew Balen, Edmonton, Inside Edge; Larson Bauck, coach, North Vancouver, B.C., Northshore Twins; Al Bernacchi, Windsor, Ont., coach, Windsor Selects.

 

Denny Berni, Etobicoke, Ont., instructor, Pro Teach; Howie Birnie, Leaside, Ont., Baseball Ontario; Jason Booth, Richmond Hill, Ont., coach, Team Ontario; Scott Bullett, Welland, Ont., Bullett Proof Academy.

 

T. J. Burton, Ottawa, Blue Jays  camps; Don Campbell, Ottawa, Ont., coach, Ottawa-Nepean Canadians; Remo Cardinale, Mississauga, Ont., pitching guru; Jason Chee-Aloy, Toronto, director of baseball operations, Toronto Mets; Don Charrette, Ottawa, Ont., College Baseball Connect.

Mike Chewpoy, Victoria, B.C. Victoria Mariners; Gregor Chisholm, Saint John, N. B., BlueJays.com; Dr. Michael Chivers, kinesiologist, Vaughan, Ont.; Gary Cohen, Monteal, The Baseball Cube site; Jeremy Cohen, New York, vice-president, corporate sponsorship & marketing, MLB.

 

Voon Chong, Vancouver B.C., trainer, triple-A Buffalo; Don Cowan, Delta, B.C. scout, Blue Jays; Jason Dickson, Chatham N.B., vice-president, Baseball Canada; Pierre Dion, Montreal, president, TVA; Jack Dominico, Toronto, owner, Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

Scott Douglas, Moose Jaw, Sask., coach, Trinidad State College; Coey Eckstein, Abbotsford, B.C., coach, Abbotsford Cardinals; Dave Empey, North Vancouver, B.C., coach, Vancouver Cannons; Jim Fanning, London, Ont., Blue Jays ambassador.

 

Scott Ferguson, TSN; Mike Frostad, Calgary, Alta., athletic training co-ordinator, Jays; Orv Franchuk, Edmonton, Alta. hitting coach, double-A Chattanooga; A. J. Fystro, Calgary, Alta., coach, Okotoks Dawgs Academy; Ted Giannoulas, The Chicken; Shawn Gillespie, president, Ontario Nationals.

 

Bill Green, program coach, Coquitlam Reds; Andrew Halpenny, Winnipeg, Man., scout, MLB Scouting Bureau; John Haar, director of operations & coach, North Shore Twins; Tim Hallgren, Victoria, B.C., pro scout, Tigers; Paul Hogendoorn, president, OES Inc.

 

Ted Hotzak, president, B.C. Premier League; Cam Houston, St. Albert, Alta. Prospects Academy; Peter Hoy, Cardinal, Ont., coach, St. Lawrence College; David Huctwith, Mississauga, Ont, Baseball Ontario, wisest man in COBA; Marc Hulet, London, Ont. Fangraphs.

 

Todd Hulka, Claresholm, Alta., Prairie Baseball Academy; Forrest Irwin, LaSalle, Que., pitching coach, Post University,  manager Torrington Titans, Futures Collegiate League; Aaron Izaryk, Markham, Sanford Mainers manager, NECBL Ian Jordan, Montreal, Que., Scouting Bureau; Frank Humber, coach, Corner Brook, Nfld..

 

Rick Johnston, Peterborough, Ont,, The Baseball Zone/Ontario Terriers; Brad Jorgenson, Thunder Bay, Ont. owner/GM, Thunder Bay Border Cats; Sam Katz, Winnipeg, Man., owner, Winnipeg Goldeyes; Chris Kemlo, Oshawa, Ont., scout, MLB Scouting Bureau, coach Ontario Prospects; Bryon Kennedy, coach, Fraser Valley Chiefs.

 

Mike Kozak, Kirkland, Que., assistant trainer, Marlins; Mike Krykewich, Sanford, Man., coach, University of Winnipeg; Andre Lachance, Ottawa, Ont., Canada’s women’s coach, Baseball Canada; Ken Lamberton, coach, Victoria Eagles.

 

Jacques Lanciault, Monreal, web site (jacqueslanciault.com/category/baseball/); Marty Lehn, White Rock, B.C. scout, Brewers; Jean-Gilles Larocque, Sudbury, The Baseball Acadmey; Ken Lenihan, Halifax, N.S., scout, MLB Scouting Bureau; Dong Lien, Winnipeg, Man.,  trainer, Phillies.

 

P.J. Loyello, vice-president, Marlins; Jeff Lounsberry, coach, Brock University Badgers; Drew MacDonald, Bradford, Ont., trainer class-A Bluefield; Todd MacFarlane, Edmonton, Alta., collector; Hazel Mae, Sportsnet.

 

Jay-Dell Mah, author, Nakusp, B.C.; Kevin Malloy, assistant clubhouse manager, Jays; Mike McCarthy The Baseball Zone/Ontario Terriers; Murray Marshall, general manager Stoney Creek, Ont., Team Ontario; Kirk Martin, London Ont., Cardinal Sports.

 

John Matthew IV, Ormond, Ont., producer, BlueJays.com; Dan McIntosh, St. Marys Ont., trainer class-A Dunedin; Jim McKean, Montreal, ESPN; Brooks McNiven, pitching coach, Douglas College, North Shore Twins; Ryan Mittleman, pro scout, Jays.

 

John Milton, Caledon, Ont., Oakville Royals; Tyler Moe, scout, Orioles; Wayne Morgan, Kindersley, Sask., pro scout Blue Jays; Scott Neiles, owner, Homerun Sports; Shelby Nelson, Toronto, Ont., GM, Dunedin Blue Jays.

 

Nancy Newman, New York, host, YES Network; Mike O’Connor, Peterborough, Ont. Wind Mobile; Mark Orton, Newmarket, Ont., president, Baseball Ontario; Bill Park, Chatham, Ont., commissioner Great South League summer college loop, Athens, Ga.; Rob Pegg, Flesherton, Ont., coach, Colorado Christian University.

 

Marc Picard, Pickering, Ont., coach, Ontario Youth Team/Windsor Selects; Todd Plaxton, Saskatoon, Sask., scout, MLB Scouting Bureau; Jamie Pogue, bullpen catcher, St. Louis Cardinals; Mark Polishuk, London, Ont., MLB Trade Rumors.com; Terry Puhl, Melville, Sask. coach, University of Houston-Victoria.

 

Mark Randall, Edmonton, Alta., St. Francis Academy; Chris Reitsma, pitching coach, Team Canada Junior National Team; Dave Robb, coach Lac La Biche, Alta. coach, Okotoks; Doug Rogers, coach, Nanaimo, B.C. Nanaimo Pirates; Jeff Ross, equipment manager, Blue Jays.

 

Jasmin Roy, Longueuil, Que., MLB Scouting Bureau; Neate Sager, Ottawa, Out of Left Field blog; Ron Sandelli, director of security, Blue Jays; John Saunders, Toronto, ESPN; Pat Scalabrini, Coaticook, Que., manager, Quebec Capitals.

 

Claudette Scrafford, Hawkesbury, Ont., manuscript archivist, Hall of Fame, Cooperstown.Mike Shaw, Oakville, travelling secretary, Jays; Jim Sheppard, coach, University of Toronto; John Silverman, Montreal, equipment manager, Marlins; Russ Smithson, coach, Port Coquitlam, B.C., White Rock Tritons.

 

Bob Smyth, Ladysmith, B.C., scout, MLB Scouting Bureau; Bernie Soulliere, Windsor, Ont., chef de mission Team Canada; Chris Soulliere, Windsor, Ont., Windsor Selects; Gautam Srivastava, Victoria, B.C. Victoria Eagles; Howard Starkman, Mississauga, Ont., vice-president, Jays.

 

Marnie Starkman, Mississauga, Ont., Rogers Centre scoreboard/in-game entertainment; Mike Steed, Burlington, Ont., pitching coach, Oakville Royals; Jay Stenhouse, Toronto, Rogers Centre vice president of public relations; Jim Swanson, Prince George BC, World Baseball Challenge; Shawn Travers, coach, Ontario Blue Jays.

 

Richard Todd, WebBall Baseball Instruction; Pete Toms, writer, bizofbaseball.com.; Randy Town, Calgary, Alta., coach Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges; Scott Van de Valk, Georgetown, Ont., coach Ontario Terriers; Cam Walker, Winnipeg, Man., head coach, Indian Hills Community College.

 

Dave Wallace, coach, Parksville Royals; Rob Webster, Langley, B.C., coach, Kwantlen College; Gerry White, coach, Ladner, B.C. North Delta Blue Jays; Cavanagh Whitely, Prince George B.C. Douglas College; Kyle Williams, coach, Coquitlam Reds.

 

Brett Wilson, North Battleford, Sask., owner, double-A West Tennessee; Mike Wilson, North Delta Blue Jay; Nigel Wilson, Ajax, Ont., Competitive Edge.

 

2012 Most Influential Canadians, No. 1 Paul Beeston

2011 Most Influential Canadians, No. 1 Greg Hamilton

2010 Most Influential Canadians, No. 1 Joey Votto

2009 Most Influential Canadians, No. 1 Paul Beeston 

2008 Most Influential Canadians, No. 1 Paul Beeston

2007 Most Influential Canadians, Nos. 1 Paul Godfrey, Greg Hamilton