September 27, 2024

Official OBA News Release

Three former major leaguers, a scout with three World Series rings, and a long-time sandlot administrator form the Ontario Baseball Association’s 2024 Hall of Fame Class.

The five newcomers bring the honoured number of women and men to 36, plus five teams.

Right-handed reliever Paul Quantrill, the all-time Canadian leader in appearances over his 14-year major-league career, outfielder Rob Ducey, who played 13 years, and righty Bill Atkinson, who spent four seasons in the majors, are the three players.

Bob Prentice was an accomplished minor-leaguer before he started scouting with the Detroit Tigers and then the expansion Toronto Blue Jays, while Jack Carson was a giant off the field when his career ended and he entered the administrative side of the OBA.

The fab five in alphabetical order ...

Bill Atkinson

Atkinson, 69, is from the hotbed of Chatham, Ont. which produced Canada’s first Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins; and Doug Melvin, who served as general manager of both the Texas Rangers and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Breaking into the big leagues at age 21, Atkinson pitched in 98 games for the Montreal Expos -- all out of the bullpen. He had a career 11-4 record, compiling a 3.42 ERA, striking out 99 in 147 1/3 innings. His debut was Sept. 18, 1976, under interim manager Charlie Fox, pitching three scoreless against the St. Louis Cardinals facing Héctor Cruz, Luis Alvarado, Bob Forsch, Jerry Mumphrey, Garry Templeton, Keith Hernandez, back-to-back future Hall of Famers Ted Simmons and Lou Brock plus Willie Crawford.

Atkinson’s first win came on April 10, 1977, when he entered the game trailing 7-6. After an intentional walk, he retired Dave Johnson. In the bottom of the eighth, future Hall of Famer Tony Perez hit a three-game homer to make Atkinson a winner. He pitched pro ball from 1972-83 and returned home to pitch senior ball until 1999. He was inducted into Chatham Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 and coached sandlot ball.

Jack Carson

Carson passed in 1998, yet his impact on the game continues today. He was wise enough to make batting helmets mandatory in Ontario in the 1960s. He later called it one of his proudest accomplishments. And the Belleville native had many.

After playing junior, intermediate, and senior ball in Belleville and the surrounding area, first playing and then umpiring in the South Hastings League, Carson hung up his cleats and turned to the administrative side.

He received a provincial achievement award from Ontario Premier Bill Davis in 1971. A former OBA president, Carson was made a Life Member of the OBA -- serving from 1954 to 1985. He was inducted into the Belleville Hall of Fame in 1992. The man was a legend in Eastern Ontario and eventually across the province.

Rob Ducey

Ducey, 59, from Cambridge, Ont. is currently coaching high school ball in Tarpon Springs, Fla. Ducey had an unusual background as he was first noticed playing softball at age 15. After accepting an invitation to play baseball, Ducey played with the Cambridge Colts and soon after the Cambridge Terriers of the Intercounty League.

Three years later, he signed his first pro contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and by the age of 21 -- five years after playing his first ball game, he played his first major-league game. In 1986, he won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill award as Canada’s best player after hitting 33 doubles, six triples, 23 homers, knocking in 96 runs, and stealing 24 bases at double-A Knoxville and class-A Ventura County.

In Toronto to be presented the award, he was told he would stay with the Jays. “Why?” joked future Hall of Famer Pat Gillick, “We wanted to save airfare.” Ducey singled in his debut game against the Texas Rangers, driving in a run in a 3-2 Jays win on May 1, 1987.

A few years later, Ducey blew past Goody Rosen, who played 591 major-league games, the most by a Toronto-born player. Ducey played in 703 over seven seasons with the Blue Jays in two different stints, as well as the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Montreal Expos, and California Angels.

Ducey spent two years in Japan with the Nippon Ham Fighters, and another season of independent ball, plus he played for Canada on the international stage, including at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He worked for the Phillies and served many tours as a coach with Team Canada. His father is the legendary former Blue Jays scout Ed Heather.  

Bob Prentice

Prentice, who passed away in 1996, was of a slight build (6-foot, 180 pounds), but you would not know that the lithe Scarborough infielder could swing it. “It’s all in the wrists,” the career minor-leaguer used to say.

He played 10 years in the minors and only once failed to reach double-figures in homers. He had 23 in 147 games at double-A Tulsa in 1953, 20 at class-B Cedar Rapids in 126 games in 1950, and 16 at Tulsa in 1957. Prentice was an injury away from the majors spending 104 games at triple-A Indianapolis and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His playing career over, he scouted for the Detroit Tigers signing Toronto’s John Hiller (545 games in 15 seasons, 87 wins, 125 saves), London’s Mike Kilkenny (139 games in five years, 23 wins, five wins), and George Korince (two seasons, 11 games, one win) of St. Catharines.

As Canadian scouting director for the Blue Jays from 1976-1992, he helped sign Cambridge’s Rob Ducey (13 seasons, 703 games, 31 homers, 146 RBIs, .242 average), Ajax’s Nigel Wilson (three seasons, 22 games, two homers, five RBIs, .086 average, plus eight seasons in Japan, 461 games, 119 homers, 337 RBIs, .265 average) Denis Boucher (four seasons, 26 games, six wins, 2.77 ERA) and Paul Hodgson (one season, 20 games, one homer, five RBIs, .220 average) of Fredericton, N.B. In 1986, Prentice was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Paul Quantrill

Quantrill was born in London, Ont., in 1968 but grew up and played minor ball in Port Hope. At 17 when his father John, a car dealer, moved to England, Paul stayed with friends in Okemos, Mich., and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 26th round but didn’t sign. Three years later, when he was with the Wisconsin Badgers he was selected in the sixth round and signed by the Boston Red Sox.

He made his major league debut with the Red Sox on July 20, 1992. All the rookie did was pitch 2 2/3 scoreless -- striking out future Hall of Famer George Brett -- and get the win in Boston’s 5-3 victory. After a stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, he returned to Canada as a Toronto Blue Jay. Besides his time with the Jays (six seasons), the Red Sox (three), and the Phillies (two), he also pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the San Diego Padres, and the Florida Marlins.

His father, John Quantrill, pitched for the Kendal Eagles. Paul pitched and coached in Port Hope and Whitby after his big-league career. Of course, there is his son, Cal Quantrill, selected eighth overall in North America from Stanford in 2016 and was paid the highest bonus to a Canadian-born player ($3,963,045).