July 10, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Now, the story can be told.

Especially since Myles Naylor was selected 39th overall in North America by the Oakland A’s Sunday night.

Before we get to THE story, we have to tell you about interviewing legendary scout Huey Alexander, oh 20 years ago or so. We asked Alexander, who signed New York Yankee starter Allie Reynolds, about Nolan Ryan.

“Let me tell you something ‘bout that Nolan Ryan,” Alexander said on the phone from his home in Brooks, Fla.

In a Mississauga basement the writer had his pad ready. His pen was poised. I said “Sure ... what it is it?”

“That Nolan Ryan ... he throws haaaaard,” Alexander said.

I took a deep breath and said very politely said, “Thanks Uncle Huey.”

Hey with inside info like that ...

Now, we get to Myles Naylor.

Let me tell you something about the youngest Naylor, selected by the A’s and hard-working scout Matt Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.).

“That Myles Naylor ... he throws haaaaard!”

In August of 2022, I went to the Ajax to write about Junior National Team, which was playing games each day to get ready for a trip to a qualifier in Florida.

Arriving with a couple of scouts, we found coach Greg Hamilton (Orleans, Ont.), his staff and the players having lunch under a tent down the third base line. After making the rounds and saying hello to people I had not seen in a months I was about to enter the dugout.

Oops. The umpires were at home plate waiting for the lineup exchange. I asked Baseball Canada’s crack media man, Eugenio Matos, to round up two pitchers who had worked the day before and would only be watching this game. And first up under the tent to sit at a picnic table for an interview was Matteo Pare (LaSalle, Ont.).

A few minutes into the session I heard “look out.” I turned my head away from the field so I would not get hit in the glasses.

A ball struck me in the left ankle, about two inches above that bone that sticks out.

Pare asked if it hurt?

“I CAN FEEL IT IN MY TEETH!”

Pare asked, “Are you going to rub it.”

“NEVER. WHO THREW IT?”

Pare shrugged. Attempting to find out where my line of questioning was when I had my ankle crushed, Pare broke the silence saying “I think you are going to find out.”

Around the fence came Myles Naylor who gave me a hug and said “I’m sorry Mr. Elliott, I apologize.”

I stood up and said “Look stop with the Mr. stuff ... but you are in trouble.” Naylor’s eyes got wide.

“I’ll tell you why you are in trouble ... I‘m emailing your older brother ... in fact I am emailing both of them.”

Bo emailed me writing “we never mistreated you like that.”

Now I’d known Myles since he was a young’un attending the Baseball Canada banquet to see big brother Josh get an award. One night I was having trouble fixing my phone ... looking for someone under 20 to fix it, I handed the phone to Myles and he fixed it quick.

The knockdown pitch happened in August. Six weeks later the spot above my ankle still looked like someone had buried a golf ball inside my shin. So I went to see my family doctor Dr. Ammar Bookwala.

He asked how old I was? I was 72 at the time.

“Aren’t you a little old to be still playing baseball?” Dr. Bookwala asked. But Doc I was sitting at a picnic table behind the fence ... minding my own business.

The doctor said, “Remember you are on blood thinners so you bruise like a peach.”

Whether it was at the Canadian Futures Showcase, the WBC where he watched his brother Bo play or at the Baseball Canada banquet, Myles always asked, “How is your ankle?”

It looks OK today and I look forward to seeing Myles play for the A’s or whatever the Las Vegas team is named once they move.