August 10, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Canada’s first Olympic team supported Canada’s top manager in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park.

Members of the 1984 Olympic team joined former teammate Robbie Thomson, selected as the No. 1 most influential Canadian in baseball in 2022 by the Canadian Baseball Network.

The trip was organized by Larry Downes (Niagara-on-The-Lake, Ont.), Jameson Hall, the Phillies travelling secretary and Thomson. Downes, who played at Lewis-Clark State College and Valencia Community College, appeared in nine different events for Canada.

They saw Thomson’s Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals 9-6 on Saturday as Bryce Harper singled, doubled and homered, while Trea Turner doubled, homered and knocked in four runs. Said Canuck INF Joe Heeney: “When Turner hit the homer the roof would have blown off if they had one.”

Next, they saw the Phillies beat the Royals 8-4 on Sunday thanks to homers from Bryson Stott, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos while Harper had two hits and drove in a run for the defending champs. The Phillies gave the 1984 team a suite and the genial skipper sprung for the catering.

The holiday Monday game against the Nationals was rained out.

The 1984 team which competed in the Los Angeles Olympics was there in full force led by Rod Heisler.

LHP Heisler (Moose Jaw, Sask.) appeared in 14 international events, more than any other Canadian. The former Bemidji State University ace combined the Philadelphia trip with attending games in Fenway Park in Boston, Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, Citi Field in Queen’s, Nationals Park in Washington and Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Thomson played at St. Clair Community College under Dick (The Legend) Groch, who signed Derek Jeter, and then Kansas State University.

Also on hand were SS Tom Nelson (Windsor, Ont.), who made 10 international appearances for Canada and played at Indiana State University. The rest of the travelling party included:

_ OF Hank Andrulis (Etobicoke, Ont.) of the Etobicoke Rangers, whose legendary coach Bob Smyth said he was the best hitter he ever coached, including future Hall of Famer Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) of the Cincinnati Reds.

_ RHP Mike Carnegie (Etobicoke, Ont.), who pitched at University of Miami, Ohio and never gave up a base hit on an 0-2 pitch.

_ C Jim Eliopoulos (Toronto, Ont.) of Toronto Maple Leafs.

_ RHP Mike Gardiner (Sarnia, Ont.) who beat Japan. He played for Indiana State University and then in parts of eight big league seasons with the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos and Detroit Tigers. He now operates the Stealth Baseball School in Charlotte, NC.

_ INF Joe Heeney (Etobicoke, Ont.) who played for Pan American University and Connors State, thereby opening the pipeline for Canadian players at the Oklahoma school. Kevin Reimer and Heeney are Thomson’s oldest Canadian teammates meeting on the 1982 Junior National team coached by the legendary Brockville Bunnies coach Brian McRobie (Brockville, Ont.)

_ C Scott Mann (Oshawa, Ont.) who played for Alvin Community College and Indiana State University.

_ OF Doug McPhail (Brandon, Man.) of Indiana State University, Iowa Western Community College and Palomar College, now a coach in the Okotoks Dawgs system.

_ INF Craig Wilson (Sarnia, Ont.) from Anderson College.

_ RHP Mark Wooden (Windsor Ont.) who pitched for Lewis-Clark State.

Also hanging with the Canadian pioneers was OF Ron Musselman (Stratford, Ont.), a good friend and former teammate of Thomson’s in Stratford. He played for Team Canada in 1983 on trips to Taiwan and Korea but could not get off work to go with the 1984 team.