Former Ontario Youth Team coach Marc Picard (Windsor, Ont.) was elected into the Baseball Ontario Hall of Fame.

November 26, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Over the years we have had scouts pick their all-time teams.

It proved to be a popular feature and starting point for discussions. Heck some people even argue.

Let’s see over the past few years we have had ...

Minnesota Twins veteran scout Walt Burrows (Brentwood Bay, BC) and former head of the Canadian wing of the Major League Scouting Bureau selected his all-time team in 2020 from his home province of players he saw:

BC dream team led by Morneau, Dempster, Francis

Next up in 2020 was veteran scout Claude Pelletier (Ste-Lazare, Que.) after he retired from scouting for the New York Mets, following a successful career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Pelletier’s Quebec team led by Aumont, Boucher, Gagne, Martin

And then Burrows had selected his all-time Ontario team of players he scouted:

Burrows’ all-Ontario team led by Axford, Bedard, Votto

At the Baseball Ontario convention in Guelph, coach Marc Picard (Windsor/Pickering, Ont.) was inducted into the OBA Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Sunbelt Hall of Fame, 10 years ago, which hosts high school tournaments at McAlester and Wilburton, Ok.

When not teaching school, Picard coached the Windsor Selects juveniles, the Windsor Select juniors, the Ontario Youth Team, which would represent the province at the Canada Cup, Team Ontario, Canada’s entry at Pan Am juniors, Pickering High School and the Vaughan Vikings at the bantam nationals.

He either won 13 or 14 national championships. You can discuss or dispute the number or you can just go on ahead and argue which team would win ...

Picard did not pick one team of his former players -- he picked two:

First Team.

Left-handers

David Davidson (Thorold) and Jason Gooding (Cambridge).

Davidson was drafted in the 10th round in 2002 by the Pirates and pitched three games in the majors.

Gooding was a fifth round pick in 1997 by the Royals and played six years in the minors, reaching triple-A.

Former Ontario Terrier and Stanford Cardinal Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.

Right-handers

Cal Quantrill (Port Hope) and Jason Mandryk (Langton)

Quantrill was a first-round pick (eighth overall) by the Padres in 2016 and went 15-5, 3.38 with the Guardians this season.

Mandryk was a 26th round draft of the Orioles in 1998, didn’t sign and attended Eastern Carolina where he went 18-6, with a 3.41 ERA in four years.

Catchers

Alex Andreopoulos (Etobicoke) and Rick Dimitrejevic (Windsor)

Andreopoulos, a 17th round of the 1995 draft by the Brewers, played eight seasons in the minors peaking at triple-A Tucson, Louisville, Buffalo Memphis and Ottawa. He is currently bullpen coach for the Blue Jays.

Dimitrejevic batted clean-up for the Junior National Team.

First base

Eric Wolfe (Willowdale)

Drafted in the 40th round by the Dodgers, he batted .309 with 26 doubles, four triples, four homers, 91 RBIs in 207 games in four years at Purdue

Second base

Peter Orr (Newmarket)

Drafted in the 39th round by Rangers, he attended Galveston, signed as undrafted free agent with the Braves, and played 443 games in eight years in the majors with the Nationals, Phillies and Braves.

Third base

Doug Vandecaveye (Tilbury)

Drafted by the Dodgers in the 41st round in 1998, did not sign.

Shortstop

Jody Brown (Windsor) and Lee Delfino (Pickering).

Brown, who attended University Illinois/Chicago, was a regular with Team Canada from 1989-1995 (Junior National Team, World Seniors, World Student Games and Olympic qualifier).

Delfino was a sixth round selection draft from East Carolina by the Jays, playing 229 games in three seasons in the minors and 162 in Indy ball with the Capitales de Québec.

Outfielders

Nick Weglarz (Stephensville), Chris Emanuele (Mississauga) and Jason Wuerch (Leamington).

Weglarz was a third round pick by Cleveland in 2005 and played nine seasons in the minors peaking at triple-A Columbus.

Emanuele was selected in 26th round in 2006 from Northeastern University by the Jays and played 384 games in four seasons in the minors.

Wuerch was selected in the 11th round by the Yankees -- first Canuck drafted after Canadian high schoolers became eligible -- and played 299 games in five years.

DH

Scott Thorman (Cambridge)

Selected in the first round (30th overall) by the Braves -- the highest a high school position player had ever been drafted at the time -- played 175 games with Atlanta and 11 years in the minors playing 1,088 games. He managed triple-A Omaha (Royals) this year and was interviewed for the KC managerial job.

Second Team

Left-handers

Matt Tosoni (Whitby) and Brad Bissell (Penetanguishene).

Tosoni pitched four years at St. John’s going 15-9 with a 3.32 ERA in 45 games and 200 2/3 innings and pitched four games for the Ottawa Rapids of the independent CanAm league.

Bissell pitched four seasons at Charleston Southern going 12-31 with two saves and a 5.74 ERA and he was in 17 games with the Edmonton Cracker-Cats in the Indy Northern league.

Right-handers

Michael Reiss (Thornhill) and Harry Muir (Delaware).

Reiss was drafted in the 14th round from Seminole State (FL) by the Braves, after five games with the Houston Cougars and was 1-1 in 13 games with the rookie-class Gulf Coast Braves.

Muir was a free-agent draft by the Jays, playing four seasons and pitching 88 games in the minors.

Catcher

Chris Leroux (Mississauga) and Joe Siddall (Windsor).

Leroux was drafted in the fifth round by the Marlins in 2005, attended Winthrop and split his sophomore season behind the plate and as a closer. He pitched parts of six seasons and 65 games with the Pirates, the Yankees and the Marlins (going 1-3, 6.03).

*Jays broadcaster Joe Siddall (Windsor, Ont.) during his Expo days*

Siddall was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Expos, playing 73 games in the majors in parts of four seasons with the Tigers, Marlins and Expos. He currently gives viewers his expert analysis on Blue Jays broadcasts on Sportsnet, after being hired by Jerry Howarth.

First base

Neil Szeryk (London)

He hit .310 for the Oklahoma State Cowboys that finished second in the 1990 College World Series. He also was with Team Canada for the 1990 Goodwill Games and at the World Cup.

Second base

Jake Lumley (Windsor)

Drafted by the A’s in the 33rd round in 2017, from Canisius where he hit .307 in four seasons and played 50 games in two seasons in the Oakland system.

Third base

J. D. Osborne (Whitby).

Osborne was drafted in 22nd round by the Marlins of the draft from University of Tampa and has played 231 games in five seasons.

Shortstop

Hyung Cho (Scarborough)

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mariners, he played 338 games in two seasons with the Pirates and Seattle.

Outfielders

Carlo Boniferro (Windsor), B. J. Richardson (Windsor) and Leslie Williams (Scarborouh, Ont.).

Boniferro played on the 1984 Junior National Team with with future Hall of Famer Larry Walker.

Richardson was a member of the gold-medal winning Canuck team which won at the 1991 World Juniors, Canada’s first gold on the international stage.

Williams was drafted and signed by the Blue Jays after being selected in 37th round of the 2011 draft from Northeastern University and pitched 30 games in two seasons in the Toronto system.

DH

Gibson Krzeminski (Windsor)

Krzeminski had 23 doubles, three triples, seven homers and 63 RBIs while hitting .368 playing 80 games in two seasons with Iowa Western and batted .257 with 15 doubles, four triples, eight homers and 46 RBIs in three seasons at Canisius.

(Bold Face Denotes Major League service time.)

Elliott: HOF coach Marc Picard picks all-time team(s) led by Quantrill, Orr, Thorman, Siddall