Elliott: HOFer Heisler patented the Fruit of Loom pick-off move
Eric MacKenzie (Courtright, Ont.), left, manager of Canada’s first Olympic team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics with LHP Rod Heisler (Moose Jaw, Sask.) who will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Famea in St. Marys, Ont., on Saturday. Photo: Baseball Canada
June 14, 2024
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
There are all kinds of pick-off moves: the back door pick at first, the daylight pick at second base, the timing play at third when RHP Mike Sundin “picked the nose” of 13 runners in 1979 for the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians.
There is the sneaky lefty move to first.
And the most famous move of all for Canada on the international stage -- LHP Rod Heisler’s Fruit of the Loom move to first base.
Heisler will be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame Saturday afternoon in St. Marys along with headliners Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) and Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, Ont.).
It’s Larry Downs’ story so take it away ...
“We’re trying to get to sleep before our first game in the 1984 Olympics at Dodgers Stadium and my roomie calmly asks ‘you know the pick play with men on first and second, right?’” Downes remembered.
Downes (Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont.) did not.
Heisler (Moose Jaw, Sask.) explained if he tugged his jersey with men on first and second, that meant Downes would sneak in behind the runner at first for a back-door pick.
“Here we are standing in our Fruit of the Looms going over signs,” Downes said.
Manager Eric MacKenzie (Courtright, Ont.) moved Downes, normally a catcher, to first base and put Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thompson (Corunna, Ont.) behind the plate. The reason for the lineup change was because clean-up hitter Kevin Reimer (Enderby, BC) injured his hand in Holland.
Canada had won the five-team, 13th Honkbal Week tournament in Haarlem. The KLM flight was over the Atlantic on an Amsterdam-Toronto flight path during the summer when MacKenzie walked down the aisle giving Downes a piece of leather.
“What’s this?” asked a startled Downes as he looked at the first baseman’s glove.
Before the opener against Nicaragua, Canuck pitching coach Dick Groch told the lefty and the green first baseman “nothing fancy, don’t do anything stupid.”
Sure enough back-to-back runners reached, the light went off for Downes as Heisler looked like he was picking lint from his jersey. The sneaky lefty -- aren’t most of them sneaky? -- picked the runner at first as quick as you could say Moose Jaw Saturday night.
“We run off the field after the third out,” Heisler said, “there were 40,000 people at Dodger Stadium who didn’t know that was coming -- 40,004 if you counted our coaches.”
Downes may have been new to first base, but he knew enough to listen to Heisler. Everyone knew. The lefty was selected to pitch at more international competitions for Canada than anyone else. His 14 selections were one more than 2B Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) and C Chris Robinson (Dorchester, Ont.).
Heisler pitched for Jack Domenico’s Toronto Maple Leafs in 1989-90 appearing in 12 games and making nine starts. He was 3-7 with one save and a 2.59 ERA. He walked 39 and fanned 31 in 149 2/3 Intercounty innings. Heisler was a 2nd Team all-star lefty in 1989.
Eight Canucks from that 1984 Olympic team went pro, three making the majors. Steve Wilson (Victoria, BC), Mike Gardiner (Sarnia, Ont.) and Reimer (Enderby, BC) each played six seasons. Reimer was five years with the Texas Rangers and one with the Milwaukee Brewers, while Gardiner pitched for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos and the Seattle Mariners.
Mark Wooden (Windsor, Ont.) pitched five seasons in the Seattle Mariners’ system, Scott Mann (Oshawa, Ont.) four with the Expos, while Thomson spent four seasons in the Tigers’ organization. Alain Patenaude (Laval, Que.) had two years with the Tigers and Scott Maxwell (Lethbridge, Alta.) was in the Blue Jays’ system for one.
Canada lost 4-3 to Nicaragua and 3-1 to Korea and then beat Japan 6-4. Gardiner, 18 at the time, said coach Alfie Payne had him in a corner of the clubhouse for a 1-on-1.
“Alfie, God rest his soul is telling me not to worry about starting. Robbie Thomson walks by and says, ‘Alf he’ll pitch a complete game,’” said Gardiner.
MacKenzie asked Gardiner for “three innings” against Japan in LA. Gardiner pitched into the ninth (“longest three innings I ever pitched”) before Wooden closed it out.
Days later, he was pitching for the Stratford Hillers and remembers watching the gold medal game: “I’m on my couch saying ‘oh my gosh Japan is beating the Americans.”
Team USA had players like Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, Ken Caminiti, Mark McGwire, Will Clark, Shane Mack, Oddibe McDowell and Cory Snyder.
Downes singled in his first at-bat of the Olympics while his picture showed on the Jumbotron at Dodger Stadium for his second at-bat, he told a teammate to get his Kodak and take a picture in his next at-bat. Why?
“Because it’s going to read ‘Larry Downes. Average: 1.000’” Downes explained. “Next time up it will say .500. Time after that it will be .250, then .200.”
There will be plenty of memories from Holland, Los Angeles, Cuba and elsewhere when Canada’s international pioneers gather.
What Heisler’s teammates and former managers thought of Heisler ...
“What do you mean did I ever see Rod Heisler pitch? I played with him in Moose Jaw from the age of 14 until about 23. We were together with the senior Little League all star team that came within a win of winning nationals and going to Gary, Ill. for the Worlds. Then, we played in the Saskatchewan Major League (which merged to form Western Canadian League) with him for the next seven or so years and I managed him for a few of those years as well. So, yes I saw him pitch a few times. Not only was Hyper (his nickname with us) a terrific pitcher with all the stuff that you would want, we would laugh sometimes because we knew there were times when he got to 3-0 on a hitter he would either walk him or hit that hitter because he had such a good move to first that he would pick him off the next pitch anyway. It seemed like he picked off at least one runner every game.”
_ Jim Baba (Moose Jaw, Sask.) former teammate, Baseball Canada executive, Canada’s rep to the World Softball Baseball Confederation.
“Rod and Ian MacIvor (Brampton, Ont.) had the best pick-off moves to first that I ever saw. Once I was so convinced he was going to the plate I left the bag to get into my position. He threw over and I had to make a spectacular play to catch the ball. We didn’t get an out there, but with Rod I was involved with more rundowns than in all the years I played. We picked off guys when it was first and second ... he’d throw over -- behind the runners on timing plays. With a man on first his pick-off move was so good he would pick guys that were not even stealing. He was a hockey player. I remember one year that the National team was going to Cuba for the Intercontinental Cup, they had to fly him back from Germany. I’m not sure how Jack Domenico found out about him. Probably Larry Downes or I gave him Rod’s name. Once you gave Jack a name, he was like a dog on a bone trying to recruit the player.”
_ Bill Byckowski (Erin, Ont.), former Team Canada teammate, Cincinnati Reds cross checker.
“I’ll never forget the time we were playing in Tiger Stadium for the first time. We spent the first half hour looking up and taking it all in. We were playing an exhibition game against a crack Michigan all-star college team. Of course we started our ace in Rod. He didn’t miss a bat the first three hitters: double, single and then a base-clearing triple. Eric MacKenzie, our manager, trotted to the mound, as did I. Not much to say but Eric muttered “how you feeling Rod?” Without missing a beat Rod said “Don’t know coach, I usually pitch pretty good in this park.” Thank God I had a mask to hide my laughter behind but poor Eric had to button up his smile and return to the dugout.”
_ Larry Downes (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.), teammate on 1984 Olympic team in Los Angeles.
“The 1984 season was a fun year for me. I had a supplemental job as a Blue Jays bullpen catcher where I was witness to call up Jimmy Key’s emergence as a relief pitcher with an impossibly deceptive pick off move. During that summer, while trying out for our national team, I fancied myself a good base runner with thoughts of impressing by stealing a base during an inter squad game in Windsor. That’s when I learned first hand that Rod Heisler had a pick off move at least the equal that of Jimmy Key. I still can’t find my jockstrap.”
_ Jim Eliopoulos (Scarborough, Ont.), Olympic teammate.
“I’ll never forget the evening we attended the pre-games reception at Dodger Stadium with Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, as a guest speaker. Mr. Kuhn stood up and welcomed all the teams and reps to the Olympics for the first time in history. When he introduced our team, he started with Rod Heisler, his extended history and all the accolades that came with it. I was mentioned after Rod with only a small bit of what I contributed compared to Rod’s successes and I never felt more proud and grateful to be mentioned near his name in that forum. Heis was our leader and our ambassador and it’s only fitting that he be recognized again in the shrine of our sport. Thank you Heis for your leadership and your dedication and for allowing us to call you our teammate and always our friend.”
_ Barry Kuzminski (Brantford, Ont.), former Olympic teammate.
“I faced Rod in Brandon Man. in 1977, in the bronze medal game of the Canadian seniors nationals. I had absolutely eaten up the pitching that we had faced. I went 0-for-3 or 0-for-4 that game, and recall shaking hands with him and asking him if he would mind removing the collar that he had placed around my neck.
“My second recollection of Heis, was in Belgium, at the Intercontinental Cup. We were to play Cuba, that day, and the slated starting pitcher had a sore arm. Heisler had pitched two or three days prior, but volunteered to throw. He diced and carved, like a chef, for six or seven innings, and we ended up beating the unbeatable, for the second time in his career. Mike Carnegie made his debut and shut the door. Rod Heisler is a gamer, and deserves all the respect that he is receiving and more. Love you Brother.”
_ Doug McPhail (Okotoks, Alta.), Olympic teammate, Okotoks Dawgs coach.
“Rod was a ferocious competitor. Heis would never quit and would never let any of his teammates quit. A great leader that brought everyone together and along with a few other veterans on the 1984 Olympic team show the rest of us that team Canada would not take a backseat to any other country.”
_ Robbie Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) former Olympic teammate, Philadelphia Phillies manager.
“For me, it’s not just one game or appearance that would define what Rod meant to me, but it would be more of a collective memory of two summers pitching with him on our Canadian team. For me, he was a mentor, and someone I looked up to ... I tried to learn as much as I could from him. I can remember talking to Heis about everything to do with pitching during our time together ... from holding runners, to pick off moves, to pitching, to setting up hitters and trying to get them out. He had a very positive affect on my development as a pitcher and without a doubt impacted my career.”
_ Steve Wilson (Victoria, BC), scout, Latin America, New York Yankees and former Olympic teammate.