The wise ones: Randall Echlin, left and Ted Minden were both big-time Blue Jays fans. They also sat on the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario)

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Each spring -- as sure as robins and Blue Jays would arrive in Dunedin -- Toronto judges Randy Echlin and Ted Minden would make the trek south too.

The Echlin-Minden friendship pre-dates the Jays to the mid-1970s when both were law students and unlike most Canadian college students, baseball, not hockey, was their game.

The relationship flourished. Each spring from 1984, when they made their first trip south until 1997, the pair would head south. At the Cecil P. Englebert complex they were known as Randy and Ted, shooting pictures of the Jays. Initially they were lawyers and then they became judges.

The other 51 weeks a year they wore robes and were Hon. Mr. Justice Randall Scott Echlin and Hon. Mr. Justice Edwin (Ted) Minden of the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario). Dave Stieb was Echlin’s favorite player, Minden’s was Hall of Famer Robbie Alomar, while his son Elijah’s fave was Jose Bautista.

They had talked about making another trip. In 2011, Echlin became ill. He summoned Minden to his bedroom chambers and told his old pal, “I think you should take Elijah instead,” Echlin, telling his friend it was time to pass the baton from one generation to another. Baseball’s best attended his funeral in Leaside, including Hall of Fame GM Pat Gillick.

So Minden took his son Elijah, then 10, to Dunedin. Father and son did the same things that the judges had done in the 1980s. The judges would watch six days of workouts, attend the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce banquet, stay for the opener and fly north.

Until his death Echlin was head of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame selection committee. The Canadian Baseball Network minor league hitter of the year is named after Echlin.

They would also make lists. Without any Blue Jays ball to talk about Elijah and his father began with some updated compilations. It’s the game during coronavirus.

Baseball name lists

By Randy Echlin, Ted Minden and Elijah Minden

As at April 28, 2020

All Body Parts Baseball Team

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Elroy Face

Rollie Fingers

Eric Aybar

Jerry Hairston

Tony Armas

Buster Posey

Shin-soo Choo

Tom Niedenfuer

Bill Hands

Jim Eisenreich

Fran Healy

Jim Thole

Wally Backman

Madison Bumgarner

George Twinkletoes Selkirk

Barry Foote

Donavan Hand

Pinky Hargrave

Aaron Bummer

Early Wynn

Jim Ray Hart

Cesar Tovar

Rick Ankiel

Chase Headley

Brad Hand

Jim Thome

Lip Pike

Chris Ianetta

Chester Emerson

Ryan Healy

Chin-Lung Hu

Joe Morgan

Pat Neshek

Bartolo Colon

Will Harris

Ricky Bones

Toby Harrah

Brett Butler

Tim Proudfoot

Carl Chester

Managers: Leo The Lip Durocher, Earl Weaver

Announcers: Tom Cheek, Harry Carey

All Geography/Weather/Things in Nature Team

______________________

Tim Raines

Curt Flood

Storm Davis

Pablo Sandoval

Wally Moon

Rocky Colavito

Aaron Hill

Mickey Rivers

Mark Dewey

J.T. Snow

Dusty Rhodes

Jim Mudcat Grant

Sandy Koufax

Lefty Grove

Wade Boggs

Tyler Flowers

Josh Fields

Clayton Kershaw

Junior Lake

Lip Pike

Mike Trout

Steve Trout

Dizzy Rainbow Trout

Chan Ho Park

Hank Aaron

Prince Fielder

Randy Bush

Jim McCleod

Brooks Robinson

Dustin Pedroia

Steve Stone

Ray Starr

Pete Rose

Bob Lemon

David Weathers

Dave Winfield

Tom Seaver

Moises Sierra

Rueben Sierra

Cliff Lee

George Springer

Dave Parker

Alex Wood

Wilbur Wood

David Freese

Woody Fryman

Mitch Moreland

Bill Stoneman

Dick Schofield

Ernie Banks

Ryne Sandberg

Cliff Johnson

Chris Waters

Austin Meadows

Darryl Knowles

C.C. Sabathia

Mark Buehrle

Sandy Alomar

Duster Mails

Byoung Ho Park

Rich Hill

Roemon Fields

Jesse Barfield

Homer Bush

Cecil Fielder

Grover Cleveland Alexander

Justin Smoak

Woody Williams

Clay Buchholz

Clay Bellinger

Clay Dalrymple

Starlin Castro

Kyle Seager

Cam Bedrosian

Dustin May

Kole Calhoun

Mike Fiers

Austin Hedges

Wes Parker

Derek Fisher

Bucky Dent

Goose Gossage

Jose Cardenal

Jim Catfish Hunter

Chris Woodward

Lyle Overbay

Choo-Choo Coleman

Richie Ashburn

Lew Burdette

Phil Plantier

Clay Carroll

Ken Hill

Rocky Bridges

Yogi Berra

Ty Cobb

Gerrit Cole

Cole Hamels

Damon Berryhill

Birdie Tebbetts

Dennis Oil Can Boyd

John Roseboro

Rob Deer

Forrest Wall

Forrest Whitley

Robin Ventura

Announcer: Buck Martinez, Jack Buck, Joe Buck

Manager and coaches: Dusty Baker, Ron Gardenhire, Brian Butterfield, DeMarlo Hale

General manager: Branch Rickey, Pat Gillick, Billy Beane, Paul Beeston

Commissioners: Kenesaw Mountain Landis, Bud Selig

Umpires: Marty Springstead, C. B. Buckner

Buddy Black who pitched for the Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners and appeared in three games with the Toronto Blue Jays.

All “Colour” BaseballTeam

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Bud Black

Bill White

Vida Blue

Shawn Green

Whitey Ford

Bobby Brown

Pinky Hargrave

Roy Silver

Hank Greenberg

Devon White

Indigo Diaz

Grady Sizemore

Mike Greenwell

Red Schoendienst

Paul Goldschmidt

Blue Moon Odom

Elijah Pumpsie Green

Todd Redmond

Roy White

Chad Green

Ollie Brown

Mardecai Three Fingers Brown

Manager: Whitey Herzog, Dallas Green

Announcer: Red Barber, Jim Gray

Elliott: Judges Echlin & Minden and son play the name game