By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The first major leaguer produced, the major leaguer who came home to play on, the first pro, another who made Triple-A, the founder, the hard-working, longest serving member and the popular catcher.

That’s the new class for the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians Hall of Fame: Doug Frobel, Peter Hoy, Michael Kusiewicz, Dave MacQuarrie and Cam Pelton, as well as builders Art Nielsen and Don Campbell, as part of this their 50th year anniversary celebrations

_ OF-1B-RHP Doug Frobel (Ottawa, Ont.).

He made his debut Sept. 5, 1982 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His first hit in the majors was facing Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) as he spent parts of five season in the majors with the Pirates, Montreal Expos and the Cleveland Indians. Frobel was signed out of a free-agent tryout camp in Utica, NY.

Former Brockville Bunnie RHP Peter Hoy (Cardinal, Ont.) made the majors and then came back to pitch for the Canadians.

_ RHP Peter Hoy (Cardinal, Ont.).

He made his big-league debut April 11, 1992 pitching a scoreless inning for the Boston Red Sox against the Cleveland Indians. Hoy played for legendary coach Jack Giffin with the Brockville Bunnies, attended LeMoyne College and was drafted in the 33rd round in 1988. Hoy was a member of the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians for three seasons (1994-1996).

_ LHP Michael Kusiewicz (Nepean, Ont.).

He pitched two seasons for the Canadians (1993-94) before being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the eighth round of the 1994 draft by scouts Bill McKenzie (Ottawa, Ont.) and Brian McRobie (Brockville, Ont.). He pitched 14 years in the minors including 17 starts and 28 relief appearances at the triple-A.

_ RHP Dave MacQuarrie (Ottawa, Ont.).

He pitched for the Canadians for five seasons (1970-74) and became the first Canadians player to turn pro. The late Mel Didier was in charge of scouting when MacQuarrie was signed by Bill MacKenzie in 1974. He spent five seasons in the Expos organization, before retiring after attending spring training with the Cleveland Indians in 1979.

_ C-1B-3B Cam Pelton (Nepean, Ont.)

He played more than a decade with the Canadians, breaking in during the 1993 season when he was named rookie of the year. The following season he earned team MVP. Pelton caught Shawn O’Conner, the first player inducted in 2008 and 2019 inductees, Mike Kusiewicz and Peter Hoy. Pelton also played for the LeMoyne Dolphins.

_ Art Nielsen (Ottawa, Ont.), builder.

He was the founder of the Ottawa Nepean Canadians, along with previous inductee Fred Wigney, George Payette, Jeff MacLean, Herb Rody and Tom Huffman. The original team played at the Babe Ruth level at 13U. It grew from one team to two senior teams, a junior team, two Connie Mack and two Babe Ruth teams. Without Art Nielsen, the Ottawa Nepean Canadians would not be turning 50 -- they would not exsist.

_ Donald Campbell (Ottawa, Ont.), builder.

He joined the Canadians as general manager of the 1978 senior team and was part of the senior team which lost in the OBA semi final to Windsor in Sudbury. He was part of the organization for 30 years as the GM, manager, coach, director of baseball operations and cooler commander at 18U, senior and junior levels. He is past president of the Ontario Premier League.

* * *

The five players and two builders will be inducted Friday June 28th at the Hall of Fame & 50th anniversary dinner at 7 pm at the Ukrainian Hall.

The group of seven join RHP-2B Shawn O’Connor (Pakenham, Ont.), plus executives Bruce Hamilton (Ottawa, Ont.), Gordon Hamilton (Ottawa, Ont.) and Fred Wigney (Ottawa, Ont.) and some other guy in the Canadians HOF.

And on the Saturday two alumni games will be played in the over-35 age group and the under 35, as well as a barbecue.

And on Sunday two of the current Ottawa-Nepean Canadians will be playing. The Canadians have three teams: 15U, 16U and 18U.

* * *

Some say that the greatest compliment one can ever give to a ballplayer is to name the park he played at after him. That did not happen for Frobel, however at the northwest corner of Harris Place and Rowley Avenue in Ottawa sits Doug Frobel Park and a plaque commemorating Douglas Steven Frobel.

This is how much Frobel wanted to play. He attended an open tryout camp in Utica, NY. When it rained, Frobel offered to throw a bullpen on the side. He then stayed over the night and impressed Pirates scout Joe Bucalo.

Bucalo stuck his head into the Canadians dugout and asked “You guys got anyone any good?” Bob (Poughkeepsie() Yanus gave Bucalo a few names and after the game was over Bucalo met with Frobel and Art Neilsen, which led to the invite to the camp..

Frobel played 268 games in the majors batting .201 with 21 doubles, four triples, 20 homers and 58 RBIs, as well as a .642 OPS. His first home run came on Oct. 1, 1982 when he hit a two-run homer off Expos RHP Charlie Lea to put the Pirates ahead 3-2 in an 8-5 loss to Montreal.

Frobel spent 11 seasons in the minors with the class-A Charleston Pirates, class-A Shelby Pirates, class-A Auburn Red Stars, class-A Salem Pirates, double-A Buffalo Bisons, triple-A Portland Beavers, triple-A Hawaii Islanders, double-A Indianapolis Indians, triple-A Tidewater Tides, triple-A Buffalo, triple-A Mexico City Reds, double-A Jacksonville Expos, triple-A Vancouver Canadians and double-A Birmingham Barons.

He hit .259 with 159 doubles, 25 triples, 139 homers and 507 RBIs in 924 games with a .785 OPS.

Doug Frobel during his Montreal Expos days

According to our George Farelli, of the 164 Canadians with over 2,000 career at-bats in the minors, Frobel’s ranks 13th in home runs. He is 73rd in games played, 84th in at-bats with 3,115, 44th in runs, 93rd in hits with 808, 51st in average, 60th with 159 doubles, tied for 47th in triples with 25 and 26th with 506 RBIs.

Best Frobel story I remember was Branch Rickey III telling of one spring morn when LHP Rod Scurry, a first-round pick, faced Frobel. Left on left. Scurry was a tad angry as he’d smashed up his car the night before. It looked like a mismatch.

Frobel launched one “nine miles,” according to Rickey, who said “it was one of those times you wanted to clap your hands. But as a scout I kept my hands in my pockets and pressed real hard.”

* * *

Hoy, was 19-5 with a 2.30 ERA at LeMoyne. One day before a Canisius-LeMoyne game in Buffalo, I was shooting the breeze with legendary coach Dick Rockwell and asked who of all his starters he’d want to pitch a must-win game.

He told me to guess so I went with Jon Ratliff, a first rounder who went to the Chicago Cubs in 1993?

Nope.

Tom Browning, who won 123 games in the majors, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds?

Nope.

Jim Deshaies a fixture in the Houston Astros rotation who won 84 games? (Deshaies was from Massena, NY and said he was the second famous person from there ... No. 1 was Otis the Drunk on Andy Griffith.)

Rockwell said if he had to win one game, he’d give the ball to Hoy. “Now the classroom ...” Rockwell joked, “that is another matter.”

Not that Hoy wanted to be a player much but he would drive to Port Hope, Ont. so he and Paul Quantrill could throw bullpens to each other inside a bay at Quantrill Motors. Not many windshields were damaged in the making of these two pros.

He delayed the start of his pro career so he could maintain his amateur status and represent Canada at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Then he was on the road pitching at class-A Elmira Pioneers, class-A Winter Haven Red Sox, triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, double-A New Britain Red Sox, class-A Fort Lauderdale Red Sox, then the Regina Cyclones in the independent North Central league and finally Adirondack Lumberjacks in the independent Northeast league.

Hoy appeared in five games for the Red Sox with a 7.36 ERA, walking two and striking out two in 3 2/3 innings. During his seven seasons, in the minors he was 28-35 with a 3.14 ERA in 291 games. He walked 191 and struck out 284 in 552 2/3 innings.

With the Canadians he hit and pitched and was part of the often-asked question of manager Don Campbell.

Who is pitching the opener of the four-game weekend?

“Shawn O’Connor.”

Who is pitching the second game?

“Shawn O’Connor,”

Who is starting the third game?

“Peter Hoy.”

And how about the fourth game?

“Peter Hoy.”

Never mind “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain,” with the Canadians in those days it was “Oak and Hoy Boy to get us to Big Money (Brian Kusiewicz).”

Following his pro pitching days, Hoy joined the staff at Lemoyne, and in 2010 was named the coach of the St. Lawrence University Saints in Canton, NY. This spring C-IF Cristian Forgione (Toronto, Ont.) is a member of the Saints.

LHP Mike Kusiewicz (Nepean, Ont.) was an eighth round pick of the Colorado Rockies.

* * *

Kusiewicz played senior ball for coaches Don Campbell, Rob Rathwell, Shawn O’Connor in 1993-94, despite the fact he was still in high school. He made the right choice choosing the Canadians over Ottawa Bases.

Not many grade 12 students could match his season as he pitched for the Ontario Youth Team as they won the Canada Cup, pitched for the Canadian Junior National Team beating Cuba, allowing an unearned run and as a Guelph pickup, pitched the gold medal game at the midget nationals in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. and pitched for the Canadians in New York state loop, including the Watertown, NY Fairgrounds which had a Marlboro Man down the line. And he was drafted. He won Baseball Ontario player of the year.

In his first year as a pro at age 18-year-old, he led the Class-A South Atlantic League with a 2.06 ERA going 8-4 in 21 starts with the Asheville Tourists.

After his days with the Rockies, he pitched in the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s and Milwaukee Brewers organizations.

His minor league stopovers carried him from Asheville, to Class-A Salem Avalanche, Double-A New Haven Ravens, Arizona Rookie League Rockies, double-A Tennessee Smokies, Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox, Double-A Trenton Thunder, Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, Double-A Midland Rockhounds, Class-A High Desert Mavericks, Edmonton Cracker-Cats and the Winnipeg Goldeyes, in the independent Northern League and the Ottawa Rapides in the independent Can Am League.

He owned a 76-69 won-loss record, with a 3.43 ERA in 296 games making 209 starts, including seven complete games. He walked 388 and fanned 1,076 in 1,355 innings.

Kusiewicz had his best season in 1998 with New Haven in the Eastern League. His 14 wins placed him second in the league, his ERA 2.32 was first (minimum of 100 innings), his 151 strikeouts were fifth best and his 178 2/3 innings were third best.

Three times he earned Ottawa Baseball Player of the Year (1993, 1994, 2006), in 1998 he was Colorado Rockies Minor League player of the Year, Topps Double-A All Star and Eastern League All Star, twice he was on the Rockies Top 10 Prospect List (1995, 1996) and the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame Inductee (2005).

Kusiewicz pitched internationally for Canada with the Canadian Junior National Team in 1994, the Olympic Qualifier in Panama 2003, the Olympics in Athens in 2004, America’s Olympic Qualifier in Phoenix in 2005, World Cup and the Olympic Qualifier in Taiwan in 2007.

The lefty also pitched for the University of Ottawa Gee Gees (2005-07) and the National Capital Baseball League’s Knights in Division IV. Ottawa Senators general manager Pete Dorion was also on the team and said in a radio interview the highlight was pitching behind an ex-pro. His brother Brian and Jamie Kusiewicz also pitched for the same team.

* * *

MacQuarrie was born in Edmonton and played for the Canadians: at the Babe Ruth and Connie Mack under Art Neilsen. He now lives in Oakville.

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Montreal Expos in 1974, he pitched for: Rookie-League Gulf coast Expos, Class-A Kinston Expos, Class-A West Palm Beach Expos Double-A Quebec Metros and Double-A Memphis Chicks in the Montreal system. He went to spring training in 1979 with the Cleveland Indians with former Expos executive Mel Didier. MacQuarrie didn’t make it out of Arizona with the Indians and retired. 

In his five minor league seasons he had a 26-34 won-loss record, a 3.92 ERA. He pitched in 81 games, making 79 starts, walking 276 and striking out 288 in 462 Innings.

His best season was at class-A West Palm Beach in 1976 when he went 7-10 with a 3.45 ERA in 21 starts. He walked 79 and fanned 94 in 133 innings.

Prior to Canadians turning pro like OF Doug Frobel, INF Phil Franko (Nepean, Ont.), LHP Mike Kusiewicz, INF Chris Bisson (Ottawa, Ont.) and OF Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.), MacQuarrie was the player young Canadians aspired to be. They “wanted to grow up to be just like Dave.”

* * *

Pelton was catching in the fall of 1994 at the Nepean Sportsplex. He was leaving for Syracuse, NY and the LeMoyne campus the next day.

In the final inning he injured his knee in a home plate collision. It was an ugly scene. Doctors did surgery and he was told he would not play the game again. Pelton never took his hospital wrist band off. He re-habbed all winter and accompanied the team on its spring trip.

Pelton didn’t play the first game, but served as the DH in the second game. He hit a stand-up double in his first at-bat, slid into second. He stood, ripped off the hospital wrist band and stuck it under the base at second base.

Amongst career leaders at LeMoyne, Pelton (1996-99) ranks tied for 10th with Zack Wiley (2010-13) in most times hit by pitch with 24. He was 12th all-time in put outs with 625, 22nd in career fielding chances with 678 and 23th in career fielding percentage at .984.

With the Canadians he earned Rookie of the Year in 1993 and was an MVP the next year. He was on the dean’s list four year and earned all-conference honours. Pelton remained a volunteer in capital region with East Nepean Little League, Kanata Little League, Watson Baseball and the Canadians, where he served as a winter training instructor and a coach with the 16U team.

* * *

Nielsen was the founder of the Canadians 50 years ago, so his son Terry Nielsen played on the Babe Ruth team with Rick Frobel, Malcolm Bruce, Glenn Wigney, Steve Payette, Tim Hogan, Marc Aubry, Terry Findell and Mark Murray to name a few.

He managed Babe Ruth, Connie Mack, junior and senior teams before turning to umpiring in 1979. He returned to manage in 1981. Three of his players went on to play pro in Dave MacQuarrie, Doug Frobel and Phil Franko.

Whether still in the game or around the park, he was always gracious passing on wisdom and common sense to other coaches like Jeff MacLean, Tom Huffman, Red Manley or his GM Fred Wigney, myself and many others.

A Nielsen story I remember was one afternoon the Canadians were playing the second game of a senior doubleheader against St. Johnsville, NY on a Sunday at the Nepean Sportsplex. It was Game 4 of the weekend series. Closer Jim Kent was running out of gas -- he’d worked all four games. The tying run was at second. The manager brought in right-hander Michael Sundin to face a left-handed hitter.

The plan was for Sundin to throw the first pitch to the screen and then go to his patented pick-off move at third. Walking off the mound, the manager said “Heads up Art.” Nielsen moved closer to third. The first pitch went to the screen and the runner advanced to third base.

Sundin picked off the tying runner for the third out -- one of 13 he recorded that year. The St. Johnsville third base coach argued balk, said the magic words and was ejected.

“NICE COUNTRY!” yelled the coach as he walked to the third base dugout.

“Yeah, we kind of like it here,” Nielsen said.

In 1978 the Canadians had two senior teams, one in Senior Interprovincial League and another in the New York State League. Yet, it was difficult to get players to make road trips when they could stay home and play for the city league team.

The suggestion to have one team in both leagues to city league president Nielsen was met by anger as the first four teams spoke. Pinecrest’s Carl Faulkner said “It has always been my idea that we should try to build organizations up, rather than tearing them down.”

Nielsen said “Do you really think that they are doing to start their best pitchers -- Mark Gryba, Conrad Young, Jim Kent and Duke Murphy on Saturday and Sunday and then again on Monday and Tuesday?” It was explained that the Canadians would have weekend pitchers and city league pitchers.

Thanks to Faulkner and Nielsen the tide turned and the vote carried by a small margin.

Nielsen passed away in 2014 at 84. He is survived by his wife Dorothy and his children, Terry, Ted and Anna-Marie.

* * *

Campbell’s first season was in 1978 as GM of the senior team and his final on the field for more than 30 years later in a variety of positions. Campbell was the City of Ottawa’s inaugural Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching in 2012.

Players have gone pro, but many have gone on to play at college on both sides or the border, for provincial teams, national teams and becoming solid citizens in the National Capital region.

After learning at the elbow of the late Gord Hamilton, he brought a “player-first culture,” that remains today as the cornerstone of the Canadians. In large part, it is due to Campbell’s direction and dedication is a reason that the Canadians are turning 50.

One Campbell story I won’t forget was walking outside from the lobby of the Columbus South Marriott as a bus pulled in. One problem. The bus had lost its front window. As we looked at the busted glass, Campbell stepped off the bus and told us, “We got hit by a turkey and it smashed the window.”

The two main hats he wore were manager and director of operations. Wrote one father who had two sons play for Campbell in his nomination letter:

“Don’s leadership style as a manager, often delivered with humour, captured the player’s respect and attention. When approaching past players for various events, I usually heard, ‘For Donnie, anything.’ His commitment, specifically to the players, and often over ‘the game,’ leaves a lasting impression. One outcome of his approach that has shaped the organization was that this positive experience and example led many scholar-athlete alumni to return to volunteer as coaches and instructors … which speaks volumes. A respected, established atmosphere sets the ONC organization apart in the growing Ottawa baseball world.”

And as director of operations the same man wrote:

“What went unseen by most was the countless hours he spent year-round running the team itself over and above coaching: handling operations, scheduling, staffing, networking, league responsibilities, furthering player’s scholarship opportunities, scouting and recruiting. This is where much of his direction and vision took root … behind the scenes, planning months in advance to enhance the programs and further the organization as a whole.”

The other aspects that impacted his shaping the organization include:

_ Above and beyond time commitment for decades, a big reason that the Canadians have made it to 50 years.

_ Years as a pure volunteer.

_ Commitment to players and to their development not only as athletes, but into young men.

_ Up front and centre for fund raisers to help hold fees down.

_ Cutting through the red tape to get full size batting cages at the Bell Sensplex and Hamilton Yards

When I think of the Canadians, Don Campbell’s face is the first one that comes to mind.

It won’t be easy for the man who takes over for Campbell and tries to fill his No. 17. Campbell originally wanted No. 37 for manager Buck Rodgers or No. 19 for Fred Lynn, but the numbers only went 1-to-25 and a player wanted No. 19, so he switched.

We venture a Diet Coke that there is no way the next No. 17 put in as many hours.