Fitzpatrick: Snyder, who helped bring MLB to Montreal, gets Canadian ball hall nod

Montreal city councillor Gerry Snyder played a crucial role in bringing Major League Baseball to Canada. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

February 12, 2025

By Trevor Fitzpatrick

Canadian Baseball Network

Former Montreal city councillor Gerry Snyder, one of the most important figures in the process of bringing Major League Baseball to Canada, will be inducted in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame this June.

“Our dad would have been so very happy to have received this phenomenal news! He was determined that whatever it took to achieve his dream of promoting Canadian baseball, he would do,” said Snyder’s daughter Arlene on behalf of the family.

And Snyder did a lot.

As a city councillor and passionate sports ambassador, Snyder was determined to earn Montreal an MLB franchise. His first meeting with commissioner Ford C. Frick was in 1962, but it only lasted 10 minutes since the city didn’t have a viable stadium.

Snyder pressed on and with Dodgers owner Walter O’Malley in his corner, who could vouch for Montreal as a strong market because the Dodgers has maintained a successful triple-A affiliate in the city until 1960, the city and nation were awarded an MLB team on May 27, 1968 – which was Gerry’s son Gary’s 10th birthday.

“I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better birthday present,” recalled Gary, “We were often with him (Gerry) in the box at Jarry Park in 1969 and it was very exciting and new for us at the time.”

Many of the important names around the Montreal Expos were there because of Snyder’s hard work. He convinced Seagram owner Charles Bronfman to invest in the team and become a primary owner and later convinced the legendary John McHale to become the team’s first president.

“Bringing the first major league team to Canada was a highlight of his career and a highlight for the whole family,” said Arlene.

Following his work with the Expos, he proceeded to play a critical role in landing the 1976 Olympics and a Formula One Grand Prix in 1978 for Montreal.

For all of his efforts around the city, he earned one of the first Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medals ever given out in 1977.

A lifelong baseball ambassador, Snyder’s work wasn’t finished with the Expos. According to Arlene, he was consulted a few times by 2024 Canadian ball hall inductee Paul Godfrey’s team when they were working on landing a major league franchise for Toronto.

Snyder passed away on November 26, 2007, but his contributions to baseball in Canada will never be forgotten.

“Our whole family is really happy that we can still discuss his impact on Major League Baseball to this day,” said his son, Gary.