ONC HOFers: Frobel, Hoy, Kusiewicz, MacQuarrie, Pelton, Nielsen, Campbell
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
The 2019 class for the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians Hall of Fame makes up for lost time.
Inductees on Friday as part of the as part the Canadians 50th year anniversary celebrations at 7 pm at the Ukrainian Hall include:
- Doug Frobel (Ottawa, Ont.), who 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. 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.
Hall of Famers one and all: Peter Hoy, Shawn O’Connor, Mike Kusiewicz and Don Campbell.
- RHP Peter Hoy (Cardinal, Ont.), who 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 was a double duty man under manager Don Campbell. He pitched 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.
- LHP Michael Kusiewicz (Nepean, Ont.), who as a rookie won the ERA title at class-A Asheville after being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the eighth round in 1994 draft. He also pitched at 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.
- RHP Dave MacQuarrie (Ottawa, Ont.), who was the Canadians first pro and the one players looked up to, played at the Babe Ruth and Connie Mack under Art Neilsen.
MacQuarrie signed as an undrafted free agent with the Montreal Expos in 1974. His stops included 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, pitching in 81 games, making 79 starts, walking 276 and striking out 288 in 462 Innings.
- C Cam Pelton (Nepean. Ont.) caught Mike Kusiewicz and guided him through his draft year. During his time with the LeMoyne Dolpins Pelton (1996-99) was 12th all-time in put outs with 625, 22nd in career fielding chances with 678 and 23th in career fielding percentage at .984. He was on the dean’s list four year and earned all-conference honours. He was on the dean’s list four year and earned all-conference honours.
With the Canadians he earned Rookie of the Year in 1993 and was an MVP the next year. 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.
- Founder Art Nielsen (Ottawa, Ont.), founded of the Canadians 50 years ago. On that Babe Ruth team were his son Terry Nielsen played on the 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.
He was always gracious passing on wisdom and common sense to other coaches like Jeff MacLean, Tom Huffman, Red Manley, his genial GM Fred Wigney, myself and many others.
- Former manager Don Campbell (Ottawa, Ont.) saw his name and that of Hall of Fame coach Brian Kilrea were often seen in the same story. Campbell’s name would serve as a byline on how Kilrea’s Ottawa 67’s fared.
Campbell, who began in 1978 as GM of seniors, finished more than 30 years later after serving in a variety of positions. The names were together as Campbell earned was the City of Ottawa’s inaugural Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching in 2012.
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.