Shushkewich: My Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame hat is a great conversation starter

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame hat worn by Canadian Baseball Network writer Tyson Shushkewich has proven to be a great conversation starter for him in his many baseball adventures. Photo supplied.

October 30, 2024

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Over the years, I have enjoyed meeting many people – players, coaches, fans, and everyone in between – who celebrate Canadian baseball.

From coast to coast, many appreciate the game being played north of the border and celebrate the accomplishments of those who call Canada home.

Many of these accomplishments are captured at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, located in St. Marys, Ontario – just a mere two-hour drive west of downtown Toronto. Since 1998, the Canuck ball hall, with its numerous artifacts, plaques, and memorabilia on display from those who made an impact on the game in Canada, has called St. Marys home.

It is here that each summer, a select group of individuals are celebrated for their contributions to Canada and are inducted into the Hall of Fame. It is a celebration that lasts over the weekend, with speeches, interviews/public appearances, and some good old-fashioned baseball being played on the diamonds just down the hill from the museum.

It is a celebration that I had the pleasure of taking part in earlier this year, representing the Canadian Baseball Network while I interviewed former Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin and Jack Graney Award winner Buck Martinez, who graces the televisions of fans from coast to coast when you tune into a Blue Jays game.

It was here at the museum where I picked up some personal memorabilia of my own – a black hat donning the logo of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum and mentioning the town of St. Marys just under the crest. Similar to a child who has a security blanket or can’t leave the house without their stuffed animal within an arm’s distance, you will rarely see me without a hat on. Donning a hat has been my personal security blanket for years, whether it was a blue Puma cap, a Blue Jays hat, or my ‘Smokey the Bear’ hat, I wasn’t leaving the house without one (unless my wife laid down the law that one was not needed for wherever we were going).

Since I acquired my CBHFM cap, it has been my go-to choice over the summer. I wear it everywhere outside of my current 9-5 job (I can’t risk getting it dirty). It was with me on weekend brunch dates, I wore it when I attended the Canadian Futures Showcase this past September – I even wore it once in the shower because it got a bit too dirty for my liking (two birds, one stone right?).

What I didn’t expect from wearing the stylish black headwear was the conversations it would lead to.

Tyson wore his CBHFM hat while covering the Canadian Futures Showcase for the Canadian Baseball Network this September. Photo supplied.

One particular moment that sticks out was when I walked into the elevators at the Rogers Centre during the Showcase, looking to get to the field level to interview some players before the game was over and they dispersed into the stands.

As I stepped into the elevator, I was greeted by a nice lady (apologies, I don’t recall the name) who was there to make sure I made it to the right level (and not up to any funny business or going anywhere I shouldn’t be). While in the tight confines, we struck up a quick conversation.

“I really love the design of that hat, where did you get it from?” she asked.

Oh boy – she opened the floodgates. What followed was every single tidbit that I could muster about the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame – the history, the alumni, the different exhibits. She was very polite and didn’t even cut me off even when the elevator reached the field level and I was supposed to leave. I was so caught up in the moment of talking baseball that I didn’t even hear the door open.

“Oh man, you must love that place,” she finally said, once I had to catch my breath from the excitement of talking baseball. “I will have to check it out, you have a nice day now.”

As I eluded to earlier, I am used to talking baseball with people across the country and across the United States– it’s part of the territory when it comes to the journalism game – and also because I think it’s the greatest sport of all time, much to the chagrin of family and friends (and an unfortunate lady in the Blue Jays elevators) who have to listen to my stories and facts that I bring up daily.

Tyson wore his CBHFM hat on a trip to Hoover Dam with his wife, Mallory. Photo supplied.

What this hat did was something I wasn’t necessarily expecting over the months but what pushed things over the top was how the logo and even the city of St. Marys were recognizable both in and outside of the country.

To set some context, earlier this month my wife and I took a belated anniversary trip to Las Vegas – a week away from the grind and bustle of our everyday lives (I only wrote two articles on the trip, a record low for me since I started writing over five years ago).

As I was sitting in my aisle seat, waiting for the plane to depart from Toronto Pearson Airport, I met the eyes of an older gentleman who was squinting at me which had me thinking that I accidentally sat in his assigned seat. However, he was just zoning in on the hat.

“Are you from St. Marys?” asked the gentleman.

“No, just North of Barrie,” I responded.

I am unsure if he was from St. Marys and he was maybe wondering if we could have frequented the same hangout spots but our conversation was cut short as he shuffled past to his seat and I never spoke to him again. Score one for the hat, which was already getting some fanfare and we hadn’t even left the province yet.

Later in the week, both the ALCS and NLCS were in full swing. The Guardians were trying to hang with the big boys of the Bronx while the Dodgers were trying to put things away against a scrappy Mets team that Pete Alonso continued to try and keep alive.

Tyson’s CBHFM hat in Las Vegas. Photo supplied.

With the time difference of Las Vegas in mind and my wife resting before a dinner reservation that awaited later that evening, I found myself wandering over to the Caesars Sportsbook area to watch some postseason baseball. I am not a huge sport better by any means, but the hotel we were staying in didn’t have the game on the hotel TV and sitting in a fancy chair with some other baseball fans seemed like a fun idea.

As I sat down amongst the row of chairs in a packed room of other baseball fans waiting for the Yankees/Guardians game to start, I nodded politely to the man on my left (as any Canadian would) and waited for the game to start while I scrolled through my phone. However, I could feel the eyes of my new acquaintance staring at me – similar to the plane experience from a few days ago. And then he said the phrase that many of us Canucks have heard over the years.

“Are you Canadian?”

What started as a quick question turned into a half-hour conversation, where I got to know my next-door seatmate Ted, a realtor from Vancouver who was in town ‘on business and just a tiny bit of pleasure’ in his own words. He and I couldn’t stop talking about the Blue Jays – mostly about how they failed to meet postseason expectations this summer and how much it would likely take to sign Juan Soto this offseason – and about great Canadian baseball players who graced major league diamonds over the years.

“I remember watching Éric Gagné set the consecutive saved games streak on TV,” quipped Ted. “Being on the West Coast, we always had to watch the Mariners, the Dodgers, or some NL West squad. But seeing Gagné accomplish that feat, a good Canadian boy, man that was something. Still a record too, I bet it won’t ever be beaten. And a Cy Young Award. That guy was just something else.”

I didn’t tell Ted that I was a sports journalist or covered Canadian baseball initially - this was just a conversation between two people who loved the game and shared a little something in common. Our age difference was at least a good 20 to 30 years but we both kept spouting out our knowledge about Canadian baseball players, teams, and the history of the game while fans cheered around us as the ALCS game started.

“I remember when the (Vancouver) Canadians were playing at Nat Bailey Stadium before they moved up from Oregon,” said Ted. “I was pissed when they moved initially to Sacramento, it felt scummy to me. But baseball always finds a way to Vancouver. That’s just the way it is.”

Ted and I talked well into the third inning of the game before he wished me goodbye and took off toward the blackjack tables. Before he left, we had a good chat about the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the hat, where I informed Ted about the museum, the Hall of Fame classes, and all the different artifacts located across the campus. My new friend had never heard about the CBHFM but promised me he would do some research when he got back home.

I did eventually let him know that I was a writer and the sites I contributed to.

“No kidding,” said Ted. “Please give Bob my best, I always loved his work in the papers when I was out that way.”

While these experiences stick out in my memory given that the connections were made outside of Canadian borders, the Hall of Fame hat has stirred up conversations everywhere I don it.

Tyson’s CBHFM hat made the trip to Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians, with him this summer. Photo supplied.

From people giving me awkward looks (which I have now figured out is just them trying to read the hat from a distance) to some telling me, “Cool hat, I love the Hall of Fame,” it is evident that the game of baseball continues to grow and evolve in Canada. Numerous travel teams and programs have popped up across the country and almost every major league organization has a Canadian hiding somewhere within its confines, whether it is a player, scout, front office executive, or someone on the staff. Over 1,000 Canadians have taken their talents south of the border to pursue post-secondary opportunities and each season, it seems like more and more Canucks are cracking Major League rosters.

I always love talking shop with those who will lend me an ear and on multiple occasions, this black hat has allowed me to meet quite a few different people to learn and hear about their stories – whether it is from playing t-ball with someone who turned pro or sharing their experiences from events down in St. Marys. Wearing this hat brings me a sense of pride within the baseball community that helps showcase the love I have for not only the game of baseball but what Canadians can do in and around the sport. It’s the security blanket I need to make me feel confident on a daily basis but one of the best ice breakers I have ever had, without it ever intending to be one.

If you ever get the chance, I would highly recommend visiting the Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Marys and taking in everything it has to offer. It’s a special place that helps tell the stories of those who have shaped the game for generations to come.