Baseball in Canada
Baseball is one of the most popular sports in Canada and has a long history there. A baseball- like game was played for the first time in Ontario in 1838, and the first team was formed in 1854. Although there are no major leagues in Canada today, Canadian baseball is represented in Major League Baseball by the Toronto Blue Jays . The first Canadian team in the MLB were the Montreal Expos , who were active in the National League from 1969 until they moved to Washington, DC in 2004 .
Since 1919, the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) has been a semi-professional baseball league in Canada, which is based in Ontario . In parallel, the Ligue de Baseball Senior Elite du Québec (LBSEQ) has existed since 2002 . In addition, various Canadian teams play in the College Summer Leagues originating from the USA .
organization
The sport of baseball in Canada is controlled by the organization Baseball Canada , founded in 1964 and based in Ottawa . Baseball Canada is a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee and the International Baseball Federation .
societies
In the history of Canadian baseball, two clubs were part of Major League Baseball. The first Canadian team in the MLB were the Montreal Expos, who were represented in the East Division of the National League from 1969 to 2004. The Expos were also the first Canadian team to win a division title. In 1981 they reached the National League Championship Series , but they lost with 2: 3 games against the Los Angeles Dodgers .
The second Canadian franchise in the MLB are the Toronto Blue Jays, who have played in the East Division of the American League since 1977 . The Blue Jays had the honor of being the first and so far only Canadian team to win the World Series . The team from Toronto managed to do this twice in a row. They defeated the Atlanta Braves in 1992 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993 .
In the history of the Minor Leagues , a total of 75 teams have operated on Canadian soil. However, there is currently only one team represented there, the Vancouver Canadians. The Canadiens have played in the Northwest League since 2000 and are part of the Blue Jays structure.
player
Canada has produced some successful players who have been or are active in the MLB. So far, with Ferguson Jenkins, only one Canadian has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame . The following table shows other outstanding achievements by Canadian players in the MLB.
| Special achievement | Surname | year |
|---|---|---|
| MLB Most Valuable Player Award | Larry Walker | 1997 |
| MLB Most Valuable Player Award | Justin Morneau | 2006 |
| MLB Most Valuable Player Award | Joey Votto | 2010 |
| Cy Young Award | Ferguson Jenkins | 1971 |
| Cy Young Award | Eric Gagné | 2003 |
| MLB Rookie of the Year Award | Jason Bay | 2004 |
| Silver Slugger Award | Justin Morneau | 2006, 2008 |
| Silver Slugger Award | Russell Martin | 2006 |
| Silver Slugger Award | Larry Walker | 1992, 1997, 1999 |
| Silver Slugger Award | Jason Bay | 2009 |
| Gold glove | Russell Martin | 2007 |
| Gold glove | Larry Walker | 1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 |
National team
The Canadian national baseball team represents the country in international competitions. Since 1970, the team has participated in 17 baseball world championships . The greatest achievement here was winning the bronze medal at the 2009 World Baseball Championship . As part of the 2004 Summer Olympics , they lost the game for third place against Japan and came fourth. Also in 2008 , that took the part and finished fifth. With two participations in the World Baseball Classic so far , the team did not get past 9th place.
Individual evidence
- ↑ aseball ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved November 11, 2015.
- ↑ Shi Davidi: Olympics gone, Baseball Canada shifts focus . In: The Spectator . August 19, 2009. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ↑ 1981 League Championship Series . baseball-reference.com. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ↑ 2010-2014 Strategic Planning Document (PDF; 11.5 MB) Baseball Canada . P. 2.3. 2010. Archived from the original on July 5, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
- ^ Hall of Famers: Ferguson Jenkins . National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
