As a new year approaches, it’s a good time to look back and savour the memories of the Canadian baseball legends that we lost in 2011.
In part one of my two-part series, I’ve created obituaries for the legends that we lost during the first half of 2011:
Roy Hartsfield, January 15 After 15 seasons as a dugout boss in the minors, this Chattahoochee, Ga., native was named the first manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. The old school, story-telling skipper, who spoke with a deep Southern drawl, guided the Jays’ to a 9-5 victory in snowy conditions in the club’s debut on April 7, 1977, his first game in a three-season tenure in Toronto. In all, Hartsfield spent 43 years in baseball as a player, coach and manager. During his playing career, he suited up with the Triple-A Montreal Royals in 1953 and 1954. In retirement, he resided in Georgia and fittingly passed away in a town called Ball Ground at age 85.
Ron Piche, February 3 Born in Verdun, Que., in 1935, this hard-throwing right-hander was signed by the Milwaukee Braves in 1955 and would make his big league debut in 1960. Suiting up alongside Hank Aaron, Warren Spahn and Eddie Mathews, Piche finished 27 games and notched nine saves that season. He would also pitch for the California Angels in 1965 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966.
In parts of 16 minor league seasons that included stops in Vancouver, Toronto, Winnipeg and Quebec, Piche recorded 130 wins and an impressive 2.96 ERA. After retiring as a player, he became the Montreal Expos director of Canadian scouting from 1977 to 1985. More recently, his public relations work with the Expos earned him the nickname “Monsieur Baseball.” For his efforts, he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. He died in his home province at age 75 after a long battle with cancer.
Woodie Fryman, February 4 The first of three members of the 1981 Montreal Expos to pass away in 2011, Fryman died at his home in Ewing, Ky., at age 70 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. A member of the Expos Hall of Fame, the crafty southpaw enjoyed two stints with the club (1975-76, 1978 to 1983) and was the team’s Player of the Year in 1976. In total, Fryman pitched in 18 big league seasons with the Pirates, Phillies, Tigers, Reds and Expos and won 141 games.
