Canadian Baseball HOF Induction Weekend Is More Than Just About Baseball

June 23rd will mark the second time I will have attended the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductions. 

Two years ago, my dad and I made the trek from Niagara-on-the-Lake to the small town on St. Marys Ontario to watch Roberto Alomar, Paul Quantrill, Calvin Griffith and Allan Roth get their names etched in history.

Rod Black, a cornerstone of Canadian sports, kicked off the event with a speech that was as inspirational as I have ever heard. Again, Mr. Black, if you are reading this “I believe”. 

The day I spent with my dad, a lifelong Yankees fan, couldn’t have been any better. Baseball has a way of bringing people together and it’s something we or anyone can always talk about. It is a game so rich in history that strangers can sit down in a room and begin a conversation like they’ve known each other their whole life.

I can’t explain what it is about the game that brings forth such goodwill, and maybe I don’t want to know. 

When the first sign of spring hits, every team has renewed hope (even Pittsburgh). All magazines come out with their previews, all websites go ahead full speed, and every writer, journalist and blogger puts forth their own predictions.

With that comes the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s new recruits to be enshrined into the hallowed halls. This year’s inductees include Rusty Staub, Rheal Cormier, Doug Melvin & Team Canada 2011. For more information please follow the link here, courtesy of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. 

The town of St. Marys with a population pushing 7,000, looks like the hub of the baseball universe when you pull in on Saturday morning. It’s a day that all fans, young and old, look forward to and the look on everyone’s face is priceless.

It takes you away from the everyday grind of work and back to when you were a kid, when the game was the only thing that mattered. To when you would power down your lunch in ten seconds flat so you could get back out to the ball park to continue the game with your friends. 

The Hall Museum is something that everyone should see even if they are driving through the city on their way to another destination. It’s home to 93 inductees who have all, in one way or another, left an irreplaceable mark on the Canadian game.

Inside, you will find game used bases, gloves, jerseys, baseballs, bats and other nostalgia. It’s remarkable when you really think about it. You could walk through that house 100 times and still see something new. 

To be a part of a day so special for Canadian baseball is one thing, but to sit among people who are all there for the same reason; the betterment of the game and to say thank you to all those have made the game great, is something that we can all be proud of. 

The nearly three-hour trip from NOTL will seem like a regular Sunday drive, as this is an event that means more than baseball. It’s a chance for a family to enjoy a day amongst other baseball lovers, and it’s the chance for fathers and sons to reminisce about the glory days of a grand ole game and what lies ahead. 

It’s always been said that baseball is America’s game, but I can guarantee you that there will be some in St. Marys that weekend that will disagree.

Devon is the Founder and Executive Director of The GM's Perspective. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies. Currently, Devon is a Manager at a financial institution in Northern Ontario Canada, and can be reached at [e-mail]. You can follow The GM's Perspective on Twitter and Facebook. His full bio can be seen here.

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