Re. Gary Carter

It's a sad day for Canadian baseball fans.

Gary Carter has passed away after a courageous fight against brain cancer.

There was a time when Carter was the most popular athlete in Canada; Gretzky-like popular. I was born midway through his career and never had a chance to watch him play. But from what I've read, he was a great person, on and off the field. He loved God, his family and baseball.

Gary Carter – All-Star, World Series champion, Hall-of-Famer and one of the greatest players to ever wear a Montreal Expos uniform.

Condolences to his family.

- ER 

Re. The 1981 Montreal Expos

(My latest from TheGoodPoint.com)

2011 marked the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Expos' first and only playoff appearance. It was also the first time the MLB post-season took place on Canadian soil.

Sadly, this important milestone was almost entirely ignored by the mainstream media.

Take a trip down memory lane.

Enjoy!

ER

The Last Out

Buck Martinez - catcher, broadcaster, manager and.......AUTHOR!

Here's my review of his 1986 diary, The Last Out.

Enjoy!

ER

The Locks of Stamkos

I've cranked up that rambling zamboni again. The targets: The NHL All-Star game, the AHL All-Star game, Tim Thomas and Steven Stamkos.

After reading it, you might fall in love with the locks of Stamkos.

- ER

Top Athletes of 2011

The best of the best!

Here they are...

ER

Top Teams of 2011

And the winners are....

Happy New Year!

- ER

Re. Randy Cunneyworth

Here is my take on the English/French debate involving Randy Cunneyworth and the Montreal Canadiens.

An overreaction by several Quebecois.

ER

New Raptors Schedule

Here it is.

If they can win at least 15-20 games, it will be an achievement.

ER

Le Baseball Part Deux

Found another clip. This one is from 1979 and promotes a Blue Jays/Brewers match.

Another jazzy tune with footage from a match between the Jays and the Mariners at the old Kingdome.

- ER

Le Baseball

Questionable clip selection by Radio-Canada for this baseball promo. Although I do like the jazzy tune.

From 1977, promoting the first home opener at Olympic Stadium. Lots of footage from Jarry Park.

- ER

Re. Beeston and AA

Lots of discussion yesterday about comments made by Paul Beeston and Alex Anthopoulos. They said if fans want the payroll to increase, they'll have to buy tickets and come to the games.

This is a simple case of putting the cart before the horse. If they want fans to buy tickets, Beeston and AA must give fans a reason to do so. In other words, put together a team that will contend.

Slight faux pas, but it doesn't change the state of the Blue Jays. This is a still a team that looks to be on the brink of success.

Remember, players ultimately determine the success of the franchise; not the opinions of management.

- ER

Re. The Hockey54 Show

Bad news, folks. The Hockey54 Show was cancelled earlier today.

A big thank you to Launy Schwartz, Sammy (our technical producer), Mr. Schultz of BCSS, 102.5 The Game, fans/writers/bloggers of the Nashville Predators and our featured guests. And of course, a HUGE thank you to everyone who listened to the show.

Launy and I are very proud of what we put together. It was a lot of fun!

7 solid episodes, all of which are available as podcasts ;)

- ER

Episode 6B

Rejoice! The latest episode of The Hockey54 Show is now available as a podcast. It features former NHLer Phil Housley. Listen to one, two or all three periods!

- ER

Re. Maple Leaf Gardens

For the record, Maple Leaf Gardens did not close in 1999, as some in the Toronto media have reported.

MLG was still used by the Leafs as a practice facility for a few seasons.

The Toronto Rock also used MLG as their home arena until 2001.

There was a OneXOne concert held in the facility, as well as a Nuit Blanche installation in 2008. In addition, the first season of Battle of The Blades was filmed at MLG.

Now, you know....

ER

Technical Issues

The latest episode of The Hockey54 Show didn't make it to air due to technical issues in Nashville. Fortunately, the first two periods of the episode are now available as a podcast. The remaining period will be included with this week's episode (Sunday, 11pmET/10pmCT on 102.5 The Game).

- ER

Tumbling Into Light

Episode 65 of This Is Toronto is now available.

This final edition features TUMBLING INTO LIGHT, a multidisciplinary performance that examines the journey through darkness.

www.thisistorontopodcast.blogspot.com.

ER

Boom Boom Episode

The latest episode of The Hockey54 Show is now available as a podcast! Listen to one, two or all three periods. It's the best show to listen to, especially if you're occupying somewhere ;)

- ER

Re. This Is Toronto

After 2.5 years and 65 episodes, This Is Toronto has reached its end.

The final episode will be released this Friday (Nov.18) and will preview Tumbling Into Light, a multidisciplinary performance by Diasporic Genius Productions.

Our lives are always evolving and when change occurs, one must adapt. That is certainly the case with me.

My life was quite different when I started This Is Toronto in June, 2009. In recent months, the aspects of my real job have changed. There were also new opportunities that came my way.  Because of these changes, I have decided to end the program.

I am very happy with how This Is Toronto turned out. Its goal was to highlight the artists, events and organizations that were given little coverage by the mainstream media. It definitely accomplished that objective.

All the episodes will remain online, along with the program’s website and Facebook page.

Although This Is Toronto has finished, this is not the end of my journalism “career.” I will continue to co-host The Hockey54 Show and contribute articles to Hockey54.com and TheGoodPoint.com. I will eventually return to podcasting. In fact, I’ve been toying with the idea of a baseball-themed podcast for quite some time.

To all those who are close to me: Thank you for your love and support. To all the individuals who appeared on the show: Thank you for taking the time. To all those who listened to the program, whether it was for one episode or all 65: Thank you very much! I hope you enjoyed it.

Despite its many issues, Toronto is still a beautiful city. Be sure to embrace it!  

- ER

Episode 4 aka The Bobby Orr Episode

The latest episode of The Hockey54 Show is now available as a podcast. It features former Predator (and current Washington Capital) Joel Ward and Mike Milbury getting called out by Launy Schwartz. Listen to one, two or all three "periods."

- ER

Final Thoughts: World Series

Yeah, I know. It's a little late.

Full credit has to go to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Here was a team that was well-back in the wild card standings at the start of September. Yet their hard work mixed with a little luck (meltdown by wild card leading Atlanta) and it all paid off in the end.

It was fitting, given that it turned out to be Tony La Russa's final season as a manager and possibly Albert Puljos last season as a Cardinal.

I love a good underdog story and the Cards were classic underdogs.

Nobody thought they could make the playoffs as the regular season was entering its final month. But they did it. Nobody thought they could beat the Philadelphia Phillies, picked by many, including yours truly, to win it all this year. But they did it. People also doubted they could beat Milwaukee and Texas. But once more, they did it.

And how can you not love David Freese? Regardless of how his career turns out, Freese has cemented his legacy in St. Louis.

Finally, congratulations to the former Blue Jays on the Cards' roster:

- Chris Carpenter
- Mark Rzepczynski
- Octavio Dotel
- Corey Patterson
- Dave Mckay

- ER