OTTAWA – The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Induction ceremony slated for June 24th in St. Marys, Ontario will hold extra special meaning for Baseball Canada as it was announced today that the 2015 Pan Am Games gold medal winning squad along with former Baseball Canada President Ray Carter would be enshrined as part of the 2017 induction class.
The Pan Am team and Ray Carter will be joined by former Toronto Blue Jays hurler and two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, former Montréal Expos slugger and 2004 American League MVP Award winner Vladimir Guerrero and legendary grassroots umpire Doug Hudlin, who will be enshrined posthumously, to make up the 2017 induction class.
“On behalf of Baseball Canada and our ten-member provinces, I’d like to congratulate the 2017 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction class, in particular our 2015 gold medal winning Pan Am Games team and our former President Ray Carter who dedicated so many years to Baseball Canada,” said current Baseball Canada President Jason Dickson who took over from Carter in June 2016. “All of the inductees are very well deserving and we look forward to watching them take their rightful positions in the hall in June.”
Led by Manager Ernie Whitt, the 2015 Pan Am Games team won gold on home soil in dramatic fashion to come away with a 7-6 extra-innings win over Team USA to capture a second consecutive Pan Am Games gold medal. Skyler Stromsmoe and Pete Orr scored the tying and winning runs respectively on a botched pickoff attempt to give Canada the win in front of over 5,000 supporters at President’s Choice Pan Am Ballpark in Ajax, Ontario.
“Winning Pan Am gold for the second time in a row, on home soil and in the fashion that we did is something that I’ll never forget,” said Whitt. “It’s an honour to be part of a team being inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and I’m really looking forward to being a part of the festivities in June.”
“The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame includes inductees that have had a significant impact on baseball in our country, so to be a part of this group is truly an honour,” added Baseball Canada’s Director of National Teams and Coach Greg Hamilton.
Eight players on the team (Andrew Albers, Shawn Hill, Brock Kjeldgaard, Kyle Lotzkar, Scott Richmond, Chris Robinson, Tim Smith, Skyler Stromsmoe) are set to become two-time Canadian Baseball Hall of Famers as they played on the 2011 Pan Am Games gold medal winning team that was enshrined in 2012. Coaches Denis Boucher and Greg Hamilton along with support staff Keith Sanford and Dave Blatz will also be two-time inductees by virtue of being part of both staffs. Coach Coaches Larry Walker and Paul Quantrill join the two-time inductee club as well as both were inducted as players in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Ernie Whitt, Stubby Clapp and Business Manager Bernie Soulliere are set to become three-time Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees. Whitt was inducted as a player in 2009, and managed the 2011 and 2015 Pan Am winning teams, while Clapp was inducted in 1992 as part of the world champion 1991 Canadian Youth Team, and in 2012 as part of the 2011 Pan Am gold medalists. Soulliere was part of both 2011 and 2015 Pan Am winning teams as Business Manager and was also inducted as a Builder in 2009.
To view the complete Pan Am Games roster, please click here.
Ray Carter became President of Baseball Canada in 2000 and so began a 16-year run in the position that saw the Nanaimo, B.C native become the longest serving president in the organization’s 52-year history.
During Carter’s reign, the men and women national teams enjoyed unparalleled success, securing 13 international medals. Success on the field was not the only area where Carter had an impact as he helped establish the Women’s National Team program in 2004, Challenger Baseball in 2012 and the DQ Rally Cap program in 2006.
With over 40 years service to amateur baseball in Canada, Carter is also a member of the Delta Sports Hall of Fame (2006), a life member of the Western Canada Baseball Association, a member of the Baseball B.C. Honor Roll and was a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient in 2012.
“I’m deeply honoured to be elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame,” he said. “To be inducted with Roy Halladay, Vladimir Guerrero, umpire Doug Hudlin and the Canadian 2015 Pan Am gold medal team is indeed special. I thank the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and those involved for this wonderful news.”
To learn more about the 2017 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction class and festivities, please visit baseballhalloffame.ca.
