By Adam Morissette
This weekend in St. Marys, Ontario, Jim Baba will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
It is a fitting honour for someone who dedicated so much of his life to growing the game in Canada. As Executive Director of Baseball Canada, Jim helped shape the organization and the sport itself, leaving an impact that continues to be felt today. His contributions touched countless athletes, coaches, umpires, volunteers and administrators from coast to coast.
Yet when I think about Jim's induction, my mind doesn't immediately go to championships, programs or accomplishments.
I think about the phone call he made to me 16 years ago.
In 2010, Jim took a chance on a very inexperienced communications professional and hired me to lead Baseball Canada's communications efforts. It was one of the most important opportunities of my life.
Over the years, Jim became a mentor, a trusted colleague, a friend and, in many ways, a father figure.
We bonded over baseball, of course. But our friendship extended far beyond the office. We shared a love of sports, countless conversations about the Toronto Maple Leafs (countless!), fantasy baseball leagues, and evenings together in the early days of the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa REDBLACKS. We travelled extensively for Baseball Canada, but some of my favourite memories came away from the ballpark.
One of those trips took us to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where we watched our beloved Maple Leafs take on the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium. Standing among more than 100,000 fans at "The Big House" remains one of my favourite sports memories, and one I'll always associate with Jim.
Driving from Ottawa to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction weekend on a pair of occasions was also memorable. No road trip was too far for Jim. This weekend, it will be Jim's turn to be celebrated.
As meaningful as his professional accomplishments were, Jim's greatest source of pride was always his family.
He spoke often about his wife, Penny, and their children Jamie, Mitch and Melani. Nothing made him happier than talking about his grandchildren. He loved them deeply and was immensely proud of everything they accomplished. Tragically, Jim was taken from them far too soon. The loss became even more heartbreaking when Penny passed away just months later.
For those of us fortunate enough to know them both, their absence is still felt every day.
There is another reason this year's Hall of Fame class feels especially fitting.
Jim will be inducted alongside Stubby Clapp and Kate Psota, two individuals he respected tremendously and whose journeys intersected with his own in meaningful ways.
Jim coached Stubby early in his National Team career and later watched him become one of the most accomplished players in Canadian baseball history. He witnessed Stubby's brilliance firsthand at events including the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and later watched him help lead Canada to a historic gold medal as a coach at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
Jim also played a pivotal role in the creation of Baseball Canada's Women's National Team program in 2004. It seems only fitting that Kate Psota, a member of that inaugural team and one of the most decorated players in program history, will be inducted this weekend as well. Jim had a front-row seat to many of Kate's greatest moments in a Team Canada uniform and would have been incredibly proud to see her receive this honour.
Unfortunately, I won't be in St. Marys this weekend.
Instead, I'll be at a baseball tournament coaching my 10-year-old son.
The irony isn't lost on me.
After all the games Jim and I attended together, all the conversations we had about baseball and creating opportunities for young athletes, I have a feeling he'd understand. In fact, I think he'd be perfectly OK with it.
The last time Jim and I communicated was just one week before he passed away last September.
He told me his health had taken a turn for the worse. He spoke about being around to watch Team Canada compete at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Sadly, he never got that opportunity.
But on March 11 in Puerto Rico, when Canada defeated Cuba to advance to the second round of the World Baseball Classic for the first time in history, I couldn't help but think about Jim.
I thought about how much he would have enjoyed that moment.
I thought about how proud he would have been of the players, coaches and staff who represented Canada and who he had a great deal of respect and admiration for.
And I thought about how much of what Baseball Canada has become today can be traced back to people like him.
Jim won't be in St. Marys this weekend to accept his Hall of Fame plaque.
His family will do that on his behalf.
But anyone who has ever worked at Baseball Canada, worn a Team Canada uniform, attended a national championship or benefited from the opportunities he helped create knows that his legacy is already firmly established.
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is simply making it official.
Thank you, Jim.
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