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St. Marys – It was always tough to get anything by four-time Gold Glover Tony Fernandez, and nor has induction to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame eluded the Toronto Blue Jays all-time most prolific shortstop. The native of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic will be enshrined on June 28th in
St. Marys, Ontario along with former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodger Billy Harris from Duguayville, New Brunswick, and long-time grass roots volunteer Gladwyn Scott of Hamiota, Manitoba.

London corporate icon Peter Widdrington, the Blue Jays' Chairman of the Board during their back-to-back World Series titles in 1992-93 will also be inducted posthumously. The Toronto-born former administrator of Major League Baseball's Trusts Advisory Committee passed away at 74 following a heart attack in Aspen, Colorado during a ski trip in 2005.

Tony Fernandez

“This is a great privilege, not just to be inducted into another country’s baseball hall of fame, but also to be inducted at the same time with Peter Widdrington,” said Fernandez from his Foundation's head office in the Dominican Republic.

“Peter Widdrington and Peter Hardy (inducted in 2004) were two persons that I knew I could always approach with any problem. They treated all of us first class.”

Fernandez, a submarine-throwing human highlight film, played with the Blue Jays twelve years (second only to Dave Stieb’s 15 seasons), from 1983 to 1990, and then again in 1993, 1998, 1999 and 2001. He played for seven other clubs, but none of them more than two seasons, totalling 2158 games. The five-time All-Star is the all-time Blue Jays leader in games played (1450), at bats (5335), hits (1583) and triples (72). In addition to being second in doubles (291), he is third in total bases (2198) and career batting average (.297).

In eight post-season series (43 games), Fernandez batted .327, including a lifetime .395 average in 11 World Series games. The 1984 Blue Jay Rookie of the Year went on to lead the club in hitting four times (1986, 1987, 1998, and 1999). Fernandez was the first player recognized by Pat Gillick in the ceremony following the 1993 World Series championship, and was the starting shortstop named to the Blue Jays 25th Anniversary team. His career .992 fielding percentage as a Blue Jay is the organization’s best, and his career .980 fielding percentage is fourth best in the history for all of Major League Baseball shortstops (Omar Vizquel is the leader at .984).

Fernandez, 45, and his wife Clara of 24 years have five children. The Tony Fernandez Foundation works with under privileged and troubled children by nurturing and developing them through counselling, education, training, physical and spiritual activities. His vision is to fulfill his childhood dream to enrich the lives of less fortunate children.

“Our foundation's goal is to influence the children’s lives to be productive citizens of the world, bringing hope to a troubled society.”

Billy Harris

“I swear to God, this is the greatest thrill of my life,” said an exuberant Harris upon hearing the news from Billy’s Bullpen Tavern that he operates in Kennewick, Washington.

“This was always something that I've dreamed about, and I’m already looking forward to coming to St. Marys!”

Harris amassed 174 wins and 1373 strikeouts in a phenomenal professional career that spanned 15 seasons from 1951-1965, yet only landed him a pair of stints in the Major Leagues, one a start with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1957 and another in relief with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1959.

The right-hander was best known for being trapped in the pitching-rich Dodgers system behind the likes of Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Claude Osteen, Johnny Podres, Ron Perranoski, Stan Williams and Don Newcombe.

“We were teammates, and I must say with all sincerity that he was one of the finest competitors to ever take the mound,” said Tommy Lasorda, who was inducted into the Canadian Ball Hall in 2006 as the all-time leading pitcher with the Montreal Royals.

“He is very deserving of this induction and I offer him my sincere congratulations.”

Sparky Anderson, inducted into the Hall in 2007 for his playing and managing career in Montreal and Toronto, added: “Billy came along at a tough time. If he'd pitched for another organization, or if he took the mound today, he would be a regular and a big winner.”

The four-time All-Star (1951, '53, '54, '55) pitched a perfect game against Memphis on June 14, 1953.

Harris, 76, and his wife Alice of 48 years, have three children.

Of all Canadians who played in the big leagues, Harris ranks first in minor league career shutouts with 45, second in strikeouts to St. Marys native Rube Vickers, third in wins, and fifth in games pitched (436) and innings pitched (2461). His 0.83 ERA in 1952 still stands as an organized baseball record for pitchers with 200 or more innings in a single season. Harris was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 1978.

Gladwyn Scott

“Good things happen if you wait long enough,” said Scott from his home in Carberry, Manitoba.

“This is a wonderful honour, real icing on the cake for my 60-year love affair with baseball.”

Scott began playing as a 16-year old for Hamiota's senior team, as there were no minor ball systems in place for younger aged players. He began coaching at 20, when he became a teacher, and went on to numerous administrative positions in amateur baseball.

“Back in the dirty thirties you either played senior ball or you played catch,” he recalled.

One of Scott’s fondest memories was playing in a prestigious tournament in Indianhead, Saskatchewan in 1953, where he was joined on the team by fellow pitcher and brother Glennis. The catcher for the team was their dad! Johnny Esaw, the Regina radio-broadcaster at the time, couldn't believe the father-sons battery!

Scott went on to coach three different Hamiota teams to provincial championships, and was honoured to be a coach with Canada's first ever national team, the entry in the 1967 Pan Am Games. The team included pitcher Ron Stead, who was inducted into the Hall in 2006, and they defeated Cuba 10-9 for their first loss internationally in 12 years. He helped bring the Toronto Blue Jays to Winnipeg Stadium for an exhibition contest against 2007 inductee John Haar's NBI Blues, and 25,000 fans attended the game. Scott went onto become president of the Manitoba Baseball Association from 1983-87 and a vice-president with Baseball Canada.

Scott also acted as general manager for Canada's youth national teams that won a bronze medal in Windsor, Ontario in 1987, and competed in Sydney, Australia in 1988 and Trois Rivieres, Quebec in 1989. He scouted part-time with the Toronto Blue Jays for seven years and the Atlanta Braves for eight years.

Scott, 76, and his wife Marguerite of 46 years, have four children. He was a founder of the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Morden, Manitoba, and has served as their newsletter and calendar editor for the past decade.

True to form, before Scott got off the telephone, he asked if the Hall of Fame could secure him Blue Jays tickets while he was going to be in the neighborhood in June!

Peter Widdrington

“My dad would be so honoured - this is an absolute thrill for our entire family,” said a tearful Lucinda Widdrington from her Toronto home.

Peter Widdrington was survived by his wife Betty Ann of 49 years, and they also have a daughter Stacy.

“My Peter would be delighted - he was a total sportsman and an absolute fanatic about the Blue Jays,” added a very proud Betty Ann Widdrington from her home in London.

“If we'd had a son, believe me, we'd have wanted him to play baseball, and to play for the Toronto Blue Jays.”

Widdrington graduated from Pickering College and Queen’s University before acquiring his MBA from Harvard. The endorsements for the former president and CEO of John Labatt Limited from 1973-1989 tell Widdrington's story best:

“Peter was not only a builder in Canadian business, but was also an active participant in the Blue Jays success,” said current Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey.

“He was a man who set goals for himself and with his business, and he accomplished all of the challenges that he embraced. He was highly thought of and respected in all of his fields of endeavour including ownership and management throughout Major League Baseball.”

Donald Fehr, Executive Director of the MLB Players Association added: “Over time, I have come to know and work with many people who served in the ownership and management of Major League Baseball's 30 clubs, and Peter was one of those who really stood out. He made enormous contributions to the success of the BlueJays, helping to make it one of the most well run and highly respected franchises in all of professional sports.”

“I can't remember Peter ever missing a meeting. He lent to the Trusts Advisory Committee's decision-making processes an experienced, practical, common sense approach which was invaluable, and he always displayed a wonderful sense of humour that everyone who knew him appreciated.”

Pat Gillick called Widdrington “an enthusiastic board member who was continually challenging management to explore every avenue to make the Jays World Champions.”

“Peter also was a supporter of our Latin American program, as well as being extremely interested in our Player Development program. He always had time for any employee regardless of his job description. He loved helping people, he was a great sportsman, and a wonderful, caring individual.”

Cito Gaston was on the same page as Gillick regarding Widdrington.

“Peter played a big part in the success of the Toronto Blue Jays,” noted Gaston from his Florida home.

“He not only saw all the players on our Major League Roster, but he also knew all of the players in the minor leagues as well - he was interested in every one of the organization’s players. He also made sure that we, the coaches, had everything we needed to become World Series champions.”

Buck Martinez weighed in on Widdrington as well.

“Having seen, first-hand, successful owners such as Ewing Kauffman (Kansas City) and Bud Selig (Milwaukee), I put Peter Widdrington on the same level for his impact on his community, his baseball organizations and the baseball industry as a whole. Peter had a strong impact on the good fortunes of the Blue Jays as well as baseball in Canada.”

Gordon Craig, the founding president and past CEO of both TSN and RDS, recognized Widdrington for seeing the value of television and for extending the popularity of the Blue Jays and Major League Baseball throughout Canada.

“Peter was incredibly supportive of our network's relationship with the two Canadian clubs and the Commissioner's Office. Without his personal support as a director of the Blue Jays and then MLB, the promotion and exposure of the sport of baseball across Canada on television would have been far more difficult, if not at times, impossible.”

YET ANOTHER CATCH FOR
TONY FERNANDEZ

The native of
San Pedro de Macoris,
Dominican Republic will be enshrined on

June 28th
in
St. Marys, Ontario,
with

Peter Widdrington,

Billy Harris and

Gladwyn Scott

YET ANOTHER CATCH FOR TONY FERNANDEZ