Canada has had a tremendous part in baseball for several years, with 266 Canadians playing in the MLB since Bob Addy made his MLB debut in 1871. On February 12, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame announced their 2025 Inductees. Amanda Asay, Jose Bautista, Erik Bedard, Greg Hamilton, Arleene Noga, and Gerry Snyder will all take their place in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Jose Bautista spent 10 seasons playing with the Toronto Blue Jays from 2008-2017. Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Bautista made significant adjustments at the plate and led the entire league in home runs in 2010 with 54. He was a six-time consecutive All-Star and would win two Hank Aaron Awards while a member of the Blue Jays. In 2015, he also helped to carry the Blue Jays to their first division title in 22 years. All time, Bautista is first in WAR for the Blue Jays at 38.3 and second in home runs with 288.
Erik Bedard was born in Navan, Ontario. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round of the 1999 MLB Draft out of Norwalk Community College. He would develop into one of the best pitching prospects in the Orioles organization, being selected to the MLB Futures Game in 2001 and 2002. After debuting in 2002, he joined the Orioles rotation in 2004. In 2006, Bedard would break out, pitching to a 15-11 record, posting a 3.76 ERA in 33 starts, collecting 171 strikeouts in 196.1 innings. After his tenure with the O’s, he would pitch in the Mariners, Red Sox, Pirates, Astros, and Rays organizations. Bedard leads Canadian southpaws in starts with 230 and strikeouts with 1,246.
Greg Hamilton was born in Toronto, Canada. Hamilton has served prominent leadership roles with Baseball Canada for over three decades. He began his career with national teams in 1992, serving as pitching coach for Canada’s Senior National Team. He held that position until 1995, when he became head coach of the Junior National Team. Since taking over, he won a silver medal at the U-18 Baseball World Cup in 2012 and two bronze medals at the same event in 1997 and 2006. Also, as Senior National Team GM, he assembled teams that won gold medals at the 2011 and 2015 Pan Am Games, the first two gold medals a Canadian senior team won. He was awarded Baseball America’s Tony Gwynn Award in 2022, honoring his lifetime contributions to baseball.
Amanda Asay was born in Prince George, B.C. In 1988. She joined the Women’s National Team in 2005, becoming one of their key players. She was a two-way player and became a two-time National Team MVP in 2006 and 2016. One of her best performances would come during 2018, recording two wins on the mound while hitting for a .500 batting average, leading Canada to a bronze medal. She helped capture five Women’s World Cup medals for Canada, including a silver medal at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Asay passed away in January 2022 at 33 years old. She was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame posthumously in 2024.
Arleene Noga was an outstanding softball player before she signed with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in 1944. She would play with the Fort Wayne Daisies in 15 games in 1945 before being traded to the Muskegon Lassies. She was great defensively, holding a .942 fielding percentage at third base. During one part of her career, she played over 300 consecutive games, earning the nickname “The Iron Lady.” She would play in 354 AAGPBL games, with his eighth-most among Canadians to play in that league. After that, she would return to softball in Regina, part of nine provincial championship-winning teams. She was also a spokesperson for Canadian AAGPBL women. Noga passed away in March 2017.
Gerry Snyder was born in Montreal and played a pivotal role in bringing Major League Baseball to Canada. He was a city councilor and a passionate sports ambassador, working tirelessly to bring a big-league franchise to Montreal. He would meet with Ford C. Frick in 1962, where the National League announced in 1967 its plans for adding two expansion teams. Snyder would travel to the meetings to ensure Montreal was on the MLB’s radar. He would be rewarded when the National League announced that Montreal would be awarded Canada’s first MLB franchise in May 1968. Once the Montreal Expos began play, Snyder returned to his role as city councillor, as he held that position for 25 years. He would also help the city land the Olympic Games in 1976. Snyder passed away in November 2007 in Montreal.
