SCHEDULED GUESTS AT THE ANNUAL DINNER AND SYMPOSIUM TO KICKOFF THE MAPLE LEAFS 2015 INTERCOUNTY BASEBALL LEAGUE SEASON INCLUDE FERGUSON JENKINS; BILL ‘SPACEMAN’ LEE; DENNY McLAIN; STEVE ROGERS AND BRET SABERHAGEN
It goes without saying that Jack Dominico, the owner of the Intercounty Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club, has been one of the most avid supporters of the Toronto Playgrounds House League Baseball program through the years.
Dominico is passionate in his support of youth baseball and the community surrounding Christie Pits, Bickford Park and Art Eggleton Park. He has held numerous weekend baseball clinics for those involved in our TP Baseball program where young players can learn skills from players on his Toronto Maple Leafs team.
His love of the game and the neighbourhood that encompasses it have been one of the facets that have made TP Baseball the jewel that it is.
The TP Baseball Committee would like to announce to all the players and parents involved in our program that Jack Dominico will be holding the 28th edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs Forum and Reception on Saturday, May 2 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Westin Bristol Place Hotel (950 Dixon Road). The forum is held the night before the Leafs play their 47th Season Opener at Dominico Field Christie Pits on Sunday, May 3.
In addition, some of these baseball greats will also be in attendance at Dominico Field at Christie Pits the following day at the Maple Leafs Season Opener against Hamilton beginning at 12 noon.
The Forum is a great opportunity for attendees who are young and old to ask questions to a wide array of former all-star players and hear about their unique experiences in the major leagues. Afterwards, attendees can also obtain autographs from the all stars in attendance.
This year’s baseball greats in attendance at the Toronto Maple Leafs Forum and Reception include:
- Ferguson Jenkins: During a stellar 19-year major league career, this 1971 Cy Young Award winner and three time all-star pitcher remains the only Canadian to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jenkins won 284 games in the majors while recording 3,192 strikeouts and a career 3.34 ERA. Jenkins is one of only four major league pitchers to ever record more than 3,000 strikeouts with fewer than 1,000 walks.
- Bill Lee: Renowned as one of Major League Baseball’s most colourful players, Lee pitched for fourteen seasons in the majors with the Boston Red Sox (1969-1978) and Montreal Expos (1979-1982). Fondly nicknamed the ‘Spaceman’ for his humorous counterculture comments and antics on and off the diamond, Lee had an overall MLB career 119-90 win-loss record, 3.62 ERA and 713 strikeouts. This talented southpaw and All Star (1973) utilized the so called Leephus pitch on the mound, a personalized variation of the eephus pitch (a very low speed junk pitch) to baffle many batters with great success.
- Denny McLain: This two time American League Cy Young Award winner and three time All Star pitched for four teams during a memorable ten year MLB career. McLain is best remembered for his seven seasons with the Detroit Tigers, where he led the team to a World Series Championship in 1968 with a 31-6 win-loss record and 1.96 ERA. No other pitcher since McLain has surpassed thirty victories in a MLB regular season. In addition, this talented and controversial player was a non conformist both on and off the field who played by his own rules. McLain had a MLB career 131-91 win-loss record, 3.39 ERA and 1,282 strikeouts.
- Steve Rogers: Rogers was a five time All Star pitcher who played his entire thirteen year MLB career with the Montreal Expos (1973-1985). Known for his unusual stumble delivery, Rogers had a MLB career 158-152 win-loss record, 3.17 ERA and 1,621 strikeouts. Inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, this talented and gritty righty had his best season in 1982 when he won a career high nineteen games, pitched four shutouts, and led all National League pitchers with a stellar 2.40 ERA.
- Bret Saberhagen: A two time Cy Young Award winner, this three time All-Star pitched for four teams during a stellar sixteen year MLB career. Saberhagen is best remembered for leading the Kansas City Royals to the World Series Championship in 1985 when he compiled a 20-6 win-loss record and a 2.87 ERA. In addition, Saberhagen also threw a no hitter in 1991 when he defeated the Chicago White Sox 7-0 in his final season with the Royals. Saberhagen finished with a MLB career 167-117 win-loss record, 3.34 ERA and 1,715 strikeouts.
For tickets or more information to this event, please call (416) 631-2600.