Dein erstes Forum » game the same way, and some game

ST. MARYS, Ont. -- Tim Raines and George Bell were both superstar outfielders who enjoyed their peak years in Canadian markets. Their Canadian connection will live on for years to come. Raines and Bell will be officially inducted in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday. The Class of 2013 also includes former outfielder Rob Ducey, former announcer Tom Cheek and longtime minor-league owner Nat Bailey. "When you start playing professional baseball, you dont ever think about this," a smiling Raines said Friday. "When your career is over its when you really start thinking about it. But I never dreamed when I first signed out of high school that this day would ever come. "But its a special day, its a special achievement and its something you have until the day you die." Raines played in the outfield for six major-league teams from 1979 to 2002 and had a glorious run with the Montreal Expos through the 1980s. The seven-time all-star won two World Series as a player later in his playing career and added a third title as a coach. Nicknamed "Rock," he retired with a career .294 average with 2,605 hits, 170 homers and 808 stolen bases. "You knew when you were facing him, you were facing one of the best," said former Blue Jays closer Tom Henke, a 2011 Hall inductee. Bell spent 12 seasons in the major leagues with Toronto, the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox but enjoyed his best success with the Blue Jays. The three-time all-star won the American League MVP with Toronto in 1987 after hitting .308 with 47 homers and 134 runs batted in. A lasting image for Toronto fans is of Bell making the game-ending catch in left field when the Blue Jays won their first American League East division title. "I think catching that last out in 1985 was the best (memory) ever," Bell said. "I went down on my knees and pray to the Lord. I (caught) the last out," he added. Ducey, a 48-year-old Toronto native who grew up in Cambridge, Ont., played for both Toronto and Montreal over his 13-year pro career. He played for Canada at the 2004 Athens Olympics and later moved into coaching. "I think a lot of the friendships and relationships over the course of 20 years, 25 years and even ongoing now, people you meet in the game and opportunities that present themselves because of the game," Ducey said of his special memories. "I think thats the fondest part of the whole deal." Cheek, who died in 2005, broadcast 4,306 consecutive Jays games from Torontos first-ever contest right up until June 2, 2004. He was recently named as the recipient of the 2013 Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence by the Baseball Hall of Fame and will be honoured again next month in Cooperstown. Bailey, who died in 1978, purchased the triple-A Vancouver Mounties in the mid-50s and helped raise the sports interest in the city. Bell, Raines and Ducey were on hand for a golf tournament and banquet on a rainy Friday morning in the small town of St. Marys, Ont., about a two-hour drive west of Toronto. They were all smiles as they shared some laughs with old friends and recalled the fond memories of their playing days. Raines said Montreal was a very special city for him. "It meant everything to me," he said. "Actually, I grew up in Montreal. I was a 19-year-old kid when I first went there and I was almost 30 when I left. Just the raw excitement of the fans, competing at the major-league level, it was like home for me. "I felt like I was an adopted son of Montreal and I enjoyed every minute of it." Bell, often a man of few words, was happy to be back in the area and proud of his latest accomplishment. "I think its one of the more beautiful honours you can have in baseball or any kind of sport," he said. Henke remembers Bell as being a tremendous competitor. "George was a guy youd want to go to war with," he said. "He was a great teammate." He recalled Bells leadership in the clubhouse really standing out. "George was an old-school guy where he took the young guys aside and said, Hey, this is the right way to do things, this is the wrong way to do things. This is the way youre supposed to act when youre in the big leagues," he said. "He was one of those type of guys that was able to do that with young players and I think everybody appreciated that." Raines, who like Bell is 53, recalled thriving off the energy in the stadium during his days patrolling the Montreal outfield. "I was a proud guy. I was a guy that had fun doing what I was doing and the fans got me excited to do what I did," he said. "For my teammates who played with me, they knew how I was. You couldnt tell if I went 0-for-5 or 5-for-5, I was the same guy and I just enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie with my teammates. "I just enjoyed playing the game." J.J. Watt Youth Jersey .B. -- The Baie-Comeau Drakkar took over sole possession of first place atop the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League on Thursday with their sixth straight win. Andre Johnson Jersey . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. http://www.officialhoustontexanspro.com/Customized/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Justin Reid Jersey . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. Max Scharping Youth Jersey . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. CHICAGO -- Trevor Bauer can fly the Indians to a championship.Go finger, er, figure.The eccentric right-hander, who cut his right pinkie while repairing a drone and almost ruined his teams postseason chances, will start Game 5 on Sunday as Cleveland tries to win its first World Series title since 1948.Manager Terry Francona had other options like Danny Salazar or rookie left-hander Ryan Merritt, who started the Indians AL pennant-clinching win over the Toronto Blue Jays. But he has decided to stick with Bauer, who lost Game 2 but can now make up for his off-field mishap.Ryan Merritt did a nice job for us against Toronto, but Trevor Bauer has been a good pitcher for us for four years, Francona said before Cleveland beat the Chicago Cubs 7-2 Saturday night at Wrigley Field for a 3-1 lead.Bauers run-in with a propeller on one of the drones he built, threatened to upend Clevelands storybook season. The Indians were already missing starters Danny Salazar (forearm tightness) and Carlos Carrasco (broken hand) and Bauers odd accident only make things more complicated.He was scheduled to start Game 2 of the AL Championship against Toronto, but Bauer sustained a cut that required 11 stitches. His start got pushed back one game, but Bauer didnt make it out of the first inning because his finger ripped open and bled profusely after just four batters.The Indians were able to win the pennant anyway and Bauers hand wasnt a problem during his first Series start.Everything else was.After the Indians won the opener 6-0 behind Corey Kluber, Bauer couldnt keep the momentum going with a laborious 87-pitch outing that lasted just 3 2/3 innings and had a lot to do with a 5-1 game lasting more than four hours.Bauer spent the first few innings constantly shaking off catcher RRoberto Perezs signs and wound up allowing two runs and six hits.dddddddddddd Those stats arent bad, but Clevelands hitters couldnt do anything against Cubs starter Jake Arrieta and the Indians left for Chicago tied 1-1.Its been a different story at Wrigley Field, where the Indians have gotten solid starts from Josh Tomlin and Kluber and will now turn to Bauer, who won 12 games during the regular season but is 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in just nine innings in the postseason.The 25-year-old said his finger is completely healed and hes approaching his biggest start -- and potentially a history-making one for the Indians -- like he always does.You prepare for the game the same way, and some games you go out there and you have a feel right away, and some games you go out there and you dont, he said. So, for whatever time Im in the game, I do the same thing. I try to go with whats working and find a feel for whats not. Sometimes you do, sometimes you dont. So its very similar to a regular season game in that regard.The Indians are never sure what theyll get from Bauer, who began the season in Clevelands bullpen before joining the rotation in late April.We expect a Trevor start, second baseman Jason Kipnis said with a chuckle. Were not sure what that means but we expect Trevor to go out there Hes a competitor. Dont let him fool you. Hes a guy who competes and never makes a moment too big. Whether he has it or not, it isnt because the situations too big.Its just that he tries to find it, hes a rhythm pitcher and theres not one guys on the staff they we dont feel confident is going to give us a chance to win and hes one of those guys. ' ' '