On Sunday 3 June 2001, 3 Canadians accomplished something which had never taken place before in MLB history as MATT STAIRS smacked his 6th home run of this season off Ben Sheets in a Chicago Cubs 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers; LARRY WALKER socked his 19th homer off MARK GARDNER in an 11-2 pounding of the San Francisco Giants by the Colorado Rockies; and, ERIC GAGNE hit his first big league home run in the second inning off KENT BOTTENFIELD in a 9-8 win over the Houston Astros. This home run gave his LOS ANGELES DODGERS a quick 3-0 lead.

WARREN SAWKIW is doing colour alongside Vic Rauter on TSN EXPOS broadcasts and is showing that he really knows his stuff. Many of you may have seen him play here in Canada when he was an outstanding prospect in the Tigers organization while he played in the outfield for the LONDON TIGERS.

JOHN OLERUD hit for the cycle on 16 June 2001, for the second time in his career, with the first being while he was with the New York Mets on 11 September 1997. He had a double, triple, single and then finished with a home run, scoring three times and driving in two RBI.

LHP ERIK BEDARD of Navan, Ontario, has been selected to pitch for the World Team at the 2001 All-Star Futures Game on 8 July 2001, at Safeco Field in Seattle. The game between the World Team and the United States Team, features some of the top 50 prospects in baseball. Bedard, 21, is 8-2 with a 2.37 ERA over 68.1 innings in which he has notched 90 strikeouts, with the advanced Class-A Frederick Keys of the Carolina League. The lefty has 90 strikeouts while only issuing 18 walks so far this season, limiting opposing hitters to a .210 batting average against him and in his last three starts had allowed only one run. He was originally selected in the sixth round by the Baltimore Orioles during the June 1999 major league free-agent draft.

On Monday, 18 June 2001, BOBBY MATTICK,Vice President, Baseball, for the Toronto Blue Jays, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Innercities) at the RBI Ninth Inner City Hall of Fame Dinner at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. He was honored as a Scout who was a positive influence in the Los Angeles baseball community. Mattick, whose reputation as a scout is considered legendary among his peers, was very successful in scouting and signing players from the LA area. He is remembered as a dirt scout who was not afraid to dig in search of the diamond in the rough and earned respect for scouting the areas of Compton, south Los Angeles and Watts. Many scouts had avoided these areas due to their social and economic climates. Mattick's early contributions to baseball in these areas have resulted in his being voted into the RBI Hall of Fame. Now, at the age of 85, he has been with the Toronto Blue Jays organization since 1976 and has worked in a number of capacities such as Scouting Supervisor, Director of Player Development, Executive Coordinator of Baseball Operations as well as maaging the major league team in both the 1980 and 1981 seasons. The RBI Program was founded in 1989, in south central Los Angeles, by John T. Young, a former Major League Baseball Player, Scout and Executive. RBI's mission is to provide a quality baseball / softball program that encourages academic, community, and social responsibility in youngsters ages 13-18. The purpose of RBI is to help rejuvenate baseball in areas where obstacles such as crime, drugs and poverty keep youngsters from enjoying the game. Most importantly, the program aims to use baseball as a means to overcome academic and social disadvantages faced by many innercity youths. In 1993 Major League Baseball assumed the administration of RBI and currently 145 cities worldwide have RBI programs.

TROY MATTES, promoted to the MONTREAL EXPOS from the OTTAWA LYNX on 19 June 2001, threw a two hit gem in his MLB debut, allowing only two singles through seven innings against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium. His sterling initial start went for naught, however, as he wound up with a no-decision as the EXPOS bullpen faltered badly in the eventual 4-1 loss. After working his way up through the Montreal system over the last seven seasons he never lost hope that he would eventually make it to the big leagues. "I'm a pretty persistent guy, so you just keep hoping one of these days you get a break," he said. As he peered in and faced the likes of Piazza, Ziele and Ventura, the reality of the moment was not lost on him. However, he didn't give himself any time to absorb all that was taking place around him. Instead, he chose to work quickly, throwing strikes and keeping his defense on their toes. His lightning quick pace, tossing 47 strikes of his 82 pitches, moved the game along rapidly, as the contest was over in just under two hours and thirty minutes. "Our kid pitched great," said the new EXPOS manager JEFF TORORG. "A lot of pitchers can learn from what that kid did tonight. Grab the ball and throw it and throw strikes. It was the first time I'd seen him hrow. I wanted to make sure he left with a good feeling. You can't project your bullpen is going to walk the leadoff hitter and throw a bunt away." Mattes walked just one and didn't give up a hit until Benny Agbayani stroked a single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the fifth. "As long as you're throwing strikes, you're working quick," he stated, "and your fielders love playing behind you, they stay on their toes." But the two proudest of the 27578 in attendance sat several rows behind home plate. Aaron and Judy Mattes, his arents, had flown up from their Sarasota, Florida home to take this one in. "He's been a good pitcher ever since he was a little boy," said his father. "He's known how to pitch. Now he's getting a chance to fulfill his dream." Now Troy Mattes hopes it won't end quick. "It was incredible. To go from prospect to arm injuries and being very suspect, finally getting some rythym and arm strength back and doing well is an unbelievable feeling. You've been dreaming about this for so long. It's a little gratification. Sitting through hundreds of minor league games, no crowds, nothing happening right, to finally get up here and do fairly well, it's just a dream come true," he imparted.

ROB DUCEY, who was released by the Philadelphia Phillies on 6 June2001, resurfaced almost immediately, signing with the MONTREAL EXPOS, appearing in his first game on 15 June 2001, hitting a home run on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the fifth inning at OLYMPIC STADIUM, and thus became the 15th Canadian-born player, and just the second, after LHP DENIS BOUCHER, to play for both the BLUE JAYS and EXPOS, to appear in an EXPOS uniform and the 39th to have played for both the EXPOS and the TORONTO BLUE JAYS. He is wearing # 29.

As Barry Bonds keeps chipping away at the single season home run record established by Mark McGwire, with 70, many are unaware that he is utilizing one of the special two-toned, black-barreled baseball bats manufactured by the ORIGINAL MAPLE BAT COMPANY, whose operations are based in Ottawa, Ontario. Should he continue at the pace he has set up to this point it should bring a lot of publicity to this all-Canadian company who are making one of the better bats in usage today. The SAM BAT COMPANY began operations in 1997 utilizing the very best sap and better Canadian Maple, the best grade available. All of their bats are kiln dried to a moisture content of 7% to 9% with a specific gravity being 63%. One of the best looking but meanest baseball bats available to the public anywhere you can contact them on their website at www.sambat.com.

RONDELL WHITE, now with the Chicago Cubs, was named as the NATIONAL LEAGUE Player of the week for June 4-10 after hitting .500 with four home runs and seven RBI. In six games played for the NL Central Division leading Cubs, he recorded 11 hits in 22 at-bats with one double and scored five runs. He led the league with a 1.091 slugging percentage and a .607 on-base percentage and tied for the league lead in batting average. He was also second in home runs and total bases (24). He was in the midst of a career-high 15-game hitting streak, during which he batted .439 (22-for-57) with eight homers and 15 RBI. This is his second NL Player of the Week Award, having previously won in 1995 while he was with the MONTREAL EXPOS. For being named as the NL Player of the Week he received a specially engraved watch from the BULOVA COMPANY.

The CANADIAN BASEBALL HALL of FAME & MUSEUM, located in the beautiful little town of St. Marys, Ontario, was awarded a $100,500 (US) grant from the BASEBALL TOMORROW FUND, at their annual inductions on 23 June 2001, when former Blue Jays IF DAVE McKAY and the Expos catching great GARY CARTER were added to their honorees. RICK AMOS, of MLB CANADA and STEVE ROGERS, MLBPA Special Assistant to Donald Fehr, presented an oversized check to RANDALL S.ECHLIN and BEN WAGHORN, the outgoing and incoming Chairman of the Board. The Baseball Tomorrow Fund, a joint initiative between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, is designated to promote and enhance the growth of baseball throughout the world by funding programs, fields and equipment purchases to encourage and maintain youth participation in baseball and softball. These funds will be utilized to complete construction of the main baseball field, commonly referred to as "CANADA'S FIELD of DREAMS," and two youth baseball fields at the site of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum.

Ever since his promotion from the VERO BEACH DODGERS, Class-A in the FLORIDA STATE LEAGUE, to the Jacksonville Suns, Class-AA in the Southern League, PHIL DEVEY has excelled. He has now run his record to 6-0 with a 2.78 ERA over 16 games, in which he started 10, pitching 71.1 innings and tallying 49 strikeouts.

One of the best up-and-coming young umpires is 31-year-old TROY BLADES from Tusket, Nova Scotia, who is currently in his second season in the INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE. He started in 1991-1992 in the NEW YORK-PENN LEAGUE and has worked in the MIDWEST LEAGUE, 1993-1994; CAROLINA LEAGUE, 1995-1996; EASTERN LEAGUE, 1997-1999. Look for him to be a regular MLB Umpire in the very near future.

2B BRENT ABERNATHY left the Durham Bulls hotel in Pawtucket on Monday 25 June 2001 for a ride to Boston for his first major league game. He was in the starting lineup for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays batting eighth and after drawing a walk and later flying out, his first big league hit was a home run over the Green Monster in left field. His parents were in the crowd and his father managed to retrieve the home run ball. Abernathy had homered in Fenway Park as a member of the Junior Olympic team a few years ago. He had hits in his first four major league games after his call up.

Canadian-born 1B JUSTIN MORNEAU, batting .363 with 12 homeruns and 54 RBI, a Midwest League MVP candidate, playing for the Quad Cities Bandits, Class-A club for the Minnesota Twins, won the pre-game home run derby at the Midwest League All-Star game on 19 June 2001 and then was promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle of the Florida State League after the game.

OF / DH JOSE CANSECO signed with the Chicago White Sox on 20 June 2001, doubling in each of his first three games for more extra-base hits in 13-at-bats than the previous DH had in 83. He had been playing for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League, owned by former Blue Jays and Expos catcher RICK CERONE. ChiSox GM KEN WILLIAMS said he didn't see too many risks in the signing "other than one of the things we always worry about, which is chemistry and makeup of a ballclub. I know Jose, and I do think he will fit in." On his first day with the team he was asked whether he was agreeable with the pro-rated contract he signed and replied, "Yeah, because I wanted to get back to the major leagues. I've made a lot of money in this game. I wanted to come here, to help this team, get to 500 home runs and maybe that helps me get into the Hall of Fame." Asked about being back in the big leagues and whether he may have considered retirement Canseco's response was, "People are going to be watching and anticipating to see if my abilities are still there. My legs are in incredible condition. My bat speed is there. I can play defense. I am the fastest big guy in the big leagues for my size. I'm a lot leaner, a lot stronger than I was last year. I never thought of retiring. Absolutely not. I'm too young for this to be over, too good for this to be over. Especially when I am 54 homers short of 500. I'm a very young 36."

On 25 June 2001, RHP MARK MANGUM tossed a two-hit complete game shutout for the HARRISBURG SENATORS (AA-EASTERN LEAGUE) over the Akron Aeros in a 5-0 win. He pitched to the minimum number of batters (27) as two hitters were snuffed out on double plays. Akron's only other runner, via a walk, was thrown out attempting to steal second. Amazingly the Aeros recorded only 26 official at-bats in the contest.

On 28 June 2001, OF NTEMA "PAPPY" NDUNGIDI drove in five runs to lead his Bowie Baysox (AA-Eastern League) over the Portland Seadogs, 7-2. Ndungidi singled home a run in the bottom of the second inning and highlighted a five-run sixth frame with a grandslam to cap the highest single-game RBI total of his professional career.

On 28 June 2001, Pawtucket Red Sox OF ISRAEL ALCANTARA had two hits, including a two-run homer, in their 2-1 victory over Charlotte (AAA-International League). Alcantara, who homered for the eighth time in his last nine games, supplied Pawtucket with a 2-1 lead in the third inning on his league-leading 23rd longball of the season. The slugger, who also leads the IL with a .347 AVG, is now tied with three other players as the top run producer in the circuit with 59 RBI.

LHP DREW TAYLOR, of Leaside, son of the Toronto Blue Jays team doctor, RON TAYLOR, was a major factor pitching for the ONTARIO BLUE JAYS as they compiled a 4-1 record to capture the OZARK MOUNTAIN CLASSIC TOURNAMENT. From there they moved on to play in the annual ALL-AMERICAN CLASSIC TOURNAMENT in Memphis.

Despite the fact that the Tampa Bay Devil Rays have the third youngest roster in Triple-AAA at Durham, one of the Bulls players undoubtedly has made people sit up and take notice of the trend toward older players when he was selected to the 2000 United States Olympic Baseball Team and then won a gold medal to accompany his World Series MVP award. C PAT BORDERS, who was 37 years of age on opening day, handles the young pitching staff loaded with prospects, mentors another fast-rising catcher, Toby Hall, and even does some bullpen catching when he's on the bench or the DH. "I wasn't sure if I was still going to play in 2001, but my kids are getting old enough that they wanted to see me keep on playing. I still enjoy playing, and it turned out to be a really good idea," he stated. "I just like playing. You always want to be in the big leagues, but I'm having fun playing without all the pressure, being on TV and all those privileges. I enjoy playing now as much as when I was in the big leagues, maybe more."