Matt Stairs to be inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
New Brunswick native hit 265 homers over 19-year career
New Brunswick's Matt Stairs will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame this spring.
Stairs, a Saint John native, who lives in Fredericton, holds the record for most pinch-hit home runs in major league history, with 23.
He says the Hall of Fame honour ranks up there with his World Series ring with Philadelphia.
"When you first start playing pro-ball, being based in the small town of Fredericton, it's kind of a relief knowing that all the hard work you did over your career paid off," he said.
"The highlight is one, winning a World Series, and two is you're being inducted in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. I did 'em both. I'm very proud and very honoured."
New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant gave Stairs a shout out via Twitter on Wednesday.
"Congrats to NB's @mstairs12 on being inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall Of Fame. A well-deserved honour for such a great career!"
Stairs, a native of Saint John, N.B., hit 265 homers in the major leagues. He started his career with Montreal, spent parts of two seasons in Toronto and made several appearances on the national team.
He was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
The national induction ceremony will be held on June 13 in St. Mary's, Ont.
The other inductees include: former Toronto Blue Jays Carlos Delgado, Corey Koskie, long-time Montreal Expos manager Felipe Alou and sportswriter Bob Elliott.