The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 includes Jesse Barfield, Denis Boucher, Rich Harden and Joe Wiwchar.
They will be inducted on June 17 at the Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont.
The 2020 class of John Olerud and Jacques Doucet will also be honoured June 17, as their ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Each of this year’s inductees has had a significant impact on the game of baseball in Canada in their own distinct way,” said Jeremy Diamond, chair of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s board of directors. “We’re proud and excited to celebrate their outstanding careers in St. Marys this June.”
Playing nine seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Barfield racked up 179 home runs and 527 RBIs with the club. The Joliet, Ill., native also spent four seasons with the New York Yankees.
Barfield said deep down he knew the day would eventually come when he would be inducted into the same hall of fame honouring Lloyd Moseby and George Bell.
“I don’t have to worry about how I got there and how long it took. We’re there,” said Barfield.
A triple threat at the plate, running the bases and in the field, Barfield became just the second MLB player ever – after Willie Mays – to record more than 20 home runs, 20 steals and 20 outfield assists in a single season in 1985.
Barfield was the first Blue Jay to lead the American League in home runs when he hit a then-franchise-record 40 out of the park in 1986, nabbing him a Silver Slugger award. Barfield also topped American League outfielders in assists four times, helping him earn two consecutive Gold Glove awards.
“I take a lot of pride in my defence,” said Barfield. “You’re not going to hit every day, but the defence has nothing to do with the pitchers, it’s all on you. I worked hard on it and it helped out.”
Boucher, a Montreal native, spent time with the Blue Jays and Montreal Expos over his 10-year playing career as a pitcher. With his first start with the Expos in September 1993 – a 4-3 win – Boucher became the first Canadian to suit up for both the Blue Jays and Expos.
“I always say it was a good thing that game was at 1 p.m. ’cause otherwise I would have thought about it all day,” said Boucher. “The three or four ovations I got … were just incredible.”
After his playing career, Boucher joined the national team as a pitching coach, helping guide the team at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, all four World Baseball Classics and the 2011 and 2015 Pan Am Games when Canada captured gold medals. Boucher currently serves as a scout for the Yankees.
Harden, a Victoria native, played nine seasons in the major leagues with the Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. A career season split between the A’s and Cubs in 2008 saw Harden post a 10-2 record with a 2.07 ERA in 25 starts.
“I’ve never gotten to experience (St. Marys) but I’m really looking forward to getting out there,” said Harden.
Over the course of his career, Harden compiled a 59-38 record and a 3.76 ERA in 170 appearances. His 949 strikeouts and 17.9 wins above replacement (WAR) rank sixth all-time among Canadian big league pitchers.
Wiwchar is a longtime Manitoba coach who has devoted over seven decades to baseball in the province. Positions he has held include player, coach (1953-2013), volunteer, executive and administrator.
“When I received the call from Scott Crawford letting me know that I was being inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, I had to sit down. I was speechless,” said Wiwchar.
“I was both surprised and elated. I’m still in disbelief, but I am very grateful for this honour.”
Wiwchar helped lead Team Manitoba to a silver medal at the 1977 Canada Summer Games as an assistant coach and was the head coach of the provincial Bison (Juvenile) team that captured the 1977 Western Canada championship.