- The most famous person at the Nick Weglarz draft party wasn't the third-round pick of the Cleveland Indians. It was Hall of Fame harness driver Buddy Gilmour of Ridgeway, Ont. Gilmour won 5,380 races, including his fastest trip of 1:51 4/5 with On the Road Again at The Meadowlands. He has been inducted into the three harness racing Halls of Fame. In 1987, he captured $1-million races with Laughs in the Meadowlands Pace and with Cullin Hanover in the Woodrow Wilson. He still looks fit enough to come off that top turn and hoot for home as they say at the track.
TIGERS FIRST
- The two top Canadians picked in the annual draft of collegians and high schoolers -- Chris Robinson (third round to the Detroit Tigers) and Weglarz (third round to the Cleveland Indians) -- both were asked to fill out their first scouting card by the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau's hard-working Dan Mendham of Dorchester, Ont. It was the first time, since 1991 when Canadians were included in the draft, that Detroit has picked the top Canuck. Times have changed since a Michigan-based scout told us "I wouldn't have spent the toll money to drive to Windsor to scout."
NAME GAME
- Blue Jays advance scout Sal Butera's son Drew, who was at the University of Central Florida, was selected by the New York Mets (fifth round) ... Second baseman Kenny Holmberg, who earned all-American honours at Embry-Riddle, was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers (42nd round). He's the son of Jays minor-league manager Dennis Holmberg, who is at single-A Auburn this summer.
LIKE OLD TIMES
- Ryan Lakey is chasing Blue Jays bats this weekend. Lakey, 23, is attending University of Texas-Arlington and his summer job is working in the visiting clubhouse at Minute Maid Park in Houston. "Ryan remembers being in Toronto for the World Series in Toronto in 1992 and 1993," says his father Gordon Lakey. "The Jays treated all of us and our families first class." Lakey is an ex-Jays scout who lives in Houston and now scouts for the Philadelphia Phillies.
RE-TRY
- Guelph's Lonnie Goldberg of the Atlanta Braves signed Mississauga's Jamie Richmond before the draft and re-drafted Toronto right-hander Clay Caulfield. After British Columbia produced the most drafted players in 2004 (17), Ontario was back on top as it has been every year but two since 1991 with 17 of the 43 Canadians selected.
