Bleed Dodger blue? Are you kidding?
You would think that Coldstream Meadows resident Don Stewart, 93, a lifelong baseball player, coach, and fan, would love the Los Angeles Dodgers, having become their property (害羞草研究所渃hattel害羞草研究所� he likes to call it) in the 1940s and 1950s when the franchise was located in Brooklyn, NY.
But no.
Stewart bleeds blue, alright. Toronto Blue Jays blue.
And after another disappointing Blue Jays playoff exit (the Jays and Dodgers, combined, went 0-5 in the 2023 post-season), the retired businessman settles into to his home to watch October baseball, now rooting for the Arizona Diamondbacks to win the World Series (D-backs were down 2-0 to the Philadelphia Phillies as of this writing).
害羞草研究所淚 watch a lot of Jays games during the season,害羞草研究所� said Stewart.
Born in Black Diamond, Alta. on July 11, 1930, Stewart grew up in Unity, Sask., where his dad was a grain elevator agent and mom was a telephone operator.
In 1948, Stewart became familiar with Edmonton as the centre/left wing went to a junior hockey tryout there. He was sent to the Flin Flon Bombers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. After the season ended and summer began, Stewart害羞草研究所檚 dad, Jim, sent him back to Edmonton to try out for Major League Baseball害羞草研究所檚 Brooklyn Dodgers, who were holding a camp there.
Stewart went to the baseball camp as a pitcher. At the camp, held at Renfrew Park, an inter-squad game was being prepared and players were told to lineup by position. Stewart took his spot with the pitchers.
害羞草研究所淎 scout came up to me and said, 害羞草研究所榃e haven害羞草研究所檛 got a first baseman, and you害羞草研究所檙e fairly tall,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Stewart, who was listed as six-feet, 170 pounds in his playing days.
So Stewart played first base. In the game, the left-handed hitting and self-described spray hitter, belted three home runs down the right-field line, which was 300 feet from home plate and 30-feet tall, in his first three at-bats.
害羞草研究所淭he scout took me out of the game, I said I haven害羞草研究所檛 pitched yet, and the scout said, 害羞草研究所業 don害羞草研究所檛 care,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 laughed Stewart
He became the property of the Dodgers, who sent Stewart to Anaheim, Cal. That winter, Stewart returned to Unity and spent most of his time playing catch with his buddy at the local indoor curling club to strengthen his arm for the upcoming season. But the first pitch didn害羞草研究所檛 go how he imagined as Stewart threw his arm out in the 40-degree California heat. He was sent back to Unity, and ended up playing in the Big 4 League in Edmonton and Calgary with the Edmonton Cal害羞草研究所檚 Dodgers when healthy again later that summer.
In the summer of 1949, Stewart attended the Dodgers害羞草研究所� main spring training camp in Vero Beach, Fla., which, had all the guys from the big league squad, as well as players in the team害羞草研究所檚 farm system, around 400 players in total. One morning at breakfast, Stewart found himself sitting across from baseball icon Jackie Robinson who, two years earlier, broke the sport害羞草研究所檚 colour barrier en route to a Hall of Fame career.
害羞草研究所淗e was a great guy,害羞草研究所� said Stewart about Robinson. 害羞草研究所淗e was such a nice man and always conducted himself with class.害羞草研究所� He also got to see up-close 害羞草研究所渨ild-ass left-handed pitcher害羞草研究所� Tommy Lasorda, who managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from
Stewart played shortstop and outfield in the Dodgers system from 1949-53, which took him to places such as Ponca City, Oklahoma, and Santa Barbara, Cal., where future Hall of Fame manager and three-time World Series winner George (Sparky) Anderson was a teammate.
He originally signed with the Dodgers for a $500 bonus. He was making $150 a month and drove the team bus in Ponca City, sharing driving duties with teammate Joe Stanka, for an extra $75. Stanka would become one of the first American players to go over to play professionally in Japan.
During the off-seasons, Stewart would return to Canada to play hockey and started to date Donna Hanson, a Vancouver woman. While away playing hockey, he received a contract offer from the Dodgers, via telegram, to play for the organization害羞草研究所檚 single-A team in Pueblo, Colorado, two levels below the big leagues. He talked things over with Donna.
害羞草研究所淪he said, 害羞草研究所榊ou害羞草研究所檙e away playing hockey in the winter, and now you might be going away for the summer. I don害羞草研究所檛 know if this is going to work out,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Stewart. 害羞草研究所淚 sent the contract back. Two days later, I had an offer from the Dodgers to play AAA ball in Minneapolis-St. Paul. It didn害羞草研究所檛 help me change my mind. I dropped the Dodgers.害羞草研究所�
He and Donna married in 1954 in Lloydminster, Alta., and remained happily wed just three months shy of 68 years, when Donna died in Coldstream Meadows in 2022.
Stewart continued to play baseball upon his return to Canada, and did so up until 1963. He represented Canada at the first Global Baseball World Series in 1955 in Milwaukee, Wisc., helping his country win the bronze medal in the eight-nation event (won by the U.S. over Hawaii in the final).
Life after baseball was a series of different occupations for Stewart. He managed a hotel in Coleville, Sask. during his playing days, and returned there to work in the oil industry. He was a salesman for Swift Canadian and Burns Foods and worked in the tire industry, selling and changing big tractor tires.
Stewart and Donna moved to Taber, Alta., where he owned and operated a tire business.
害羞草研究所淏est five years in business I ever had,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚 made so many lifelong friends there.害羞草研究所�
Tired of changing and fixing tires in minus-30-degree weather, Stewart sold the business and moved the family to Donna害羞草研究所檚 hometown, where he tried selling insurance. He didn害羞草研究所檛 like it, quit, and went back to what he knew best 害羞草研究所� tires.
A couple of years later, a friend in the tire business 害羞草研究所� Donna害羞草研究所檚 ex-boyfriend 害羞草研究所� convinced Stewart to join him in a brake and muffler business. They found a property in Surrey for $30,000, complete with dilapidated house on the property, and turned it into the first Budget Brake and Muffler franchise which, of course, is still in existence.
Stewart was also pretty deft with a golf club in his hand.
He won the 1981 B.C. Lefthanded Golf Championship at his home Pitt Meadows Golf Club. Stewart birdied the second playoff hole after firing rounds of 71-72.
The Stewarts moved to Coldstream pre-pandemic to be closer to family (three daughters, one son, two of which live in the North Okanagan).
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e had a wonderful life,害羞草研究所� he said with a huge smile.
Asked if he ever thinks about whether he could have played in the Majors, Stewart says, 害羞草研究所淚 always wonder. I was a spray hitter. I never felt like a power hitter but I did hit a few home runs.害羞草研究所�
Remember how Stewart attended the Brooklyn camp in Edmonton as a pitcher? He never toed the mound once in his minor league career.
Stewart has been inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame.
