Edward Zawadzki - The Ultimate Canadian Sports Trivia Book: Volume 1

The Ultimate Canadian
Sports Trivia Book

Edward Zawadzki

Foreword by George Chuvalo

A HOUNSLOW BOOK

A MEMBER OF THE DUNDURN GROUP

TORONTO OXFORD

Copyright Edward Zawadzki 2001

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency.

Publisher: Anthony Hawke

Editor: Barry Jowett

Copy-editor: Natalie Barrington

Design: Bruna Brunelli

Printer: Webcom

Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data

Zawadzki, Edward

The ultimate Canadian sports trivia book

ISBN 0-88882-237-5

1. Sports Canada History Miscellanea. I. Title

GV585.Z39 2001 7960971 C2001-901942-4

1 2 3 4 5 05 04 03 02 01

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Export of Canadian Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishers Tax Credit program.

Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credit in subsequent editions.

J. Kirk Howard, President

All images courtesy of Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Except page 174 courtesy of The Twin Dragons,

page 190 courtesy of Brian Budd, and page 217 courtesy of Edward Zawadzki.

Printed and bound in Canada.

Printed on recycled paper.

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This book is dedicated to the two best friends Ive ever had.

My mom, Wanda who selflessly gave all of us so much, including her great love of books. She constantly amazes me with her ability to love us, especially during those times that we dont deserve it. I suppose thats why they call it a Mothers Love. Shes the one who should be the real writer in the family.

My late dad, Walter who handed down to me his genuine love of all sports, especially boxing. His love of laughter rubbed off on me and his smile stays in my heart daily. My most precious memories of my pops are of us watching the fights together. (I cant wait to tell him someday what it was like to hang with Ali.)

And to Rebecca and her trusty computer.
You definately deserve a raise.

Much love and thanks to:

Allan Stewart and the staff of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

You are the keepers of the Torch

The Protectors of the Flame

Many thanks for all your help.

My brothers Richard and George, and my niece Jessica, who I love and give thanks for daily.

My late Uncle Ernie Fedoryn who never lost faith in me.

Judy McLeod, of the gutsy Toronto Free Press, who was the first to inform me of the then-unknown fact that I was a writer.

Georgie C., who always motivated me and told me not to procrastinate, but to go out and do it. Advice thats worth millions, pal. Will you take a post-dated cheque?

And my editor Barry Jowett, without whom this book wouldnt have existed, and Id still be fighting to be published.

B Y G EORGE C HUVALO

The Ultimate Canadian Sports Trivia Book is a must read for all sports aficionados. Read this book and become an instant Einstein on Canadian sports trivia. Even some of the up-to-now little-known boxing facts opened up my eyes.

Big Eddie has done more research than the F.B.I. The book has all the boss answers to all the boss questions.

If an acquainted reader should find themselves on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and the subject of Canadian sports should come up, they will be a lead pipe cinch to go home with more than just a little loose change.

When my partners and I in this literary undertaking my partners being Dundurn Press decided unanimously to go full steam ahead with this project, I have to tell you the truth: I was a little nervous I might run out of enough interesting stories, stats, and controversies to warrant a project of this considerable undertaking. There was no doubt that we could fill an entire library with just Canadian hockey trivia, but we wanted a diverse cross-section of all popular sports and competitors, and I thought I would have trouble finding a books worth of material. When I began doing the serious research I realized just how wrong I was. As a sportswriter, broadcaster, and certified sports nut Im a little embarrassed about how little I knew of our rich history in sports.

The stories are all here: the triumphs, the controversies, and the cast of talented athletes from all parts of our fair land, competing nationally and around the globe.

I truly hope that this book will not only inform, but entertain the reader as much as it did the author. I wish I could have learned this much in school.

1. What city by-laws had to be amended before the Blue Jays could play in Toronto?

A. In pre-1977 Toronto it was illegal to stage any kind of sporting event on city property. Toronto Council had to amend that ordinance and bring Toronto into the twentieth century.

2. Did Sparky Anderson ever play baseball in Canada?

A. Canada was very good to Sparky when his playing career was almost over. He came up here to play second base for the old Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League in 1960. By 1964, he was managing the club, and so impressed the boys in the big leagues that by 1969 he was managing the Cincinnati Reds.

3. Who is the only Canadian in the Baseball Hall of Fame?

A. Ferguson Jenkins of Chatham, Ontario, became the first Canadian to enter the Hall when he was inducted in 1991. During his illustrious career, Fergy was awarded the Cy Young in 1971, and won 20 games for six consecutive seasons en route to a career 284 wins. To top it all off, he threw over 3,000 strikeouts in his career.

4. Who was the first Toronto Blue Jay?

A. Before the Jays and the Seattle Mariners made their choices in the expansion lottery, the Jays, knowing they needed a veteran who could nurture and lead some of the youngsters, acquired veteran catcher Phil Roof from the Chicago White Sox on October 22, 1976. Unfortunately, Roof didnt prove to be the asset the Jays had hoped, and they dumped him faster than hot tar after he had played in only three games.