Night Owl Cards

Happy Canada Day to all of my Canadian readers, of which I have many, I've discovered over the years. Last year on Canada Day I compiled an all-Canadian all-star team to recognize the holiday. It wasn't terribly difficult as there are few enough Canadian major leaguers that every time someone sneaks over the border and into a major league uniform, the U.S. media is all over it -- "hey, HEY! Canadian over HERE! IN THE BIG LEAGUES! HEY! HE'S NOT ONE OF US!" Also, as I've mentioned many times, I live near and have been to Canada often. It's almost common knowledge that Larry Walker, Terry Puhl, Fergie Jenkins, Eric Gagne, Joey Votto, Justin Morneau, Rich Harden, Matt Stairs, Rheal Cormier, Claude Raymond, Dave Pagan, Dave McKay, Russell Martin, Corey Koskie, John Hiller, Doug Frobel, Vince Horseman, Ryan Dempster, Jeff Francis, Erik Bedard, Jason Bay, Reggie Cleveland, Stubby Clapp, Dalton Pompey, Jim Adduci, Paul Spoljaric, Nigel Wilson, Kirk McCaski...

Dick Williams is remembered as the manager who led the Impossible Dream Red Sox to the World Series title and the Swingin' A's to back-to-back championships in 1972-73. He's remembered for his hell-raising, do-what-I-say leadership style that worked with the Expos and Padres, too. But Williams was a Bum first. He was a Boy of Summer who hit .309 in 36 games for that Dodger team in 1952. He is immortalized in Roger Kahn's book as a single, free-spirit who joined Kahn in a night of ogling dancing girls during the sportswriter's year of covering the team. Williams, as you know, died Thursday at age 82. The Hall of Famer is the latest of several Brooklyn Dodgers from that period to pass away in the last year. Duke Snider. Clyde King. Billy Loes. Ken Lehman went before him. And, of course, Jackie, Furillo and Hodges are long gone. Each time a Bum leaves this earth, you'll hear or read baseball fans say, with a note of resignation, "that's too bad. T...