Matt Stairs, remembered most in Philadelphia for his historic home run in Game 4 of the 2008 National League Championship Series, will now have his name forever enshrined in his native country, Canada. Per an announcement made earlier today, the Phillies' color analyst and retired, 19-year Major League veteran has been elected into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Stairs will be inducted at the St. Marys, Ontario museum on June 13, 2015, alongside the following Canadian baseball greats: first baseman Carlos Delgado, third baseman Corey Koskie, manager Felipe Alou and writer Bob Elliott.
Scott Crawford, Director of Operations of the Hall of Fame, had the following to say about the announcement:
“Each of our 2015 inductees has made significant contributions to the history of baseball in our country and they continue to be great ambassadors for the game. We’re proud and excited to celebrate their careers in St. Marys this June.”
Stairs played with 12 different franchises over the span of his career, which is the most all-time for a position player. The majority of his time spent in the league came as a member of the Oakland Athletics from 1996-2000. Stairs was acquired by the Phillies from the Blue Jays off of trade waivers on August 30, 2008 for a player to be named later (Fabio Castro). The primary motivation for the Phillies to acquire the then 40-year-old slugger was to replace the injured Geoff Jenkins on the bench. Both players ironically would produce iconic hits that year in the postseason of which both of their respective careers will be forever remembered by.
Stairs' best season came in 1999, where he had 38 home runs and 102 runs-batted-in. His dominant season led to him finishing 17th in the American League MVP race, which was ultimately won by catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Stairs had 265 home runs and 899 runs-batted-in throughout 5,204 at-bats in his career. That averages out to a home run approximately every 20 bats, and a run-batted-in approximately every six at-bats. His home run total ranks him tied for 184th all-time, however his 23 pinch-hit home runs are the most in the history of the league. Seven of those came while as a member of the Phillies over two seasons.
The following description from the hall's website says what exactly embodies a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame:
The Hall of Fame strives to make Canadians proud of the game’s long history in their country. Baseball’s origins in Canada date back to 1838, when a game closely resembling baseball in its current form was played in the nearby community of Beachville, Ontario on June 4, 1838.
A select group of baseball legends – including pro ballplayers, amateurs, builders, and honorary members – has been enshrined in the Hall. Through their unparalleled contributions, these men and women have helped popularize the sport in Canada.
