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OTTAWA – Canadian baseball stars from the past, present, and future will take centre stage on Saturday, January 10, 2025, when the Baseball Canada Awards Banquet & Fundraiser returns to the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel inside Rogers Centre.
The annual event, now in its 22nd year, will celebrate the outstanding career of alumnus and former big leaguer James Paxton, who will become the 14th inductee onto Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence, presented by RBC Wealth Management.
Born in Ladner, British Columbia, Paxton represented Canada as a high-school athlete at the 2006 World Junior Baseball Championship in Cuba before moving on to the University of Kentucky, where he emerged as one of the top Canadian pitching prospects of his era. Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2010, Paxton made his Major League debut in 2013, launching what would become an impressive 11-year MLB career with four storied franchises: the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. On May 8, 2018, he threw a no-hitter on Canadian soil in Toronto, becoming the first Canadian pitcher in MLB history to accomplish the feat in his home country and cementing his standing among the greatest Canadian pitchers of all time.
The evening will also recognize current Canadian big leaguers including rookie stars Denzel Clarke, Liam Hicks and Jonah Tong; recent Junior National Team standouts Sean Duncan and Will Hynes; longtime Women’s National Team star Alli Schroder; and will feature a special tribute to the Toronto Blue Jays in honour of their historic 2025 season.
Among the special guests scheduled to attend are current MLB pitcher and 2019 National League All-Star Michael Soroka, former big leaguer and All-Star Michael Saunders, St. Louis Cardinals First Base Coach Stubby Clapp, Canadian Baseball Hall of Famers Ernie Whitt and Jeff Francis, and Super Bowl champion and television personality Luke Willson, himself a former member of the Junior National Team.
In addition to the awards presentations, the evening will include a cocktail hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET and a silent auction featuring unique fantasy sports packages. Highlights include a Spring Training experience in Arizona with former MLB All-Star Ryan Dempster, a Seattle Seahawks experience with Luke Willson, WestJet flights to any destination in North America, and several autographed memorabilia items.
Tickets are $500 per person, with tables of eight and ten available for purchase. Baseball Canada is a registered charity and proceeds from the event will support national team programs and player development.
For more information, please contact Greg Hamilton, Director of National Teams, at 613-748-5606 ext. 225 or by email at ghamilton@baseball.ca
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