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Dodgers’ Tim Wallach named to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Tim Wallach, right, congratulates Juan Uribe after the latter's two-run homer against Atlanta last October.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Interesting off-season for Tim Wallach.

First, he’s moved from his position as the Dodgers’ third base coach to Manager Don Mattingly’s bench coach, and now he’s been named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

This begs two immediate questions: 1) There’s a Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame? and 2) If there is, Wallach wasn’t already in it?

They’ve only had two Major League Baseball teams in Canada, one of them being the now-defunct Montreal Expos.

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But Wallach was one of the greatest hitters in Montreal history. The former third baseman is the Expos’ all-time leader in games (1,767), hits (1,694), doubles (360), RBI (905) and total bases (2,728). Wallach also ranks third all-time among the Expos in runs (737) and fourth in home runs (204).

And he wasn’t already in?

“I’m both surprised and honored to be selected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame,” Wallach said in a release. “What a great thrill to be going in with such integral parts of the Montreal Expos for such a long time, and to join many of my old teammates and manager, along with so many people that meant so much to Canadian baseball. This is a great honor for my family and myself.”

Wallach, the former college player of the year at Cal State Fullerton, spent the first 13 years of his career with the Expos before playing his final four with the Dodgers. He was selected to five All-Star teams and won three Gold Gloves with Montreal. He is already in the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

He is scheduled to be inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame on June 21 in St. Mary’s, Ontario, along with former Expos general manager Murry Cook, broadcaster David Van Horne and Toronto Blue Jays scout and Team Canada manager Jim Ridley.

Scouts in the Canadian Hall? There’s something we could take a tip from.

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