TORONTO - The shrine known as Talbot Park in Leaside has produced the likes of Canadian Baseball Hall of Famers reliever Ron Taylor, scout Ron Roncetti, builder Carmen Bush and hundreds of others.
Some grew up to be ball players (Alfie Payne, Robbie Stevens, Joe Irvine, Buck Reed, Flakey Johnstone), hockey players (Cal, Dave and Paul Gardner, Pete Mahovlich, Jack and Terry Caffery, Mike McEwen, Rick Foley), a boxing champ (Sean O’Sullivan), an actor (Sean McCann) and successful businessmen.
And now, from Talbot Park comes another great baseball mind: Jim Stevenson.
All Stevenson, 52, did was scout and sign Houston Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel — this year’s American League Cy Young Award winner — in the seventh round of the 2009 draft from the University of Arkansas.