Denis Boucher never liked to attract attention. He may never be able to attract it more than on Saturday, when he has to deliver his induction speech at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
But a few days before his introduction to St. Mary’s, Boucher was still busy polishing it.
“You would have to write me three or four good pages!” he told The Canadian Press. I’m not sure where to start: I don’t want to forget anyone, but I don’t want to upset people either. You have to find three or four little jokes and anecdotes that people haven’t heard a thousand times! »
However, anecdotes are not to be lacking in Boucher’s career, which has spanned more than 45 years, whether in minor baseball, among the pros, or in the senior national program.
A career that has earned him heartfelt praise from a compatriot who, like Boucher, was once associated with the Montreal Expos, but in a different role.
“Denis Boucher represents all that is great about baseball in Quebec,” said Alex Agostino, regional supervisor for the Philadelphia Phillies and member of the Canadian Hall selection committee.
“He was quite an athlete: he threw, he hit, he did a little bit of everything on the field, but he also knew how to play first base. He is one of the most competitive athletes on the field I know.
“He wasn’t the hardest guy to shoot, but he was one of the smartest on the court. He’s a guy who, from the moment he signed with the Blue Jays, knew how to pitch: fast, change of pace, spinning ball. It’s not like today, where some pitcher is ‘swinging’ at 100 miles an hour not knowing where the ball is going to land: he was pitching to get you out. That’s why he’s had success in the minor leagues, the majors, and with the Canadian national team. »
First in 20 years
The 55-year-old Quebecois played his minor baseball in Lachine, west of Montreal, before playing his junior baseball with LaSalle Cards. Signed as a free agent by the Toronto Blue Jays in August 1987 – the Canadiens were ineligible for the draft at the time – he successfully worked his way through the minor leagues before breaking into the Jays’ rotation for the 1991 season.
When he debuted on April 12, 1991, it had been nearly 20 years since a Quebec player had played in the Majors, since Claude Raymond’s last pitch in September 1971.
His time in Toronto was short-lived: in June 1991, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians, where he earned his first major league victory. Unprotected for the expansion draft, he was selected by the Colorado Rockies in November 1992, who later traded him to the San Diego Padres. He won’t make it to the Majors with those two organizations. But when the Expos acquired him in July 1993, he showed all of baseball what he was capable of.
His 1993 September placed him among baseball’s elite: a 3-1 record and 1.91 ERA in five games. His 222 ERA+ (advanced stat that compares pitchers to pitchers) doesn’t lie: while an average scorer gets a rating of 100, he’s among the best in baseball.
PHOTO MICHEL GRAVEL, ARCHIVES LA PRESSE
Denis Boucher, September 13, 1993
“As a player, I always say there are two decisive moments,” recalled Boucher. It’s my first Majors start in Toronto and my first in Montreal. In between, there were others, like the transaction that brought me to Montreal. It was a great moment too. »
This opener in Montreal on September 6, 1993 is remembered by every baseball fan in the province. They went 40,066 at Olympic Stadium to see him dominate the Rocky Mountains’ battering for six innings, during which he gave up just one run on six hits.
A rotation member in early 1994, injuries prevented him from chasing his dream and he would not return to the Majors after May 21 of that year.
But his career didn’t end there: back in Lachine, he took over the reins of the local association, of which he became president, a position he still holds today. Beginning in 2003, he also became the national senior pitching coach. In that role, he helped Canada qualify for the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, three Pan American Games, where the team was crowned twice, in 2011 and 2015, in addition to participating in five baseball classics.
unanimity
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame tries to reward great professional careers, but also the influence given to Canadian baseball. On this point, Boucher is unanimous.
“It’s a package: his career as a player was excellent for a Canadian at that time. It opened the door to others, underlined Marc Griffin, RDS analyst, but also a former teammate on the national program and an opponent in professional baseball. He’s a guy who enjoys great credibility and who is unanimous in the baseball community in Canada. »
“He is there because of his achievements on and off the court and his work with the national team,” added Agostino. The guys who had him in the national team, I don’t know anyone who speaks ill of him. This is rare ! There is no one who played with Denis or for Denis who wouldn’t go to war for him.
“He had an impact on many facets of Canadian baseball at all levels. »
“I don’t realize what I gave back,” said the director. It was normal for me to participate in these tournaments with the Canadian national team. It was a great opportunity for me to continue in baseball. I also thought it was okay to give back to minor baseball like I did at Lachine. »
Recalling his greatest feats of arms, however, doesn’t make him any more comfortable.
“It’s a great honor, but I’m not doing this for honors and I don’t feel very comfortable receiving them. »
Boucher, now a scout for the New York Yankees, will be inducted on Saturday, along with former Jays and Yankees outfielder Jesse Barfield, former Oakland A’s, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers pitcher Rich Harden, as well as builder Joe Wiwchar .
These people will share the stage with former Expos commentator Jacques Doucet and former Jays first baseman John Olerud, elected in 2020 but not yet officially sworn in.
Finally, Canadian Press will be well represented with Richard Milo, recipient of the Jack-Graney Award, given to a media representative who has significantly contributed to baseball’s influence in Canada. Milo has covered the Expos for 28 seasons, the last 20 of which with the French services of the national agency.
Denis Boucher in numbers
MLB: 6-11, 5.42, 146 ml, 77 over, 54bb
Minor leagues: 76-55, 3.80, 1086 ml, 679 rab, 367 bb.
