'Once in a lifetime': B.C. baseball player shines in big league debut
When Abbotsford’s Cade Smith stepped onto pitcher's mound in his first major league baseball game Saturday, his family was there to cheer him on – including his dad.
And that was a bit of a miracle in itself.
“It’s been a crazy week, a whirlwind,” said Cade’s dad, Tim, who got clearance last week from his cardiologist to travel to Oakland to see his son’s MLB debut with the Cleveland Guardians.
And his son did not disappoint.
“He goes out there and in two innings, he’s responsible for six outs and he strikes out five of them. And what we found out was that it was a record in a team debut,” said Cade’s proud father after his son helped his team defeat the Oakland Athletics.
“He knew where we were (in the stands) because we were hooting and hollering. It was just a great celebration of all his hard work,” said Tim Smith, who hadn’t been able to see his son in about a year.
The father had been waiting for a complicated heart surgery that took place in December and then needed time to recover. Cade, in the midst of applying for U.S. residency, was not able to come back to Canada.
“Both Sylvia (Cade’s mom) and I lost our dads when we were about his age, so that made it a whole lot tougher,” Tim said.
But last week, Cade called his family with some exciting news. He would be travelling with the Guardians to Oakland, though he didn’t yet know if he was on the roster.
It was a bit of a scramble, but ultimately, Tim Smith got the medicine, the medical insurance and the clearance from his cardiologist to travel.
“He (my cardiologist) tells me there’s some things going on that still need to get healed, but this is once-in-a-lifetime. You’re stable. We’ll let you go,” he recalled.
While with his family, Cade learned he had made the roster. And then last Saturday, he became the first Canadian this year to debut in the MLB, and one of only about a dozen playing in the league.
“It’s something that you don’t imagine is really going to happen. We’re proud of the work ethic, how he’s connected with his players, coaches,” said his dad.
But it’s been a long road and there’s been plenty of bumps along the way.
Cade started out playing t-ball in Abbotsford at the age of four and in Grade 11, almost quit ball altogether.
In the end, he persevered and made it to the big leagues.
“He just kept working and grinding and getting better,” said his dad.
Now 24, the 6’5” pitcher had a second chance to play Monday night in Seattle.
“He was awesome,” said Tim.
“He had another four outs he had to get and he struck out three of them, didn’t give up a hit.”
Cade’s family, including his grandmothers, were there to cheer him on.
His dad hopes that his son will stay with the Cleveland team and that he will see him play in Toronto on Father’s Day which also happens to be Tim’s birthday.
In the meantime, Tim said his son keeps working on getting better.
“You just want to encourage him to work hard and honor God with his attitude and his effort,” said Tim Smith, who is a teacher at the Mennonite Educational Institute.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Canadian government proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.