
A late-blooming Canadian pitcher whose unique journey to the majors saw him rise from indie ball to start for his home country's team in the World Baseball Classic.
Scott Richmond started for Canada against the United States in the 2009 World Baseball Classic at Rogers Centre, a highlight of his professional journey. He did not sign his first professional contract until age 27, after years in independent leagues and with the Canadian national team. Richmond made his MLB debut for the Toronto Blue Jays at 29, becoming a reliable innings-eater in the rotation during the 2009 season. His high leg kick and competitive nature endeared him to fans. Injuries shortened his MLB tenure, but he continued pitching in Taiwan's CPBL, where he found success. Richmond's path defied the typical prospect blueprint, showing that talent can emerge from unconventional routes. Representing his country remained a pinnacle of his career.
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Scott was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
The world at every milestone
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Apple Macintosh introduced
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Before signing with the Blue Jays, he played for the independent league Edmonton Cracker-Cats and the Orange County Flyers.
He was a member of the Canadian team that won the gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games.
Richmond worked as a carpenter and played semi-pro baseball in Canada before getting his chance in affiliated ball.
He is one of a small number of players to have played in MLB, the CPBL in Taiwan, and for the Canadian national team.
“I took the long road, but I made it.”