‘If the fit is right': London Majors would consider bringing in former MLB player like Fernando Rodney
Fans at Labatt Park in London, Ont. got a rare treat this week as a former Major League Baseball (MLB) star took the mound.
Fernando Rodney, 48, a three-time MLB all-star and 2019 World Series Champion with the Washington Nationals is pitching this season for the Hamilton Cardinals of the Intercounty Baseball League.
'I have a lot of fun here because I just come here to keep playing, continue what I like to do, and have fun,' said Rodney, a 17-year MLB relief pitcher and closer. 'I see people I never have a plan to see. It makes me feel comfortable and very proud. It's nice to sign for people and they give you a hug and shake hands. It's making me feel more special.'
Rodney spent the past four seasons in the Mexican and Dominican Baseball Leagues.
Luis Bernardo, a former Orioles prospect who played for the Cardinals before moving into coaching, pitched the idea of Rodney to owner Eric Spearin.
He got him to come north but had to pay up to bring Rodney to Canada, a source telling CTV News the contract is north of $50,000.
Fernando Rodney
Fernando Rodney warms up down the right field line prior to his Hamilton Cardinals game against the London Majors on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
No matter the cost, his name brings attention to the IBL.
'I think the league is getting better this year,' said Rodney. 'Hopefully next year, get more better and I'd like to come back.'
League owners like Roop Chanderdat of the London Majors believe bringing in players with name recognition is a positive.
'Overall, for this league, it's phenomenal,' said Chanderdat, the co-owner and manager of the Majors.
'You've got ex-big leaguers and not just ex-big leaguers but one that did really well. It's great for every team in the league and we're glad Fernando is here in the league for sure.'
Chanderdat, who has brought in players from all over the world during his tenure, said it's not out of the question to bring in a guy like Rodney if the right circumstances come along.
'If the fit is right' said Chanderdat. 'We had a guy here from the [New York] Yankees (Cesar Cabral) that pitched you the Yankee Stadium. We've had some guys that have gotten there, maybe not quite as high profile as Fernando Rodney, but we've had some guys here from the big leagues. Every ownership group is in a different situation. It depends on the situation, if a guy comes along that's the right fit, for sure Scott (Dart, co-owner) and I would take a look.'
London Majors
London Majors Manager Roop Chanderdat (left) and some of his players watch warmup prior to their game against the Hamilton Cardinals on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
Majors' veteran outfielder Byron Reichstein hit a sacrifice fly off Rodney in Sunday's comeback win.
'It's different because you always just see them on TV and now you get to see him on the same field, so it's pretty cool,' said Reichstein.
He's been in the IBL since 2012 and has seen big changes since his rookie season.
'It's improving baseball from the first year I started until now,' added Reichstein, who is hitting .286 with three home runs this year.
'The caliber of baseball is so much better. The average guy has probably played pro ball or high-level collegiate baseball.'
Rodney isn't off to the start he would like, having surrendered 5 earned runs in six innings, but he does have a win and three saves. As the weather warms up, he's able to get his fastball up to around 93 miles per hour.
'My stuff is getting better and more consistent,' said Rodney. 'That's what I got right now and I have to prepare myself to be ready for any situation.'
As the IBL grows, including the addition of Japan's Ayami Sato – a six-time Women's Baseball World Cup medallist and current pitcher for the Toronto Maple Leafs – a league once struggling for sponsors, is looking at possible expansion in 2026.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
25 minutes ago
- National Post
Canadian hopes dashed as Gabriel Diallo falls to Taylor Fritz in third round at NBO Toronto
TORONTO — Canada's singles hopes were dashed at the National Bank Open on Friday night when Montreal's Gabriel Diallo dropped a 6-4, 6-2 decision to Taylor Fritz. Article content The second-seeded American secured early service breaks in each set and closed out the victory in one hour 15 minutes. Article content Article content Diallo, the No. 27 seed, was the last Canadian left in the 96-man singles draw. The other seeded Canadians — Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime (No. 21) and Denis Shapovalov (No. 22) of Richmond Hill, Ont. — lost their opening matches earlier in the week. Article content Fritz was more consistent and played a steadier game than the 23-year-old Diallo, who recently won his first ATP Tour event in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Article content Diallo couldn't find his rhythm on a cool, comfortable evening at Sobeys Stadium. He sprayed shots at inopportune times, his net play seemed off and the unforced errors caught up to him. Article content Fritz, who won a five-set battle when they played at Wimbledon a month ago, seemed content to let Diallo keep making mistakes rather than outpower him. Article content The Centre Court crowd did its best to support Diallo, but he was unable to generate much energy in the venue. Another service break came in the seventh game of the second set and Fritz served it out for the victory. Article content The American will face Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round. The Czech posted a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Arthur Fils of France earlier in the day. Article content Article content Other third-round winners included 20th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain, 13th-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli, seventh-seeded American Frances Tiafoe and sixth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev. Article content Fourth-ranked Ben Shelton was scheduled to play fellow American Brandon Nakashima in the feature night match. Article content In doubles play, Sander Arends of the Netherlands and Argentina's Guido Andreozzi needed just 52 minutes to post a 6-0, 6-3 win over the wild-card duo of Nicolas Arsenault of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Vancouver's Justin Boulais. Article content
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Energized and invigorated Shane Bieber can't wait to deliver for playoff-minded Blue Jays
First things first: Shane Bieber did not take a boat across Lake Erie to expedite his trip to meet his new team in Toronto, a comment he made in jest a day earlier and borne out of excitement after learning of the trade from Cleveland to the Blue Jays. Article content That's not to say there wasn't some excitement in the journey, however, including a prolonged, get-out-of-the car stop at the border. Article content Article content Article content All good the rest of the whirlwind day, though, as the Jays prized trade deadline day acquisition arrived in his new city, excited and eager to get down to work. Article content There were meetings with coaches and greetings with teammates and even a bullpen session just prior to 6 p.m. to show off how his Tommy John rebuilt right elbow was performing as his rehab journey from last year's surgery progresses. Article content A lot going on, yes, but Bieber certainly felt invigorated about his new team and opportunity an hour or so before first pitch between his Jays and the Kansas City Royals on Friday. Article content 'I love it,' Bieber said of shifting from a lifeless Guardians team to a first-place Blue Jays outfit with designs on making big noise come October. 'I have a refined gratitude for competing in this job. I'm blessed to be able to go out there and to be traded to this team that's doing well up to this point. Article content Article content 'For me to be able to make my return back to the big leagues that I've anticipated so much,and my family's anticipated so much, and to be playing meaningful baseball is all I can ask for.' Article content There are some hurdles to overcome before that happens — beginning with a likely start for the triple-A Bisons on Sunday in Buffalo. But with a fastball that has already hit 94 and a pile of strikeouts in four limited outings, Bieber believes he's quickly nearing the target at the end of that excruciating year-plus recovery. Article content 'For me, I'm most pleased with not thinking about my health, and I think that says a lot about how far I've come post surgery, where my body's at, where my arms at,' Bieber said. 'I'm focused on ramping up to compete in the big leagues, and that's a fun place to be. Article content 'That's what I've missed. That's what I've strived for. I'm close now.' Article content With a fully operational five-man rotation, the Jays are in no need to rush Bieber back to the big leagues, not that they'd be inclined to anyway. But the anticipation of the high-end, Cy Young-award winning form that comes with such an acquisition is tough to quell.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Rising Canadian star Victoria Mboko set for marquee match against Coco Gauff at NBO
Victoria Mboko of Canada celebrates her win over Marie Bouzkova of Czechia during third round tennis action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Thursday, July 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi MONTREAL — Even at four years old, Victoria Mboko hated the taste of defeat. Pierre Lamarche remembers the little ball of energy waiting eagerly for her turn while her older sister, Gracia, exchanged rallies with him at his tennis academy in Burlington, Ont. 'When we had to pick up the balls, Vicky would take a racket and jump on the baseline,' Lamarche said. 'Right away, you saw, 'Wow, OK.' 'I just remember the way she was so intense and she just hated losing. She couldn't stand losing to one of her brothers or her sister.' It's no surprise to Canada's former Davis Cup team captain that 14 years later, Mboko is a budding star in the sport. Lamarche saw it coming long before Mboko's ferocious forehand turned heads on the pro circuit this year. The 18-year-old from Toronto has rocketed up the WTA rankings, climbing from No. 333 at the start of the year to No. 85 this week. That number is guaranteed to rise into the 70s with her run to the National Bank Open's fourth round in Montreal. Mboko cruised past 23rd seed and former Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin in straight sets, then rallied from a dismal first set to knock out Marie Bouzkova 1-6, 6-3, 6-0 in a relentless comeback Thursday night. 'I just sent her a text last night. The only thing I said? 'Wow,'' Lamarche said Friday in a phone interview. 'After playing the way she did the first set, somebody could be embarrassed. 'She's a tough cookie. She doesn't give up.' Next up, a marquee matchup against top seed and world No. 2 Coco Gauff on IGA Stadium's centre court Saturday night. Mboko's coach, former Wimbledon finalist Nathalie Tauziat, believes she's not afraid of the moment. 'She has been training for a long time for this,' Tauziat said. 'Vicky, she knew already that she had great potential, so I think in her head she is ready, and right now she is making her dream come true.' Mboko's showdown with Gauff, one of the biggest in her young career, comes at a vulnerable time for the American star. Gauff has scraped by with three-set victories in both her Montreal matches, double-faulting a combined 37 times. The two players met on clay in Rome last May, when Mboko took the first set but ultimately lost 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Gauff, this year's French Open champion, said Thursday she expects a 'tough match' on the hard court. 'She's definitely playing like one of the top players in the world right now,' she said. 'Her ranking will definitely match that soon.' The youngest of four siblings, Mboko was born in Charlotte, N.C., before her family, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, settled in Toronto. Lamarche recalled meeting Mboko's mother, Godee, at an academy. 'She came to talk to me and said, 'What am I going to do with my family? We just moved from the States. We don't know where to go. I've got four kids,'' he said. 'I said don't worry about it. Just move to Burlington and we'll take care of you. 'I just had the utmost respect for the family. The father was working night shifts. The mother was working.' Mboko, meanwhile, was rapidly moving up at Lamarche's Ace Tennis Academy with unmatched power to her game. By the time she was 12, Lamarche mapped out a six-year plan to break into the WTA's top 100. 'And it happened,' he said. 'We knew she was special. In our pathway of five programs, she leaped — it's like going to school and starting in Grade 3, and then going to Grade 6.' Mboko left the academy in 2017. She went on to rank No. 6 on the junior circuit and win two junior Grand Slams in doubles in 2022, before a nagging knee injury stalled her progress. Now healthy, Mboko has trained under Tauziat since December, with much success. The big-serving, five-foot-nine Mboko owns a stellar 48-8 record in all competitions this year. She's won five tournaments on the lower-tier ITF Tour. Mboko reached the French Open's third round and Wimbledon's second round in her first two Grand Slams. Mboko hits the ball with ferocity, like she's searching for a winner with every strike. While that attribute is key to her success, Lamarche also thinks Mboko needs more variety in her game to become one of the best. 'Last night, the third set, my God, I've never seen such quality, but it certainly helps when you have a Plan B or a Plan C,' he said. 'People figure out how to play you. I mean, everybody must be scared of playing Vicky. She hits the ball so hard, but nobody's really studied how to play her yet.' If Mboko stays healthy and engaged, Tauziat believes there's no limit to what she can achieve. 'She is at the level of the best,' Tauziat said. 'If she's not hurt, if she works well and we keep this routine that we have, I'm telling you, she can beat anyone.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2025. Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
