The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 60

D6 II SPORTS IMBAKINGNKWSiVANCOlJVKllSlJN.COM SATURDAY, SHPTRMHER 26, 2015 DR. SPORT Baseball's 'Pride of Port diagnosed with ALS Wayne Norton: Played with Vancouver Mounties, coached Canada's senior national teams Memorial United Church on Thursday. The 90-minute service concluded on a high note when the talented tenor's longtime teammates with the Vancouver Opera Chorus broke into a rousing rendition of Canada, Richard's trademark for more than 2,000 Canucks games over four decades and several Giants appearances the past 14 years. Loney earlier this month succumbed to the last in a series of strokes that began in 2009. He was 82.

END ZONE: Canucks Alumni president Gerry Sillers was presented with the NHL's 7th Man Award in Toronto earlier this week in recognition of his remarkable work behind the scenes over the past 26 years. Sillers, a member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in the team category as a spunky right-winger with the Western League champion Canucks in 1968-69, also sat on the NHL alumni board of directors for 14 years. Sillers is credited league-wide for establishing the ideal alumni organization with the Canucks. Greg Douglas' Dr.

Sport column appears every second Saturday in The Sun. rsporttelus.net during the 1983 Legends Game at BC Place Stadium. Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame is also in their sights. ALS aside, the "Pride of Port Moody" most assuredly deserves recognition in both. HERE 'N' THERE: With Matt and Nick Loney wearing the Canucks and Giants jerseys that their grandfather so very much cherished, a moving, music-filled Celebration of Life in memory of Richard Loney rocked the rafters of Canadian I H3in 4 mtmw ii GREG DOUGLAS SCENE HEARD: After spending almost 60 years in baseball dating back to his childhood in Port M(X)dy, Wayne Norton was diagnosed this past June with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

It is hardly the baseball tie-in Norton, 72, had in mind during his retire-ment years. Before the 1961 season, he was signed by the New York Yankees and played one year in their chain before being plucked by the Kansas City Athletics, where he would play minor-league baseball alongside such teammates as Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi and Tony LaRussa. Norton came close but never did make it to "The Show." Along the way, he surfaced with the Vancouver Mounties in 1966 and was one of the team's most popular players at old Capilano Stadium. Young play-by-play broadcaster Jim Rob-son would refer to him as the "Pride of Port Moody" each time the strapping outfielder came to THANK YOU BE GOLD 1 Max and LeonaPinsky A I A I in r- mm 1 (ST IB I i 1 .1 Wayne Norton and Hank Aaron relax the plate. Norton's post-playing days reached international heights with Baseball BC and the National Baseball Institute (NBI) over a 26-year span from 1973 to 1999.

He coached and managed Canada's senior national teams and was founder of Canada's junior nationals for players under 18 years of age. During his time as general manager of NBI he developed a program for college and TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS J3LG Chevron Isaac and Judy Thau SPF.CTRUM Human Eflerctv" 1 -wmm university kids with the support of Pat Gillick, then GM of the Toronto Blue Jays. Gillick has teamed up with Baseball Canada president Ray Carter and one-time North Shore pitching sensation and 1961 bonus baby Ian Dixon to beat the drum for Norton's induction into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Dixon, a former minor-league roommate of Norton's, says the Ml (PREMIER KIMBO DESIGN Stay Play Package Available wttti Firry CrmkrHkMaus North Lodge MUM, JJ.JIIl'i-J'.-..

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