CANADA – He was always around … maybe three or four games per Blue Jays homestand.

Even after he left.

He’d sweep into the Rogers Centre press box, grab dinner, scoop up a bag of popcorn for dessert and head down the hall to watch the Jays play, sitting beside his lifelong pal Howard Starkman.

The team used to be his baby.

He helped lure four million fans into the SkyDome back in his day.

He brought in free agents Dave Winfield, Jack Morris and Roger Clemens.

Then, he was off to New York to run Major League Baseball, but he was always around when in town.

Paul Beeston was never more around than in 2008.

He helped the Jays find a new manager — even if it was a former manager — in Cito Gaston.

He brought back a minor-league co-ordinator — even if he was an ex-minor league co-ordinator — in Mel Queen to monitor the Jays farm teams and prospects.

And now, as interim CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, he will be responsible for hiring a new team president to replace Paul Godfrey.

All of which makes Paul McGill Beeston, who attended the University of Western Ontario, Sun Media’s choice as the most influential Canadian in baseball for 2008 in our second annual poll.

Our top-to-bottom list, with 2007 rankings in brackets:

Full Article:

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/baseball/2009/01/02/7904221.html

Tags: Canada