Three Ontarians Named to 2026 CBHFM Hall of Fame Class!

St. Marys, ON – The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s (CBHFM) class of 2026 will consist of six new inductees.

Former Toronto Blue Jays centre fielder Devon White will be inducted alongside national team legend and current St. Louis Cardinals coach Stubby Clapp (Windsor, ON), former Women’s National Team star Kate Psota (Burlington, ON) and early Montreal Expos ace and later executive Bill Stoneman.

Longtime Baseball Canada executive director Jim Baba (Moose Jaw, SK) will also be inducted posthumously.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee has also elected former major league umpire Paul Runge (St. Catharines, ON).

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2026 class will be honoured in a ceremony at the Hall of Fame grounds in St. Marys, ON on June 20.

Stubby Clapp

“This is an absolute honour to receive the call from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Clapp “I was totally caught off guard. It’s a great blessing to get this news on my daughter’s birthday.”

Born in 1973 in Windsor, ON, Stubby Clapp is known as “Captain Canada” for his long commitment to the national team. He joined the Junior National Team in 1991 and helped them to a gold medal at the World Youth Baseball Championship in Brandon, MB, that summer. 

Five years later, the scrappy infielder was selected in the 36th round of the 1996 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. In total, Clapp played 23 games with the Cardinals and 11 seasons in the pro ranks.

But even during his pro career, Clapp never forgot his roots. In 1999, he suited up for Canada at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, MB and delivered a walk-off, bases loaded single in Canada’s extra-inning, upset win over the U.S. to help propel Canada to an eventual bronze medal.

Following his playing career, Clapp managed the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds to Pacific Coast League championships in 2017 and 2018. That earned him a promotion to the position of first base coach with the Cardinals in 2019, a post he has held for the last seven seasons.

Over the years, Clapp has also served as a coach for the national team, including on the 2015 Pan Am Games gold medal-winning squad. Clapp was inducted onto Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence in January 2025.

Kate Psota

“I was surprised to get that call from Scott on a frosty January morning. I am genuinely honoured and humbled to be part of the 2026 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction class,” said Psota. “There is no better feeling than representing Canada on the international stage.  I have always been so proud to be associated with such an amazing group of women and our support staff. I am excited to share the weekend with the other inductees and all of the people who helped me get here.”

Born in 1986 in Burlington, ON., Kate Psota joined the Women’s National Team in 2004 and evolved into one of its best and longest tenured players.

Psota honed her skills with the Burlington Organized Minor Baseball Association (BOMBA) where she cracked the roster of a boys triple-A rep team at age nine. In 2002, she became the first female to be named the Baseball Ontario Junior Player of the Year.

When the Women’s National Team was formed in 2004, Psota made the team and developed into a star at first base. In 2008, she won Baseball Canada’s Ashley Stephenson Award, which is handed out annually to a women’s team member to recognize their on-field accomplishments, team spirit and leadership. She followed that up by being named the Women’s National Team MVP in back-to-back years (2009, 2010).

In her 15 seasons competing for Canada, Psota was on teams that captured six Women’s World Cup medals, including silvers at the 2008 and 2016 tournaments. In total, Psota was named to the World Cup All-Star team four times (2010, 2012, 2016 and 2018).

She hung up her playing spikes in 2021 and became a coach with the Women’s National Team. For her efforts, she was inducted into the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

Paul Runge

“This news came as a wonderful surprise and I am truly honored to be recognized,” said Runge. “It is a pleasure to be accepted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.”

Born in 1940 in St. Catharines, ON, Paul Runge was a highly respected National League umpire for parts of 25 major league seasons.

He polished his skills as a minor league umpire for parts of nine seasons before graduating to the National League in 1973. Over his quarter century as a big league umpire, Runge was selected to umpire nine National League Championship Series, four World Series and three All-Star Games.

On Oct. 23, 1993, he was umpiring second base when Blue Jays slugger Joe Carter belted his walk-off, World Series-winning home run against Phillies closer Mitch Williams.

In total, Runge umpired 3,194 regular season MLB games, 43 championship series contests and 22 World Series games. Just three Canadians have umpired more MLB games: Bob Emslie (Guelph, ON), Jim McKean (Montreal, QC) and Ernie Quigley (Newcastle, NB).

In 1998, Runge became the National League’s director of umpires. He served in that post through 1999.

As a family tradition his father, Ed, was an American League umpire from 1954 to 1970 and his son, Brian, umpired in the National League from 1999 to 2012.