R. I. P. Martingrove's Jim Horton

The late Jim Horton, Mr. Everything for the Martingove White Sox and a lifetime member.

February 14, 2025

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Years ago -- 22 to be exact -- The Baseball Zone opened in Mississauga.

I had pulled an over-nighter working a book. So there were two choices -- go to The Baseball Zone for an interview with a player for a story OR sleep for 10 hours and miss the interview.

Entering the lobby, I met Kevin Horton for the first time. My guy was not there but Kevin was manning the front desk, checking in hitters and coaches who arrived to work out with their teams.

Since I am a night owl -- working nights since my teenage years -- I asked “Why on earth did you take a job where you have to be at work before nine on a Saturday morn? You should be out howling at the moon on Friday nights.” Kevin answered that he needed a job and that he loved baseball.

“Did your father give you that love of the game?” I asked. 

Kevin nodded yes.

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The 1991 Martingrove White Sox peewee.

Kevin’s father Jim passed Feb. 6 at age 76.

Jim was a baseball lifer with the Martingrove White Sox organization. He started coaching in 1988 when Kevin began playing rep T-ball for Martingrove. Jim coached Kevin for seven years before letting more experienced coaches take over.

Now in most cases where the father coaches the son and then stops, the father walks away from the game or sits behind the backstop and second guesses the son’s coaches. At least that has been my experience going back to 1970.

Not Jim Horton. After he stopped coaching Kevin, Jim headed to the younger age groups and continued to coach for the White Sox for a number of years.

Jim did more than coach as he was: an executive member for more than 25 years consecutive years, was president of MG for many years and was named a lifetime member of the organization.

If you could go back and look at the previous executives for those 25 years -- if the world wide web allowed -- you would discover that Jim Horton held almost every position that executive had: president, vice-president, equipment manager, umpire in chief, treasurer/auditor for many years.

He was proudest of his grandchildren and his family and when it came to baseball -- building Centennial Park ball diamond in Etobicoke, the scene of many come-from-behind victories and heart-breaking losses. Jim and his friends were able to get the city to build and the Optimist Club to fund the project.

Located at corner of Eglinton and Centennial Park Blvd. it was behind the big toboggan hill, which is now a BMX park created for the Pan-Am Games in 2015. Kevin remembers that when his father and other friends were petitioning the city for the diamond Kevin had to toboggan down the hill. He did test runs to make sure the diamond fence would not impede kids trying to toboggan.

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Some thoughts on Jim Horton:

“I met Jim a few times ,  a very nice guy…” _ Denny Berni, Pro-Teach Baseball, Etobicoke. 

“I didn’t know Jim that well. I know that he was with Martingrove Baseball as a coach and administrator for many years and was highly respected within Etobicoke.” _ Howie Birnie, Leaside, keeper of The Shrine, elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys in 2023.

“He was a great man and the reason that so many kids in Etobicoke fell in love with baseball.” _ Steve Correia, Terriers 14u assistant coach and former teammate of Kevin Horton.

“Parents often thought he was stern and humorless until they got to know him. He was a big softy and a giving, warm guy once you got past the stern façade.” _ Mark Chiasson, a life member of the Etobicoke Baseball Association and a dear friend of Jim’s.

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Now, 45, Kevin Horton still has a love for the game. He co-owns The Baseball Zone, with Rick Johnston, which operates the Terriers. And this summer he’s off to Charlottetown, PEI to play for York Diamonds in the 33 and over nationals.

He coaches his son, Carter, with the Markham Mariners. Kevin and his wife, Gillian Stollery, have four children: Emma, six, Logan six, Carter 10 and Jacob 11.

Over the years -- practicing at The Baseball Zone with Mississauga North Tigers, Mississauga Southwest Twins and other teams, going to pro scout days or just stopping by to talk ball -- Kevin and I become good friends.

Jim and his wife Sandra were married for 52 years.

Jacob and Carter with their grandfather on a vacation is Hawaii five years ago. 

So, we extend deepest sympathies to Kevin, mom Sandra, and sister Lindsay of Toronto and their extended family, as well as everyone who knew Jim in the Martingrove Association. 

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Jim Horton with grandson Logan