Peter Hardy (baseball executive)
Norman Edgar "Peter" Hardy (January 4, 1917 – November 22, 1997) was a Canadian brewer and one of the founding baseball executives of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Peter Hardy | |
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| Born | Norman Edgar Hardy January 4, 1917 |
| Died | November 22, 1997 (aged 80) London, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Brewer |
| Employer | Labatt Brewing Company |
| Known for | Toronto Blue Jays executive |
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Baseball career | |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2004 |
Hardy was born in Toronto in 1917, and served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II.[1] He joined Labatt Brewing Company in 1949, became a vice president in 1962, and served as president from 1964 to 1968.[1] He then moved to the parent company, John Labatt Ltd., of which he became chairman in 1980.[1]
In 1976, Hardy was named to the board of directors of the Toronto Blue Jays;[2] the team joined the American League the following year. He became chairman and CEO in 1982, and held those positions until 1989.[1] In April 1985, sportswriter Steve Wulf of Sports Illustrated rated Hardy as baseball's best executive in a story naming MLB's "dream team".[3]
He was married to his wife Dorothy, and had two daughters.[1]
Hardy died in 1997 at age 80.[1] He was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.[4]
References
- "Peter Hardy, 80, Blue Jays chief in glory years". Toronto Star. November 24, 1997. p. E7. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- "Franchise christened Blue Jays". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. August 13, 1976. p. 29. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via newspapers.com.
- Wulf, Steve (April 15, 1985). "The Team of Your Dreams". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via SI.com.
- "Andre Dawson Leads Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Class of '04". canadianbaseballnews.com. February 26, 2004. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
