Burrows’ decades-long career included scouting some of the best prospects in baseball. (Photo credit: MLB.com)

Victoria, B.C. – For our money, he’s the best scout in Canadian baseball history – and the Victoria HarbourCats are pleased to recognize his (sort of) retirement.

Victoria-raised Walt Burrows, now the pride of Brentwood Bay, has seen all the greats going back decades and will be saluted before the game on Thursday, July 2, at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park (a place he knows well back to his fast-pitch playing days).

The gates open that night at 5:30pm, and the pre-game ceremonies before the 6:35pm first pitch will be all about Walt, who left the Minnesota Twins last fall after a long employment there. He is still active, having helped Canada at the World Baseball Classic this past spring, and now helping the Toronto Blue Jays on a part-time basis.

“Walt is among the most respected baseball people ever in Canada, his name and reputation have done so much for baseball in this country,” said Jim Swanson, Managing Partner of the HarbourCats.

That the game features the HarbourCats and island rival Nanaimo NightOwls is ideal – Burrows knows the regional battles well, and once named Nanaimo’s Serauxmen Stadium as the best baseball park in all of Canada. It has since been remodeled with the NightOwls and City of Nanaimo combining on significant improvements that modernized some areas but kept the historic feel of the stadium that was opened in 1975 by Mickey Mantle.

Burrows is also slated to be part of the 2026 Showpass West Coast League All-Star Festival on July 14-15, taking part in the Hot Stove event the evening of Tuesday, July 14 at the Strathcona Hotel, talking baseball as part of a panel involving other legendary baseball people in Marti Wolver, Gorman Heimueller and Todd Haney.