And he'll be going into the hall with a couple of Major Leaguers!

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum shared the news this week:

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s class of 2024 will consist of six new inductees. 

Former Toronto Blue Jays all-stars Russell Martin (East York, Ont.) and Jimmy Key will be inducted alongside national team infielder and trailblazing coach Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, Ont.) and national team pitching legend Rod Heisler (Moose Jaw, Sask.). Onetime Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey, who played a significant role in bringing Major League Baseball to Toronto, and longtime Toronto Leaside baseball executive Howard Birnie will also be inducted in a ceremony at the Hall of Fame grounds in St. Marys, Ont., on June 15. 

“Each member of this year’s class has had a tremendous impact on the game of baseball in Canada,” said Jeremy Diamond, chair of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s board of directors. “We look forward to celebrating their outstanding careers in St. Marys this June.” 

Born in 1957 in Moose Jaw, Rod Heisler pitched in a record 14 international competitions for the Men’s National Team.  

The Canadian left-hander attended Bemidji State University where he earned All-Conference honours in 1978 and 1979 and was also named All-District in 1979.  

His first national team assignment came in 1978 at the Amateur World Series. He would pitch for Canada at the same competition in 1980 and 1982. In 1982, he went 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA and was named the left-handed pitcher on the tournament All-Star team. 

Two years later, Heisler started Canada’s first game at the 1984 Olympics and allowed just two runs in 10-1/3 innings in a loss to Nicaragua. He was also on the roster of Canada’s 1988 Olympic team.

Heisler also toed the rubber for Canada at three Pan Am Games (1979, 1983, 1987) and three Intercontinental Cups (1981, 1983, 1985). For his efforts, he was recognized with a Government of Canada Merit Award in 1988. 

Following his playing career, Heisler became a teacher and coached baseball at the Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. 

In 2006, he was inducted into the Bemidji University Hall of Fame and 11 years later, he was inducted into the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame.

Heisler is also a member of the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and was a member of the 1984 Moose Jaw Generals Hockey Club which won the Hardy Cup, the Canadian National Senior Championship. That team that was inducted to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and the Moose Jaw & District Sports Hall of Fame.

Heisler has had a busy week, fielding phone calls and replying to text messages from family and friends across the country and around the world.

He found some time to talk with us too! Have a listen to our visit.