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ST. MARYS, Ont. -- Tim Raines and George Bell were both superstar outfielders who enjoyed their peak years in Canadian markets. Their Canadian connection will live on for years to come. Raines and Bell will be officially inducted in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday. The Class of 2013 also includes former outfielder Rob Ducey, former announcer Tom Cheek and longtime minor-league owner Nat Bailey. "When you start playing professional baseball, you dont ever think about this," a smiling Raines said Friday. "When your career is over its when you really start thinking about it. But I never dreamed when I first signed out of high school that this day would ever come. "But its a special day, its a special achievement and its something you have until the day you die." Raines played in the outfield for six major-league teams from 1979 to 2002 and had a glorious run with the Montreal Expos through the 1980s. The seven-time all-star won two World Series as a player later in his playing career and added a third title as a coach. Nicknamed "Rock," he retired with a career .294 average with 2,605 hits, 170 homers and 808 stolen bases. "You knew when you were facing him, you were facing one of the best," said former Blue Jays closer Tom Henke, a 2011 Hall inductee. Bell spent 12 seasons in the major leagues with Toronto, the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox but enjoyed his best success with the Blue Jays. The three-time all-star won the American League MVP with Toronto in 1987 after hitting .308 with 47 homers and 134 runs batted in. A lasting image for Toronto fans is of Bell making the game-ending catch in left field when the Blue Jays won their first American League East division title. "I think catching that last out in 1985 was the best (memory) ever," Bell said. "I went down on my knees and pray to the Lord. I (caught) the last out," he added. Ducey, a 48-year-old Toronto native who grew up in Cambridge, Ont., played for both Toronto and Montreal over his 13-year pro career. He played for Canada at the 2004 Athens Olympics and later moved into coaching. "I think a lot of the friendships and relationships over the course of 20 years, 25 years and even ongoing now, people you meet in the game and opportunities that present themselves because of the game," Ducey said of his special memories. "I think thats the fondest part of the whole deal." Cheek, who died in 2005, broadcast 4,306 consecutive Jays games from Torontos first-ever contest right up until June 2, 2004. He was recently named as the recipient of the 2013 Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence by the Baseball Hall of Fame and will be honoured again next month in Cooperstown. Bailey, who died in 1978, purchased the triple-A Vancouver Mounties in the mid-50s and helped raise the sports interest in the city. Bell, Raines and Ducey were on hand for a golf tournament and banquet on a rainy Friday morning in the small town of St. Marys, Ont., about a two-hour drive west of Toronto. They were all smiles as they shared some laughs with old friends and recalled the fond memories of their playing days. Raines said Montreal was a very special city for him. "It meant everything to me," he said. "Actually, I grew up in Montreal. I was a 19-year-old kid when I first went there and I was almost 30 when I left. Just the raw excitement of the fans, competing at the major-league level, it was like home for me. "I felt like I was an adopted son of Montreal and I enjoyed every minute of it." Bell, often a man of few words, was happy to be back in the area and proud of his latest accomplishment. "I think its one of the more beautiful honours you can have in baseball or any kind of sport," he said. Henke remembers Bell as being a tremendous competitor. "George was a guy youd want to go to war with," he said. "He was a great teammate." He recalled Bells leadership in the clubhouse really standing out. "George was an old-school guy where he took the young guys aside and said, Hey, this is the right way to do things, this is the wrong way to do things. This is the way youre supposed to act when youre in the big leagues," he said. "He was one of those type of guys that was able to do that with young players and I think everybody appreciated that." Raines, who like Bell is 53, recalled thriving off the energy in the stadium during his days patrolling the Montreal outfield. "I was a proud guy. I was a guy that had fun doing what I was doing and the fans got me excited to do what I did," he said. "For my teammates who played with me, they knew how I was. You couldnt tell if I went 0-for-5 or 5-for-5, I was the same guy and I just enjoyed the competition and the camaraderie with my teammates. "I just enjoyed playing the game." 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The 23-year-old Phatlum, winless in five seasons on the LPGA Tour, had 10 birdies and two bogeys in her afternoon round at rain-softened Columbia Edgewater. The start of play was delayed an hour, and players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls because of the wet conditions. "Putting was so good," said Phatlum, the winner of the unofficial LPGA Brazil Cup in 2012. "I changed putter for this week and feeling very good. And I made many birdies today, like 10 birdies today. ... I just try my best and Im feeling very good with the course. I like the course, very nice." The 18-year-old Thompson eagled the par-5 seventh hole -- her 16th hole of the day -- and had five birdies in her bogey-free morning round. She won the 2011 Navistar LPGA Classic for her lone tour title. "I would say just my iron shots into the green," Thompson said about her strongest play Thursday. "I hit a lot of good ones and I played the par 5s 4 under, so I took advantage of those. Overall, Ive just been working on the consistency of my game and working on tightening my shots up." Christie Kerr, the winner in 2008 the last time the event was played at Columbia Edgewater, was at 66 along with Lizette Salas and Germanys Sandra Gal. Second-ranked Stacy Lewis, returning to play after withddrawing from the Canadian Womens Open last week because of illness, opened with a 67.dddddddddddd She won the Womens British Open on Aug. 4 at St. Andrews and had consecutive early season victories in Singapore and Phoenix. "I felt great," said Lewis, who withdrew after the first round in Canada. "I felt like a different person out there from last week. Just being focused and I knew what my game plan was. I felt great out there." Hall of Famers Juli Inkster and Se Ri Pak also were in the large group at 67 that included Michelle Wie, Yani Tseng and Ai Miyazato. The 53-year-old Inkster won the last of her 31 tour titles in 2006. "Just iron play was good," Wie said. "Just put in a lot of close shots. Didnt really take advantage of par 5s, which I kind of want to tomorrow. It was a good day. It was consistent." Natalie Gulbis had a hole-in-one on the second hole and finished with a 68. She used a 6-iron on the 166-yard hole, with the ball bouncing once and falling in. She has seven aces in competition and 14 overall. Suzann Pettersen, the 2011 winner, also shot 68. Defending champion Mika Miyazato opened with a 71. A 72-hole event for the time, the tournament is back at Columbia Edgewater after four years at Pumpkin Ridge. Columbia Edgewater also was the tournament site from 1990-2008. Top-ranked Inbee Park withdrew Tuesday because of flu-like symptoms. Paula Creamer pulled out Thursday morning, citing personal reasons. ' ' '