Remembering Etobicoke Rangers coach Bobby Hunter

A team picture of an Etobicoke Indians/Rangers trip to Cooperstown for a tournament in the early 80s. Bobby Hunter pictured in the green York jersey on the right. Photo: Bounce Thompson Studios.

September 1, 2022

Rangers Mourn the Loss of a Legend

By AJ Iafrate

Etobicoke Rangers

The Etobicoke Rangers organization is heartbroken that long-time bench coach Bobby Hunter passed away last week after a courageous battle with cancer.

Through his incredibly successful coaching career with the Etobicoke Indians/Rangers and Richview Collegiate, Bobby shaped the baseball journey for thousands of players who grew up in Etobicoke. Many of Bobby’s former players felt compelled to share what they will most fondly remember about him.

John Ferracutti Jr, current manager of the senior Rangers, first met Bobby in 1983, the year Connorvale Park opened. John was a hotshot junior call-up for the seniors, but was quietly feeling very intimidated to be playing with older guys. Through a simple but thoughtful gesture, Bobby made him feel like he belonged.

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“The truth is, I was terrified of Bobby Hunter,” John said with a reminiscent smile. “He was physically imposing and had that real gruff demeanor. I did my best to keep my distance because I was legitimately afraid of him. That all changed one day while I was shagging balls in the outfield during batting practice. Bobby came out and stood right next to me, but he didn’t say a word.

“After a couple minutes of awkward silence, Bobby turned to me and said, ‘Johnny, keep up the hustle. It’s good for these jags to see you working so hard.’ We shared a quick laugh and after that brief chat, I started to notice all the different ways that Bobby was looking out for me as the youngest guy on the team. I also figured out that, despite the tough-guy attitude, Bobby was one of the most good-hearted guys in the whole world. I will miss Bobby very much.”

Longtime Ranger player and coach Andy Tulshi was fortunate to have Bobby not only as a coach while he was a member of the senior Rangers in the early 2000s, but also as a mentor. Bobby taught him the ropes when he embarked on his own journey as a coach following his retirement as a player.

“I learned very quickly that when Bobby spoke, the best thing I could do as a young coach was open my ears and close my mouth,” Andy said. “Bobby was a wealth of knowledge, not just about baseball, but about life in general. He had this tremendous ability to bridge the gap between the rich history of baseball and the state of the game today. Bobby was a wonderful ambassador for the game, but more importantly, he was a great coach, mentor, and friend for all those who were lucky enough to have him in their lives.”

Like his father, last owner of the triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs, Bobby Hunter, Jr. was a baseball man.

Another former player and coach for the Rangers, Todd (Bad Ersk) Erskine, said the thing that stood out to him the most about Bobby was the insane number of hours he spent with so many different players, throwing BP, hitting fungoes, and doing whatever he could to develop their potential. “He truly helped so many, and he always did it with pride while showing respect to the game,” Bad Ersk said.

Bill Thompson, better known as ‘Bounce’ to Rangers teammates, started his career with the Indians/Rangers as a player in the 1980s. In the early 2000s, Bounce joined the coaching staff of the seniors, which was then led by another famously sharp-witted Ranger coaching personality, the late Steve ‘Whitey’ Breitner. Bounce, the longest tenured Ranger, remembers Bobby as being the king of the one-liners.

“Bobby had a one-liner for everyone,” Bounce recalled. “It didn’t matter whether you were (iconic Etobicoke manager) Bob Smyth, George Begly, or anyone in between. Bobby could drop a line at any moment that would have the entire dugout in tears from laughing so hard.”

Bounce, now 68, fondly remembers an early 80’s trip to Cooperstown with Bobby to play some American teams. “We had a blast on that trip, and we played some good baseball. That was an incredible experience with a great group of Indian/Ranger legends,” Bounce said.

Current senior Ranger Kyle Bowers was on the receiving end of a Bobby Hunter one liner that still haunts him to this day. Bowers, then in grade 9 and playing for Bobby at Richview Collegiate, was mired in a slump so deep that neither he nor Bobby had any clue how to bust him out of it. They sat in the dugout while Bobby scanned through all that baseball wisdom that he accumulated during his six decades in the game. He went through different timing mechanisms, ways to grip the bat, even superstitious plots to snap a slump, while the entire club listened intently to his sage advice.

An exasperated Bobby eventually ran out of ideas, and as he stood up to walk away, he turned to young Bowers and said, “you know kid, there’s no rule in baseball that says you need to take a bat with you to the plate. Maybe try that next time.” The dugout howled in laughter, and a new Bobby Hunter one-liner was born, with poor Kyle Bowers still paying the price over a decade later.

“Yeah, Bobby got me good with that one. Guys still talk about that line,” Bowers said with a laugh.

In Bobby’s 14 seasons working with the Richview program, they won 11 west championships, six city championships, and accrued seven trips to OFSAA. The program’s success is a testament to Bobby’s ability to connect with players of all age groups.

Bowers remembered a poignant moment that highlighted the gigantic heart beneath Bobby’s gruff exterior.

“I remember it like it was yesterday. We had just won our fourth consecutive city championship, and maybe our most improbable one. As everyone was cheering and celebrating on the mound together, I saw Bobby alone in the dugout. He had grabbed his bag and started walking to the parking lot by himself. I ran over to him and asked why he was leaving instead of celebrating with us. He told me that he was going to miss the graduating players so much that having to say goodbye would upset him more than just leaving.”

The fraternity of baseball in Etobicoke owes Bobby a debt of gratitude for his service to the community in general and to the game specifically. There will never be another like Bobby Hunter, and the Rangers are sure going to miss seeing him stroll through the right field gate at Connorvale Park on a Friday night, ready to hold court in the dugout and regale the boys with marvelous tales of baseball lore.

The Etobicoke Indians/Rangers organization would like to send their deepest condolences to Bobby’s wife, Katherine, and his children, Alexandra, Zachary, and Ethan.

Thank you for sharing him with us.