When I saw the news that Wayne Gretzky’s son had signed with the Chicago Cubs my first thought was “I bet he hits left-handed and throws right-handed.” And sure enough:

Gretzky, 18, finished his senior season with a .393 batting average (42-for-107), 10 doubles, four triples, a home run and 27 RBI in 31 games for Oaks Christian in 2011. The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder recorded a .450 on-base percentage and was nine-for-10 in stolen base attempts. A left-handed hitter and right-handed fielder, Gretzky played first base and the outfield last season.

Why did I assume this? Because it seems like all Canadians do this. Now, just like with almost any vast generalization, there are exceptions — Russell Martin and Jason Bay come to mind — but consider some of the best Canadian baseballers — Joey Votto, Matt Stairs, Pete Orr, Justin Morneau, Adam Stern, Mark Teahen, Corey Koskie …

Is there any reason for this or is it just coincidence? Most people’s immediate reaction is that hockey has something to do with it, but I don’t see the connection. Any theories?