It took just a few hours for the British Columbia hometown of James Paxton to honour his no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays.

By Wednesday morning, the Welcome to Ladner sign was decorated with homemade notices reading B次元官网网址淐ongrats JamesB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址滲ig Maple with a no-hitter.B次元官网网址� The heron on the same sign had a Canadian flag taped to its beak and was wearing a cutout of PaxtonB次元官网网址檚 Seattle Mariners jersey.

The left-hander pitched a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night, becoming only the second ever Canadian to reach the achievement.

The feat is no surprise for coaches in Delta, where he played baseball growing up. They say even when he 15, Paxton was throwing B次元官网网址渞idiculousB次元官网网址� curveballs at 90 miles an hour and had a work ethic to take him to the top.

Ari Mellios coached Paxton from 2004 to 2006 with the North Delta Blue Jays.

He said Paxton hasnB次元官网网址檛 changed since he was 17.

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B次元官网网址淓ven back then he was always one of the big leaders on our team, he wanted the other players to do just as well as he did and his work ethic rubbed off on all the other kids,B次元官网网址� Mellios added.

Paxton was always upbeat and a consummate teammate, he said.

B次元官网网址淗e was one of the best pitchers IB次元官网网址檝e ever coached and IB次元官网网址檝e been very fortunate to coach Jeff Francis as well, who played 10 years in the big leagues,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut James just had tremendous talent and was a treat to watch pitch for those three years.B次元官网网址�

Bob Burkmar was an assistant coach on the same team and he had to prepare the catchers to receive a pitch from the teen, who was already six-foot-four-inches tall.

B次元官网网址淛ames overpowered you and all of the sudden he would throw a ridiculous curve, which at the time was in the low 90s and high 80s, and as a 15-, 16-year-old, was really overpowering.B次元官网网址�

Even then, Paxton was nonchalant and had excellent concentration, Burkmar said.

B次元官网网址淭he things that he did back then, you just couldnB次元官网网址檛 believe. B次元官网网址� Other teams would razz him and batters would get out of the box when he was getting ready to make his move.B次元官网网址�

Burkmar recalls sending him to a physiotherapist for an assessment when he had a few things that might bother him down the road.

B次元官网网址淛ames jumped on it and came back to (the physiotherapist) on his own to make sure that the rehab was working properly for him, which you donB次元官网网址檛 hear.B次元官网网址�

Mellios agreed that PaxtonB次元官网网址檚 work ethic enabled him to get where he is today.

B次元官网网址淗e always seemed to be a step ahead of most other people, I got the sense from being around him all those years.B次元官网网址�

Spencer Harwood, The Canadian Press

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