October 25, 2021

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

And then there were two.

With their 4-2 win over the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Saturday, the Atlanta Braves are headed to their first World Series since 1999.

The Braves, whose roster was assembled by Canadian and former Toronto Blue Jays’ GM Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.), will face the American League champion Houston Astros in the Fall Classic starting on Tuesday.

When the Boston Red Sox were ousted on Friday, so was Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.), the final player born in Canada that had been active in the postseason.

So who is the most Canadian team in this year’s World Series?

Let’s have a look at their Canadian connections:

1. Atlanta Braves

It was just over six years ago that Blue Jays fans were chanting “Thank you, Alex!” to their GM, Alex Anthopoulos, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards as the Blue Jays clinched their first American League East division title since 1993. The Montreal native has since moved on to the National League and his Braves have won four consecutive division titles during his reign as general manager and president of baseball operations. This year, however, represents the first year under his leadership that the Braves will play in the World Series.

Unfortunately for the Braves, they will again be without their Canadian ace and PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) who reinjured his Achilles’ tendon this summer. But even without Soroka, the Braves have their share of Canadian content. On top of Anthopoulos, Braves slugger Freddie Freeman, whose parents were born in Canada, has manned first base and has three home runs this postseason, while Calgary, Alta., native Mike Frostad is the team’s assistant trainer.

Players: RHP Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), 60-day injured list; Freddie Freeman (Fountain Valley, Calif.) - WBC eligible

GM: Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.), president, baseball operations and general manager

Assistant trainer: Mike Frostad (Calgary, Alta.)

Executives: Danielle Bedasse (Halifax, N.S.), director, community affairs & executive director, Atlanta Braves Foundation; Carolyn Serra (Ottawa, Ont.), senior director, Ballpark Tours, Braves Heritage & Hall of Fame

Minor league players: RHP Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, B.C.), LHP Adam Shoemaker (Cambridge, Ont.)

Minor league coach: David Chavarria (Burnaby, B.C.), rehab pitching co-ordinator; Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C.), manager, class-A Augusta GreenJackets

Minor league executive: Robbie Burnstein (Oakville, Ont.), account executive, corporate partnerships, triple-A Gwinnett

Off-field Canadian talent: Michael Copeland (Whitby, Ont.), developer and data architect, baseball systems

2. Houston Astros

Forty-one years ago, Melville, Sask., native Terry Puhl set a then National League Championship Series record with 10 hits in 19 at bats (.526 batting average) in the Astros’ epic five-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Until Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) had a pinch-hit at bat in last year’s American League Championship Series, Puhl was the last Canadian to appear in a postseason game with the Astros.

Toro, an ABC alum, isn’t, however, part of the Astros’ playoff run this season. He was dealt to the Seattle Mariners on July 27, along with veteran reliever Joe Smith, for right-handers Kendall Graveman and Rafael Montero. So there’s not a Canuck on the Astros’ postseason roster this season.

Scout: Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.)

Minor league player: RHP R.J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.)