Philadelphia Phillies skipper Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) is the first Canadian to manage a team in the World Series since Bill Watkins (Brantford, Ont.) did so with the Detroit Wolverines in 1887. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

October 28, 2022

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

It’s only a matter of time before we spot the first “I Ride With Philly Rob” shirt in Canada.

Designed to celebrate Philadelphia Phillies Canadian manager Rob Thomson, the sales of those t-shirts got a boost when the Phillies players’ wives were spotted wearing them shortly after the Phillies ousted the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday.

Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) has won the hearts of the tough Phillies fans this season, which is no small feat.

He has guided the Phils to a National League pennant and they are now just four wins from a World Series title.

His Phillies will take on the Houston Astros in this year’s Fall Classic which is set to begin tonight at Minute Maid Park.

So it’s obvious who is Canada’s team in this year’s World Series, but here’s more on Thomson and some of the Phillies’ other Canadian connections.

1. Philadelphia Phillies

To find the last Canadian to be a field manager in the major league post-season, you have to go back to the 19th century when Bill Watkins (Brantford, Ont.) led the National League’s Detroit Wolverines to a World Series title in 1887. Thomson is hoping he can lead the Phillies to a similar fate. And he’s well on his way after guiding the Phillies to upset post-season series wins over the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres. He also recently signed a new two-year contract extension to continue managing the club.

The 2019 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, who guided the Phils to a 65-46 record after taking over for Joe Girardi on June 2 during the regular season, has no shortage of post-season experience. During his close to three decades as a coach in the New York Yankees’ organization, he earned five World Series rings and was the Bombers’ third base coach on their most recent World Series-winning squad in 2009. He was also a bench coach on multiple Yankees squads that advanced to the post-season.

Thompson will share his post-season wisdom with his players, but if they’re looking for further inspiration, perhaps they can call former general manager and now senior advisor and part-owner, Pat Gillick, down for a pep talk. He has three World Series rings -two with the Blue Jays (1992-93) and one with the Phils (2008) - on his Hall of Fame resume.

Major league manager: Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.)

Executive: Pat Gillick (Canadian citizen), senior advisor and part-owner

Minor league players: C Ryan Leitch (Whitby, Ont.), 3B Ty Penner (Lethbridge, Alta.), INF Anthony Quirion (Dixville, Que.), RHP Noah Skirrow (Cambridge, Ont.),

Scouts: Alex Agostino (St-Bruno, Que.)

2. Houston Astros

Forty-two 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. That was the only other time the two teams have faced each other in the postseason. Four of the five games in that series went into extra innings and it has been hailed as one of the greatest postseason series ever.

There will not be a Canuck on the Astros’ World Series roster so Puhl’s heroics won’t be duplicated, but the Melville, Sask., native, one of the team’s newly minted Hall of Famers who still lives in the area, did throw out the first pitch prior to Game 2 of the ALDS at Minute Maid Park and he’ll be at the stadium cheering on his old club on Friday.

Scout: Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.)