October 19, 2022

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

And then there were four.

The New York Yankees eliminated the Cleveland Guardians with a 5-1 win in Game 5 of their American League Division Series on Tuesday.

After the Toronto Blue Jays were ousted by the Seattle Mariners in their Wild Card Series, the Guardians, with their three Canadian players - Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) and brothers Josh and Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) - had been Canada’s team.

And with the Mariners - who had Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) and Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) - being swept by the Houston Astros, there’s not a single player born in Canada on any of the remaining playoff teams.

But if you dig deeper, there’s still some Canadian content to be found.

So which of the remaining teams is the most Canadian?

We researched that question, and here’s your answer:

1. New York Yankees

Right-hander Jameson Taillon topped Yankees pitchers and set a career-high with 14 wins this season. This wasn’t, however, enough for him to garner a start in the ALDS. Instead, he was used in a bullpen role and allowed two runs on three hits, while failing to record an out, in his only relief appearance in the 10th inning of Game 2. Though raised in The Woodlands, Tex., Taillon is a dual American/Canadian citizen. Both of his parents were born north of the border and he pitched for Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. His 32 starts in 2022 are the second-most by an American League pitcher. He also tossed 177 1/3 innings and struck out 151 batters.

There’s also no shortage of Canadians working in the Yankees’ organization. The club employs a trio of Canuck scouts - Steve Wilson (Victoria, B.C.), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.) and Denis Boucher (Laval, Que.). They also boast a Canadian broadcaster in Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.), who sits in the same chair Mel Allen once sat.

The Yankees will open the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros tonight.

Player: Jameson Taillon (The Woodlands, Tex.) WBC eligible

Scouts: Steve Wilson (Victoria, B.C.), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.), Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.), Cory Melvin (Doug Melvin’s son)

Broadcaster: Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.) New York Yankees Magazine, host, YES Network

Off the field Canadian talent: Jessica (Lack) Ventura (Calgary, Alta.), class-A Tampa Yankees, manager, partnership and community activation; Andrew Wright (Woodstock, N.B.), director of Dominican Republic operations

2. 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. Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) is hoping he can lead the Phillies to a similar fate. And he’s well on his way after guiding the Phillies to a surprising sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in their Wild Card Series and an upset of the Atlanta Braves in their National League Division Series. Thomson, who led the Phillies to a 2-0 Game 1 win over the San Diego Padres in the National League Championship Series on Tuesday, 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.)

Durham Lords alum Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.) is a scout with the San Diego Padres. Photo: Durham Athletics

3. San Diego Padres

Prior to the August 31, 2020 trade deadline, the Padres were unquestionably Canada’s team south of the border. But on deadline day that year, they shipped Naylor and Quantrill to the Guardians as part of the package for right-hander Mike Clevinger. Then, on the same day, they swapped Brash to the Mariners for reliever Taylor Williams. Then on Dec. 29, 2020, they dealt outfield prospect Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) to the Cubs as part of the deal for right-hander Yu Darvish. But despite being down these four Canucks, the club is still well-stocked with Canadian prospects thanks in large part to highly regarded scout Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.).

Scouts: Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.), Taylor Bratton (Oakville, Ont.), Lou Pote (Okotoks, Alta.)

Minor league players: RHP Garrett Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.), C Lamar King Jr. (Vancouver, BC), RHP Carter Loewen (Abbotsford, BC).

4. 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. Until Toro had a pinch-hit at bat in the 2020 American League Championship Series, Puhl was the last Canadian to appear in a post-season game with the Astros.

There will not be a Canuck on the Astros’ post-season roster this season, but Puhl, 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. He’ll be at the stadium cheering on his old club against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series which starts tonight.

Scout: Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.)