MLB postseason: With Blue Jays out, who's Canada's team now?
Houston Astros INF Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) is the sole active Canadian player left in the postseason. Photo: J.P. Antonacci
October 5, 2020
By Kevin Glew
Canadian Baseball Network
And then there was one.
Yes, despite strong efforts by several other Canucks for their teams in the Wild Card round, Houston Astros INF and ABC alum Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) is the last player born in Canada still active in this postseason. He’ll suit up for the Astros in their American League Division Series against the Oakland A’s starting on Monday.
Toro was on the Astros’ Wild Card series roster, but did not see any game action.
Five Canadians were on big league clubs that were eliminated in the Wild Card round. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) went 1-for-7 for the Toronto Blue Jays when they were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Meanwhile, Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was employed as a pinch runner/defensive replacement by the St. Louis Cardinals in their series loss to the San Diego Padres, while Joey Votto (Etobicoke, Ont.) went 2-for-9 for the Cincinnati Reds as they were beaten in two straight by the Atlanta Braves.
Back in the American League, Ontario Terriers and Junior National Team grad Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) made his postseason debut with the Cleveland Indians in the second game of their series against the New York Yankees when he closed out the top of the ninth by striking out Aaron Hicks.
But it was Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) who made the biggest splash. He became the first big leaguer to record a hit in their first five postseason at bats and the first Canadian to collect four extra-base hits in their first two playoff games. For a full list of Naylor’s post-season accomplishments, you can read this article.
But with these five Canadians and the Blue Jays now at home, who should Canadian baseball fans cheer for?
The information below should help answer that question. We have revised our list of Canadians involved with postseason teams from our article last week and updated their rankings below.
North Delta Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) will likely not pitch for the New York Yankees in the postseason due to a flexor strain in his left forearm. Photo: USA Today Sports
1. New York Yankees
Canadian left-hander James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.) will likely be sidelined until at least late in the postseason (if the Yankees advance that far) with a flexor strain in his left forearm, but there’s still 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.) and have three Canadian prospects in their minor league system, headlined by 2019 third-round pick OF Jake Sanford, from Sidney Crosby’s hometown of Cole Harbour, N.S.
So while it might be hard for Blue Jays fans to digest, the fact is that the Bronx Bombers are the most “Canadian” team left in the postseason.
Player: LHP James Paxton (Ladner, B.C.), 60-day injured list
Scouts: Steve Wilson (Victoria, B.C.), Shawn Hill (Georgetown, Ont.), Denis Boucher (Laval, Que.), Cory Melvin (Doug Melvin’s son)
Broadcaster: Nancy Newman (Toronto, Ont.) New York Yankees Magazine, host, YES Network
Minor league players: C Kellin Deglan (Langley, B.C.), 1B Kyle MacDonald (Mississauga, Ont.), OF Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.)
Off the field Canadian talent: Mike Kicia (Edmonton, Alta.), assistant minor league strength and conditioning coordinator; Jessica Lack (Calgary, Alta.), class-A Tampa Yankees, digital media coordination, community relations
Atlanta Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.) has built Braves clubs that have won the National League East division for three consecutive seasons. Photo: YouTube
2. Atlanta Braves
It was just over five 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 three consecutive division titles during his reign as general manager.
Unfortunately for the Braves, they entered this postseason without their Canadian ace and PBF Redbirds and Junior National Team alum Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) who tore his Achilles’ tendon on August 3. But even without Soroka, the Braves have their share of Canadian content. On top of the aforementioned Anthopoulos, Braves slugger Freddie Freeman, whose parents were born in Canada, is manning first base, 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
Executive: Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.), president, baseball operations and general manager
Assistant trainer: Mike Frostad (Calgary, Alta.)
Minor league player: RHP Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, B.C.)
Minor league coach: David Chavarria (Burnaby, B.C.), rehab pitching co-ordinator
Off-field Canadian talent: Michael Copeland (Whitby, Ont.), developer and data architect, baseball systems
Former Montreal Expos executive Claude Delorme (Sturgeon Falls, Ont.) is the Miami Marlins’ executive vice-president of operations and events. Photo: Florida Sports Foundation
3. Miami Marlins
Few Canadian baseball fans have fond memories of Jeffrey Loria’s tenure as the owner of the Montreal Expos, but when the controversial art dealer left the Expos behind to purchase the Miami Marlins in 2002, he took some Expos employees with him. And though Loria is no longer the owner, former Expos executive Claude Delorme (Sturgeon Falls, Ont.) remains with the Marlins as the executive vice-president of operations and events. Other ex-Expos employees still with the Marlins are scout Pierre Arsenault (Pierrefonds, Que.), assistant trainer Mike Kozak (Kirkland, Que.) and equipment manager John Silverman (Montreal, Que.) Longtime voice of the Expos, Dave Van Horne, also provides play-by-play on Marlins’ radio broadcasts.
Now owned by a group headed by Derek Jeter, the Marlins also have two Canadian prospects in their system in C J.D. Osborne (Whitby, Ont.) and OF Tristan Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.).
Scout: Pierre Arsenault (Pierrefonds, Que.), Curtis Pelletier (Victoria, B.C.)
Executive: Claude Delorme (Sturgeon Falls, Ont.), executive VP operations and events
Assistant Trainer: Mike Kozak (Kirkland, Que.)
Equipment Manager: John Silverman (Montreal, Que.)
Minor league players: C J.D. Osborne (Whitby, Ont.), OF Tristan Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.)
Fieldhouse Pirates and Junior National Team alum Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) is the latest Canadian to be drafted by the San Diego Padres. Photo: San Diego Padres/Twitter
4. San Diego Padres
Was it something we said?
That’s the question Canadian baseball followers might have asked the Padres’ front office after the August 31 trade deadline. Prior to that date, the Padres were unquestionably Canada’s team south of the border. But on deadline day, they shipped the aforementioned Naylor and Quantrill to the Indians as part of the package for ace right-hander Mike Clevinger. Then, on the same day, they swapped 2019 fourth-round pick Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) to the Seattle Mariners for reliever Taylor Williams.
But despite being down three Canucks thanks to these transactions, the club is still well-stocked with Canadian prospects thanks to its strong, one-two north-of-the-border scouting team of Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.) and James Parker (Toronto, Ont.). Legendary scout Murray Zuk (Souris, Man.) also scouted for the Padres prior to his retirement after last season.
Scouts: Chris Kemlo (Bowmanville, Ont.), James Parker (Toronto, Ont.)
Minor league players: OF Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) 60-player pool*, RHP Carter Loewen (Abbotsford, B.C.), LHP Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Ont.), RHP Jake Sims (Guelph, Ont.)
5. Houston Astros
Forty 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. Puhl is the last Canadian to appear in a postseason game with the Astros.
ABC alum Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) seems destined to break that drought this postseason. Though he struggled to a .149 batting average with the Astros during the regular season and did not see action in their Wild Card series against the Minnesota Twins, the switch-hitting Canuck played in more than half of his club’s regular season games and can be used at first base or third base. Scouted by fellow Canadian Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.), Toro was the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Offensive Player of the Year in 2019.
Player: 3B Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.)
Scout: Jim Stevenson (Leaside, Ont.)
Minor league player: RHP R.J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.)
Matt Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.) is a Canadian scout for the Oakland A’s.
6. Oakland A’s
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) had four, 20-home run seasons and back-to-back 100-RBI campaigns for the A’s between 1996 and 2000. And prior to his legendary game-winning pinch-hit home run for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the 2008 National League Championship Series, Stairs had nine at bats for the A’s in their 2000 American League Division Series loss to the Yankees.The A’s don’t have a Canadian slugger like Stairs on their big league roster, but the club’s Canadian scout Matt Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.) is always on the lookout for one.
Unfortunately, Dick Callahan (Kitchener, Ont.), the A’s longtime P.A. announcer, was not at the Oakland Coliseum during the club’s Wild Card series. With the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with some previous health issues, the 79-year-old Callahan took the season off, but he hopes to return in 2021.
Scout: Matt Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.)
P.A. announcer: Dick Callahan (Kitchener, Ont.) (sat out 2020 season due to health issues, but plans to be back in 2021).
Minor league player: T.J. Schofield-Sam (Brampton, Ont.)
Toronto native Jonathan Erlichman is the Tampa Bay Rays’ process and analytics coach.
7. Tampa Bay Rays
With the third lowest payroll in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays need to find any advantage they can to compete in the tough American League East division. This is where Toronto native Jonathan Erlichman, the club’s process and analytics coach comes in handy. The Princeton math major worked five-plus years in the Rays’ front office, including 2017 and 2018 as the club’s director of analytics, before being promoted to his current role.
The Torontonian, who interned with the Blue Jays, wears a uniform as part of manager Kevin Cash’s coaching staff and is going to go over every statistical detail to help the Rays find an edge over the Yankees in their American League Division Series.
Coach: Jonathan Erlichman (Toronto, Ont.), process and analytics coach
Minor league player: RHP Trevor Brigden (Toronto, Ont.)
Ellen Harrigan (Beeton, Ont.) is the Los Angeles Dodgers’ senior director of baseball administration.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers
It seems strange to have a major league postseason without Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) playing in it. Last October, the Canadian catcher starred in the Dodgers’ 10-4 win over the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals in Game 3 of their National League Division Series when he went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. It was the fourth different season that Martin suited up for the Dodgers in the playoffs, and his 10th trip to the postseason overall. But Martin didn’t play in 2020, so there are no Canadian players on the Dodgers.
They do, however, employ Beeton, Ont., native Ellen Harrigan who is one of Major League Baseball’s most respected executives. After beginning her career with the Blue Jays as an administrative aide in player development in 1981 and later becoming the general manager of the club’s New York Penn League affiliate in St. Catharines, Harrigan moved on to the Dodgers and has risen through the organization’s ranks to hold a number of key executive positions. Now in her 20th season with the club, she is currently the team’s senior director, baseball administration.
Executive: Ellen Veronica Harrigan (Beeton, Ont.), director of player personnel