By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Coach Mike McRae pushed all the right buttons when he was ran the Canisius Golden Griffins.

In fact, McRae (Niagara Falls, Ont.) also flashed the right signs from the dugout.

He had a record of 440-358 at Canisius, including a 333-222 (.600) record in the last eight seasons which includes three Metro Atlantic Conference regular-season titles sport sometimes double figures totals in Canadians.

In all, McRae had players earned the most spots on the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian teams. Who would be McRae’s all-time team -- in McRae’s opinion? He recruited all the players earn spots.

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The McRae Men 1.0

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Canisius made it to the conference tournament in his final 13 seasons, the longest streak in the conference and McRae earned coach of the year four times.

McRae was the first coach for the Brock University Badgers. From there he joined the Niagara Purple Eagles as a hitting instructor in 1996-97 before moving to Winthrop University Eagles from 1997-98. McRae served as an assistant coach with the Maine Black Bears in From 1998-2001.

McRae earned his undergraduate degree pitching and playing centre field for the Colby Mules in Maine -- as well as tending goal.

And now McRae’s all-time McRae team in McRae’s opinion:

Starters: LHP J.P. Stevenson (New Glasglow, PEI), LHP Shane Davis (Belmont, Ont.); RHP Devon Stewart (Maple Ridge, BC) and RHP John Axford (Simcoe, Ont.).

Stevenson won First Team honours in both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. As a freshman the one-time Vauxhall Academy Jet was 7-3 posting a 4.20 ERA in 17 games, making 13 starts. Year II saw him go 2-6 with a 5.89 ERA. He bounced back like a bad check going 9-5 with a 3.75 ERA in 2017 for a First Team selection. And then went 10-2 with a 2.73 ERA. Combined in his four years he was 28-16 with a 3.78 in 59 games (54 starts). He walked 126 and struck out 264 in 300 innings. Next he pitched for the Quebec Capitales in the independent CanAm League.

Davis took First Team honours in Twice Davis gained Honourable Mention and once he was named to our Third Team in 2011. As a freshman, the former Ontario Terrier went 12-1 with a 2.42 ERA in starts. Then, he was 9-2 with a 6.84 ERA in 2009 and 9-3 with a 4.58 his junior season. As a senior he was 4-5 with a 3.23 ERA. During his four years in Buffalo, he was 35-12 with a 4.18 ERA in 56 games. He walked 169 and struck out 231 in 364 1/3 innings. He spent two days in the Blue Jays system.

Stewart earned Third Team honours in 2015 and also an Honourable Mention. As a freshman in 2012, he was 6-4 with a 3.80 ERA. As a junior, the former Langley Blaze, went 6-5 with a 4.38 ERA 15 starts. The next spring he was 5-5, with a 4.98 ERA. As a senior he was 7-6 with a 3.65 ERA. Over his career Stewart was 24-20 with a 4.17 ERA walking 100 and striking out 222 in 356 1/3 innings.

Axford never made our All-Canadian -- as a Canisius player. He earned a spot on our third team when he was with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2003 going 9-3 with a 4.31 ERA. After an arm injury he transferred from Notre Dame to Canisius where he was 3-8 with a 5.01 ERA in 14 starts. Getting back to normal the former Team Ontario right-hander walked 75 and struck out 75 in 70 innings. Yet, New York Yankees scout liked what they saw and in 2007 he pitched for the class-A Staten Island Yankees, class-A Charleston RiverDogs, class-A Tampa Yankees and triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. New York let him go at the end of the season, he was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers and took over for Trevor Hoffman as their closer. He went on to pitch 13 seasons in the majors for the Oakland Athletics, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Brewers pithing in 543 games. Axford is sixth all-time in appearances by Canadians. Paul Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) leads with 587 games. Aford is also behind Rheal Cormier (Cap-Pele, NB) 683 games, Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) 664 games, Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, BC) 579 games and John Hiller (Toronto, Ont.) 545 games.

Closers - Jon Fitzsimmons (London, Ont.) and Iannick Remillard (Valleyfield, Que.) -- tie.

Fitzsimmons was named a First Teamer in back-to-back seasons. In 2012, he was 3-2 with a 1.42 ERA and 11 saves. The former London Badger walked 17 and struck out 34 in 25 innings. And the next year, 2013, he was 4-0 with a 1.19 ERA, plus 10 saves. He walked 18 and struck out 36 in 30 1/3 innings. In his three years with the Griffs he was 7-3 with a 1.92 ERA with 22. He has walked 49 and fanned 93 in 66 1/3 innings. Signed after an outstanding outing in a summer college league all-star game by the Kansas City Royals he pitched in 52 games for the rookie-class Idaho Falls Chukars, then head to indy ball with the Quebec Capitales and was resigned pitching with the class-A Lake County Captains, class-A Inland Empire 66ers and double-A Mobile BayBears. He was 2-3 with a 4.77 ERA and three saves walking 46 and fanning 80 in 79 2/4 innings.

Remillard was a First Teamer in 2016 and the year before earned Honourable Mention honours. The former Valleyfield College reliever was 1-1 with a 1.97 and 17 saves. He walked nine and struck out 29 in 32 innings. In 2015, he was 1-4 with a 4.32 ERA and 10 saves. Remillard walked 12 and whiffed 39 in 33 1/3 innings. In his four years with the Griffs he was a combined 6-6 with a 4.09 ERA and 29 career saves. He showed excellent control walking 31 and striking out 103 in 110 innings.

Catcher Brooklyn Foster (Langley, BC) _ He was an Honourable Mention in 2013. He first went to Orange County College in 2010. Then, the ex-Langley Blaze transferred to the Griffins where he hit .225 with seven doubles, two homers, 21 RBIs and a .609 OPS. And in 2013, Foster hit .353 with 11 doubles, a triple, two home runs, 30 RBIs and a .994 OPS. In his two years at Western New York he combined to hit .281 with 18 doubles, a triple, four homers, 51 RBIs with a .783 OPS in 92 games.

First base Drew Pettit (Fonthill, Ont.) _ He was selected as a member of the Third Team in 2011 and earned Honourable Mention in 2010. A former Niagara Rebel, he joined the Griffins in 2010 as a sophomore and hit .315 with 10 doubles, two homers and 22 RBIs (.776 OPS). As a junior he hit .345 with 12 doubles, a triple, six homers, 50 RBIs and a .913 OPS. And in his senior year he hit .298 four doubles, a triple, three homers, 39 RBIs and a .715 OPS. In his three seasons he combined to bat .320. He had 26 doubles, two triples, 11 homers, 101 RBIs with an .805 OPS in 164 games.

Second base Kevin Mailloux (Windsor, Ont.) _ The Tecumseh Thunder alumnus gained First Team honours in 2008 and 2009. After transferring in from Kellogg Community College, McRae batted .358 with 14 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, 53 RBIs and a 1.061 OPS. The next year he did even better hitting .381 with 12 doubles, two triples, 16 homers, 56 RBIs and a 1.123 OPS. His two-year totals were a .379 average, 28 doubles, three triples, 28 homers, 109 RBIs and a 1.093 OPS in 109 games. He then played two seasons in the Seattle Mariners system.

Third base Connor Panas (Etobicoke, Ont.) _ The Griffins grabbed 57 spots on the Canadian Baseball Network. We are not sure 100% who was the best to ever wear the blue and gold under McRae. We do know for sure the only Canisius player to win CBN Player of the Year award was in 2015. The Toronto Met grad was a First Teamer in 2014-15, as well as earning Honourable Mention in 2012. In 2014, he hit .362 with 16 doubles, three triples, six homers, 51 RBIs and a 1.017 OPS in 53 games. Panas went 16-for-19 stealing bases. He improved on that in his Player of the Year spring as he hit .379 with 17 doubles, seven triples, 10 homers, 67 RBIs and a 1.109 OPS in 62 outings, going 19-for-24 on the bases. As a freshman in 2012 Panas had 11 doubles, 18 RBIs and a .765 OPS. In his four year career at Canisius he hit .344 with a .969 OPS managing 50 doubles, 13 triples, 17 homers and 165 RBIs in 214 games, as well as going 42-for-52. He was drafted in the ninth round by the Toronto Blue Jays and played 214 games in the minors with the rookie-class Gulf Coast Blue Jays, class-A Vancouver Canadians, class-A Lansing Lugnuts, class-A Dunedin Blue Jays. double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, class-A Lake Elsinore Storm and double-A El Paso Chihuahuas in the San Diego Padres and Jays systems. He also spent a season with the Quebec Capitales in the independent Cam Am League.

Shortstop Sean Jamieson (Simcoe, Ont.) and Jake Lumley (Windsor, Ont.) tie.

Jamieson was a Canadian Baseball Network First Team in 2011 and an earned Second Team berth the year before. After playing for the Canadian Thunderbirds he transferred from the Niagara County Community College Thunderwolves to the Griffs. He batted .371 with 15 doubles, a triple, seven homers and 52 RBIs. He had a 1.039 OPS in 57 games. The next year he hit .350 with 13 doubles, two triples, 13 homers, 51 RBIs with a 1.100 OPS in 57 games. In his two years at Canisius he batted .361 with 28 doubles, three triples, 20 homers and 103 RBIs. He had a 1.068 OPS in 114 games. Oakland Athletics’s scout Matt Higginson (Grimsby, Ont.) selected Jamieson in the 17th round in 2011. Jamieson played for the class-A Vermont Lake Monsters and class-A Burlington Bees, before being dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks where he played for the class-A South Bend Silverhawks, class-A Visalia Rawhide, double-A Mobile BayBears and triple-A Reno Aces. He played 584 games in the minors before being shelved by a knee injury.

Lumley was voted to the third team in 2015 as well as gaining Honourable Mention regards the next two seasons. In the former Windsor Select’s sophomore season in 2015 -- the first of three consistent seasons -- he batted .328 with eight doubles, five triples, three homers and 39 RBIs, with an .856 OPS in 57 games. The next year he hit .339 with seven doubles, two triples, three homers and 36 RBIs while compiling an .868 OPS in 59 games. And as a senior he batted .355 with 12 doubles, three triples, two homers, 21 RBIs as well as an .897 OPS in 57 games. In his four season Lumley batted .336 in 205 games. He manager 28 doubles, 10 triples, nine homers, 107 RBIs and an .861 OPS. He also was 40-for-59 stealing bases. Higginson selected Lumley in the 33rd in the 2017 draft. He played two season with the rookie-class Arizona Athletics and the class-A Beloit Snappers.

Outfielders _ Brett Siddall (Windsor, Ont.), Ian Choy (Mississauga, Ont.), and Branson Joseph (Mississauga, Ont.).

Siddall was named to our First Team in 2015, took Second Team honours in 2014 and was an Honourable Mention in 2013. A Windsor Select grad he hit .353 with 24 doubles, a triple, 12 homers and driving in 63 runs as his OPS sat at 1.009 after the 62nd game. As a sophomore in 2014 he hit .333 in 68 games with 11 doubles, three triples, three homers an 43 RBIs, while compiling a .904 OPS in 47 games. In his freshman year he batted .396 with seven doubles, two triples and 29 RBIs. His three-year totals showed a .339 average with 42 doubles, six triples, 16 homers and 136 RBIs with a .933 OPS. The steady progression did not go unnoticed as Higginson selected Siddall in the 14th round of 2015. He played 472 games with the rookie-class Arizona Athletics, class-A Vermont Lake Monsters, class-A Beloit Snappers, class-A Stockton Ports and the double-A Midland RockHounds. Then he made two independent league stops with the Southern Illinois Miners in the Frontier League and Quebec Capitales in the CanAm loop.

Choy, a Team Ontario grad, was a two-time Second Team selection (2009-2010) and earned Third Team honours in 2007. In his junior year the Team Ontario grad swung the bat at a .359 clip with 10 doubles, nine homers, 36 RBIs and a 1.059 OPS in 53 games. As a senior he was again a Second Team batting .377 with 13 doubles, seven homers and 57 RBIs as had an 1.027 OPS in 59 games. His freshman year when he was a Third Team he batted .358 with 12 doubles, a triple, a homer, 26 RBIs and an .894 OPS in 51 games. In his four years he combined to hit .348 with a .944 OPS in 213 games. He knocked out 45 doubles, a triple, 18 homers and 142 RBIs.

Joseph took Honourable Mention honours his final two seasons at Canisius in 2008-09. As a junior ... the former Team Ontario player batted .312 with eight doubles, 11 homers, 43 RBIs and a .945 OPS in 82 games. His senior year he hit .305 with 13 doubles, seven triples, seven homers and 57 RBIs with a .912 OPS in 55 games. During his four years at Canisius he had 42 doubles, seven triples, seven homers and 57 RBIs with an .856 OPS in 213 games.

DH - Liam Wilson (Ayr, Ont.) _ Wilson was selected to the Third Team in back-to-back springs (2017-18) an before that was an Honouable Mention. As a red-shirt junior the ex-Ontario Terrier batted .333 with 16 doubles, four triples, three homers, 37 RBIs and a .900 OPS in 56 games in 2017. The next year he batted .353 with 27 doubles, three triples, nine homers and 49 RBIs. He had a 1.058 OPS in 52 games. In his three years at Canisius (he transferred from Northeastern Junior College and had a red shirt year as a junior). In three seasons Wilson hit .334 with 57 doubles, seven triples, 13 homers, 120 RBIs with a .916 OPS in 170 games. Then, he played five games for Quebec.

Utility Shayne Willson (Surrey, BC) _ Most all-star teams don’t have an all-star utility man, but hey this is McRae’s team. He can do anything he wants. He can play all infielders on the right side for a left-handed power hitter. He can start who he wants. Heck he can even call signals from the dugout. Willson, a former Langley Blaze, gained Third Team honours in 2010 and gained Honourable Mention the year before. Willson started out with the Iowa Western Reivers who played in the NJCAA World Series at Grand Junction, Col. both years he was there. In 2010, he hit .371 with 12 doubles, a triple, 10 homers and 56 RBIs. The year before he hit .340 with eight doubles, three triples, nine homers and 17 RBIs with in 51 games. Both seasons he owned a .964 OPS. His two-year total was a .339 mark with 26 doubles, three triples, 19 homers and 93 RBIs in 107 games.