My last post on Rob Ducey had someone comment about wanting to see a best of for each position, mentioning a few players they know..
Oddly enough, I've been thinking about, forgetting about, meaning to but completely getting sidetracked until today, writing on that exact topic..
According to Baseball Reference there have been 246 Canadian-Born players in the Major Leagues.
So I'm going to, for lack of a better thought, make an "All-Canadian Team" made up of the best players at each position.
We even have a Manager for this team!
He was born in London, Ontario July 22, 1880
George Gibson was a player and manager.
He managed the Pirates in 1920-1922 then again in 1932-1934. He also managed the Cubs in 1925.
In his managerial career, he lead his teams to a 413-344 record, and is one of only six Canadians to have managed a Major League team.
Catcher
Russell Martin.
He has been playing since 2006 and is currently a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
He was born in East York, Ontario on February 15, 1983.
So far, he has hit .254/.350/.404 162 HR 691 RBI
He is also a four-time All Star.
First Base
Justin Morneau was born May 15, 1981 in New Westminster BC.
He is currently a Free Agent after spending 2016 with the Chicago White Sox.
In 14 years, he's hit .281/.348/.481 247 HR 985 RBI
He is a four-time All Star and an AL MVP winner.
(If I revisit in a few years, it'll likely be Votto here)
Second Base
Dave McKay was born March 14, 1950 in Vancouver BC
He played from 1975-1982 for the Twins, Jays, and A's.
.229/.266/.313 21 HR 170 RBI
The middle infield has been generally a thin position for Canadian born players. For Second Basemen, it was really McKay or Pete Orr..
Third Base
Corey Koskie was born June 28, 1973 in Anola, Manitoba.
He played from 1998-2006 for Minnesota, Toronto, and Milwaukee.
.275/.367/.458 124 HR 506 RBI
Shortstop
Arthur Irwin was born February 14, 1858 in Toronto.
He played from 1880-1894 and was responsible for innovations in a few sports.
.241/.299/.305 5 HR 396 RBI
Left Field
Jeff Heath was born April 1, 1915 in Fort William, ON
He played from 1936-1949 for Cleveland, Boston, Washington, and St. Louis Browns.
.293/.370/.509 194 HR 887 RBI
He was a two-time All Star.
Centre Field
Terry Puhl was born July 8, 1956 in Melville Saskatchewan.
He played from 1977-1991 for Houston and Kansas City.
.280/.349/.388 62 HR 435 RBI 505 BB 507 SO
Right Field
Larry Walker was born December 1, 1966 in Maple Ridge, BC
He played from 1989-2005 for Montreal, Colorado, and St. Louis.
.313/.400/.565 383 HR 1311 RBI 230 SB 76 CS
For the Bench:
The Starting Rotation
Fergie Jenkins was born December 13, 1942 in Chatham Ontario
He played from 1965-1983 for the Phillies, Cubs, Red Sox, and Rangers.
284-226 3.34 ERA 997 BB 3192 K 1.142 WHIP
He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Reggie Cleveland was born May 23, 1948 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan
He played from 1969-1981 for the Cardinals, Red Sox, Rangers, and Brewers.
105-106 4.01 ERA 543 BB 930 K 1.319 WHIP
Ryan Dempster was born May 3, 1977 in Sechelt BC
He played from 1998-2013 for the Marlins, Reds, Red Sox, Cubs, and Rangers
132-133 4.35 ERA 1071 BB 2075 K 1.432 WHIP
Kirk McCaskill was born April 9, 1961 in Kapuskasing, Ontario
He played from 1985-1996 for the Angels and White Sox
106-108 4.12 ERA 665 BB 1003 K 1.396 WHIP
Bullpen
Claude Raymond was born May 7, 1937 in St. Jean Quebec
He played from 1959-1971 for the White Sox, Braves, Astros, and Expos.
46-53 3.66 ERA 82 SV 225 BB 497 K 1.298 WHIP
Paul Quantrill was born November 3, 1968 in London Ontario
He played from 1992-2005 for the Red Sox, Phillies, Jays, Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, and Marlins.
68-78 3.83 ERA 21 SV 336 BB 725 K 1.416 WHIP
Rheal Cormier was born April 23, 1967 in Moncton New Brunswick
He played from 1991-2007 for the Cardinals, Red Sox, Expos, Phillies, and Reds
71-64 4.03 ERA 2 SV 317 BB 760 K 1.281 WHIP
John Hiller was born April 8 1943 in Toronto, Ontario
He played from 1965-1980 for the Tigers
87-76 2.83 ERA 125 SV 535 BB 1036 K 1.268 WHIP
Eric Gagne was born January 7, 1976 in Montreal Quebec
He played from 1999-2008 for the Dodgers, Red Sox, Brewers, and Rangers
33-26 3.47 ERA 187 SV 226 BB 718 K 1.156 WHIP
So that's my list... What do you think? Comment below!
Very cool post. Pretty good bullpen there, and a solid bench. I'm surprised Votto didn't make it, but it's tough to beat Morneau. Didn't realize Canada was so thin in the middle infield, I'll have to make a note of who they have there in the WBC.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of WBC, I heard that Dempster and Gagne are coming out of retirement for the tournament. if that's true it'll be interesting to see if they can still pitch.
Indeed they are.. Gagne pitched in one game in each of the last two seasons.. Last season he pitched a game for the Ottawa Champions in the Can-Am League.
DeleteYeah.. Second and Shortstop have really been thin.. Dave McKay played 8 seasons in the majors.. Really the only other player to spend more than part of one season in the Majors was Pete Orr..
You may like my new post, since it addresses what teams have had the most Canadians..
I thought you'd like the manager :P
ReplyDeleteRon Taylor definitely fits the Team Trainer, if not pitcher..