October 27, 2023

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Dave McKay made Canadian baseball history when the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series on Tuesday.

With that D-Backs’ win, the Vancouver native became the first Canuck on-the-field coach to be part of three different teams that have advanced to the World Series.

McKay was the first base coach for the Oakland A’s when they competed in the Fall Classic for three straight years from 1988 to 1990. He had the same role with the St. Louis Cardinals’ pennant-winning squads in 2004, 2006 and 2011. And he’ll be in his familiar first base coaching box for the Diamondbacks tonight, as they take on the Texas Rangers in the first game of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

A baseball lifer and 2001 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, McKay has earned World Series rings with the A’s in 1989 and the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011.

If the D-Backs are victorious in this year’s Fall Classic, McKay will join Ron Taylor (Toronto, Ont.) as the only Canadian with World Series rings with three different teams. Taylor earned two rings as a pitcher with the Cardinals in 1964 and the New York Mets in 1969 and two more as the Blue Jays’ team doctor in 1992 and 1993.

McKay is the closest we have to a Canadian player in the World Series, but there are a few other Canadian connections to watch out for in this year’s Fall Classic.

Arizona Diamondbacks

This is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ fourth trip to the post-season since Jeffrey Royer (Toronto, Ont.) became a general partner with the club in 2004 and with their sweeps of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers and seven-game triumph over the Phillies in the NLCS, the D-Backs have won their first three post-season series while Royer has been involved. A hugely successful businessman, Royer is a private investor with interests in telecommunications, medical device manufacturing, professional sports and real estate.

Royer, who was at the Rogers Centre during the D-Backs series against the Blue Jays in mid-July, is one of two Canadians to co-own a major league club. Jeff Mallett (Victoria, B.C.) is part-owner of the San Francisco Giants.

Much has also been made of the fact that two former Blue Jays - Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno - have been key contributors to the D-backs this post-season. The Diamondbacks also have ex-Jay Miguel Castro in their bullpen.

And most have probably forgotten that D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo was the Blue Jays’ first base coach in 2011 and 2012. As a player, Lovullo also enjoyed stints with the triple-A Calgary Cannons (1994), Edmonton Trappers (1996) and Ottawa Lynx (1997).

Major League Coach: Dave McKay (Vancouver, B.C.), first base coach

General Partner: Jeffrey Royer (Toronto, Ont.)

Minor league players: C Gavin Logan (Medicine Hat, Alta.), RHP Eli Saul (Vancouver, B.C.)

Scout: Jason Chatwood (Innisfail, Alta.)

Texas Rangers

Prior to this year, the last time the Texas Rangers advanced to the post-season was in 2016 when they were swept in the American League Division Series by the Blue Jays on Josh Donaldson’s walk-off “mad dash” to home plate in the 10th inning in Game 3 at Rogers Centre.

Seven years later, with ex-Blue Jay Marcus Semien batting leadoff, they seem to be on a mission. Managed by veteran Bruce Bochy, the Rangers swept both of their heavily favored American League East opponents - the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles - in the first two rounds and then ousted the defending World Series champion Houston Astros in seven games in the American League Championship Series.

The Rangers don’t have any Canadians on their big league roster, but Canadian baseball legend Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.), who registered career-highs with 25 wins and 328 1/3 innings pitched for the Rangers in 1974, has vowed on Twitter to be at Globe Life Field for the World Series games.

The Rangers also seem to be stockpiling Canuck catchers and left-handers for the future (See below).

Minor league players: LHP Mitch Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.), C Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), LHP Thomas Ireland (Regina, Sask.), C Konner Piotto (Abbotsford, B.C.), C Jordan Procyshen (Calgary, Alta.)

Minor league staff: Ryan Bench (Fonthill, Ont.), lab intern, Texas Rangers Arizona Performance Center