May 27, 2021

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Brendan McGuigan’s name is under the M’s as it should be on the Team Canada roster.

Right there with the M&Ms and the M&Ms -- Scott Mathieson and Will McAffer, plus McGuigan and Dustin Molleken. All four relievers will try to help put up some ‘Ws’ at the Americas Olympic qualifier at Port St. Lucie and Palm Beach. Fla. Which ever country wins the eight-team tournament earns a spot in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The second and third place finishers head to Mexico for the WBSC Final Qualifier where the sixth and final country will be settled.

Mathieson (Vancouver, BC) pitched three years with the Philadelphia Phillies and eight with the Yomiuri Giants -- Japan’s New York Yankees.

A 25th round pick by the Blue Jays in 2018 from the Tulane Green Wave, McAffer (West Vancouver, BC) is in his third year in the Toronto system.

Molleken (Regina, Sask.) pitched four games with the Detroit Tigers as well as 852 2/3 innings elsewhere from 2003-19 (Minors (14 seasons in the minors, four in foreign, including two in Japan and two in independent ball).

Mathieson, McAffer and Molleken have combined for 20 international appearances wearing Canada red and white -- led by Molleken’s 10 -- but who the heck is Brendan McGuigan?

And where in the name of Freddie Freeman, Jameson Taillon and Chris Barnwell did he come from?

Well, McGuigan was born in Hong Kong in 1995, which at the time was still a British colony.

“That meant I inherited my parents citizenship,” McGuigan said. And both his parents are Canadian.

Mom Laura is from Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, while his father Steve is from Toronto, growing up where in North York where Highways 400 and 401 meet. Steve played baseball, hockey, ran cross country and wrestled, but didn’t play sports past high school.

The two eventually met when working in Ottawa. After graduating from St. Clare’s School of Nursing in St. John’s, Laura began nursing, while Steve was employed in sales for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. working with Samsung Electronics a lot.

“My sister, Ali, was born in Ottawa and six months later the family was on the move to Singapore for two years and then the plan was to move to Canada,” said McGuigan. “After restructuring of the company my dad worked for, we ended up being sent to Austin (Tex.).”

McGuigan was speaking from Oregon before his class-A Everett AquaSox played the homeless Vancouver Canadians in Hillsboro, Ore. Tuesday night. The AquaSox are part of the Seattle Mariners system.

He flew out of Portland for Florida as Team Canada prepares for Monday’s opener against Colombia. His teammates Julio Rodriguez will be making the same flight to suit up for the Dominican Republic.

And the joking has begun in earnest between teammates today and opponents next week.

McGuigan said with a laugh, “If I face you ... nothing but sliders, nothing but sliders.”

Rodriguez: “C’mon man ... you have to throw me a fastball. Just one. Please.”

Of course, as a Canadian growing up in Austin since he was four, McGuigan has been teased before.

“They would say the normal stuff once they found out I was Canadian,” McGuigan said. “How we all live in igloos, how we put maple syrup on anything and everything.”

He calls his parents the most influential people in his baseball life.

“My dad and mom were supportive, it’s a baseball journey we have shared,” McGuigan said. “He pushed me in the good ways. Their approach was: ‘We’ll support you as long as you put the work in, but as soon as it stops being fun.’ I’m really, really thankful for their help.”

His parents are making the 19-hour drive to Palm Beach.

LHP Rob Zastryzny (Edmonton, Alta.) deserves credit for getting McGuigan into a Canadian uniform. The pair worked out together at True Grind Systems in Leander, Tex. The two spoke about being on the same team, but now Zastryzny has signed with the Miami Marlins organization.

“I trained with Rob and he spoke very highly of the program,” said McGuigan, who called Greg Hamilton, director of national teams before in 2020 “to try to get on the radar ... he said they would check me out.”

McGuigan was asked if he was looking forward to putting on a uniform which reads Canada. He took a breath before answering.

“I know for a fact I’m going to get chills, this will be one of the greatest honours of my life,” he said. “You grow up thinking about representing your country. Everyone with the Mariners has been supportive.”

Making the Mariners is a success story. Out of high school he had two offers: a Division III school near Austin and the University of Richmond Spiders. He chose the latter. In five seasons -- he was injured as a sophomore and was given a medical redshirt -- he was 6-11 with one save and a 4.05 ERA. He walked 77 hitters and struck out 157 in 153 2/3 innings in 52 games -- making 22 starts. He was a team captain in 2019.

A one-inning outing in a Northwoods League showcase game enabled McGuigan to sign with the Mariners.

For two summers, he pitched for the Lakeshore Chinooks in the Northwoods League and when he was not drafted he returned in 2019 for a third season.

In July, he pitched one inning in a Northwoods prospects showcase game. When the game was over Mariners scout Robert Keller was waiting for him outside the dugout.

Keller said, “We’re going to sign you.” He called the next day and it was done. The signing bonus? “It was $1,000 ... before tax,” said McGuigan.

McGuigan, now 25, pitched five games for the class-A West Virginia Power going 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in 2019. This year he’s 1-1 with a 0.90 ERA for Everett in six games. He pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save in the 5-3 win over Vancouver. He allowed one walk for manager Louis Boyd (North Vancouver, BC).

In two seasons he is 2-2 with a 1.33 ERA striking out 29 in 21 1/3 innings.

The last time McGuigan was in Canada was two years ago for his cousin’s wedding in Caledon as they stayed with relatives in Oakville. His mom has relatives in St. John’s, Halifax and two of her sisters moved to Maine. He and his wife Elizabeth were wed in October. While McGuigan went north to Richmond, Va. Elizabeth attended University of Texas.

The toughest hitters McGuigan remembers facing were first rounder Texas Rangers Josh Jung in instructional league last fall which ended in a strikeout and former Florida State first baseman Drew Mendoza, who he faced in college. Mendzoa is now at double-A Harrisburg.

Chances are he’ll have some more names after pitching for Canada.