But What Do I Know? … Chris Carpenter, Michael Young, Fergie Jenkins

My weekly opinions, observations and rants about some Canadian baseball stories (Please follow me on Twitter: @kevinglewsports):

 Am I the only one who’s debating who’s the best ex-St. Catharines Stomper (former Blue Jays’ New York-Penn League Low-A affiliate) player left in the playoffs? Michael Young (1997) and Chris Carpenter (1999) both suited up for the now defunct Canadian club during their minor league tenures.

 No one should be surprised that ex-Jay Shaun Marcum has been hit hard this post-season. In his first four big league campaigns as a regular starter (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011), his ERA has consistently ballooned in the second half, and his September ERAs are 7.27, 5.17, 3.76 and 5.17 respectively.

 Thanks to Liz Holmes, the most diehard Jays fan I know, for informing me that call-up Brian Jeroloman was nursing a broken hand during the final five weeks of the season. This explains why he didn’t see any big league action with the Jays.

 Thanks to the vision and hard work of charismatic ex-big leaguer Scott Bullett, Canadian teenagers will have the chance to participate in the Fergie Jenkins Showcase League starting next May. Read more about the league here: http://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/articles/fergie-jenkins-showcase-league-begins-play-in-may/

 It’s interesting to note that the September clash between Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter and Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan was a verbal sparring match between two ex-hockey players. Carpenter was an all-state defenceman for Trinity High School in Manchester, New Hampshire, before electing to pursue a baseball career, while Morgan suited up for seven games with the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats in 1999-00.

 Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz, who has five home runs against the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series, played 63 games for the Low-A Vancouver Canadians in 2002 as a member of the Oakland A’s organization.

 The sometimes brash Milwaukee Brewers have to be considered Canada’s team this post-season. For my CBC blog last week, I wrote about the club’s Canadian connections. Here’s the link: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/kevinglew/2011/10/brewers-are-canadas-crew-eh.html?cmp=rss

 Endy Chavez is the only former Montreal Expos player left in the playoffs. The Rangers outfielder toiled for the Expos from 2002 to 2004, and he also had Triple-A stints with the Ottawa Lynx (2002) and Edmonton Trappers (2004).

 Thanks to Tom Valcke, president of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, for forwarding this story about Canuck multi-sport star and College Word Series Champion, Jim Conroy, who recently passed away: http://www.usctrojans.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/100511aaa.html