But What Do I Know? . . . Steven Jaschinski, Matt Brash, Jordan Romano, Brooks Robinson

May 18, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Some Canadian baseball news and notes from the past week:

Canadian umpire Jaschinski makes MLB debut

Steven Jaschinski (Burlington, Ont.) made his MLB debut as the second-base umpire in the Toronto Blue Jays’ 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Rogers Centre on Friday.

The 26-year-old is the third Canadian to umpire in the big leagues this season, joining Stu Scheurwater (Regina, Sask.) and Alex Tosi (Burlington, Ont.).

A former Intercounty Baseball League umpire, Jaschinski had been selected to work major league games in spring training for the past two years. In recent years, he has worked his way up through the minor league ranks and he began 2025 officiating games in the triple-A International League.

According to a Cambridge Times article, Jaschinski has been umpiring amateur baseball since he was nine.

Bo Naylor retakes Canadian MLB home run lead from brother

On Friday, Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) took Cincinnati Reds right-hander Brady Singer deep in the fifth inning for his sixth home run of the season. With this, he retook the home run lead among Canadian big leaguers in 2025.

On Tuesday, his brother, Josh, had socked his fifth homer of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Meanwhile, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) also clubbed his fifth home run of the campaign for the Toronto Blue Jays’ in their 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.

Canadian MLB Home Run Leaders in 2025

6 – Bo Naylor

5 – Josh Naylor, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

3 – Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.)

2 – Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.), Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.), Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.)

1 – Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.)

Romano closing games for Phillies again

Reliever Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) has a streak of seven consecutive scoreless outings for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also recorded two saves this past week. So, after a rocky start to the season, the Canuck righty seems to have rediscovered his form and is sharing the Phillies’ closer’s role with left-hander Jose Alvarado.

Romano, who signed a one-year, $8.5-million deal with the Phillies on December 9 after the Blue Jays declined to offer him arbitration, had been taken out of the closer’s role after his ERA had ballooned to 13.50 on April 23.

The 31-year-old reliever underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow last July.

An Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad, Romano recorded 105 saves in six seasons with the Blue Jays prior to signing with the Phillies.

Brash tossing up zeroes since return

Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) has not allowed a run in five relief appearances since being activated by the Seattle Mariners on May 3. He has struck out six batters in 4 2/3 innings.

Needless to say, it has been a strong return for Brash who had not pitched in the big leagues since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2024.

Leading up to his return, Brash made six appearances for the triple-A Tacoma Rainiers as part of a minor league rehab assignment.

In 2023, the 6-foot-1 righty developed into a go-to late-inning reliever for the Mariners. He led major league pitchers with 78 appearances and had a 9-4 record and a 3.06 ERA. He fanned 107 batters in 70 2/3 innings, good for a 13.6 strikeout-per-nine-inning rate.

O’Halloran recorded first MLB hit 31 years ago

On this date 31 years ago, Greg O’Halloran (Toronto, Ont.) registered his first MLB hit with the Florida Marlins. He pinch-hit for Charlie Hough in the seventh inning and laced a single to centre field off New York Mets’ righty Bobby Jones at Shea Stadium. Two batters later, he scored his first MLB run on an Alex Arias single. That turned out to be the game-winning run for the Marlins in their 4-3 victory.

Rest in peace, Ben Waghorn

I was heartbroken to learn that Ben Waghorn, a respected lawyer and longtime Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame volunteer and board member, passed away suddenly on Wednesday at the age of 57.

This story illustrates the type of person and leader Ben was. I believe it was the morning of the 2005 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony and someone had backed out of speaking on behalf of former major leaguer Charles “Pop” Smith, a Digby, N.S., native who was long deceased and was being inducted that day. The Hall was scrambling to find someone to read a page about Smith at the ceremony. They asked me to do it and I was petrified at the prospect of speaking in front of hundreds of people without any preparation. Sensing my apprehension, Ben stepped in and said he would do it. I handed him the page and he delivered it more eloquently than I could have. That’s the type of guy Ben was. He stepped up when someone needed him. My deepest condolences to his family.

48th anniversary of Andre Dawson‘s first MLB home run

Forty-eight years ago today, Andre Dawson belted his first major league home run for the Montreal Expos. The then 22-year-old Dawson started in centre field and was batting third when he connected for a solo homer in the eighth inning off Atlanta Braves reliever Buzz Capra at Fulton County Stadium. The Expos lost the game 10-8.

That was the first of 19 home runs Dawson clubbed for the Expos in his rookie season, which helped him win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Remembering Brooks Robinson

Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson would’ve turned 88 today. Born in Little Rock, Ark., Robinson evolved into arguably the best third baseman in major league history. From 1955 to 1977 with the Baltimore Orioles, he was selected to play in 18 All-Star games, won 16 Gold Glove awards, slammed 268 homers and was a two-time World Series champion (1966 and 1970). For his efforts, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

But what most don’t know is that prior to becoming a superstar third baseman with the Orioles, Robinson batted .331 and belted six home runs in 42 games for the triple-A Vancouver Mounties in 1959. He had been sent there after slumping with the Orioles to begin the season.

“In retrospect that brief tour at Vancouver is one of the bright spots of my baseball career,” wrote Robinson in his autobiography, Third Base Is My Home.

Fun Fact of the Week

Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) made 594 starts during his big league career. He threw a complete game in 267 of those. In other words, he threw a complete game in 45 per cent (!) of his starts.

Beachville museum fundraiser set for May 31

Step up to the plate on May 31st for a day of history, fun, and community at an event called Baseball, Burgers, and Buddies in Beachville, Ont.

Hosted by the Beachville District Museum and the Zorra Heritage Committee, this family-friendly fundraiser celebrates the 187th Anniversary of the first recorded baseball game which took place in Beachville, Ont., on June 4, 1838 with an exciting recreation game, baseball displays and demonstrations, and a lunch served by the Beachville Legion (available from noon to 2 p.m.).

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and London Majors Alumni Association will have displays at the event.

For more information on how you can purchase tickets, click on this link.

Support my nephew on National Red Shirt Day

May 28th is Easter Seals’ National Red Shirt Day. Red Shirt Day is a day when people across Canada come together and wear red to create a visible display of solidarity — to show their support for disabled people and their families and celebrate the achievements of disabled Canadians.

By wearing red or purchasing a red shirt or hoodie (information below) from Easter Seals, you will be supporting people like my nephew, Kalin, who lives with a physical disability. Kalin has cerebral palsy, but he doesn’t let that stop him from being a passionate voice for accessibility.

By wearing red on May 28th, you will be sending a message to our politicians that it’s not just Canadians living with disabilities that are pushing for a fully accessible Canada.

For those who want to support National Red Shirt Day financially, you can order an official shirt or hoodie from Easter Seals to wear that day. You can order the shirts through this link.

You can also support Easter Seals by participating in the Red Shirt Day Walk for Accessibility and Inclusion. My nephew is an ambassador for Camp Woodeden in London, Ont., and he will be participating in a fundraising walk there on May 25th. There are also walks in Kingston, Orillia, Sudbury and Whitby.

For more information on how you can participate in this walk, click here. 

Trivia question

This week’s trivia question: Just six Canadian pitchers – including Fergie Jenkins – have made 200 or more starts in the major leagues. Can you name two other pitchers (other than Jenkins) born in Canada who have made 200 or more starts in the big leagues? Please share your answer in the “Comments” section below.

Last week’s trivia question answer

The answer to last week’s trivia question (Just two players born in Canada have registered more than 200 stolen bases in the majors. Can you name them?) was Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and Terry Puhl (Melville, Sask.).