You don't see THIS everyday!
No matter how the thrilling October races finish up, the Vancouver Canadians can already say that a former C's player will hoist the World Series trophy this fall for the third consecutive season.
The four ex-C's are currently on rival clubs, with RHP Joe Blanton on the Phillies, RHP Santiago Casilla pitching out of the bullpen for the San Francisco Giants, OF Nelson Cruz patrolling the outfield against the New York Yankees and their former Canadian OF Nick Swisher.
Their Vancouver connection does not stop with having donned the Canadians cap, as all four players spent the same 2002 season with the C's.
When Oakland Athletics GM Billy Beane and his staff completed their now infamous 'Moneyball Draft' in June of 2002, they wasted no time in sending some of their first round draft picks to Vancouver, in the Northwest League.
The season began on June 18th, and on that day there were the likes of Swisher, Cruz, C Jeremy Brown, 3B Mark Teahen and SS Mark Kiger suiting up for the C's, all of whom have now spent time in the Major Leagues.
Swisher, Oakland's top draft pick, had a five-game hitting streak from June 18th to the 22nd, before coming home to Nat Bailey Stadium and collecting three hits over his next five games. As fans flocked out to watch him play, the A's brass had better things in mind and almost immediately promoted him to the Visalia Oaks of the California League (High-A) on June 30th.
His departure meant that Manager Orv Franchuk was scrambling to find someone to replace his offensive prowess in the batting order, and he found OF Nelson Cruz waiting in the wings in the days to come.
Cruz, who was in his second season with the A's organization since being sent over from the New York Mets, entered play on June 30th with a batting average of .161 but over the course of the next five days went 7-17 with a home run and five RBI to raise it to .250.
The Dominican-born outfielder hit .377 in the first month after Swisher was promoted, solidifying himself as an everyday-threat in the Canadians lineup.
Cruz finished the 2002 summer with a bang, picking up four hits in five at-bats on September 2nd at Salem-Keizer enroute to Vancouver's final victory of the season.
As Cruz finished up his most impressive Minor League season in his young career, the Canadians pitching staff had received a major lift in early-August as big RHP Joe Blanton headed to Vancouver fresh off of signing his first professional contract.
Just over a week after RHP Chris Dunwell and RHP Jared Burton (who played for the Cincinnati Reds, opposing Blanton in this year's NLDS) no-hit the Spokane Indians for the first time in franchise history, Blanton entered a game on August 5th at Eugene trailing 1-0 in the fifth inning.
Cruz supplied him with a home run in the 6th to tie the game, and suddenly the former Kentucky Wildcat was looking at potentially getting his first professional win.
Unfortunately, the bottom of the 7th saw two runs come across under his stat line and Blanton was handed a loss.
On August 20th, with two more games of experience under his belt, he unleashed on one of the greatest pitching performances to-date in Vancouver Canadians history.
Facing the Boise Hawks in front of 2,781 fans, Blanton struck out five and allowed a single hit in seven innings of work, before turning it over to LHP Leonard Landeros who also gave up a mere hit, in two innings of relief time.
This performance paved the way to a promotion, this time to Modesto of the California League where he joined 3B Mark Teahen who had been promoted on the same day as Swisher in late-June.
Unbeknownst to Blanton, his departure from the Canadians is in part to thank for the progression of RHP Santiago Casilla (Jairo Garcia from his C's days) who is now in the opposing bullpens as they are set to square off in the NLCS.
When Joe was promoted on August 21st, a spot in the rotation was now available.
Rather than going to their bullpen to find a couple of 'spot starters' to fill the void, Oakland's management sent a young and highly-touted 19 year old prospect in Casilla and sent him to Vancouver for August 25th.
As did Blanton, Casilla's first appearance came in Eugene, and in a similar story to his predecessor, he lost his first outing. His first start at Vancouver came five days later, where LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith and the Aquasox sent him from the game in the fourth inning en route to his second consecutive loss.
Finishing the season on September 4th, Casilla lasted five innings but another loss gave him a 0-3 record as he went home for the off-season. However, he was sent to Kane County (A) the next season and thrived there as he alternated between the bullpen and starting rotation.
Had Blanton's spot never opened up in Vancouver, Casilla may have been sent to the C's in 2003, and his development would've been altered. Two seasons after he put on the Canadians then-blue uniform for the first time, Casilla entered the Big Leagues on August 9th in Minnesota and pitched two hitless innings of relief.
Now in his seventh MLB season (some of which were split with the Minor Leagues), Casilla is one of the most valuable relievers for the San Francisco Giants bullpen. His hold on October 3rd against San Diego paved the way for a return to the playoffs for the Giants faithful, who have been waiting since 2003 for October baseball.
Blanton is set to start Game 4 of the NLCS on October 20th, and should he pitch deep into the game, he may oppose the man he once allowed an opportunity to head to Vancouver for, back in 2002.
Blanton is no stranger to the post-season, having won the World Series in 2008.
Currently, OF Nick Swisher of the Yankees and OF Nelson Cruz of the Rangers are both major parts of their respective teams' offence, and heading forward could each get an opportunity to face one of their fellow 2002 Canadians' in the World Series.
Back in Vancouver, the Canadians and their fans couldn't be more thrilled to watch the '2002 Boys of Summer' as they each strive to pick up some post-season hardware.
Canadians Assistant GM and Broadcaster Rob Fai is aware of this unique opportunity that is presenting itself in C's history.
"The beauty of this moment for us in Vancouver is that back in 2002 we had no idea that these four guys would eventually find their way to the bright lights of the Major Leagues. To think that four, not just one, but four former C's are all vying for a World Series Championship is incredibly rewarding."
Will Joe Blanton or Nick Swisher each pick up their second championship title? Can Nelson Cruz lead the Rangers to their first World Series in franchise history? Or will Santiago Casilla and his Giants shock the baseball world and return to the World Series for the first time since 2002?
Either which way, fans can rest assured that a Vancouver Canadian will play a major part in the Major League post-season this year, and pick up a much-deserved title.
Jeremy Knight is a senior at Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver. During the summer, Knight interns in the Vancouver Canadians Media Relations Department.