The Stairs Factor..

[Foster]

STAIRS HOPES TO BRING SERIES RING TO ATLANTIC CANADA

Fall Classic Fever has struck hard in Atlantic Canada as Fredericton's Matt Stairs and the Philadelphia Phillies face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series Wednesday.

Bill Saunders and Gary Flinn are among the many New Brunswicker to have hopped on the Phillies bandwagon. Both men remember the days when current Phillies outfielder Matt Stairs used to take his cuts on diamonds in and around Fredericton.

He had Major League tools then," said Saunders. "It was just a matter of somebody getting to see him and getting him to sign."

Saunders coached Stairs with the 1987 Fredericton Schooners of the New Brunswick-Nova Scotia Senior Baseball League. Now Saunders says he's a Phillies fanatic.

"I threw my Toronto Blue Jays hat away and dug out the one I got right now," he said, referencing his new Phillies cap. "So I'm a Philly fan, right now, that's for sure. and I'm sure the rest of Fredericton, the province of New Brunswick and probably all of Canada are, right now, pulling for the Philadelphia Phillies."

Stairs has played for 11 teams in 16 Major league seasons, but had never played in a post-season game. That changed after he was traded to Philadelphia late in the season by the Toronto Blue Jays, as he helped the Phillies clinch the National League East Division title by hitting .294 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI in 17 at-bats down the stretch.

Philadelphia beat the Milwaukee Brewers in five games in the NL Divisional Series, and dropped the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games in the National League Championship Series. The 40-year old Stairs had only one hit in three post-season at-bats, but it was a big one. His pinch-hit two-run home run in Game 4 of the NLCS was the difference in a 7-5 victory.

"I try to swing for the fences," said Stairs, who has 255 career long balls including the NLCS smash. "That's what I've done my whole career. I was very fortunate to square one up."

Former big league pitcher Jason Dickson, now the Executive Director of Sport New Brunswick, said Stairs is living the dream of every baseball player by taking part in the World Series.

"Individual accomplishments are, you know, they're great," said Dickson. But there's a different feeling in the team aspect and I think for Matt. He's getting closer to the end of his career. I'm sure that he realizes that this is the one shot."

Stairs is not the first Maritimer to go to the World Series. He's not even the first from his hometown. That distinction goes to Fredericton's Larry McLean, who played in the 1913 World Series.

McLean was traded by St. Louis to John McGraw's powerhouse New York Giants that year. As the Giants starting catcher, McLean called games for all-timers Christy Mathewson and Rube Marquard as they clinched another National League pennant. Although he led the Giants in the 1913 World Series with six hits (.500), McLean and the Giants fell to the Philadelphia Athletics in five games.

Bill O'Neill of Saint John was the first Maritimer to play in the Fall Classic, as he helped the Chicago White Sox beat the Chicago Cubs in the 1906 World Series. Like Stairs, O'Neill was mostly used off the bench by the Sox, which was an important job on a team known as the "Hitless Wonders." After sitting for two games, O'Neill got his chance when he was used as a pinch-runner in Game 3. He made it count, scoring on George Rohe's bases-loaded triple in the sixth inning. O'Neill stayed in the game, a 3-0 White Sox win, but did not get a hit in his only at-bat of the series.

Still, O'Neill played on a World Series winner, a feat Stairs hopes to duplicate, and Dickson said another generation of potential pros could emerge from Atlantic Canada if the Phillies bandwagon fills up and the Fredericton slugger brings home a World Series ring.

"You know, for all those kids that are just down the road in Tay Creek or Stanley or even in Fredericton. You can look at the baseball fields that are around the city and say he played here and if you're in Chatham, he played here."

Like most Maritime cities, Fredericton has historically been a Red Sox or a Blue Jays town. For the next couple of weeks, at least, Fredericton will be Phillies country.

Files from CTV's Andy Campbell and Dannell Belfour were used in this report

So I guess that I should be routing for the Phillies. I like Stairs so I wish them all the best, and if he hits a dinger to win the WS, than I will in fact run through this city (his hometown) yelling at the top of my lungs, screaming oppsentities, and praising the name of one Matthew Wade Stairs.

Nice piece of history there to. New Brunswick has always been a ball province, as witnessed by the two time Canadian Collegiate Baseball Champions University of New Brunswick Cougars. Now beating the McGill Redmen, after beating the Concordia Stingers last year. Two Montreal schools go down. Take that DK.

But back to topic. Stairs=god.
Thoughts?

[DirtyKash]

I'm happy that McGill and Concordia are bad, as I have no affiliation with them. Both schools suck at sports in general; McGill's football team is 0-7 this year in the CIS and Concordia is an okay 4-3 but haven't really beaten anyone substantial. And both times that Concordia played Laval, they got crushed. The whole CIS regular season is kind of pointless because Laval and Queen's are clearly light years better than anyone else (Queen's crushed 7-1 Western by a score of 43-16) and both should just get direct entries to the Vanier Cup and get it over with.

[Foster]

Wait a second, SMU down here deserves a shoot. They were 3rd in the last rankings I saw.

[DirtyKash]

Saint Mary's got crushed by Montreal, who isn't even all that good.

[Foster]

Ohh, missed that one. But they usually always loose one of those interlocking games against an opponent from Quebec.

Back on topic....

Stoked for Stairs

That popular baseball song may not be the official anthem of Tay Creek, but it's beginning to dominate people's thoughts as one of the community's native sons, Matt Stairs, prepares to play in his first World Series.

The Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League spot in the series Wednesday by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The series win has residents of this small rural community, located near Fredericton, ready to play ball ... or at least watch it on television.

Tay Creek resident George Godin can't wait for it to start.

He said he will have lots of the "good stuff" on hand when the series Wednesday.

"I'll start with beer, but every time he (Stairs) gets a base hit, I'll have a shot of rye," Godin said with a laugh.

[DirtyKash]

The whole city of Tay Creek is abuzz for Matt Stairs' one bat per game.

[Foster]

Population is less than 100 I believe, so I am sure the local moonshine dealer is rockin' out with a wad of cash in his pocket.