Detroit – Cardinal first base coach Dave McKay is the lone Canadian representative in the 2006 World Series.  The Vancouver native who was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 has been a loyal assistant to Tony Larussa for more than thirty years.  McKay won a World Series ring in 1989 when the Larussa-led Oakland A's swept the San Francisco Giants, and his last trip to the World Series was in 2004 when the Cards were swept by the Boston Red Sox.

"Going to a World Series is something that never gets old," said an exhausted McKay en route to Detroit today after narrowly beating the New York Mets last night in Game Seven of the NLCS to advance.

"It takes a complete team and a complete year, winning in the long haul and winning short series.  It takes organization, preparation, commitment and dedication.  All of that plus a little bit of luck!"

"St. John, New Brunswick's Matt Stairs will be in uniform for the Tigers, but because he was acquired after the September 1st deadline, he is ineligible for World Series action.

The last Canadian to play in a World Series was Maple Ridge, BC native Larry Walker, who finally had his first chance in the final year of his outstanding career with the 2004 Cardinals.  In the first World Series game of his life, Canada's undisputed greatest all-time hitter pounded four hits, including a homerun and a pair of doubles.  The five-time all-star added another round-tripper in Game Three and finished with a .357 batting average.

The last Canadian to win a World Series was Rob Butler with his home town team Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.

The most prolific Canadian in World Series history would be Huntsville, Ontario's George "Twinkletoes" Selkirk, who won five World Series rings with the New York Yankees.  Selkirk's most notable World Series was his debut in 1936, when he homered in his first at bat against Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell and went on to bat .333 in defeating the cross-town rival Giants in six games.

Toronto-born Ron Taylor won a pair of rings with the 1964 Cardinals and the Miracle Mets in 1969, boasting a spotless career record of seven innings pitched in World Series play without allowing a hit or a run.

As divided as Canada will be in its support this year between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, there is no doubt as to the allegiance of 37 Canadian legends.  Some are living and some are not, but here is the list of Canadians who have played for the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals, including 11 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees.

Canadians who have played for the Detroit Tigers:

Pete Lepine 1902
HOF Justin Jay Clarke 1905
Gene Ford 1905
HOF Jimmy Archer 1907
HOF Frank O'Rourke 1924-26
Earl Cook 1941
Paul Calvert 1950-51
HOF Reno Bertoia 1953-58, 61-62
HOF John Hiller 1965-70, 72-80
George Korince 1966-67
Mike Kilkenny 1969-72
Sheldon Burnside 1978-79
Mike Gardiner 1993-95
Joe Siddall 1998
Chris Mears 2003
Danny Klassen 2003
Matt Stairs 2006

Canadians who have played for the St. Louis Cardinals:

John Doyle 1882
HOF Tip O'Neill 1884-89,91
Kid Summers 1893
Bill Magee 1901
Clarence Currie 1902-03
Larry McLean 1904, 1913
Win Kellum 1905
Bill O'Hara 1910
Bob Steele 1916-17
Vince Shields 1924
HOF Tom Burgess 1954
HOF Ron Taylor 1963-65
Ken Mackenzie 1963
HOF Ron Piche 1966
HOF Reggie Cleveland 1969-73
Rheal Cormier 1991-94
David Wainhouse 2000
Stubby Clapp 2001
Larry Walker 2004-05
Cody McKay 2004