Canada's team?

The Toronto Blue Jays are once again out of the post-season but there is plenty of Canadian content and players with connections north of the border to be found in the baseball playoffs.

Front and centre in that regard are the Milwaukee Brewers, led by general manager Doug Melvin of Chatham, Ont., and assistant GM Gord Ash of Toronto.

Along with dominating closer John Axford of Port Dover, Ont., catcher George Kottaras of Markham, Ont., infielder Taylor Green of Comox, B.C., starter Shaun Marcum and first base coach Garth Iorg, the latter two former Blue Jays, there is good reason for Canadian fans in search of a team to root for to adopt the Brew Crew.

“Definitely,” says Axford. “There’re a few guys on this club and obviously the GMs, we’ve got a lot of guys in the minor-league system, too, maybe the most of any organization out there.

“I think there’s a strong following back home in the counties where I grew up, I know at the old bar I used to work at they’re going to be watching a bunch of Brewers games, so hopefully the rest of Southern Ontario and the rest of Canada pulls for the Brewers.”

The National League Central champions won a franchise record 96 games en route to the post-season, earning home-field advantage for a series in which they’ll face another team loaded with former Blue Jays, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

While Ryan Roberts has been with the NL West champions for three years, first baseman Lyle Overbay joined them this summer after the Pittsburgh Pirates cut ties with him, while second baseman Aaron Hill and shortstop John McDonald made their way to the desert after a late August trade from Toronto.

After several failed attempts to make the playoffs alongside Marcum, they now get to face him in the division series.

“There a lot of us (former Jays) in the playoffs,” said Marcum, dealt to the Brewers last December for third baseman Brett Lawrie. “When I got traded here I couldn’t ask for a better situation. It’s been a lot of fun, we had expectations of getting here, got to spring training, fulfilled those, but we still have other goals we want to accomplish and get to. Hopefully we have a lot of games left to play.”

The St. Louis Cardinals – bolstered by the deadline deal that sent centre-fielder Colby Rasmus to the Blue Jays for left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, right-hander Octavio Dotel, outfielder Corey Patterson and starter Edwin Jackson (via the White Sox) – are feeling the same way after their dramatic run to capture the NL wildcard.

Along with first base coach Dave McKay of Vancouver, an original Blue Jay, the Cardinals meet Roy Halladay and the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round.

The post-season run will be the second since Halladay asked the Blue Jays to trade him because he felt he needed a better opportunity to chase his goal of winning the World Series, and he and his team will look to finish the job this time after getting knocked out in last year’s NL Championship Series.

The Phillies also have utilityman Pete Orr of Thornhill, Ont., on the roster.

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays may be the sentimental choice for many after their exhilarating run to wrest the wildcard away from the Boston Red Sox, but it’s the New York Yankees that feature the most Canadian content.

Catcher Russ Martin of Chelsea, Que., back in all-star form after two down years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been a steadying force for the AL East champions behind the plate, while third base coach Rob Thomson of Sarnia, Ont., has been busy waving runners home all season.

They’ll take on the Detroit Tigers, the AL Central champions popular in Windsor, Ont., and surrounding areas.

The aforementioned Rays take on the AL West champion Texas Rangers and MVP candidate Michael Young, a former Blue Jays prospect traded as part of the Esteban Loaiza deal in 2000.

All had their moments on the way to the playoffs. Now the second season begins.

“Early in spring training we all thought this was a great team, we all talked about it,” said Axford. “The discussion was we’re going to go to the playoffs, we want to go to the World Series, win the World Series and that was our goal from Day 1.

“We’ve got one goal out of the way.”

Shi Davidi is the MLB Insider for sportsnet.ca. Come back to read his insight and opinion regularly.