THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER — Nat Bailey Stadium really is home sweet home for Canadian pitchers Eric Brown and Brandon Kaye.
The picturesque ballpark is home to both the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and the Vancouver Canadians, which is the Toronto Blue Jays’ short-season single-A affiliate.
Brown and Kaye, both human kinetics majors, spent the winter pitching for the Thunderbirds. They are the first UBC products to pitch for the Canadians, who play in the Northwest League.
They made their pro debuts out of the bullpen on June 30 in a 2-1 win over the Everett Aquasox.
“The familiar surroundings have definitely helped make it easier than what some other guys have had and having a familiar face (Kaye) around — it’s been fun,” said Brown.
Brown, a native of Thunder Bay, Ont., was the Blue Jays 50th-round selection in the 2011 Major League Baseball draft.
“I grew up with Toronto Blue Jays wallpaper on my walls. It was a tremendous opportunity to play pro ball and for it to be with the Blue Jays is just icing on the cake,” said the 22-year-old.
While pitching in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), Brown led the Thunderbirds with 83 1/3 innings pitched and 75 strikeouts. He went 7-2 with a 2.27 earned-run average.
In five innings of work with the C’s this season, Brown has eight strikeouts and a 9.00 ERA.
“He was one of our most consistent guys over the four years (at UBC),” said Terry McKaig, who is the head coach of UBC’s baseball program but doubles as the Canadians colour analyst on radio broadcasts. “He can pitch, he knows what he’s doing out there — he’s got a fastball in the upper 80s, a real good slider.
“His change-up is not bad, but he’s learning, I think, he’s going to have to use it a lot more here against the pro hitters.”
Brown believes the partnership between the C’s and Jays, which was reached last September, will have a positive impact on the game for young Canadian hopefuls.
“As a Canadian kid, you grow up watching the Blue Jays, you need those home town heroes — hopefully we can provide that for the Canadian kids in the Vancouver area,” he said. “I think it’s a great connection for the two Canadian franchises to be finally affiliated. It makes sense; the Canadians are doing a tremendous job.
“I’ve been around the park here for four years seeing how they operate — they’re doing that much more to build that relationship.”
Kaye, who also roomed with Brown this past winter, is even more at home playing for the Canadians. A native of Langley, B.C., he grew up going to games with his family and fondly remembers catching a foul ball at The Nat.
The six-foot-four 205-pounder now routinely makes the hour-long trek from his family’s home rather than a billet closer to the team’s facility.
“It makes it real easy, all I have to do is worry about getting to the park and working hard when I’m at the park, but other than that everything’s pretty much there for me outside the park,” said Kaye. “I go home, get a home-cooked meal and get a nice warm bed.”
The 22-year-old was originally a 45th-round selection of the Blue Jays in 2009, but signed as a free agent prior to the start of the season.
In 73 2/3 innings with the Thunderbirds during the 2011 season, Kaye went 7-3, with a 3.42 ERA, and 51 strikeouts.
With the C’s, Kaye has pitched 6 2/3 innings with five strikouts and a 2.20 ERA.
“He’s a big right-handed kid, physical kid and he’s had a fastball in the past in the upper 80s, touch 90 kind of thing,” said McKaig. “In the bullpen I think he’s the kind of guy that can build up some arm strength and actually throw a little bit harder.”
Making the transition to pro ball easier for Kaye is the fact his half-brother, Scott Richmond, is also in the Blue Jays system. He pitches for the Las Vegas 51’s.
“It’s something nobody ever gets a chance to experience and even to relate to someone who has already been to the show and played professional baseball. I’ve got all the inside scoops, what to expect, what I need to do to make it to the next level.
“As a fellow pitcher, he just says to be confident out there, make sure you throw strikes and just go out there and work hard every day.”
According to Canadians pitching coach Jim Czajkowski, the big thing for the pair is to get their arm strength back. Brown and Kaye were both starting pitchers with UBC, but have started the Northwest league season in the bullpen to avoid tiring their arm.
“They’re getting their feet wet and starting to become a little more comfortable, I think it’s showed in their last few outings,” said Czajkowski. “Their velocity will come back soon, but they go after guys and they do things that we want them to do.
“To them I think the biggest difference is the calibre of players.”
