Canadian Baseball Crunch: 2015 Year in Review

No story in Canadian sports captured the nation's attention like the Toronto Blue Jays' first playoff run in over two decades. So it was no surprise to see the Jays win the Canadian Press team of the year award. Starting catcher Russell Martin, general manager Alex Anthopoulos, and president Paul Beeston –three proud Canadians – all played an integral role in Toronto's success. Martin signed a five-year deal with Toronto in the offseason and came as advertised: a terrific defensive catcher and a clutch bat in an already monster lineup. Anthopoulos and Beeston had headed the operation together for a few years, and Anthopoulos' wheeling-and-dealing during trade deadline week won't soon be forgotten.

It won't have quite the same Canadian feel at the top if the Blue Jays do it again in 2016, though. We knew 2015 was Beeston's farewell season, but it was a bit of a surprise when Anthopoulos opted not to return to the club with Mark Shapiro taking over as president and CEO. That leaves Martin, outfielders Michael Saunders and Dalton Pompey, and assistant GM Andrew Tinnish to carry Canada's colours for the country's lone major-league team. Anthopoulos told the Canadian Press he expects to have a job in baseball by as early as January.

When it comes to Toronto, Shapiro, a Massachusetts-born American who grew up in Baltimore and spent almost 25 years working in Cleveland, told John Lott of the National Post that he's focused on building a sustained winner on the field next season and isn't worried about winning any popularity contests:

For as much as the fans may have liked and appreciated Anthopoulos and Beeston, what's most important is that the team that takes the field at Rogers Centre is competitive and entertaining. That was certainly the case in 2015. Baseball fans in Canada are eagerly waiting to see what 2016 brings.

Canadians among MVP candidates, All-Stars in MLB

Martin, who was named to his fourth career All-Star game, wasn't the only Canadian to shine in the major leagues in 2015. Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds finished third in National League MVP balloting and was honoured with the Tip O'Neill award as the top Canadian in baseball by the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Other notable achievements: reliever John Axford turned a solid season with the Colorado Rockies into a two-year contract with Oakland and Jeff Francis made a handful of appearances for the Blue Jays before retiring from pro ball.

The best story, however, belongs to Adam Loewen. Loewen worked his way back to the big leagues as a pitcher, making 20 relief appearances for the Phillies. The last time Loewen stepped on a major-league mound to pitch prior to 2015 was in July 2008 with Baltimore. Recurring elbow injuries forced the big left-hander to stop pitching after that season and he made the switch to position player. But after a few years primarily as an outfielder, including being a September call-up by Toronto in 2011, Loewen was open to taking one final shot at being a pitcher again and against all odds, returned to the majors.

Two medals at the Pan Am Games

Canada's men's and women's baseball teams reached the podium at the Toronto's Pan Am Games this past summer. The men's team beat the United States for the gold medal in a whacky final that needed extra innings while the women took silver, losing in the final to the U.S.

FIRST TO HOME

First: Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.) has signed a minor-league deal with the Detroit Tigers. The 31-year-old right-hander pitched for Cleveland's Triple-A team in 2015 and has also played for the Pirates, Rockies, and Brewers organizations as well as in Japan.

Second: Justin Morneau, the second best-available first baseman with major-league experience in Jeff Passan's free-agent rankings, remains on the market. The Pirates, Brewers, and Orioles are potential landing spots for the 34-year-old from New Westminster, B.C.

Third: The Vancouver Canadians are hosting their sixth annual Hot Stove luncheon on Jan. 29. The event is extremely popular and always features high-profile guests from the Blue Jays. Visit the Canadians' website for more information on attending.

Home: Canisius College's Connor Panas is the Canadian Baseball Network's 2015 Canadian College player of the year. Panas hit .372 and had a 1.104 OPS and 11 home runs in 68 games for the Golden Griffins, playing third base, first base, and some outfield. Check out the Canadian Baseball Network for the rest of their All-Canadian College team for 2015.

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr