Former Kingston Thunder RHP Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) has been a star reliever for the Seattle Mariners.

October 14, 2025

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The Blue Jays drew 44,814 fans to Rogers Centre for Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on Monday.

Yes, it was a sellout.

No, the building was not 100% full of Blue Jays fans.

“I’d rather see Matt win a World Series ring, he trumps the Blue Jays for me,” said Randy Casford, Matt Brash’s former coach with the Kingston Thunder.

Casford was in section 115 along with his two sons -- Cole and Kyle, former Brash teammates -- plus Jamie and Sandra Brash, proud parents of the Mariners’ outstanding reliever.

“Matt grew up being a Blue Jays fan, both my kids cheer for both,” said Casford, who coached Brash for “seven or eight years,” saying “he was always better than anyone else.”

“We had hoped he would be drafted by the Jays, but it didn’t work out.”

The Brash row in section 115 would be difficult to spot as the Mariners thumped the Blue Jays 10-3 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven ALCS which resumes Wednesday in Seattle. It was relaxing as Brash, who took most of the gang for breakfast Monday morn, did not pitch.

On Sunday, the same row was easy to spot -- everyone with their heads held high, their chests stuck out and their hearts aflutter -- in the eighth inning when Brash came out of the bullpen door to pitch for Seattle.

“We could see him warming up, I love what they have done to the stadium,” said Casford (Kingston, Ont.). “It was pretty awesome when he came on in relief ... gets your heart going ... fun to watch

Brash came on to work the eighth with a 3-1 lead and it went like this

_ SS Andres Gimenez grounded out on an 0-1 pitch.

_ George Springer, who had homered on the first pitch of the game, struck out swinging on an 0-2 slider.

_ PH Davis Schneider popped up a 1-1 pitch.

Seven pitches ... and see ya.

And Brash pitched two innings in Seattle’s 15-inning win over the Detroit Tigers on Friday. He entered with two out in the sixth and the Tigers leading 2-1. And it went like this:

_ He fanned 1B Spencer Torkelson on three straight sliders to end the sixth.

_ C Colt Keith struck out on a 2-2 changeup.

_ 3B Zach McKinstry lined an 0-1 pitch to left.

_ C Dillon Dingler lined out on a 3-2 pitch to end the seventh.

_ Retired CF Parker Meadows when he grounded a 2-2 change up to shortstop.

_ Retired SS Javy Baez on a 2-0 pitch with a fly ball to centre.

He threw 17 pitches to put up the two zeros.

“It was crazy,” Casford said, “he pitched amazing. We were on the edge of feet the whole game ... but he kept mowing them down,”

On the season, Brash was 1-3 with a 2.47 ERA and four saves. He struck out 58 in 47 1/3 innings. In the post season Brash has pitched nine innings allowing one hit — a double to Detroit Tigers’ Spencer Torkelson.

* * *

When did people know how good Brash was going to be?

“The day he struck out 17 in six innings, we were in the U.S. it was pretty boring for our infielders,” remembers Casford.

Brash left with a 3-0 lead and turned the game over to his bullpen.

“We played Kingston, a club team, in a tournament at Mercyhurst, in Erie, Ohio and he dealt for six innings,” said former Terriers coach Scott Vandevalk, “we did not touch him, I don’t think we had a hit.”

Thanks to three triples in the seventh, Vandevalk remembers the Terriers winning 4-3. The Terriers coach added: “Every time I saw him after that, I would joke about how we beat him that day. He was a super nice kid.”

What Vandevalk meant by “a club team,” was that Brash had not joined an elite team.

“I told him ‘you don’t need to pay the big bucks,’ he did go with the super teams (Toronto Mets, Ontario Blue Jays) to a couple of tournaments and they treated him well,” Casford said.

In 2016, scouts from the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers came to see Brash throw a bullpen. And a game he dominated in Brockville nine scouts were on hand.

Niagara Purple Eagles Matt Spatafora was the recruiting coordinator when he saw Brash in 2016 at the Toronto Mets old facility in Scarborough. There was Spatafora and a recruiter from Brockport. That’s it. That’s all.

“He took infield, batting practice and then he pitched -- guess he signed up as a two-way guy,” Spatafora said. “He was 86-87 MPH with a good change and a big slow slurve.”

Head coach Mike McCoy came to an EOBA game in Oshawa and guaranteed Brash a starter’s job and his uniform number.

“When did I know he was going to be good? As a college player after his first start. As a pro? After his freshman season you could tell he was going to be a pro, his slider was becoming elite.”

In Brash’s first start he worked five innings against the Norfolk State Spartans, allowing one unearned run on three hits and two walks, as he struck out seven. As a freshman he was 5-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 17 games -- making 10 starts -- as he whiffed 53 in 77 1/3 innings.

Spatafora (Scarborough, Ont.) says Brash annually sends autographed cards and equipment to be raffled at Niagara’s annual First Pitch dinner to kick off the season with a fundraiser and fellowship. And he says he texts his parents.

“I walked over as he finished his warm-up in the bullpen,” said Spatafora. “So, we’re walking back: (head coach) Rob McCoy, catcher Joe Tevlin (Toronto, Ont.) and I when Matt says how he ‘wasn’t feeling good, wasn’t sharp.’”

We said “well, you’re going out there.” Brash, who Spatafora says is the “most competitive player he’s ever met and a heck of a basketball player” threw 8 2/3 edging Manhattan 3-1. We should have expected as much since Tevlin told us “his roomie was for real.” His roommate was Brash.

Casford said Brash “always had control, although he got a little wild when he started throwing 100 MPH.”

* * *

Casford no longer coaches the Kingston Thunder or the Kingston Ponies (“you’re sister Elizabeth was our general manager”) but he is still busy with baseball: Challenger Baseball.

He runs a program funded by Jays Care for children with special needs, Down syndrome and from kids eight to 49.

“I get more out of it than they do, they come with a smile and leave with a smile, it is so rewarding, I have two healthy kids,” said Casford -- Cole, who used to catch Brash and Kyle who played centre field.

Brash, “one of the most polite kids you’ll ever meet,” pays for the names on the backs of the Challenger uniforms. Polite. And a good heart.

And oh yes ... we almost forgot ... as Don Cherry would say “and he’s a good Kingston boy.”

Elliott: Brash young reliever an anchor of Mariners' bullpen