ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 01: Cal Quantrill #40 of the San Diego Padres pitches in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on May 01, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Blue Jays: A Look at the MiLB Stadiums in the system by Ben Steiner

The Padres will send Cal Quantrill to the hill on Saturday to start against the Blue Jays. Cal is the son of former Blue Jay reliever, Paul Quantrill.

When current Padres right-hander Cal Quantrill went to the SkyDome to watch his dad, Paul Quantrill, pitch for six straight seasons between 1996-2001, he must have envisioned himself on that mound himself one day in a major league game.

It was just a dream back then but on Saturday when the Blue Jays and Padres play game two, Cal will toe the same rubber his father did some 18 years ago.

Padres manager Andy Green announced yesterday.

This so cool on a number of levels. Cal Quantrill, son of Paul, with start for the Padres against the #BlueJays. https://t.co/9lr20bwjBO — Ben Wagner (@benwag247) May 21, 2019

Of course, the renamed Rogers Centre holds a special place in Cal’s heart because it’s where Paul spent the majority of his career, but also because the family is from Ontario as well with Cal growing up about an hour East of Toronto in Port Hope.

He has made three starts this year, his first big league season, and has been used as a sixth starter to give young pitchers an extra day of rest which has seen him up and down between San Diego and Triple-A El Paso. But with starter and fellow rookie Nick Margevicius sent back to Triple-A in the process, it looks like Cal will get the chance to prove himself at the big league level.

Cal was originally drafted in 2013 by the Yankees but headed to Stanford instead where he posted some impressive numbers his freshman year, but missed most of his final two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Despite the injury, the Padres liked what they saw and selected him with the 8th overall selection in 2016.

If Cal’s career is anything like his dad’s, things are just getting underway.

Paul played parts of 14 seasons in the majors, six in Toronto while also spending some time with the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Florida Marlins.

In his six years with the Blue Jays, Paul worked out of the bullpen, appearing in 386 games with a 3.67 ERA and made his only All-Star Game appearance in 2001, his final season with the club. He also led the majors in appearances four straight seasons in the early 2000’s.

Cal and Paul have deep ties within Canadian baseball, where they have both donned the red and white uniform as players through several tournaments and Paul has been on the senior national team’s coaching staff since retiring in 2006.

Paul was also inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 alongside former Blue Jay great, Roberto Alomar.

This likely won’t be the first time Paul watches Cal on his old stomping grounds seeing as Cal has pitched at the Rogers Centre through various Canadian baseball events such as the Blue Jays Academy Tournament 12.

But this time is different.

This time he’ll be watching his son donning a uniform he once did himself, while taking on the team that he spent the heart of his career with and the same club he currently serves as a consultant.

Saturday will be a big day for the game of baseball within the country of Canada and who knows, it was just over a year ago that James Paxton reminded us how electrifying moments like this can be when the British Columbia native turned in a no hitter against the Blue Jays.