Here comes the son

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Braden Halladay didn’t fully realize the ovation he received in his Canadian team debut until he watched the highlights after the game.

He doesn’t let much break his concentration while he’s pitching — much like his father in that regard.

The 17-year-old son of the late Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay spent parts of the last week with Canada’s junior team in Florida, highlighted by his debut against the Blue Jays in Dunedin on Saturday. He threw a three-up, three-down inning and left the mound to a hearty applause from the crowd and both dugouts.

“Honestly I was kind of focused on pitching so I didn’t really think about it until afterwards,” the lanky teenager said Saturday before Canada’s final game of the week in St. Petersburg.

“It was one of those things where I was just in the zone in that moment and I didn’t really think about it then. But looking back on video it was crazy.”

Braden first realized he was eligible to play on Canada’s team during a trip to St. Marys, Ont., for Roy Halladay’s induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Braden thought it would be a nice way to remind people of his own connection to Toronto.

The right-hander was born in the Canadian city and spent nearly 10 years there before his father was traded to Philadelphia in Dec. 2009.

“In the States people don’t really realize this is where I’m from so it’s kind of cool to show people this side of me,” Braden said. “Like ‘hey, this is where I’m from, this is who I am.”’

Braden only pitched that one inning for Canada over the week -- he still had his high school pitching duties at Calvary Christian in Clearwater, where his Warriors team is ranked No. 2 in the country — but he’s expressed interest in playing for Canada again.