Elliott: WCBL fans see a thriller in all-star game at Dawgs' Seaman Stadium
It was a record-breaking crowd of about 6,000 that packed into Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, Alta., for the Western Canadian Baseball League All-Star Game on Saturday. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
OKOTOKS, Alta. - The love affair between this town and baseball reached new heights Saturday night in the Western Canadian Baseball League East-West all-star game.
The game had a lot of everything but mostly drama and college-like excitement, in front of a crowd of 6,000 at Seaman Stadium. Like a pair of triples ... The East scoring five in the eighth for an 8-6 lead ... The West scoring two in the bottom of the ninth to forcing extras ... The West throwing out the possible lead run at the plate in the 10th with the West dugout emptying as if some one had yelled “FIRE!” ... and finally a walk-off single through a drawn-in, five-man infield.
Roughly 2,500 were on hand to see the pre-game home run derby and the majority of the crowd was still there, players included, for a fireworks display.
Let’s go down to the West bullpen ... now that the lights are back on after final cracker has popped.
_ Joe Sinclair (Vancouver, BC), of the Lethbridge Bulls: “I’ve never played in a summer college game with an atmosphere like that.” Sinclair, who reached the Little League World Series in Williamsport for North Vancouver coach Brian Perry, allowed a lead-off single in his inning. He then struck out the side, including WCBL All-Star Game Home Run Derby champ Nolan Marchibroda (Saskatoon, Sask.) for the second whiff and the third strikeout after falling behind in the count 3-0.
Sinclair said he “was happy to get the derby champ on a sinker and glad to be able to come back from being down 3-0.”
_ OF Kaden Zarowny (Strathmore, Alta.) of the Sylvan Lake Gulls, a former Dawg, compared the atmosphere to being “a lot like Canada Day games at Seaman. We had a lot of talented players here tonight.”
_ OF Alejandro Cazorla (Okotoks, Alta.) of the Okotoks Dawgs: “I’ve played here since 2017 when I broke in under coach Allan Cox. I mean obviously there are rivalries in this league, but there wasn’t any bad blood here tonight. There was excitement from the fans and players for all 10 innings.”
Cazorla said the only game at Seaman that would rank ahead of this one would be the 2019 league final when the Dawgs beat the Regina Red Sox with Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh round in 2021 from Southern Illinois University, Gavin Logan Medicine Hat, Alta.) chosen in the ninth round this July from Oregon State by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Jacob Melton, of Medford, Oregon, selected by the Houston Astros in the second round of this year’s draft from Oregon State.
_ Ben Erwin (Spruce Grove, Alta.) of Lethbridge, who pitches at Niagara University: “The crowd was WAY into it. It didn’t seem like a usual all-star game. Everyone was having fun.” Erwin retired the final out of the ninth.
This wasn’t like the 1995 all-star game in Arlington when Frank Thomas hit a two-run homer off John Smiley in the fourth inning and was headed to the airport in the fifth to fly to Chicago. Thomas was going to be the MVP until Jeff Conine homered off Steve Ontiveros in the eighth for a 3-2 win to take the MVP.
The dugouts were jammed until the walk-off single.
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Background: Initially the Dawgs had rights to Burns Stadium through tenant, Russ Parker, the former owner of the triple-A Calgary Cannons, who contacted John Ircandia to take over the lease. Subsequently, the city took the position that Parker could not assign the lease and turned it over to the Calgary Vipers, who played in the independent Northern League with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks, Edmonton Cracker-Cats, Winnipeg Goldeyes, Sioux City Explorers, Sioux Falls Canaries, St. Paul Saints, Gary Southshore Railcats, Lincoln Saltdogs, Kansas City T-Bones, Schaumburg Flyers and the Joliet Jackhammers
The relationship was untenable, partly because the Dawgs outdrew them most nights and were perceived as a threat. The Vipers made it very miserable, turning on sprinklers mid-game, towing cars and threatening to turn off the lights.
Off Ircandia, the Big Dawg, went trying to negotiate for a new home. Don Johnston and Don McLeod helped when needed, with Don Seaman kept informed as he was the principal donor.
They were homeless for 11 months as tried and failed for land approval to build a stadium and facility it. The pecking order ...
_ The city of Calgary. Nope.
_ The University of Calgary ... talks were friendly but management paralysis and different vision (girls field hockey) for use of its available space ruled.
_ Mount Royal University was promising with good meetings and interest but the school couldn’t pull the plug due to tight space.
_ The Tsuu Tina Reserve, where it was impossible to reach an agreement.
_ And Aldersyde, south of Okotoks. On the drive out of Okotoks, Ircandia pointed to the current site and said “there’s the spot.” Okotoks mayor Bill McAlpine wanted involvement from Aldersyde. The municipal district council voted no 4-3.
Now what? Each group said no. Each location said no. They were 0-for-6 counting Burns? Time to give up?
No chance.
A few days later “Mayor Bill, as he is called in deep reverence phoned and said ‘It’s not over yet.’”
Turned out the land was owned by Nexen Oil, Ircandia explained that fact to Don Seaman.
“Charlie Fisher is president of Nexen, let’s phone him,” Don said to Ircandia. Both were in Maui, Hawaii.
So they phoned Fisher and the oilman says let me think about this.
Given Don’s relationship with Charlie -- who had worked for Don, the wheels got turning, the right people were connected and the direction was clear: let’s make this happen.
The Dawgs missed one season fielding a team searching for a home ... the shovel went into the ground Aug. 1 and they were playing June 7, 2007 the next year.
And from that first day at Seaman Stadium the love affair with the town of 28,000 was in full bloom.
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The Nervy Ninth: LF Drew Mackie, of the Brooks Bombers, from Liberty, Mo., hit the game-tying two-run double in the all-star game. The first base dugout, full of West division players in white, stormed almost to the grass down the first base line in celebration.
But the score was tied ... now what?
Seated high above the field former California Angels reliever Lou Pote said: “This isn’t hockey ... we’re not having any ties.” Pote had purchased tickets for his parents to the 2002 all-star game in Milwaukee with the game ending in a 7-7, 11-inning tie.
Would teams have enough pitching?
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The Tense 10th (top half): The answer was yes. With the ghost runner on second, Mackie was the man of the hour again. He headed towards the left-centre gap, fielded the ball and threw flat-footed. Off the bat it looked like no chance. The East would have the lead. But the throw was strong and true .
LHP Noah Geekie (Strathclair, Man.) pitched the 10th. He was listed as an outfielder, but threw 50 innings (6-2, 5.04 ERA, 56 strikeouts) with the Emporia State Hornets this spring.
“I went to cover home plate and I knew (Mackie) had a chance, we play in the same conference, he has a strong arm,” said Geekie. “He threw a strike.
“The fans were awesome.”
It’s been a big month for the three Geekie brothers: Connor was drafted in the 11th overall from the Winnipeg Ice by the Arizona Coyotes and signed a three-year, entry-level contract July 18. Morgan Geekie was a third round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017 and went to the Seattle Kracken in the expansion draft. He signed one-year, $1.4 million contract with the Kraken, eliminating salary arbitration.
“People asked me all the time ‘what if you had stuck with hockey?’ I don’t regret my decision.”
Mackie erased the ghost runner like Dan Ackroyd hosed the bad guys in Ghostbusters ... out at the plate.
“I heard our second baseman and shortstop yelling ‘Don’t you try and run on him,’” said Mackie, who attends Northwest Missouri State.
Told he didn’t look like he had a left fielder’s arm, he admitted he didn’t usually play left but normally was a right fielder. Sounds like strong deployment by West skipper Mitch Schmidt and bench coach Sir David Robb (Lac Le Biche, Alta.)
Said Sinclair, who pitched for North Shore Twins manager Brooks McNiven: “I didn’t think we had a chance at the plate, but the throw picked up our momentum.”
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The Tense 10th (bottom half): Ricky Sanchez (Okotoks, Alta.) had entered the Dawgs clubhouse Friday and accepted one “Congratulations,” after another.
“Finally, I said ‘for what?,” said Sanchez who was gazing at the Dawgs lineup for Friday’s game against the Edmonton Prospects.
“Then, someone said ‘no, no, look at the all-star lineup for Saturday, posted below tonight’s lineup card,’” said Sanchez, named as an 11th hour replacement. “I didn’t make the team when voting was done three weeks before.”
Dawgs teammate Cazorla explained “Ricky belonged ... he went something like 15-for-15 at one stretch.”
Sanchez, who had singled up the middle earlier, worked a walk on a 3-2 walk and advanced to second on a short passed ball.
That brought Ethan He to the plate. On the second pitch, East pitching coach Tyler Jeske went to the mound and signaled to go with a five-man infield.
It took time for the outfielder to position himself in the proper spot, finally landing at second net to the bag.
“He was holding me on,” said Sanchez, whose run didn’t mean a thing.
Pote explained how twice he pitched with a five-man infield. Darrin Erstad occupied the same spot and once fielded a grounder to start a double play ... the routine 8-2-3 format. Pote said how he’d been in that spot twice. Once he escaped. Once he did not.
Sylan Lake’s He slapped the ball to right over the drawn-in infield and the West dugout caught up with him somewhere around second base.
Sylvan Lake Gulls infielder Ethan He (No. 2 in the photo) being chased by his West All-Star teammates after delivering a walk-off hit in the Western Canadian Baseball League All-Star Game on Saturday night. Photo: Nathan Reiter
Tyler Milton (Okotoks, Alta.), the Dawgs 13U coach who handled most of the all-star arrangements, details from the RCMP colour guard to the red carpet, and last-minute changes, went to the East dressing room to drop off room keys for those players staying over. Players from the East said they had never had an experience like the all-star game. “And this was the losing team,” said Milton.
On Sunday, the Dawgs beat Sylvan Lake 4-1. Pitching coach Joe Sergent said Saturday’s all-star game dominated the Sunday conversation.
And we’re sure it was the case at Original Joe’s, The George, Royal Duke, Brown’s Socialhouse, John Henry’s and maybe even In Cahoots around Okotoks.
The love affair with the Dawgs continues ...
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Is this heaven? No, it’s Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, Alta. Photo: Western Canadian Baseball League
Background II: William Gardner, otherwise known as the golden-throated warbler, who handles MC duties for each game, tells a story about Seaman Stadium.
One night leaving the park and a man came rushing up the stairs asking, “Did I miss it, is the game over?”
Gardner said, “You missed it all, nothing to see here tonight.” Then, he took the man -- in town to attend an event at a nearby polo park, inside the stadium and set him up for tickets the next night.
The next night he bumped into him after the game. The man indicated how he was involved in baseball in California.
“We sat on the concourse and with tears in his eyes he said how wonderful the game and night had been,” Gardner said. “He said ‘This is like a Norman Rockwell painting ... people walking in bringing their lawn chairs ... kids sitting on the berm ... young people ... grandparents with grandchildren ... this is small town Middle America.”
We could see an American comparing something so wonderful to their own.
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Pre-game: Matt Stairs’ former coach, Jack Penny, of the 1982 Fredericton Tigers 13U showed with a 8-by-10 picture of the coach presenting Stairs an award. And after Stairs signed it, a man in his 50s behind Penny said “And I was your second baseman.” It was Penny’s son Chris Penny.
Stairs, who threw a New Brunswick cutter for strike one, played in the 1988 Olympics in Korea as the late, great Rheal Cormier (Cap Pele, NB) gained the win as Canada beat USA 8-7, but lost 7-6 to Australia and 5-3 to South Korea to finish round-robin play 1-2. John Milton (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.), former Toronto Blue Jays scout, shadowed Stairs from the golf course to the autoggraph table, to the TV set, to the field. John MIlton is a senior advisor with the Dawgs forming a Milton and father combo.
A moment’s silence was held pre-game for former CFL commissioner Doug Mitchell who had been at last Sunday’s game with his wife, Lois Mitchell, former Lt. Governor Of Alberta. Doug passed in his sleep Wednesday.
Said Gardner: “This is an all-star game ... and Doug you WERE an all-star.
Then Montgomery-Gentry’s Our TownB played on the video board with clips of past Dawgs. It was put together by Avery Buye and Ircandia.
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Dots and dashes: Rather than everyone making it to Okotoks on their own Milton, arranged for a bus to leave Fort McMurray with Regina and Fort Mac players after their game. The bus stopped in Sylvan Lake to pick up Moose Jaw and Gulls players ... A second bus, headed westbound left Swift Current, stopping in Weyburn and Medicine Hat for more all-stars ... Marilyn Henderson, mother of Jimmy Henderson, first Dawgs major league and a Dawgs Hall of Famer was a guest of Ircandia’s showing video of grandson Theo crawling. Marilyn emails Irancadia when her team (the Milwaukee Brewers) beats Ircandia’s (San Francisco Giants) … Medicine Hat’s Braden Desonia, who attends Columbia, had his father Joe Desonia drive from Spokane to throw batting practice to his son ... Maclane Tetarenko, son of former NHLer Joey Tetarenko (73 games with the Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes) plays for Tyler Milton’s club. Milton has a way of motivating his troops. He told them if they broke the record for 50-50 sales they could shave his head. The record was $5,500 ... they sold almost double. And on the last trip to Edmonton they shaved half his head one day, half the next ... Seaman Stadium concessions, run by Mickey Fleming, now serves a ‘Duda Double’ burger named after pitching coach Jeff Duda ... Brian and Pat Jones saw their 500th game at Seaman Stadium on Friday in section 108. They have missed four games since the facility opener ... Previous attendance high was a Canada Day crowd of 5,050.
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Bob Elliott is interviewed by Joe McFarland, of Alberta Dugout Stories, prior to the Western Canadian Baseball League All-Star Game on Saturday in Okotoks, Alta. Photo: Ian Wilson, Western Canadian Baseball League
Finally: Prior to the game I did a shaky few minutes of TV with Joe McFarland, who along with Ian Wilson do such an insightful job with their site Alberta Dugout Stories.
He asked me about my “affection” for Okotoks.
I explained how I had hugged photographer Angela Burger, trainer Savannah Blakley and Pote on Friday night ... all three who had saved my life along with fireman Geoff Scott on Feb. 2, 2019 when I went down during a speech. It was a bad speech anyway. I explained I had only broken down in tears on two hugs.
After the game, the scoreboard was upgraded to 3-for-3 status.
Okotoks has my heart would have been a better answer for Joe. Tony Bennett can have San Francisco.
A few miles from the stadium at the banquet hall was where my heart stopped.
Then, started again.
Stopped again.
And started again.