By Jonathan Hodgson

Okotoks Dawgs

There are many threads to Doug McPhail’s story, but the common thread never far from the centre, has been baseball, including his newest chapter in Okotoks with the Dawgs Academy.

McPhail was born in Brandon, Man., and grew up a multi-sport athlete, but his best sport was baseball. He was offered a contract by the Montreal Expos out of high school, but elected to go to college and began his collegiate career at Iowa Western Community College in the fall of 1974, where he enjoyed great success as an outfielder. McPhail was a part of the Reivers 38-game winning streak en-route to a berth in the 1975 Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.

For his contributions, McPhail is enshrined in the program’s Hall of Fame.

Iowa Western has been a strong partner school for both the Dawgs summer collegiate team and Academy, having sent several of their top talents to Okotoks to compete in the Western Canadian Baseball League during the summer since 2007, while top Dawgs Academy products like Okotoks native Matt Lloyd have begun their college careers in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

After Iowa Western, McPhail played at Palomar College in California, before finishing his collegiate career with two years at Indiana State (NCAA Div. 1) in 1976-78. His success at Indiana State opened a door for him with Canada’s Senior National Team beginning in 1977.

“It was a great opportunity to get an education and keep playing ball,” McPhail said of his collegiate career and his opportunity with the national team.

McPhail recalled some of the highlights of his tenure representing his country.

“1982 was my best year,” McPhail began. “We went to Korea to play in the World Championships, where we ended up placing fifth. I hit .417 and was tied for the tournament lead in hits with 17.”

For his performance, McPhail was named Canada’s Baseball Player of the Year, and Edmonton’s Amateur Athlete of the Year for 1982, the same year that Wayne Gretzky was named the city’s Professional Athlete of the Year.

In 1983, McPhail travelled to Belgium to play in the Pan American Games, and the following year was likely the highlight of McPhail’s career on the national team, as he was invited to play for Canada at the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He hit .405 in the Olympics while patrolling the outfield at Dodger Stadium.

“I played really well in the Olympics, and when I got back from that, my sister-in-law picked me up at the airport and went straight to Red Deer, Alberta for the Western Canadian Championships so I didn’t even have a chance to unpack my suitcase,” McPhail recalled. “I moved from the outfield to the infield for that tournament, and I think I made four errors in the first game. I think we turned six double plays in that game, so we could turn them, I just couldn’t catch them.”

McPhail continued to suit up for Canada’s Senior National Team through 1986, before hanging up his spikes, embarking on life after baseball, which included a seven-year career as a teacher in Edmonton.

In 1993, McPhail’s job relocated to Calgary, but he elected to live in Okotoks, saying, “We found out about Okotoks, fell in love with it, and have been here ever since!”

McPhail says when the Dawgs began play in Okotoks in 2007, and he first experience the atmosphere at Seaman Stadium, he knew that it was going to lead to something special for both the team, and the community.

After all he had seen, taking in numerous games as a fan through the years, watching the team win three championships, and seeing the ballpark grow into a true gathering place for people of all walks of life in the Okotoks and Foothills community, McPhail was compelled to contribute when he saw a need during the 2016 season.

“My wife (Winny) and I were at a game with our two-year old granddaughter on the third base berm,” McPhail remembered. “After they had left for a few moments, a ball was hit towards the berm and hit the towel that they had been sitting on.”

McPhail said that is when he and Winny decided to donate funds dedicated to erecting the protective netting that is now in place down the left field line, further ensuring a safe and relaxed atmosphere for patrons on the berm, which often include a high number of children and families.

During his time outside of baseball, McPhail said he didn’t think much about a return.

“I said I would go back to teaching when I could afford to do it,” McPhail remembered. “A truck driver who was delivering shingles for us one night, asked if I had ever played baseball, so I said, ‘a little, yes.’”

From then, McPhail played slo-pitch for several years, figuring that would be the extent of his involvement in the game.

Contrary to his plans, some well-timed conversations with some good friends after the Dawgs began play in Okotoks rekindled his interest.

“There was a number of people who I was familiar with like Clint and AJ Fystro, and Dave Robb whom I was familiar with,” McPhail began. “I used to teach a national coaching certification clinic in Edmonton with Dave, and I knew Clint very well from his time as the president of Baseball Alberta.”

Clint Fystro served on the Dawgs board of directors for many years prior to his passing in 2018, and his son AJ has had three tenures on the coaching staff of the Dawgs summer collegiate team (Assistant Coach 2004-05, Head Coach 2008-09, 2013). Dave Robb has been a member of the club’s summer collegiate coaching staff since 2004.

“When Dave was up in Edmonton with the team, I mentioned to him, that if there was anything I could do to get involved with the Dawgs, even cutting the grass, to let me know.”

Shortly after a meeting with the Dawgs Academy coaching staff, McPhail was enthusiastically welcomed aboard and will coach the Academy’s 15U Red team in 2019.

When he reflects, McPhail says that the resources and tools available to young players to help them improve and further their careers, are simply unmatched.

“I get to go to practice every day and watch this amazing team of kids and coaches do their thing. These kids are doing things at age 15 that I was only able to do at 25. It’s an amazing organization,” he said, adding that he could never have imagined a training facility and coaching staff the likes of Okotoks when he was playing.

The final factor that has put it over the top, McPhail said, is the fans and community of Okotoks grasping and supporting the Dawgs’ vision for youth baseball development, and genuinely falling in love with the game.

“There is so much enthusiasm and Seaman Stadium is second to none; I have never seen anything at this level to match it,” McPhail said, describing the game day atmosphere at Dawgs summer collegiate games.

“I’m just thrilled and proud to be part of this program and this community,” McPhail concluded.