January 28, 2022

Official Thunder Bay Border Cats News Release

Thunder Bay, Ont., - The Thunder Bay Border Cats say manager Mike Steed has accepted a position as a minor league pitching coach with the Atlanta Braves.

The 51-year-old native of Beamsville, Ont., has been assigned to the class-A Augusta Green Jackets in the Braves’ organization for the 2022 season. He was hired by Braves assistant general manager GM Ben Sestanovich. The Green Jackets were managed by former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders (Victoria, B.C.) in 2021.

Steed, who also held the position of pitching coordinator for the Ontario Blue Jays junior program, was scheduled to return to Thunder Bay as manager of the Border Cats for the 2020 season. However, that season and the following two seasons were forced to be cancelled due to the COVID pandemic. He was under contract with the Border Cats through 2024.

Steed was very familiar with Thunder Bay and the Northwoods League as he was the Border Cats pitching coach in 2009 and served as manager of the club in 2010 and 2011.

"We are extremely excited for Mike and his wife Marlene as he moves into professional baseball with the World Champion Atlanta Braves and getting the opportunity to work for a major league organization led by fellow Canadian Alex Anthopoulos,” said Border Cats vice president Bryan Graham.

"Mike is a baseball lifer and it's great to see all of his hard work pay off with a coaching position with the Braves,” added Graham. “We are also very grateful that he will continue to assist in the recruiting of players for the Border Cats moving forward.”

The Border Cats will not be participating in the 2022 Northwoods League season, but plan to return for the summer of 2023.