Gourlay resigns as Champions president
It’s not like David Gourlay is turning his back on a lot of money as he steps away from his post as the president of the Ottawa Champions Baseball Club,
However, for Gourlay, whose resignation came on the sixth anniversary of him establishing a community-driven movement — the Champions for Ottawa Baseball — it was never really about money. It was always about the 47-year-old’s passion for baseball, his love for a sport he fell in love with as a kid.
“I’m not an employee here, everyone thinks I am,” Gourlay, a business consultant, said Friday. “I’ve never received a single salary dollar here. I’ve been a pure volunteer for the past six years. It’s not a resignation in terms of leaving a job, it’s a resignation in terms of leaving a role.”
Gourlay has been a baseball fan for what seems like forever.
“I’m looking at my wall at the stadium, I’m looking at Bill Spaceman Lee, Ellis Valentine, Chris Speier, Warren Cromartie and Andre Dawson,” he said. “The Montreal Expos were my heart. I remember going to my first game. My parents took me to the Big O, 1981, to see a Pittsburgh Pirates doubleheader. Willie Stargell and Tony Pena, I can still see it in my head … the mustard-yellow jerseys. I fell in love with the game and it’s been with me ever since. I hope to pass that on to (2 1/2-year-old daughter) Sophia. She’s got a helluva baseball card collection. I hope she doesn’t sell it off.”
Working with Champions manager Hal Lanier, a longtime majorleague baseball player, coach and manager, is another memory that will stick.
Said Gourlay: “After a game, I’d go into his office, we’d have a beer and talk about the game that had just been played. He’s analyzing every pitch, every swing of the bat … on both sides, the home team and the away team. Then he’d talk about his days with Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal. ”
Gourlay had a small stake in ownership, but that will go to majority owner Miles Wolff.
“It’s a bittersweet day,” Gourlay said. “Here we are going into Year 4. I felt I’d made my maximum contribution at this point in time. I’ll remain a very active fan. Yes, it’s a hard day. I’ve really enjoyed this. It has been a big part of me. There are other things for me to do, there are other contributions I’d like to make.”
For Gourlay, there have been several highlights. There have also been roadblocks. Sometimes it was one step ahead and two back.
“There have been frustrations,” Gourlay said. “I’m at the ballpark, looking out at the snow and I think about the weather, something we can’t control. We’re the only professional sports team in Ottawa that is completely dependent on the weather, not only whether we can play a game, but (also) the fans will stay away if it’s been raining or if the sky is grey.”