Hat goes down swinging
Medicine Hat knew they would be in tough for their Canadian Little League Championship opening matchup against the White Rock All Stars, but they didn’t go down without making some noise in a 13-2 loss at Lovell McDonnell Field.
While the game was bookended by a pair of big White Rock innings — with the All Stars opening their night on a three-run first and closing it out with five more in the sixth — Medicine Hat coach Marc Seiller says he was very satisfied with their efforts against one of the most potent offences at the tournament.
“I’m really happy with the game. You can tell the kids had nerves in the first inning but they came out and they battled,” said Seiller. “Our boys tried to stay with them, it was good.”
White Rock quickly got the better of Medicine Hat starter Brett Getz in the first inning. Robert Orr, Reid Hefflick and Matleo Manzi all slapped doubles into the outfield to cash three runs and end Getz’s evening early — but it didn't dash the team's spirits.
“They were just hitting in spots we couldn’t catch,” said outfielder Wyatt Bishop, who led his team with 1 RBI in a 2for-3 effort, adding they were feeling anxious entering their first game of the tournament. “We were waiting for a long time, practicing a lot, but we got the nerves out.”
Hat reliever Evan Morrison entered the game with just one out recorded and two runners in scoring position in the top of the first inning and managed to keep White Rock’s bats in check to some degree by holding them to five runs on six hits through four complete innings.
“He’s one of the leaders,” said Seiller of Morrison. “The composure that he has, and to come in to that tough spot and shut them down, it was nice to see.”
Even White Rock’s Lachlan Scardina — who went 2-for-3 with a home run and a triple for 3 RBI — had to tip his cap to Morrison’s efforts.
“(Morrison) is a good pitcher,” said Scardina. “It was a great game for me, but I’ve got to give credit to the pitchers too.”
Getz may have left the mound early, but he didn’t miss a beat at first base. With no one on in the fifth, Getz tracked down a fly ball and pulled out an exceptional over-the-fence catch to record the out.
Bishop cashed in Medicine Hat’s lone RBI of the evening after Stone Davis tripled in the bottom of the first, while centre fielder Jeff Bullock scored on a throwing error by catcher Manzi in the second.
Hefflick matched Scardina’s pace in the White Rock batting order, finishing the night 3-for4 with 3 RBI and Orr had a home run and 2 RBI in a 3-for5 effort.
“We’re really excited to get the tournament going and this first one is a big accomplishment,” said Scardina.
Medicine Hat returns to action Friday at 5 p.m. against the Regina Kiwanis Nationals while White Rock will have the day off before taking on the Glace Bay Colonels on Saturday at 11 a.m.
He coached, and pretty soon was organizing. When Rob played hockey, Lovell managed the local bantam AAA team, pushing for them to be included in the provincial league. His mission in baseball was to improve the state of the local fields. The “Field of Dreams” movie quote “If you build it, they will come” was never truer.
One field got upgraded, then another. Pretty soon Medicine Hat had a set of diamonds any other city would be envious of.
“We wanted to have a premier diamond at every age group,” he says. “We accomplished that over time, where we have Jeffries and McCoy, Kin Coulee and this one here.”
Once they were built, he got to work upgrading them. Though he wasn’t involved in building Athletic Park — the city’s biggest baseball venue — he helped secure enough grant money to add new seats in 2010. More upgrades have happened at McDonnell Field this year in advance of nationals, and he’s always got something in mind to do next.
“We first think of him as the guy who looks after our fields, but he also looks after programming (on the Little League and American Legion boards),” says Candice Henson, tournament director at nationals. “For me as a tournament director and knowing I’m bidding on a tournament of this magnitude, wanting to put our best foot forward, he’s that rock I can lean on. Because I know whatever else happens anywhere else, I do not need to worry about what’s going on between the lines. I know that our field will be pristine, I know that our grass is going to be cut, it’s going to be green.”
But McDonnell won’t be doing this forever. He’s told local organizers he’ll step down from some of his duties next year, leaving a huge hole to fill.
“How do you replace somebody who’s irreplaceable? We’ve put some stuff in place to try and even make it work a little better, but... we’ll manage, is what we’re going to be able to do,” says Klick. “The hours, I wouldn’t want to add up in a year. We may have to look at going to a paid volunteer to manage it.”
Ask the kids about McDonnell, and all you hear is respect. Well, except for the rare ones who haven’t heard of him. McDonnell tells a story of a local coach overhearing his players arguing about whether the namesake of the diamond they were on was dead or alive. He chuckles. Yep, he’s right over there, kid.
“He helps out baseball in Medicine Hat for nothing, volunteers for everything,” says Medicine Hat major AAA all-star Brett Getz. “Sometimes we’re coming to practice and he’s just driving out. Sometimes we’re leaving and he’s just driving in.”
McDonnell’s birthday will happen, fittingly, right in the midst of this year’s championships. But you get the feeling every day going to work on something with your name on it is a pretty good present to wake up to. Even if he does scale back his volunteer work, nobody’s doubting his cell phone will keep ringing.
“I’m still going to be involved with Big League and the American Legion program,” he says. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the little things you should be doing.
“If you keep on doing it they’re never going to say they’ll get somebody else.”