(Photo by Colton McKee, coltonmckeephotography.com) 

BY TRUMAN BARTMAN. THEMAVERICKS.CA

As ballparks around the globe wake up to spring, players gather in preparation for a new baseball season. Moulded at its core by hope and opportunity, summer baseball is a time for players to start fresh and showcase their skills to their teammates and supporters.

For the Western Canadian Baseball League and its players, a 56-game journey begins in late May and extends to the early weeks of August. Each team features a diverse range of collegiate players from a plethora of schools, all joining forces to compete for the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy. 

Medicine Hat Mavericks Owner and General Manager, Greg Morrison, has worn many hats throughout his time in baseball. This has led to him developing a unique perspective on the game and gaining a deep understanding of why summer baseball is so important to the collegiate players who have joined one of the 12 WCBL franchises.

Morrison was originally a high-end Canadian talent who represented Canada on the world stage. He was eventually drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he spent 12 years playing throughout the minor leagues. Once his player days came to a close, he returned to his hometown of Medicine Hat, Alberta, and took over their local baseball franchise, the Medicine Hat Mavericks. During his time with the Mavericks, Morrison has found himself playing the role of coach, manager, owner, sports therapist, and baseball parent.  Each of these duties has helped him develop a new perspective on the game. 

“I’ve been a kinesiologist in the field. I’ve had a focus on baseball, health, and performance since the early 2000s. I retired from the game in 2006 as a professional player. Since 2009, I’ve seen many changes in where summer college baseball fits in college player development. I don’t feel that player development has to be mutually exclusive with summer ball.”

As the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) is where Morrison’s Medicine Hat Mavericks compete, a few new factors have changed how the game is perceived. The first surrounds the ongoing NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) transfer epidemic that has college coaches panicking about their players being poached by other schools. The second factor is centred around the ideology that the summer months should be used specifically for physical development. Despite these challenges that have recently emerged, there is still not only a need for the WCBL, but rather a dependence on it. The WCBL is a prime opportunity for players to continue to build towards reaching their potential. 

“We’re in a sweet spot in regard to the number of games we have. It’s a 56-game schedule, which is a great amount for a lot of college guys coming off their 50 to 60 games in the spring. It’s the volume of baseball where you get to see that in-game development happen.” 

“With the Mavericks, we try to stay in communication, not just with the player, but with their coaching staff. Communication is key, just like in all fields, but especially in baseball when it comes to summer college baseball and working well with some of those college programs to see what is in the best interest of the player over his 12-month period; it’s what we call a periodization plan.”

There is a clear attempt being made for all teams and leagues to work alongside each other, with the focus from both sides being on player development. The Mavericks’ involvement as an organization allows for this to be the central focus over the course of a summer. 

“You’ve got to work backwards and think of what’s best for that athlete. It’s trying to give that athlete what he needs in that moment, but has a bigger picture for what that athlete needs. In Medicine Hat, we’re good at knowing those off-field opportunities of getting them a gym membership, making sure the kids are fed, and making sure they’re in a good living situation.”

For Morrison, it is much more than just building a winning ball club, but rather about the impact that he and his coaches have on the young men who choose to play for the Mavericks. Regardless of what hat Morrison is wearing, his outlook always begins with how he can help the next generation of athletes find success.

“It’s an exciting thing for me as a kinesiologist and an owner to be able to have an impact on these players. They come out here; they want to learn. Medicine Hat is a great community, and these kids love calling it home for a couple of months. The hope is that they leave here stronger, faster, and more developed than before. That has always been my goal and my family’s goal of why we do this and own this team. We’re really excited to be able to provide that opportunity for these college kids.”

In Medicine Hat and throughout the rest of the WCBL, the goal, regardless of the obstacles and boundaries, is to offer a unique opportunity for college players to develop throughout their offseasons. Greg Morrison sees all sides of summer baseball’s current state and is an advocate for the WCBL and the benefits that it provides for players. The importance of the WCBL remains high.

 “To me, baseball is meant to be played in the summertime. A lot of coaches and scouts want players to have that experience of playing in 30-degree weather, with the crowd screaming, and seeing how you can perform in front of everybody. That’s what, as a little kid, you wanted. To go out there to compete and have that dream of playing in the major leagues, that’s what it’s all about.”