By IAN WILSON
He’s been a standout player on a struggling team, but Trent Lawson is content to let his play on the field do the talking.
The Calgary outfielder with the Weyburn Beavers – who suited up for the Edmonton Prospects in 2021 – was named a Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) All-Star for his solid work this season.
In 38 games and 135 at bats for the Beavers, Lawson is batting .259 with 20 runs batted in (RBI), 16 runs, 13 doubles and three stolen bases.
The 6-foot-2 righty batter was interviewed on Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast recently and shared his thoughts on growing up in a baseball family, his future in the sport and his recognizable facial hair.
We pulled several of his comments from that segment for this edition of “1 Thru 9” … here’s what Lawson had to say:
1. Weyburn is in last place in the WCBL and struggling to collect wins, but you’re having a good season individually. How do you view that, because that can be a tough situation to navigate?
It is tough. Nobody wants to lose but at the same time in summer ball you still come here to work on things. You definitely don’t expect to win every game, to win every close game or win every game by ten.
You’re still definitely working on things. I’m still learning, still getting pointers on base running and in the field and hitting, so it definitely is tough but you’ve just got to compete a bit more as a team. I think that’s the only thing we’re kind of really lacking a little bit. There’s definitely some times where we’re not all there.
2. How did you end up playing in Weyburn this summer? What was the connection?
The connection was head coach Cam Williams. I played with him in the FMBA (Foothills Major Baseball Association) with the Wolfpack. That was my connection to Cam and then Cam reached out to me. I was happy for him to reach out to me. I was excited to play for him because he’s a good manager, he’s a good coach, he knows a lot, especially what he’s done with the (University of Calgary) Dinos. I was excited to be a part of it.
3. When you played for the Edmonton Prospects in 2021, your appearance stood out because of your bushy moustache. Lanny McDonald would’ve looked at that twice. What’s the update on your facial hair situation?
I’ve still got the moustache. I’ve started trimming it up a little bit more and making it not as bushy as Lanny McDonald. Sometimes it gets too much.
4. That moustache had an old timey look to it, as though it could stand the test of time in any baseball era. If we saw a black-and-white photo of you from the 1800s playing for the Long Stockings or some such team you wouldn’t seem out of place. What was the origin of growing that out?
It was when I was in Huntington, Indiana playing for Huntington University we were getting our photos taken and I was thinking about shaving or cleaning it up and one of the coaches said, “You need something. You just need something. Grow out the hair, grow out the moustache.” So that’s why I’ve had it ever since.
5. The 2021 season with the Prospects was your introduction to the WCBL. What did you think of your play that year?
I definitely struck out a lot. I think I averaged two Ks a game. Not the greatest season I’ve every had in baseball, but it still was a good season. As a team, we lost in the WCBL championship series to Lethbridge. It was still a fun season and I have a lot of memories from it.
6. Shifting gears, what’s your take on trash talk, bat flips and the more expressive ways of showing up your opponents in baseball?
It doesn’t really bug me all that often. There’s definitely times to do it and times not to do it. I think you have to have a little bit of a feel to know when is a good time to bat flip and when to not. If you’re up by five or six and you hit a three-run shot and you bat flip, you might see one in the ribs next time. That’s just how I kind of view it.
My dad was definitely about focus on the team and don’t chirp because whatever happens in baseball is probably going to happen to you if you start chirping about it.
7. You come from a baseball family. Jim Lawson was and is a legendary figure in baseball in Calgary and in Canada. Sadly, he passed away in 2019. Can you talk to me about growing up in that household and your connection to baseball through your family?
I just remember always going to the field. When I was five probably until I was about twelve, my dad was still playing and I just always remember going to the field with him … that was my introduction to baseball.
It’s a privilege to be associated with Jim because I know that he wouldn’t want to see me quit baseball. He would want to see me play for as long as possible and that’s what I’m trying to do.
8. You are coming off your senior year at Victoria Island University (VIU) in the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC). What’s next for you after playing in the WCBL this summer?
I’m trying to play overseas. Right now I have a team in Germany that I’m going to play for in 2024 and I’m just trying to find a team to play for in Australia. That’s where I’m looking to go.
There’s some guys that I played with on the Wolfpack in the FMBA that have done some of that stuff and they said it was great, they loved it, so that kind of sparked my interest.
9. What does the game of baseball mean to you?
It’s very similar to life as a whole. Sometimes you can prepare as much as possible, but you’re still going to fail. And even if you do fail, the next day you still have to go out and compete and try your best to win.
