From Bat Boy to Hall of Famer

By JOE McFARLAND

It could have been easy for Orv Franchuk to dislike or even hate baseball right from the very start.

Growing up on the farm near Wandering River, he remembers being six or seven years old when his older brother would drag him outside to play “catch.”

The youngster would get placed in front of the garage door while his hand-eye coordination developed, which made for some bruises on his shins and shoulders.

“I’d be crying and go into the house and get cleaned up by mom,” Franchuk told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “My dad would push me back out there.”

As he grew up, his love of the game never seemed to wane, always following his brother’s teams, even being their batboy.

He turned that passion into a lengthy career as a player, coach, mentor and scout, earning high praise for his work with a variety of organizations, including coaching for Team Canada, winning a World Series, and, most recently, being named to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame as part of the “Legends Unveiled” Class of 2025.

ALL THE RIGHT TOOLS

Looking back on his playing career, Franchuk says he was probably an above average player when it came to arm strength and power.

What set him apart, in his eyes, was his work ethic, attitude and coachability.

“I just had a feel for it and that was probably a big factor in me pursuing the game and wanting to do more and get better,” Franchuk said.

“I was pretty good at it at a young age, which included me wanting to show off … I enjoyed the competition.”

His talent earned him an opportunity to play baseball at Pepperdine University, where he looked primed to get a shot at professional baseball.

Franchuk remembers being noticed by the great Casey Stengel and was ready to sign with the New York Mets when he suffered a serious ankle injury.

The offer was taken away, so he went back to school, getting his master’s degree in teaching at Long Beach State University.

WINNING A RING IN BOSTON

While his playing career was virtually over, Franchuk was certain he would still make baseball a major part of his life.

He returned home to teach and was a player/coach with the Alberta Major Baseball League’s Edmonton Tigers.

Franchuk then got his first opportunity to join the scouting ranks with the Cincinnati Reds in 1977 and his resume has grown exponentially over the years.

He went on to work with the California Angels, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers in a variety of capacities, which included getting a World Series ring when the BoSox claimed their championship in 2004.

“It is pretty special,” Franchuk said. “I know there are guys who play at the big league level for years who don’t have one.”

“I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.”

Franchuk represented Canada as a coach at the 1978 Amateur World Series, 1981 Intercontinental Cup, 2006 Olympic Games Qualifier and 2007 Baseball World Cup.

And at home, he was the hitting coach for the Edmonton Trappers from 1995-1997, a post that earned him two Pacific Coast League championships. Franchuk was also a manager of the 2011 North American League champion Edmonton Capitals.

The baseball lifer has also coached at the collegiate level in the U.S. and back at home, where he was part of the Edmonton Prospects’ staff with long-time friend Ray Brown from 2014 to 2018.

THE POWER OF GIVING BACK

Aside from all his work at the pro and collegiate levels, Franchuk might be most proud of his work at the grassroots level.

A frequent contributor to coaching clinics all over Canada, he’s back close to home helping mentor the next generation of baseball players with the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association and Vimy Ridge Academy.

“It means a lot to me because I feel like I need to give back as I had so much given to me,” Franchuk said.

“Even though I strived for information and wanted as much feedback as I could get, I had good people around me over the years who helped me get better.”

Undoubtedly, he says the athletes of today are in a much better position to succeed than when he was coming up.

Thanks to better training facilities that can go year-round, coupled with great coaching from many former athletes who were able to play college or pro baseball, the 81-year-old says the talent coming from Alberta has never been better.

The Edmonton Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2007 inductee does his best to impart as much wisdom on them as he can, both athletically and academically.

“My first question to the kids: ‘What are your marks like?’” Franchuk says.

“They look at me like, ‘Why are you asking that question?’ I’m always telling that it’s because the recruiters now don’t even want to talk to you if you don’t have good grades.”

He says he’s also passionate about making sure parents are aware of what to expect from collegiate baseball, as he knows they are the ones footing the bill.

They are all lessons he learned along his journey.

PROUD OF HIS ROOTS

In his words, baseball has been “very, very good” to Franchuk.

It’s a credit to his own work ethic and perseverance, as he says he was ignored a lot because he was Canadian.

“Back in the day, they didn’t think it was good to have a Canadian in your organization because you didn’t get the exposure and that kind of thing,” Franchuk says.

It’s what he is most proud of: having been a Canadian playing an American sport, going to the U.S. on a baseball scholarship, and being able to help players at various levels get better or, in some cases, make it to the big leagues.

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Franchuk also credits his family for letting him teach during the day, then rush out of class to get to the ballpark so he wouldn’t miss batting practice before a game, then come home late, only to wake up early again for another school day.

Like many others, he says he did it for the love of the game and not the accolades, but tips his cap to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame for being recognized as part of its Class of 2025.

And he’s not done yet.

“I’m still doing what I do today because I love the game and I have a passion for what I do,” Franchuk says. “I try to help people get better.”

Hooked on the comraderie, sportsmanship and competition, Orv Franchuk has turned a few bumps, bruises and tears into a Hall of Fame-worthy baseball career, and our province is better off for it.