Close But No Soroka

Watching Calgary’s Mike Soroka succeed at the Major League Baseball level is somewhat bittersweet for Greg Morrison.

The Medicine Hat Mavericks owner and general manager might find himself asking “what if” when he thinks back on the summer of 2015.

Morrison had managed to convince Soroka to play for the Mavericks that summer, but it wasn’t meant to be as he was drafted in the first round of that summer’s MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Short Stop in Saskatchewan

You could call it glove at first sight.

Western Canadian baseball fans may not have realized it at the time, but they were watching the best defensive shortstop since Ozzie Smith take the field.

That summer of 2009, a scrawny 19-year-old kid from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao made his way to the city of 15,000 people in Saskatchewan to suit up for the Yorkton Cardinals at Jubilee Park.

Majestic moonshots were not his calling card, and if you skipped batting practice you could still witness something special from Andrelton Simmons.

1 Thru 9: Reed Odland

Reed Odland made the most of his opportunities in the Medicine Hat Mavericks lineup this season.

As back-up to all-star Colton Wright, Odland put up solid numbers for the deep Mavs squad.

The 18-year-old recently answered the call for 1 Thru 9.

1 Thru 9: Mat Brisson

The rivalry between the Edmonton Prospects and Okotoks Dawgs once again hit a fever pitch in the playoffs.

The Prospects have taken full advantage of the “underdog” tag and one player happy to indulge on social media was Mat Brisson.

The right-hander sat down earlier this season to dish on everything for “1 Thru 9.”

1 Thru 9: Danny Donnelly

It’s been quite the journey for Okotoks Dawgs’ outfielder Danny Donnelly.

Donnelly – who played 32 games for the Dawgs this season, recording two home runs, 11 RBI and 11 runs over 61 regular season at bats – grew up in Okotoks. He patrolled the berm in left field as a fan, along with his father Pat, while his mother Marlene served as the Dawgs’ academic advisor.

He would later hustle around the infield as a bat boy for his beloved hometown team and join the Dawgs Academy.

He recently made time for our “1 Thru 9” series and here’s what the right-handed batter had to say.