McFarland: Vanneste shares taste of home with Mavericks’ teammates
McFarland: Vanneste shares taste of home with Mavericks’ teammates

“Being the parent of an athlete, you come to expect that you will occasionally have a few visitors to the house.

So when Tyler Vanneste asked his parents, Joey and Patty, if he could have his Medicine Hat Mavericks’ teammates stop by his hometown of Warman, Saskatchewan during a July roadtrip, they rolled out the red carpet.

With a full spread of pulled pork, fruits and veggies, and some Nestea iced tea waiting for them, the team bus pulled in on June 13 for a pre-game meal and plenty of memories.

Believe it or not, the visitors didn’t eat the family out of house and home.

“There were lots of leftovers,” Vanneste told Alberta Dugout Stories. “They cooked up a LOT of pork.”

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Alberta Dugout StoriesJoe McFarland
Ex-Raptors Lowry and DeRozan will be following Nori, son of ex-Raptor coach
Ex-Raptors Lowry and DeRozan will be following Nori, son of ex-Raptor coach

“More than once we have been asked either in person or via email:

“Why is a player from Northville, Mich. listed No. 1 on the Canadian Baseball Network draft list?”

Well, Dante Nori was born at Mount Sinai Hospital on University Avenue in downtown Toronto. He lived here for two years. And Dante often hung out at the Air Canada Centre before, during and after Toronto Raptors games.”

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Bob Elliott, SandlotsBob Elliott
ICYMI - McFarland: Canadian Futures Showcase HR derby champ Flewelling impresses at MLB Draft Combine
ICYMI - McFarland: Canadian Futures Showcase HR derby champ Flewelling impresses at MLB Draft Combine

“When Nathan Flewelling squared up a Riley Burton pitch on a sunny Sunday afternoon at Gulls Field in Sylvan Lake, everyone in the crowd knew the baseball wasn’t coming back.

The three-run seventh inning home run to deep right field tied the game against the Lethbridge Bulls, which the Gulls would later go onto win 7-6.

It was a big moment for the team, and for the Innisfail native who hit his first Western Canadian Baseball League home run with family in the stands.”

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Alberta Dugout StoriesJoe McFarland
Shushkewich: Top-ranked Canadian pitcher Langevin excited about draft
Shushkewich: Top-ranked Canadian pitcher Langevin excited about draft

“The MLB Draft can be nerve-wracking for any eligible player who dreams of taking their talents to the professional level and another step closer to the big league stage.

For pitcher L.P. Langevin (Quebec, Que.), that dream has a sky-high chance of coming to fruition early next week with the draft set to begin this Sunday evening. After a stellar campaign with the University of Louisiana at Layeffette Ragin’ Cajuns. the right-hander has put himself in a position to get drafted and move on into the world of professional baseball.”

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Canadians in CollegeTyson Shushkewich
Mark Whicker: “Brazen and unconventional” Leyland has earned plaque in Cooperstown
Mark Whicker: “Brazen and unconventional” Leyland has earned plaque in Cooperstown

“Jim Leyland was like your first favorite car.

It started like a dream every morning. But all the miles were hard.

He managed 11 years in the minor leagues. His first stop was Bristol, in the Appalachian League. He was “stylin,’’’ as he recalled, with a new pair of white shoes that he unfortunately placed on the top of the hot water heater in the clubhouse.

Pretty soon they were bubbles.

“And I paid 40 bucks for those suckers, too,” Leyland said. He was 26.”

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Major Leagues (MLB)Mark Whicker