Pro-pitcher brings end to playing
days to focus on coaching
By Darren
Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex
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| Andrew Albers, right, gives a pointer to a player. |
The
left-hander from North Battleford, Sask., represented Canada at the World
Baseball Classic this past March and the Pan Am Games Qualifier this past June.
At the World Baseball Classic, Canada posted a 2-2 record playing all its
contests in Phoenix, Arizona, and didn’t advance out of pool play.
At the Pan
Am Games Qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Canada posted a 3-1 record, but
didn’t make the tournament final coming up short in the Team Quality Balance
tiebreaker. Panama, who Canada beat 6-5 in eight innings in preliminary round
play, won the final and earned the last berth to the Pan Am Games, which
wrapped up on November 5.
With Canada
being unable to advance to the Pan Am Games, the Pan Am Games Qualifier turned
out to be Albers final event as a player, which brought an end to a career that
spanned 15 years as a professional including stops in the MLB with the
Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners from 2013 to 2021.
“I think the career is pretty much over,” said Albers, who
turned 38-years-old on October 6. “I was able to get the arm going for a couple
of tournaments with the national team.
“Unfortunately after those tournaments, I was a little bit
sore. I kind of figured it was probably about time to hang them up. It seemed
like kind of a logical progression kind of going through it.
“Some opportunities came up with Going Yard here and then with the (Western Canadian Baseball League’s Saskatoon) Berries. It definitely seemed like good opportunities for me to kind stay in the game, and hopefully, pass on some knowledge that I’ve gained over the years.”
With that, Albers decided to leave his playing days behind and focus on becoming a full-time coach. During the off-seasons in the later part of his career, Albers sharpened his craft at the Going Yard Training Centre, which ultimately led to him helping coach all the other pitchers at Going Yard. He also got out fairly frequently to help out players coming up in province’s minor baseball system in various training sessions.
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| Andrew Albers, left, enjoys working with player at Going Yard. |
Albers
found he always enjoyed helping young players, so he was thankful to get the
coaching opportunities with Going Yard and the Berries.
“I think the best thing is just working with the kids,” said
Albers, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds. “You’re trying to work with
kids who are trying to realize their own personal dreams going through this
game.
“Just seeing them progress. If you can give them a tip here
or there that you hope helps them progress in their journey, I think that is the
rewarding part about coaching in general. That is kind of why you do it.
“You try to have an impact on some kids. If you can manage to do that with a few of them, you feel like you’ve done a decent job.”
Albers said the crew at Going Yard had planted the idea in his head about coming on board in a full-time capacity when his playing days were done. The North Battleford, Sask., product felt like he found a home at Going Yard and at the facilities on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.
“Jordan (Draeger) had talked to me a couple of the past
off-seasons, when the baseball season was over or the baseball career was over
to talk to him about it,” said Albers. “You know, it was an opportunity where
it just seemed kind of natural.
“Having been here the last couple of years kind of working
out in the facility with the kids and hanging around them and things like that,
it was a place I felt comfortable coming and being apart of. I know Jordan
(Draeger), Matty (Kosteniuk) and Marshall (Dean), they’ve done a great job here
developing the brand. I feel like they do things the right way and do a great
job with their kids teaching the game of baseball.
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| Andrew Albers will work the Berries as a pitching coach. |
Albers said the opportunity to join the Berries was a cool surprise. Way back in 2004, he played with Saskatoon’s previous WCBL team, the Yellow Jackets, when the circuit was known as the Western Major Baseball League.
Still, he wasn’t sure
what the Berries’ plans were.
“That one wasn’t quite as clear cut,” said Albers.
“(President of Baseball Operations) Steve (Hildebrand) approached me when he
had mentioned that they were bringing the team back here and asked if I might
be interested in helping out in some way shape or form.
“I was more than happy to be apart of that. The coaching
side seemed logical and seemed like a pretty obvious progression. Obviously,
Joe (Carnahan) is going to be the manager there, and he has a great background
with that league being a player and former coach that has won it both ways.
“It is going to be exciting working with him. Certainly, the
ownership group that is behind them it is going to be a lot of fun. From my own
personal standpoint, getting to work a little bit higher level with college
players, collegiate players coming over and playing in that league, I’m looking
forward to that as well.”
While Albers has transitioned to the coaching side of his baseball life, he admits his competitive side left him feeling he wanted to obtain more accomplishments in his playing career like staying in the MLB a little bit longer.
After taking time to look at things from a different lens, Albers will leave behind his playing days with no regrets.
“You always felt like you could have done a little bit
better,” said Albers.“When I look back on it objectively and think about what I
had from a talent standpoint and the gifts that I had, I do feel like I
overachieved, so at the end of the day, I feel pretty content with the career I
had.
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| Andrew Albers, right, grins at something a player tells him. |
“I was fortunate to do it for about 15 years. It doesn’t
really get much better than that at the end of the day. Am I content? Sure.
Would I have wanted more? Absolutely.”
For more information on the Going Yard Training Centre, feel free to check out their website at www.gyba.ca. For more information on the Saskatoon Berries Baseball Club, feel free to check out their website at www.saskatoonberriesbaseballclub.ca.
