Former MLBer joins Saskatoon Berries coaching staff for inaugural season

The Saskatoon Berries are enlisting the help of former Major League Baseball pitcher Andrew Albers for their inaugural season in the Western Canadian Baseball League.

Albers, who is from North Battleford, grinded his way into the big leagues where he played stints with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. The left-handed pitcher was also a pillar on Canadian pitching staffs on the international stage including last year's World Baseball Classic in Phoenix, Arizona.

Now Albers is back in his home province as the pitching coach for the Saskatoon Berries — the newest expansion franchise in the Western Canadian Baseball League. The WCBL is a semi-pro league mostly composed of collegiate players. 

Albers said he's been enjoying the transition from player to coach.

"Coaching has always been a passion of mine and something I've always enjoyed doing," Albers said. 

"When this opportunity came up to be a part of this and to be a part of the inaugural season here with the Berries, it was something that I really wanted to be a part of."

Albers hopes the Berries inaugural season can "renew the love of the game for people in Saskatoon" because the city's baseball fans haven't had a team to root for since the Yellow Jackets — who Albers played for in 2004 — folded a decade ago. 

He also said his presence on the team can show his players and young fans that it is possible to have a baseball career coming from Saskatchewan.

"I think for me, that's kind of the biggest passion is helping kids understand that it is possible coming from here," Albers said. "The odds are stacked against you and it's going to be a tough long journey, but at the same time it's possible."

'Can't say enough about his resiliency': Director

Greg Brohn, Baseball Saskatchewan's high performance director, said Albers making the MLB was a tremendous accomplishment, but his road to get there wasn't the easiest. 

He provided the example of how he wasn't signed to a team after he had to get Tommy John surgery following his college career at the University of Kentucky.

"He decided to drive from North Battleford all the way down to Arizona to try out for a number of big league teams to pitch at their Arizona complexes, but nobody signed him," Brohn said.

"Then from Arizona, he drove all the way across to Florida, threw a bullpen for the Twins and the Twins signed him."

"He started all the way from the lowest level of baseball and worked his way up to the big league. You can't say enough about his resiliency."

Albers played 31 games in the MLB where he went 8-8 as a starting pitcher, struck out 91 batters and had a 4.58 ERA through almost 140 innings. He also had an extensive career playing for multiple MLB affiliates in addition to pitching in Japan and South Korea.

Brohn said he did a great job of making batters feel uncomfortable at the plate.

"He attacks hitters, he throws strikes, that's one of the things that he always did. He just hardly walked anybody," Brohn said.

Brohn said the Berries have a lot of local players on the roster, and he's happy they will get the chance to be coached by Albers.

"I think it's great to have a guy with big league experience as a pitching coach, because you can kind of prick his brain and see what he did to get big league hitters out," Brohn said.

"There's a guy that faced Aaron Judge right in your backyard, you can kind of tap into that experience and I think it's going to go a long way for some of the young baseball players who are trying to achieve the same goals that he had."

Soon to be Sask. Baseball Hall of Famer

Albers is being inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in North Battleford this August alongside former MLBer Dustin Molleken.

"There's not too many players from Saskatchewan that make the big leagues, it's well-deserved," Brohn said.

"I think it's just a great achievement for two players, [they] deserve to be recognized in this province for their achievements."

Albers said being inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame is a tremendous honour.

"It's something that you don't ever think about growing up or anything like that, but getting to hear your name called and getting to be inducted alongside other great players and other great teams from the province, it's really special," Albers said.

"It being in my hometown where I grew up, I'm really looking forward to that night."