By IAN WILSON
Bob Elliott has released his full list of the most influential Canadians in baseball, and the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) makes a number of appearances on the esteemed roll call.
The Hall-of-Fame journalist produced a list of 140 top names in the sport, with Alex Anthopoulos, general manager of the Atlanta Braves, at first overall; followed by Phillies’ skipper Rob Thomson in second; and Josh Naylor – slugger with the Cleveland Guardians – in the third spot.
Here’s a look at where WCBL personalities landed on the Canadian Baseball Network list:
14. JOHN IRCANDIA
The founding and managing director of the Okotoks Dawgs continues to climb the index after ranking 16th in 2022 and 15th last year.
“It feels great, actually. I mean, there’s so many executives and coaches and baseball players in Major League Baseball, that to be ranked as high as number 14, I think is really a testament to the success of the Dawgs … and the respect that the Canadian Baseball Network has for all the work the Dawgs do in amateur baseball,” Ircandia told Okotoks Online of receiving the honour.
Elliott took notice of the Dawgs strong attendance at their home ballpark, Seaman Stadium. The WCBL squad drew an average crowd of 4,558 fans over 28 home dates in 2023, good for third place out of all of North America’s summer collegiate teams, according to Ballpark Digest. Seaman Stadium was also named by Ballpark Digest as the best summer college baseball facility on the continent last summer.
“The facilities are first rate. We built, basically, $25 million worth of state-of-the-art baseball facilities in Okotoks. It’s like a major league spring training area,” Ircandia told reporter Stephen Strand.
“So, the facilities attract a lot of baseball people that want to be part of that, because they open so many doors in terms of the development opportunities for young players.”
Recent upgrades at Seaman Stadium include a converted Volkswagen van serving as a beach bar, and the Golden Sombrero Cantina. More improvements are on the way this summer. Baseball fans can look forward to another section of seats, an expanded anthem patio, ground-level suites by the home dugout, and a video board above the outfield wall.
Meanwhile, Dawgs Academy in Okotoks – dubbed a “powerhouse” and “recruiting giant” by Elliott – feeds players to the WCBL team. That team has now claimed seven league championships and back-to-back WCBL titles.
Numerous alumni and coaches who have played and worked for the Dawgs were also selected as honourable mentions, including original team member Jim Henderson, who is now the bullpen coach with the Milwaukee Brewers, and Dawgs Academy pitching coach Jeff Duda.
Dawgs general manager Tyler Hollick; hitting/bench coach Dave “DR” Robb; team advisor John Milton; WCBL All-Star Game organizer Tyler Milton; former strength/conditioning coach Brett Platts; and former players Jordan Procyshen and Sammie Starr also received honourable mentions.
45. MATT STAIRS
The hitting guru – who had a 19-year Major League Baseball career with over a dozen MLB teams – has become a familiar face around the WCBL.
As a guest at the league’s All-Star Game & Home Run Derby in Edmonton (2019) and Okotoks (2022 and 2023), the New Brunswick native has been on hand to sign autographs, do media interviews and hand out player awards.
Stairs has been an approachable guest and a respected hitting instructor at these events, where he can often be seen at batting practice chatting with WCBL players about their swing and their approach to at bats.
The record holder for most pinch-hit homers in MLB history has also attended the Regina Red Sox sports dinner and banquet, as well as a youth clinic for the Weyburn Beavers in 2019.
He spoke glowingly of the WCBL in an interview with Alberta Dugout Stories.
“I like it because it gives kids another opportunity to play. There’s always scouts watching. There’s always people watching, keeping an eye on you,” said Stairs, whose nephew, Brodie Stairs, played for the Weyburn Beavers.
“I like the fact that the fans are supporting it and the cities do a tremendous job of supporting the teams and everyone I’ve met has been unbelievable. I enjoy it and it’s good for Canada and it’s nice seeing the talent getting a chance to keep on playing and take that next step.”
68. LES McTAVISH
An original member of the Lethbridge Bulls – or the “L.A.” Bulls, as they were called in their inaugural season in 1999 – McTavish was a regular in the rotation during the club’s first two seasons. The righthander threw the first no-hitter in franchise history in 2000.
He later worked as the head coach of the Bulls for three seasons in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL), the predecessor of the WCBL.
“I wasn’t a very good coach then,” conceded McTavish in a recent interview, but he added that he learned a great deal from the experience.
“It helped build me into the coach I am today. It helped me make some mistakes.”
Since 2006, McTavish has been the head coach and director of baseball operations at the Vauxhall Academy of Baseball. Numerous pupils from Vauxhall have gone on to suit up in the WCBL over the years. Among them are Shaye and Brennan McTavish, who carried on in their father’s footsteps by suiting up for the Lethbridge Bulls last summer.
69. VINCENT IRCANDIA
He was one of the first players signed by the Okotoks Dawgs back when the WMBL squad played out of Foothills Stadium in Calgary in 2003, and he rewarded the team with an All-Star campaign that year.
These days, Vincent Ircandia is the Chief Executive Officer of StellarAlgo, a software company that works with professional teams to help them forecast spending trends within the fan base. Clients of the Calgary-based company include the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Detroit Tigers, as well as numerous National Hockey League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) teams.
StellarAlgo aids sports organizations in tracking and analyzing ticketing, merchandise, sales, marketing and fan behavior data so they can improve their marketing strategies. According to their website, the company makes it “easy for marketing and data teams to understand their fan universe and accelerate business outcomes.”
79. GREG BRONS
The high performance director at Baseball Sask was once the head coach of the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets when they competed in the WMBL.
With the return of Saskatoon to the WCBL, Brons is likely to have a hand in coaching a few players who make their way onto the Berries roster in the years ahead.
He’s already worked with a number of successful WCBL players that were Major League Baseball (MLB) draft picks, including Swift Current 57’s pitcher Garrett Hawkins and Moose Jaw Miller Express hurler Logan Hofmann.
93. STU SCHEURWATER
A Regina product who went from umpiring in the WCBL to making calls at the MLB level, Scheurwater worked 112 major-league games in 2023. He also called balls and strikes behind the plate at the World Baseball Classic last year.
100. SAVANNAH BLAKLEY, ANGELA BURGER & LOU POTE
“Pote managed the Okotoks Dawgs to their second straight Western Canada League title beating the Medicine Hat Mavericks 13-5 in the deciding game at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks. Live-Saving Lou was there in the dugout and then celebrating. Blakley was there keeping everyone healthy as the trainer and Burger was there as a photographer clicking away high-quality, pictures,” wrote Elliott, who collapsed due to heart complications at an Okotoks Dawgs banquet before the three came to his rescue.
“It was not the first time the trio of Okotoks angels were together. They were all in place Feb. 2, 2019 with fireman Geoff Brown, who had a 90 seconds response time. The three angels and Brown saved my life (twice). But enough about that. The WCBL playoff MVP was SS Brendan Luther (Mississauga, Ont.) who had himself a month of August with a .344 average, 10 RBIs and three home runs in seven playoff games.”
118. JOE McFARLAND & IAN WILSON
The co-founders of Alberta Dugout Stories and Saskatchewan Dugout Stories made their first appearance on the list for their efforts in shining a spotlight on baseball in Western Canada.
“There are a few names on this most influential list which are MUST reads. Alberta Dugout Stories is one of them,” states Elliott.
“Recently, Wilson and McFarland launched Saskatchewan Dugout Stories, which is certain to provide us with more must-read material.”
The WCBL garners much of their focus in stories and on podcast episodes, and Wilson is the media coordinator for the league.
123. DIANNE & DUTCHE IANNETTI
The owners of the Fort McMurray Giants received high marks for not losing home dates as a result of raging forest fire smoke from B.C. clouding the skies over Legacy Dodge Field.
“Dutche coached several Fort McMurray teams and has been part of facility maintenance groups. His interest in the game stems from Cape Breton Little League teams when he grew up in Nova Scotia as youth coaches, Monte Bradley and Billy Foster, were major influences,” noted Elliott, who also name dropped Andrew Swagers, general manager of the WCBL club, and head coach Joey Ellison.
The Giants drew a record crowd of 5,011 fans to Legacy Dodge Field during a 4-2 loss to the Okotoks Dawgs in the 2023 postseason.
Fort McMurray head coach Joe Ellison also drew an honourable mention on the Canadian Baseball Network list.
134. COLIN PRIESTNER
He’s bringing baseball back to Saskatoon in a big way, something that was not lost on the Canadian Baseball Network.
Priestner is the part-owner and managing partner of the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League (WHL), as well as the Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Now, as owner of the Saskatoon Berries, he has paved the way for the WCBL to return for the first time since 2014, when the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets played their final season.
When the Berries take the field in the summer of 2024, former Swift Current 57’s head coach Joe Carnahan will be at the helm and he’ll have Andrew Albers – the 2004 WMBL Rookie of the Year as a member of the Yellow Jackets – at his side as the team’s pitching coach. Albers, who grew up in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, received an honourable mention on Elliott’s list.
137. JEN & GRAHAM SCHETZSLE
The founders of the Sylvan Lake Gulls, a team that began playing in the WCBL in 2021, built a popular addition to the central Alberta sports scene.
Since joining the league, the fans have come flocking to Gulls Field. The club welcomed over 45,000 spectators last summer, for an average attendance of 1,611 per game. That total marked a 25% increase and a franchise record.
The Gulls have also been competitive on the field, posting a 38-18 regular-season record in both 2022 and 2023. Sylvan Lake middle infielder Jonah Weisner was named the WCBL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), while Tyler Boudreau took home Most Outstanding Pitcher honours last year.
Jason Chatwood, the head coach of the Gulls, also received an honourable mention on Elliott’s list, as did Aqil Samuel, the club’s president and chief operating officer.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
The list of honourable mentions featured several people with ties to the WCBL.
League president Kevin Kvame – who is also the president and GM of the Lethbridge Bulls – got a nod, as did several other people with ties to the Bulls. Todd Hubka, the first skipper of the WCBL team and a long-time coach with Prairie Baseball Academy (PBA), was recognized, as was fellow PBA coach Ryan MacDonald, who played for Lethbridge and served as head coach of the Bulls at Spitz Stadium. Toronto Blue Jays prospect Damiano Palmegiani, who wore pinstripes for the Bulls, also got the thumbs up from Elliott.
Greg Morrison, the owner of the Medicine Hat Mavericks, and a former star player for the Mavs, Nolan Rattai, received honourable mention status, as well.
The Edmonton Prospects and their alumni were recognized – owner Pat Cassidy, head coach Jordan Blundell, former skipper Mark Randall, and former player Curtis Taylor made the cut.
The Regina Red Sox were acknowledged with honourable mentions for team president Gary Brotzel, executive director Sharon Clarke, field manager Ben Kononosky and alum Morgan Reiter.
Kyle MacKinnon, who was the head coach of the Brooks Bombers, and Jason Thomasen, the president of the southern Alberta WCBL team, were highlighted by Elliott.
Unofficial WCBL historian Jonathan Hodgson, a consistent source of updates on league alumni, also got a well-earned tip of the cap.
Several baseball folks with Saskatchewan ties were acknowledged, including John Axford, who pitched for the Melville Millionaires in 2006; Dustin Molleken, who works as a pitching consultant for the Moose Jaw Miller Express; and Weyburn Beavers head coach Cam Williams.
The arbiters of balls and strikes and field police also received attention. Among them are Kevin Mandzuk (a former WCBL umpire now working in the minor leagues); North Battleford’s Philip McGee, also a WCBL ump; and John Oko, who has served as the league’s head of umpiring.
Congratulations to all who were recognized on the CBN’s list of Most Influential 140 Canadians!
Tales of Baseball 