Wolverines ready to pounce in first full season

[fanboygraham]

By Douglas Gilmore
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

It's 7 pm in the evening and the sun is setting, casting a copper glow over half of Winnipeg's Forks Field. The other half has already fallen under a blanket of long, outstretched shadows that only the late evening sun can bring. There are no players on the diamond at this hour. The season is 72 hours away yet. There are no fans in these stands. A solitary man rests in a seat exactly seven rows behind the third base dugout. His hands are folded across his lap and his gaze falls nowhere in particular, but if you looked from afar, you would assume he was staring at the plate. Like some eager fan imagining the opening game, pitch for pitch. Each crack of the bat. Each pop of the glove. Every cheer or jeer from every single fan. He doesn't look uncomfortable, but he's certainly not lounging about. His posture conveys an intense focus.

We don't know what the man is thinking. But we do know that he's Nate Brackburn, the General Manager of the Winnipeg Wolverines, a WBL D-League baseball franchise that debuted under unusual circumstances in the WBL's 13th season.

Up until the final 3rd of season 13, the Wolverines had been participating in Manitoba's provincial Independent League. Baseball in Manitoba lags far behind the development of their hockey programs, but the Wolverines were the cream of the independent league crop, for what that's worth. When the North Olmsted Devil Dawgs ran into surprising financial trouble and ultimately went bankrupt in the middle of the season, Brackburn seized an opportunity for his franchise and quickly managed a transition into the WBL's D-League. He had to hire staff, scout and recruit players, and oversee a significant renovation to Forks Field in order to hold a larger crowd. The on-field performance of the Wolverines was not particularly good, but the fact that they were playing at all was certainly commendable.

It happened incredibly quickly, that's for sure, but overall I'm incredibly happy with the results. I feel like our staff managed to sign some good, young players last season that I've re-signed for this coming year, and having a lot of cap room to work with allowed me to go out and sign some free agents that our staff was really keen on. A lot of people around the league will say we made some risky signings – and I can't deny that. But that's what this game is about. I'm taking a shot on some players I felt like didn't get used properly last season, and I'm excited to see what they can do here for the Wolverines.

Winnipeg native Benjamin Dover

Most notable of the returnees from last season's iteration of the Wolverines is hometown pitcher Benjamin Dover who experienced mixed results last season as the ace of the team. The pressure will be off a bit this year, but Dover expects better things from himself:

I didn't pitch my best last season. There were some games where I was comfortable and really found my groove, but I feel like I didn't have the best chemistry with (Catcher, Tyron) Dakkar and there were games where our offence struggled as well. It's such an honour to pitch in front of my friends and family so often, and to represent my hometown. I sincerely think we will give our fans more to cheer about this year.

Graeme Streeg returns at first base for the Wolverines, an excellent hitter with solid fielding and leadership skills in the clubhouse. Ari Boosch is back with the team for their first full season, though primarily as the DH this year with the Wolverines' big free agent acquisition (more on that later). Duchess Archer, a promising young pitcher, returns to the bullpen along with Yimmiy Key, Mike Faradayand Joey Shabadoo, who were all signed late last season. Seven returnees from the final 25 players on the roster is a significant turnaround in personnel. Brackburn is gambling it's for the better.

Wolverines Centre Fielder Bobby Scherbatsky

He was aggressive in the free agent market, signing former Squamish Thunder Pigs Hayato Yamada, Bobby Scherbatsky, Barry Avery, Miles Walker, Humberto Santiago, and Juan Carlos Oviedo. Yamada, who was Jekyll-and-Hyde last season, has been slotted in as the Wolverines' Ace and will open the season on the road versus the Death Mountain Maniacs on Thursday. Scherbatsky will start in centre field for the first time in his young career, as he spent last season primarily in the designated hitter role with the Pigs en route to hitting .409 and stealing 36 bases. Miles Walker, who split time with Scherbatsky in Squamish at DH, will get his first crack at a starting job, taking over right field for Winnipeg. Walker gives the team an immediate power threat in the heart of the order. Barry Avery, who was relegated to bench duty for the Thunder Pigs while stuck behind All-Star Oldie Olson on the depth chart, will get the starting two-bag job for the Wolvies this season. Humberto Santiago, who backed up the infamous Moseph Johnson last season, will get his first crack at handling a pitching staff on an every day basis. And Juan Carlos Oviedo, who struggled with consistency last year, finds himself entrenched in the closer role for Winnipeg to start the season.

Non-Pig alumni signed via free agency include Gary Texico, Max Planck, Calvin Jefferson, Michael Hunt, Michael Hawk, and Dougie Swaggs. Texico, who signed last season as the starting left fielder for the Japan Da Bears, found himself demoted to the bench for almost the entire second half of the season despite performing decently at the dish.

I didn't like how I was treated by Da Bears last season. They signed me to a deal, and I showed up and worked hard every single day only to have them bring in some other guy like 40 games into the season? Man, that ain't cool. I'm at a place where I'm trying to learn everything I can about the game, and you need to be playing to do that. I'm so glad to be here in Winnipeg with a fresh start and a lot of good buzz around the team

Planck, Jefferson and Swaggs all spent time last season with the Carnotaurs, a team that largely underachieved. They'll have another shot with a new club this season, and are hoping for some positive changes.

Last season, I pitched the whole year out of the 'pen. It was the first time in my life I'd ever pitched out of a bullpen, and it was weird for me, man. I had trouble finding my flow. Couldn't get the rhythm. When Mr. Brackburn called and offered me a shot to pitch in a rotation this season, I couldn't say no.

New starter Dougie Swaggs

Swaggs will be the 5th starter for the Wolverines, following Yamada, Hunt, Dover and Hawk. It looks to be a vastly improved line-up over last season's top 5. On paper, it appears as though Brackburn has put his team into contention for a D-League championship. But there's 162 games to play before playoffs, and in baseball, anything can happen.

That's why Brackburn isn't at home with his family on this chilly spring evening in April. That's why he isn't with his scouts and he isn't on his BlackBerry. He knows that for now, he's done everything he can do. It's now up to the players on the field and his manager, Al Chudley, to do their part. The contracts are signed. The season tickets are bought. The buzz is loud. And, for the Winnipeg Wolverines, the time is now.