An award-winning ballplayer regained his passion for baseball while playing in Okotoks.
Dawgs outfielder Daniel “Freddy” Fredrickson thanked the fans in Okotoks for making baseball fun again, during his touching speech after being named the Dawgs’ 2015 Rookie of the Year at the team’s banquet Saturday at the Foothills Centennial Centre.
“At Washington State I didn’t play too much and I got turned off by baseball,” Fredrickson said. “I was planning to stay home for the summer… but with some encouragement from my family and coaches, I came up here to Okotoks.”
He took the best of his opportunity.
The speedy outfielder hit a team high .366 last summer.
“I had no idea of the extent this town would change my life until they called my name in the starting lineup,” he said. “The love and support that I got — even though I hadn’t done anything yet, was incredible.”
He called it the type of support one receives from family.
“This town motivated me like a family does — you were there no matter what was going on,” he said. “You restored my love for baseball.”
That Okotoks passion put a zigzag in his step — or a zag anyway. Fredrickson transferred from WSU to nearby Gonzaga University in Spokane.
“I probably would not have stayed with baseball if it wasn’t for this place,” he said, inspiring a ‘Go Zags’ cheer from the crowd.
Fredrickson isn’t eligible to play with Gonzaga this year because he transferred from another Division I school, and although he hasn’t ruled it out, he doubts if he will be back in Okotoks for the summer.
The other award winners were Dylan Nelson, Pitcher of the Year; Kellen Marruffo, True Grit Award and Brian Sisler, Most Valuable Player.
The awards banquet was highlighted by a humourous speech by veteran journeyman catcher, and now a Toronto Blue Jays analyst, Gregg Zaun.
“I didn’t realize people like baseball so much in Alberta,” said Zaun, who grew up near L.A. “For an organization like Okotoks and the WMBL it is inspiring to me, because I love the game of baseball… Anybody can default in this country to being a hockey player. This (the Dawgs facilities) takes effort to put together.”
He told the Dawgs Academy players they were blessed to have the facilities in Okotoks.
“I didn’t see facilities like this until I got to the major league,” he said.
Zaun played parts of 16 seasons in the major leagues, picking up a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins in 1997. He also played in the Jays’ organization from 2004 to 2008.
Zaun told several anecdotes about Marlins’ skip Jim Leyland. The always-smoking Leyland became a father-type figure for Zaun — despite the fact the skip was often on his case.
“He once told me: ‘Get on this plane and hide from the general manager for six months because if he knows I put you on the team, he’ll fire me on the spot.” he said.
It became a bond.
“When I watch the game of baseball, I hear Jim Leyland in my head,” Zaun said. “He told me things that shaped the rest of my career.”
He told the audience he expects an L.A.-Gretzky-like explosion for baseball in Canada as a result of the Blue Jays’ playoff run last October.
“You are seeing more fans nation-wide glued to the television to watch baseball — at one point this summer, there were 15-million pairs of your eyes on this mug,” he said. “Scary.”
He’s optimistic about next season for the Jays.
“It is my opinion, that they are in a better position roster-wise than they were a year ago today,” Zaun said. “We lost David Price, but on paper right now, this is a better team than it was on Jan. 30, 2015.”
