Very soon, the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ aerial game will feature Trevor Harris throwing to Jake Wieneke, Derel Walker, Brayden Lenius, Shawn Bane Jr., Mitch Picton, Samuel Emilus, et al.
On Monday, however, the propulsion of a projectile involved two defensive linemen — Anthony Lanier II and Micah Johnson — who collaboratively executed the ceremonial first pitch at Currie Field.
It was Rider Nation Night at the ol’ ballpark.
What a perfect night it was.
The weather — 28 degrees, with a bit of a breeze — was simply a dream. The company was unbeatable.
It was a joy to sit with an assortment of my wonderful colleagues and watch the Regina Red Sox oppose the Swift Current 57’s in Western Canadian Baseball League action.
Well, I sort of watched.
A night at the ballpark is something to savour for reasons that don’t always pertain to curveballs, strikeouts and home runs.
For upwards of 2½ hours, I sat in the bleachers down the left-field line, behind the visiting team’s dugout, and appreciated everything except the mosquito that seemed to be dining out on my left shoulder.
The Swift Current players, who ultimately celebrated a 12-4 victory, seemed to be enjoying every facet of the game as much as we did.
But without the Twizzlers.
Members of the 57’s were laughing and joking between innings, looking very much like a close-knit team.
It reminded me of time spent in Saskatoon at Coors Light Riders Training Camp, watching a group of players who clearly enjoy each other’s company.
Come Sunday, that same group will be performing before tens of thousands of fans at Commonwealth Stadium, where the Edmonton Elks are to play host to the Roughriders to conclude Week 1 of the 2023 CFL season.
Saskatchewan-based WCBL teams, by contrast, typically display their talents for a few hundred customers.
It is a different scale, obviously, but the team dynamic is critical at any tier of any sport.
Consider, too, that baseball and football players can only do so much within the entire framework.
The best hitter on the team, or in the entire league, is merely one-ninth of the batting order.
Somewhat comparably, a CFL quarterback — regardless of his skill level — is reliant on the other 11 members of the offence on any given play. One botched assignment by one component of the offence can ruin a play, even if 11 of the 12 moving pieces carry out their responsibilities without any imperfections.
The WCBL and CFL also have this in common: American players are important contributors who make our leagues and teams better by taking their talents to Canada.
So there was the 6-foot-6 Lanier II, a towering figure even before he stood atop a 10-inch-high pitcher’s mound, directing the first pitch toward Johnson.
Two Georgia-born players, a few thousand kilometres from home, were sharing a night at Currie Field with the rest of us.
They signed autographs, posed for photos and mingled with the fans, who were also entertained by Gainer the Gopher and the 620 CKRM Rider Cheer Team.
On the diamond, there was the reliable presence of Red Sox returnee Dylan Edmands, who attends Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. — the alma mater of Roughriders running back Frankie Hickson. (Frankie’s offensive co-ordinator with the Liberty Flames: Kent Austin. Rider royalty!)
And it was impossible to miss Red Sox catcher Easton Romero — the pride of Spanish Fork, Utah — and his pair of two-run home runs.
Romero attends Brigham Young University, which was once such an incubator for the Roughriders that in 1976 four of its graduates (Logan Hunter, Mike Russell, Pete Van Valkenburg and Stan Varner) spent some time with the local, community-owned CFL team.
Van Valkenburg, the most memorable member of that quartet, took off on a 90-yard touchdown run on Aug. 20, 1976 against the host Calgary Stampeders.
Also in that game, Van Valkenburg caught two TD passes from Ron Lancaster, who was part of a trivia question that was asked over the public-address system on Monday night at Currie Field.
Lancaster was born in Pennsylvania — also the home state of 57’s players Carter Hinds (from Warrington) and Koby Bubash (Monongahela).
Hinds drove in two runs on Monday. Bubash added two hits and two runs scored. Ethan Gonzalez, from Moorpark, Calif., added two runs, two hits and two RBI.
Ethan Murdoch led Swift Current in hits, with three. Brody Alexandre chipped in with two runs and two ribbies. Murdoch and Alexandre both hail from Swift Current.
The WCBL’s melting pot is hardly dissimilar to that of the CFL. Teams in both leagues combine a home-grown flavour and an American influence to produce a premier product — one that is appreciated in this province by fans of the Roughriders, Red Sox, 57’s, Weyburn Beavers and Moose Jaw Miller Express.
Across the board, there is accessibility and relatability.
I would bet that Red Sox President Gary Brotzel mingled with a good many of the 650 people who visited Currie Field on Monday night.
In all the years I have had the pleasure of knowing Gary, I cannot recall him actually sitting during a baseball game. As an elite softball pitcher, however, Gary was responsible for sitting down innumerable hitters over the years.
In the stands on Monday night, you could find another team executive of note — our President-CEO, Craig Reynolds.
General Manager and Vice-President of Football Operations Jeremy O’Day was also conspicuous on the premises, along with a number of players and sundry Roughriders staff members.
Seth Strankman (Manager, Game Entertainment and Events) and his partner, Nicole, were accompanied by their fine miniature dachshund (Bowyer).
My dog (Candy) was thoughtful enough to bring me to the game. It was all part of an intricate plot to eventually devour my food.
While I was chatting with Karlie McGeough (Marketing Communications Associate, Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation), I made the mistake of establishing eye contact with someone other than my ultra-attentive growler.
CHOMP!
That was one of three steals on a marvelous Monday. Bubash — living up to the SWIFT on the front of his jersey — swiped two bases and Candy, transforming herself into a ravenous wiener dog for a few fateful seconds, helped herself to my ballpark cuisine.
Even though I should have been charged with an error, it was nonetheless a flawless (but certainly not paw-less) evening at Currie Field.
Profuse thanks to the Red Sox, the 57’s, the WCBL, and our dear friend Mother Nature.
