Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast

Episode 267: Andrew Albers

Andrew Albers spent 13 seasons in professional baseball, including parts of five years in the Majors with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. The North Battleford, Saskatchewan product was also a fixture of the Baseball Canada roster, playing in several major events including the Pan Am Games, Baseball World Cup and the 2023 World Baseball Classic. His baseball journey has also come full-circle recently, as the former Saskatoon Yellow Jacket is now back in the city as the pitching coach for the new Saskatoon Berries of the Western Canadian Baseball League. Albers made the trek west to Vauxhall Academy of Baseball for their recent awards banquet where he served as the special guest speaker. Our Ian Wilson was able to track him down for what turned out to be a wonderful conversation.

Episode 266: Jim Kotkas & Brett Getz

We had originally planned to head south to Vauxhall Academy of Baseball for their annual banquet and awards last Saturday. Then I ended up catching yet another cold, then Mother Nature dumped a ton of snow on us, rendering us immobile to take in the celebrations. However, we have been able to catch up with a few of the honoured guests from what was, by all accounts, another smashing success. Our Ian Wilson sits down with Wall of Excellence and long-time coach Jim Kotkas for a candid chat about his baseball journey, then we reconnect with Episode #244 guest Brett Getz, who was named this year's winner of the coveted Reno Lizzi Scholarship.
5:26 - Jim Kotkas
30:53 - Brett Getz

Episode 265: 25 Years of Lethbridge Bulls Baseball

It’s hard to believe but it’s been 25 years since the Lethbridge Bulls joined what was then the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League. That decision changed the trajection of the league, which would later become the Western Major Baseball League and is now known as the Western Canadian Baseball League. Take a trip down memory lane with coach Todd Hubka, players Les McTavish and Denny Puszkar and long-time official and now GM Kevin Kvame.
3:29 - Todd Hubka
9:47 - Les McTavish
18:04 - Denny Puszkar
31:02 - Kevin Kvame
You can read our full story on the Bulls' first season here.

Episode 264: Cohen Achen, Justin Breen & Jason Serafinchon

The US college baseball season is well-underway and several Albertans are getting themselves into the headlines with great performances at all levels. We take a look at some of the best over the past week, then we catch up with Calgary Babe Ruth product and Lindsay Wilson College veteran Cohen Achen as well as Fort McMurray Minor Baseball and Dawgs Academy alum Justin Breen (Southwestern Oklahoma State University) and St. Albert Minor Baseball and AHP Academy product Jason Serafinchon (McCook Community College).
3:31 - Cohen Achen
19:26 - Justin Breen
34:50 - Jason Serafinchon

Episode 263: Prairie Baseball Academy Awards Night

It's banquet and awards night season and recently, it was Prairie Baseball Academy who spent a night celebrating the year and two new members of the PBA Hall of Fame. Our Ian Wilson catches up with PBA head coach Todd Hubka as well as the two new inductees: Rob Greeno and Rob Watt.

Episode 262: Introducing Saskatchewan Dugout Stories

We have an announcement to make: we are expanding and have officially launched Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. To mark the occasion, Dugout Stories co-founder Ian Wilson joins us for a bit of context behind our decision and what he's most excited for. Then we get a "state of the game" conversation with Baseball Sask's Greg Brons.

Episode 261: Buck Martinez, Scott Belford & Scott Mitchell

We're doing things just a little differently this week. With just two weeks left until pitchers and catchers report in MLB, we thought we'd take a look at the expectations of Canada's team, the Toronto Blue Jays, through the lens of three people with ties to Alberta. Sportsnet broadcast and former MLB catcher Buck Martinez was here recently as part of the Blue Jays Academy National Coaches Clinic, Scott Belford is an Alberta comedian who hosts the Walkoff Podcast, and TSN baseball reporter Scott Mitchell is a former Alberta sports journalist who also used to be a substitute on Joe and Ian's slo-pitch team.

Episode 260: Recapping the Blue Jays Academy National Coaches Clinic

Dozens of coaches spent last weekend at Webber Academy, just outside of Calgary, for the Blue Jays Academy National Coaches Clinic. They learned about how they can get the most out of their teams through drills, practices and even game-planning with several high-profile guest speakers including former Blue Jays Pat Borders, Devon White, Buck Martinez and Ernie Whitt (who we chatted with on Episode #258), as well as Baseball Canada Women’s National Team and Vancouver Canadians coach Ashley Stephenson and former MLB hurler and Webber Academy senior director of baseball operations Chris Reitsma. On this episode, we hear from Reitsma, Stephenson, White and Borders.
2:40 - Chris Reitsma
14:05 - Ashley Stephenson
24:17 - Devon White
30:03 - Pat Borders

Episode 259: Baseball Canada CEO Jason Dickson

This one isn't just for our listeners in Alberta. Baseball Canada released its 2023-2028 Strategic Plan in November, and while it might not mean a lot to some, there are a lot of interesting pieces to it, including how the organization plans to grow the sport across the country, evaluating the possibility of a 15U and 23U National Team, and the potential of an Academy National Championship. CEO Jason Dickson joins us to talk about it all, plus we chat about his playing career which included time with the Edmonton Trappers. He also has an Alberta connection for his answer to "which player made you thing 'oh no' on the mound?"

Episode 258: Ernie Whitt & The Blue Jays Academy National Coaches Clinic

Welcome to the first episode of the 2024 season! While we've seen Old Man Winter return with a vengeance, it's easy to start dreaming about the upcoming summer baseball season. It actually starts with the preparation being done by coaches, aided this year by Blue Jays Academy bringing its annual National Coaches Clinic to Webber Academy in Calgary from January 19-21. TJ Burton from the Blue Jays joins us to set the stage for the event and what people can expect, then we get a bit of a preview of the festivities with long-time Baseball Canada head coach and former MLB catcher Ernie Whitt.

2024 Podcast Season Announcement

Greetings and salutations, friends! We hope 2024 is off to a great start for you and yours. It's that time of year again where we get things set up for the upcoming year, and we're excited to announce that the first episode of the 2024 season of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast will arrive on Thursday, January 11. We also have some big plans for this year after a record-setting 2023 when it comes to web visits and podcast downloads. Thank YOU so much for all of your support!

Episode 257: Matt Coutney & Tristan Peters

We started the year with two pros (Damiano Palmegiani and Adam Macko), so why not finish the 2023 season with two more, in the form of Wetaskiwin's Matt Coutney and Manitoba's Tristan Peters. Coutney, who attended St. FX Academy and Old Dominion University, just wrapped up his first full pro season in the Los Angeles Angels system, while Peters, who went to Dawgs Academy and Southern Illinois University, spent the year with the Tampa Bay Rays Double-A affiliate.
1:41 - Matt Coutney
24:06 - Tristan Peters