But when you take into account the blast-furnace heat and humidity in those parts of the world during the summer months, well, some time on the southern Canadian prairies might not seem like a bad idea.
And when you have a chance to coach in one of the premier collegiate baseball leagues in the country, all the better.
That was part of the reasoning behind new head coach Rich Sorenson joining the Moose Jaw Miller Express for the Western Canadian Baseball League season, which kicked off their slate of 56 games this past week.
The whole situation came out of the Express needing a coach quickly after original hire Tanner Spencer ended up taking a full time job with Minot State University. Millers general manager Cory Olafson placed a call to Fresno State assistant Eric Solberg to see if he had any ideas for a replacement, and Sorenson’s name quickly came up.
“I had a previous commitment to Florida, and (Solberg) came up to me and said ‘hey, by the way there’s this guy up in Canada who said he needs a coach’,’ Sorensen said during a meet-and-greet and uniform-fitting at Olafson’s home on Monday evening. “And he said it would be a great experience and Cory is a great guy and we have a great relationship with him.
“So Cory and I talked on the phone about 45 minutes and it was like we’d been friends for 15 years, it was that kind of communication and rapport we had, everything just clicked… It was kind of out of the blue, but Eric had a lot of good things to say and I trust him about the guy Cory is and how the league is, because he’s sent a lot of guys to pitch here. And I’ve known a lot of those kids since they were 10 and 11, so it seemed like a great fit.”
Sorenson’s previous experience with summer ball certainly didn’t hurt, when as a youngster himself he played a season in Alaska and enjoyed his time in the far north.
“So I’ve told guys that it’s such a blessing and a privilege to play in a league like this, and when the opportunity came I jumped at it,” Sorenson said.
That’s how, after a couple months of planning and preparing, the coach – who joins the team with nearly 30 years of experience from Little League to four-year colleges – utility player Nick Portillo and shortstop Andres Garza packed into a vehicle and made the four-day trek through the Rockies and western U.S. plains up to Moose Jaw.
“We took it easy and it was a great trip,” Sorenson said. “Those guys hadn’t been outside of California much, so when they saw Idaho and the mountains and such they were like ‘wow, this is incredible’.”
Since then, it’s been all about learning about the city and people and, oh yeah, baseball. The Express played their first game on Monday, taking a 6-5 victory over the Melville Millionaires, a contest that came after a quick turnaround from most of the players arriving in the city Monday.
The key now will be learning what his troops are capable of and where they best fit the team.
“It’s going to basically be ‘what’s your name again?’ and ‘You play where?’,” Sorenson said with a laugh. “The first week or so you get a feel for what position they play, where the pitchers are slotted and if they’re a starter or reliever or closer, that kind of stuff. It’s a feeling out kind of process, but that’s the fun part of it, too, everyone is on a clean slate, there’s no preferences or preconceived notions or anything like that.
“It’s 56 games, that’s a long season, it’s not like they’re not going to be playing or sitting all summer, they’ll all be playing quite a bit,” he added.
And learning a heck of a lot about the game if Sorenson has any say in the matter.
“I’m actually a guy where I want to see if they know the game of baseball,” Sorenson explained. “I’m not an ego guy, a guy who puts his thumb down on them. Come on time and play the game the right way and don’t embarrass the town, play baseball. I get it, they’re young guys and they like to have their fun and that’s what it’s all about.
“I was just talking to the catcher and telling him that I don’t call the games, the catcher calls the game. And he was like ‘oh thank you, I love that, that’s what I want’,” he added. “Because at the end of the game it’s the winning pitcher and losing pitcher and not the coach, and I want them to learn the game. A lot of coaches tell them what to do, but I want them to learn what to do.”
It’s all built to this point, and with game one out of the way and a win in the books, there’s a ton of baseball ahead in the next two months.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Sorenson said “Getting to know the guys, that’s what this is, the camaraderie these guys build and the relationships you have. Five, 10 years down the road you’ll run into them and they’ll still call you coach. And seeing them progress and seeing what we can do with this team, it’s going to be a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to a great season.”
