The Western Major Baseball League season is about to get started and that means the Yorkton Cardinals are headed back to the Pioneer Park diamond in the city.
This year the Cardinals will have a new head coach at the helm as John Farrington assumes the role.
鈥淭his will be my first season with the team,鈥� he told Yorkton This Week, adding he is looking forward to the chance to coach the Cardinals. 鈥淚 have heard great things about the city and am looking forward to the opportunity.鈥�
Looking ahead to the 2018 season, Farrington, hailing from Lane Community College in Eugene, OR., said the team just needs to perform up to their skill level to succeed.
鈥淲e have a talented group coming in and I am optimistic about our chances,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he key is going to be coming together as a team, not just being a bunch of individuals, and pulling towards a common goal. If we take care of the little things and look to improve as ball players every day, we will have a successful summer.鈥�
As a first year coach, Farrington said on paper the team looks solid.
鈥淚 am excited about the group we have coming in and look forward to seeing how we will mesh together,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here is a lot of talent on the roster which should make for an exciting summer.鈥�
As an American coach, one of the big challenges is finding Canadian players who are often a big part of winning in the WMBL.
鈥淲hile I have not personally seen any of the Canadian players we have coming in, I have heard great things about them,鈥� said Farrington. 鈥淚t can be challenging to find Canadian players for an American coach, but we have a good mix of Canadian and American players who will bond over a shared love for the game.鈥�
When asked about key recruits this year Farrington said it is not about individual players.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe any one player is going to be more important to the team than any other player,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t takes a group of individuals, who understand their role, and come together as one. It is going to take each and every person on this roster to make this team go.
鈥淲hile some players will have more noticeable roles than others, each player is going to play a key role in their own right.鈥�
That said, Farrington likes what he has to work with, at least when viewed on paper.
鈥淥ur roster is in a pretty good spot right now,鈥� he said.
鈥淗owever, you can never have enough pitching. Playing 50-plus games in just two months is going to be a grind. These players haven鈥檛 just been sitting around resting. They have been playing their school ball and are rolling right straight into summer ball. I have learned from experience that the players who are the most successful in summer ball are the players who love and embrace the grind.鈥�
In past years the Cardinals have had some issues keeping players. Many years players have left for varying reasons but the result is the team has been left short of players late in the season and playoffs.
Farrington said he is banking on this year鈥檚 recruits wanting to see what they start through to the finish.
鈥淎 player鈥檚 character is just as important as a player鈥檚 talent to me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 expect our players to come into this summer 100 per cent committed to the team and the city. Like I said earlier, long bus rides and playing almost every day can be a grind, but we will understand that, and look to embrace and love it.鈥�
