Sports stats

Manager of the Year Returns to Vipers

March 30, 2010 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Calgary Vipers News Release


The Calgary Vipers are pleased to announce that 2009 Golden Baseball League Manager of the Year, Morgan Burkhart, will be returning to the helm for 2010. Last year, in his first as skipper, Burkhart led the Vipers to their first ever Championship. His team posted a league best 49-27 overall record and also won both the first and second halves of the season which had never happened before in the G.B.L.

This year will be the 38-year-old's fourth season in Calgary after two years as the hitting coach. Under his tutelage in 2008 the offense led the league in walks (387) and on-base percentage (.402). In 2007 his hitters led the league with a .307 team batting average and set new Northern League records for Runs (618), RBI (577), and on-base percentage (.389).

In a 42-game Major League career with the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals the St. Louis, Missouri native posted a .248 batting average (30-for-121) with five home runs and 23 RBI, including a solid .366 on-base percentage. Morgan smashed 237 home runs during his career which included six seasons in Triple-A ball. He also knocked in 773 runs during his pro career and had a lifetime .297 batting average.

Vipers' President John Conrad is extremely pleased to have him back, "Winning the championship in his first season as manager was a terrific accomplishment and proves that Morgan has an innate ability to get the best out of his players."

G.B.L. commissioner Kevin Outcalt commented, "He was the first rookie manager to win a GBL title and he has been instrumental in building the Calgary club for the last three seasons. His team last year was a mirror of their manager as they were hard-nosed, hard-hitting, and very hard to beat."

Joining Morgan on the coaching staff will be returning Bench and Hitting Coach Boots Day along with new Pitching Coach Mike Snyder.

Last year Day's hitters set new Golden Baseball League records for batting average (.332) and on-base percentage (.407). Nine players in the league finished with at least 100 hits and seven of those were from Calgary. This spring Boots led the Arizona Winter League's Calgary Vipers to a championship as well. The 62-Year-Old was born in Ilion, New York and now resides in St. Louis, Missouri. This left-handed thrower and hitter made his major league debut on June 15, 1969 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Boots went on to play 471 career MLB games with also the Cubs and mostly the Expos. The outfielder finished up his playing career in 1974.

Snyder's career in professional baseball as a pitcher, scout and pitching coach spans over twenty years. During his career, he was affiliated with the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies. Four of Mike's private and former private students Jon Rauch, Steve Stemie, Tom Mastny and Zach McClellan have or are currently pitching in the Major Leagues. Also another pitcher that Mike trained, Alex Graman, had a monster 2008 season in the Japanese Pacific League culminating in pitching in the Japanese World Series.

The Calgary Vipers open training camp on May 8th with workouts at Foothills Stadium. From May 11th - 13th the Vipers travel to Kamloops, British Columbia to host a baseball clinic followed by two preseason games with the Victoria Seals. On May 15th the team is hosting a Meet & Greet and serving up a BBQ Burger Cook-off at the Main Dish in Calgary. The Vipers open up the 2010 Golden Baseball League season on May 19th with a seven game road-trip through Yuma and Tucson, Arizona.

Opening Day is scheduled for May 27th at Foothills Stadium with the Strong Warriors of Maui, Hawaii making their first ever appearance in Calgary.



Golden Baseball League Stories from March 30, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Calgary Vipers Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central