Vipers Extend Manager's Contract

October 28, 2010 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Calgary Vipers News Release


The Calgary Vipers Baseball Club have resigned manager Morgan Burkhart to a two-year contract extension. The St. Louis, Missouri resident will return for a fifth season with the team after two years as skipper and two seasons as hitting coach. In 2010 Morgan led Calgary to its fourth consecutive playoff appearance by winning the second half north division title with a 30-15 record. Overall the Vipers finished 53-35 and set new franchise records for overall wins along with road wins (29) and winning percentage away from home (.644).

"I'm happy to continue with the organization as I have been here for four years now and enjoy it," says Burkhart. "We've had pretty good success winning the championship and going to the playoffs every year I've been here and I'm looking forward to continuing that success over the next two seasons."

2009 was a banner year for the 38-year-old as he led Calgary to their first ever professional baseball Championship along with winning Golden Baseball League Manager of the Year honours. 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 GBL. Offensively the Snakes set new GBL records for batting average (.332) and on-base percentage (.407) while seven of the nine players in the league that finished with at least 100 hits were from Calgary.

"As an organization I feel it is imperative to have consistency in all areas of the operation and the on field product has been a reflection of Morgan's ability to handle people," says President John Conrad. "The best way to describe his managerial skills would be that he is a player's coach with fair discipline which I believe the player's respect."

Under Burkhart's tutelage as hitting coach in 2008 the offense led the league in walks (387) and on-base percentage (.402). In 2007 his hitters led the circuit 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 switch-hitter 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, knocked in 773 runs, and had a lifetime .297 batting average during his pro career which included six seasons in Triple-A ball.



Golden Baseball League Stories from October 28, 2010


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