When the Yorkton Cardinals start their Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) season Sunday, there will be a familiar face in the bullpen, as pitcher Jordan Herbison returns for his fourth year.
The Ontario-native said he could have gone somewhere else, but felt he was a Cardinal first."I decided to return this summer because I want to see the organization succeed," he said via an email interview. "I had options to play for other WMBL teams, but I guess you'd could call it loyalty. This community deserves a winning baseball team and I want to help deliver."
Herbison noted too it was easy to choose the WMBL again, because of the calibre of ball played.
"The WMBL is a competitive league with a minor league feel," he said. "You can sense the rivalries between cities and the devotion of the fans even if you've not from Saskatchewan or Alberta. I just enjoy being able to play in that sort of environment."
When it comes to winning the Cardinals have put together some good regular seasons while Herbison has been with the team, but playoff runs have been short-lived.
"In terms of unfinished business, the organization's inability to make it past the first round is something I'm very aware of," he said. "My performance in Game 1 of the playoffs against Swift Current is still pretty fresh and serves as motivation going into this summer."
Herbison said he looks at the 2010 Cardinal roster with a degree of optimism.
"There are a lot of new faces in town this summer and I think that bodes well for this version of the Cardinals," he said.
With four years of WMBL experience to draw on Herbison said he recognizes he'll be expected to provide a lot of leadership.
"I like to believe I have a lot to offer as a veteran returning to the team this year," he said. "I think my biggest task being an older guy will be to teach some professionalism to the younger guys. The young guys need to realize that they represent the city and our successes and failures affect the community. Having the support of the community will go a long way in determining how these players approach each game."
That means players respond to full bleachers, said Herbison.
"Seeing attendance numbers like we did several years ago really makes you dig that much deeper as a player, hence the success we had in '07," he said.
However, Herbison said he understands fans won't come out to watch half-hearted efforts either.
"It's a two way road. You can't expect fans if you treat it like a vacation and baseball isn't your top priority," he said.
Herbison said he has only one goal this year - winning.
"My main goal for the summer is team success," he said. "If we're winning, the attendance is back up around 700 per game, and the player's have a good reputation in the community.
"This would be the most successful summer since I've been here."
