Ex-BC Junior Hockey Player Vaults into Baseball Majors
- Wednesday, August 5, 2009 3:22 PM
- Written By: Josh Marks
Michael Jordan, Deion Sanders, Bo Jackson, Nyjer Morgan. Nyjer Morgan? Well, the Washington Nationals outfielder is not exactly a multiple-sports professional athlete but he did play major junior hockey in Canada before committing himself completely to his baseball career.
The 29-year-old San Francisco native is an unlikely hockey fan. The Bay Area was not exactly a hockey hotbed when Morgan was growing up there. The California Golden Seals had folded and the San Jose Sharks had a while before the team skated into the Cow Palace. Plus, hockey generally isn't the No. 1 sport of choice for African-American kids.
Morgan became enamored with hockey as a seven-year-old when he watched the Winter Olympics in Calgary on TV. He soon laced up his skates, grabbed a stick and started on the road to becoming a player with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. He played for one season in 1999-2000 before turning his full attention toward baseball.
Morgan made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2007, but he never lost his passion for ice hockey. He skated with the Penguins during a spring practice session (video interview below) and is excited to be playing baseball in the same city as Alex Ovechkin.
Just as the Pens celebrated their Stanley Cup victory at PNC Park with Morgan and the Pirates, as a Caps fan I hope Morgan will get a chance to rock the red while he participates in a championship party for the Capitals at Nationals Park.
