The hard work and dedication left handed pitcher Andrew Albers has put into baseball has paid off in full over the last 12 months.
Albers, who grew up in the Battlefords, has had a whirlwind season. About this time last year, Albers was hoping he could latch on with a minor league team to continue his baseball career. He did that and started playing single A baseball last season. From there, Albers moved up to AA baseball. Later he found himself pitching for Canada's senior team in the World Cup of Baseball. Weeks later, he was on the mound for the gold medal game against the United States in the Pan Am Games. Albers was the winning pitcher, as Canada won 2-1 and claimed their first international senior men's gold medal.
Since the end of the baseball season, Albers has returned home to teach as well as coach junior basketball at his old high school, John Paul II Collegiate.
He said he is happy with the opportunity to give back and glad he could come back and see some of the familiar faces who taught him nearly a decade ago.
While training for the upcoming season, Albers' list of accomplishments continues to grow.
Last week, he and team Canada were chosen to be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.
It was exciting to hear, said Albers, who said after being a rookie with Team Canada and realizing how much a gold medal meant to some of the veteran players he is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it.
Not bad for a guy who had underwent Tommy John surgery and lost a year to rehab.
"It got to the point where I just wanted to be able to move my arm again," said Albers in an interview last week.
Not only has Albers overcome the surgery to be able to move his arm he was back pitching and last week was named the Saskatchewan Athlete of the Year.
Albers won the provincial award, which is selected by members of the Saskatchewan sport media and the Sask Sport Inc. Active and Affiliate members. The other nominees for the award were Jeff Adamson, an amateur wrestler from Grasswood, and Hubert Buydens, a rugby player from Saskatoon.
Albers is making the most of the doors opened to him and will soon be heading south for spring training with the Minnesota Twins organization, which begins in less than a month.
Albers says the main goal this season is to make it to the majors, and with the career year he had in 2011 it might not be smart to bet against him.
