Growing up in small town Saskatchewan, making it to the NHL is far-fetched, but not out of the question. Making it to the MLB would be unheard of.
Andrew Albers isn't there yet, but year after year he continues to dominate in the minors. Before long, the North Battleford native could find himself donning a Minnesota Twins jersey.
Right now he's a starting pitcher for the Rochester Red Wings, Minnesota's AAA team, which is one level below the big leagues.
His numbers are outstanding. Through 12 games he has a 4-2 record with an ERA barely over three. He's averaging just short of one strikeout per inning and hasn't been giving up many walks.
Most impressive, using ERA as the measuring stick, this is Albers' second worst season in his five years of minor league ball. Just putting into perspective how well he's done.
"I'm really excited to be where I'm at and things have gone well and hopefully they'll continue to go that way," Albers said.
He was supposed to start the season with New Britain, the AA team. He benefitted by one of his teammates being claimed on waivers and another getting hurt. A harsh dose of reality in how quickly fortunes change in minor sports.
"Being able to go out and have a couple good outings, you know, to get settled in I think that certainly helps your confidence," he said. "You realize that you can compete at this level [AAA]. It's still the same game, you know, things don't change. As long as you execute your pitches you have a good chance of success and so far I've been able to do that."
The way he's pitching, a major league call up could be on the radar, but he's not dwelling on the "what ifs?"
What Albers cares about is self-improvement. He knows what he needs to work on at this stage in his career, and that's where his focus lies.
"The rest of it will take care of itself, you know. Those aren't things that I can control so I don't worry about them," he said.
Even with more and more Canadians breaking into the league, baseball still isn't a sport dominated by Canucks, but the Twins organization does have a good history with them.
Justin Morneau and Scott Diamond are two of the best Canadians in baseball and set a good example for players looking to break into the majors.
"Guys like that up there, it definitely helps, you know they're [Minnesota] not afraid to take a chance on you and to give you an opportunity," Albers said.
Not only does he have the Canadian players to look up to, but minor baseball is a constant revolving door of players with major league experience. Players go through during rehabilitation stints coming off injuries, guys are sent down to refine their craft and there's always the players who finish their careers in the minors.
"You can certainly try to pick their brains for some knowledge, and see what it's like up there. You know, the big thing is just kind of watching them go about their everyday business," Albers said. "You want to emulate that and just try and take bits and pieces from what they've done."
One of his short term goals is staying healthy and continuing to get stronger. He missed the 2009 season after getting Tommy John surgery, which is common for pitchers.
If his past is any indication of his future, Albers will continue to make North Battleford proud and could end up in the majors sooner, rather than later.
