Chasing the dream isn鈥檛 exactly living the dream.
Consider those pro golf aspirants rushing to Swartz Bay after missing the cut in Monday qualifying for the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by the sa国际传媒.
And consider the 37-hour driving time it took pitcher Skyler Henderson in his Ford Escape to reach the Island from Texas in order to pursue his baseball quest in the West Coast League with the Victoria HarbourCats.
The HarbourCats have begun to assemble ahead of Friday鈥檚 WCL opener in Walla Walla, Washington, against the Sweets.
鈥淭ravel comes with the experience of baseball. They go together,鈥� said Henderson, a five-foot-10, 180-pound righty, who turns 20 on Friday.
So you might as well embrace it.
鈥淚 always want to get out and see new things and do something I鈥檝e never done before,鈥� said the native of Fort Worth.
Such as traversing a continent south to north and crossing not only a strait, but a border: 鈥淚 had to get my passport quickly. It was great to see areas driving up that I had never been to before.鈥�
In keeping with that sense of adventure, Henderson played summer ball last year in Myrtle Beach, Florida. He is headed to NCAA Div. 2 Erskine College in the fall as a junior after putting up a 5-2 record this spring at Vernon College, Texas. In 63 2脷3 innings pitched over 12 appearances, with one start, he had a 6.79 ERA with 59 strikeouts.
The HarbourCats will warm up for the WCL opening weekend in Walla Walla with a pair of exhibition games at Royal Athletic Park. Up tonight are the Victoria Eagles Alumni and Wednesday the Victoria Selects, a group of former pro players to be coached by Charlie Strandlund.
The Eagles of the sa国际传媒 Premier League have produced some good pitchers, including former HarbourCats hurler and Philadelphia Phillies double-A pro Nick Pivetta, and New York Mets prospect Kurt Horne. Another Eagles alumnus, Ethan Skuija from UBC, will get the start tonight for the HarbourCats. Skuija is an obvious choice to begin on the mound against the Eagles Alumni. But expect the handy Henderson to come out of the bullpen tonight.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a velocity-power pitcher but I can hit my spots with good movement on the ball,鈥� said Henderson, an avid bird hunter and fisher, who was raised by his grandmother.
He was a catcher until his coaches saw how strong his arm was from behind the plate. A pitcher was suddenly born. And he鈥檚 got the look down pat for a hurler 鈥� a twirly Rollie Fingers-like mustache 鈥� which Henderson kept after the Movember fund-raiser.
鈥淚 liked it, and it stuck,鈥� said Henderson.
A strong student, Henderson is in pre-med, but there鈥檚 plenty of time for his medical studies. You only get one shot at the pro game: 鈥淚 want to take this as far as I can . . . I want to keep playing until they tell me 鈥楴o.鈥� 鈥�
