Brian McRae was a rare second-generation Major League Baseball player, following his father Hal McRae into the majors.
But that didn’t just happen. Genes aren’t that determinative. If they were, surely there would have been more Gretzkys in the NHL.
Brian McRae, new head coach of the Victoria HarbourCats, knows his young charges will be asking him about the path to the pros. There is one lesson he wants them to absorb: It doesn’t come easy.
“I loved being at the ballpark when my dad played and I’ve been around a lot of great players, including Hall of Famers, and one thing they all had in common is that they all worked hard,” said McRae.
“I saw all the work they put in when nobody was looking.”
But somebody was watching, and it was a young and impressionable McRae, who soaked it all in.
“If you’re not working hard, somebody else is,” said the 49-year-old, who played outfield in the majors from 1990 to 1999 for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays.
So expect HarbourCats players under McRae to earn their keep. If they don’t, they won’t last long.
“They are here to ask a lot of questions,” said McRae, of the developmental summer-collegiate West Coast League.
And the answer will always be the same: “You can’t just show up on game day.”
That is the same, regardless of your goal in the sport.
“Summer-collegiate ball means different things to different kids,” explained McRae, whose career MLB batting average was .261 with 103 home runs and 532 RBIs.
“Some might not have played much with their college team and are looking for more playing time in the summer. For others, it’s the next step up, with pro scouts evaluating if they can handle the grind.”
That is not just an academic observation: A total of 234 WCL alumni played in affiliated pro baseball in 2016, including 25 in the major leagues.
Because of classes, collegiate baseball is mostly a weekend thing. Summer-collegiate leagues such as the WCL replicate life in the minor pros, with games almost every day.
“A lot of college players have not gone through this … of things like playing six games straight before a day off,” noted McRae.
“This league is about getting yourself prepared to play every day and how to get your body and mind ready for that.”
But would these kids rather be anywhere else?
“There are early mornings and bus rides. But there are worse things to be doing in summer than playing baseball,” said McRae.
“A lot of people would have loved to be given this opportunity, but will never get a chance to do this.”
McRae was hired after Graig Merritt, who guided the HarbourCats to a WCL record 40 wins in 2016, was not offered a contract extension by the Victoria club.
McRae doesn’t come with a lot of coaching experience, but obviously with a deep knowledge of the game after a decade playing in MLB. He is the first former major leaguer to coach a WCL team.
“Brian McRae is going to be a real focal point in the WCL,” predicted Jim Swanson, HarbourCats co-owner and managing partner.
McRae worked five years for MLB.com Radio and has also appeared on Baseball Tonight on ESPN. He develops players ages eight to 17 as the general manager of the Kansas City Sluggers youth academy that has produced the likes of major-leaguers Albert Pujols and Shawn Marcum. McRae has also been assistant coach of the U.S. U-18 team. He arrives on the Island this weekend after doing the radio colour commentary for the NCAA Atlantic 10 Conference playoffs.
McRae’s first impression of Victoria was when he came to help conduct a Blue Jays alumni youth clinic a few years ago at Royal Athletic Park. He said he never forgot it and jumped at the opportunity when the HarbourCats offered him the job. In a way, he will still be conducting a clinic. But this one will last for an entire season.
