Blair Kubicek is a major part of the Dawgs story here in Okotoks, and we are so happy to announce that he has been named Coach of the Year by Canadian Baseball Network! Read the full story below.

By Bob Elliott, Canadian Baseball Network

Where does one start when writing about Blair Kubicek?

At the start of course.

Kubicek grew up in Victoria, B.C. and started out like most of us — as a bat boy. After his playing days were over, he took a job as assistant coach at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Wash.

He was there 4 1/2 years and ended up being the head coach of that program. While scouting for Cleveland at a tournament in Calgary, he was talking with Albertans Doug Jones, Dale Tillman and Reed Spencer. It was Jones’ idea to start a college program in Canada.

Kubicek was all in — thanks to Rick Paskal, Keith Jorgensen, Larry Nolan and Jones — the Prairie Baseball Academy in Lethbridge, Alta. was born.

Kubicek ran the PBA from 1995 to 2010

And what then? Retirement?

Not quite.

From his days at Lethbridge, he struck up a friendship with John Ircandia, founding father of the Dawgs. Ircandia was moving his Dawgs team from Calgary to Okotoks, south of the city.

A lot of times you see Hall of Fame inductees as a builder. It’s kind of a catch-all like the drawer in the kitchen with paper clips, tape and odds and ends.

But Kubicek was a builder …

After all, he had built Nolan Yard, the PBA field, in Lethbridge.

He helped out with the field at Jets Stadium in Vauxhall.

He built Seaman Stadium — the infield, outfield and bullpens — not the bleachers with financial help from Doc and Don Seaman.

He built Tourmaline Field, with its turf infield and grass outfield where the Dawgs’ three midget teams play.

He built Conrad Field where the two Dawgs’ bantam teams call home.

He built the diamond in Oyen, home of Jones’ Badlands Academy Badgers.

He can call up Hall of Famer Pat Gillick with a tip on a player. Gillick nicknamed him the Johnny Appleseed of baseball for the building and still keeping an eye out for talent.

About now you might be wondering why the fuss about Kubicek?

Well, he’s the winner of our second annual Dave Wallace Canadian Baseball Network Coach of the Year award.

Add it to his long list of achievements:

• Won the Diamond Award for the best kept field in college ball in 1994.
• Named to Okotoks Dawgs Hall of Fame.
• Inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame.
• Winner of the Alberta Centennial Medal.
• Groundskeeper of the Year in the Pioneer League.
• Elected to PBA Hall of Fame.
• Earned WCBL honours with Legacy Builder Award, presented by coaches Lou Pote and John Milton.

His best former players include: RHP Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.) the first PA Prairie Dawg to make the majors with the Detroit Tigers and one of the most well-liked Canucks in the pros.

Molleken spent 14 years in the minors and two seasons in Japan. He made 406 appearances (705 innings) before stepping onto the mound July 3, 2016 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

LHP Jay Johnson (Sussex Corner, N.B.) played four seasons in the Philadelphia Phillies’ system, a year overseas and one season of independent ball (316 1/3 innings in 237 games).

C Lars Davis (Grande Prairie, Alta.) caught 520 games in the Colorado Rockies, Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations, peaking at triple-A Lehigh Valley.

1B Tyler Klippenstein (Calgary, Alta.) played 97 games in the Oakland A’s system.

Those are four of Kubicek’s success stories. The names of those who went on to play and coach south of the border are too numerous to mention.

One deserves special mention: RHP Chris Reitsma (Calgary, Alta.), a first-round pick of the Boston Red Sox in 1996.

One of Kubicek’s stories is when scouts from Atlanta, Detroit or Cincinnati showed, he had Reitsma wear a Braves, Tigers or Reds cap and then the pitching coach told the scout “you know he’s always cheered for your club.”

Scouts Gary Rajsich and Red Sox scouting director Wayne Britton took Reitsma 34th overall. Years later, I asked him if the prospect was wearing a Red Sox hat.

His reply was something like: “We liked him so much we would have taken him if he was wearing a football helmet.”

Reitsma pitched seven seasons for the Reds, Braves and Seattle Mariners, logging 609 innings in 338 appearances.

There are 1,000 Blair Kubicek stories about Kubie, who now lives in Digby, N.S.

My fave?

In June of 1996, the Arizona Diamondbacks came to Lethbridge — two years before the major league team had its opening day — to run a camp for its first affiliate, the Lethbridge Black Diamonds, in the rookie-class Pioneer League.

Arizona manager Buck Showalter was there, so was director of player development Mel Didier, and so were the first-year Diamondbacks ready and rarin’ to go, to show their new employers that they belonged.

It rained all day Friday.

It rained all day Saturday.

Henderson Stadium was a mess, about to float down the river.

Didier kept asking Kubicek, “When are you going to have this field ready?”

Finally, Kubicek replied, “It will be done a lot quicker if you quit bugging me.”

Later on Sunday, Kubicek told Didier it would be ready at noon on Monday.

At 11:30 Monday morning, Kubicek walked into the crowded clubhouse and told the Diamondbacks’ brass that the field was ready … there’s a little water in the outfield. Baseball people don’t care about water in the outfield, as long as the mound and infield are dry.

Kubicek backed up and fell into a drain which had the manhole cover removed and suffered a concussion.

In all, 11 pumps took 160,000 gallons off the field, according to the groundskeeper.

Didier worked for the Los Angeles Dodgers for 16 1/2 years and on Jan. 5, 1997, he was told Peter O’Malley had decided to sell the ball club. So, he phoned Buck Showalter who he pestered him the final two months of the year to join Arizona.

“I do remember the pride he took in his work, the off-season trips we took to banquets on some cold nights trying to help get the new stadium built,” said Showalter from Baltimore. “I’m glad to see someone like him recognized. He deserves it and is an unsung hero of our game, one who allows us to do what we do for the fans of baseball.

“Blair is a true contributor.”

Rod Barajas, Jason Conti, Rob Ryan, Junior Spivey, Nick Bierbrodt, Vladimir Nunez and Erik Sabel of that 1996 Black Diamonds team all went on to play in the majors.