YORKTON - Andrew Albers is among those being inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame this year.
鈥淥bviously it鈥檚 a tremendous honour,鈥� the North Battleford-born Albers told Yorkton This Week. 鈥淚鈥檓 honoured and humbled.鈥�
While Albers has had a notable career 鈥� culminating with time in the majors, the call from the provincial hall of fame certainly wasn鈥檛 expected.
鈥淵ou never think about it, or assume,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not something you really expect.鈥�
The induction will put Albers into some elite baseball company, which he said he has thought about since the announcement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just humbling to be part of that,鈥� he said, adding he recognizes there is a lot of outstanding baseball history in the province.
That said Albers added the whole experience is still something he is getting his head around.
鈥淚t's something that hasn鈥檛 hit me a whole lot yet,鈥� he said, at least in terms of how he fits into the larger story of baseball in the province, going in beside the likes of Terry Puhl.
Obviously Albers is best recognized for making it to the majors, although the pitcher really has been all over the world playing the game.
One summer as a teen he played in the Western Major Baseball League with the now long-defunct Saskatoon Yellowjackets.
Eventually Albers was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 12th round (346th overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign.
Instead Albers enrolled at the University of Kentucky, where he played college baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team in the Southeastern Conference of the NCAA Division I.
Back in the draft the San Diego Padres selected Albers in the 10th round (315th overall) of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. This time he inked a deal, and made his professional debut with the Arizona League Padres of the Rookie-level Arizona League.
But perhaps as an indication of what would too often be a recurring theme for Albers, he missed the 2009 season after tearing an ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow during spring training, which required Tommy John surgery.
But, Albers proved resilient as a lefty hurler.
He has played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Seattle Mariners, as well as in the KBO League (Korea) for the Hanwha Eagles and for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (Japan), and with Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic.
But the recent nod to the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame is also about his baseball roots, and that takes him back to North Battleford, also the location of the hall.
鈥淚 played all my minor ball right there is North Battleford,鈥� he said, adding it was in Saskatchewan where he learned about work ethic that helped him develop as a pitcher.
Albers also noted he remains connected to the city. 鈥�. . . It鈥檚 always been home; a place to go back to in the off season.鈥�
Since it is home Albers was very aware of the hall of fame and its efforts to preserve the history of baseball in the province.
鈥淚 checked it out when I was younger,鈥� he said, adding it鈥檚 just incredible to now be part of it.
