The HarbourCats have had many memorable ceremonial first pitches in their first six years of existence — among them, Vegas shooting survivor Sheldon Mack and those who saved him, and our friend Brad Aschenbrenner and his boys, who lost wife/mom/RCMP officer Cst. Sarah Beckett. Tears have been shed many times at the introduction of our honoured guests.
The way the 2019 campaign will start is with a pitch doctors said would not happen.
Original season ticket holder Brock Parrott will throw out the first pitch on Saturday, June 1, when the HarbourCats hold their first-ever Peninsula Co-op Alumni Classic — featuring an exciting lineup of players that will be announced next week.
Brock, a longtime local sports supporter with loving wife Margie, missed all 2018 games at Wilson’s Group Stadium as he was in Royal Jubilee Hospital with many health problems, including kidney issues requiring dialysis. It was all made worse when he was diagnosed with a brain virus, that took much of his speech away.
His family was told he wouldn’t make it through September.
Well, Brock told them to stuff that news. In December, he turned 58, and the virus has actually started to regress a bit.
“Brock is a very special friend to us — he and Margie are part of our fabric, our family,” said Jim Swanson, GM/Managing Partner of the HarbourCats. “He’s our friend, and we were so sad to get the dire diagnosis. We visit him often, he got out to world junior and Royals games this winter — he’s the strongest little guy we’ve ever known.
“Our returning alumni will be excited to see Brock, a familiar fan, on the field with them.”
Brock and Margie are determined to be at as many games as possible this summer, in their familiar seats in Row E in the main grandstand.
And we’ll be so happy to have them.
