Meet the Jackfish: GM Jason McKay
When the Welland Jackfish moved to the area in 2019, executive vice-president, baseball operations and general manager Jason McKay quickly learned he would have to rely on talent from across Canada to put a competitive team on the field.
“We knew being the new team in the league we wouldn’t be able to compete very well for Ontario players,” McKay said.
So, following a promising 2019 season in Welland that saw the team finish with a solid 19-17 record and win a round of the playoffs, McKay hit the road in search of talent.
“We made the decision to go coast to coast to bring in the best Canadian talent we can bring in, regardless of where they are,” McKay said. “If they’re local, great. If not, go outside the province.”
McKay, field manager Brian Essery and coach Ricky Pillitteri travelled to British Columbia in the spring on 2020, a week before the COVID pandemic which wiped out the 2020 season.
“That got us (pitcher) James Bradwell about three years later but opened up our pipeline which has worked pretty well,” McKay said. “There is such good baseball in BC.”
Indeed, Bradwell paved the way for fellow BC natives Steve Moretto, Matteo Porcellato, Brandon Hupe and newcomer Brandon Marklund to head east.
Toss in Albertans Scotty Gillespie and Greyson Barrett, Manitoba’s Dawson Tweet and Nova Scotia’s Jake Sanford and the Jackfish have left no stone unturned to field the best team possible.
The Jackfish also feature local talent Ethan Pasco, Will Jackman and Brandon Underhill from Niagara Falls, Tyler Dupuis from St. Catharines and Welland rookie catcher Ryan Potrecz.
“We’re a pretty Canadian team,” he said.
McKay said he thankfully has been able to cut down on the in-person visits now that the Jackfish have established themselves as a first-rate organization, on and off the field.
“After the 2021 season, people started to see a shift. We had a lot more players from out of province and from all over and that helped and some became successful and moved on to the next level,” McKay said.
A winning organization on the field and outstanding success off the field, where fans flocked to Welland Stadium in record numbers, were also vital.
“My opening e-mail was what we are, what we offer, what the environment is like and trying to capitalize on that,” McKay said. “Now, it doesn’t take much. Ryan (president Ryan Harrison), co-owner Dan Pokoradi and (minority owner) Adam Harrison do what they do off field with the promotion and media definitely helps, but it’s the winning. When it comes right down to it, players want to be part of that.
“Our entire mandate, both on and off the field, is professionally run. Even if is not quite professional baseball, it’s run professionally. The coaches are paid, concession people are paid, players get a living stipend. We treat them like professionals, 100 per cent.”
McKay, who coached the Carleton Ravens in the Canadian Inter-Collegiate Baseball League and also played in the IBL with the London Majors, has developed a huge network of contacts.
“I’m getting reached out to by players, coaches, player agents, performance coaches in labs, getting stuff sent to me all the time,” he said. “I’m lucky enough in my career, I played all over the place, I’ve got a lot of close friends in the baseball world at the agent level. That’s how we got Deivy (Mendez), the crown jewel of our signing, He came through a friend of mine in Arizona who was an agent.
“It’s a really small world, the baseball world.”
McKay said in order to keep ahead of the game, it’s imperative to set the bar high and not become complacent.
“This part of the game never ends. My day, Ess’s day, we’re in constant contact. Until our roster is frozen, it’s positive discontent. That’s a phrase we’ve come up with,” he said.
That success at times comes with a cost.
“Some of the downside of success in any organization is that there is a time where you progress where people who helped you progress and got you to that level may no longer be the people who can get you to the next level. That’s when the business side of it really comes into play,” McKay said.
McKay would love nothing more than for the organization to continue to be at the top of their game.
“There is a tradition here already in our fifth season. That tradition is to be the most prepared team on field every game,” he said. “We want this town to be proud of us.”
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