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The Incredible Stories of Gorm Heimueller

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There may only be one man alive who, in the span of four minutes, can weave a story that includes the best basketball player of all time, a sure-fire hall-of-fame Major League manager, the legendary captain of the Yankees, two all-star catchers, and an accused killer.

Yes, a tale capped with an alleged murderer.
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Gorm Heimueller, now the pitching coach of the Nanaimo NightOwls of the West Coast League, is that guy. (Writer’s recommendation — buy Gorm dinner any chance you have, and sit back and listen to the stories. Worth every penny from a guy whose first spring training managers were Frank Robinson and Billy Martin.)
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This story — well, it’s worth the read for sure.
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Heimueller, a former MLB pitcher with nearly 50 years in the game (should it be mentioned that his college shortstop at Cal Poly was Ozzie Smith?), has World Series rings from developing pitchers for the Twins and Phillies, but his true wealth is the stories he can tell about the people he’s met. (His true wealth aside from his lovely wife LeeAnn, of course. You can’t forget LeeAnn, the Finnish Canadian.)

Gorm (it should be mentioned he once struck out Reggie Jackson, twice, and Rod Carew in a game in the Bigs) heard the news of the recent arrest of ex-Twins lefty Dan Serafini (more on that later) and was left recalling his fall in the fairly-new Arizona Fall League in 1994, sent by the Twins to help the Chandler Diamondbacks, playing games at the archaic former Brewers spring stadium.

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Ah, yes, 1994 — no October MLB playoffs due to the August walkout and players strike that surely kept the Montreal Expos and Toronto Blue Jays from their collision course in an all-Canadian World Series. (We all know the Expos would have needed six games to halt the Blue Jays’ run of World Series titles at two, right? Right.)

“We were the only baseball around, there was a lot of attention on us and that was fun,” said Gorm.

Gorm’s team’s catchers were Charles Johnson and Jason Kendall, who would go on to all-star status at the MLB level. A player in the league that fall was none other than Michael Jordan, who for still mysterious reasons abruptly left the Chicago Bulls in the midst of their dynasty to strike out a lot with the Birmingham Barons, AA affiliate of the White Sox. Ex-Expo Terry Francona, surely headed to the Hall of Fame as a manager, had Jordan on his teams both in Arizona and Birmingham — where Jordan famously bought a tricked-out bus for the team’s travel comfort.

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Gorm’s fall league shortstop? Gangly, barely 20 years old, defensively inconsistent at the time but taken sixth overall in 1992 by the Yankees — Derek Jeter.

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“Jeter and Serafini attended my son’s fifth birthday party that fall. I saw Jeter a few years later and, I hated doing this, but I wanted to get something signed so I went up to him — he said ‘Hey, Gorm! How are you’,” said Heimueller. “I was shocked he remembered me. And he was glad to sign some things for me.”

Actually a Jeter connection is why Heimueller is coaching for the NightOwls in the first place. His good friend in the game, legendary scout Marti Wolever, who was scouting supervisor for the Yankees when Jeter was drafted, worked with Gorm in the Phillies organization and they are close friends to this day.

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The classy Wolever, a member of the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame and a former minor league outfielder, was a top scout with the Detroit Tigers in 2016 when Jim Swanson, now GM of the NightOwls, was added as an Associate Scout by the Tigers. Wolever connected Swanson and Heimueller for the pitching coach opening in Nanaimo, putting NightOwls history in motion.

This whole story germinated from news that Serafini, who pitched for four MLB teams over an 11-year span, was arrested for murder and attempted murder tied to an attack in 2021 in the Lake Tahoe area.
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“I remember him well — he gave me a gift at the end of that fall season to thank me for putting up with him being such a pain in the ass,” said Gorm, laughing.
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“I liked him, and he went on to pitch for us with the Twins. But I guess with all those names it just shows you never know what’s going to become of people, right?” he added.

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Summer Collegiate

Arrived as a Golden Bear, leaves as a Fighting Camel: How Elijah Clayton navigated the transfer portal amid a busy season

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In April of 2024, the NCAA changed a long-standing rule regarding transfer portal eligibility. Previously, athletes had to sit out a season if they transferred, resulting in very few transfers and players often staying in one spot for longer. The new rules allow instant eligibility for athletes, meaning players no longer have to sit out a season after transferring to a new school.

It’s all part of a new era in the NCAA, along with NIL deals that allow athletes to earn money from their name, image, and likeness. In college athletics today, it’s very common for underclassmen to transfer out of their program to find a spot where they can get more playing time sooner.

For NorthPaws utility man Elijah Clayton, he found himself coming to Kamloops with the portal being a possibility. Clayton just finished his freshman season at CAL, which saw him make just three starts with two hits in 12 at-bats. The purpose of Clayton coming to Kamloops was to gain additional playing time and develop ahead of the fall.

Collegiate summer baseball is the ideal setting for underclassmen development, with leagues across North America offering a condensed, pro-style schedule that allows players to log additional playing time. For Clayton, the goal shifted when decisions were made at CAL, and it became in his best interest to find a new home and enter the portal.

“I definitely thought it could be a possibility, but I wasn’t 100% set on anything,” said Clayton.

When the goal shifted from developing to showcasing skills for schools in the portal, being an everyday player for the NorthPaws helped his case. Clayton has made 25 starts for the team this season and has played at five different positions in the field. Clayton has been a mainstay at the top of the batting order, hitting .287. Clayton is also the West Coast League stolen base leader and is in a tie for first with three triples this season.

“It’s definitely nice to be in the lineup almost every day because I’m able to show coaches that I can play anywhere in the infield as well as the outfield and showcase my skills night after night,” said Clayton.

The West Coast league schedule certainly isn’t an easy one, and being an everyday player can be tough. When you add the element of now needing to find a new school to play at, it can get overwhelming, but Clayton credits the NorthPaws staff with helping him through the process.

“It was hectic at times trying to find a place to play for next year while also trying to focus on coming out every day and performing, but I had some good teammates and coaches helping me out with everything,” said Clayton.

Ultimately, Clayton chose to transfer to Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The Fighting Cammels play in the Coastal Athletic Association. Clayton couldn’t be happier and is eager to get started.

“I just felt like I’m a perfect fit for them, I’m going to work hard and get developed, and that’s a place I think can make me better,” said Clayton.

Heading into the second half of the season, Clayton’s goal has changed once again: he will prepare to impress the coaches during the fall and try to earn an everyday spot on the roster.

Clayton and so many others have similar stories, and it’s yet another example of how beneficial Collegiate League Baseball can be for young players in the new era of NCAA sports.

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New Country, same mentality: How four UT Tyler teammates are trying to bring a winning culture back to the NorthPaws

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When the NorthPaws made Riley Jepson their new head coach at the end of last summer, he got full autonomy in constructing this season’s roster. Jepson played at the University of Texas at Tyler from 2020 to 2021 and still has excellent connections with their coaching staff since becoming a coach.

When building the roster, one of his first calls was to UT Tyler. He was able to sign infielders Drew Schmidt and Tanner Hornback, outfielder Connor Clark, and right-handed pitcher Julio Garcia. Schmidt, Clark, and Garcia were all teammates last summer with the Victoria Generals in the Texas Collegiate League.

With the Generals, they won the TCL and continued their success this past spring as UT Tyler took a huge step, going 49-13 and advancing to the NCAA Division II World Series for the first time in program history. It’s been a very successful year of baseball for those players, and they bring a unique perspective to the team, having played in very meaningful games both in the TCL and at UT Tyler.

“Last summer, we had this expectation to win in Victoria, and we did so. For us, going into the fall, we learned how to win games,” said Clark.

Collegiate Summer baseball and the NCAA have some significant differences, but Schmidt notes that winning in both settings shares some commonalities.

“I think it’s all about camaraderie, especially in the summer, you need to be a close-knit group to win games, and we certainly did that last summer as well as in the spring,” said Schmidt.

Clark and Schmidt each played 20+ games with the Generals last summer, and Garcia logged 12.2 Innings. Clark played 43 games in the spring, and Garcia made 17 appearances out of the bullpen. Schmidt, however, took the most significant strides playing 62 games and hitting a staggering .410 in the spring.

The three of them are once again on the same squad, but joining them this time around is fellow middle infielder Tanner Hornback, who, like Schmidt, played 62 games and hit .410. Coming to a new country can be difficult, but the transition has been easier.

“Tanner and I played up the middle all year at Tyler, so that’s just tremendous to have a guy you’re so close with be on the same team as you in the summer,” said Schmidt.

For all of them, the West Coast league and the country of Canada are all new, but the familiarity with each other makes it easier.

“Having buddies from home and familiar faces with me in a different country is always cool, it’s good to have them around,” said Garcia.

Injecting winners into your lineup can always be a boost to teams, especially for the NorthPaws, who have already won more games than in 2024 and are looking at making their second-ever playoff appearance.

“I feel like we walk around with the mentality of we’re not going to let people come here and push us around, we’re here to win,” said Schmidt.

The UT Tyler teammates have been instrumental in the team’s success, with Clark and Schmidt combining for 15 RBIs, Garcia cementing himself as the team’s closer, and Hornback hitting .340. Every night, one of these players has an impact on the game, and it’s all part of an effort to get the NorthPaws back to the postseason.

The team is already turning heads this season, and the “Tyler Boys,” as they’re known, are looking to continue leading the charge and building a winning culture with Jepson and the rest of the NorthPaws.

 

 

 

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The NightOwls Break The Losing Streak With a 3-1 Win Over The RiverHawks

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EDMONTON, A.B. — The NightOwls break the losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Edmonton RiverHawks. A big second inning and some amazing pitching were all Nanaimo needed to break their losing streak. Nanaimo looks to take the series in game three on Sunday.

The NightOwls only needed five hits to score their three runs, thanks to a double from Jacob Hayes, Brock Wirthgen, and Owen Wessel. They moved the runners around at a pivotal point in the game in the second inning, and the team turned things over to their pitching staff. Edmonton had one run on eight hits with an error in the loss.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=622689

Starting pitcher for the NightOwls tonight was Zach Horwith, and he had a great night on the mound. He went three innings, giving up just one hit while walking and striking out two batters.

NightOwls vs RiverHawks (Photo Credit: James Maclennan)

Dawson Schultz was the pitcher of record on the night, going two innings, giving up no runs and no hits while striking out two RiverHawks. Jaedeyn Edwards went two innings, allowing one run on two hits.

https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

I mentioned the NightOwls only had five hits on the night, and two of them were thanks to Catcher Brock Wirthgen. The newly Hawai’i Pacific University commit, went two for four with a double, a single, and a run.

Jacob Hayes continues to wield a hot bat and had a double and walk for the NightOwls. Owen Wessel went one for three but had the big double in the second inning for two RBI, he also scored a run. Spencer Sullivan had the only other hit for the NightOwls.

http://Nanaimonightowls.com/tickets

It’s an early start on Sunday morning as the NightOwls and Riverhawks get back at it at 11:30 am PST. Make sure to stream the game with the link above.

The NightOwls will have a well deserved day off after 10 straight days of games. Them Nanaimo returns home with a three game series against the Kelowna Falcons in a mid week matchup. That starts Tuesday July 8th at 6:35pm and continues Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. Make sure to follow us on social media for the latest NightOwls news and use the hashtag #IlluminateTheDark!

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