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The Incredible Stories of Gorm Heimueller

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2 years ago

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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

Victoria HarbourCats – Registration now open for Harvey’s Sports Starz programming

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2 weeks ago

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December 18, 2025

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December 18, 2025

VICTORIA, BC – The Victoria HarbourCats and Richardson Sport Inc. (RSI) are pleased to announce the initial round of programming for the “Harvey’s Sports Starz” program.

Catering to younger age groups (5-8 years old), Harvey’s Sports Starz will utilize the HarbourCats indoor training facility – the Edwards Family Training Centre (EFTC) – to offer youth programming in baseball and soccer, as well as a morning program for parents and toddlers.

Registration is now open for initial baseball and parent/toddler programming, both starting the week of January 12th, 2026, with soccer programming to be announced soon.

The following programs will be initially offered** (with more to come):

  • Baseball 5-6yrs Wednesday 3:30-4:30pm (January 14 – February 18)
  • Baseball 7-8yrs Wednesday 4:30-5:30pm (January 14 – February 18)
  • Parent & Tot Monday 9-9:45 (18mth-2yrs) (January 12 – February 9)
  • Parent & Tot Monday 9:45-10:30 (18mth-2yrs) (January 12 – February 9)
  • Parent & Tot Monday 10:30-11:15 (18mth-2yrs) (January 12 – February 9)

**These first rounds of classes are six weeks in length, running from January 7th – February 18th (with the exception of the Parent & Tot classes starting January 12 – February 9).**

REGISTER HERE!  Spots are limited to make sure you snag your spot!

If you have any questions or concerns about anything, please contact info@richardsonsport.ca.

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The Victoria HarbourCats will begin their 2026 West Coast League season in late May of 2026, with the home opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, 2026.

Plenty of excitement is on board for 2026 including:

  • Three fireworks nights (June 6, 30 and August 3)
  • Two 11:00 AM School Spirit Games (June 4 and 18)
  • Five Family Fun Sunday Matinees (June 7, 14, 28 July 19 and 26)
  • $12 Tuesdays and Thursdays (June 16, July 2, 7, 9, 28 and 30)

Season ticket memberships, single-game tickets, 12-game flex packs (new for 2026!) and 2026 WCL All-Star Game ticket packages are now on sale for the HarbourCats 2026 season at http://harbourcats.com/tickets.

All ticket types  and team merchandise are also available at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street, Monday thru Friday, 10am-5pm from now until December 22nd.

CRAZY CHRISTMAS CLEARANCE! From now until December 23rd, select HarbourCats apparel, including replica and game-worn jerseys, is on sale for 50% off!  Load up now in time for Christmas at https://victoria-harbourcats-official.myshopify.com/collections/50-off-crazy-christmas-clearance

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats WINTER and MARCH BREAK Indoor Youth Training Sessions Now Available!

Published

3 weeks ago

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December 11, 2025

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Sessions begin January 10th. Register NOW!

The Victoria HarbourCats and the Edwards Family Training Centre (EFTC) are now taking individual bookings for our Winter 2026 indoor training sessions and March Break Camps for baseball in both the 8-11 and 12-17 year old age groups.

The “Offseason Academy,” presented by The EFTC, is designed to keep athletes sharp, confident, and improving long after the final game of summer. Built for youth players who want to stay ahead of the competition, our Academy focuses not only on technical skill development but also on the physical conditioning that keeps athletes strong and game-ready.

With a lineup of specialized camps in areas such as hitting, analytics, and catching skills, athletes can train with experienced coaches, benefit from professional-level technology like HitTrax, and build the habits that matter most during the offseason.

All sessions take place in the same professional training facility used by the HarbourCats and Victoria Golden Tide, giving players access to a proven environment for growth and performance.

2026 WINTER Sessions Include:

Baseball, Foundations and Futures, $400, Saturdays, 9:00am- 1:00pm, January 10 – March 14th (10 Weeks). Ages 8-11: Foundations & Futures” is a high-energy baseball camp for players aged 8–11. This camp delivers professional-grade instruction in a dynamic, fun environment. It’s time to Train With Your Claws Out and carry your skills into next season. REGISTER HERE

Baseball, High Performance Prep, $300, Saturdays, 1:00-4:00, January 10 – March 14th (10 Weeks). Ages 12-17: High Performance Prep” is designed for players aged 12–17 who are ready to refine their skills and maintain peak form after summer. This camp delivers advanced instruction in a focused, competitive environment. It’s time to Train With Your Claws Out and prepare for the season ahead. REGISTER HERE

Baseball, Specialty Catching Clinic, $250, Saturdays, 4:00-5:30pm, January 10 – March 14th (10 Weeks). Ages 10-17:  With a well structured 10-week program, this clinic will introduce older players to the complex world of catching with a goal of developing strong, technically sound catchers. The clinic will help build confidence, leadership, and game awareness, improve receiving, blocking, transfer speed, and throwing precision and teach advanced catchers to manage pitchers and control the game. REGISTER HERE

2026 MARCH BREAK CAMPS!

2026 March Break Camps (March 16 – 27) are also now available for registration for both the Foundations and Futures (Age 8-11) Group and the High Perofrmance Group (ages 12-17).  Players can register for full 2-week camps, or select one week or the other if they can not attend both weeks.

Foundations and Futures (Ages 8-11), 9AM to 1PM, Monday to Friday – $225 for one week camp, $400 for two week camp.
High Performance (Ages 12-17), 1:15 to 3:15PM, Monday to Friday – $125 for one week camp, $200 for two week camp

There are limited spaces in each camp so don’t delay. Register NOW!

2025 CHRISTMAS CAMPS
It is not too late to register for our 2025 Christmas Camps in all categories including fastball and softball.  Camps start December 20th! . Register NOW!

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NightOwls Resign Standouts Rohne and Florence

Published

3 weeks ago

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December 10, 2025

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Head Coach, Cody Andreychuk is proud to announce that reliever, Jakin Rohne and small ball specialist, IF, Ryder Florence will return to the Owls Nest in ’26!

Florence, who has a high baseball IQ and can play short, third, second or outfield, is a savvy, athletic baserunner with a strong arm, and a bat that finds gaps. He’s played 58 games for the NightOwls and will surpass 200 WCL plate appearances in 2026.

Rohne, an Islander, took huge steps last summer under esteemed pitching coach Gorm Heimueller. Rohne, with good breaking stuff, has developed into a starter for his CCBC program. Rohne made 14 appearances with a 2.59 ERA in 2025, taking an aggressive approach against tough WCL batters.



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