PHOTO COURTESY MEDICINE HAT MAVERICKS
Medicine Hat Mavericks owner and general manager Greg Morrison spent 12 seasons in pro baseball, playing in both the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
It doesn’t feel long ago Greg Morrison was watching the Toronto Blue Jays win their first World Series titles alongside his dad, eating seasoned sunflower seeds.
A mere 32 years later, he’s getting to share the Blue Jays’ chase for a third title with his family.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks’ owner and general manager has enjoyed the 2025 World Series, with the Blue Jays taking on the Los Angeles Dodgers, leading the best-of-seven Fall Classic 3-2 entering Game 6 tonight. After playing for both organizations in his pro career, it’s been a reminder how quick life flies by, Morrison says.
“It’s just how lucky I am to still be involved in baseball full time, quite frankly, and the Blue Jays are getting everybody excited,” Morrison said. “Whether you’re from Toronto or from out west here in Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba, it’s great for baseball. It brings a lot of attention to the game and that benefits whether it’s Little League or a WCBL fan, or just getting kids excited, they get inspired.”
Morrison was drafted by the Dodgers in 1994, playing two seasons with the organization before joining the Blue Jays in 1997, playing one of his three years in the organization in Medicine Hat with the Baby Jays. Seeing the 2025 Blue Jays’ playoff run, and hearing the stories of outfielder Nathan Lukes and his 10 years in the minors, has rekindled memories for Morrison who spent 12 years in pro baseball.
“They’re talking about the team culture, how much those guys care for each other, how much they get along and how a lot of them came up through the minors, that makes it so amazing,” Morrison said. “The underdogs are one win away from winning the World Series.
“For (Lukes) to tough it out that long and now he’s one win away from a World Series ring is pretty exciting for him.”
He still has ties to the organizations, recently speaking with Blue Jays pro scout Kevin Briand who he also played alongside at college. Despite being released from both organizations, Morrison says he’ll always hold a loyalty to the Dodgers for giving him his first pro opportunity. Coming up in baseball, Morrison says he tried to emulate Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly.
In this series however, he’s leaned toward cheering for the Blue Jays.
“With the Blue Jays, you just grew up seeing them on TV more often and them being the underdog, that’s where it sat for me was cheering for those guys,” Morrison said. “It’s been a long time coming, L.A. has been there recently, winning it last year. So you like to see guys win it who haven’t been there.”
As much as he’s enjoyed the series and seeing Blue Jays fever take over throughout the fall, the baseball-lifer is giddy to see the excitement for baseball the World Series run has generated in the City of Medicine Hat and across Canada. He believes the Blue Jays story will inspire the next generation of baseball fans and players.
“When they hear the stories and they can relate to some of these guys because they’re bigger than life on TV,” Morrison said. “Now more than ever the media has been welcomed into the clubhouse, and those guys are comfortable talking about their stories. Davis Schneider talking about how his family was in the crowd and he had lost a brother and sleeping on each other’s couches, it makes it very relatable to these kids that they are human.
“They were, they were Little Leaguers once upon a time, too. Albeit, they definitely have a god’s gift for talent and a great work ethic. But that’s what life’s all about, it’s finding something that can inspire you and give you that great purpose.”
