Baseball been very, very good to ex-Nelson Leaf
By The Nelson Daily Sports
A former Nelson Leaf hockey player has been signed by a Japanese baseball team.
Nyjer Morgan, who toiled in Nelson when the hockey franchise played in the Rocky Mountain Junior A Hockey League in the late 90s, has signed with apan’s Central League’s Yokohama BayStars for the 2013-14 season.
Morgan who played the last two seasons with the MLB Milwaukee Brewers before electing free agency, a day after the Brewers hastened his departure by outrighting him from the 40-man roster.
On March 27, 2011, Morgan was traded to the Brewers in exchange for prospect Cutter Dykstra (son of baseball player Lenny Dykstra).
Morgan was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 33rd round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft.
On September 1, 2007, Morgan made his major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers as a late-season call-up.
Morgan played for three MLB teams, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Washington. Morgan played as an “AP” as a 16-year-old with the Vernon Vipers during the 1996-1997 season.
Morgan bounced around the junior hockey leagues before deciding on baseball.
He played in North Okanagan in 1996-1997 season, getting a cup of coffee with the Vipers that season.
Morgan then played for George Cochrane when the Leafs left the KIJHL for a handful of seasons to try Junior A in the Rocky Mountain League.
Morgan, who was lightning quick on skates, played the following season in the Pacific Coast Junior League with Delta Ice Hawks before landing with Regina of the WHL.
He finished that season in Prince George with the Spruce Kings.
Morgan agreed to a $1.6 million contract with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan’s Central League.
