Surely, through nearly six decades of playing and coaching baseball, longtime Everett Merchants coach Harold Pyatte has to have a good story or two.
How about the one that convinced him to end his playing career at 47 years old?
“I was still playing OK, but was a little slow of foot,” Pyatte admitted. “I remember one of the last hits I got. It was a line drive to right field, just a golf shot. I got thrown out by half a step at first base and thought, ‘That is it.’ I started thinking it’s time to hang this thing up.”
Father Time stopped Pyatte from running the basepaths, but there’s no way it could keep him out of the dugout and away from the game he loves.
This season, for the 45th time, Pyatte, who recently was selected for induction into the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame, leads the Everett Merchants summer baseball club in its quest to capture a spot in the National Baseball Congress World Series.
The Merchants, who play in the Pacific International League, are comprised of college athletes and former professional players. They play a 31-game schedule, not including two midseason tournaments, and open the season with a doubleheader against the North Sound Emeralds at 1:05 p.m. Saturday at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Everett is coming off an 18-16 season which Pyatte described as an “in-between” year, but with several key returners the coach has high aspirations for this summer.
“We’re hoping for a much better outcome this year, and we want to represent Everett in the World Series,” Pyatte said.
Some of those returners include Matt Thompson (Lewis Clark State), who hit for a .333 average a year ago; Jake Levin (Central Washington), who hit .314 with 19 RBI in 23 games; Ty Holm (Concordia-Irvine), who hit .315, and Kevin Olmstead (York College), who hit .253. Other players to watch include Archbishop Murphy baseball coach Max Whitt, Archbishop Murphy senior and Seattle University commit Connor O’Brien, and Peyton Cordova-Smith — an Everett Community College standout who has committed to play at NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University next season.
Highlights this year include the Grand Forks Tournament, Kamloops International Tournament and the Merchants’ annual game against the Everett Aquasox, which is scheduled for June 13. The Merchants also host the San Francisco Seals for an afternoon and evening doubleheader on June 24. Before the first game, the club will hold a free kids baseball camp from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium.
While Pyatte will be looking to advance his club to the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kansas, he’s thrilled to have another opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the career of young ballplayers and share the game he loves so much with others who share his passion.
“I’ve coached literally 100s of players, and many have made it to the big leagues, and it’s a blessing to be a part of their career,” Pyatte said. “I believe that once you get the love of the game in your heart and want to compete, then it becomes all about providing a place for the younger guys to show their talent. I’ve been blessed with good health and a good wife who lets me do this. Every summer for 45 years now, I’ve been doing my own thing.”
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