The Arkansas Travelers had the best record of any Class AA or AAA team in minor-league baseball going into Friday.
They have clinched the first-half title in the Texas League's North Division.
Not surprisingly, they are sending eight players to next week's Texas League All-Star Game in Tulsa.
But the Travs were lacking one key piece when they took the field Friday night against the Midland RockHounds at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
They didn't have a manager.
Mitch Canham, who led Arkansas to a 42-21 record before leaving Wednesday night, was introduced as the new baseball coach at Oregon State on Friday, a job he said has always been on his radar.
"This is the only job I've every really dreamt of," Canham said Friday. "When I was fortunate enough to interview with the Mariners, Andy McKay brought me in. I told him, 'I'm all in on this job. I was born and raised in the Northwest. It's home, and I'm never going to leave it, except if I get one job. There's only one other job that means more to me, and it's this one."
Travelers General Manager Paul Allen and Arkansas players had nothing but positive things to say before Friday night's game against Midland.
"I don't think they could have found anyone any better, from what I've seen," Allen said. "Mitch is an outstanding guy. He's awesome. He did things a little different, a lot of 1-on-1 stuff. He said to me, "I'm kinda college. ... It was working."
All-Star first baseman Evan White said Canham FaceTimed with the team after Thursday night's loss to Corpus Christi and told them he wanted to hug each and every one of them when he returns from Corvallis.
Allen said the Travelers are waiting for word from McKay, Seattle's Director of Player Development, on who will take over when the season's second half resumes after the All-Star break on June 27.
Word could come as soon as today or Sunday.
Until a replacement is named, hitting coach Kyle Wilson and pitching coach Pete Woodworth will form a manager by committee.
The players are happy for Canham.
"He's helped us so much," White, one of eight Travelers named to the All-Star Game. "We're happy he's happy and we're happy his family's happy."
Pitcher Zac Grotz said one of Canham's best attributes was instituting a family culture in the clubhouse.
"Of all the managers I've played for, he was by far the most approachable one," Grotz said. "You could go hang out in his office, if you wanted to. He made it feel like it [the clubhouse] was our area."
Canham, 34, a former catcher who played on Oregon State's national championship team in 2006 and 2007, was a resource for the team's catchers, Joseph Odom said.
"Establishing a relationship with the pitchers," Odom said of Canham's impact. "Working with the staff."
Grotz, echoing the sentiments of White, Odom and Allen, said he texted his former manager Friday after the news became official.
"I told him we're all super happy for him," Grotz said. "He had this place running like a family. He set a foundation for us."
Grotz said there is no question Canham will succeed at Oregon State.
"He's going to be one of the best coaches in all of college baseball," Grotz said. "We all know it was his dream job. No bad feelings on our end."
McKay, addressing Canham's departure, told Oregon State it was getting a great man.
"Our loss is definitely OSU's gain," McKay said. "Thank you Mitch for being a constant reminder to all of us that excellence is always the result of focusing on, and trying to help, other people."
Sports on 06/15/2019