Theo Fleury to Try Baseball

Former NHL player Theo Fleury has cleared his first hurdle in chasing that elusive boyhood dream of playing high caliber professional baseball.

Though it’s not the major leagues, Fleury whose hockey career was cut short due to alcohol and substance abuse problems has recently taken his first round of batting practice for the minor league professional team he is trying to stick with in the Calgary Vipers. “I learned a lot in a short time what an art it is to hit a ball,” said Fleury after hitting practice. “Within a matter of five minutes, he (hitting coach) had my swing picked apart and had me do what you guys saw out there.”

Fleury, who is a two- time Stanley Cup winner (Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche), smacked several sharp line drives but never reached the warning track at Foothills Stadium.

Scheduled to throw out the ceremonial pitch on Thursday’s Vipers game, Fleury who now operates a concrete operation in Calgary, will in fact get an opportunity to play a few innings somewhere down the line. “He’s a pro athlete and he’s not likely to make a fool of himself,” said Peter Young, president of the Calgary Vipers. “It’s not like Billy Crystal standing out there who has played in a couple of celebrity games in his life.” “This guy played pro sports.”

Never one to be modest, Fleury admitted that at age 14 he was a pretty good player in Manitoba with the Birtle Blue Jays. His story is very similar to former NBA star Michael Jordan who after retiring for the first time with the Chicago Bills signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan wisely gave up baseball a short time later and eventually found his way back to the NBA.

According to Young, the Vipers have the blessing of the league to use this former NHL star who played with the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and the Chicago Blackhawks. “The league has said any time we want to use him we can and not go against our roster,” he said.

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