Tony Plush is about to become Tony Pucks.
Everyone’s favorite lunatic outfielder, Nyjer Morgan, is about to hit the ice with his hometown San Jose Sharks. The man they call Tony Plush will be practicing with the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. And really, after getting the NLDS-winning hit against the Arizona Diamondbacks and establishing himself as one of baseball’s greatest personalities, this is more the next logical step in the order of progression than it is a publicity stunt.
Morgan was, after all, an accomplished youth hockey player before he ever endeared himself to Brewers fans everywhere. In fact, Morgan even established himself in one of Canada’s top junior leagues, the Western Hockey League, in his younger days.
Per this profile on NHL.com that was one during the 2011 MLB playoffs:
“By the time the trash-talking Morgan graduated to the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, he immediately established himself among some of the world’s best junior-hockey players. After scoring 2 goals in his first game with the Pats, Morgan became a popular presence among teammates, including a massive 16-year-old named Derek Boogaard.
Morgan was shocked by Boogaard’s untimely death over the summer and had nothing but pleasant memories of the towering kid from Saskatchewan.
“Me and Boogaard were on the same line. Nobody really messed around with us. He was only 16 at the time, but he ended up turning into a pretty good little scrapper,” Morgan said. “For that short little stint that we had, we were cool. He was quiet. Just a gentle giant, a really chill individual. For what I remember, we had fun. We always joked around.””
Now, Morgan will get his shot at the highest level…or at least in a practice. The Bay Area native is reportedly a huge fan of his hometown Sharks…and if this story on the Sharks’ official website is to be believed, the feeling is mutual.
“We’re excited to see what he can do out here,” said Sharks captain Joe Thornton, who shares the same July 2nd birthday as Morgan. “We knew he had a hockey background and when we saw him on Jim Rome wearing our sweater, we wanted to invite him to get on the ice with us.”
It’s a move that makes sense on so many levels. Morgan gets a chance to show off his hockey skills, proving himself to be more than just a colorful character who can come through in the clutch on the baseball field. The first place Sharks on the other hand get some free publicity and a fairly easy practice coming out of the All-Star break with a guy who is known for keeping it loose in every baseball clubhouse he’s ever been in. It’s a win-win situation for all involved. And who knows, maybe it leads to Morgan becoming a modern day two-sport super star a la Deion Sanders.
