Article content Mitch Maclean, 20, of Cornwall, P.E.I., was killed in a roadside shooting in Alberta in 2011. ContributedArticle contentMemorialized brotherArticle contentJust five months after Mitch’s death, Morgan joined the Islanders for the 2012 NBSBL season.Article contentUp until this point, Morgan had worn No. 17 in baseball and hockey. When he joined the Islanders, he asked if he could wear No. 6 – the same number Mitch wore.Article content“That was the only number to wear, really,” Morgan told The Guardian in an interview following the jersey retirement ceremony.Article contentBeck said the Islanders never hesitated to grant the request, adding Morgan brought a high level of intensity to the field every time he stepped between the white lines.Article content“Morgan wore it obviously in honour of Mitch to play with him on his back every game,” said Beck. “He played with fire – he was a fiery player, and he always had lots of passion for the game of baseball when he played it.”Article contentMorgan, who became the team’s full-time catcher and also played some first base, wore the Islanders’ colours for seven years.Article contentArticle content“It was awesome,” said Morgan describing his years playing with the Islanders. “This is home, and this is where we grew up playing.Article content“When this team came along, it was kind of the next step.”Article content The Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders of the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League (NBSBL) stand along the first-base line for the team’s first-ever jersey retirement ceremony honouring the contributions of brothers Morgan and the late Mitch MacLean on June 24. The Islanders retired No. 6, the number worn by the MacLeans. Photo by Jason Simmonds /The GuardianArticle contentHighlightArticle contentThe 2015 season would be a memorable one for Morgan as the Islanders won the franchise’s first-ever NBSBL championship, defeating the Fredericton Royals in a seven-game final series.Article content“There were a lot of long road trips and a lot of years of putting in the time (to get to that point),” said Morgan. “To win it in Game 7 over there was pretty special. It’s hard to believe it was 10 years ago.”Article contentMorgan was also picked up by the Chatham Ironmen to play in the 2014 and 2015 Canadian senior men’s baseball championship. At the 2016 nationals with the Islanders, Morgan batted .412, drove in eight runs and was named the tournament’s top catcher and first-team all-star catcher.Article contentArticle contentMorgan also played with his brother Mark, a left-handed pitcher, with the Islanders and was recognized as the NBSBL’s top catcher for 2015 and 2016.Article content The Chatham Ironmen take in a pre-game ceremony at Memorial Field in Charlottetown on June 24. The Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders held the franchise’s first-ever jersey retirement ceremony, honouring the contributions of brothers Morgan and the late Mitch MacLean as players. Morgan played in the 2014 and 2015 Canadian senior men’s baseball championships with the Ironmen. Photo by Jason Simmonds /The GuardianArticle contentMorgan said with his connections to the Ironmen, it meant a lot having the Chatham team standing on the third-base line for the jersey retirement ceremony.Article content“There are still a few guys on that team I played with and against for a lot of years,” said Morgan, now 32. “It was nice to see some of those guys, too.”Article contentAlthough now retired, Morgan feels it is important for cities and communities like Charlottetown to have a senior baseball team.Article content“It’s the only (senior) team here on the Island,” said Morgan. “There were a lot of struggles over the years, going away with nine players and not knowing the next year if the team would be going again, and to see these guys still going, and having success, it’s awesome.”Article contentArticle contentJason Simmonds is the sports editor at The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at jsimmonds@postmedia.com and followed on X @JpsportsJason.Article content
Charlottetown Islanders honour MacLean brothers
