Those Toronto Maple Leafs fans who clamored for All-Star Steven Stamkos to sign with his hometown team can indeed watch him play in person.
Only, he'll be playing baseball.
Stamkos, 21, is spending part of his offseason running around the baseball field as an outfielder for the Green Beys, a team in a hardball, wood-bat baseball beer league in the suburb of Markham.
Toronto Star columnist Dave Feschuk's report reveals that Stamkos was a star baseball player as a youth, possibly a better ballplayer than a hockey player, before being directed toward the ice by his father. Stamkos plays his boyhood game with a bunch of friends he grew up with.
"It's a nice way to hang out with my old buddies," Stamkos told the columnist.
Stamkos is batting .608 with eight home runs in 10 games, so he has retained his baseball skills. But he's doing just fine in hockey, too.
Stamkos was an unrestricted free agent this offseason, giving hope to those Maple Leafs dreamers. He instead elected to remain with the Tampa Bay Lightning, accepting a five-year, $37.5 million contract.
He has 119 goals in his first three NHL seasons and led the league with 51 tallies in 2009-10. He became an All-Star last season, when he totaled 45 goals and 46 assists.
Stamkos has shared his good fortune with his baseball teammates, reaching into his now-thick wallet for new cleats and bats for the team. He has been known to pick up the bar tab after games, too.
"But only if we win," teammate Sean Bowen told the columnist.
