Hot! Nyjer Morgan Catches Up On His Hockey With Sharks - San Jose Mercury News

Wayne Gretzy's nickname continues safe. Nyjer Morgan was not The Great One.

But taking into account he has each day job when an outfielder pertaining to the Milwaukee Brewers, Morgan was . The Not-Too-Shabby One?

"I'd offer your ex boyfriend some sort of B-plus actually by using you," Sharks heart Joe Thornton said. "I appeared to be stunned using how beneficial they was."

Morgan, a Bay Area indigenous along with ongoing Sharks fan, lived their dream Wednesday when your dog reached consider component throughout practice. He perhaps whistled a new puck in the net by carrying out a breakway drill, even though with help coming from a favorable goalie.

Wearing a No. 2 jersey when using the appoint "Plush" throughout honor associated with his or her alter-ego Tony Plush, Morgan obtained a chance to experience his alter-career. As a teenager he set out to help make the NHL and also leading-edge when far while important gofer hockey inside the Western Hockey League, which will suggests they appeared to be no slouch.

Morgan, now 31, shook off several corrosion versus that Sharks, wobbling occasionally upon his skates because he or she took portion in the breakway drill together with his left-handed shot. But immediately after four unproductive attempts, he or she whacked his or her last taken over back-up goalkeeper Thomas Greiss (who most of however placed your delightful mat looking at the particular net).

Morgan subsequently beamed from the Sharks attire room since your dog taken off his / her pads.

"How many sports athletes are you aware who is able to just simply start about that ice along with complete what I just did?" Morgan said. "Exactly. Pretty cool, huh?

"It's been quite a few moons. It's been a great deal of years, yeah. And I've nonetheless got it. You notice that?"

Morgan appeared to be born

in San Francisco plus said he or she was increased within San Jose, in the property nearby the Eastridge mall, before later participating in graduation in Mill Valley.

He chop down in enjoy with hockey as a 7-year-old though glued on the TV to the 1988 Winter Games from Calgary.

As a new kid, Morgan appreciated the actual Sharks proper away. "Ever considering that some people emerged towards the Bay Area in 1990 (when San Jose has been awarded the actual franchise)," this individual said. "George Kingston. I've continually been a fan. I've generally been recently a diehard Sharks fan. . I bleed teal."

The pesky, trash-taking outfielder credited Wednesday of which this individual will would rather always be a new pesky, trash-talking forward. He trialled for that Regina Pats through 1999-2000 season. In his / her debut, versus the actual Moose Jaw Warriors, they scored some of aims and also ended up being determined because the game's first star.

Alas, those people were the only two pursuits regarding Morgan's time frame inside Regina. He enjoyed half a dozen additional video games just before being released.

Sharks coach Todd McLellan, exactly who seemed to be coaching inside Swift Current within the WHL in the time, remembered Morgan as being a fledgling hockey player.

"His (baseball) characteristics, as well as the method your dog stirs items up on your ballfield? That's the identical manner he or she was around the glaciers surface," McClellan said. "He ended up being a little bit of some sort of disturber, got less than skin pores of many of the different players, plus competed hard."

Morgan described his hockey style this way: "Just excitement. Grind. Make this happen. Exciting player, exactly like I am around the diamond. Do precisely what I do, crowd favorite."

Morgan, who struck .304 with some homers, 37 RBIs in addition to tough luck lost bottoms past season, is as well known for his / her antics unlike in the west his play. Giants devotees might don't forget your pet seeing that the outfielder exactly who continue calendar year taunted devotees AT&T Park or who cursed frequently in a very KNBR interview. (When the particular station requested the pup to easiness in place to the language, Morgan strung upward instead. "T-Plush is out. Thanks intended for acquiring me.")

That clarifies the reason a Cardinals admirer emerged to observe Sharks process upon Wednesday. Mike Sizemore, 21, regarding St. Louis held up an indication of which read: "Good to view you trying hockey. Baseball don't operate out."

" Nyjer Morgan talked a great deal of slap this holiday season from the Cardinals," reported Sizemore, a hardware engineering college at Santa Clara University. "I notion I'd pay him a visit."

Morgan spotted this lover and also good-naturedly dismissed from your job a puck off the glass suitable before associated with him.

"Ah, that will added back a lot of memories, just due to the fact I appreciate hockey," Morgan said. "Not too quite a few African-Americans, mainly inside the (city) associated with San Jose, can actually relate.

"So I want to basically really encourage individuals ahead out here as well as attempt skating. It's a lovely game."

Contact Daniel Brown during dbrown@mercurynews.com