One hundred and sixty two. That is how many games each team plays during the
Major League Baseball season.
Eighteen is the number of games played by a Maine high school hockey team.
Throw play-off games and pre-season games into the mix and that is well over
200 games combined. For a person who has made time to devote themselves to both it
can be an extremely demanding lifestyle. And yet that is exactly what Matt Stairs does-
but why?
For the love of the game; or rather games.
Stairs found his love for both games at the young age of three in his hometown of
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is hard to avoid cliches when talking about
hockey and Canada, but as they go Stairs says hockey has always been a part of his
“I love the game, it has been a part of my life since I was young...and it is a great
way to stay in shape,” says Stairs as to why with the demands of playing baseball he
adds coaching hockey to his plate every winter.
Stairs, his wife Lisa and their three daughters made the move to Maine from
California almost ten years ago. The move to Maine brought Stairs close to his
childhood home. From Bangor it is only a three hour drive for him to get back to
Fredericton. It was his ties that were here in Maine that got him into the coaching game.
“A son of a close family friend was playing for John Bapst,” recalls Stairs on the
start of his coaching career. “I was asked to speak to the team as a ‘celebrity
spokesman’. I guess they thought I knew what I was talking about- and I did- so they
asked me if I would join on as an assitant.”
Stairs took the invitation and began working with the John Bapst hockey team
and like all coaches in Maine he had to meet the Maine Principles Association
requirements. According to Dick Durost of the MPA, there are three things that all
coaches at the high school level must fulfill:
1.All coaches have to carry a CPR card and it must be updated every year or two.
2.Every five years they must take a sports first aid clinic
3.Must complete a basic principles of coaching course
After four years with the Crusaders Stairs made the switch over to Bangor High
School where his three daughters were enrolled. His oldest daughter Nicole graduated
two years ago, while the middle daughter, Alicia, is a junior. Stairs’ third and youngest
daughter, Chandler, will be entering high school next fall.
Aside from coaching Stairs still plays the game he grew to love as a child playing
in two men’s leagues in the Bangor area. Even lacing up his skates for friendly
competition against some of his former players.
“He has a bomb of a slap shot,” says former Bangor hockey player Devin Lyshon.
While playing for Stairs at Bangor, Lyshon grew pretty close to Stairs. Close enough that
Lyshon admits when he plays now he still thinks about the words his former coach
would give him and his teammates before games.
“He was a great motivator, he exactly knew what to say to make us feel
confident,” says Lyshon.
As a hockey player at Bangor one of the big goals for Lyshon and his teammates
was to win a state championship and according to Lyshon, Stairs did “whatever he
could” to make the team better.
“When he brought in his World Series ring, that was a huge motivator. That’s
what we wanted- a ring,” says Lyshon referring to the ring awarded to Maine State
champions,
Stairs won a World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 when they
defeated the Tampa Bay Rays. Stairs may be remembered best that year for hitting a
pinch hit home run that helped his team get closer to the World Series.
...
Hitting that home run as a pinch hitter and not an every day player is proof of
his “do what ever it takes to help” attitude. Dennis Collins, the head coach for the
Bangor hockey team would agree.
“He is a very respectful, receptive and easy guy to get along with,” says
Collins. “He is down to earth and easy to approach. He works with what he is given.”
Collins considers himself to be a lucky coach, saying that he has always had
good assistants. A good assistant is something he values and believes they are key to
success. He sees Stairs and no different from the other great assistants he has had
along the benches with him.
“He is calm on the bench, which is good because sometimes I can get a little
tense,” says Collins of Stairs during stressful parts of games, “he is able to sit back and
analyze and look at both sides of the coin.”
Maybe that is why he is such a clutch pinch hitter. When your only getting one bat
a game you better make it count. Stairs had made a living doing so, he has more pinch
hit home runs than any other player in MLB history.
“He made the game fun, kept us excited but relaxed to play freely on the ice,”
says Lyshon of his former coach. Lyshon is currently a student at Husson University
where he plans to play baseball. He has kept his ties with his former hockey coach and
is planning on having Stairs assist him again this time with his baseball swing.
Who could ask for a better hitting coach. Stairs will be entering his 23rd year of
professional baseball, no one can have a career that long with out knowing how to hit
the ball. If all else fails Lyshon could take his swings with the bat Stairs gave him as a
gift, the bat Stairs used in the World Series.
“I love coaching as much as I do playing. I hope to play as long as I can,” says
Stairs who just signed a contract this month to be part of the Washington Nationals.
Coaching at the high school level could help Stairs as the “veteran” for the young
Nationals team. Any one who follows baseball is familiar with the teams ace pitcher
Stephen Strasburg who is only 22 years old. Along with Strasburg is Bryce Harper who
was the teams first round pick, and first overall in the 2010 Draft.
It will be interesting to see if Stairs will mentor the young Harper the way he has
for so many Maine hockey players. Especially since Harper is only 18 years old. If that
does become the case, it will definitely keep the coach thing alive for Stairs. Though he
does admit it can be a little different crossing to the other side of the lines.
“It is different to be a coach coming from the player side,” says Stairs. “As a
player you think you know it all; as a coach you realize how you don’t.”
Though Stairs has had to come to that realization that when he is in the field or
on the ice he doesn’t know everything, he says it has taught him more about patience.
“When playing and coming up through the minors you learn patience, but as a
coach you really realize it.”
Stairs says that has been an important part to his coaching. He says he strives to
teach the basics along with love and respect for the game. He passes this down to the
kids on the team by being humble.
“The kids follow and respect him,” says Collins. “With Matt there is a credibility
that he brings to the table. He is the reality of a dream and proof to that kids that ‘any
one can do this.’”
