Mike Steed (Burlington, Ont.) the patron saint of the High Leg Kick was hired from the Ontario Blue Jays by the Atlanta Braves.

October 22, 2022

By Neve Van Pelt

Canadian Baseball Network

From an eight-year-old kid roaming Nelson Park to a 52-year-old minor league pitching coach in the Atlanta Braves organization, Mike Steed (Burlington, Ont.) has always had a passion for the game.

Steed pitched all the way up to college, ending his career with the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Norsemen. He says he wasn’t a pro type of talent but he didn’t want this to be the end.

This led him to make his way back to NEO in 1993, but this time it was as a pitching coach. Landing a coaching job at the collegiate level isn’t an easy thing to do, so for Steed to earn this opportunity as his first job was very exciting.

“That helped me immensely. Just to see that level and be around it day to day ... I was very fortunate,” Steed said. “It allowed me to have a different view and understanding ... getting into coaching at that level was a huge step forward for me.”

He looked after pitchers there for just over four years and had five pitchers selected in the draft, including sixth rounder RHP Jason Dickson (Miramichi, N.B.) who went to the California Angels in 1994. Following this, he continued coaching teenagers for about nine years, but in 2005 a new opportunity came along for Steed to be an associate scout for the Minnesota Twins.

Steed had the chance to work with both Jim Ridley and Bill Byckowski, who are extremely knowledgeable about the game. The late Twins scout, Ridley, has been elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, while Byckowski, a Cincinnati Reds cross checker, has won three national championships (two with Georgetown, one with Brampton).

The pair always informed him of the opportunities in scouting but Steed’s heart was attached to coaching.

“It’s great to have the opportunity to see both sides ... but the day-to-day on field stuff was what I truly loved,” Steed said. “Some think I’m crazy being at the ballpark five hours before first pitch, stuff like that, that people don’t see ... I enjoy that a lot more.”

Steed’s primary focus since then has been coaching. He takes a lot of pride in it and is the type of coach who’s going to be hard on his players but truly wants the best for them.

Coaching 10-to-15 years ago -- with the GTA Stars, Oakville Royals, Ontario Blue Jays and the Thunder Bay Border Cats -- was different than what it is today, and Steed explained how his style has changed as society has.

“Early in my career I was very hardnosed and disciplined,” Steed said. “I think I’m still that way but I have better communication skills now with my athletes ... I still set high expectations. Some say I’m still tough and disciplined, but I think just in a different way.”

Steed’s disciplined coaching style and hard work has paid off, landing him his most recent job as a minor league pitching coach in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Breaking into pro ball isn’t easy to do, yet alone breaking into it at 52 years old. Steed’s family situation and having such a supportive wife, Marlene, allowed him to live out this dream.

It started with some people just asking him if he really wanted to take a shot at pro ball and from there the dream started to become a reality.

“It’s being in the right spot at the right time and knowing the right people,” Steed said. “A good friend of mine who worked in the Cardinals organization ... knew some people with the Braves in their pitching department and reached out for me.”

The Braves minor league pitching coordinator Paul Davis reached out to have a conversation with him. Following this, he spoke with the vice president of player development Ben Sestanovich, and after another conversation, it all fell into place.

Steed, who now lives in Beamsville, Ont., has been with the organization since January when he was charged with looking after the class-A Augusta Green Jackets arms and is really pleased with how top-tier the Atlanta organization is.

At Augusta, he saw some familiar faces this season: LHP Adam Shoemaker (Cambridge, Ont.), RHP Landon Leach (Toronto, Ont.) and RHP Cedric de Grandpre (Saint Simon-de-Bagot, Que.). INF David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.) was also in Augusta as Atlanta Braves boss Alex Anthopoulos (Montreal, Que.) continued to keep an eye out for Canadian talent.

“From the people at the highest level in player development to the lowest level, they’re just really, really easy to work with,” Steed said. “The resources we have for player development are through the roof ... I couldn’t say first class enough in terms of head to toe, the Braves organization.”

Steed’s passion for the game since he was a young kid has truly allowed him to have an exceptional career.

If you can manage to find Steed not at a ballpark, he’s most likely sitting in front of the TV watching college football or enjoying a meal at a little hole in the wall restaurant.