Victoria baseball coach strikes out on Big Brother Canada reality show – Times Colonist

Striking out is a downer for any ballplayer, but the “ouch” factor is worse when it happens in front of millions of TV viewers.

Victoria HarbourCats head coach Graig Merritt felt that pain Wednesday when he became the fourth person evicted from Big Brother Canada.

In the reality TV series, now in its third season, multiple cameras continuously monitor “house guests” who live in a custom-designed house without access to the outside world.

The 14 contestants, who hail from across Canada, must survive “evictions,” with the last remaining house guest winning about $100,000 in prizes.

The shows airs on Global TV Mondays at 8 p.m., Wednesdays at 9 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.

For Merritt, an outspoken coach and major league baseball scout from Pitt Meadows, the game is far from over.

He now joins the other contestants in sequester, with just one more house guest needed to complete the reality show’s First Five, a quintet that can then compete for a chance to re-enter the house.

After being confined to the Big Brother house for several weeks, Merritt, 36, admitted that being forced to leave this week after a unanimous 10-0 vote has been an emotional experience.

His eviction was sparked by what producers have termed “one of the most flawless backdoors in Big Brother Canada history” — a master plan engineered by contestant Brittnee Blair, the 25-year-old plus-size model from Calgary who eliminated the power player.

“Looking back on how I played the game, I think I competed too much,” said Merritt, who had been labelled a bully. “In the Big Brother house, you have to shut down the competition at times, but I went full-throttle from start to finish.”

The self-described “Ginja Ninja” — Merritt is a redhead — said he initially had reservations about the possibility of re-entering the house after being shown the door. But after collecting his thoughts, he is now ready to “get back in there and compete.”

HarbourCats general manager Jim Swanson said he wasn’t worried Merritt’s TV hijinks would affect his first season as head coach — he should be out of the house before the West Coast League team’s season starts May 31 with an exhibition game.

“Graig is a very passionate guy and I think he might have come across as villainous to a degree because he’s got an opinion,” said Swanson, adding it’s “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for his head coach.

While Swanson says he takes the TV action with a grain of salt — “reality TV is not reality, it’s a social psychological experiment” — the passion Merritt appears to have been encouraged to play up is genuine.

“Graig’s a prototypical redhead, very much an A-plus personality,” Swanson said, noting Merritt also has a baseball IQ that is “off the charts.” His intensity and drive being seen on TV is hugely beneficial, he said.

“We’re excited to have that as part of the teaching and development of our players,” Swanson said.

“We think this market deserves a winner. He’s one of those guys you’d love to have on your team and hate to have on the other team.”

mreid@timescolonist.com

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