The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum held its 33rd annual meeting in Battleford April 12, with the main news from the meeting being the announcement of its induction class for 2015.
The names of the inductees were confirmed in a news release issued this week. They are: team category - Saskatoon Outlaws and Swift Current Indians 1950-75; community category -Standard Hill; family – the Pike family from Maidstone.
The 2015 Individual inductions will be: Robert Armstrong, Saskatoon; Sharon Bergerman, Regina; David Burke, Kindersley; Marvin H. Cole, Sherwood Park, Alta. (Seamans); Wayne Commodore, Sherwood Park, Alta. (Swift Current); Albert Cottenie (deceased) formerly of Kamsack; Joe Erautt (deceased), formerly of Vibank; Merv Freeman (deceased) formerly of Goodwater; John Hemstad, Prince Albert; Sharon Hogg (deceased), formerly of Swift Current; Kenneth MacLeod (deceased) formerly of Regina; and Wade Sauter, Fairlight.
It was also announced at the meeting that Wallace Pruden of Trail, B.C. would be inducted this year. Pruden had previously been announced as part of the 2014 inductee class, but his induction was pushed back due to health difficulties that prevented him from coming to the ceremony last year.
Some 2016 inductees were announced at the meeting as well. The teams to be inducted for 2016 are the Leader Barons senior baseball team (1961-83), the Marysburg Royals senior baseball team and the Viceroy baseball team.
The family to be inducted for 2016 is the Lloyd family from the Swift Current area; and the community induction for 2016 will be Lloydminster.
The recipient of the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame Scholarship for 2015 is Carter Beck of Carnduff.
More details on this year's nominees will be available in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for those announcements in the News-Optimistand Regional Optimist.
2014 was an active year for the Hall of Fame, due mainly to the arrival of biggest bat in Canada on the Hall of Fame’s grounds in August.
There was a successful ears and beers night last year, and the plan is to repeat it in 2015 with a few changes.
The annual induction event at Alex Dillabough Centre continues to be the biggest fundraiser for the organization, but changes are coming to prices in future years.
A motion was introduced to raise the ticket price for the induction banquet from $60 to $75 in order to cover rising costs.
A similar motion came up at the meeting the year before, but did not go through. This time, it carried. The price change will not come into effect until the 2016 banquet.
Another item discussed was potential expansion of the building. “We need space,” said president and CEO Jane Shury. The hope is to add on to the existing building, and it was suggested a building fund should be started up for that project, similar to the “bat” fund that was in place before.
Also, plans are ongoing to put up a sign to identify the biggest bat in Canada and that was to come before Town Hall for approval. The sign is paid for from funds left over from the “biggest bat” project.
The 31at annual Induction ceremony is set for Saturday, Aug. 15 in Battleford. The second annual ears and beers night is set for Sept.18. Their volunteer and Christmas party is set for Dec. 9, and their museum open house is set for Dec. 15.
