As he received his plaque and pin to honour his induction into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame Saturday, Saskatoon’s Regan Kjargaard couldn’t help but reflect.
“Quite honestly it’s a little bit of humble pie,” Kjargaard said. “I can’t really say I’ve ever really dreamed about this. When your growing up the only thing you’re really dreaming about is just playing baseball with your buddies.
“When I got that phone call a couple months ago and I found out that I was going to be inducted here tonight, it was sort of overwhelming.”
Those same feelings were shared in Battleford by fellow inductee Fabian Schommer of Kindersley, as he was one of 14 individuals enshrined during the 32nd annual induction dinner at the Alex Dillabough Centre.
“It’s awesome to be nominated and inducted, especially when I’m still feeling kind of young,” Schommer smiled.
“A lot of times you don’t get nominated until you’re up there in age. So to be able to be inducted when I’m still fairly young is a really big honour.”
Saturday’s induction ceremony was also a bit of a homecoming for Kjargaard and Schommer as they both played minor baseball in North Battleford and were key members of the North Battleford Junior Beavers teams during the 1980s.
“I think that’s something that makes this weekend even more special,” Kjargaard said. “The coach I had growing up, Bob Colliar, coached the junior team for over 40 years. He’s 86 years old now and made it here for the ceremony. The contribution that he’s made to the game for so many people has been outstanding.
“There’s a group of four of us that were inducted this year that either played with or against each other during our careers. To be able to go into the Hall of Fame together is incredible.”
Both players saw their careers take them south of the border after their time in North Battleford.
Kjargaard attended tryout camps for the Cincinnati Reds and also played at Missouri Western State College. Schommer spent time at Southern Arkansas University and St. Andrew’s University in North Carolina and also played for Canada’s national team.
“I dug out some old articles once I found I was going to be inducted and you really start to think back on all of the different places that baseball takes you over the years,” Schommer said. “I was able to spend four years in the United States playing college baseball and a couple of years playing for Canada’s national team and I never regretted a minute of it. It was a great experience.
“The older you get the less you worry about wins or losses,” Kjargaard said. “You really begin to reflect and think about all of the people you meet and all of the friends that you make along the way. You realize that by travelling around Saskatchewan and Western Canada that there’s a small fraternity around baseball. It doesn’t matter where you end up, you’ll always run into someone that you know.”
Joining Kjargaard and Schommer as inductees on Saturday were Ron Bauml of Muenster, Terry Buck of Fresno, Calif., the late Doug Dodd of Rabbit Lake, Barry Erickson of Regina, Bev Hickie of Estevan, Norm Loehr of Regina, the late John M. ‘Corky’ McCann of Red Deer, Alta., the late Lewis McNamee of Moose Jaw, Harvey Schmidt of Medicine Hat, Alta., Wayne Thompson of Edmonton. Alta., Laurence Woodward of Weyburn and Leo Wurtz of Lloydminster.
The team category welcomed three new members. Entering the hall of fame on Saturday were the 1961-83 Leader Barons senior baseball team, the Marysburg Royals senior baseball team and the 1946-75 Viceroy Baseball team.
“When you see all of those guys here that played on those teams from years ago, it’s pretty amazing,” Schommer said.
The Lloyd family of Antelope was inducted into the family category while Lloydminster was inducted as a community.
Also receiving an accolade was Jack Pavloff of Saskatoon as the youngster received the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame Scholarship.
The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was organized in 1983. Annual inductions have been held each year since 1985, honouring those who have contributed to Saskatchewan’s baseball history.
The museum is located at 292 - 22nd St. W. in Battleford. Battleford was the home for the very first recorded baseball game in the history of Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, which was played on the grounds of the Battleford National Historic Site on May 31, 1879.
The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a non-profit association that has never received financial support from either the provincial or federal government.
The Hall of Fame operates through membership fees, donations and fundraisers with many volunteers from throughout the province. It is the legacy of founder Dave Shury, who passed away in 2008.
Open throughout the year from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, the museum houses a display of memorabilia including uniforms, photographs, baseball bats, baseballs, equipment, trophies and more, including the David W. Shury Memorial Library.
Though diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and confined to a wheelchair for the last 40 years of his life, Shury was a passionate and respected voice for Canadian baseball. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2002.
