Ed Stefureak was born Sept. 7, 1933, in Vegreville, Alta. As a 15-year-old, he played with his home team in tournaments around the province, as a pitcher and key member of the local nine.
In his early 20s, Stefureak considered a career in baseball when he attracted the attention of a number of professional teams. In 1953, he accepted an invitation from the St. Louis Cardinals to attend camp in California and four years later, he attended a New York Giants' camp in Florida. He was offered a class C contract but chose to return to Canada to help the family.
The Saskatchewan connection took hold in 1957 when he gained the attention of teams in the Western Canada League. After a few games with the North Battleford Beavers, Stefureak suited up with the Lloydminster Meridians.
Later, after a brief stint with Weyburn, in the South Saskatchewan League, Stefureak had a .545 average.
He decided to hang up his cleats to concentrate on family and work for a short time, but after his marriage the new couple moved to Regina where he continued his tenure in the Southern League. In his first full season with the Regina Red Sox in 1960, Stefureak compiled a .362 batting average and hit nine homers. He led the club to a pennant with a 23-9 record.
In 1961, the Red Sox won another championship. This was followed by Stefureak's initial batting championship in 1962 with a .390 mark and he was named the 1962 Most Valuable Player with eight home runs, 55 hits and top defensive player with 257 put outs. Again, in 1963, he was among the batting leaders with a .315 average, and tied for lead home runs.
Stefureak was referred to his teammates and opponents as "Big Stef," and he thrived on the challenges of being the best and making a positive contribution for the club. He was the leagues top slugger for most of his time in Regina.
According to Al Ash, a Red Sox teammate, Big Stef was a character, a great teammate and a big lovable guy who was very accommodating.
Stefureak's second batting crown came in 1964 with a blistering .389 average, six home runs and tied for league lead.
Stefureak headed up the Yorkton franchise for the 1968 season, then decided to take a break again in 1968, returning for the 1969 and '70 seasons.
Moving back to Edmonton from Regina, in 1971, Stefureak had a final fling in 1972 in the Alberta Major Baseball League with the Edmonton Blue Willow Angels and the Edmonton Tigers.
The baseball legend passed away Aug. 9, 2010 at the age of 76.
The late Ed Stefureak will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame at the 27th annual induction, Aug. 20 in Battleford.
