Hugh Huck was the youngest of six brothers, all of whom left a legacy in Saskatchewan sports. Huck's legacy will be honoured in August as he is inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Huck was born in Vibank Oct. 25, 1936 and in '48 the family moved to Regina where his baseball career took flight.
From 1952 to '54, while attending high school, he played centre field for the Regina Pat Juniors and each year in the provincial championships. Speed in the field and a strong throwing arm were his trademarks, but he also played third base occasionally. His bat and speed on the base paths always made him a threat.
From 1954 until '58, Huck attended Notre Dame College playing baseball with the Hounds in the tough Southern League.
Notre Dame played countless tournament and exhibition games across the province and in Alberta. During the summer of 1955, the team played 87 ball games and Huck patrolled centre field for the majority of those games. He was considered the top centre fielder in the league and was selected for the Southern Baseball League's All-Star Team.
While playing with the Notre Dame Hounds in 1957 he played against Satchel Paige's Touring Team in Pense. Huck hit Paige's first pitch for a solid single, which is one of many special baseball memories from his career.
Huck played in the renowned Indian Head Tournament and the highly touted Lacombe Tournament. In those days, winning $1,000 for first place prize money was taken seriously.
After the Lacombe Tournament in 1957, Huck was recruited by the Lethbridge White Sox to play in the Alberta Baseball League, but that league folded because of financial problems.
Huck started his teaching career at St. Louis College in Moose Jaw in 1960. He moved to Notre Dame College the next year where he taught, played and coached hockey. In1964 he became athletic director, taking over from Frank Germann.
In 1974, Huck and his family moved to Regina where he taught at LeBoldus until he retired in 1990 and eventually moved to Calgary seven years later.
Huck was a great athlete, excelling in playing and coaching several sports in the community and Aug. 21 he will be honoured with 12 other individuals one team and one family. Tickets are available by phoning 446-1983, e-mailing saskbaseballmuseum@sasktel.net or by stopping by the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Battleford.
