A sweltering aftermoon and an evening thunderstorm couldn't repress the excitement Saturday as the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed this year's inductees into its prestigious annals.
The day began with inductees, their families and friends, and Hall of Fame supporters gathering for a luncheon at the Legion Hall on Battleford's main street. Steps away, at the Hall of Fame building, they were able to tour the display, which included this year's inductees' information. There were stories exchanged, memories relived, and enlightenment for new enthusiasts.
The official induction was held that evening at the Alex Dillabough Centre. The crowd numbered more than 400m, including about 20 previously inducted hall of famers. North Battleford's Andrew Albers, who was pitching on a major league mound for Minnesota that night, was on everyone's minds and frequently referred to throughout the ceremonies.
A phone call made before the game resulted in a recorded message from Albers congratulating all the inductees and thanking his home community for all its support.
"I really appreciate it," he said.
This year's list of inductees into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame includes players, teams and a family, hailing mostly from Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Locally, the Battlefords' Brian Lampitt was nominated and selected this season along with Wilkie's Bill Sittler and Rodney Rhinehart of Maidstone.
Other individuals include Larry English, who now resides in Medicine Hat, Alta., but was originally from Hazlet, Elwood Ferguson of Lloydminster, the late Jim Flynn of Carlyle, Garnet Hannon of Kindersley, Neil Hogg of Swift Current, Ronald G. McKechney of Estevan and Swift Current, Ira McKnight of Indianapolis, Ind., originally from Saskatoon, Wayne Pusch of Regina Beach, the late Rupert Talbot of Canwood and Larry Tollefson of Parksville B.C., formerly of Moose Jaw.
In the family category the Kohlman family of Macklin was honoured. Hazlet was inducted in the community category and the Moose Jaw Regals and Jansen Red Sox were inducted in the team category.
Special merit awards were also presented to Rose Sinclair and Wayne Stephenson of Calgary, Alta., for their support.
The guest speaker for the evening was Jim Baba of Ontario, the director general for Baseball Canada and himself a member of the hall of fame, along with his dad.
Originally from Moose Jaw, Baba knew many of the inductees personally and shared stories from their baseball careers.
"I think if you ask all the inductees here, they love this sport," he said. "They love being a part of it in any way, would go anywhere to play it, participate or help get a game going in their area. Baseball is Saskatchewan."
The reply on behalf of the inductees was made by Bill Sittler of Wilkie, who thanked everyone involved in the organization of the induction, with a special mention of the "tireless efforts" of president and CEO Jane Shury.
"To everyone here tonight, we offer our humble and heartfelt thanks," said Sittler.
Remarks from Shury concluded the evening. In addition to thanks to all the volunteers of the organizations, she also provided an update on the project to build the biggest bat in Canada. Currently, Edmonton, Alta., has the biggest bat at 49 feet. Shury says Battleford's bat will be 55 feet.
"This will be a very good thing for baseball, not just in the Battlefords but in Saskatchewan, and for our town of Battleford," she said.
Next year will be the 30th annual induction ceremonies.
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.
"We don't owe nobody anything and we work very hard," said president Jane Shury at the induction ceremonies Saturday evening.
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, leaving an indelible stamp on the sport at the local, provincial and national levels. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2002.
After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in law in 1954, Shury helped develop the Saskatchewan Baseball Association the following year and became the organization's president in 1956. He also maintained a law practice, while doubling as the secretary of the Canadian Federation of Amateur Baseball, helping to organize the country's first national senior team, one that would compete in the 1967 Pan-American Games in Winnipeg. Around the same time, Shury was also the driving force behind a successful campaign to secure government funding for Canadian baseball, which was critical in establishing Baseball Canada. For his efforts, he was named the first life member of Baseball Canada in 1972.
Shury was also the author of several books on Saskatchewan baseball history. His local contributions earned him induction into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the North Battleford Sports Hall of Fame the following year. A beloved baseball supporter until the end, Shury spent part of the last day of his life with his wife, Jane, at the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum board of directors, all volunteers, come from, and represent every corner of the province, providing a strong base to this association.
