The Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fameis proud to announce the induction of Wade Sauter of Fairlight into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, Individual Category, as a player Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015 in Battleford.
Sauter was born July 5, 1944. His mother was at a sports day the day he was born, which led to many sports days to come. Sauter was very active in all sports during his school years-baseball, track and field, football and curling.
Sauter was batboy for Fairlight Ball Club from 1947-1955.
He played minor baseball with Fairlight from 1956-1960, then into senior baseball with them in 1961. In 1964 he played in Manitoba Senior League with St. Lazar. The team roster included five American players. They lost the league final to Hamiota in seven games.
Wade played with Fairlight from 1965-1970. In 1969 he played in SBA with Wawota Elks. In 1970 Sauter played with the Wawota Pats that won the SBA Provincial Title. In the play offs, he won three games pitching against Estevan, Yorkton and Disley.
From 1971-1976, Sauter played with Wawota Cardinals that won the 1972 SBA Provincial Title, with him winning 5 games along the way.
From 1979-1989 he played Twilight Baseball with Wawota and won two Provincial Twilight Titles and two provincial over-40 titles. Over this period of time the team won 36 games and lost only nine.
When not pitching, Sauter played all other positions except catching. He usually batted third, fourth or fifth in the lineup.
Sauter's highlights include: 1971 - played in Western Canada Finals at Kenosee Lake' 1972 - pitched three innings no-hitter and had eight strikeouts and a pop fly; 1975 - played in tournament with McAuley Blazers from Manitoba; 1975 - four home runs in SBA double-header at Lumsden; pitched nine innings in a final game beating Unity Cardinals 6-4 in Watrous; 1976 - played in Western Canada Finals in Glenborough, Man.; 1989- last ball game, relieved for his son Jeff in playoff game in Wawota.
In all, Sauter played baseball for 33 seasons. He played in 62 towns across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and North Dakota winning 180 games as a pitcher, six provincial titles and appearing in three Western Canada finals.
In the 1950s, 60s and 70s, Sauter kept busy volunteering in the community, maintaining the ball diamond, treasurer for the curling club and treasurer for the church in Fairlight,
He continues active in summer and winter, golfing and curling.
Sauter and his wife Sharon have three children and now enjoy 10 grandchildren.
He now joins his father, Don Sauter, who was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
