Dozens of Saskatchewan's best baseball players have been inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum over the years and this summer the late Bennie Griggs will get his chance.
Griggs' baseball career began as a member of the Birmingham All-Stars in 1948. The next year he was recruited to play in Delisle. After two seasons with the Gems, Griggs, who was born in Alabama, was drafted to the U.S. Army. He was wounded in Korea shortly after and awarded the Purple Heart.
He returned to Canada in 1953 to play with the Saskatoon Gems. Following his return, Griggs led, or was tied for, the lead in league pitching stats and represented Canada at the Global World Series twice. In 1956, he started his career as a North Battleford Beaver and once made the Canada Global World Series Team while representing the Beavers.
After three seasons in North Battleford, Griggs returned to the United States and won 21 games and was an all-star in the New York-Penn League.
The next season, he played with Jacksonville, of the South Atlantic League.
During the 1962 season Griggs played in the Northwest League, where he had 28 strikeouts in 27 innings. He was then lured back to Saskatchewan and the North Battleford Beavers, where he again led the league in wins. His final season as a Beaver was 1963.
During his baseball career, Griggs led all leagues in various categories while averaging better than nine wins a season and about 100 strikeouts a year.
Former teammates Bev Bentley, Emile Francis, Reg Pendleton and Len Breckner agree that Bennie Griggs was a great pitcher, hitter and teammate.
Griggs pasted away Nov. 18, 2006, in Birmingham, Ala.
His legacy will forever be remembered in the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, as he is one of 13 individuals, who will join one family and one team, in the 2010 induction class.
Tickets for the Aug. 21, event are available by calling 446-1983 or e-mailing saskbaseballmuseum@sasktel.net.
