SportsLife 2015, issue 3 | Page 33

Ken Pringle (1965 – ) Ken Pringle was a hard hitting infielder who joined the Boissevain Centennials at 17 years of age and by 24 was their team leader as a player-manager and off-field organizer. Ken guided them to six South West Baseball League titles in seven years between 1990-96 and three Manitoba Senior AA crowns during that span. His on field skill earned him the League MVP and batting championships in both 1994 and 1995. Russ Reid (1947 – ) Russ Reid was an excellent lefthander pitcher and hitter at several provincial levels during the 1960s. He was selected to pitch with the Brandon Colt All-stars In 1962-63; a team that won the Western Canadian championship in ’62 and defeated Wisconsin in US regional play-downs with Russ winning the deciding game. In 1969 Russ was the winning pitcher in the final game as the Brandon Canucks captured the Western Canadian championship. Tom Yandeau (1965 – ) ior ball in his home Tom Yandeau started playing sen of 14 in 1979 and community of Plumas at the age l switch-hitting continued for 32 years as a powerfu Santa Clara League. He the in cleanup hitter for the Pirates itoba senior career home probably holds the unofficial Man played while posting a run record with 182 in 480 games 1988 he had Ruthian like .440 lifetime batting average. In ’s and .535 BA in 35 RBI numbers of 15 Home Runs, 87 ting Manitoba at esen repr s team games. Tom played on in 1995, ’96, ’98. Western Canadian championships Small Community – Baldur Regals (2006 -2011) The Baldur Regals captu red the Border West Se nior AA Baseball League six consecutive seasons, 2006-11 and went on to win the Manitoba Senior AA pro vincial crown three straight ye ars, 2008-10, while als o being the 2011 Senior AA sem i-finalists. They reach ed the pinnacle of Senior AA supremacy by winning the Western Canadian titl e at Peace River, AB, 20 09, led by series MVP Darrick Jon es who was also chosen as the 2009 MBA Senior AA pla yer of the year. Winston Smith (1943 –) Winston Smith started his minor baseball co aching career in the 1980s in River Heights and conti nued to coach at the AA and AAA levels in Winnipe g South culminating with the Winnipeg South Junior AAA team in 1996. Winston followed up his coachin g career by becoming an integ ral part of the Winnipe g South Minor Baseball Associa tion of which he still ser ves on the Board of Directors. Winston‘s 30 years of active involvement and legal advice have been invalu able to baseball in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Canada . Major Team – Stonewall Blue Jays (2003-2008) The Stonewall Blue Jays excelled in League, Manitoba, and Western Canada Senior championships. The Blue Jays were Winnipeg Senior League champions in 2003, 2008, 2009, and Manitoba Senior AA champions in 2002, 2005, 2006. The Blue Jays represented Manitoba in Western Canada tournaments in Winnipeg 2002, Burnaby 2003, Saskatoon 2006, Nanaimo 2007, Stonewall 2008. Millers (1964-1969) Small Community – Steinbach the La Verendrye Baseball The Steinbach Millers captured es during the final five League Championship three tim 6, and 1968. With the 196 5, seasons of the league — 196 at the end of the 1968 demise of the La Verendrye League in the much stronger season, the Millers went on to play Eastern Division gue Manitoba Senior A Baseball Lea season of Senior tive secu con in 1969, marking the 30th baseball in Steinbach. Special Category – The Rosedales Organization (1945-50) The Rosedales were organized as a Winnipeg Junior team to play out of the city’s west-end in 1945 and found immediate success in the newly formed Greater Winnipeg Junior Baseball League. Between 1945 and 1950 the Junior Rosedales won the GWJBL four times (1945, ’46, ’49, ’50) and were finalists the other two seasons under Coaches Terry and Jack Hind. A Juvenile team w