Manitoba honors all-time dream team
Almer McKerlie (Miami) extreme left, wipes away a tear as the all-time Manitoba team was honoured at the 20th annual Manitoba Hall of Fame ceremonies. Photos: Murray Zuk Studios.
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
MORDEN, Man. _ When we were sitting around brain storming ideas for our book “The Northern Game: Baseball the Canadian Way,” there were a lot of ideas flying around the room.
There were suggestions and sentences beginning “what if we?” at such a fast and furious rate that we needed a court stenographer.
Former Toronto Sun sports editors Wayne Parrish and Jim O’Leary then of Sport Media Publishing, along with editor (Big) Mike Simpson and myself were tossing around the suggestions. Some skittered away like a mosquito on a summer night near the cottage. Others were nurtured and discussed.
Once the chapters ideas had been decided, argued about and decided about again, we decided to include in the book lists like the names of Canadians who had appeared in the majors, statistical leaders among Canadians and the all-time list of players to wear the red and white Canada roster on the international stage.
When there was a lull in the proceedings, Parrish asked “why not pick an all-time team of Canadians?” And then he added and “an all-time dream team for each province.”
After I explained I would have trouble picking the all-time Kingston team from 1949-to-1973, the best Ottawa-Nepean Canadians 1974-to-1986 or the starting lineup for the 2005 Mississauga North Tigers bantams, Parrish said “ask some respected baseball men in each province to select the teams.”
And so phone calls were made.
When it was Manitoba’s turn we asked Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Gladwyn Scott (Carberry), Gerry MacKay (Brandon) and umpire Sam Tascona (Winnipeg) to pick the best, the all-time team. Their involvement in Manitoba ball began in 1949.
Parrish’s rationale was that there was not a wrong answer, but plenty of good answers. Like no one can tell you that blue should not be your favorite colour instead of red.
The list would lead to debate and the more people talking baseball? ... All the better.
Say this about Manitoba baseball ... they took it serious.
The three-man committee named 17 players to our all-time Manitoba team. Only Prince Edward Island with 18 had more.
British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland each filled in one name for the 13 spots (nine players including the DH, two starters, a reliever and a manager).
Saskatchewan, Ontario and Nova Scotia had 14 including a tie while Alberta had 15 including ties.
And say it again about Manitoba baseball, they are still taking their all-time team in a serious manner.
At the 20th anniversary of their Hall of Fame in Morden, the brought in the Dream Team or their relatives to honor them with a plaque and a copy of the “The Northern Game: Baseball the Canadian Way,” the copies were donated by publisher Sport Classic Books and shipped by Claire Elliott.
Manitoba All-Star Dream Team
Selected by Gladwyn Scott (Carberry), Gerry MacKay (Brandon) and umpire Sam Tascona (Winnipeg).
(The majority of the info for the bios was provided by the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame)
Catchers
Almer McKerlie, Miami and Cliff Seafoot, Riverside.
McKerlie was an all star catcher for Fort William Legion, who won the Northern and Central Ontario title. McKerlie went south with the St. Louis Cardinals to St. Petersburg, Fla. in 1949. He caught five seasons for the Carman Cardinals teams of the late 1940s and early 50s. McKerlie was star catcher for three years and hit .333 one season. McKerlie played and coached minor and senior baseball at Miami till 1963. McKerlie was an excellent umpire and hockey referee for 20 years and was elected to the MBA honour Society in 1987.
Quotable: “I would have like to have seen some of the ones that are on the Dream Team. I knew some but I didn’t know too many,” 1997 inductee McKerlie told Clayton Dreger of Pembina Valley online.
Seafoot was an outstanding catcher in his prime, and in his later years he played third, first and was a DH with Riverside Canucks. Cliff was named the MSBL. first all-star team 14 times, played on six MSBL. championship teams and five Manitoba championship teams. Cliff was MSBL. MVP in 1964 and 1970, and won the league batting title in 1972 with a .394 average. His lifetime average in more than 25 seasons was .314. Seafoot was also a very good goalie with the Souris Elks in hockey and was considered a great team player in both baseball and hockey.
First baseman
Bill Carpenter, Winnipeg.
Carpenter was an all round athlete in baseball, basketball, football, track. From Athens, Pa. he signed with Baltimore ($4,000), pitching at class-D Wytheville (2-2, 6.19), class-D Paris (3-2, 7.00), class-D Cordele (0-1, 0.00) and class-D Fitzgerald (3-7, 4.94). In 1958 he signed with St. Louis Cards and was with class-D Keokuk (11-9, 3.99) and the next year was with the class-C Winnipeg Goldeyes (19-4, 1.59) with two play-off wins -- his 1.59 ERA was the best in organized ball; as well as class-B Winston-Salem (1-1). In 1960, he was with Winnipeg (6-0, 1.47), double-A Tulsa (3-3, 4.97), triple-A Rochester (0-3) and double-A Shreveport (0-1) in the Kansas City Royals system, playing in four countries USA, Cuba, Mexico, Canada. In 1961, he was with Winnipeg (6-5, 3.65) and Tulsa (3-3, 2.47). And his final year was with Winnipeg in 1962 (5-3, 4.79) in 1962 as well as serving as the Goldeyes pitching coach. Then from 1963-76 he was with Souris Cards of MSBL and in 1970 won the triple crown, with a .385 average, five homers and 25 RBIs in 65 at-bats.
People would always be amazed that Carpenter would make the drive from Winnipeg to Souris and never get nabbed with a speeding ticket. “The reason for that was,” said his wife, “because I was doing the driving.”
Second baseman
Lloyd Brown, Brandon
Brown started with Virden in the late 40s – in his first senior game he had three hits against the touring Muskogee Cardinals. Lloyd moved to Brandon and played for the Brandon Mental Hospital, Athletics, and the Cloverleafs. Brown helped the Cloverleafs win four CMBA titles, 1957-60. In the MSBL Lloyd hit .444 in 1961 and .414 in 1962, and was all-star second baseman. In 1970 Lloyd helped form the Westman Bison League, and then rejoined Cloverleafs in 1975. Lloyd served over ten years as the MSBL Director and three years(1985-88) as the league’s president. Brown was inducted into MBA Honor Society in 1989.
Third basemen
Ian Lowe, Bradwardine and Shane Moffatt; Souris
Lowe played third for Brandon Greys in late 1940s and early 50s. He coached successful teams in Kenton, and managed the host team at the Canada Senior Baseball championships in 1970 at Brandon.
Moffatt was one of the most dominant senior players in Manitoba for more than 20 years as an outstanding shortstop, pitcher and hitter with Portage and Carman in the Red-Boine League, Souris, Brandon, and Birtle in the Manitoba Senior League. He led Carman to five Manitoba titles in six years from 1983-86 and was on nine provincial championship teams, won with the Brandon Cloverleafs in 1996 and the Birtle Blue Jays in 2000, 2002, 2004. Moffatt won Manitoba Baseball Association Senior Player of the year in 1987, 1996, 1998, and 2000. He was a MSBL. First Team all star nine times and a three time winner of the top pitcher award in 1993 (6-1); 1998 (8-1); and 2000 (7-0). He captured four top pitcher honors in the Red-Boine League, where he also was named the Rookie of the Year in 1984. Moffatt was named MSBL. MVP in 1998 and 2000 and on three other occasions with the Red-Boine League. He won the league play off MVP on six occasions, 10 including those won in the Red-Boine league. Moffatt was also a member of the league champion teams eight times and named to he MSBL. 40 year all star team in 2000. He was selected to Manitoba’s 20th century all star team as a utility player, and is the son of inductee Barry Moffatt.
Quotable: “You think of all the ball players that have been in Manitoba over all the years and there’s been some great ones. To even be mentioned with all those fellows is a great honour,” Moffatt, a 2008 inductee told Clayton Dreger of Pembina Valley online.
Shortstop
Bill “Snake” Siddle, Winnipeg
Born in Stratford, Ont., Siddle was an outstanding pitcher and shortstop with the Winnipeg Arenas from 1917 to 1928. He was selected as the shortstop on Manitoba’s 20th century all star team. Siddle was consistently among the leader in both hitting and stolen bases in the Winnipeg senior league of the 1920s. In 1929 he toured with the House of David baseball team. In the 1930s he umpired many league games and exhibition games in Winnipeg. He called balls and strikes in a famous 1-0 game when Satchell Paige struck out 17 for Bismarck to beat Chet Brewer who whiffed 13 for the Kansas City Monarchs.
Outfielders
Gerry MacKay, Brandon; Ken Little, St. Boniface; Mark Fisher, Riverside; Gord Ledochowski, Riverton.
MacKay was tutored by his Dad, G.C. “Curly” MacKay. He played with Brandon Greys l949-51. of Man Dak League, signed with Chicago Cubs in 1952 and was assigned to class-C Sioux Falls Northern League (.347, five homers) and class-C Visalia (.291). The next year he split time between Sioux Falls (.335, 10 homers) and Visalia. With the Pirates organization in 1954 he was at class-A Williamsport (.200) and in 1955 with El Paso (.371, 17 homers). Joining the New York Yankees organization he spent time at double-A Birmingham (.248, 10 homers) hitting three homers in the season opener and class-B Winston-Salem (.184 with six homers). He directed Brandon Cloverleafs to MSBL titles in 1966-67, was the head coach of Canada’s first national team at Pan Am Games. He also coached Team Canada at the World Championships in Cuba in 1971, the Pan Am Games at Cali Columbia in 71 and the Worlds in Nicaragua in 1972. A director of CFAB(1967-74), he was host chairman of Canadian Senior Tournament at Brandon in 1970 and was MBA president 1972-73.
Fisher was a pitcher and outfielder with the Riverside Canucks. He was named to first all star team 15 times, and the second team twice after winning the League batting champ in 1974, 1979 (over .500 average), and 1981 as well as being League MVP in 1971 and 1974. Fisher was on Riverside teams that won six MSBL and five Manitoba titles, and was also part of teams that won three national junior titles (one with Brandon, two with Sarnia). Fisher was signed by the Detroit Tigers and pitched for class-A Lakeland in 1970 going 2-5 with a 2.62 ERA and two saves. He was named to MSBL 40 year all star team as an outfielder.
Little was an outstanding athlete excelling in, hockey, football, curling and track in addition to baseball. The Kelowna, BC native was a starry outfielder with Rosedales and St. Boniface Native Sons. He was offered a pro contract with Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics after a tryout at Shibe Park andwas a speedy outfielder and tremendous base runner.
Ledochowski played with Chatfield in 1962, the Teulon midgets, Balmoral Orioles, Fort Rouge Mallards, Warren Transcona Mallards, South End Chiefs, Teulon Whips, Binscarth Orioles, Teulon Cardinals, Elmwood Giants and Carman Goldeyes. He attended Mayville State College from 1970-74 and was voted an outstanding graduating player. Ledochowski was with the Western Canada Senior B gold medalists at Watrous, Sask. in 1975 as well as the Western Canada Senior B silver medalists at Glenboro in 1976, as well as winning championships in the MSBL (1977) and Redboine (1980). He was a member of Team Canada in Nicaragua in 1977. Ledochowski took part in 11 Senior Nationals, spent 20 years coaching the Teulon Cards. He guided the Interlake Orioles to silver in Western Canada Bantam Games in Teulon (1988), coached Team Canada (1990-91) who won World Youth gold in Brandon over Chinese Taipei in 1991 -- Canada’s first gold internationally. Ledochowski coached Team Manitoba in 1993, 94, 95, 97, had his level 3 coaching certificate, organized 400 Hitter Baseball School (1997-2001), and is currently playing coach of Chatfield Old-timers.
Designated hitter
Corey Koskie, Anola.
Began his career with Elmwood Giants (1989) for coach Dave Olsen. Koskie was a member of the Manitoba Youth Team in 1991 and the next year for the provincial champion with the Giants Juniors, winning the batting title and Rookie of the Year honors. He earned a scholarship to Des Moines Area Community College, in Boone, Iowa. Koskie was a member of 1993 Canada Games Team, attended National Baseball Institute was drafted in the 26th round and signed by the Minnesota Twins scout Howie Norsetter in 1994. He was assigned to rookie-class Elizabethton (.235, 0, 18), class-A Fort Wayne (.310, four, 38), class-A Fort Myers (.338, nine, 55), double-A New Britain (.286, 23, 79) and triple-A Salt Lake (.301, 26, 105). Koskie began his Major League career in 1998 with the Twins, playing third base, was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2005, and the Milwaukee Brewers in 2006. In all, he played nine seasons, appearing in 989 games, amassing 3,399 at bats with a lifetime average of .275. In 2001 with the Twins, he hit 26 home runs, with 103 RBIs while stealing 27 bases. He earned Male Athlete of the Year named by the Manitoba Sportscasters Association in 1999 and 2001 and was a member of the Canada’s first two World Baseball Classic teams.
Pitchers
Glennis Scott, McConnell; Don “Pete” Rettie, Charleswood; Gerry Falk, Carman; Orville Minish, Swan River.
Scott starred on the mound for McConnell, Cardale. Hamiota, Carman and Miami in league and tournament play (1950-77), the 1967 Pan Am Games with a 1-1 record against Cuba. He won twice at Canada Games in Halifax 1969, pitched two games for Team Canada at Cartagena Columbia against USA and Columbia in 1970 beat Alberta and PEI, at Canadian senior nationals in Brandon in 1970, was pitcher/manager in Cali Columbia (1971) beating Puerto Rico 5-3, he beat Honduras and lost to Costa Rica at World Championships in 1972 at Managua Nicaragua, was 1-1 winning a silver medal as Team Manitoba manager in Burnaby BC in 1973 and served as player-coach for Team Canada at Intercontinental Cup in Bologna, Italy. Scott coached-managed Manitoba teams to medals at Kenosse Lake, Sask., Pointe aux Trembles, Que, Burnaby, North Battleford, Sask, Vancouver, Fredericton, Edmonton, St. Albert, Regina and Saskatoon. Scott held various offices for MSBL. Baseball Manitoba and Baseball Canada.
Rettie was born in Brandon in 1930 and was a top pitcher in the late 1940s and the 50s with Norwood juveniles, Rosedale juniors, and St. Boniface Native Sons seniors. Rettie once pitched 33 scoreless innings in the playoffs for Rosedale juniors.
Falk was a player and builder, an outstanding southpaw pitcher and coach. He won four MJBL titles with the Carman Goldyes (1971-74), was named the MJBL all star four times, and won four MJBL titles with the Carman Goldeyes (1971-74). He was named the top pitcher at Nationals (1973), and pitched the opening game for Mayville State College Comets (1972-76). His overall pitching record 27-8 with three district championships. He pitched for Team Canada in 1977-78, 1980 against Korea, Japan and Nicaragua. His senior tour of teams included: Dauphin Redbirds (1975), Binscarth Orioles 1976-79, Teulon Cards 1980-81, Carman Goldeyes 1982-92, Portage Athletics 1993, Brandon Cloverleafs 1995, Birtle Blue Jays 1998. He played in National and Western Canada senior championships for 15 consecutive years (1973-88) and was the Manitoba Youth Coach from 1989-90, 1996-97, as well as the Carman Goldeyes seniors playing head coach 1985-93 (five Manitoba champions), head coach for the Carman Goldeyes Juniors 1997-99 with three consecutive championships. Falk was one of the two founders of the Manitoba high school league (1994-2000), worked for the Major League Scouting Bureau (Manitoba region) 1991-2004. He served as a very successful high school coach at Gretna MCI and Carman in soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, badminton, and track & field until he moved to Cochrane in 2004 to teach and coach in Calgary but has since returned to teach at Winkler’s Garden Valley Collegiate. His team arrived part-way through the dinner to stand and cheer as Falk walked centre stage to be presented.
Quotable: “From 1900 to 1950 there was more baseball played than after that so when you consider all those guys that have come and gone – to be part of that group of 17 players is pretty incredible,” Falk, a 2005 Manitobe HOF inductee, told Clayton Dreger of Pembina Valley online.
Minish, a southpaw, pitched with Minitonas, Bowsman, Valley A11 Stars, Winnipeg Maroons (1939) and the Fargo Moorhead Twins. An air force mechanic during WW II between ball games, he excelled with Paulson No. 10 Dauphin, No. 7 bombing and gunnery, No. 8 repair, at Winnipeg, Brandon, Rivers, Neepawa, Yorkton and Calgary. He was a workhorse as he pitched three games at Carberry allowing one run on eight hits Minish had a patented pick off move with his seconn Williams at Paulson and after WW II, he started q team in Foxwarren and later moved to Giilbert Plains. He was an outstanding trap shooter.
Manager
Terry Hind, Winnipeg.
Born in 1920, a stellar pitcher in Winnipeg in the 1930s and 40s, he became more famous as an administrator. For 11 years he was general manager of the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the professional Northern League. The Goldeyes took league titles in 1957, 1959, 1961. Hind is a member of the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.