Doc Seaman, Mayor Bill McAlpine elected to Dawgs HOF

DOC SEAMAN AMONG INDUCTEES TO SEAMAN STADIUM/DAWGS HALL OF FAME
 
Ryan van Keulen
Okotoks, Alta, _ Two more pillars of Okotoks Dawgs will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Dawgs Annual Awards banquet scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. 

The late Darryl K. (Doc) Seaman, who with brother Don were the principal donors behind Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, will be posthumously honoured for his generous contribution to what is widely considered the premier amateur facility in Canada as well as to a Dawgs program which has become a true “grassroots phenomenon.”

Also being inducted will be former Mayor of Okotoks, Bill McAlpine, who during his tenure in office, was instrumental in obtaining the political approvals necessary to facilitate the construction of the Stadium and the relocation of the Dawgs from Calgary to Okotoks.

Seaman and McAlpine join a prestigious list of inductees that includes Don Seaman, the original Dawgs donor, Bob Elliott, MLB Hall of Fame journalist covering the Toronto Blue Jays for the Toronto Sun, Blair Kubicek, a founding father of the Prairie Baseball Academy, Canada’s first college baseball program, John Ircandia, founding and managing director of the Dawgs and volunteer project manager of the Seaman Stadium Complex, and Jim Henderson, former Milwaukee Brewers closer who became the first graduate of the Dawgs Youth Program, among the dozens drafted, to make it to Major League Baseball.

Doc Seaman, who passed away at age 86 in 2009, has been described as a hero, icon, pioneer, philanthropist, visionary and legend. Among his many accomplishments, he served as CEO and oversaw the growth of the Bow Valley Group of Companies into a multi-national, success story. 

An original owner of the Calgary Flames and he was instrumental in bringing them to Calgary in 1980. A decorated World War II pilot, he was awarded two honorary Doctor of Law degrees. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. His philanthropy is renowned, highlighted by having made one of the largest charitable donations in Canadian history to the Calgary Foundation. His donations ranged from supporting medical education (Seaman/Wilson Prostate Cancer Centre; Seaman Family Magnetic Resonance Centre) to funding numerous entrepreneurial and athletic initiatives. Among those, he donated over $8 Million towards the construction of the state of the art, Seaman Stadium that bears his family name.

“There would be no Seaman Stadium Complex without the generous support of Doc and his brother, Don Seaman,” said John Ircandia, Dawgs Managing Director and a fellow member of the Seaman Stadium, Hall of Fame. “While Don was the original Dawgs donor, Doc came to appreciate what Dawgs Baseball at Seaman Stadium, meant to the community. He attended many Dawgs games and often remarked that what made the Stadium so special was the incredible pride that it instilled in the community. 
“The reward he would say was seeing the sold out crowds gathering to enjoy a game of the baseball. And in true Doc fashion, he enjoyed it most when the Dawgs were victorious. You cannot come close to listing all of Doc’s accomplishments on one page. He was a true icon in every sense of the word.”

“Mayor Bill” as he is still known in Okotoks, served as mayor for 12 years (1998 to 2010) and oversaw its growth into one of Canada’s most dynamic communities. He was a key member or the original team that brought the Dawgs to Okotoks from Calgary and shepherded the necessary political and regulatory approvals in order to construct Seaman Stadium and the Duvernay Fieldhouse in 2007. 

He was also a key figure in the process that led to the construction of a second Dawgs stadium, Tourmaline Field, the home of the Dawgs Youth Academy, which was made possible by the generous donation of Michael Rose, CEO of Tourmaline Energy Inc.

“I know that Doc would be proud to share the stage with Mayor Bill,” Ircandia said. “We obtained the government approvals and built Seaman Stadium in record time. There is no way this could have been accomplished without Mayor Bill’s hands on the wheel of that process. 

“More than anyone, he recognized what it would mean to the residents of Okotoks to have Dawgs Baseball at Seaman Stadium. Where many of us did not know exactly what to expect, Mayor Bill was confident that ‘if we built it, they would come’. And since our first Opening Day on June 8, 2007, they have come in record numbers.”

Doc Seaman and Bill McAlpine will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony taking place at the Dawgs annual banquet scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016. Guest speaker at the Banquet is Sportsnet analyst and former World Series Champion, Gregg Zaun.

Tickets to the Banquet are $100 per person and are available by calling Angie Cox at 403-262-3294; or 403-995-1280. The event also features the JDawg awards and scholarships, as well as a live and silent auction.

The Dawgs will recognize their four award winners from the 2015 season:
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Kellen Marruffo: True Grit – (Three homers, 20 RBI, .455 playoff AVG)
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Dylan Nelson: Pitcher of the Year – (WMBL ranks: Wins – 7 (1st), Strikeouts – 60 (3rd), ERA – 2.24 (4th),
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Rookie of the Year: Daniel Fredrickson – (Led WMBL w/ .366 AVG, added 10 steals, 20 RBI & 48 hits

MVP: Brian Sisler – (Led Dawgs with 55 hits and three homers, second with 28 RBI and 10 doubles)