Winnipeg hosted softball worlds 20 years ago
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/08/2020 (1912 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
In late August of 2000, 93 slo-pitch softball teams from 20 American states, including Hawaii, and two Western provinces descended upon Winnipeg.
They were in the city to play in the Senior Softball World Championships. Waiting for them were 25 teams from our province ready to do battle with the visitors.
The championships ran from Aug. 24 to Sept. 4, with competition in two men’s levels, AAA and Major, plus a Major category for women.
The men’s age groups were in five-year increments from 50-plus to 80-plus. The 14 women’s teams played in 45-plus and 55-plus divisions. The majority of games were played at the John Blumberg softball complex with a few overflow contests at Assiniboia Optimist Park just 10 minutes away.
The event was hosted by the Canadian Polar Bear Classic, a group that had organized regional championships in Winnipeg from 1995 to 1999. The goal of those tournaments was to make it easier for Canadian teams to qualify to play in national championships in the U.S.A.
Three members of the original committee, Ray Kuran, Ross MacIver and former city councillor Ray Brunka had the idea of bringing the championships to Winnipeg. They convinced the U.S. organizers to move the championships outside the continental United States for the first time. Winnipeg’s history of hosting major events was a selling point although there was concern about the number of teams that would travel north if the championships were held in Canada.
To promote the championships locally, all-star charity games were held at Canwest Global Park (now Shaw Park) on July 31. A team called Sports Notables coached by Bob Essery, the main organizer of the evening, beat the Manitoba 60-plus to 70-plus Selects 10-8. The Notables lineup included former Goldeyes catcher Troy Fortin and several Blue Bombers, as well as racquetball champion Sherman Greenfield, Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame player Ray Brunel, and curlers Kerry Burtnyk and Cathy Gauthier. The latter four were experienced slo-pitch players.
The Media All-Stars, whose lineup included Mike Beauregard and Paddy Slevin from the CBC, CJOB’s Kim Babij and Kelly Moore, Clayton Dreger of Radio Southern Manitoba, and journalists Dave Supleve, Kevin King, Jim Timlick, Bill Burdeyny and Gladwyn Scott, lost 16-6 to the 50-plus and 55-plus Selects. This preview to the World Championships attracted a crown of around 3,000 and gave fans a chance to see some of our best players in action.
Many visitors commented that the championships in Winnipeg were the best they had ever attended. They were impressed by the six-diamond Blumberg complex, the opening ceremonies, the many welcoming volunteers, the 32-page free program that included the lineups of almost all the teams, and our province’s hospitality. MacIver served as co-chair of the local committee along with Kuran (in memoriam, as he passed away in 1999).
A review of the program showed that the local lineups were filled with recognizable sports names. Ed Gilroy, Lloyd Penner, Dave Shyiak, Ron Toews and Barry Braun, all future Manitoba Softball Hall-of-Fame inductees, had played for the 1973 Western Major Fastball League champion Winnipeg Colonels.
Along with MacIver, Steve Bergson, Dave Boch, Ab Deleau, Jim Slevin and Alda Tait would later be honoured by the provincial shrine.
Manitoba Baseball Hall-of-Famers included Steve Derewianchuk, Gord Leduchowski, Roy Seidler, Peter Thomson and Hal Westberg. The list of past or future provincial curling champions involved included John Helston, Danny Hyrich, Bud Snarr, Gary Smith, Ron Westcott, Donna Gobeil, and Diane MacIver.
On the field, the championships were not a success for Manitoba as no team won a division. A 50-plus team from Charleswood was our province’s best.
Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com
T. Kent Morgan
Memories of Sport
Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
T. Kent Morgan
Memories of Sport
Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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