Walter Hilhorst
BIRTHPLACE Glenboro, MB
BORN July 16, 1942
INDUCTED 2013
Walter Hilhorst was born in Glenboro, Manitoba on July 16, 1942. Hilhorst was an immensely important builder of baseball within Manitoba. In 1960, he helped to organize an intermediate baseball team in his hometown of Glenboro. He then played with that team until 1967. In 1966, when he was just 24 years old, Hilhorst served as president of the South Central Intermediate Baseball League. After moving to Killarney, he then played for the Killarney Shamrocks from 1968-82. Following this, Hilhorst went into managing and coaching. He managed teams in Killarney minor baseball from 1983 until 1987. In 1984, he coached the Killarney Midgets to a provincial ‘B’ championship. Hilhorst also served on the committee to re-organize intermediate baseball in Killarney, and later became the general manager of the newly formed Killarney Lakers from 1988-89. He then continued to serve as coach and field manager for many years. Hilhorst also chaired the committee that built a new baseball facility in Killarney, and was also chairman on the committee that brought the Western Canadian Intermediate ‘A’ championship to Killarney in 1998. While serving as a field manger, Hilhorst’s teams won numerous championships, including the Border West All-Stars who won the provincial championship in 1994 and 2000, and the Killarney Lakers who won the West Division championship in 1998 and the league championship in 2000. In 2001, Hilhorst was elected to Baseball Manitoba’s Honour Society. In 2004, he was awarded the Ab Richardson award for sportsmanship and dedication to baseball. Just one year later, Hilhorst was awarded the Manitoba Senior Baseball League Manager of the Year award.
