The tiny hamlet of Giroux has been famous for baseball teams for generations. It fielded a Senior-caliber team for 44 years. Another indication of enthusiasm is that from 1988 through 1992 the Giroux Athletics “Twilight” team won four Manitoba Twilight championships and three Western Canadian championships. Special recognition should go to the Seidler brothers Roy, Wayne, and Brian, who were the key organizers of this club. This is the first Twilight team inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame.

For many years Hamiota was known as the Baseball Capital of Manitoba. The members of the Robertson family were very instrumental in creating this reputation for Hamiota.

Al Robertson played on Canada’s Pan-Am Games teams of 1967 and 1971. He was MSBL batting champion in 1967. In 1985 he won a silver medal as manager of Manitoba’s Canada Games team, was named Coach of the Year for both Manitoba and Canada, and won the Brandon Sun’s Krug Crawford Award as Western Manitoba’s Sportsman of the Year. He has been inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame, the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.

Lorna Robertson coached Hamiota teams ,along with Al, to provincial titles in Beaver, Bantam, and Bison categories. She was a coach also of two Bison teams that won medals at Western Canadians. She won the Brandon YMCA Woman of Distinction Award in 1985 and was Manitoba Basketball’s Coach of the Year in 1993. She has been inducted into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.

Jeff Robertson played as a youngster on provincial championship teams in three different age categories. He played for Team Canada at the World Youth Championships at Johnstown, Pennsylvania in 1983. In senior ball, he was an MSBL first team all-star ten times and Manitoba’s Senior Player of the Year in 1989. As a coach, Jeff was on the staff of teams from Manitoba at Western Canadian and National championships, as well as at the Canada Summer Games in both 1989 and 1993. He coached Team Canada at the Four Nations Cup in 1995. He also established the Manitoba High School Baseball championships and administered them from 1993 through 1998. He was Manitoba Baseball’s Manager of the Year in 1998.

Randy Robertson also played on provincial championship teams in three youth categories. He was the all-star catcher at the Western Canadian Beaver championships at Neepawa in 1979 and was on the Manitoba team that won a silver medal at the 1985 Canada Summer Games. He played in the MSBL for six years. His career batting average was .352 in league play and .336 during playoffs. In 1987 he came second in batting average and led the league in both hits and stolen bases. In that year he stole 25 bases, still a one season record. Randy also coached minor teams in Hamiota, as well as development teams in Westman at the Bantam and Midget levels.

During the six years from 1979–1984, the Carberry Royals won five Santa Clara Baseball League titles losing n the finals the other year. This group of entirely local players was managed by Malcolm McDonald. They won 159 games over this span losing only 62 times. They owned their own bus, enjoyed playing together, created considerable community interest and had a large fan base.

The Athletics had a powerful team with devoted, enthusiastic fans. St. Lazare certainly demonstrated that a small town could support a high quality team. They competed in the Manitoba Senior Baseball League. They won the League pennant in 1964 and lost in the finals in 1964. In 1965 they won the League championship and then the provincial Senior AAA championship. Among the top players were Dave Pearson, Oscar Walker, and Ike Walker, all recruited from Satchel Paige’s touring all stars. Southpaw Bill Cundiff struck out 170 in 1963, still an MSBL record. Others on the team were Manitoba Hall of Fame members Ray Simms, Bob Thompson, Roy Cuthill, Claude Lambert, Paul Chartrand.

Bob began his coaching career in the 1940’s at Morse Place where he coached the Monarchs to junior championships in 1944 and 1946. After moving to Elmwood, Bob took over organizing teams and coaches for the entire Elmwood area. He often coached more than one team, including the Giants in the Mandak League, and mentored all of the coaches. He coached Elmwood to a Little League Championship in 1953, and the same year he coached the Mid-Canada Representative team at the Little League Championship in Roseland, Illinois, USA. He won provincial championships with the Giants in bantam (1952), midget (1952-1954), juvenile (1955) and junior (1958, 1959 & 1961). He became a coaching legend in Elmwood and was inducted into the Manitoba Sport Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the 1957-1961 Elmwood Junior teams. He is the father of former Giants coach Don Smith and grandfather of former Goldeyes player Donnie Smith.

For over 30 years, Wayne was a dominant five tool player who could hit for average and power, run, throw and play defense. During his career in Giroux, he was named MVP six times, led the team in home runs five times, runs batted in five times, and had the lowest pitcher’s ERA on several occasions. He was named both League All-Star Pitcher and All-Star Shortstop twice from 1970-1972. Wayne was a switch hitter and once while participating in a Red-Boine Senior Baseball game went 4-4, hitting home runs back-to-back from both sides of the plate. An elite player of his generation, he was picked up to play on numerous occasions by other teams participating in provincial championships. In 1978, he was the winning pitcher for Team Manitoba in the Western Canadian Championships in Nanaimo, BC. Wayne continued his dominant play into his 50’s and three times he competed with the Red Deer Red Sox in the 50 and over World Championships of Senior Baseball in Phoenix, Arizona. One of his greatest compliments came from an opposition player who noted while referencing Wayne’s red hair, “He may be a carrot top, but he can sure throw peas!”

Reid was a power hitting outfielder, commencing his career with the Neepawa Cubs of the MSBL in 1974 and in 1975 was named MSBL All-Star. In the period from 1980 to 1989, he was a dominant hitter for the Carman Goldeyes, winning three RBI, two Home Run, one Batting Champion, and a Sportsmanship award in the Red-Boine League. In 1984, he was named Red-Boine League MVP and Manitoba Baseball’s Senior Player of the Year. Brian commenced coaching in 1993 in Carman and was head coach of the 1995 Carman Goldeyes midgets, who were Manitoba and Western Canadian Champions & Canadian Championship silver medallists. From 1994-97, he coached teams to three Manitoba Midget AAA Championships. In 1995, he was named MBA Male Coach of the Year.

Scott was a dominant player in the St. Boniface system. An acrobatic shortstop, he led his league at one time or another in every offensive category. He is the all-time RBI leader in the Manitoba Junior League. In 1982, he was the runner-up league MVP and won the Junior National Championship with the St. Boniface Legionnaires. He was the Rookie of the Year in the Red-Boine Senior Baseball League in 1983 and Baseball Manitoba Senior Player of the Year in 1993. In 1989, Scott was one of only two non-Australians drafted into the Australian Baseball League which was affiliated with Major League Baseball. He was consistently chosen as an all-star wherever he played. His teams tasted victory many times over his career, twice winning the Canadian National Championships and once winning the Australian National Championship. Scott was an anchor on the St. Boniface Native Sons who won five consecutive provincial senior baseball championships from 1989-93. From 1994-2000, Scott joined the Winnipeg Goldeyes coaching staff and helped the team make the playoffs all six years. He is currently an owner of Home Run Sports.

Kerry was an outstanding minor player in Hamiota. He played 15 years in the MSBL from 1980-94. He was chosen to the first all-star team 10 times & twice to the second all-star team. He was recognized by his peers, by team mangers, and by the league as the league’s most outstanding second basemen of all time. He was the MSBL playoff MVP in 1994. His 15 year batting average in the MSBL was .324. He led the MSBL in runs scored twice. He played on eight Team Manitoba teams at Western Canadian or National Championships. In 1986, he won the National Bronze medal for Team Manitoba. He played on six MSBL pennant winning teams – four with Hamiota (81,87,88,89) & two with McAuley (92,93). An outstanding player and team leader, Kerry remained in baseball as a coach and most recently was selected to coach Team Manitoba in the 2008 Canadian Senior AAA Baseball Championships. Kerry is the son of Ian Lowe who was inducted in 1997.

One of the most feared hitters of his era, he was consistently at or near the top of many offensive categories in the leagues he played in. In 1977, he led Team Manitoba to a silver medal at the Canada Games hitting four home runs in the tournament. In 1978, he was the top hitter for the Elmwood Giants Junior Team who won the Western Canadian Junior Championships. He is known for his “monster” home runs, Kinley could also play a little defense: As shortstop or third basemen, Kinley played the entire 1978 season without making an error. He led the Red-Boine Senior Baseball League in home runs in 1980 and batting average and RBI’s in 1981. He played four years at Mayville State where he was all-conference twice.

 

Bill Kinley Newspaper Article 1974

Bill Kinley Newspaper Article 1975

Bill Kinley Newspaper Article 1976

Bill Kinley Newspaper Article 1977 (2)

Bill Kinley Newspaper Article 1977

 

These newspaper articles belong to the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, Winnipeg Tribune Collection