This family had a huge impact on minor baseball in Rapid City. Dan was an organizer and often a coach to all four boys at one time or another. The family was presented special sports recognition awards from the Town of Rapid City when the family moved to Winnipeg in 1975.

After moving to Winnipeg, Jim played with the River East Junior team, John and Jerry with the Elmwood midgets and Rob with teams at Gateway and Transcona.

All four boys played with the Elmwood Giants Juniors. Jim and Jerry played on the 1978 Provincial and Prairie Region championship team. Both played on the Elmwood Juniors 1978-79 team that has previously been inducted in the MBHOF.

Rob played for the Elmwood midgets, juniors, and seniors. He played on back-to-back Canadian championship teams with the Manitoba Juvenile All-stars in 1981 and then with St. Boniface who won the Junior Canadian Championship in 1982. He helped Elmwood win the Provincial Junior Championship in 1984 and was named MJBL top pitcher and MVP. Rob went on to play successfully in the MSBL for a number of years.

Dan became heavily involved in umpiring in Winnipeg for about 15 years at many high levels and championships.

Roy Fortin was born August 12, 1949. He was a hard-hitting left-handed pitcher who played with Oak Point and Lundar area teams. He coached minor ball for many years and instilled a love for the game in his sons. Roy finished his playing career in Twilight baseball where he pitched Grosse Isle to a Manitoba Championship in 1990.

Troy Fortin was born February 24, 1975. He was a good defensive catcher who could hit – a nice combination. Troy played mostly in the Interlake area and has represented both Manitoba and Canada on several occasions. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1993, playing six years in their minor league system and then 3 years for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. Troy proudly played for Canada at the Pan-Am Games in 1999, winning a bronze medal.

Blaine Fortin was born August 1, 1977. He played his minor baseball in the Interlake area. In 1994, he won the MJBL batting title and was named both the Baseball Manitoba and Baseball Canada Player of the Year. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1995, playing 3 years in their minor league system. In 1996, he was flown to the Sky Dome in Toronto to catch for Roger Clemens. Blaine has played in many Western Canadian and Canadian Championships and even represented Canada at the World Junior Baseball Championships in 1994.

The Deloraine Royals of the early 1980s were frequent champions of the Southwest League. On three occasions they also won what now would be called the Manitoba Senior AA Championship. They were runners-up once. During this span of six years, they represented Manitoba in the Western Canadian Championships four times, and in 1983 they won gold at Vibank, Saskatchewan. The members of the Deloraine Royals were an integral part of their town and contributed to the community in a number of ways. In particular, many of them coached youth baseball and other minor sports.

The Brandon Cloverleafs Baseball Club of 1966-1971 was an exceptional team, and they carried on much of the success of the original Brandon Cloverleafs team of 1954-1960. Over the course of 1966-1971, the Cloverleafs won five Manitoba Senior Baseball League Championships, four Provincial Championships, and one Canadian Senior AAA Championship.

Ron Seafoot was born in Riverside, Manitoba on May 13, 1956. Seafoot spent 24 years playing first base and pitching for the Riverside Canucks. He was a nine-time Manitoba Senior Baseball League all-star, and the playoff MVP in 1978. His pitching record during his years in the MSBL was 49-14. His team won the MSBL championship eight times during this career, and the Manitoba championship five times. Seafoot helped Manitoba win silver at the Canada Summer Games in Newfoundland in 1976. He later managed the Wawanesa Brewers for ten years and won six league championships during his time in the Border West League and the Southwest League. He also managed the Southwest All-Stars to a senior AA crown in 2007.

 

Ron Seafoot Newspaper Article 1976

Ron Seafoot Newspaper Article 1976 (2)

Ron Seafoot Newspaper Article 1976 (3)

 

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

Ron Ramsey was born in Hamiota, Manitoba on December 8, 1949. Ramsey played 17 years in the Manitoba Senior Baseball League (MSBL) from 1970-86 all for the Hamiota Red Sox. Over the course of his career, he pitched a total of 862 innings. Ramsey was one of Hamiota’s top pitchers throughout his career, though he was also a good infielder. Ramsey was placed on the MSBL all-star team ten times during his career, and he won the league’s Top Pitcher award in 1970. He tied an MSBL record for walks in a single game (5), and he has been recognized as a member of the Manitoban All-Time Senior League All-Star Second Team. Ramsey attended Westerns or Nationals a total of eight times, including one silver medal win with Team Manitoba in 1973. Ramsey was always humble, and an excellent example for many young players.

Brock McConachy was born in Brandon, Manitoba on December 22, 1948. McConachy’s skill was evident at a very young age. In 1961, he was part of the Optimist International Maple Leafs team that won the Canadian Little League championship. In this tournament, McConachy was voted Top Pitcher, Top Hitter (.516 batting average), and tournament MVP. He was a power-hitting outfielder with good speed and a strong throwing arm. McConachy represented Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in 1969 with the Transcona Atomics. He was later picked up by the Brandon Cloverleafs in 1971, and helped them win the Canadian senior championship. He also played on the Canadian national team in Cuba in 1971, where he hit .317 for the tournament. McConachy won many batting titles and played on various all-star teams throughout his career.

Hank Lemoine was born in Carman, Manitoba on October 17, 1954. Lemoine was a power-hitting third baseman who played most of his career with St. Boniface and Carman. He was known for his discerning eye at the plate, and was always among the league leaders in home runs, runs batted in, and batting average. Lemoine played two seasons in Australia, competing against teams from Korea, Japan, and even Canada in exhibition matches. Lemoine went on to coach at a variety of levels, and also became an established umpire. He was previously inducted into the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the St. Andrews Super Saints and Nicolett Inn senior basketball teams. Lemoine was one of the most colourful characters to play baseball in Manitoba.

 

Henri Lemoine Newspaper Article 1968

Hanri Lemoine Newspaper Article 1970

Hanri Lemoine Newspaper Article 1973

Henri Lemoine Newspaper Article 1973 (2)

Henri Lemoine Newspaper Article 1974

Henri Lemoine Newspaper Article 1974 (2)

Henri Lemoine Newspaper Article 1975

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

Maurice Kohut was born in Dauphin, Manitoba on October 9, 1934. Kohut’s pleasant smile and dedicated spirit made him a joy to be around. He was greatly involved in baseball for over 40 years, first in Dauphin and then in Winnipeg. Kohut was committed to Optimist Park in the St. James area for many years, and he oversaw upgrades to the facility valued at over 1.7 million dollars. He was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award by Baseball Manitoba in 1984 and 1999. In 1994, he was presented with the Umpire of Merit award from Baseball Manitoba. Kohut was inducted into the Baseball Manitoba Honour Society in 1995, and he received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002, presented by Lieutenant Governor Peter M Luba. His selfless desire to help in any way he could left a lasting impression on many who knew him.

 

Maurice Kohut Newspaper Article 1977

Maurice Kohut Newspaper Article 1976

 

These articles are gathered from University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, Winnipeg Tribune Collection

Al Kinley was born in St. Andrews, Manitoba on December 12, 1945. For over 45 years, Kinley was an advocate for baseball in Manitoba and his beloved Elmwood Giants. He was a highly successful coach, administrator, and historian. Kinley coached every age category from little league to senior, and 20% of those teams have won provincial championships. In 1977, Kinley was instrumental in bringing the Elmwood Giants back to life and has helped raise funds that allowed the Giants to make over $100,000 worth of improvements to their field. He was a four-time Manager of the Year in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League, and a member of Baseball Manitoba’s Honour Society. In 2007, Kinley was named Baseball Manitoba’s Volunteer of the Year.

 

Al Kinley Newspaper Article 1976

Al Kinley Newspaper Article 1976 (2)

These articles are gathered from University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, Winnipeg Tribune Collection