The Elmwood Giants excelled in the Winnipeg Senior Baseball League, Manitoba playoffs, and the Western Canada Senior Championships from 2000-2005. The Giants were Winnipeg Senior League champions in 2000 and 2005, and Manitoba Senior AA champions in 2000, 2001, and 2003. The Giants represented Manitoba at Western Canada Championships in 2001 (silver), 2002 (gold), and 2004 (gold).

 

Elmwood Giants Senior AA Baseball Club

2002, 2004 Western Canada Senior AA Champions

2001, 2003 Manitoba Senior AA All-Stars Champions

2000, 2005 Winnipeg Senior Baseball League Champions

(pictured: 2002 Western Canada Champions)

After winning three straight Pembina Valley Baseball AA League championships from 2003-05 the Wawanesa Brewers switched to the Southwest Senior AA Baseball League for the 2006 season. They continued their dominance in their new surroundings by winning pennants in four of six seasons (2006-2011) and finishing second the other two years. They went on to win the Manitoba Senior AA provincial crown two years, 2007 and 2011, while also twice being Senior AA finalists, and semi-finalists once. The Brewers were managed and coached by two Manitoba Baseball Hall of Famers, Ron Seafoot and Wayne Gullett. The team also featured two individuals who won the Manitoba Senior AA Player of the Year award, Cutis Seafoot (2007) and Mark McGregor (2011).

The Waskada Orioles were dominant in their league for much of the 1970s and 1980s. Previously, Waskada was inducted as a team from 1971-1976. In 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1989, the Orioles were champions of the Southwest Baseball League. In 1986 they were defeated in a tight match during the finals. Three times, Waskada went on to win the Provincial “B” Championships (1985, 1986, 1988). Almost all of the players on this team were local to the Waskada area, except for five that joined for provincial playoffs.

Manitoba’s All-Star Dream Team of players was selected by a special MB Baseball Hall of Fame committee for inclusion in the book “The Northern Game, Baseball the Canadian Way” written by Toronto Sun baseball columnist and 2015 Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Bob Elliott and published in 2005 by Sport Media Publishing, Toronto.

The 17 members are as follows,

• Almer McKerlie
• Cliff Seafoot
• Bill Carpenter
• Lloyd Brown
• Ian Lowe
• Bill (Snake) Siddle
• Gerry McKay
• Ken Little
• Mark Fisher
• Gord Ledochowski
• Cory Koskie
• Glennis Scott
• Don (Pete) Rettie
• Gerry Falk
• Orville Minish
• Shane Moffatt
• Terry Hind

Ross Tycoles was born in Reston, Manitoba in 1954. Tycoles had an immense and lasting impact on baseball in Manitoba. He was a slugging first-baseman and pitcher in the 1980s, and a perennial Southwest Baseball League all-star. At one Provincial Championship, Tycoles hit five home runs, including three grand slams and three doubles en route to the Deloraine Royals Championship. Following his legendary playing career, Tycoles became a coach. Over the course of his coaching career, his teams made 17 provincial playoff appearances since 1991. In 2003 he was named the Manitoba Baseball Association’s High-Performance Coach of the Year. Tycoles was also a three-time Manitoba Senior Baseball League (MSBL) Coach of the Year. He was consistently involved in promoting and reviving baseball across southwestern Manitoba. Tycoles served as Southwest Baseball League president for a decade, and he was president of Reston Minor Baseball for even longer. He was Manitoba Baseball Association Director and Vice-President of High-Performance for three years. Tycoles was inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Association Honour Society in 2012.

Ross Tycoles Newspaper Article 1980

 

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

Jeff Trager was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1969. He was a local star in Winnipeg for 25 years in junior and senior leagues from 1987-2011. Early in his career, Trager found major success with the junior Elmwood Giants. Over the course of four years with the team, they won Provincial Championships in 1987 and 1990. Following this, Trager and some friends formed the Kildonan Mudcats, and joined the Winnipeg Senior Baseball League. This team proved to be exceptional, and won the league title in their first year, with Trager winning the MVP award. In 1995 he won the Outstanding Pitcher award with the Winnipeg South Chiefs, and in 2005 he was an all-star utility player. Trager went on to be an all-star again in 2005 as a shortstop (St. Boniface) and as a third-baseman (Winnipeg South Chiefs). Over the course of his playing career, Trager won five Provincial Championships and played in two Western Canada Championships. He went on to coach at AA and AAA levels.

Melbourne Stoughton was born in Gilbert Plains, Manitoba on July 17, 1922. Stoughton was a hard-working and valuable coach who had an amazing ability to work with youth through sports. He spent over two decades organizing teams and tournaments, preparing diamonds, and coaching his hometown of Gilbert Plains. Stoughton’s teams won five Manitoba Championships and three Western Canada Championships at two different levels between 1965 and 1968. He went on to become director of the Manitoba Baseball Association in the 1960s, and spent nine years as the scorekeeper and statistician for the Grandview Lakers senior team in the Manitoba Senior Baseball League during the 1970s.

Newspaper Article 1978

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

Gerald Palidwor was born in Oakbank, Manitoba on May 27, 1957. He was a respected player, coach, and organizer of baseball in Manitoba. He first played for Springfield in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League. Palidwor went on to reorganize and develop the Winnipeg Junior “B” League, where teams he coached won the championship multiple times. Palidwor did not forget about his home town, however, and he continued to organize minor ball in Oakbank for many years. He also served as president of the Winnipeg Senior Baseball League and promoted and developed programs for the 40+ age group. On top of all of that, Palidwor used his technology and computer skills to develop league-wide sites for statistics that were still being used decades later.

• Larry started playing and winning baseball at a very young age
• A strong pitcher, catcher, and first baseman
• In 1968, Larry began playing for Holland and helped coach the town’s A team
• Instrumental is organizing the Santa Clara League and having it associated with the Manitoba Baseball Association
• In 1976, Larry started umping senior ball and eventually became the Umpire-in-Chief of the Manitoba Senior Baseball League
• Became President of Killarney Minor Ball in 1983
• Awarded the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Manitoba Baseball Association in 1986
• Larry left coaching in 1987 to become a full-time umpire
• Was an official at National Championships and Western Canada Championships numerous times and at the World Championships twice

Rod Leduchowski was born in Teulon, Manitoba on May 31, 1967. Leduchowski was a talented hitter, shortstop, and pitcher, as well as a very influential coach. He was was one of the few athletes who could, or did, play with up to four teams in one season. In 1987, he won the western Canadian championships with the Elmwood Giants. During this time, he was also playing college ball in North Dakota. Leduchowski most distinguished era, however, was his time with the Teulon Cardinals. With the Cardinals, Leduchowski won Manitoba AA Senior Player of the Year in 1999. He also coached many Teulon minor baseball teams, winning multiple medals and leading numerous teams to championships. After 2001, Leduchowski was in charge of Teulon Minor Baseball for over a decade. He also served for over a decade as an Interlake Minor Ball executive.