Almer McKerlie was born in Miami, Manitoba on March 11, 1926. McKerlie was an all-star catcher for Fort William Legion, who won the northern and central Ontario title. He later joined the St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training camp at St. Petersburg, Florida in 1949. In the late 1940s and early ’50s, McKerlie was catcher with the Carman Cardinals for five seasons. He was an all-star catcher three of these years, and he hit .333 in on season. McKerlie was also a coach and administrator of senior baseball in Miami, Manitoba until 1963. On top of all of this, he was also an umpire and a hockey referee for 20 years. McKerlie was elected into the Manitoba Baseball Association Honour Society in 1987.
