Article featured on (attheplate.com) By Robyn Jensen Prologue: Each province had one community that really stepped it up when it came to hosting baseball tournaments in the late 1940s and 1950s- Saskatchewan had Indian Head and Alberta had Lacombe. Teams from across Canada and the United States came to compete for the huge prize amounts.… Continue reading Lacombe: Central Alberta’s Biggest Sports Attraction 1950-1988
Category: Saskatchewan
My visit with a legend: Jay-Dell Mah (attheplate.com)
Robyn and Jay-Dell (August 2024) As I've gotten older, I've come to realize just how precious time is, especially with those who have lived rich, storied lives. When given the opportunity, I always make sure to visit with these wise individuals because, once they are gone, their stories are gone too. Recently, I had the… Continue reading My visit with a legend: Jay-Dell Mah (attheplate.com)
The Great North Battleford Beavers, Emile Francis, and the Undercover Agent: A Tale of Hilarious Hijinks
Shared at the 2023 Baseball Reunion by Gale Tuggle Preface: Please note that the following account is a retelling of events and is not a verbatim transcript. While the essence and humor of the original stories have been preserved, some details have been adjusted for clarity and readability. I hope you enjoy this embellished recounting… Continue reading The Great North Battleford Beavers, Emile Francis, and the Undercover Agent: A Tale of Hilarious Hijinks
Rule Breakers – Farm Girls in Baseball & The Saskatoon Pats
Part I: The Arrogant Teenagers When I was 16, I played on an all-girls baseball team, and at the end of the season, we were supposed to have an exhibition game with our parents. I can’t remember if Dads were invited, but it was just the Moms that came. They were running short to make… Continue reading Rule Breakers – Farm Girls in Baseball & The Saskatoon Pats
Willie “Curly” Williams – Mr. Baseball of Western Canada (1953 -1963)
My second special article for Alberta Dugout Stories and the *new* Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. The Calgary Herald, July 28, 1961, Pg. 15 Embodying the title 'Mr. Baseball,' Willie "Curly" Williams left an indelible mark on Alberta and Saskatchewan. He earned this esteemed title from Lloydminster Meridians owner Slim Thorpe, a testament to his revered status… Continue reading Willie “Curly” Williams – Mr. Baseball of Western Canada (1953 -1963)
2023. What a year!
I wanted to share a few blog-worthy experiences that didn't make it into print because I was so busy with my Master's thesis. #1: 1950s & 60s Prairie Baseball Reunion In August, a special gathering of baseball players, family members, and fans was held in Saskatoon the day before the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of… Continue reading 2023. What a year!
Tales from the Dirt Road (Halloween Edition)
Comic Book Inspired Photo designed by Robyn Jensen Prologue: I have been on the Indian Head Museum (IHM) Board since 2019 and am slowly organizing the Indian Head Rockets collections. From 1950 to 1954, the organization hired black baseball players from the United States and Cuba to play as the Rockets in Indian Head. One player… Continue reading Tales from the Dirt Road (Halloween Edition)
Dr. Sherman Cottingham (Updated July 2024)
Prologue: Over the past year, I've had the opportunity to interview several baseball players who played in the 1950s/60s, and pitchers have been my favorite to listen to. The beauty and elegance when they describe how the ball behaves and moves through each play boosts my imagination. It feels like a transcendence into a world that… Continue reading Dr. Sherman Cottingham (Updated July 2024)
The AAGPBL and the Saskatchewan connections which inspired the latest Heritage Minute
This summer, Historica Canada traveled to Saskatchewan to produce a 60-second vignette on Mary "Bonnie" Baker, a 1940s professional baseball player from Regina. This Heritage Minute is also produced by Danny Rockett Productions and Barbershop Films, a Saskatchewan production company, with funding support from Creative Saskatchewan and in-kind equipment support from William F. White International.… Continue reading The AAGPBL and the Saskatchewan connections which inspired the latest Heritage Minute
Dirty Thirties – Hang Up Your Skates and Pull Out the Bat!
The Alsask Senior and Arcadia Valley Hockey Teams -Star Phoenix (Feb 6th, 1931) The stock market crash in 1929 and the extreme environmental hazards Saskatchewan faced during the 1930s, such as abnormally warm weather, drought, a grasshopper plague, and low wheat prices, forced many people off the farms. Through the disparity, small towns carried on… Continue reading Dirty Thirties – Hang Up Your Skates and Pull Out the Bat!
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