Every so often, an old newspaper clipping says more than a box score ever could. Tucked away in the archives is a Christmas-season column by sportswriter Dave Dryburgh, a playful piece built around a simple idea: if Santa Claus were delivering gifts to Saskatchewan's sporting world, what would everyone ask for? The answers range from… Continue reading A Prairie Sportswriter’s Christmas List
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Luther “Doc” Hughes: Proximity, Power, and Prairie Sport
Photo Credit: attheplate.com When Luther “Doc” Hughes arrived in Saskatchewan in 1911, he entered prairie sport through a role that offered access without equality. Brought to Saskatoon by J. F. Cairns to work with the Saskatoon Quakers, Hughes was initially employed as a groundskeeper and trainer, a masseur by trade, as later profiles would describe… Continue reading Luther “Doc” Hughes: Proximity, Power, and Prairie Sport
A Baseball, a Story, and the Liberty Eagles of 1940
Holding my Baseball. Prologue It began, as many research rabbit holes do, with an object. I thought it would be straightforward, but the moment I began cross-referencing the names on the ball with the 1940 Southern Saskatchewan League (SBBL) champions — the Weyburn Beavers — something didn’t add up. The names didn’t match. What was… Continue reading A Baseball, a Story, and the Liberty Eagles of 1940
Pitch by Pitch: Honouring the Legacy of the Indian Head Rockets
Rockets Logo Design by Malena (Max) Jensen Introduction On June 11, 2025, a packed crowd at Regina’s Currie Field rose to its feet as two nonagenarians, Nat Bates and Willie Reed, stepped onto the diamond. They weren’t just guests of honour; they were history in motion. Seventy-three years earlier, the two had suited up for… Continue reading Pitch by Pitch: Honouring the Legacy of the Indian Head Rockets
More Than Cardboard: Baseball Cards as Storytellers
When wearing my Indian Head Museum Vice-President hat and thinking of ways to celebrate and share the story of The Rockets’ 75th Anniversary in 2025, I asked myself: why? Why even celebrate it at all? What is so important that I need to keep telling their story? The answer, for me, was time. Events connected… Continue reading More Than Cardboard: Baseball Cards as Storytellers
My Podcast Interview with AB Dugout Stories
I was invited to talk about The Indian Head Rockets for Black History Month with Joe McFarland of AB & SK Dugout Stories. I've collaborated with Joe and Ian on a couple of occasions, writing stories for their website. It was an absolute pleasure to chat in person about a team near and dear to… Continue reading My Podcast Interview with AB Dugout Stories
Lacombe: Central Alberta’s Biggest Sports Attraction 1950-1988
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
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
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!
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)
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