Freda (Goodman) Avery
Athlete Category | The Goodman Sisters
Freda along with her sisters, Babe and Goodie started their softball careers with St. John’s Presbyterian Church team in the 1920’s. In 1923 they all joined the Winnipeg Senior Girl’s League and won their first 104 games as members of the Ramblers. Babe played 3rd base for the Ramblers and batted lead-off. Freda and Goodie covered the middle of the infield, playing shortstop and second base respectively. They also batted in the top half of the batting order. From 1930 until they retired in 1933, 1934, and 1935 respectively, they could always be found on the all-star teams. The three sisters were consistently known for their hitting and fielding prowess. Goodie was an exceptional hitter and could be counted on getting 2-4 hits per game. Freda and Babe were always in the hunt for the batting and fielding championship of the Winnipeg Girls Senior League. |
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Donna Chief
Athlete Category | Donna Chief’s softball career is legendary. A woman of First Nations status, despite having no formal softball training, distinguished herself as a dominant pitcher at the local, provincial levels as well as national and international indigenous championships, as well as winning awards at every level of play. Possessing an amazing rise ball, she offset that pitch with a great change up leaving batters swinging wildly, before sending them back to the bench. As one of the top female pitchers in Manitoba in the 80’s, she was instrumental in the Smitty’s Senior Women’s team’s great success as well as “raising the bar” in women’s fastpitch within the province. She was selected as the top female player in Manitoba in 1986 and the top senior A female player in 1989. |
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Ruth (Middleton) Gentry
Athlete Category | This speedy outfielder started as a teenager with IPAC in 1944 and was instrumental in helping the team win the Intermediate Ladies championship in 1946. In 1947 she joined the St Boniface Athletics and played with the team for 3 years. The Athletics won the Ladies Senior League and provincial in 1948. Ruth was chosen as an all star outfielder in 1948. The All American Professional Girls Baseball League called in 1950 and Ruth Gentry toured 4 years with Chicago Colleens, Battle Creek Belles and the Muskegon Belles receiving numerous game & week recognition awards for her fielding and base stealing. She has already been inducted into the American Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY as well as the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. |
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Babe (Goodman) Gibson
Athlete Category | The Goodman Sisters
Babe along with her sisters, Freda and Goodie started their softball careers with St. John’s Presbyterian Church team in the 1920’s. In 1923 they all joined the Winnipeg Senior Girl’s League and won their first 104 games as members of the Ramblers. Babe played 3rd base for the Ramblers and batted lead-off. Freda and Goodie covered the middle of the infield, playing shortstop and second base respectively. They also batted in the top half of the batting order. From 1930 until they retired in 1933, 1934, and 1935 respectively, they could always be found on the all-star teams. The three sisters were consistently known for their hitting and fielding prowess. Goodie was an exceptional hitter and could be counted on getting 2-4 hits per game. Freda and Babe were always in the hunt for the batting and fielding championship of the Winnipeg Girls Senior League. |
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Goodie (Johnston) Goodman
Athlete Category | The Goodman Sisters
Goodie along with her sisters, Freda and Babe, started their softball careers with St. John’s Presbyterian Church team in the 1920’s. In 1923 they all joined the Winnipeg Senior Girl’s League and won their first 104 games as members of the Ramblers. Babe played 3rd base for the Ramblers and batted lead-off. Freda and Goodie covered the middle of the infield, playing shortstop and second base respectively. They also batted in the top half of the batting order. From 1930 until they retired in 1933, 1934, and 1935 respectively, they could always be found on the all-star teams. The three sisters were consistently known for their hitting and fielding prowess. Goodie was an exceptional hitter and could be counted on getting 2-4 hits per game. Freda and Babe were always in the hunt for the batting and fielding championship of the Winnipeg Girls Senior League. |
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Ron Gustafson
Athlete Category | Ron's superior athletic ability made the transfer from intermediate fastpitch softball to the Western Major Fastball League in 1980 an easy chore. After moving to Winnipeg, Ron joined the Winnipeg Colonels. He excelled in various areas including lead-off hitting, speed on the base paths, and in both bunting and hitting home runs. As well, his ability to cover the outfield or play infield made him a very versatile player. From 1980 to 1988 his strong softball skills helped his teams to win five provincial senior "A" Championships. Following the Colonels' fourth place finish at the Nationals in 1980, he was recruited by the New Brunswick National Champions to compete in the World Games in Santa Clara, California where they were bronze medalists. In 1992 he joined the Toledo Mudhens and helped them to win several master provincial championships. |
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Lorne Jasper
Athlete Category | Lorne Jasper was a perennial all-star in the Winnipeg Men’s Industrial League when he played for Canada Packers from the mid 1950’s until 1972. In 1958, the first baseman joined the senior A Kiewel Seals with the Seals, Lorne played on five championship teams. His power and speed made him one of the top players at the senior level for the next 12 years. The 1959 -64 Kiewel / Manitoba Clothing teams were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. In 1959 he played for Manitoba in the first Canada Summer Games and won the senior league batting title. Lorne also served as an umpire from 1968 to 1988. |
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Mary (Cooperband) Rusen
Athlete Category | After having played one year of softball with the New Method Laundry team in 1927, Mary Cooperband, at the age of 13, joined the Tigerettes Senior A ladies team. Mary was a terrific athlete who set numerous records in interschool and collegiate sports. When she was not pitching, Mary was playing centerfield, shortstop or catcher - wherever a strong arm was needed. In his sports column, Vince Leah stated she could “throw like a man.” She was definitely the most versatile player in the league at that time. Throughout her playing career, Mary was named Most Valuable Player of the Ladies Senior League and received All Star recognition numerous times. She was also honoured as one of the century’s greatest Jewish athletes. |
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June Graham
All-Around Category | Beginning in the pitching range in her backyard as young girl, June Graham had an illustrious playing career, first at the Junior A level and later at the Senior A level. Along the way she earned numerous accolades and represented Manitoba in several National Championships. Once she had retired from playing, she remained in softball, not only as a coach, but also as an administrator. Her passion for preserving the history of the game of softball became quite evident. From the largest women’s softball reunion ever held in Manitoba to the formation and operation of the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame & Museum, June remained the driving force behind each. |
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T. Kent Morgan
All-Around Category | Kent Morgan’s involvement with fast and slo-pitch softball as a player, coach, umpire and administrator covered 40-plus years. The highlights included Softball Manitoba president, chair of the board of governors and honorary life member, volunteer of the year and slo-pitch coach of the year in the same season, Manitoba commissioner for Softball Canada and the Western Major Fastball League and founding member and commissioner of the Winnipeg Men’s Slo-Pitch League that grew into the province’s largest league. He was also the first president of the Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame. |
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| 1928-1930, 1932 & 1933 Victoria Girls Softball Team Team Category | In 1923 the Victoria Girls softball team, originally called the Hudson Bay team till 1925, became one of the founding teams of the Greater Winnipeg Girls’ Softball league. The Victoria’s competed in the GWGSL for several years before their excellent fielding and hitting led them to their first ever league championship in 1928. The youthful maroon and white clad Victoria’s defeated the powerful Ramblers in the deciding game. This proved to be the beginning of a dynasty for the Victoria’s. They repeated this performance the following two years and again in 1932 and 1933. Over a six year span, the Victoria’s were league and provincial champions five times. |
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| 1988 & 1989 McKay United Fastpitch Team Team Category | The McKay United Fastpitch team originated from Crane River, Manitoba. This team was unique as it was made up of nine brothers, their relatives and close friends. This group possibly formed the most awesome and successful all-aboriginal team in the province’s history. They captured awards at the provincial, national and international levels. In 1988, McKay United won the senior B provincial as well as the silver medal in the Western Canadian Championships. To top this off, the team also won back to back Canadian Native Championships in 1988 and 1989. Bob Loeppky, their coach and operations manager in 1988, was amazed at the closeness exhibited by the team members and in particular how the young people looked up to them as role models. They truly exemplified the old adage, “United We Stand”. |
