2016 Inductees
*Deceased
2016 Inductees | |
| * Clara (Krampetz) Amell (Athlete Category) | Clara was known as the Babe Ruth of the Winnipeg Girls League. Press clippings report Clara hitting home runs into the centre-field stands and over the stands into the street. She played on provincial winning teams with the St. Boniface Athletics 1939, 1944 and 1946. She was an All-Star in the Greater Winnipeg Senior Girls League in 1939, 1943, 1945 and 1946. In 1945, she was the home run queen in the Greater Winnipeg Senior Girls League. In August 1945, she played exhibition games with the Racine Belles of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). She sacrificed a professional career to care for her children in Winnipeg. One of Winnipeg's softball stars. |
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| * Eleanor (Knudsen) Callow (Athlete Category) | Eleanor has been one of Manitoba’s most skilled and successful female softball players. During her years in Winnipeg softball, 1941-47, she led teams to provincial championships, placed repeatedly on All-Star teams and won MVP honors. 1947-54, she played in the All American Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), which Phillip Wrigley, chewing gum magnate and owner of the Chicago Cubs, had founded in 1943 when so many stars in men's professional baseball had enlisted to serve in WWII. It was a prized league with a huge fan base, managed by former major league players and creating celebrities in the baseball world. In 4 of these 8 years, Eleanor led the league in triples and was named league All-Star. She is the only Canadian female to hold two career records in professional baseball - a league record 60 triples and 55 home runs. Not surprisingly, she was known as the Babe Ruth of the league. In 1954 when the league folded, she moved to Saskatoon to help the Saskatoon Hub City Ramblers win both the provincial and Western Canada championships. She is enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. |
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| Judy Cochrane (Athlete Category) | Judy began her 36 year softball career as a mid-teen in the Portage area before joining Winnipeg's CUAC Blues in 1963 at age 21. During next 11 years, she helped CUAC win both the provincial and the first Canadian Women's National Softball Championship. She was repeatedly chosen league All-Star, named league MVP once, chosen Canadian All-Star thrice, was Top Hitter at the Western Canadian Championships in Whitehorse and MVP at the Fargo Red River Valley Tournament. In 1990 at age 47, she accompanied her two daughters to Valley City University to complete her Physical Education degree and be with her daughters. Here she made a 'walk-on tryout' for the Viking softball team. She not only made it as a 1st baseman but was named All District N.A.I.A. player for both years she played. She led the team with 21 RBI’s, a .415 slugging percentage and a .317 batting average. Her 26 hits we second only to league leader Rhonda Denbow's 27. Returning to Winnipeg, she won two more provincial championships - one each with the Winnipeg Jays and the St. Boniface Royalettes. At age 53, 30 years after winning the Nationals with CUAC, Smitty's asked her to be their designated hitter at the Nationals. She reached base 8 times during 8 appearances at the plate. A remarkable achievement. |
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| Rob Giesbrecht (Athlete Category) | Rob is probably the most talented softball player Manitoba has produced. From 1989 at 16 to 2011, he appeared in 25 Western and/or National and/or World Championships. Out of province teams such as the Vancouver Grey Sox and the Saskatoon Merchants added him to their championship teams while he rejected invitations from teams in Brampton and Kitchener. He was the first Manitoba player to be signed to a Minnesota Twins professional contract. Fortunately, Rob returned to play softball, the game he loved. He was a dangerous hitter scoring the highest batting averages, the most home runs and RBI’s, and was repeatedly selected to all-star teams. A gifted and talented softball player we might not see again. |
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| * Ted Lanyon (Athlete Category) | The late Ted Lanyon was one of Winnipeg's finest athletes. Though he played professional hockey from 1959-72 in the American league and one year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he found the time and energy to excel and captain the Molson Canadians of Winnipeg's Men's Senior Fastball League. He maintained a .300 plus batting average with his share of extra base hits including grand slams, and robbed batters of many extra base hits with spectacular, outfield catches. He led Molson’s to 5 league championships in 6 years, 1965-70, to a Canadian Championship in Saskatoon, 1967, and a Silver at the World Championships in Oklahoma City, 1968. He was a league All-Star 4 times. He was the heart and spirit of the Molson’s dynasty. Sadly, he died on May 1, 2008. |
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| Melissa Winning (Athlete Category) | After 1 year as catcher with the Morden Fighting Saints in the Southern Manitoba Ladies Softball League and another with Smitty's Obsession in Winnipeg, Melissa caught Smitty's Seniors to a National Gold in 1996, Smitty's Juniors to Silvers in 1997 and 1998, Smitty's Seniors to 1 Silver and 5 Gold in 1996 and 1999-2003, Edmonton's Calahoo Erins to 3 Silvers and 1 Bronze, 2005-2008. At Nationals, base runners never attempted to steal bases, and at the plate, her batting averages ranged from .300 to .529, and with frequent home runs. A dominant catcher and hitter; a great team-mate and person. Her softball intelligence, dedication and passion for the game was immense. |
| Bryan McDonald (All Around Category) | Bryan has spent 50 years as administrator for Manitoba Softball including 30 as coach, manager, clinician and convener. In 1965, he helped establish the Winnipeg Financial Softball League serving as secretary-treasurer. In the 1970’s and '80’s at Sir John Franklin CC, he served for 20 years as convener, coach and clinician, and orchestrated the construction of a softball diamond complete with fences, dugouts and a batting cage. As well, he arranged games between Manitoba select teams and the Chinese National Women's Team and the Philippine National Men's team - both enroute to the World Softball Championships in NA. For 14 years beginning in 1990, he served as administrator for the John Blumberg Softball Complex, a complex he had envisioned, worked tirelessly to complete and managed with dedicated commitment. |
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| Mike Pyle (All Around Category) | During 1995-2013 as coach and administrator, Mike excelled. His teams rarely missed winning provincials and returning from Westerns and Nationals without a medal. Players and their parents revered him, and provided enthusiastic support. As administrator with Softball Manitoba, he served and chaired many committees including development, competition and ethics, served as board member and various executive positions including president and past president. Mike believed he could use the game of softball to develop boys and girls into honorable and productive men and women. A man of faith in others and himself willing to make the sacrifices to succeed. A great man in a great time. |
| 2004 & 2008 Carefree Getaway Flashbacks Senior Slo-Pitch Team (Team Category) | The 2004 and 2008 Flashbacks won Senior World Softball Championships - the former with the over 70 year olds; the latter, with the over 75 year olds. These were immense achievements. In the 2004 Las Vegas World Championship, the Flashbacks went 6 and 1 against elite US teams. Don Roberts pitched all 6 victories and was declared tournament MVP, and 4 players were named to the tournament all-star team - Marvin Sveistrup, 2nd base; Morris Lazaruk, shortstop; Murray Kolesar and Will Tishinski, outfield. In the 2008 Phoenix World Championships, they again went 6-1. The team's outfielder, Will Tishinski, was declared tournament MVP, and 5 players were named to the tournament all-star team - Don Roberts, pitcher; Will Tishinski and Murray Kolesar, outfielders; Morris Lazaruk, shortstop; Marvin Sveistrup, 2nd base. Incredible feats for men who were long past their productive softball playing years. |
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| 1991 - 1994 Snafu Co-Ed Slo-Pitch Team (Team Category) | 1990-95, the SNAFU Co-Eds dominated Manitoba Slo-Pitch softball with coaches Marc Vigier and Ken Manness, manager Kathy Cummings, and enthusiastic and committed players who loved to win. What started as mere recreation became intensely competitive. Playing only tournament ball for fun and recreation, they quickly became dominating team. In their first year in the Winnipeg Slo-Pitch League, they won provincials and qualified for the Nationals. In the subsequent 4 years they won Gold, Silver and Bronze as well as placing players on the tournament All-Star teams and winning MVP awards. They were the best amongst the best. A tribute to their skill, enthusiasm and commitment. A great team for a great time. |
| 1994 & 1995 Manitoba Alliance Junior Men’s Fastball Team (Team Category) | The 1994 and 1995, Manitoba Alliance won Silver and Gold respectively at the Junior Canadian National Championships. The Gold Medal was the first for a Manitoba team since the inception of the 30 year Junior National Championships. The 1994 roster was comprised of Landmark players who had Bantam Gold as Bantam at Westerns and Midget Silver at Nationals with coaches Bernie Neufeld and John Peters. In 1995 coach Fran Giesbrecht and assistants John and Rod Peters, and Ralph Nespor thought they needed to add players if they hoped to win Gold. And so, in 1995, Jamie McCloy, Mike Skene and Trevor Salamandra along with 8 others joined the 5 remaining Landmark star players including Rob Giesbrecht who had been selected World Junior All-Star in Aukland a year earlier and who had hit tournament leading 3 homers and a .450 batting average at the '95 Nationals. A great roster of players forging a world class team. |
