Taking their spots
Coach, four teams honoured at Legends’ Field Honour Roll induction ceremony
A lot of special memories from a golden era of baseball in Summerside were relived on Saturday afternoon.
A ceremony honouring this year’s Legends’ Field Honour Roll inductees was held at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Committee chairman Paul H. Schurman explained the honour roll recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport of baseball in the greater Summerside area.
The Class of 2017 included four teams and the late J. Charles Hogan, who coached Curran and Briggs-sponsored teams to Maritime intermediate (1949 and 1950) and junior (1950) championships and numerous Summerside teams to provincial titles from 1949 to ’51.
The teams honoured were the 1950 Curran and Briggs Maritime intermediate baseball champions; the 1950 Curran and Briggs Maritime junior champions; the 1964 Maritimechampion Junior Legionnaires, who were also a finalist for the regional in 1961 and 1963, and the 1967 Little League All-Stars of Summerside, who lost a 2-1 decision to Calgary in the silver medal game of a national tournament in Toronto.
Gerard Dalton of Summerside played on the 1950 Curran and Briggs junior team.
“It was a great time,” recalled Dalton, who admitted he didn’t think he was good enough to play for the team. “It was right after the war, and people were starting to live again. . . There was no TV until the next year, so people came out.”
Dalton recalled how “huge” baseball was at that time.
“It was not as big before, and it hasn’t been as big after,” continued Dalton, who noted teams were not allowed to play on Sundays. “We would get 1,000 people in the stands, and for playoffs you would have 3,000.”
Dalton could not say enough about the support of sponsor J.K. Curran.
“He got us everything, jackets, good uniforms and treated us like kings,” added Dalton.
The late Louie Mitchell, who lived in Lennox Island, played with the 1950 Curran and Briggs intermediate team.
“It’s a great honour to be here to accept the citation for my uncle,” said Lennox Island resident
Anthony Mitchell. “It’s a lot of pride, not only because he was in baseball, but he was an Aboriginal.”
Anthony acknowledged it was exciting for Louie to play for a Maritime championship.
“He was an exceptional ballplayer for Lennox Island,” said Schurman, who played with the
1950 Curran and Briggs intermediates. “We used to play there every St. Anne’s Sunday. . .
“Charlie Hogan saw the value of Louie’s work. He was a fielder, he could catch and run like a deer. He was a great fellow, a very unassuming character, quiet and just got the job done.”