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Memories made at the 40th Anniversary of the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Dinner
MLA for the Battlefords, Jeremy Cockrill and Leader of the Opposition, Carla Beck, and family members listen intently to the guest speaker. | Photos by Averil Hall
By Averil Hall Freelance Reporter/ Photographer
Ends Sept 7, 2025
Eleven Individuals and three teams were inducted in the 40th Annual Induction Dinner of the Sask Baseball Hall of Fame at the Alex Dillabough Centre on Aug. 16. Individual inductees were Kasmer Andreychuk from Yorkton, SK; Glenn Connor from Beechy, SK; Sherman Cottingham from Clinton TWP, MI; Penny Fitzsimmons from Saskatoon, SK; Murray Gray from Maymont, SK; Ken Hamilton from Assiniboia, SK; Logan Hofmann from Muenster, SK; Kevin Payne from Lloydminster, SK; Rye Pothakos from Saskatoon, SK; Darren Schaan from Regina, SK; and the late Max White
from Goodwater, SK. Team inductees were the Riverhurst Thumpers Baseball Team 2005-2015, Melville Bantam A Millionaires 1978, and Battleford Bantam A Beavers 1992. Dignitaries present were Ames Leslie, Mayor of Battleford, Jeremy Cockrill, MLA for the Battlefords, and Carla Beck, NDP Leader of the Opposition. Jeff Rogstad from CTV was the Master of Ceremonies for the night. Inductees were marched in by a procession led by Piper Jim Ramsay, and RCMP Inspector Ryan How. A special presentation
Ray Beck, newly appointed president, from Lang, Sask., and Jane Shury, CEO from Battleford, sing Take me out to the ball game to end the evening. was presented to Jane Shury Inductee Ceremony. baseball legend Satchel acknowledging her husband, Cottingham was born in Paige to play on his AllDave, and herself for start- Acadia, Louisiana, in 1936. Star Team. Paige gave him ing the Baseball Hall of His interest in baseball start- the nickname “Little ProFame Induction Ceremony ed at a young age when he fessor” because Cottingham 40 years ago. realized the same motion he was the only player on the Dr. Sherman Cottingham used to skip stones across roster who had graduated from Clinton Township, water could be applied to from college. Under Paige’s Michigan, was the guest pitching. mentorship, he developed a speaker at this year’s 40th He was recruited by fastball in the low 90s and an effective slider. Cottingham was called up “I came out of a racist situation in Louisiana but when I came to North to play for the North BattlBattleford I was able to sit at a restaurant, or play pool in the pool room eford Beavers sixty years without somebody calling me the ‘N’ word, something he said left a lasting ago (1964-1965). He said impression.” Dr. Sherman Cottingham Continued on page 2
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