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Introductory Comments
by Sandra
Wright
Tonight we are honouring
teams that played fastball together forty-five years ago. In 1968, the
first year they won the Provincials, the men being inducted were
teenage high school students at Pigeon Lake Regional School in Falun.
They were all from the Pigeon Lake area having come to the school from
the communities of Falun, Lakedell or Pipestone. Although some of them
had been teammates and school mates for all of their school years, the
whole group came together when Pigeon Lake Regional School opened in
1964.
Not surprisingly, these
same fellows were successful not only in fastball but in other sports as
well. In their high school years the boys volleyball and basketball
teams both won the zone championships and in the 1968 basketball
provincials, Pigeon Lake won the Consolation trophy. Most of those
volleyball and basketball players were also on the Playboy fastball
team. Many of these young men were also outstanding track and field
athletes. According to Keith Anderson who besides being their assistant
coach on the 1968 Playboys, also coached their high school teams....
they were a phenomenal group: really talented, all around good athletes,
very coachable and just good guys.
In the 1968 summer, the
Playboys played in many ball tournaments and were pretty successful, in
their minds they were playing well enough to compete for the Provincial
Championships. However, once they came to that conclusion and then
inquired about competing in Provincials, it was too late to take part in
the playoffs. After much discussion with those in charge of Softball
Alberta, they found out that the only way they could play in Provincial
play-offs was to host the tournament. The team and coaches accepted the
conditions and the challenge and got to work. They had to get the
diamonds in shape and with the help of their parents, the community
league and community volunteers everything else was arranged in a short
period of time. In the end Falun did a great job of organizing and
hosting their first Provincial tournament......and the “underdog”
Playboys WON!
The Playboys were the
first team from Falun to register with Softball Alberta and the first
Falun team to win the Provincial title. After 1969, more teams from
Falun entered Provincial playoffs and won titles and for the next twenty
five years during the summer months, the diamonds at Falun were always a
bee-hive of activity with boys' and girls' teams of all levels either
practicing or playing games. Week-end tournaments held in Falun were
always successful, teams from all over Alberta wanted to come to Falun
to play ball.
The Induction of the
Playboys is the fourth time the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of
Fame has recognized the great softball program at Falun. Clayton
Monaghan, the Playboys coach, was inducted in our inaugural year and
George Stewart and Brian Brown who coached other successful teams have
been inducted since. My guess is that there’s more to come. This group,
the Playboys and their coaches, can be proud that they’re the ones that
started it all, they established the tone and set the precedent!
Of course, in the
forty-five years since they won, things have changed. A couple of
members of the team remained in the Falun area, but most of the team
members moved on to other communities either in Alberta or BC. As well,
coach Monaghan and two team members, Brian Jackson and Bill Barnett,
have sadly passed away. However, the men being inducted tonight share
a common bond, they won these championships together. If I’m not
mistaken, this is the first time since they won the two championships
that the team has been together. Gentlemen, tonight we hope you relish
the accolades and enjoy your renewed friendship!
Our celebration tonight
recognizes the achievements of the Pigeon Lake Playboys and it is with
pleasure that I introduce to you the members of the team that are in
attendance tonight.
Don Gamble - 1968 team
Brian Ganske - 1968 and 1969 teams
Lorne Ganske - captain of the 1968 team, assistant coach of the 1969
team
Brian Henke - 1968 and 1969 teams
Dwayne Henke - 1968 team
Dennis Lammie - 1968 team
Bob Martens - 1968 team
Brian Monaghan - 1968 and 1969 team
Dan Monaghan - 1968 and 1969 team
Frank Reglin - 1968 team and assistant coach of the 1969 team
Dennis Schmidt - 1968 and 1969 team
Martin Taje - 1968 and 1969 team
Darol Turnquist - 1969 team
Keith Anderson - assistant coach 1968 team
Also, the three team
members who are no longer with us have family members here tonight and
they will stand to be recognized:
Representing Brian
Jackson who was on the 1968 and 1969 teams, captain of 1969 team is his
son Dan Jackson
Representing Bill Barnett
a member of the 1969 team are his daughters Pam and Cindy.
Representing Clayton
Monaghan the coach of both teams is his wife Irene.
Return to
the Playboys' Inductee Page
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