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The following is from pages 75 to 78 of
McConnell Little Town Lost, 1982
(Click on Picture to Enlarge)
BASEBALL
There always seemed to be people around McConnell who were interested in sports. Before the 1920's
Tom Richardson, Carl Brown, George Simmie, The Breretons, Claude, George and Jim all played baseball.
The first diamond was down in the southwest corner of the school grounds, but was later moved up to
where it was south of the road into the school grounds.
In the 1920's a baseball league was formed with Marney, Cardale, Glossop, Oak River and Strathclair
districts, with home and away games.
People used to come even in the midst of seeding time to watch the ball games. Some even drove in
horse and buggy, to town on mail nights, which were three times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays.
Any time there was no game scheduled on mail night, it was ball practice.
Interest ran high and one year 1926-27, the ball club and the store keeper Ed Hardy, combined to hire
a left handed pitcher from Strathlair district (Jack Cleaver) to pitch for McConnell. He was given a
job in the store and played for the McConnell ball team for at least one season and possibly two.
During the summer after the league games were over, the ball team went to the tournaments at fairs and
sports days all around the country.
Ball players then were Tom Richardson, The Breretons, Ralph Hyndman, Bill Pollock, Alex Watt, Jesse
Richardson, Jack and Wes Morgan. Tom Richardson, Fred Parker, and Lem Lutes all acted as Managers in
the 20's and 30's.
Ball players in the 1930's were Ab, Lorne and Frank Richardson, Jack and Wes Morgan, Don, Wes and
Jim Pollock, Alf and Hector Paterson, Jim Scott, Art Arbuthnott, Archie and Arnold Downey, Max Parker,
Percy Simpson and Charlie Menzie.
In 1946, the McConnell Baseball Club was re-organized and played in the North Central League, under
the management of Jesse Richardson, Jim Scott and Wes Morgan. School principal Charlie Millar was a
great baseball booster and did most of the umpiring for home games. Members of this team were
Jim Scott, Hector Paterson, Harvey, George, Harold, Ross, Doug and Tom Pollock, Glen Knight, Allan and
Raymond Asselstine. Other teams in this league were Cardale, Strathclair, Shoal Lake, Hamiota and
Isabella.
In 1949 a few more teams joined the league. One strong contender was the club from the Air Training
Centre at Rivers (air base). From 1949-56 there were many new players added to the McConnell Club. The
local boys, as they grew up, were Gladwyn and Glennis Scott, Lionel Brown, Dallas King, Wayne
Richardson, Norman Little, and Barry Fowlie. Men who spent many years managing and coaching were Elgin
Hyndman and Lorne Richardson.
Other men who worked in the community for short periods of time and played on the McConnell team were:
Clifford Glenn, Neil Johnson, Cal Harvey, Bob and Lyle Ramsay, Don Stitt, Bill Carson, Don Menzie,
Clifford Williams, Jim Scott Jr., Allan McCullah and Ted Reval.
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Winners Midwest League 1933
Back Row L. to R. - Archie Downey, Wes Morgan, Max Parker, Ab. Richardson, Percy Simpson
Centre Row L. to R. - F. Richardson , L. Richardson, Geo. Ruler, Lem Lutes, Arnold Downey,
J. Morgan
Front Orlow Lutes
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Baseball Team 1949
Back Row L. to R. - Harvey Pollock, Harold Pollock, Allan Asselstine, Ray Asselstine,
Hector Paterson, Tom Pollock, Jim Scott
Front Row - Doug Pollock, Cliff Williams, Allan McCullah, Glennis Scott (bat boy),
George Pollock, Lionel Brown, Wes Morgan, Shirley Morgan
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Baseball Team 1950
Back Row L. to R. - Gladwyn Scott, Tom Pollock, Harold Pollock, Doug Pollock, J. Scott
Front Row - Ab. Richardson, Ray Asselstine, Harvey Pollock, George Pollock,
Wes Morgan (manager)
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Six Pollocks
L. to R. - George, Doug, Harvey, Harold, Tom and Ross
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Baseball Team 1949
Back Row L. to R. - Doug Pollock, George Pollock, Hector Paterson, Jess Richardson,
Harold Pollock, Cliff Williams, Tom Pollock
Front Row - Gladwyn Scott, Lionel Brown, Harvey Pollock, Jim Scott, Allan Asselstine,
Cliff Glen, Glennis Scott (bat boy)
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