Article appeared in the July 14, 2011 issue of the Interlake Spectator…
Russel Unilowsky
In a usual year, the event draws 200 to 500 people. However, the turnout this Jul. 10 was somewhat disappointing to organizers, with two of the baseball teams, from Springfield and Lundar, backing out at the last minute due to a lack of players.
This left only the Chatfield Cardinals and the Fisher Branch Falcons to play a double header of two 9-Inning games, rather than a full tournament with the shorter 7-Innings.
Even so, the small crowd of avid baseball fans cheered the teams on, the children were engaged in carnival-type games under a tent, and people enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers, and the beer garden that went on into the night.
Sharon Humeny, Secretary of the Chatfield Community club organized a large silent auction to help raise funds for the club before heading to the canteen to volunteer for the day. Prizes were donated by the ball players themselves, or by businesses approached by the players. Many tickets to sports events were among the prizes to be auctioned. A grand prize draw was for two tickets the Winnipeg Jets Mar. 26, 2012 game, donated by Canadian Tire.
The Chatfield Cardinals won the day, with a score of 18 to 11 in game one, and 13 to 2 in game two. Team members are made up of men over 40 who have a love of the game and who want to stay fit.
With no more than 10 year-round residents, Chatfield is a little town with a big heart that loves its baseball, and boasts premiere baseball players who have been inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame.
The town’s involvement in baseball began back in the 1949, when it gathered players from the Wheathill, Buffalo Lake, and Chatfield areas to form the Chatfield Cardinals. In the early 1950s, the team held regular weekend tournaments, and also played in tournaments throughout central Manitoba, in communities that included Arborg, Ashern, Broad Valley, Eriksdale, Fisher Branch, Hodgson, Inwood, Gimli, Lundar, Poplarfield, Oak Point, St. Laurent, Siglunes, Stonewall, Teulon, and Woodlands. The Cardinals ventured beyond these, even playing with teams from the United States.
From the beginning, the Chatfield Cardinals was a strong team that won most of its games, and came home with many prizes.
While the players have gotten older, the sense of community pride has not diminished. A bold sign that announces its membership in the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame stands proudly in the centre of town.
