CHARLOTTETOWN- Baseball Canada celebrated not only their 50th Anniversary last night at the Delta Prince Edward in Charlottetown, but also paid tribute to the best that 2014 had to offer during the organizations annual awards banquet.
The evening was also highlighted by a keynote speech delivered by Hall of Fame second baseman and two-time World Series champion with the Toronto Blue Jays, Roberto Alomar. Alomar spoke of his strong ties to Canada and what baseball in Canada means to him. He also took the time to address the young ball players from PEI in attendance with a personal message about working hard in the game to achieve success. Those in attendance rose to their feet following the speech and afterwards Baseball PEI President, Don LeClair, presented Alomar with a Baseball PEI hat to commemorate the occasion.
To go along with National Championship Awards handed out to provincial representatives, Baseball Canada gave out their Province of the Year Award that was shared by Saskatchewan Baseball and Baseball Manitoba. Manitoba received the award for the seventh time in history, while Saskatchewan won for the eighth time.
Individual awards were also handed out with a complete rundown below:
Jimmy Rattlesnake Award – Vanessa Riopel (QC)
This award is given to a player from the Women’s National Team for their on-field accomplishments, as well as their team spirit and leadership.
A veteran of the Women’s National Team since, 2007, Vanessa participated in her third consecutive Women’s World Cup last summer and was relied upon to pitch key innings in games against Chinese Taipei, the United States and Australia. No stranger to overcoming obstacles in her career, Vanessa possesses many leadership qualities that make her an integral piece of the Women’s National Team both on and off the field.
Women’s National Team MVP – Stéphanie Savoie (QC)
Baseball Canada presents the Women’s National Team MVP Award to the player deemed most valuable to the Women’s National Team.
For the third consecutive year, catcher Stéphanie Savoie captured the award. Stéphanie hit .470 and drove in seven runs, while provided exceptional defence behind the plate for Canada at the IBAF Women’s World Cup held in August. She is know for being one of the top female hitters on the planet and is a big part of Team Canada’s success.
Baseball Canada and Major League Baseball Volunteer of the Year Award – Alex Grenier (MB)
This award was created in 2001 to recognize the contribution of the most dedicated, enthusiastic person who has devoted at least ten years of volunteering within their provincial association.
Alex has spent the last 10 years dedicating his time and energy to the Seine River Minor Baseball Association. From his duties as league president, serving on many committees in administrative roles to coaching several teams over the years, Alex’s impact on minor baseball has been felt across the entire local baseball community. 2014 was a tremendous example of Alex’s passion and drive as he spearheaded an initiative to renovate local baseball diamonds from fundraising to laying down the sod himself. Later in the year Seine River’s Board of Directors named one of the diamonds ‘Grenier Field’ in Alex’s honour.
Lionel Ruhr Elite Coach of the Year Award – Shawn Schaefer (BC)
The Lionel Ruhr Elite Coach of the Year Award is awarded to acknowledge outstanding leadership and guidance as a coach demonstrated by an individual.
An integral piece of the coaching staff of gold medal winning Team BC at the Baseball Canada Cup, Coach Schaefer took an active role with the team’s outfielders and hitters. 2014 was a busy year for Shawn as he began a position with Baseball BC and also helped coach Douglas College to its best ever conference record. A well-rounded coach, Shawn worked with the Douglas College pitchers making sure they were prepared for every outing. When he wasn’t coaching, Shawn also played a key role in helping the Langley Senior Blaze to a National Championship as a pitcher with the club.
Dick Willis Memorial Award for Umpire of the Year – Rhonda Pauls (BC)
The Dick Willis Memorial Award recognizes Canada’s official of the year for their outstanding contribution and umpiring of the game of baseball.
Rhonda has enjoyed a tremendous 15-year career as an umpire that was capped in 2014 by working her first ever internationally sanctioned event when she travelled to Japan for the sixth edition of the IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup. Rhonda is a veteran of many BC Provincial, Western Canadian and Baseball Canada Championships that also includes many stints as Umpire Supervisor. Rhonda has also earned praise over the years for her work as an umpire mentor and countless hours devoted to helping young umpires. She is truly an asset in her province.
Baseball Canada also honoured Ian Clays and John Munro as recipients of Volunteer of the Year and Grassroots Coach of the Year, respectively for their tremendous contributions to baseball on Prince Edward Island.
