With the lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions, the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Battleford has confirmed they will be able to proceed with the 36th annual induction on Aug. 21. Among the inductees is Fred Curts
Fred Curts is the reason there is senior baseball in Holdfast. Driving into this small community the first thing you see are the three beautiful baseball diamonds, particularly the senior diamond. Credit for this goes to Fred Curts for the numerous volunteer hours he spends weeding, trimming, edging, watering and spraying Holdfast’s baseball diamonds.
In 1993 he approached the Knights of Columbus to sponsor a baseball team. Thus, the Holdfast Knights took to the diamonds. Since that time, Fred has coached pee wee, bantam and midget baseball in both AA and AAA divisions.
Over the years following, many of these teams, coached by Curts, were league champions, provincial finalists and provincial champions These included the 2004 Pee Wee League Champions, 2004 Mosquito League Champions, 1992 Provincial Bantam “D” silver medalists-Coach Fred Curts, 1994 Provincial Midget “C” silver medalists, 1995- Provincial Atom “C” silver medalists; 2003 Provincial Mosquito A2 silver medalists, 2001 Provincial Midget A 2 champions and 2002 Provincial Midget A 2 champions.
Curts is knowledgeable and technical, and his teaching is thorough. He goes to great lengths to correct swings, batting stances, throwing and base running. He tries to instil his passion for the game into the players. To Curts, playing baseball is a privilege.
“Fred Curts is considered the “champion” for the sport of baseball in Holdfast and surrounding area, ” said Dale Measner, Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport in 2011.
“Fred Curts’s commitment to baseball for the past 20 years is truly remarkable,” said Don Pankewich, commissioner Qu’Appelle Valley Baseball League, also in 2011.
Beyond his work with Holdfast teams Curts coached the Moose Jaw Junior Eagles (2011), Moose Jaw Provincial Junior Eagles silver medalists (2012), Arm River Junior Indians in played in the Qu’Appelle Valley Baseball League (2013), Provincial AAA Senior champions [A Junior team] (2013), Western Canadian Provincial silver medalists (2013), Senior AAA Arm River Indians (2014) and Senior AAA Arm River Indians who competed in provincials (2015).
Curts has earned the Joe McDonald Award of Merit and the 2010 Saskatchewan Baseball Association Annual Award.
