The Lampman A's senior baseball team was announced as part of the 2012 induction class of the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame last week.The 28th annual induction ceremony will take place on Aug. 18 at the Alex Dillabough Centre in North Battleford.
Lampman will be inducted in the team category.The A's were provincial "D" champions in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992 and 1993, and "C" champions in 1994. They were also provincial finalists in 1990, 1995 and 1997.This means the A's won six provincial titles in nine years and played in a provincial final nine times in 12 years.
The A's were formed in 1977 when Blaise Fornwald, Dale Sutherland, Dale Weinrauch and Arthur Lausch asked Arnold Lund if he would coach a new team in town. During the early '80s, the team evolved from a "good time" local ball club to a serious provincial contender. Many of the A's rivals maintain that Lund was the main reason for the team's success.
Lund passed on his baseball knowledge and passion to a group of skinny kids who learned how to manufacture runs through smart batting and base-running.In addition, the team was renowned for its defensive play and Fornwald's stellar pitching. Along the way, they defeated some of the province's toughest teams, hailing from towns like Dinsmore, Saltcoats and Mervin.
Many brother combinations played for the A's. Most notable of these were the sons of Stan and Dorothy Fornwald: Blaise, Gerard, Lyle, and Jason. Other fraternal teammates were Pius, Randy, and Dale Loustel; Blake and Dennis Fornwald; Derry, Trini, and Dino Piche; and Ronnie and Wayne Schell.Integral to the A's success was the dedication of their umpires: Rudy Maksymiw, Wes Mann, Joe Fornwald, Bob Burns, Irwin Krueger, Gordon Freeden, Craig Savill, Billy Wyatt, and numerous others.
The induction events will include a luncheon, Hall of Fame tour, banquet, ceremony and silent auction.
There are 15 other inductees in the individual, team, family and community categories.
Dan Asham (Saskatoon), Aron Braun (Saskatoon), Dick Doepker (Annaheim), Hank Doernstauder (Maidstone), Bryan Forster (Regina), George Kohlman (Macklin), Walter Kyle (Dysart), Jack Ovens (Cut Knife), Cameron Sternig (Battleford), Lorne Strueby (Manitou Beach), Brian Weisbrod (Lumsden) and Curly Williams (Lloydminster) are the individual nominees.
Doernstauder, Forster, Kyle, Ovens, Strueby and Williams will be inducted posthumously.
The 1953-1958 Notre Dame Hounds will enter in the team category, while the Mything family of Marsden and the community of Battleford will also be inducted for their contributions to baseball.
