Baseball

Garry Bates

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 13th, 2008

Garry Bates has always been heavily involved in sports. Whether it’s been playing, coaching or organizing so others can enjoy athletics. While he played fastball, baseball and hockey, Bates coached all sports as a teacher at Benson and Prince of Wales Public Schools. He helped organize track and field tournaments. He was key in establishing a basketball referees organization where he officiated. He was also the President and then acted as an evaluator for young officials for more than 30 years.

Bates was also the well-organized Chairman of the successful Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament that raised more than $500,000 for Palliative Care in its 20-year run. He was also a longtime volunteer on committees at the Brockville Country Club.

Gerald Shorty Wormington

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame June 15th, 2012.

Gerald “Shorty” Wormington was a gifted athlete in many sports.

He was Prescott’s ace pitcher in Junior and Senior Baseball and their best hitter when he switched to softball. He played shortstop and continued his hitting prowess.

In hockey he was a smooth playmaking centre described by Sly Apps of the Toronto Maple Leafs as having big league material.

In 1944-45 he had 75 points in 19 games to lead Prescott Juniors to win The St. Lawrence Junior “B” League Championships and the Gill Cup and the Ottawa District Junior “B” tile and the Citizenship Shield.

Gordon Duff

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame June 11, 1999.

To be successful all great teams need skilled on field personnel.

Equally necessary for success are those people that work behind the scenes with little or no fanfare. The Brockville Bunnies, a baseball institution for over 30 years had such a person in Gord Duff. A tireless worker, Gord served as Coach and Business Manager for the team over a 20 year period.

Gord worked closely with various city clubs, businesses and concerned citizens in numerous fundraising activities.

Gord looked after all off field business activities for the club and laid a solid financial foundation so important for the survival of the team.

Jack & Margaret Shepherd

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 9th, 2006

In the mid and late 40’s and early 50’s Margaret or Maggie as she was called, played ball for the Stetson Imperial Ball Team. Maggie was the catcher and an outfielder and better known for her hitting abilities when they played at the Broad Street Diamond or Rotary Park.

After serving in the Second World War, Jack & Margaret were married and devoted their loves to sports and serving this community. Jack and Maggie have coached ball, hockey, both boys and girls, from atom through to midget. Whenever one was the coach, the other was the manager.

Maggie was also the treasurer for the Babe Ruth baseball league when they opened their store, Shepherd’s Live Bait, which ran for 42 years. They sponsored many hockey and ball teams, notably the Legion Minor Ball, Shepherd’s Little Indians. During the late 60’s and early 70’s Jack became famous as mascot for the Brockville Braves Junior “A” hockey team as Big Chief Jack Shepherd. Jack and Maggie never claim glory, nor do they seek praise, but have continuously gone out of their way to ensure that others benefit from their accomplishments.

Jack Hoy

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 11th, 1999

Jack Hoy grew up playing baseball and hockey in Cardinal, going on as a star in baseball as a player and in hockey as a referee in the early 1950s. He was a pitcher in the St. Lawrence Senior Baseball League. Once, throwing 33 consecutive shutout innings. Known as having a decent fastball and curveball. He signed with the New York Yankees in 1953. Moving up through their farm system until reaching “AA” in 1956, before being released. He pitched inter-county league for four years. Managing the galt terriers in his last year. He spent 10 years as a slick-fielding shortstop on the Cardinal Pats fastball team. He was a referee in the Junior “B”, Intermediate and Central Junior “A” Hockey Leagues for 20 years. Known as being tough, fair and willing to talk to players.

Jim (James) Earle

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 15th, 2007

Jim was an outstanding athlete who excelled at basketball and discovered rowing. He competed at the Canadian Schoolboy Championships for five consecutive years, winning 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals. He rowed competitively for 16 years, competing at three world championships. He stroked the four to the petite final win in Nottingham, England in 1975. Jim won four Canadian Henley Titles in three different decades: 1969, 1971, 1974 and 1981. During his 16-year career, Jim helped his team win over 100 races worldwide. After rowing, the sport of running would become his passion. He has been racing competitively for 25 years and has 390 wins or age group placings.

Besides coaching himself, Jim has also coached numerous high school teams for 25 years. Some of his many accomplishments include taking his cross country team to OFSSA 6 of the last 9 years, 3 EOSSA Championships in boys basketball and several trips to OFSSA in track.

Joe Saundercook

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 15th, 2012

Joe Saundercook was a colourful high-scoring hockey player and a hard-hitting baseball outfielder. Joe Saudercook has been active in sports all his life. He played with Brockville junior and senior teams in the old OHA when Kingston, Belleville, Oshawa and Brockville were arch rivals. Offered a professional contract shortly after he turned senior. He went to Saskatoon in the old Western Canada Professional League. Later, he played professionally for Oakland, California and with other teams in the U.B. Western League.

He was a proficient swimmer and was a member of the Brockville team at the turn of the century that played in what today is the Grey Cup Classic for the Canadian Championship. Fellow Hall of Famer Hec MacLean also played on that team.

Karen Blachford

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 12th, 2009

Karen Blachford grew up in Brockville, attended Toniata Public School and then BCI before heading off to University. It was in London that Karen was diagnosed with MS. Not one to give up, she would begin to try wheelchair sports.

Starting with baseball, playing with kids from there, her career is a tale of awards. In 1998, she was a provincial five-time golf medalist in track & field in 1999, a provincial champion and six-time gold medalist. In 2000, she was named London’s Sports Person of the Year and the 1999 Female Athlete of the Year at the Kitchener Athletic Awards Banquet. She was also the Provincial Champion and a six-time gold medalist in 2001. She achieved her certified level 2 hockey official. In 2002, she won a silver medal at the world championships in Switzerland. In 2004 and 2005, gold medals at the Canadian National Wheelchair Curling Championships and in 2006, a gold medal at the Winter Paralympic Games in Italy.

Karen continues to compete and inspire disabled people throughout the world.

Lawrence Fox

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame June 9th, 2017

Lawrence Fox has always been heavily involved in sports in Brockville. Starting at an early age in the 50’s, he started off playing Minor Baseball, but earned a reputation of in Softball with the Brockville Diggers as a good hitter and an outstanding third baseman, earning the Nickname “Scoop” from his teammates. He earned all-star recognition with the Diggers for five years in the Kingston League. He was a talented player in minor and junior hockey until breaking a leg in hockey playoffs in the Spring of 1961. After that, he turned to coaching in minor hockey and minor baseball, winning a number of championships. Lawrence was also a longtime baseball and fastball umpire in Brockville and the area for youth and adult leagues.

Les McAllister

Inducted into the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame: June 14th, 2002

Les was an outstanding high school athlete and continues to be active today. He was a pitcher and second baseman for intermediate “A” area softball teams for 20 years. Les played goal in minor hockey in 1951 and continues to do so on old-timers teams. Today, with his love of sports, Les has coached ladies’ softball from 1975 to the present. He was the head coach in Prescott minor hockey for 5 years and won the 3M Coaching Award in 1996. Les spearheaded a project to build a new softball diamond with lights in Prescott in 1978.

He also served on the fundraising committee for the building of the Prescott Community Centre. He served as a minor hockey executive and was one of the original founders of the Prescott Minor Hockey Club Midget “AA” tournament, where he served as Chairman for the first 4 years.

From athlete to coach to executive, Les McAllister has served the Prescott Community for a lifetime.