Marlins celebrate 30 years of ball in Brandon

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This article was published 06/06/2025 (365 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This summer marks a major milestone in Brandon baseball: the 30th anniversary of the Brandon Marlins.

The Marlins name lives on in the high-performance youth teams here in Brandon, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the legacies the program created.

In a lot of ways, 1995 doesn’t seem like that long ago.

Westbran Stadium, as the ballpark was known for its first 25 years or so, was fairly new and widely considered a gem of a minor ballpark for a small Canadian city.

It opened in 1987 to host the Canadian Selects tournament and baseball – not just in Brandon but especially in Brandon – was having a moment.

The residual effects of the 1991 World Youth Baseball Championships at Westbran, combined with the height of back-to-back World Series championships by the Blue Jays, one of Canada’s whopping two major league teams at the time, perfectly combined with the popularity of the Major Leagues to provide plenty of hype around the sport.

It’s worth pointing out that by the mid-90s the so-called “juiced era” was well underway in the big leagues – and there were plenty of hulking stars to look up to as well.

What better time than to start a strong senior team of junior-aged players, and have them play against the best veterans across Manitoba, particularly in the western part of the province in the venerable Manitoba Senior Baseball League.

The Marlins senior team does not compete anymore, but it’s hard to ignore as all high-performance baseball teams in Brandon still share the name. A reminder of a time thanks to a name that was about as 90s as it gets.

The legacies created are why two of the program’s stalwarts are organizing a reunion this summer and hoping to continue the legacy on which the program was founded exactly thirty years ago.

Scott Hlady and Nate Andrews are organizing this summer’s festivities, which include a golf tournament, dinner and celebration, and undoubtedly plenty of story-telling, reminiscing, and maybe the odd yarn about who could throw the hardest.

The program started almost out of necessity, simply because the core group of young players were good enough to compete in the senior ranks.

They developed through Brandon Minor Baseball into a national contender, culminating with a 1991 national midget (now called U18) championship.

So the question of whether a top-tier junior program in Brandon would compete in the Manitoba Senior Baseball League didn’t matter – they were going to will the team into success.

Neil Andrews did what he always did: he went to work.

He along with the other parents that were well on board recruited other family members, community supporters, sponsors, and the program was successful before the first pitch.

“He had such a gift for getting people on board and into roles that suited them,” said Neil’s son Nate. “He was very passionate. It didn’t matter if it was sport or anything he took on, he was always fully in.

Neil Andrews’ exploits on the diamond were mirrored by his accomplishments on the ice. The decorated curler won multiple provincial championships and was very passionate about curling as well, even if that meant a few broken curling brooms along the way, according to Nate.

But that 1995 season on the diamond was the birth of something special, and Neil Andrews knew it at the time.

“I don’t know that I’ve ever looked forward to the season as much as I do right now,” he told the Brandon Sun in a 1995 MSBL season preview.

“We’re all pretty excited,” Andrews added. “We know we’re not going to beat the hell out of people – and it may happen to us every once in a while – but we’re going to have a fun season.”

It ended up being fun for many reasons, which endured for many seasons.

The team won four league titles, largely with the core group of Brandon-based players that formed the team and one of those key pieces was Scott Hlady.

Well-known these days as the equipment manager of the Brandon Wheat Kings, but more appropriately known as the jack of all trades, master of all things needed to keep the guys on the ice.

It’s a unique skillset – equipment fabricator, steel sharpener, hydration supplier, laugh creator – whatever is needed to keep the guys focused on hockey and enjoy showing up to the rink every day.

Organizing a significant event for a program that holds a significant place in his heart, while a lot of work, is a labour of love.

For all his exploits in hockey, both on the ice and off, what many might not be aware of is that Hlady is likely one of the best baseball players to come out of Brandon.

Not one of the best at his position, nor known for one single skill, but Hlady was one of the best baseball players that has called the city home.

He came by it naturally, but also simply because he loved it.

“I remember he was just constantly shooting pucks. When he wasn’t, he had a baseball in his hands. He was always doing something athletic, and when he put one down he picked up another,” said Andrews.

“He’s called Scooter for a reason. He was the ultimate athlete in track and field. He was just so athletic.

“We used to call him band-aid though because he was always hurt or injured… but that was because of the way he played too. He didn’t have an off-switch.”

Andrews also pointed out how Hlady went to the National Baseball Institute in the midst of his junior hockey career, before a hernia injury “sidelined his WHL career.”

There was no doubting Hlady’s drive. That much was evident through his ability to play through pain – in both hockey and baseball.

While the hernia and other injuries may have limited his junior hockey aspirations, it opened other doors. He played hockey for his hometown Brandon University Bobcats while officially starting his senior baseball career with the Brandon Greys.

Whether it was an opportunity gained through a new yet very familiar team, Hlady said it was a no-brainer to play with the Marlins when he was officially joined to ask the team.

“For me, it was playing with Neil,” said Hlady.

“Neil was like a second dad to a lot of us. I remember spending many hours with him in his office just listening to his advice. He was always there for us. There was never a time when he wasn’t helping us.”

As the elder Andrews predicted in his season preview, the first few years weren’t always pretty, but the boys were good and took their lumps in stride. The majority of players had part-time jobs, so the routine was one they all enjoyed for the most part: school, work, then the ballpark until dark.

They were used to challenges. The group was largely comprised of talent that Andrews and Rick Hlady – Scott’s dad – coached from their first years in the game.

Because the team played and practised a lot together, they were dedicated to each other and the collective team’s goals, and had success through their minor days. It was only a matter of time before the team found its stride in the senior ranks.

“It took us a little while. Neil was a true believer in building with local talent, and that’s what we did. We took some lumps early, but we practiced a lot, which wasn’t common in senior baseball then. We got better, and Neil was the key cog that kept the wheel spinning,” said Hlady.

“We were all friends. We truly enjoyed showing up to the ballpark and getting better together,” Nate added.

The team built and improved, thanks in large part to a wide circle of support. It culminated in four MSBL championships from 1999 to 2005.

Nate Andrews also knows about career-altering injuries. After a burgeoning college career and a stint as the starting catcher with the Manitoba provincial team, Andrews was settling nicely into the balance between sport, life and career while playing some of the best baseball of his life. Best of all, it was in his hometown and alongside his dad, who remained one of the most respected MSBL managers across the league.

“I was hitting second behind Scooter, who was hitting lead-off, so I got a lot of RBI that year hitting balls into play and knocking him in,” said Andrews of the 2000 season, before a collision at home plate effectively ended Andrews’ catching career.

The injury ended Nate’s pursuits of playing at the highest level – he stayed on as designated hitter, first baseman, and often shared managing duties with Neil.

He figured, “why not?” seeing as he’d had one of the best mentors possible and was with a team that was still very competitive.

If this is where the story sounds too good to be true, it is.

Neil was diagnosed with Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease in the fall of 2006. That same fall, one of his other sources of pride in Guild Insurace, the business he helped build opened its brand-new location on Victoria Ave.

The disease was terminal. The stadium was named in his honour in December of 2006. And by the following February, Neil Andrews was gone.

The stadium bears his name, and Nate and his family still run the ballpark from day-to-day. For those that fondly remember Neil, renaming Westbran in his honour wasn’t a question, and his presence lives on.

He built the program in the days before the internet. There were hours of talking to people at the ball diamond and on the phone as well as detailed records and notes.

Neil Andrews was meticulously organized, but also had plenty of help. Both within the Andrews family, but also the families of the players.

“When dad took something on he put every ounce of himself into it,” said Nate. “It wasn’t always easy. It wasn’t always pretty. There was conflict and you didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but dad taught me that’s okay.

“Dad would say ‘you don’t have to like someone to respect someone.’

“Dad was always learning.”

Families were such a big part of it, that friction and conflict were unavoidable, but any time they focused on the big picture – the kids and the game – things worked out in the end.

That’s why they’ll be glad to get back together this summer to reminisce share stories and honour those who are no longer with us.

Marlins supporters like Rick Hlady, who died in February of this year, leaving another void in the Marlins family that can’t be filled. The product of Ontario who spent some time as a pitching prospect in the Minnesota Twins organization, and he too made significant contributions to the team, but also to the young men he helped coach.

“Rick was just such a presence, such a big strong man,” said Andrews. “He commanded respect. We were all partially a little bit scared of both him and my dad. They were tough on us, but gave so much of themselves.”

Those family values are as much of the legacy as the name on the front of the uniform.

“I think that’s where you see that philanthropy in Scooter. It’s big for him, it’s big for me, but it’s easy to see where it came from. They gave so much time and put every ounce of themselves into those teams that they coached,” said Nate.

So not only will the reunion weekend – set for the weekend of August 9 – serve as a chance to celebrate, but there will likely be more than the odd tear shed.

The families and supporters of Marlins baseball for the last 30 years are encouraged to take part in the festivities, and make it what it’s always been about: community.

“Not only were we good ball players but we were all good friends as well,” said Andrews.

“It was a family program run by families connected to the program,” added Hlady, “and that’s what made the connections so strong and the team so competitive.”

» mpackwood@brandonsun.com