Baseball Hall of Fame announces 2027 inductees

The Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame announced its class of 2027, including a pair of Westman representatives, on Tuesday morning at simultaneous press conferences in Brandon and Winnipeg.

“It recognizes the people who have made a big contribution,” said Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame director Morris Mott. “This will be our 29th year, and I’m always surprised by the quality of the people we are inducting.”

While the majority of individuals inducted into the Hall are former players, the organization also recognizes umpires and other individuals who greatly impacted baseball in Manitoba. Those players who are considered must have played high-level baseball in Manitoba and not just be from the province.

Players have to have played at least five years and be retired for five years or be 45 years of age.

“By then, we figure you’ve shown us what you can do,” said Mott with a chuckle.

This year’s list of inductees included six people: David Blatz of Steinbach; Joe Carriere, Derrick Dubell, and Curtis Grieve from Winnipeg; Nicole Madsen of Hamiota; and Pete Perreault, who lives in Russell.

“I never expected this,” said Perreault, a longtime umpire. “I love what I’m doing, and I was not doing any of the stuff I do for Manitoba Baseball or for baseball as a whole to receive this, and I am extremely humbled and tickled pink, you could say.”

Born in St. Lazare, Perreault lives in Russell and is an engineer by trade. He’s worked 3,500-4,000 games at different levels across Manitoba during his time as an umpire.

He got his start by quite literally being picked out of a crowd of parents while attending one of his children’s baseball games.

“They gave me a pillow and an old mask, and I umpired the game,” said Perreault. “Apparently I did ok, because they asked me to umpire another game, and then another and another.”

Before getting his start as an umpire, Perreault refereed hockey games. Fans of the Winnipeg High School Football League might also recognize his name as he also acts as a line judge at Massey, Crocus and Neelin games.

“(I) enjoy them all for different reasons,” said Perreault. “Hockey, for me, is more of a physical game … Football is an absolute teamwork game between the other five guys you’re working with. We all have our specific job … To me, the beauty of baseball is it’s more of a mental game. It’s more of a game you absolutely have to manage.”

Perreault hopes he can continue to officiate sports for as long as his legs will keep up.

“There’s so many people I have to thank. I stood on many shoulders to get to where I am,” said Perreault.

Madsen, the other Westman inductee, could not attend the announcement. For more than 20 years, she’s promoted baseball in Hamiota and across Manitoba as a parent, coach, administrator and board member.

She was elected as the Vice President of Baseball Development for Baseball Manitoba in 2017, and stayed in the position until 2023. She was also inducted into the Honour Society of Baseball Manitoba in 2024.

While players are the stars of the show, people like Madsen play a vital role in the success of baseball in Manitoba.

“You can’t operate without them,” said Mott. “All these people are important to make the game work. You can’t operate a season without them.”

The 1987 McAuley Blazers, the 1956-57 Crystal City bantams/midgets and the 1977 St. Boniface Knights were the three teams announced as inductees.

Barry Szucki, a member of the St. Boniface Knights, attended the announcement in Brandon as a representative of the team. Barry “Sam” Jamieson and his wife Dawna Jamieson attended the announcement as representatives of the Blazers. Sam coached the ‘87 Blazers and was named coach of the year that season.

David Olsen was announced as one of two honourary life members for his nine years of service as director of the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and six as treasurer-secretary.

Jim Mutcheson Sr .— one of the original directors of the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum — was posthumously named an honourary life member. Mutcheson remained a director until 2016 and died in 2017.

The announcement of the inductees is only the first step for the Manitoba Hall of Fame and Museum. The organization will host its 29th induction banquet in Morden on June 24, 2027.

Tickets for that event are already on sale and can be purchased through the organization’s website at www.mbhof.ca.

» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com