Saskatchewan Baseball Association
Builder of the Year - 1994
Keller Receives Baseball Award
By Wade S. Walz (The Melville Advance)
Garnet Keller received recognition recently from the
Saskatchewan Baseball Association (SBA) but it wasn’t
for what he expected.
Keller had been nominated for the SBA’s Manager of
the Year award but given the Builder of the Year
award.
“Garnet was nominated under the Coach of the Year but
the awards committee moved him to builder of the Year
because of his work with the development of baseball
in Melville (tremendous upswing) and the introduction
of Doyle Bros. Schools,” says Jim Baba of the SBA.
In nominating Keller, the Melville Minor Sports
Association felt his coaching achievements with the
Melville Mosquito B Millionaires in 1993, the senior
team in 1993 and the pee wee Millionaires in 1994.
He took the mosquitoes tot he provincial
championship, the senior team to the league
championship and won the Western Canadian championship
with the pee wee squad.
“This team (pee wee) was 11-2 in provincial
championship play and was considered by many people to
be the best disciplined tem in the division. Teams
coached by Mr. Keller excel in hitting, pitching,
defense and, above all, good sportsmanship with
class,” writes association president Larry Peterson in
his nomination letter.
“Mr. Keller has been very instrumental in organizing
and reestablishing baseball in our community. In 1994
he brought Doyle Baseball to Saskatchewan to instruct
three coaching clinics and two baseball schools. It
is our opinion that he has been the most successful
coach in our organization in 1994 and should be given
serious consideration for Manager of the Year in
1994,” concludes Peterson.
Like most people, Keller is grateful for the
recognition but is hesitant to take all the credit.
“An award like this is greatly appreciated but it’s
an award that one person gets but without a lot of
enthusiasm and help from all the supporters in
Melville and around the province. Without them none
of the things we’ve accomplished in the last couple of
years would have happened.
“It’s one person being recognized when it’s really a
joint effort.”
Keller lists as his accomplishments over the past
couple of years the construction of new infields and
homerun fences at Prince Edward and Jaycee Parks.
Keller says this project was more intense than it
sounds because he, and several others, were
responsible for doing the actual work which took a lot
of labor.
He was also influential in developing a constitution
and policies for the Parkland Minor Baseball League,
organizing the Terry Puhl Dinner which raised $28,000,
and building the Terry Puhl batting cages valued at
$60,000.
Keller has been a member of the SBA’s board of
directors for the past three years and is presently
the zone governor.
He reiterates the award couldn’t have been possible
without the help of many other people.
“I don’t want to take the credit for a lot of things
that have happened in Melville and the province, that
more than just myself worked on.
“But it’s greatly appreciated. You volunteer your
time and someone recognizes that your time has created
an impact on baseball in the province, you have to
feel pretty good.”
<< Back to Awards | ^ Top
