Introduction

    The City of Melville lays claim to one of the most successful Minor Ball programs in the Province of Saskatchewan. The road to success was built with hard work and participation of many individuals and organizations sharing a passion for the game.

    Melville has a history of competitive teams on both the Provincial and National Level. The late 1960’s and 1970’s were witness to championship teams in the sandlot, Bantam, and Midget divisions which won the Provincial and Western Canadian finals. The culmination of these teams was the 1973 Melville Midget Baseball Club that won the Canadian Championship. The win put Melville on the map as a baseball city. A member of this team, Terry Puhl, went on to play Major League Baseball and star with the Houston Astros for over a dozen years, keeping Melville in the baseball limelight. This team was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993 and was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in June 1999. This is the only baseball team ever allowed entry into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall.

    Melville encountered a lull in baseball activity for a number of years until 1992 when the system received a complete facelift. The change began with a major fund-raiser, the Terry Puhl Sports Dinner that raised $28,000 and resulted in the formation of the terry Puhl Foundation. The organization built a five-lane batting cage facility costing $60,000 with the help of service clubs and organizations within the city. The program saw enrollment soar to 525 players with present levels at just under 400 participants. Success has been evident over the past years as a team in the Mosquito division won the 1993 provincial AA title. The following year 1994, a PeeWee team won the Provincial and Western Canadian titles. In 1995 a PeeWee AAA team won a Western Canadian title followed by an appearance in the finals of the Bantam AAA Western Championship in 1996. And in 1999 the Mosquito division was runner-ups at the Provincials.

    The popularity of Minor Ball in Melville has led to a need for increased instruction for both the coaches and players. Florida’s Doyle Baseball School was brought in to run weeklong schools in the city. This was done in 1994, 1995, and 1996. In 1997, the Zerilla Baseball School was utilized to further enhance the ball program. This level of instruction has resulted in both players and coaches attaining skills at a very high level.

    The community has hosted a number of Provincial Tournaments, including Atlanta Braves try out camp (first in Canada). In 1997 the Community also hosted the first girls Provincial Tournament in the Squirt division and hosted the Bantam B Provincial Softball finals. The girls’ softball program has approximately 14 teams and play in the Yellowhead Minor Girls Softball League. They regularly qualify to compete in the Provincial B Championships and are looking at hosting Provincials in 2001.

    The Melville Minor Ball program is centered in the Melville Regional Park where there eight ball diamonds, two of which are equipped with lights. Taking place annually in the second week in July, Melville hosts the largest Minor Baseball tournament in Canada with excess of 60 teams in attendance each year.