The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Lee Fisher isn't the most flamboyant person in the City of Flin Flon, but on Oct. 19, he may well have been the proudest, and justifiably so. At a press conference in Brandon, The Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame announced its selection of teams, builders, and players for induction in 2011. In the player category, Fisher now joins the likes of former Major League Baseball Canadian star Corey Koskie (the pride of Anola, Manitoba) in the prestigious hall. The 15th induction ceremony and banquet will be held in the Morden Recreation Center on June 4, 2011. Morden is home of the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Fisher, who has made Flin Flon his home since 1952 and now spends the winter months in London, Ontario was contacted by phone regarding the honour. "I am humbled and very flattered that the Hall has accepted me in. I am truly appreciative and I would certainly like to thank the Hall, the nominators, and congratulate the other 2011 inductees. It is a real honour," said Fisher. Semi-pro Fisher, a native of Roblin, Manitoba, played semi-pro for four years with the Roblin All Stars in the Manitoba-Saskatchewan League that included teams from Grandview, Gilbert Plains, Dauphin, Bowsman, and Kamsack. He is still remembered for his play against the touring Cuban AllStars when the Roblin team defeated the Cubans in the finals at Rosetown. As the media reported at the time, Fisher came in to pitch in the fourth inning with the score 9-7 in favour of Cuba. He was the winning pitcher and also hit a home run catching up to the Roblin catcher, Lenny Pigg, (already on base) crossing home plate. In Flin Flon, Lee dominated the junior league and the 5'10" kid, weighing 165 pounds, won the batting championship with a blistering .511 average. He also won the undisputed top pitcher title with the Aces team racking up strikeout performances of 15,14,12, and 13 in the short seven-inning games. Fish, as he was known, continued his enviable baseball legacy in the northern Polar League with teams from Creighton, Flin Flon, Cranberry Portage, and The Pas. He established himself as an outstanding pitcher who could also hit, or play infield or outfield "well above the pack." He played with Ostrys, Kulbergs, the Centrals, and finally Ross' Stylers over a period from 1954 to 1962. Fortunate He considers himself fortunate to have played on Polar League championship teams. What made this individual such an outstanding pitcher? Ð a two fingered knuckleball, combined of course with pinpoint control and location. Early in his pitching career Fisher realized that he wasn't going to fastball his way to success, so he bought a book explaining the virtues of the" knuckleball" Ð and developed a version of his own. For those unfamiliar, a knuckleball is extremely hard to hit as it is thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight. As Fisher explained in a previous interview, "when you throw knuckleballs, you throw strikes, and the ball drops quickly due to lack of rotation" most often falling precisely where the pitcher desires, sending batters down cursing in frustration. Fisher still grins at the fact that many Polar League batters referred to his knuckleball as the "the garbage ball" as they flailed away at a strikeout pitch. Other local athletes have honoured Flin Flon with sports accomplishments mainly in hockey and curling Ð and now baseball. Congratulations to Fisher in his accomplishments and to the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame for providing a venue to honour special individuals. Ambassador Although he hasn't thrown his famous knuckleball in anger for over 45 years, he remains a great ambassador of an era when the game was bigger than any player, and true sportsmanship came ahead of all else. Fisher was nominated to the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame by Gladwyn Scott of Carberry Manitoba, Founder of the MBHF, member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame, Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame, and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame, Red Sangster of Thompson, Manitoba, A Polar League Icon Ð Member of the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame (1997) who spent over 40 years as a coach, manager, promoter mainly in Flin Flon and Thompson. Thompson's ball park named after him in 1992), and Morley Naylor (Polar League Baseball researcher and fan and contributor to Cottage North magazine).
