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Winnipeg Free Press
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Resuming play, showing support in the wake of 1950 flood
Winnipeg In a July column, Memories of Sport began to examine the impact the record Red River flood in 1950 had on local sports such as baseball and softball. In late May that year, some sports resumed play and events scheduled during Sportsmen's Week in early June raised funds in support of the Manitoba Flood Relief Fund. On June 7 in the Winnipeg Amphitheatre, a professional wrestling card was promoted by Alex Turk. The wrestlers donated their purses, the rental fee was waived, and $3,631 was added to the fund. In the feature match, Canadian great Whipper Billy Watson battled to a 60-minute draw with Jumping Joe Pazandak. Fans also had the opportunity to see two great football players perform in the ring. Bronko Nagurski beat Dirty Dick Raines and Leo Nomellini handled Otto Kuss. In another match, Vern Gagne made his first appearance of many in our city and beat Mike DiBiase. Nagurski, who was born in Rainy River, Ont., was an All-American football player at the University of Minnesota, who later played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. He played as both a running back and defensive tackle and was an inaugural inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. While playing for the Bears, he started his wrestling career in 1933 and continued to compete in the ring until 1958. Along the way, he won the National Wrestling Association world title. Nomellini, an All-America defensive tackle at Minnesota, played 14 seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted in the Pro Football HOF in 1969 and College shrine in 1977. Known in wrestling circles as Leo the Lion, he debuted in Minnesota in 1950, and went on to win 10 tag team championships. In one, he partnered with Gagne. Four thousand soccer fans had the opportunity to see one of the greatest players ever in action on June 12. Blackpool star Stanley Matthews — who was later knighted by the Queen — was among 16 of England's finest, who played an exhibition match at Osborne Stadium. The visitors were divided into two teams and six local players were added to the rosters. Winnipeg Blue Bomber Bud Korchak was in goal for the victorious Blue squad and he was joined his St. James Legion teammates Nick Carter and Bill Wedlake. Midge Pennington from Scottish had a goal for the Whites, who lost 7-6. Bill Fraser from Scottish and Bill Milne of Legion also wore White. Two future umpires and hockey referees were in the limelight when the Greater Winnipeg Senior Men's Baseball League opened play on June 2. Iggy Scaletta's two doubles led St. James Legion to 9-2 victory over Army and Navy Vets. His longtime officiating partner Sam Tascona banged out two triples, a double and a single in the St. Boniface Native Sons' 11-8 win over Selkirk. Darky Bouchard, the patriarch of the Bouchard baseball and softball family of note, contributed two doubles and two singles. The City's first baseball Little League for boys 12 and under would begin play at Carruthers Park on June 12. An auction was held to select the players who had made the four teams. Len Cariou of the Dominion News Maple Leafs is the best known today. He became a star on Broadway where he won a Tony Award for best actor in a musical. From 2010 to 2024, he played retired New York City police commissioner Henry Reagan in the TV series Blue Bloods. Two of his Maple Leaf teammates were future Blue Bomber and Winnipeg Rangers junior hockey player Dennis Liebrecht and Garth Day, who starred for the Canadian junior football champion Winnipeg Rods in 1955 and 1956. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. The Okum Inn Blue Sox had future pro hockey player and junior coach Gerry Brisson and Ken Lailey, later a top golfer at Elmhurst. Al Glover, the shortstop on the 1967 Canadian men's softball champions Molson Canadians, played for the Sterling Stars. A Free Press headline stated that the 'Manitoba Golf Picture Brightens.' The Inter-Club and Free Press tournaments were to be switched from St Boniface to Southwood and moved back a week from June 14 to June 21. St. Boniface, the defending inter-club champs, had been looking forward to hosting its first major tournament, but the course was the hardest hit by the flood. Windsor, Kildonan, Niakwa, Canoe Club, and Southwood also suffered damage. T. Kent MorganMemories of Sport Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@ Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
The impact of the flood of '50 on local sports
Winnipeg On April 22, 1950, the Red River reached flood levels in Winnipeg. In early May, the level peaked in Winnipeg and remained above the flood stage for 51 days. During the flood, about one third of the city's population had to evacuate from their homes and more than 15,000 homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Sports activities were delayed and it wasn't until the final few days in May that some leagues began play. A week in early June was designated as Sportsmen's Week in Winnipeg with several events scheduled in support of the Manitoba Flood Relief Fund. Johnny Peterson, the general manager of Osborne Stadium and the Amphitheatre, spearheaded the initiative. The Winnipeg Buffaloes, Elmwood Giants, Brandon Greys, Carman Cardinals and Minot Mallards competed in the first season of the Manitoba-Dakota Baseball League. The schedule began in mid-May with the two Winnipeg-based teams forced to play on the road. The first game in Winnipeg took place at Osborne Stadium on May 27 with the visiting Greys meeting the Buffaloes in front of 5,000 fans. File photo The Winnipeg Buffaloes were the first champions of the ManDak League in 1950. The league's first game in Winnipeg took place at Osborne Stadium on May 27 with the visiting Greys meeting the Buffaloes in front of 5,000 fans. The Buffaloes, who went on to win the first ManDak championship, were managed by Willie Wells. Rated by many experts as the greatest shortstop to play in the Negro Leagues, Wells also played some for the Buffaloes that season as his career wound down. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY in 1997. On June 6, the ManDak League, with teams representing the Winnipeg Free Press and Winnipeg Tribune, played a benefit game at Osborne Stadium that raised $2,643 for the fund. The Trib, with Manitobans Ian Lowe of Brandon and Almer McKerlie of Carman in the lineup, beat the Free Press 8-4. Gerry McKay of Brandon and Winnipeg's Eddie Leier and Jack Warwick of the Giants played for the losers. The majority of the players were former Negro League players or young Black players hoping to get a shot at organized baseball. Third baseman Ron Teasley had two doubles for the winners. Teasley, 98, who played for the New York Cubans in 1948, is the second oldest living player from the Negro Leagues. Center fielder Solly Drake, who had joined the Giants in 1948 when he was just 17, made the major leagues in 1956 with the Chicago Cubs. Two days later at Osborne Stadium, the Greater Winnipeg Girls Softball League officially opened its season with a benefit game. The cold night led to 15 errors with the combined CUAC/St. Boniface team beating the Ramblers/St. Vital 11-10. Elva Waslyk had three hits for the winners and Ollie Hyndiuk a triple. Waslyk is an inducted member of both Manitoba Basketball and Softball Halls of Fame and Hyndiuk was inducted into Manitoba Sports shrine as a five-pin bowler. She also was an accomplished golfer. Audrey Freeman, a 2008 Manitoba Softball inductee, had a homer and two singles of the losers. Audrey Daniels, described as being back from the US glamour league, was the losing pitcher. Daniels, then Audrey Haine, had gone south in 1944 at age 17 to play in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. The evening's entertainment also included a game between the Uneedas and Y.M.H.A that featured more mature male diamond read softball players from the past such as Charlie Krupp, Leible Hershfield, and Googs Hindle, who homered for the winning Uneedas. Tony Serafin had a double and single in the 4-3 victory. Mondays A weekly look at news and events that matter in your communities. A baseball signed by Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees raised $266.25 for the fund while one autographed by Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox raised $183.25. In a second column, Memories of Sport will highlight other sporting events that took place around the time of Sportsmen's Week including a professional wrestling card full of big names, a soccer match with 16 English stars and a few local players, and the first Little League baseball season in Winnipeg. Also, an update of the golf season and the impact the flood had on several local courses as well as on Whittier Park, the former horse racing track in St. Boniface. T. Kent MorganMemories of Sport Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@ Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
