Eston Ramblers captured the SMBL title for the second time in the four years of the league downing the pennant-winning Moose Jaw Devons in three straight games in the final. Eston won six consecutive playoff games en route to the championship.
Regina's Andy Logan, the 1978 batting champion, has been named the SMBL's Most Valuable Player. Logan (left) who hit .452 and led the circuit in hits, doubles and triples, was one of four starters from the Red Sox on the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League first all-star team. Another three made the second squad and a Regina player was named Rookie of the Year.
Logan was selected as the all-star catcher while Regina third baseman Bill Bell and outfielders Doug Simon and Ross Mahoney joined him on the dream team.
Moose Jaw placed three on the first squad, right-handed pitcher Pete Maus, lefty Rod Heisler and outfielder Jim Baba. Saskatoon had a pair, outfielder Roy Kemp and second baseman Cal Thompson. Shortstop Greg Zunino of Eston (right) rounded out the team.
Ross Lynd of the Red Sox was named the circuit's top rookie.
The second team featured one of the first teamers, but at a different position. Pete Maus was selected as an outfielder. Moose Jaw teammate Ned Andreoni was named shortstop. Regina had three players, first baseman Rich Gergley, second baseman Jim Paisley and pitcher Randy Sawa who tied for his spot with Bob Currie of Moose Jaw. Right-handed pitcher Jerry Wek made the alternate squad as did third sacker Don Sasser and outfielder Randy Arthur of Eston and three from Unity, outfielders Ken Haanen and Gord Johnson and catcher Gary Wilburn.
Wayne Gretzky - shortstop for the Detroit Tigers?
Hockey's greatest player says baseball was his favourite sport. "Would have taken baseball, all day long", he says if he had had equal opportunities to advance to the NHL or MLB.
Growing up in Brantford, Ontario in the 1960s and 1970s, Gretzky said the Tigers were "his" team. In 1978, at age 17, he even suited up for a game or two with his hometown senior team in the Intercounty Baseball League in Southern Ontario. Mainly he played midget ball as a pitcher/shortstop for Pololaise Vets of the Intercounty Midget League.
And, 1978 was notable as the birth year of 11-year major leaguer Jason Bay of Trail, BC.
From his participation as a member of the Trail team at the Little League World Series in 1990, Bay began his pro career as an Expo, was traded to the Mets then the Padres and then the Pirates before breaking out to win the National League's Rookie of the Year award in 2004.
Three All-Star selections would follow, including his age 30 campaign with the Red Sox when he slammed 36 home runs and knocked in 119 finishing seventh in the voting for the Most Valuable Player award.
Bay was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.