The Innisfail Indians honoured one of their own prior to their home game against the Beiseker Canadians on Friday.
The Tribe retired Ray Bergeron’s #20 in a surprise pre-game ceremony. Bergeron, the team’s founder, former general manager and third baseman, stepped down during the off-season. He stayed on with the team as an advisor, helping out with practices and stepping in for one game when the team was short players.
Bergeron’s number is only the second retired by the team, joining Dallas Yarbrough’s #25. Yarbrough died in a car accident about six years ago.
Bergeron said he became suspicious something was afoot when he saw former teammate Brett Kelly before the game. Former Indians first baseman Curtis Flewelling also spoke during the ceremony.
Kelly passed on a message from Parkland Baseball League president Don von Hollen, who called Bergeron “a living legend” and role model to league players.
“Your career has been one that many will dream of,” von Hollen said in a message read aloud by Kelly. “If there ever becomes a PBL Hall of Fame, you will certainly be the grandfather everyone wants in there first.”
Flewelling said one of the team’s greatest impacts were the friendships it helped foster.
“(The Indians’) creation was the result of one man’s dream to bring a competitive brand of men’s baseball to Innisfail that would allow some local boys to continue to play the game they love, have some fun, and be part of a team their community could be proud of. That man was a skinnier Ray Bergeron,” he said to a raucous round of laughter. “It is now 15 years later and the dream is alive and well.”
Bergeron thanked his family for their support.
“It’s an honour for sure,” Bergeron said moments after the ceremony, where he was presented with a framed copy of his jersey and another frame featuring team photos.
When he founded the team in 1996, Bergeron said he did so partly for selfish reasons.
“I wanted a place to play and I wanted to bring men’s baseball back to Innisfail,” he said of a market that supported the Innisfail Merchants from 1980 to 1986. “But as that rolled on I started to see more of a community part of it. I wanted to be able to, as I’m doing tonight, bring my children to come watch a baseball game.”
As the Indians find themselves in a battle for the division title, Bergeron said he sees bright things on the horizon for the team.
“This team can win with speed and pitching,” Bergeron said. “They’re working on their hitting and the hitting is getting better. When that hitting comes around I think they’re going to be dangerous. And if they can keep this young group together they’ll be dangerous for a long time.”
And when they do, you can be sure Bergeron will be there to lend a hand somehow.
“It’s hard to imagine a summer without some involvement in baseball,” he said, though his focus was now on his family. “As it goes, kids start taking priority and you’ve got other things to take care of.”
