With a chat with another former player Greg Workman shortly after, the plans began. They picked the weekend they did as it was around Canada Day. They kept everything simple, applying to have a Centennial game that night, and had a get-together after. There were about 80 alumni on that evening. They then held a four-person scramble the next day, with around 70 players and 90 for the dinner.
Pringle said the hardest challenge was in the early years, as there was very little coverage and no pictures. Middle years were good, but later years, pics were on cell phones. Figuring out who played, finding them and contacting them was a long process. His biggest fear was missing players, but they did the best they could, getting a list of about 150 players. In a busy world, it is tough, but there were players who came who had not been to Boissevain in 30 years. Although they were going to split up the lists, Pringle decided to take command of it. In the end, this allowed him to talk baseball and get updates from a lot of people who were not able to come.
The team that would become a local baseball legend began in 1981, the year of the Boissevain and Morton centennial, hence the name. Pringle was not there at the very start, but he said it began due to another squad. The Riverside Canucks had located in Boissevain, but there was a group of players who they did not have room for. The idea, as Pringle remembered, was to start another club for them, one that might become a development team for the Canucks. The majority became settled in the team they were on and eventually Riverside moved. The Cents became the main tenant of the diamond.
Pringle himself started around 1983. There was a group of about seven players that gave an influx of youth and talent that allowed the team to grow. He gives Workman a lot of credit for integrating them and teaching them there was a lot of work involved in being successful. Winning was more fun than losing and the more they won, the more fun they would have off the field. Todd Turner said they needed to make the games more of an event, so he organized giveaways to encourage more fans to come. Get-togethers after games built the team culture. A tradition was developing.
Pringle would become more involved as well. Workman wanted to see him at work, and he was wondering if he was getting cut. Instead, he ended up being the second signature for the bank account as he was on main street. He has now been treasurer of the Boissevain Centennials since about 1984. Of course, Keith Forsyth has been president for about 30 years too. This connection and dedication keeps the team alive.
It did not take long for the squad to become a power, regardless of the changes in leagues around them. Championships in different eras became commonplace. Why? Pringle said in his days on the field, they never became tired of winning. They continued to work harder than most. They had fun practicing. The coaches, himself included, were drill sergeants.
“Winning breeds winning, I think,” Pringle explained. “You put the time in and don’t get content winning. Your minor ball system is crucial. We are fortunate there are a few guys that put a lot into the minor ball system.”
As well, there was always the commitment to come out to play the games. Players did not skip unless there was a good reason. That brings championships.
The sad time came that they had to take a leave of absence around 20 years ago. The reaction of fans gave them impetus to try again, but Keith Forsyth found it just was not feasible. Five years later, Jason Billaney and a group of younger players started it up again, and it has been a part of Boissevain summers ever since.
“One of the neat things for the alumni was to see now just how many people come to ball games. When this team started, they didn’t even have uniforms. The first set of uniforms was sponsored by Hannigan’s. For them to now see how broad the Centennial name is, was great for them.”
Over the years, Boissevain Minor Ball adopted the Centennial name for all of the teams, the big “C” is at the ballpark, and the merch is omnipresent.
“If I was most proud of one thing, it’s how that all got tied together, how a softball player or a baseball player is a Centennial. I hear people say Boissevain is a baseball town and I’m proud to hear that. A lot of people put a lot into that, and that doesn’t happen overnight. That just shows the strength of the volunteers in town.”
Pringle said he reminds the current players how lucky they are to have so many people in the stands. No other team has that. There is a loyal cadre that goes on the road as well. The alumni were amazed by this devotion. The fact the team has been successful helps, as does the local talent base. Perhaps the quality of the players as individuals is a factor as well.
“What’s a perfect Centennial? Someone who loves the sport, someone who hopefully wins more than they lose, but is a better person off the field than they are on the field.”
The tradition continues. The current players are in some cases third generation Cents. They can look back at a proud history, which is something to live up to. The crew that set the standard all those years ago were able to return to their fields of glory in 2025 as well.
“I hope and believe in the end they felt this was worthwhile,” Pringle said. “My feedback during the weekend was it was great, and I hope they feel it was better as time goes on. I liked bridging the alumni together with the current players. It was a good weekend.”
by PAUL RAYNER
Recorder staff