Elmwood Giants baseball

Member of the Manitoba Junior Baseball League

The first Junior team to represent the Elmwood area was formed in 1903 and joined the Winnipeg Junior League that began play in 1901. Most of the Elmwood players of this era played for both the Junior and Intermediate teams, which cost them the Junior League championship in 1908. After defeating the Arenas that year in the League final, the Arenas protested that Elmwood player William Neville had played too many Intermediate games and was therefore ineligible for Junior. The League upheld the protest and ordered the final be replayed, and the Arenas were victorious. During these early years, the Elmwood area was well represented in the Winnipeg Junior League. In addition to the Giants, the Elmwood Cubs and the Elmwood White Sox also played in the League. The Giants made the League final again in 1915, losing to the Grain Exchange Baseball Club.

The Giants ran a strong minor program after the War Years, which produced a Provincial Juvenile Championship in 1924. Coach Scotty Oliver and the same group won Provincial Junior Championships in 1925 and 1927 defeating the Brandon Maroons each year.

During the 1930�s the Elmwood Giants became an Intermediate team and did not field a Junior team. However, Junior baseball was still strong in the area as St. Alphonse (�34), Elmwood Cubs (�35), and Morse Place Monarchs (�37) all won championships.

The Elmwood Giants Junior Team was reformed in 1946. Between 1946 and 1962, the Giants won 5 Championships and were finalists 8 other times.

After 1962 the Giants organization folded because of a lack of volunteers to run the program. The modern era Elmwood Junior Giants were organized in 1977. Between 1977 and 2009 they have been Provincial finalists 4 times and Provincial Champions 13 times.

The Elmwood Giants today are a well-run organization kept alive by a dedicated and talented group of baseball people with a strong sense of the history of the franchise.