The Camrose Cubs (Cont...)
Posted October 30, 2019
Here is the continuation of the article The Camrose Cubs. For some reason this part of the article woudl not upload in the original article, perhaps it is a word count limit or length issue with the word processor on the website. Note to self, shorten up the articles slightly in the future.
The End of the Camrose Cubs
The Cubs 1978 season, and franchise as it would turn out, would end on Sunday September 10, 1978 when they would lose a sudden death playoff game 17-16 to the St Albert Saints. In a running theme in the Sunburst League, at least through the eyes of Camrose, the league always struggled to complete it’s full schedule when poor weather hit combined with teams entering provincial playoffs. In 1978 the Sunburst League opted to hold single elimination games for the playoffs versus a series of best of threes. The Cubs, Saints, Edmonton Cardinals and Edmonton Steelers agreed to play the elimination games in Edmonton for 1978 as it was now the second week of September before the first game of the playoffs was played. The Cubs were one and done with their 17-16 loss, despite being up on St Albert 12-4 after three innings.
Here was the roster of players listed who suited up for the last season of Camrose Cubs baseball;
G.Stang
W.Reynolds
D.Lindstrand
R.Wilson
M.Swanson
J.Bauer
G.Odovichuc
B.Andreassen
G.Oake
R.Van Slyke
K.Lychak
D.Swanson
B.Sawchuk
D.Stang
G.Nelson
M.Lindstrand
R.Heck
E.Ashton
V.Olson
V.Christianson
C.Sawchuk
J.Andreasen
D.Wahlstrom
The Cubs did try to get off the ground for the 1979 season, but it quickly became clear that there would be no chance at playing competitively in the Sunburst League as the roster once again would need to be re-tooled. It was reported that two players showed up to the first scheduled practice and the Camrose Canadian estimated that no more than 15-17 baseball players were interested in playing senior men’s baseball in Camrose, most of whom would be suiting up for the Camrose Roadrunners anyways. There was also competition for ball players with the numerous fastball leagues in town, including the Camrose Merchants. There was brief talk of the Cubs perhaps trying to enter the PBL again, but players elected to just play with one of the already established teams with the Camrose Roadrunners being the biggest beneficiaries. The Roadrunners would play in eight out of the next ten PBL Championship series, winning six of them as well as a total of seven PBL Pennants from 1979 through 1988.
There was a re-forming of the Camrose Cubs in 2006 when the Camrose Colts and Camrose Roadrunners of the Powerline Baseball League had a merger of sorts to form a team to once again compete in the Sunburst Baseball League. Unfortunatley this rendition of the Cubs would not last an entire season and after a disappointing forfeit double header in Calgary, the team would fold.
It is hard to deny the success that the Camrose Cubs had. In six Sunburst League seasons they managed to win three Championships and make the playoffs in each of those seasons. There was hosting a National Championship tournament for the first time in Western Canada, a Super Series against the Alberta Major Baseball League’s Edmonton Tigers and a couple of provincial titles and provincial playoff wins. The team had built their success with local baseball players who either had been playing in the Powerline Baseball League and/or continued to play in the Powerline Baseball League after the Cubs folded.
