Official Scoring Clinic:

If you wish to inquire as to your status as an official scorer in the NCABL, please direct your inquiries to the Commissioner@ncabl.ab.ca

Lists of Accredited Scorers

Highlights from the Spring Bi-Annual Meeting
MCHS , Morinville, Alberta
March 22, 2010

Delegates attending the 2009 Fall Bi-Annual Policy Meeting were reminded of their off-season responsibilities including:

Official Scorer's Clinic:

The only official scoring clinic will be held on Sunday, May 2, at an Edmonton location yet to be announced.  All clubs must utilize scorers who have attended an official training session put on by the NCABL.  Any official scorer is welcome to attend free of charge as new material and procedures are being introduced annually.

50^th anniversary of the NCABL:  2017

The first order of business is a call to all clubs, past and present, to begin drawing up their player rosters for the respective years in which they have played in the NCABL and to start gathering contact data on these players.  It is not too early to begin this process as the organizing committee of the 25^th anniversary celebration began well in advance in preparing for that event held in Barrhead, Alberta in 1992.

Congratulations to the Camrose Axemen and Parkland WhiteSox for having been granted tenure within the NCABL.

Statistics embrace changes in the NCABL:

The League will be moving strictly to an electronic format for the preparation and issue of all game summary forms in 2010.  Mr. Tim Allen has accepted to review and update the existing form to include all approved changes.  This form will be available on the League's website.

Opening Day in the NCABL:

The League will officially launch its 2010 regular season on Sunday, May 9^th , with a host of single game contests beginning at 2:00 p.m.

All-Star Game:

The Parkland WhiteSox will be hosting the 2010 All-Star Game for the second consecutive year in Spruce Grove on July 20^th.  The start time is 6:45 p.m.

Umpire recognition:

Mr. Paul Milberry will be receiving his five-year service pin from Commissioner Riopel during the 2010 All-Star Game.  Congratulations, Paul!

League Sanctioned Tournaments:

All sanctioned tournaments for 2010 were approved and scheduled.  Refer to the League's website for current information.

Retirement of the Molson Cup and League Championship Trophy:

The Molson Cup and original League Championship Trophy will both be retired following the 2010 season and permanently housed in the League's showcases and archives situated in the Town of Morinville's Administrative Building.  The new replica trophies were unveiled at the Annual Meeting and await  the 2011 season when a new corporate name will figure on the annual pennant championship trophy.

Riopel and O'Shaughnessy return to lead the NCABL in 2010:

Commissioner Riopel and Associate-Commissioner O'Shaughnessy were returned to their respective roles for the 2010 season following a unanimous vote of approval from the League Governors.

The Ken Schultz Memorial Award

The Ken Schultz Memorial Award is the NCABL's most prestigious award.  It is presented annually to an individual who has distinguished himself/herself over an extended period of time as a builder, promoter, or umpire within the North Central Alberta region.  This year's recipient is Frank Vollmer from Morinville, Alberta.  A description of Mr. Vollmer's contributions has been included below:

The Ken Schultz Memorial Award is the North Central Alberta Baseball League's most prestigious award. It is presented annually to an individual who has distinguished himself as a builder, promoter, or umpire over an extended period of time within the North Central Alberta region. This year's recipient, Frank Vollmer, hails from Morinville, Alberta.

Frank Vollmer's love of baseball began, as it did for many enthusiasts of this great sport, at an early age. Good old country baseball was not played as regularly as the game is being played today, with today's players competing in well organized leagues throughout the province. One of Frank Vollmer's dreams after moving to Morinville in 1961 was to build baseball's profile in that community, a community with a rich local baseball history. Throughout the 1940's and 1950's, touring teams with several American players in their midst had been organized through the sponsorship of benefactors such as Joe Perras and the Steffes Brothers to represent Morinville in some of the more prestigious tournaments in the province at that time. But no regular baseball presence had been established within the Town of Morinville until Frank Vollmer's involvement with the sport of baseball changed all of that.

In 1968, the North Central Alberta Baseball League was formed and a general invitation was launched to all communities in the region with a local baseball club to join the very first organized league with a regular season of play. Frank Vollmer was ecstatic. With the help of a good friend, Norm Houle, the two baseball buddies approached Bert Craig, a prominent businessman from Morinville, with the idea of sponsoring a club to represent Morinville within the upstart NCABL. Frank's involvement with the Morinville Manufacturers of that early era included tasks that went far beyond those normally assigned to a general manager. Frank would arrange for the scorekeeping to be kept, the umpires assigned, the baseballs provided for, the uniforms obtained, as well as any and all other needs required to field a smart looking club. As everyone who played in that era will remember, the greatest challenge was always getting the field groomed for play. The clay infields of the day would generally not take too much of a rain before further play was delayed or a tournament forcibly cancelled due to muddy conditions. One of Frank's most daunting tasks under these circumstances would be to organize a large volunteer field crew to ready the field following one of the famous 'diesel burns', which Frank also organized with the local fuel agent following a heavy downpour. Frank would never cancel a tournament without first having made a valiant effort to save it. The plumes of black smoke rising above the infield were always a testament to those efforts!

Frank Vollmer's constant presence guided the Morinville Manufacturers from 1968 through to 1980 and continued well into the 1980's after the club had changed its name to the Morinville Merchants. During this time, Frank organized one of the region's best known tournaments, the Frontier Daze Tournament, held annually in the Town of Morinville during the 1970's and 1980's as part of the St. Jean Batiste celebrations. This event would always draw large crowds, especially for the final game on Sunday evening when hundreds of fans would line the fences and fill the grandstand. The sight of these successful events would always bring a shy smile to Frank's face. Never one to boast nor to make his presence known, Frank Vollmer's quiet dedication to the game of baseball in the North Central Alberta area and in Morinville in particular has not been forgotten. Frank Vollmer's contribution is another example of what our baseball pioneers have given to this great game and why it continues to thrive today. To this builder and promoter of the game of baseball will be added one more honor, the Ken Schultz Memorial Award, along with our thanks for his unselfish service to the game.
Most Valuable Player of the Year in the NCABL 2009

The NCABL has also released the names of its ten most valuable players during the 2009 regular season as selected by neutral Managers from across the League using a double balloting system. Complete results from that ballot system follows:

The following players have been selected through a double balloting system as the North Central Alberta Baseball League's top ten most valuable players during the 2009 regular season.

Recipient of the 2009 MVP Award Ballot Points:

Blair Cowley - Legal Indians - 60

In order of finish: