Fastball was a very popular sport in the Village of Stockholm. Teams began playing the game in the early 1970s and continued league play into the 2000s.
Stockholm had three teams who competed in the 9/22 league.
There were the Stockholm Blues who started as a junior team in 1971. The team consisted of pitchers Gerry Schwitzer, Brian Banga, Mark Banga, and catcher Lawrence Hegedus. The Blues were together until the mid 1980s.
The Stockholm Pioneers began play in 1980 in the 9/22 league. Their home games were played at Pioneer Hall, south of the Village of Stockholm; thus, the name Pioneers was taken. They were led by pitcher Lionel Johanson, Reg Johnson, Jim Bali, Glen Banga, Philip Banga, Wayne Selin and a catcher named Reg Banga who joined the team at the age of twelve.
Reg went on to play in the 1989 summer games for Team Saskatchewan, the Australian National Team and in the Western Canada Fastball League with the Camrose Merchants.
The Stockholm Pioneers won the league championship in 1982.
Stockholm Kings – In June of 1976, Freedhome Hall needed a fourth softball team for their annual picnic, so a small group of young men put a team together; Nick’s Raiders was formed. The team played at a couple of small country picnics and sports days where mostly orthodox pitching was used. When Reg Closson joined the team later in 1976, the team had a “windmill” pitcher. In the beginning the players would each put a few dollars together to buy a couple of bats and some balls. They shared home field with the Pioneers team and borrowed their bases for practices until they could get their own. The next year one player’s father worked for a tire company, and sponsored us with t-shirts and caps advertising Ride King Tires. The Stockholm Ride Kings (later shortened to Kings) came into being. In 1981, the team bought their green and white uniforms.
In 1981, the 9/22 fastball league was formed and the Kings played there until 1986. In 1985, the team finished first in the league but lost in the playoffs. The Kings disbanded at the end of 1986.
The Kings were a young team with many teenagers, so their roster changed frequently as these young men moved on to school or job opportunities. Kim Persson is the only one who played in the first game as Nick’s Raiders and the last game as a King. Reg Closson did 99% of the pitching. Some of the longest tenured players were Kim, Glen, John and Ted Persson, Reg Closson, Loren Herperger, Albert Banga, Myles Nelson and Gilroy Sjodin. The first year or two the team played without a coach until Brian Balon agreed to coach them. He was the team’s coach until the end of 1984, then Reiny Kulscar took over until they disbanded in 1986.
Sadly, three teammates have passed on too young: Brian Balon, Fred Wilson and Kelly Banga. They were all talented good friends who are all missed.
The Stockholm kings were a young talented team who had a lot of fun playing the game and forging friendships on and off the field.
Submitted by Ted Persson
In 1990 the Stockholm Raiders were formed. This fastball club took most of the better players from the three teams and entered the Yellowhead League.
This team was coached by Gerry Schwitzer. They won the 1992 Intermediate A Provincials.
They went on to compete in the Western Canadian Championship in Fort Smith, N.W.T.
They finished the tournament in fourth place and were awarded the the most Sportsmanlike Team Award in the tournament.
The Stockholm Storm were a team that consisted of the Stockholm Raiders, Atwater Steelers, and some of the other players from surrounding area teams. This team won the 1994 Provincial Senior A Championship. They also won the silver medal at the Western Canadian Championship. This team was only put together to play provincial fastball.