Esterhazy was well known for fastball in the 1960s, 705, and 80s. With potash mines active in the area, players formed teams such as Kleysens, the Esterhazy Royals, Tags, K2, teachers, the Esterhazy Eagles. These teams played with some small towns in the area in the Potashville League.
In 1978, a team sponsored by IMC was formed and applied for entry in the Yorkton Fastball League. The team was made up of players who were mostly employed by IMC.
The Yorkton league was made up of five teams which included the Yorkton Merchants, the Melville Comets, the Melville Skyhawks, the Calder Comets and the Orcadia Jays. This new entry was welcomed to make a six-team league.
IMC Esterhazy had three very experienced pitchers.
Jerry Halyk, who had played in the Western Major Fastball League with the Regina Carlings. Jerry also pitched for the Melville Comets and other Esterhazy teams,
Kelvin Nernberg from Spy Hill, was on the team and he also pitched for the Endcliffe Royals, Russell Dodgers, and Russell Raiders.
Brian Gerhardt was involved. Gerhardt won the Provincial “C” title with the Atwater Steelers in 1977. In that provincial final, Brian pitched a no-hitter to win the title. Brian also won a provincial title with Thompson, Manitoba.
Other players on the team included Gay Patrick, Harry Madonick, Ed Stroeder and Curtis Neville of Esterhazy, Rob and Gene Daum, and Garnet Putland of Churchbridge, and Clayton Foley and Dwayne McDonnell of Langenburg. That year, Henderson Glass, a Yorkton-based team had folded; this meant catcher Norm Achtemichuk and third baseman Gary Cooper could also join IMC.
That year, the team finished in first place only losing one game; they cruised through the playoffs and won their first league title. IMC attended many tournaments in the area and won most of them.
In 1979, IMC again finished first in league play and won another title (their second). The team won various tournaments in the Esterhazy area. IMC traveled to Minot, North Dakota and won the ‘A’ side of the city tournament; this was a very large tournament with very stiff competition.
In 1980, some players left the team and Brian Ingjaldson from Langenburg, and Larry Nernberg, who were new employees at IMC, joined the team. IMC Esterhazy finished the league in first place and won their third title.
IMC won the Plentywood tournament and also tournaments in Killaly, Dubuc, Langenburg, Churchbridge and Spy Hill.
In 1981, the IMC team finished regular season play in second place behind a very powerful Melville Skyhawks team. However, in the playoffs, they defeated the Skyhawks three games to one winning their fourth consecutive league title. That year, the team won numerous tournaments in the area, competed in “B“ provincial playoffs, the Mount Pleasant tournament in Regina and the Saskatchewan Potash Tournament in Saskatoon (in this tournament, IMC lost in the final to PCS).
In the spring of 1982 the Yorkton Fastball League folded with only the Melville Skyhawks and IMC Esterhazy as the two teams left. Esterhazy applied to join another league, but were denied. The team dissolved with some players joining other teams and the rest retiring from the game.
A team called the Esterhazy Extreme was born in the 2000s; however, this team only lasted for two years. It was a very sad end to the game we all loved to play. Presently, men’s fastball is played in Esterhazy.
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