Zaden Wake is one of the Lethbridge Bulls new recruits this season. The Lethbridge College student is shown here preparing for the season with the local Prairie Baseball Academy which has helped produce some of the Bulls’ top talent.
Win or lose, the upcoming baseball season will be a special one for the Lethbridge Bulls.
The team is busy making plans to celebrate its 25th anniversary season, kicking things off June 5th with their home opener which takes place 25 years to the day the Bulls first took to the field.
Kevin Kvame, president of the Lethbridge Bulls, has been involved with the team since its beginning. He thinks the upcoming season will be one of the best ever.
“It’s not that we haven’t had good ones in the past, but I think with the amount of attention we have going into the season, this year is going to be second to none and we’re excited to celebrate our success with the community,” he said.
According to Kvame, the Bulls actually got their start on a cold January night when he and team founder Doug Jones drove through the night to attend the annual meeting of the Saskatchewan Major Baseball League taking place the next day in Melville. Lethbridge was ultimately awarded a franchise and five months later the Bulls played their first game at what was then Henderson Stadium.
Kvame remembers the first few years were hard for the Bulls, with poor attendance and little community support. However, things started to turn around in 2002 when the team convinced the league to change its name to the Western Major Baseball League (now the Western Canadian Baseball League).
About the same time, the Medicine Hat Mavericks joined the league, giving the Bulls a much-needed local rival. Kvame says the fortunes of the team soon improved and the organization was able grow and develop.
Kvame looks back at the Bulls first championship in 2015 as one of his fondest memories. Though they entered the playoffs with a vastly depleted line-up, the team pulled together to execute a perfect nine win, no loss championship run.
“They were just determined that this was going to be the year and nothing was going to stop them,” he related. “I was league president at that time and so I presented the trophy to our team for the first time. That was kind of nice.”
Kvame says other highlights throughout the years included securing the naming rights for Spitz Stadium in 2007, the addition of the giant video board in 2012, the multi-million renovation of the stadium in 2018 and of course the team’s second championship in 2021.
But as important as these milestones were, Kvame says his best memories are of the players.
“We’re going to start to announce our nominees for our quarter century team. Looking through some of the names brings a smile to your face remembering their talent and their passion to play for the community and for the Bulls,” he said.
One of those helping to organize 25th Anniversary celebrations for the Bulls, is Brent Radlinksy, game day operations and special projects manager. He says Bulls alumni will play a prominent role in the festivities.
“A lot of guys stuck around Lethbridge over the years, especially the Canadian kids that played here, so they’re around and we want to get those guys involved a lot more,” he explained.
In addition to the quarter century team, the Bulls will be unveiling a wall of fame and a special 25thanniversary logo that will feature prominently on team merchandise and new signage throughout the ballpark.
Radlinksy says the team’s home schedule is also packed with special promotions and theme nights. Plus, he says fans will notice an improved game-day experience including the addition of a barbecue area serving up tasty treats like brisket and pulled pork.
“We want to get people to the park, not just for the game, but for a lot of fun,” he said.
The Bulls also expect to offer a high-quality product on the field as well, with a number of returning players including local favourites Josh Kabayama and all-star game MVP Kalem Hainey. Also returning is pitcher Javier de Alejandro, who tossed a memorable no-hitter last season.
In addition, Josh Burgmann, Bulls pitching coach, says the team has been combing college rosters in Canada and the United States to recruit top new talent. He says playing in the Bulls 25th anniversary season will be something special for both players and coaches.
“I think as players, it’s just extra motivation to have to have a really good year,” he explained. “The Lethbridge Bulls have a long history of winning in the WCBL (Western Canadian Baseball League) and I think to win a championship in the 25th anniversary season would be something really special for our organization and for the city of Lethbridge.”
But no matter what happens on the field, Kvame says the Bulls plan to work hard to make a ticket to Spitz Stadium a hot commodity this summer.
“We want to have a reason every night for you to want to be here,” he stated.
