Mitch In addition to having a long-time contribution to baseball officiating in Canada at the national level, candidates being considered for the Home Run Sports Lifetime Achievement Award must:
2022 Winner - Mitch Ball
Mitch Ball was postuhumously awarded this honour in recognition of his lifetime of committment and dedication to umpiring and umpire development in Canada.
Mitch was a highly respected and successful umpire, working 7 National championships serving as the Gold Medal plate umpire for 3 of them. He also umpired at 3 International Championships, most recently at the 2015 PanAm Games in Toronto, and was the plate umpire for the 2002 Little League Baseball World Series United States Championship Game.
In addition, Mitch was a Master Course Conductor and national supervisor for Baseball Canada, supervising at three National Championships. When mentoring and instructing umpires, Mitch was known for his humour, insight, and his positive way of helping all umpires he worked with reach their fullest potential.
Some of the accolades he received in his career included being named the Baseball Canada Dick Willis Umpire of the Year, the plate umpire for the 2002 Little League Baseball World Series United States Championship GameBaseball Lethbridge Umpire of the Year, Little League Alberta and Baseball Alberta Umpire of the Year, and was honoured multiple times for various contributions off the field to baseball and the umpire community in Alberta and Canada.
Most important, Mitch was universally respected and beloved as a role model in the umpiring community. He was a loving husband and dedicated father to his 6 children and 2 foster children. Mitch will be greatly missed in the umpiring community, and Baseball Canada was honoured to present this award in his honour to his wife Jana and their children.
2019 Winner - Rocky Nickel
Throughout his career, Rocky participated in 23 National Championships and umpired in two international events. He also attended 9 Baseball Canada Instructor Caravans, 8 as an instructor. He served on Baseball Canada’s Umpire Committee as Assistant National Supervisor.
Rocky’s involvement and contributions have been invaluable to umpiring in his province. He has served close to 30 years on the provincial umpire executive committee, including 2 terms as umpire supervisor. The respect for Saskatchewan umpires has increased significantly during his terms as provincial supervisor.
On the field, Rocky has been an outstanding official, leading him to receive the highest recommendation possible at each National Championship he worked. He has worked every level of ball including independent professional baseball in the Prairie League of Professional Baseball and the Canadian Baseball League. He is a very capable umpire, whose greatest asset may be his ability to manage games. His ability to stay calm, and handle difficult situations has been a model for others to follow.
Off field, his contributions are countless. As a Senior Course Conductor, Rocky has taught and evaluated thousands of umpires. He’s taught countless clinics from level 1 through our Level 4/5 National Clinics. Not only has he instructed, but he has also developed curriculums with Umpire Development in mind. Rocky worked on the National Grassroots portfolio, revamping Baseball Canada’s Level 1,2,3 programs.
Congratulations, Rocky!
Past Winners
2018 - David Buckingham (NF)
2016 – Dennis Ryan (ON)
2015 – Yves Gagnon (QC)
2011 - Larry Nicholls (MB)
2010 - Don Gilbert (ON) & Len Bell (SK)
2009 - David McManus (NB)
2007 – Howard Chapman (BC)
Nominees for the Dick Willis Umpire of the Year Award must:
2022 Winner - Philip McGee
This year, Phil was involved in many facets of the umpiring program. He remained an active on-field umpire with his local association in the Battlefords, SK and at provincial events. He was selected by Baseball Saskatchewan to umpire at the Baseball Canada Senior Men's National Championship, earning a semi-final plate assignment and being recognized for his accomplished performance.
In addition, he was selected by Baseball Canada to umpire at the Toronto Blue Jays Futures Showcase event, where he was selected for inclusion on Baseball Canada's International Recommendation List.
Off the field, Phil contributed to umpire development through his work on the Baseball Saskatchewan Umpires Committee where he serves as Operations and Communications Lead, and his membership on the Baseball Canada Umpires Committee Communications Portfolio.
Congratulations, Philip!
Past Winners
1993 - Glen Johnson
1994 - Robert Bellerose
1995 - Derek Lloyd
1996 - Dave Buckingham
1997 - Don Gilbert
1998 - René Provencher
1999 - Brian Hodgson
2000 - Ted Derpack
2001 - Ron Shewchuk
2002 - Ray Merkley
2003 - Yves Poulin
2004 - Lisa Turbitt
2005 - Corrie Davis
2006 - Blair Hains
2007 - Rocky Nickel
2008 - Derrick Dubell
2009 - Andrew Higgins
2010 - David Cass
2011 - Trevor Grieve
2012 - Jon Oko
2013 - Andrew Downs
2014 - Rhonda Pauls
2015 - Rob Allan
2016 - Jim McMillan
2017 - Scott Mills
2018 - Guillaume Smith-Desbiens
2019 - Trevor Drury
