For the first time in the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame's history, twins will be honoured at the induction ceremony.
Matthew and Lindsey Dahl will be inducted together in 2025, and Lindsey says that it's something he wasn't prepared for.
"I was certainly surprised and excited, and quite honoured to receive the news about being inducted."
He adds that being inducted together with his brother Matt is something that he doesn't take for granted.
"It makes it a little bit more special. Growing up playing baseball, Matt was always a teammate, whether it was during team practices and whatnot or just in the back yard playing catch or hitting balls off the tee, he was always around. It's something that we spent a lot of time doing together, so it is special to be going in at the same time as well."
He notes that spending so much time together playing baseball gave them a shared interest and helped them both improve their skills.
The cap on their achievements was in the year 2000, when the brothers decided to try out for the Winnipeg Goldeyes.
"It was a very, very short period that we were there, but it was a sense of accomplishment to be chosen for that opening day roster, especially being from Portage, and being so close to Winnipeg," Dahl continues. "We played the sport competitively, we played at a fairly high level, but also it was a fun activity that we did. So, actually pushing ourselves to go and try out for the Goldeyes, and making it that far was really a sense of accomplishment. I don't want to speak for my brother, but for myself, that's how I felt. And being closer to home was fun and it was exciting that it was so close to where we grew up."
These days, Lindsey and Matt both still spend time out on the diamond, coaching their own sons, seen in the picture above. Lindsey says that he's enjoying his new role.
"It's fun to get back on the diamond. There's a brief period where you stop playing and then you're raising your children, and they reach an age where they can start playing, so there's a brief moment where you're not on the diamond. It's great to get back on the diamond, it brings up some memories, and then teaching the game to our kids is really enjoyable. So, just being back on the diamond, teaching the sport that I grew up playing and really enjoyed and loved to our kids is really just a bonus."