Local sports legend Gladwyn Scott's name will live on with the many Manitobans he impacted during his eventful life. It was announced yesterday that Scott had passed away at 90-years-old.
The Brandon University alumnus was a prominent figure in both baseball and hockey for over 50 years. Scott coached in both sports simultaneously from 1952 to 1986 but shifted his focus solely to baseball when he was named the vice president of Baseball Canada.
The Hamiota native was the president of numerous hockey organizations, including the South West Hockey League, South Interlake Hockey League, and Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (now known as Hockey Manitoba). For these achievements, Scott was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.
While hockey and baseball were his main focus, Scott also spent some of his early coaching years leading the charge for high school basketball teams in Hamiota. During his five years behind various benches in Hamiota, Scott captured seven provincial championships, three of which all came within a single season.
That was not his only major contribution to high school sports either, as Scott was the founder of the Carman Cougarettes high school basketball team, Carman Goldeyes baseball team, and Carman Beavers senior hockey team. In 1962 he also played a large part in forming the Manitoba High School Athletic Association, which still oversees all high school athletics to this day.
Scott made his biggest mark, however, on the diamond. He coached a number of different baseball teams from 1953-1990 and spent three years as the vice president of Baseball Canada. While coaching and dealing with his vice president duties, Scott also took on a role in the big leagues. The Hamiota product became a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987 and did so with them until 1993. He still remained scouting at the highest level from 1994 to 2001 with the Atlanta Braves.
The founder of the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008. Athletics in Manitoba wouldn't be what they are today without Gladwyn Scott, and those he impacted during his lifetime will help his story live on for generations.