Jack Sell of Bowden, Alta., will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, Individual Category as a builder on Saturday, Aug. 18 in Battleford.
Sell has an extensive background in officiating baseball, having been an official most of his life, starting in 1982. That year he attended the Bill Kinnoman, Joe Brinkman Umpire School for six weeks in Florida. This was a high-standard, high-quality official umpire school, providing Sell training and experience at the highest standard of umpiring. His powerful, official voice was well respected, and heard all over the ball diamond.
Sell umpired throughout Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario, working more than 100 games each year, mostly in midget and senior baseball. Sell also officiated in pee wee baseball for 20 years. He was part of the umpire crew for the North Central Baseball League for 12 years, as well as for the Sunburst Senior League and the Saskatchewan Major League.
His first national tournament in midgets was in Camrose, Alta., in 1982, then in Windsor, Ont. in 1983. In total Sell umpired in at least 10 national tournaments. He was crew chief for the Western Canada Twilite Championships in Kindersley for seven years.
He worked in every level in the Western Canadian Championships for 20 years.
Nationally, Sell was also part of the seniors’ in Red Deer, Alta. in 1987 and the Summer Games in Saskatoon in 1989.
Internationally, Sell worked the International World Youth Tournament in Kindersley in 1984, the International Pacific College Cup in Kindersley in 1986 and the International World Series in St. Albert, Alta.
Sell officiated in two major league games at Chicago White Sox training camp and was part of the umpire crew when the California Angels came to Edmonton, Alta., and played the Trappers.
Sell lives in Bowden.
