Lloydminster Twins inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame

Intro today we have Troy winterhaltz one of the members of the Lloydminster Meridian twins who have been inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame for their teams from 2000 to 2014 and so thank you so much for being with us today Troy yeah The Twins and so Troy tell me a little bit about the Twins and how they were run you were a manager of the team as well as a player just tell me a little bit about the day today for the twins through those 2000 to 2014 Seasons well the team that's being the teams that are being adopted or the teams from the year 2000 and 2014. um in that time frame um we just had a lot of success especially the nsrbl eventually uh we were always contenders at that at uh the senior double a level but uh we were able to win uh 12 or 10 League championships in a narcis Scott from River baseball league in 15 years uh we won a senior eight presidential championship um sauce baseball team of the year in 2002 and uh you know we entered double A provincials many years and uh we were we were a force there in the late early 2000s late to late 2009 and 2011 there we were always always in the mix to uh to win the championship but we always came up a little bit short um so you know we just had a good good run over 15 years and it's nice to be um you know seeing that being recognized The Twins success and so Troy you mentioned some of the success the twins had what do you think is one of the main reasons that you guys were so successful throughout those few seasons it was just uh we we had a lot of talents on the team um we back in 2000 we're we're a lot a lot of young guys sitting around the you know 19 20 years old uh we had a good solid group of talented young players and we just we just wanted to play ball and have some fun and and you know just see what we could do we we didn't really you know of course we didn't really know what was you know ahead of us or anything like that we were just we just wanted to play ball we you know we were the only team in town at the time and uh and we could get on the field whenever we wanted so we always took advantage of that and uh but I think uh just just with our team in particular um we we had a strong core we had we had uh you know six seven guys that played through the 15-year span that were that were part of our core and we were always allowed you know we were always able to build around those guys and uh and have them come in and feel welcome on the team and contribute in different ways and and uh but that solid core was was what really led us to uh the success we Hall of Fame had and so Troy as a member of these teams how honored are you and the rest of the players to be inducted into the Sask ball Hall of Fame I think uh you know it's just just come puts everything in in place of what you you did for all those years and and your you know the labors the labors that you put in and all the practice practice that you put on the field and and the the phone calls and the emails and the text messages and and trying to work to to put a good team on the field and and uh and all the the experiences you had all the all the friendships you made over the years and you know everything everything under the hole that anybody had anything to do with the baseball team over the years it's a it's uh it's a great honor to anytime when you're when you're recognized especially eventually to uh to accept accept uh recognition like this Twins and so Troy if you could tell me a little bit about how the twins operated following that 2014 season and kind of where they're at now as well as your final few years in senior baseball for myself I I stayed on most the core guys quit in 20 after the 2013 season there was uh there was a talk that that the team you know we had to actually put in a leap of absence to the start of the season 2014 that we weren't going to be in the leading because a lot of our core guys had quit and it looked like we weren't going to have enough players to put a team together but uh we we managed to round up a lot of young guys that year and and we we kind of started over there and so so um you know myself Kevin Payne were were there for a few more years I stuck around until 20 20 20 21 was my last season um I didn't play it last year so I I've kind of stepped away from from the game and from the team uh the last couple years but uh as far as I know that the team's getting ready for uh for another season um they're uh currently in uh you you could probably say a rebuilding stage at this point um again you know they're they're starting now with a new group a younger group and and uh you know they're gonna do the same thing you go out there and play play some ball play hard see what they can do and uh hopefully that they can have some success on the field I know the the league is down the North's discussion from other baseball leagues down quite a few teams this year they only got seven but uh as far as the twins goes uh they're they got a team on the field there they got some good young ball players and uh you know they're gonna need the community support as well so uh if anybody gets a chance to go out and watch the football game I'm sure the boys will put on a good show for you Outro thank you so much Troy for all the information and congratulations once again to you and the Lloydminster Meridian twins for being inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame you've been