The Fulda Flyers will be inducted in the team category Aug. 21 into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Fulda Flyers were formed by Ted Suer, Henry Kohnle, Herman Lueke and Wilfred Schedlosky. Other starting members of the team were Wilfred Bernauer, Emil Lange, Francis Lueke, Clarence Mertz, Ludwig Wegleitner and James, Norbert and Wilbert Wourms.
The team's first diamond was laid out in a pasture north of Fulda then in about 1950, a new diamond was built on the Wilmont Church grounds west of Fulda. Eventually a more modern field was built in Fulda in 1972.
Suer managed the team from 1953 to '73 and during these years the team played only tournaments in Saskatoon, Humboldt, Bruno, Marysburg, Lake Lenore, Annaheim, Muenster, Tisdale, Lanigan, Cudworth, Melfort, Wakaw, Middle Lake and a few others.
Not only did the Flyers play in the tournament, but they won their fair share as well. Fulda won the 1963, '65 and '66 Humboldt Exhibition Tournaments. In 1963,'65, and '66 Fulda Flyers were invited to the Saskatoon Exhibition, reaching the semi finals in '65.
From 1953 to '73, the team played a total of 444 games compiling a record of 258-186. Some regular players from that era included: Albert and Harry Wempe, Roman and Ted Suer, Delmar and Dennis Hebig, Bud Miller, Leo Urban, Alvin Theissing, George Theisen, Frank Hilbert, Leon Winkel and Gerry Strueby.
Roman Suer, was the team's ace with a record of 216 wins and 98 losses - he was inducted into the Humboldt Sports Hall of Fame.
In 1974, the team joined the North Central Baseball League and by 1981, they became a force in that league finishing on top with a record of 18-1-1 and winning the Saskatchewan Intermediate A Championship.
The Flyers went on to the 1981 Western Canadian Championships losing the final game with a record of 8-1. The 1981 roster included: coaches Leon Winkel and Roman Suer and players Gary Hoppe, Kevin Kalthoff, Glen Suer, Ralph Graf, Gary Schenn, Terry Loxterkamp, Allan Becker, Eugene Graff, Barry Paydli, Brian Fleischhacker, Murray Wempe and Leon Fleischhacker. Twelve of the 14 players were from the small community of Fulda.
From 1981 to '85, Fulda was one of the top intermediate teams in the province. In '82, the Flyers advanced to the provincial final, losing to Vibank, the eventual Western Canadian Champions. The next year, they defeated Vibank to win the Saskatchewan Intermediate Championship for the second time in three years. At the Western Canadian finals in Vibank, they went 1-3 with their only win coming over Deloraine, Man. the eventual Western Canadian Champions. That year, the Flyers played 56 games with a 38-17-1 record.
In 1985, the Flyers hosted the Intermediate Championship and earned second place.
On the local stand point, the Flyers were the runners up twice at the North Battleford Beavers 16-team Baseball Tournament. In 1978, their first time in this tournament, they received the Crownmart Trophy as the tournament's most sportsmanlike team.
From 1981 to '88, the Flyers won five league pennants and had the highest winning percentage of any team in the league. During those years, the Flyers never lost a provincial playoff round to any team in their league.
The last game played by the Fulda Flyers, in Fulda, was played July 26, 1988, in the NCBL final against the Marysburg Royals. The Flyers won the game, but lost the championship series 3-1 to Marysburg.
That ended 40 years of baseball in the small community of Fulda, but the memories line on. That is why baseball fans are invited to the event and to honour the Flyers and 13 individuals and one family this month at the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
