Baseball team, harness racing driver and figure skater will be inducted at noon

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Times & Transcript Staff

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A Maritime championship baseball team and two deserving individual athletes will be added to the Dieppe Sports Wall of Fame tomorrow.

The 1960 Maritime juvenile baseball champion Dieppe Red Sox, harness racing driver Guy Gaudet and figure skater Donald LeBlanc will take their rightful place on the wall.

Tomorrow's event, slated for noon at the Crystal Palace/Ramada Plaza convention centre, marks the third time the ceremonies have been held.

Previous inductions were held in 2004 and 2007.

The Dieppe Sports Wall of Fame is located inside the Arthur J. LeBlanc Centre.

Following are synopsis of the Dieppe inductees:

Dieppe Red Sox

In 1960, the Red Sox scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat the Glace Bay Miners 8-5 at Memramcook (St-Joseph) to capture the Maritime juvenile baseball championship.

In the opening game of the best-of-three final, right-hander Eldon Hamilton pitched two-hit ball and fanned 16 as the Red Sox blanked the Miners 7-0.

Hamilton also picked up the mound win in the second game 8-5 victory with a strong relief showing.

In the title-clinching game, Jean-Paul LeBlanc's up-the-middle single in the 10th inning drove in Ray Gallant from second with the payoff tally. Gene Gaudet then chased home two insurance runs with a single to right-centre field.

On the mound, Hamilton posted a 12-1 overall record in 1960 including eight straight wins in the playoffs.

The Red Sox were managed by Larry Faudel and coached by the late Ray (Tozie) LeBlanc.

Members of the team were Jean-Paul LeBlanc, Ray Gallant, Edmour Gaudet, Bill Hamilton, Robert Auffrey, Art Bourque, Reg Boudreau, Donald Landry, Bob Beers, Gene Gaudet, Paul Kerwin, Claude (Toothpick) Cormier and Eldon Hamilton.

The assistant manager was Armand Brun and the batboys were Neri Vautour and Clifford (Gum Gum) Cormier.

Guy Gaudet

Guy Gaudet was the top leading harness driver in 1966 with 36 wins and also had the high percentage at .364.

In 1968, Gaudet also had the high percentage at .400 and in 1975 was the top driver with 57 wins (47 from his own stable).

He also had the horse of the year (Alec B. Smart) and a top percentage of .390 and also holds the record for most wins at Brunswick Downs.

In 1976, Gaudet had Horse of the Year (Wick Gauman) and was the top leading driver with 48 wins. Again in 1976, he tied top leading driver Eddy Beers with 50 wins and a high percentage of .355.

Donald LeBlanc

Donald LeBlanc of the Dieppe Gold Blades Skating Club won novice, junior and senior competition honours in Atlantic Canada, New Brunswick and Quebec and also did well in national singles and couples competition over the years.

In 1985, Donald and partner Cheryl Pike of Surrey, B.C., were first at the Preston, Ont., competition; first at the Atlantic Divisional and sixth at the Canadian championship.

In 1986, Donald, a graduate of Mathieu-Martin High School and l'Université de Moncton, captured two gold medals at the Central Ontario Summer Competition in Toronto.

He was also awarded leadership certificates over the years.