Two longtime staples of the Barrhead Senior Team had their jerseys retired on Aug. 7 at the Fort Assiniboine sports grounds.
The combined age of Joe Smith and Henry Sirant is more than 150 years, and both men have more than 40 years of slo-pitch experience between them. Smith and Sirant had no idea their teammates had planned a special ceremony honouring the two men.
“Henry and I quit this year, and we just went out to watch the boys play. After the game on Sunday, I was saying we should head home and have a beer. The guys said I couldn’t go and that; I needed to stay at the diamond,” said Smith
The two veteran slo-pitch players were taken by surprise when their teammates presented each of them with a gift.
“After playing with these guys for many years, I tell you, it was something what they did for us. I thought they’d give us a voucher for a hot dog or a hamburger. I had no idea they had this planned,” said Smith.
“You know that voucher would have been more than enough,” chuckled Sirant.
Smith and Sirant were each presented with their specific framed jersey, along with a softball and a couple of team pictures.
“When I saw what they had done, I got emotional and just fell apart. It was too much. We just played ball to have fun and then all of a sudden they did this,” said Smith.
“It was a really emotional time; Papa Joe let a few tears go. I told him to quit that, or else I’d start with the tears. Joe had 25 or 26 years and I had 18 or 19 years. It was really tough,” said Sirant.
Although Smith and Sirant ended their slo-pitch career with the Barrhead Senior Team in the Pembina Slo-Pitch League, said Sirant, these men have experienced a lifetime of slo-pitch over the years.
“We travelled a lot of places together, and we had a lot of fun playing slo-pitch all over the country. We also did a lot of things we won’t tell anybody,” chuckled Sirant.
Smith and Sirant look back on their years of slo-pitch with fondness and a sense of pride.
“In our day, we won more than our share; we had a really good team. At the Agrena, we have a section there of all the trophies we’ve won throughout the years,” said Sirant.
When pressed about what they might get up to now that they’ve retired from slo-pitch, the veterans answered with some humour.
“Well, I guess I should make an appointment with the undertaker now,” said Smith, tongue in cheek.
“Oh, I think now I can go out, watch the game and just enjoy it,” said Sirant.
