Bill Sittler from Wilkie will be inducted into the individual category of the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame, as a player/builder Aug. 17.
Sittler was born May 15, 1955 to Norbert and Geraldine Sittler, and he was raised on a farm near Leipzig.
Sittler attended school in Leipzig, Handel, and later high school in Wilkie. He married Patty Freson of Denzil Feb. 16, 1980 and raised four children on the family farm west of Leipzig.
Sittler played minor ball in Leipzig and in Carmelheim. He played eight years with the Wilkie Brewers, highlighted by a provincial championship in 1975 and a silver medal at Western Canadians.
Sittler loved baseball, but took a break to raise his family until his children were old enough to hit the diamonds.
In 1990, Bill started coaching his oldest son Craig for the Wilkie mosquito team, who made it to the A final before being defeated by North Battleford in zone playoffs.
The next year, Sittler coached the boys to a mosquito C championship in Langenberg. That would be the first of many provincial titles for Wilkie.
In 1992, Sittler started playing for the Wilkie Oldtimers, who often made the playoffs.
In 1993, he coached the peewee C team to a provincial win in Davidson.
In 1994, the same team lost the A final to Dinsmore in peewee C.
Sittler took a break from coaching in 1995 and returned to playing Oldtimer baseball himself. His team lost the C final in Kindersley.
In 1998, Sittler returned to coaching Mosquito baseball and that team went on to win the zone playoffs that year. His son Mike was a member of that ball team. The following year, the team won the provincial A2 final in Humboldt.
In 2000, Sittler coached the peewee AA team in provincials in Outlook, but lost in the semifinals. In 2001, however, his peewee team won the A2 final in Macklin.
Coaching the bantam AA team the next year in Watrous, Sittler's team lost out in the finals.
2004 was a memorable year for Sittler. Having a very talented core of players, the team decided to enter midget AA. With determination, talent, a winning attitude and great coaching, they won the provincial title. Then at the Western Canadian finals the team would lose out in the A final held in Altona, Man.
In 2006, Sittler once again took the midget boys to provincials and won. That would be his last provincial title win as a coach.
Baseball gave many enjoyable summers to Sittler and his family. He continues to be very active in his community, sitting on several boards and getting involved in other sports as well. Although Sittler has retired from coaching, he can still be seen at the Wilkie Brewers games cheering and giving advice from the stands all summer long.
