DAVE LAFRANCE

Dave began playing baseball in Pine Falls, MB when he was 8 years old and began to play men’s fastball at 15, when he joined the Pine Falls Men’s Fastball Team.  He continued playing fastball in MB until 1982 primarily as a catcher. He then moved to Calgary to play for Alberta Brake and Clutch, who were one of the most dominant fastball teams, not only in Alberta and Canada, but in North America, during the 1980’s. As Brake and Clutch already had an established catcher, Dave played the outfield for a short while before moving to third base where he became a main stay for the next 8 years.

Dave’s talent and ability, combined with his fierce competitiveness, helped lead Brake and Clutch to 3 gold medal Senior A Canadian Championships. Considered by his teammates as one of the best all around athletes on the team, as well as a great team leader, Dave developed into one of the best third basemen in Canada. This was proven in 1987, when Dave was chosen to play for Team Canada and helped them to a gold medal in the 1987 Pan American Games. Dave was the only Canadian player to play in all ten games.

Dave retired from competitive ball in 1990. However, when daughter Jillian was old enough to play, he came out of retirement to coach, adding 8 gold medal Provincial Championships and numerous tournament victories to the other chapter of his softball career.

Awards and Achievements:

• 1981 Canadian Major League Batting Champion
• 1982-1983 Canadian Major League All Star
• 1984 Top Hitter Regina Invitational Tournament
• 1984, 1985 Midwest Fastball League All Star
• 1986 CASA Nationals Top Batter (.500 batting average)
• 1986 CASA Nationals All Star
• 3-time inductee into Manitoba Softball Hall of Fame (2014 as member of Pine Falls Canadians team, 2017 as an athlete, 2020 as a member of the Winnipeg Colonels team)
• 1999 induction to Softball Alberta Hall of Fame as a member of Alberta Brake and Clutch

Inducted as an Athlete in 2022