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About the Edmonton International Baseball Foundation…

Back in 1979, Ron Hayter, as an executive member of Baseball Canada and Baseball Alberta, dreamed of bringing an international baseball event to Edmonton, called the Intercontinental Cup. This eight-country tournament, featuring the best amateur men's teams in the world, was second only to the World Championships in prestige. But when he proposed the idea to Baseball Alberta, the Board of Directors blanched at the cost and the risks involved with any outdoor event.
But Hayter didn't want the dream to die. So, with the blessing of the provincial body, he decided to establish a not-for-profit organization - called the Edmonton International Baseball Foundation-- to organize the competition. The rest is history.

The 1981 Intercontinental Cup was a rousing success, highlighted by the superb performance of Edmonton lefthander Perry Lychak who stunned the powerful Cuban national team by hurling a masterful three-hit 2-1 victory for Canada. It represented Cuba's first loss in international play since the 1967 Pan-American Games in Winnipeg. Since that time, the E.I.B.F. has been busily involved in promoting amateur baseball and organizing major tournaments. The World Baseball Magazine, the official publication of the International Baseball Federation, could hardly contain itself in its recent issue. "The Edmonton International Baseball Foundation," it gushed, "once again demonstrated its excellent organizational abilities and proven experience" in hosting the 2000 World Junior AAA Championships.

But such praise is nothing new to the E.I.B.F. which has the distinction of organizing seven previous baseball events, beginning with the 1981 Intercontinental Cup and followed by the 1985 Intercontinental Cup, the 1990 World Men's Championships, the 1996 Olympic Qualification Tournament for the Americas, the 2000 World Junior Championship, the 2004 World Cup of Women's Baseball, and lastly, the 2008 World Junior AAA Championship.

The 2000 Junior Championships, won by Korea in a thrilling I3-inning victory over the United States in the gold medal game, opened the eyes of Canadian fans to the growing caliber of minor baseball on the international level further documented by the 2008 results in Edmonton.

The E.I.B.F. broke new ground with the organization of the first-ever World Cup of Women's Baseball, as the agent of the International Baseball Federation and Baseball Canada. The IBAF, with its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the governing body of international baseball.

Under the leadership of former President Harvey W. Schiller and current president Ricardo Fraccari of Italy, its membership has grown to more than 125 countries (an interesting sidebar is that Mr. Fraccari umpired in the 1990 championship in Edmonton). "We are a committed partner of amateur baseball, " says Chairman Hayter, a long-time Edmonton City Councillor. "Our aim is to enhance the sport's popularity and create opportunities for the youth of Edmonton, Alberta and Canada to play baseball. "

Not only has it brought exciting competitions to Edmonton, but the E.I.B.F. also has contributed more than $1,000,000 to the development of amateur baseball, especially at the minor levels.

It has contributed funds toward the construction and upgrading of facilities such as Rundle Park and Spartan Park and instituted a bursary program to assist Alberta players, both make and female, in pursuing post-secondary education.

Four Scholarships awarded Annually

Four scholarships are awarded annually through Baseball Alberta, two to male players and two to females. The scholarships have increased over the years from $100 to $5000 per scholarship. It also sponsors the Bill Chmiliar Award of Merit, the top award in amateur baseball in the province, recognizing long-time contributions to the sport. The E.I.B.F has been a working partner of Baseball Alberta since its inception, and provides grants for programming aimed at the "grassroots."