BADGE, PATCH

Description: ROUND, LIGHT BLUE FELT WITH EDGES CUT BY PINKING SHEARS. EMBROIDERED PRINT WITH RED THREAD SAYS, “LETHBRIDGE 1961 COACH.” DARKER BLUE FELT SCROLL BANNER EMBROIDERED WITH LIGHT BLUE THREAD SAYS, “LEAGUE CHAMPS” IN CURSIVE. CREAM COLOURED FELT EMBROIDERED WITH BLACK THREAD IN CENTER DEPICTS BASEBALL PLAYER SWINGING BAT. REVERSE HAS WHITE LINEN MARKED WITH BLACK INK READS, “MATT SLAVICH.”

History: PATCH WAS OWNED BY DONOR’S LATE HUSBAND MATTIS “MATT” SLAVICH. AS STATED IN SLAVICH’S OBITUARY IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD, “MATT WAS BORN IN LETHBRIDGE ON AUGUST 10, 1920 AND PASSED AWAY IN LETHBRIDGE ON AUGUST 17, 2010 AT THE AGE OF 89 YEARS.” ACCORDING TO THE LETHBRIDGE SPORTS HALL OF FAME ATHLETES FROM 1988, “MATT SLAVICH WAS ONE OF THE BEST BALL PLAYERS IN ALBERTA IN THE LATE 1930’S, 40’S AND EARLY 50’S. SLAVICH WAS A PORTSIDER KNOWN AS “LEFTY” TO MANY OF HIS FANS. HE BEGAN HIS ORGANIZED CAREER IN 1937 WITH THE ALBERTA COLUMBIAN JUNIOR SQUIRES, LEADING THE TEAM TO TWO ALBERTA TITLES. IN 1940, MATT JOINED THE ARMED FORCES AND PITCHED FOR THE ROYAL CANADIAN ORDINANCE CORPS IN FOOTHILLS LEAGUE FOR TWO YEARS. HE EARNED MOST VALUABLE PLAYER HONOURS IN THE LEAGUE FOR THE 1941 SEASON. UPON RETURN FROM OVERSEAS IN 1946, SLAVICH PUT IN SEVEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SEASONS WITH THE LETHBRIDGE MINERS. MATT WAS AN AMAZING PLAYER, OFTEN LEADING THE CLUB IN WINS, BATTING AVERAGE, STRIKEOUTS AND HOME RUNS. SLAVICH WAS AN ALL-ROUND ATHLETE EXCELLING IN BOXING, HANDBALL AND RACQUETBALL IN ADDITION TO HIS BASEBALL PROWESS. IN 1975 HE WON THE CANADIAN RACQUETBALL MASTERS SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP IN WINNIPEG.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE.