James F. Cairns

Born on March 23, 1870 in Lawrenceville, Que., Cairns travelled west to Saskatoon in 1902 and became president of the Saskatoon Ball Club. He soon developed it into one of the finest clubs in the Prairies. In 1912, the team, known as the Saskatoon Berry Pickers, toured throughout the Prairies and the northern United States and joined the Western Canada League, the only organized baseball league to operate in the province. At the same time, Cairns was also instrumental in building what was considered the finest ballpark in the Prairies, which was named after him (Cairns Field) and opened in 1913. The following year, his team captured the Western Canada League pennant. When the league folded in 1921, he initiated the Saskatoon Exhibition Tournament, which ran continuously until 1969 (with the exception of 1924). Cairns was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1985. He died on March 18, 1928 in Saskatoon, Sask.