'It's special': N.B. man puts years of N.B. baseball experience into new books
A man in Fredericton, N.B., is putting his passion for the game of baseball into two new books.
Bill "Buzzard" Saunders has lived and breathed New Brunswick baseball for years.
"I coached for tons of years, a lot of years," he says. "I coached senior baseball from 1979 until 1985, but then I dropped back down and coached with my son, and came up through the system again from pee-wee, bantam, junior, nationals."
Saunders has dedicated eight years of research to 'The Buzz on New Brunswick Senior Baseball' – an upcoming collection of two books featuring local stories, statistics, facts and photos.
"I spent hours at the UNB library and the Fredericton Regional Library as well, going through the old newspapers and picking a lot out of that," says Saunders. "But a lot of it was photos I saved over the years. I was a bit of a photo nut."
Once printed, Saunders plans to put the funds from the books back into Fredericton's minor league baseball.
Local baseball legend Matt Stairs has over 20 years of experience as an MLB player and coach. He says Saunders has had a major impact on the sport – adding he even drove Stairs to Montreal for his major league tryouts.
"It's special. I've been the technical director, this is my second year and he wants to get all the funds that he raises from the book donated to the FMBA," says Stairs. "He kind of wants to put it back into Saunders Field. He has some things he'd like to do, putting turf down or a big wall like the Boston Red Sox, but whatever he raises and whatever we end up doing with it, he'll be extremely happy."
Saunders says he's still raising money to have the book printed. He says anyone interested in donating towards the books can send an e-transfer to royals@nbnet.nb.ca.
He hopes to bring his first printed copy home by July.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7029443.1725744633!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Police release video of Toronto plaza shooting that killed university student
A university student from Brampton was killed when two shooters fired indiscriminately into a crowded plaza in Toronto last month in what police say was a 'cowardly act.'
'Hopeless and helpless': Regina mother seeks help to treat rare spinal disease
Mary Grace Rico is seeking help in getting treatment for a rare spinal condition.
The iPhone is getting a 'glow' up. What to expect from Apple's Monday event
Apple excited fans with its vision for its 'Apple Intelligence' artificial intelligence system earlier this year. Now, it's time for the company to prove it really works.
No more porta-potties at B.C. construction sites starting Oct. 1
What some B.C. construction workers describe as the worst aspect of their jobs will be coming to an end next month, the province announced.
Trump campaigns in Wisconsin just days ahead of debate with Harris
With just days to go before his first — and likely only — debate against U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, former U.S. president Donald Trump leaned into his familiar grievances about everything from his indictments to the border as he campaigned in one of the most deeply Republican swaths of battleground Wisconsin.
'Extremely vigorous' wildfire activity in central B.C. prompts crews to back off for safety
The wildfire fight in central B.C. intensified Friday, according to officials.
They were due to leave for their dream cruise in May. Three months on they’re still stuck at the departure port
It was the years-long cruise that was supposed to set sail, but saw its departure postponed… postponed… and postponed again.
Aryna Sabalenka beats Jessica Pegula to win the U.S. Open for her third Grand Slam title
Aryna Sabalenka got past Jessica Pegula 7-5, 7-5 in a rollicking U.S. Open women’s final Saturday to win her first championship at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam title of her career.