On Saturday August 20th, Myles Dezotell will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Battleford, Sask.
Myles was born in 1964, in Davidson, Saskatchewan where his passion and love for baseball started while playing with his three older brothers, Bob, Wes and Marvin, on the family farm just outside of Davidson, where the family was rooted in baseball. Myles played his minor baseball in Davidson from 1972-1979. Playing in the Midget age category 1980, he decided to play with the Davidson Cardinals, the Senior Men’s baseball team. Being 16 years old, Myles was the youngest player on the team, and his talent was immediately recognized and he was put on the starting lineup.
In 1982 and 1983, Myles played Junior Provincial Baseball with Lockwood Braves under Hilton Hughes. Myles then played with the Davidson Cardinals. In 1984, the Davidson team was accepted into the Saskatoon Men’s League, however, they struggled to compete for the next five years but Myles Dezotell continued to be a fixture on the team as a starting pitcher and middle infielder.
In 1989, Myles and his wife moved to Regina where he continued to play for Davidson on weekends and was then recruited by the Regina Raiders for the following year. The Raiders played in the Soo Line League. Myles played a key role as starting pitcher and third baseman. In 1993, the Raiders changed their name to the Expos and were accepted into the Regina Molson Senior Men’s Baseball League, where Myles was picked up for Provincial Play offs as a pitcher for three of the five years the Expos existed.
In 1999, Myles Dezotell played with the Regina Drifters, then, the Regina Ghosts, with the five-year span, 2000-2004 proving very successful, winning the Western Canadian Championships twice and the 2001 Canadian Baseball 35 and over Championship. Myles finished his playing the game by pitching for the Saskatoon Royals in the Provincial 40 and over final where the team went on to win it all. Pitching in the same game was Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Famer, Kevin Ritchie.
Following his successful playing career, Myles went on to have a tremendously successful career as a coach and volunteer. Myles began his coaching career at the age of 17, when he was co-coach for the 12 and under baseball team leading them to a a Provincial title in 1982. He possessed a brilliant mind and an aptitude for coaching. Over the years, Myles coached the Mosquito AAA and PeeWee AAA to league and provincial wins. The 2005 he led the PeeWee AAA Regina White Sox to an impressive 59-6 record for the season, followed by a League Championship, a Provincial Championship and then a Bronze Medal at the Nationals in Summerside, PEI. This was the best finish by a Saskatchewan team in over a decade for which he was awarded a letter of recognition from the Saskatchewan Baseball Association. This same team was then recognized as the Team of the Year!
In 2007, Myles coached the Bantam Zone 2 Regina Selects from Estevan, winning the Selects tournament with an undefeated record. In 2008 he coached the Bantam AAA Buffalos to both League and Provincial Finals. The loss in the provincials sent the Buffalos to the Western Canadians in Estevan where they upset a powerhouse BC team to win the championship.
In 2011 he helped coach the Midget AAA Regina Mets to a 6th place finish at the Canadian National Championship in Regina. During the following years Myles coached or managed with different teams as needed.
Amid his coaching career Myles Dezotell gave back to the game by volunteering his time and making an impact in various ways. In 2004 he joined the Regina Baseball Association as the Director of Coach and Player Development, spearheading Regina’s first indoor baseball academy. In 2007 he joined the Regina Midget Baseball Council Board, then in 2009 he joined the Optimist Baseball Association Board. He retired in 2016 after coaching his team to a silver medal in the National Junior Championships.
Myles now enjoys watching his two boys, Nolan and Jordon, have success at the Senior AA level with the Regina Trappers.
