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George Selkirk to be Inducted into Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame

By Admin, 04/13/18, 1:45PM EDT

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In a nod to baseball in the local community, The Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame announced this week that former MLB All Star and New York Yankee legend George "Twinkletoes" Selkirk  will be inducted into the local sports hall at the annual awards ceremony on Saturday May 12. 

Selkirk was born on January 4, 1908 in Huntsville, Ontario.  His father was the local mortician and moved  the family to Rochester, NY when Selkirk was 7 years old.  After honing his skills as a catcher in the local little league, Selkirk played minor league baseball in several cities including Toronto.

Selkirk was promoted to the big leagues by New York in mid-July 1934 and manned the outfield for the Yankees for the next five years, eventually taking over right field from Babe Ruth.   Selkirk was a two-time all star and won the World Series five times before enlisting in the Army in 1942.

When he returned from active duty, Selkirk became a baseball executive including a stint as general manager of the expansion Washington franchise.  He retired to Florida after his baseball career ended, eventually passing away in 1987 after a long illness.  

Selkirk is a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and is considered the 6th greatest baseball player from Canada. 

He will soon take his rightful spot in the Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame and the Muskoka Hornets look forward to the opportunity to take part in his induction ceremony.  This is a milestone event in the local baseball community and continues the uptrend in profile of baseball in Huntsville and the Muskoka region.

For tickets to the local Hall of Fame induction ceremony, please contact Castle Antiques (formerly Treasures and Trophies) after April 23.  Tickets are $20 each and available at the door.