Joe Greaves
| Joe Greaves | |
|---|---|
| two-bagger Joe | |
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1930–1939; by 1948–at least 1964 |
Joe Greaves was a multi-sport athlete and builder who served as the first curator of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Joe Greaves was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 as a builder.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Joe Greaves was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 29 September 1984 in the builder category for baseball, football, softball, basketball, boxing, curling and track and field.[1]
Career and service
During the 1930s, Joe Greaves was a prominent figure in the Port Arthur sports scene. As a Baseball player in 1937, he earned a .447 batting average, with half of his hits being doubles. His leadership extended to organizing the West End Junior Softball and Port Arthur Junior Baseball teams. In Football, he was responsible for restructuring the Port Arthur team, which became known as the Packers. To maintain the conditioning of his football players during the winter, he entered the squad into local Basketball leagues.[1]
His athletic pursuits continued during the Second World War while serving overseas. He coached a Softball team that reached the finals of the Scottish championships and represented the Canadian military in the Army Games, where he ran the 440-yard dash. After returning to Northwestern Ontario, he turned his attention to Boxing, assisting in the establishment of the Port Arthur Legion Boxing Club and acting as a promoter for several years.[1]
In 1948, he transitioned his junior baseball squad into the senior ranks as the Port Arthur Giants. He spent four years as the manager and coach of this team. His administrative contributions included serving as the founding President of the Carrick Community Centre and helping to establish the Port Arthur Little League and Pony League organizations. He dedicated 16 years to these youth leagues, including eight years in a coaching capacity. He was also a member of the committee that oversaw the construction of the Port Arthur Stadium.[1]
Greaves was instrumental in bringing professional instruction to the Lakehead by helping to organize the Milwaukee Braves Silver Spikes School. He also created fundraising initiatives such as the Dairy Queen ice cream blitz for Little League and the Community Bowl for the United Appeal. In the Curling community, he spent nearly ten years as a director for the Port Arthur Curling Club and served as the Chairman of the Lakehead Bonspiel for multiple seasons.[1]
Later in his career, he focused on the preservation of local athletic history. He edited publications such as Hockey Memories, which documented the history of Hockey at the Lakehead through photographs. He eventually became the first Curator of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1930–1939; by 1948–at least 1964) rests on the following dated evidence. He organized Port Arthur sports teams in the 1930s, returned from overseas to manage the Port Arthur Giants for four years starting in 1948, and served the Port Arthur Little League for 16 years.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Recorded a .447 batting average in 1937
- Reorganized the Port Arthur Packers football team
- Coached a softball team to the Scottish championship finals during WWII
- Competed in the 440-yard dash at the Army Games
- Coached and managed the Port Arthur Giants for four years starting in 1948
- Served as the first President of the Carrick Community Centre
- Dedicated 16 years to the Port Arthur Little League and Pony League associations
- Served on the building committee for the Port Arthur Stadium
- Acted as a director of the Port Arthur Curling Club for nearly a decade
- Served as the inaugural Curator of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame[1]
- Possibly the same as Joe Greaves (fl. 1948); the name matches and some details fit, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Joe Greaves", builder profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/builder-profile/ea24807b-d6c9-476e-8868-11d9c7526d95 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.