Lovell McDonnell
Baseball Builder - Inducted 2003
Lovell McDonnell is now known as Medicine Hat's Mr. Baseball. For more than 25 years in baseball, he has held every volunteer position from coach to executive board member. Lovell has been involved in all age levels and was a founding member of the Medicine Hat Big League Baseball Association.
His most significant accomplishments have come during his many years as a facility coordinator. Over the years, Lovell and his crew of volunteers have changed Medicine Hat's deteriorating ballparks into some of the finest baseball facilities in western Canada.
Lovell received the ultimate gift in 1997 when the City of Medicine Hat named a ballpark in his honour, the R.L. (Lovell) McDonnell Diamond. Lovell has also been involved for a number of years with minor hockey in Medicine Hat as an executive member and General Manager of the AAA Bantam Rep team.
After Induction
Lovell continued be involved in baseball after his induction in 2003. He was a recipient of the Alberta Sport and Recreation 2005 Centennial Award. He was inducted into the Medicine Hat Wall of Fame December 9, 2010 and within the next few years, the Southern Alberta High School Baseball League Hall of Fame. Lovell was a recipient of the Marthe DuBroy Volunteer Award - presented to him at the Little League Canadian Championships August 12, 2017 in Medicine Hat. From 1978 to 2010, he held every baseball volunteer position from coach to executive board member. In 2017, Lovell announced that he would be scaling back on some of his volunteer duties in 2018
Award List:
2017 – Marthe DuBroy Award: Little League Baseball – Canadian Little League Baseball – Volunteer Award
2014 – SAHS Baseball League Hall of Fame
2010 – Medicine Hat Sports Wall of Fame (December 9, 2010)
2004 – Recreation Volunteer Recognition Award – Alberta, Tourism, Parks, and Recreation
