Sask. baseball umpire remembered for sense of humour

Heath Muggli was the first recipient of the Quinn Stevenson “For the Love of the Game” award. (Source: Facebook / Saskatoon District Baseball Umpires Association)

The Saskatoon baseball community lost a member over the weekend — parent and umpire Heath Muggli has died.

Muggli was a baseball parent first, but made the switch and became an umpire once his children finished playing ball.

“He started umpiring shortly after his kids retired from playing baseball,” said Aaron Szejvolt, Saskatoon District Baseball Umpires Association president.

“Love of the game, he wanted to stick around and give back to it.”

He spent more than a decade as an umpire and member of the Saskatoon umpire association’s executive.

Muggli was also well known in the media world. He worked in radio in Saskatoon under the on-air name Heath Mulligan, for The StarPhoenix newspaper, and was a one-time partner in Planet S magazine.

Szejvolt says one of the highlights of coming to the ballpark was seeing Muggli in the dugout.

“There’d be too many funny stories to mention with Heath,” he said.

“He was always one to pull out a dad joke at some point and make the room smile and laugh, he always had that big smile on his face and wanted to spread the love and joy of life in general with everybody. That's going to be the things missed from him at the ballpark.”

Muggli was the first recipient of the Quinn Stevenson “For the Love of the Game” award in 2020.

“It’s an award that we don’t generally give out every year, it’s by nomination,” said Szejvolt.

“That guy in the locker room that you always look forward to seeing, he’s always out there helping out, always has a smile and that’s what Heath portrayed, and definitely a great first recipient for that award.”

Szejvolt says his presence and smile will be missed at the ball field.

“Our condolences to the family and everybody that knew Heath,” he said. “It’s a big loss for our world and our association and within everybody’s hearts, for sure.”