Larry Nicholls Passing

Feb. 04, 2026

Larry Nicholls, a long-time umpire and prominent member of the Baseball Manitoba community, has passed away.

Larry Nicholls, Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame - Photo Credit

Larry was a dedicated member of the Baseball Manitoba community for over 50 years.

Larry was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba on October 17, 1944. He started playing minor baseball at the age of eight at the South Side Athletics Club, and proved himself to be a strong pitcher, catcher, and first baseman. He enjoyed his minor career and as a high point, his team (Dodgers) won Manitoba’s Little League Championship in 1955. He graduated high school in 1963, and went to Teacher’s College where he coached the baseball team. Upon his college graduation, he started his teaching career in Minitonas in the Swan River Valley. There was no baseball team in the area at this time, but there was a local fastball team. He joined this team which competed all over the region from Dauphin to Yorkton.

He then moved to Shoal Lake but once again, there was no baseball team, so he joined up with his future brother-in-law to play tournament fastball.

In 1968, Nicholls began playing for Holland in the South Central League and helped coach the town's A team. While in Holland, his league decided to affiliate with the Manitoba Baseball Association, however, there was already a South Central League affiliated. This necessitated a new name. Between himself and Stan Oleson, a new league was created by the name of the Santa Clara League, still in existence today.

In 1976, Nicholls started umpiring senior ball, and he eventually became the Umpire-in-Chief of the Manitoba Senior Baseball League (MSBL), he also co-coached and played in the 1976 Manitoba Summer Games in Neepawa. In 1983, he became president of Killarney Minor Ball, and in 1986, he was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award from the Manitoba Baseball Association. In 1987, Nicholls left coaching to become a full-time umpire, leading to him to officiate games at National Championships, Western Canadian Championships, and at numerous World Championships.

Larry was inducted into the Baseball Manitoba Honour Society in 2013, and the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. In recognition of his lasting impact, one of Baseball Manitoba’s most prestigious umpiring honours, the Umpire Award of Merit, is named the Larry Nicholls Umpire Award of Merit. This award recognizes long-term, highly skilled officials who have demonstrated a strong commitment to developing the next generation of umpires through clinics, mentorship, and tournament supervision.

Larry's passing affects many people across the province, and all of us at Baseball Manitoba send our deepest condolences to the Nicholls family and his entire community at this time.

Donations in memory of Larry may be made to the Killarney Foundation (Box 1180 Killarney, MB R0K 1G0) or to a local sports organization.