Art Penner, originally from Plum Coulee, began playing fastball with St. James Teachers and Westwood Esso in the Winnipeg Men’s Industrial League. He was a strong-armed second baseman who consistently batted in the middle of the lineup. Penner was the player-coach of the Black Knights team that won the Winnipeg senior A title in 1969 and represented Manitoba in the Canadian senior men’s championship from 1970 through 1972. In 1973, Penner and 2004 inductee Harry Bueckert purchased a franchise in the new Western Major Fastball League and the team called Winnipeg Colonels won the first league championship with Penner a player-coach. He remained with the team for several years and then completed his player-coach days with the Manitoba Masters team that won the Western Canadian fast pitch championship in 1984 & 1986.