Estabrooks was one of New Brunswicks elite athletes

Vince Estabrooks and Bev Bawn each fired three goals last night as the Fredericton Caps wrapped up the Maritime Intermediate A Championship with an easy 11-3 victory over Charlottetown Captials

Vince Estabrooks' grand slam home run capped a six run uprising in the eighth inning here last night as Marysville Royals belted St. Stephen St. Croix 8-3 to take their best of five New Brunswick senior baseball championship quarter-finals in the limit

The two hit pitching of Ed Dunham and timely hitting by Vince Estabrooks last night gave Marysville Royals their fourth straight York-Sunbury baseball league championship

Vince Estabrooks, one of the few experienced hockey players on the team, was the big gun at the Nashwaakis Oldtimers hockey tournament, scoring 15 goals in four games

These are just a few of the headlines that appeared in the New Brusnswick media during the 1960s as Sackville's own Vince Estabrooks established himself as one of the elite athletes in the province. His accomplishments came with his calm and decisive approach to whichever game he happened to be playing at the time.
During a recent discussion, Bev Bawn - a player long associated with Estabrooks - said he saw the big Sackville native lose his cool on just two occasions.
"He was always calm but a tough competitor who attracted a lot of attention from some opponents who were not always gentle in their efforts to slow Vince down, " Bawn said. "On one occasion when he became incensed, his aggrivator was wise and was able to escape his wrath. But the second fellow wasn't so lucky - Vince threw just one punch and it was lights out. Somehow that set Vince apart and the illegal tactics used on him became less often."
Bawn, like Estabrooks, is a member of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame. There should be little question but that he should soon join others on the Sackville Sports Wall of Fame lineup at the Tantramar Veterans Memorial Civic Centre. He has proven his worth both in Sackville and Fredericton as well as throughout Eastern Canada as being considered among the list of elite athletes in the region.
The 65-year-old native of Middle Sackville is the father of two sons, Mark and Scott. His high school sweetheart and wife Gloria Lowerison passed away more than a year ago but he remains in the home they purchased following his retirement as office manager and later comptroller of the N. B. Teachers Association (NBTA).
Vince became a "star" almost immediately from the time he laced up his first pair of skates and swung his first bat. Hockey, much of it learned on Silver Lake and on an outdoor rink on the current playground, was where he first gained recognition at the minor level and then as the leader of the Sackville High School team.
At that time, he played with cousin Hartley Estabrooks, Bob Crossman and Doug Hicks as members. Later, he joined the intermediate team with his neighbour Jack Morice as a member.
A smooth swing, quick through the zone, soon made Vince the most feared hitter in baseball since Bob Hicks and the late Les Gallagher. Like Gallagher, a right-handed hitter, Vince will be remembered for lacing the ball from Lansdowne Street and with a bounce or two and a slight roll having it reach Main Street. It was here that he became one of the more polished first basemen in the province. He remembers playing alongside the likes of Charlie McAllister, Connie Phinney and Henri Richard.
Almost immediately after high school graduation, Vince took his bat and hockey stick to Fredericton where he was employed by the New Brunswick Power Commission for a few years before joining the NBTA.
"I remember working in billing with computers back in 1959," he said during a recent discussion, "when the computer nearly filled one entire room."
One of the highlights of an illustrious athletic career came when the 6'1", 200-pounder from Sackville was selected as a member of the province's Canada Games team, along with other such well-known players as Don Parent, Bev Bawn, Peter Murray, Gordie Clark and Scott Harvey, Jr.
Another highlight came in 1967 when the Caps, after winning the Maritime championship, advanced along the road toward the Hardy Cup, emblematic of Canadian senior hockey championship. With Bawn at his side to lead the way, the NB representative moved along by defeating Rimouski Maple Leafs and Fort Erie, Ontario in tough victories.
Vince notes that Mount Allison Mountie coach Jack Drover served as his coach during part of the time he played with the Caps, providing strong leadership both as a player and coach.
Asked to single out some of the greatest athletes he ever played with or against, Vince took a moment to search is memory. Finally, he said perhaps Scott Harvey, Jr. was the greatest ball player although there were quite a few really good ones. He listed Mel MacKenzie, Billy Hughes, Charlie MacTavish, Oscar Gaudet and Bev Bawn as some of his favorite ball players.
"You must remember, I was not always the fastest skater on the ice," he said with a grin, "but I always finished in the top five in league scoring in hockey. I was gifted to have a very strong and heavy shot and prided myself on my playmaking ability."
Vince says that, unlike today's youngsters, he learned much of his hockey on outdoor rinks.
"We would have to scrape and clean the ice before being permitted to play," he says, "and that really turned out to be a positive as we learned to appreciate things as they got better."
He feels the plethora of competing interests - computers, TV, various games - has taken much of the glamour off sports for many young men and women. He recalls when there was hardly a night went by without a ball game being played on the Lansdowne Field, adding that there wasn't a lot of other interests to pursue in those years.
After the end of his days of competition, Vince gave back to young people many of the skills he had learned. One of the young men who came under his tutelage was a chunky little fellow who "had an amazingly strong arm and was a natural at the plate." That "little fellow" was none other than Matt Stairs, who has enjoyed a 12-year career in major league baseball and who recently signed a multi-million dollar two-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Vince says he could tell from day one that Matt was "something special" and had a driving desire to succeed and excel.
As sort of an afterthought, Vince noted that he had also played softball with the Minto Miners. They won the Maritime championship, to a great degree on the long ball provided by their first baseman - Vince Estabrooks.
Being selected to the N. B. Sports Hall of Fame has been a highlight of Vince's career as was playing with the provincial team in the Canada Games. Championships became his trademark in each sport he played - an indication that he could be relied upon in the clutch. And he has become a role model for young people as an upstanding member of the community.
These days will find Vince at the curling rink where he has adapted to a new game like a fish to water. There is a sense that an athletic young man will ultimately use his strong hand-eye coordination to make the transition from more physical activities to games like curling and golf. Vince has done that, golfing to a 10 handicap and more is expected to be heard from him as he continues to hone these two skills.