Photo roundup contains familiar faces from Saskatoon AFFL
Written by Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Garrett Hawkins has seen how much can change in a year going towards the good.
At this time a year ago, Hawkins was going into training camp activities with the San Diego Padres organization looking to revive his baseball career. The veteran pitcher from Biggar, Sask., was on the comeback trail after having Tommy John surgery in the elbow on his right throwing arm.
This year Hawkins is heading to Spring Training as a member of the Padres 40-man MLB roster. He is set to report along with the rest of the Padres pitchers and catchers for Spring Training on February 11 in Peoria, Arizona, which is a day after his 26th birthday.
During the past 12 months, Hawkins, who trains with the Going Yard Baseball Academy and helps teach the academy’s young pitchers, played for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, who are the Padres high-A affiliate in Indiana. He would be promoted to the San Antonio Missions AA team on August 1, 2025.
Hawkins performed so well that he was named the Padres’ organizational Minor League Pitcher of the Year on September 28, 2025. Due to that stellar campaign where he converted from being a starter to a reliever, Hawkins was added to the Padres 40-man roster on November 18, 2025.
Our main feature for the February upload of “Howe Happenings” is a catch up with Hawkins. The piece goes into Hawkins comeback journey and the accomplishments he earned with the TinCaps and Missions.
To go with the feature on Hawkins, February’s “Howe Happenings” upload has a photo roundup that is anchored by photos from the Saskatoon Adult Flag Football League, which contains familiar football faces from Saskatoon and area. The photo roundup also has pictures of action continuing at a good pace at the Indoor Training Centre and Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval with photos coming from baseball, football, softball and speed skating.
You can find these items on the “Howe Happenings” blog at howehappenings306.blogspot.com.
New content will be released normally on the ninth day of each month. We hope you will enjoy the stories that make up the posts on the “Howe Happenings” blog.
