Growing up in Midland, Ken played Little League baseball, as well as Midland’s Little NHL, progressing to the All-Star teams in both sports. After graduating from Midland’s minor-hockey system, Ken went on to skate with the 1964-65 Penetang Jr. C Hurons and then returned to play intermediate hockey in his hometown Midland, as a key member of first the Intermediate B, then Intermediate A/Senior B, Midland Flyers. The next season, 1969-70, Edgar continued to display his fast-moving and crowd-pleasing style at the old Midland Arena Gardens. His Intermediate A Flyers would become back-to-back Ontario finalists. Once the hockey equipment was put away for the season Ken would suit up with the other “Big Team” in town – Midland Indians baseball club. Ken had first cracked the Indians’ veteran roster in 1964, at just 17 years of age, and the Midland native soon established himself as the “spark plug” on the squad. Speed was the name of his game.
Whether stealing a base, beating out a bunt, or stretching a single into a double, the man they called “Burrhead” made things happen on the diamond. In 1971, Edgar had himself a “season for the ages” and accomplished what no Midland Indian had ever done before. That year, swinging from the right side of the plate, the 24-year-old won the South Simcoe Baseball League batting title by hitting an incredible .500. For his effort, Ken was the second person to be awarded the Harry Gordon Memorial Trophy as the league’s top hitter. He also led the South Simcoe loop in hits (41) and runs scored (33) and tied for third place in triples (4 ).
Always immensely popular, in ’71, the Midland fans voted him the Indians’ Most Valuable Player. One special note about Edgar. In 1967, the catcher/second baseman attended a professional tryout camp held at Hamilton’s Civic Baseball Stadium sponsored by the major-league Pittsburgh Pirates. Ken left the Indians at the end of the 1974 season and switched his summer sport from baseball to softball in Midland’s Olympia Fastball League. Ken would eventually move up to the higher brand of competition in the Simcoe Rural Fastball League where he was the starting second baseman for the Vasey Seniors Fastball club. No one hated to lose more than Ken, regardless of the sport he was playing. He was passionate about winning and was an excellent ambassador of the sport he was playing and the teams he represented.