The History Of Baseball In Canada

The History Of Baseball In Canada

When one thinks of our wonderful neighbors to the North in a sporting sense, hockey invariably is the first subject of conversation. With that said, many sport fans are surprised to learn baseball in Canada has a longer history that pre-dates the invention of hockey. Almost hard to believe, eh? Well, here is the scoop.

It is said that the first recorded baseball game in Canada occurred in Beachville, Ontario, on June 4, 1838. Folks that date is even before the (fictious) one given to Abner Doubleday (1839) and the first known hockey game (1866).

This date is based off a letter written by a Dr. Adam Ford (a supposed witness to the game) some 48 years later in 1886 to the magazine Sporting Life. Although, somewhat persuasive, the actual evidence of the event cannot be independently verified nor is it quite certain that the proper rules of baseball were used.

By the way, most people don’t realize that there is a Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (CBHF) in St. Marys, Ontario, which adheres to the theory that Canada invented baseball first. Has anyone visited CBHF? If so, how about a comment.

What is certain is that a game similar to baseball was played in Ontario, Canada, somewhat near that timeframe; however, 11 players were on each team not nine and each of the players batted every inning. By 1860, this difference was dropped and the Canadian game complied to the then existing American rules.

In 1865, baseball was so well-established in Eastern Canada that a law was passed in the city of Montreal forbidding the playing of baseball in public parks which evidently had become a nuisance to average park-goers.

Perhaps the lack of playing areas lead to the formation of the Montreal Royals (the team existed until 1960). The Royals played with American counterparts in the International Association in 1890 then the Eastern League. Future Hall of Famer Ed Barrow, actually managed the club in 1904 and 1910. In 1917 a 17-year-old New Yorker named Waite Hoyt, another soon-to-be Hall of Famer had a not so wonderful 7-17 record though he did tout a respectable 2.51 ERA for a cellar dwelling team.

For many years Montreal was the largest city in the minors (in either Canada or the U.S.) with the largest stadium in the minors. Its ownership included Joseph Charles-Émile Trudeau, the father and grandfather of Canadian Prime Ministers: Pierre Trudeau and his son, current prime minister, Justin Trudeau. Ever the baseball fan, Joseph Trudeau accompanied the Royals to Orlando, Florida, for Spring Training in 1935 where he died of a heart attack on April 10.

Another interesting tidbit is that Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run not in the U.S. but instead in Canada. The event occurred on September 5, 1914, in Toronto as Ruth was on the Providence Grays as they played the Toronto Maple Leafs (not the hockey team!). Evidently there is a small plaque on the site today (no longer a ball field) though the marker is difficult to locate.

The first Canadian to appear in a Major League game was Bill Phillips who was a first baseman for Cleveland in 1879. The following year, he became the first Canadian to hit a home run in the majors and eventually he had a 10-year career with additional stops in Brooklyn and Kansas City.

The London Ontario Tecumsehs were charter members of the International Association and won its first championship in 1877, beating the Pittsburgh Alleghenies. The Tecumsehs typically played against American teams instead of Canadian ones. The team supposedly could have joined the National League in 1878 but its owners rejected the application because it had a restriction on the playing of nonleague games.

Baseball followed the spread of the Canadian population westward across the vast country which was influenced by railroad companies pushing into ever expanding territory. In 1874, the game was firmly established in Winnipeg. By 1904 baseball was so popular in the Yukon that a 2-game international championship was played and won by Whitehorse over the Alaskan town of Skagway. In 1907 the Western Canada League, a minor professional organization, was formed in Alberta and 2 years later included teams from Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

By 1913, there were 24 minor league baseball teams in Canada which was the high-water mark never to be equaled since. Fast forward to 1969 with the arrival of Major League Baseball in Montreal (Expos) and 1977 with Toronto (Blue Jays). Of course, Montreal lost their team in 2004 but there are persistent rumors that MLB might once again return to the city. A two-game exhibition game in Montreal in 2015 drew nearly 100,000 fans!

Frankly, like almost any other business enterprises these days, sport or otherwise, Major League Baseball will probably need to expand in the future. Personally, I would like to see a MLB return to Montreal. I also believe a team in Vancouver would be well-supported. What do you think?