The London Monarchs played in the independent
Canadian Baseball League
The Canadian Baseball League was an independent minor league that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Ferguson Jenkins. The league featured former maj ...
that existed for half of the summer season of 2003 before folding. Located in the city of
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
, the team featured a variety of international ballplayers from
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
,
Japan and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
The Monarchs led the east division with a 20–13 record before league officials pulled the plug on the season at the half-way point. They played out of
Labatt Park
Labatt Memorial Park (formerly Tecumseh Park, 1877–1936) is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field. From home plate to centre field t ...
.
The Monarchs' field manager was former Major League outfielder
Willie Wilson. The team went through two general managers, the first being former pro umpire
Kirk Sawyers. Shortly after the regular season began, Sawyers and several other prominent league employees, including ex-MLB star
Ron LeFlore
Ronald LeFlore (born June 16, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos. He retired with the Chicago White Sox in 1982. He stole 455 ...
, resigned en masse.
The Monarchs hosted the inaugural CBL game. This was the league's only regular season sellout, as more than 5,000 people saw London defeat Montreal in the nationally televised game. The Monarchs averaged over 700 fans per game for the remainder of the shortened season.
Defunct minor league baseball teams
Sports teams in London, Ontario
Defunct baseball teams in Canada
Baseball teams in Ontario
2003 establishments in Ontario
2003 disestablishments in Ontario
Baseball teams established in 2003
Defunct independent baseball league teams
Baseball teams disestablished in 2003
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