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The historic London Tecumsehs were a professional men's
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
team in
London, Ontario London 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 (Ontario), Thames River and N ...
, Canada, that were first formed in 1868 — a merger of the Forest City Base Ball Club and the London Base Ball Club — which, according to George Railton's 1856 London directory, consisted of officers J.K. Brown, Dr. J. Wilkinson and J.D. Dalton and 22 players who practiced twice a week on the military grounds (today's Victoria Park). They were named for
Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...
chief
Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; (March 9, 1768October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the Territorial evolution of the United States, expansion of the United States onto Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
. Originally, the Tecumsehs also played their home games at the military reserve in Victoria Park, before moving to the old fairgrounds on the block just northeast of Victoria Park, bounded by today's Pall Mall Street on the north, Wellington Street on the west, Central Avenue on the south and Waterloo Street on the east. An article in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' from 187
reports
that "The Tecumseh Baseball Club, of London, Ontario, beat the Ætnas, of Detroit, the champions of Michigan, at London, Ontario, yesterday. Score, 15 to 6." This game in 1875 would have been played at the above-mentioned old fair grounds in London. Then in 1877, the Tecumsehs moved to Tecumseh Park (today's
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 ...
) in the then-London suburb of Petersville, also known as London West. During the 1930s, the London Tecumsehs were a men's hockey team playing in the International Hockey League, playing their home games at the now-demolished London Arena at Bathurst and Ridout streets in London, Ontario. Today, the name remains in use by numerous youth baseball teams in London, Ontario, a
softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...
team in London, and also a vintage base ball team whose home field is at
Fanshawe Pioneer Village Fanshawe Pioneer Village is an open-air museum established in 1959 and located in the Fanshawe Conservation Area in London, Ontario. The village uses historical re-enactments to communicate the history of rural communities in the former townships ...
, a living history museum in London, Ontario.


Early baseball in Canada

Adapted from the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
game of
rounders Rounders is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams. Rounders is a striking and fielding team game that involves hitting a small, hard, leather-cased ball with a wooden, plastic, or metal bat that has a cylindrical end. The players score b ...
— and by extension,
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
— the game of base ball or "townball" became popular in the early 19th century in
Southwestern Ontario Southwestern Ontario (census population 2,796,367 in 2021) is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. It occupies most of the Ontario Peninsula, bounded by Lake Huron (includ ...
(then Canada West or
Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...
),
New York State New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
and
New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
. The first ''documented'' evidence of a base ball game in Canada comes from a letter published in ''Sporting Life'' magazine in 1886, a letter by Dr. Adam E. Ford of
Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
, formerly of
St. Marys, Ontario St. Marys is a town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the north branch of the Thames River and Trout Creek southwest of Stratford, and is surrounded by the Township of Perth South in Perth County, Ontario. St. ...
, and
Beachville, Ontario South-West Oxford is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within Oxford County. The township had a population of 7,664 in the 2016 Canadian census. A predominantly rural municipality, South-West Oxford was formed in 1975 throu ...
, about a game 48 years earlier in Beachville on June 4, 1838 — Militia Muster Day. Originally, the rules of the game were informal in nature and often modified to reflect regional preferences.


Origins

The merger of the Forest City and London Base Ball clubs to form the London Tecumsehs occurred in June 1868 with John Brown as president — a team sponsored by the Tecumseh House hotel on the southwest corner of York and Richmond streets, immediately north of today's
Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue an ...
railway tracks, which was demolished in the 1920s. In 1868, the Tecumsehs lost to the
Woodstock, Ontario Woodstock is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The city has a population of 46,705 according to the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 Canadian census. Woodstock is the seat of Oxford County, Ontario, Oxford County, at the head of the Thames River, On ...
Young Canadians 89–46 in a five-hour game. Woodstock later defeated
Guelph Maple Leafs The Guelph Royals are a baseball team based in the downtown area of Guelph, Ontario, and are a member of the Southern Ontario-based Intercounty Baseball League. The club was founded in 1861 as the Guelph Maple Leafs, and after winning the "Canadia ...
36-29 to win the Canadian Silver Ball Championship. During the early 1870s, the major rivals of the London Tecumsehs were the Guelph Maple Leafs who were sponsored by brewer/sportsman
George Sleeman George Sleeman (August 1, 1841 – December 16, 1926) was a brewer, a major figure in Canadian baseball, and a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was mayor of Guelph from 1880 to 1882 and from 1905 to 1906. Sleeman was also the president of the ...
, proprietor of Silver Creek Brewery, and the
Woodstock Young Canadians The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aquarian Expositio ...
. The Guelph Maple Leafs were the first Ontario team to hire professional ball players from the United States to strengthen their team. When Jacob L. Englehart, a wealthy pioneer London oil refiner from
Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...
, (and future vice president of
Imperial Oil Imperial Oil Limited () is a Canadian petroleum company. It is Canada's second-largest integrated oil company. It is majority-owned by American oil company ExxonMobil, with a 69.6% ownership stake in the company. It is a producer of crude oil, ...
), became the president and financial backer of the Tecumsehs in late 1875, he too began looking for professional players from the U.S., later signing four Americans: first-baseman/manager George "Juice" Latham, pitcher Fred Goldsmith, catcher Phil Powers and infielder/outfielder
Joe Hornung Michael Joseph Hornung (June 12, 1857 – October 30, 1931) was an American baseball player. Michael Joseph Hornung was born in Carthage, New York in 1857. Prior to starting his career in Major League Baseball in 1879 with the Buffalo Bison ...
. In addition to Englehart, the Tecumsehs' back-room movers and shakers consisted of London newspaperman Harry Gorman, Ed Moore, manager of the Tecumseh House, Richard Meredith, a future chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ontario,
William Southam William Southam (August 23, 1843 – February 27, 1932) was a Canadian newspaper publisher. Life and career Born in Lachine, Canada East, he began his newspaper career working for the '' London Free Press''. The first newspaper he bought wa ...
, who was to found
Southam News Southam Inc., also known as Southam News, Southam Newspapers, and Southam Newswire, was a media company and news agency in Canada. Company founder William Southam started as a paper boy for the ''London Free Press'' and eventually went on to ac ...
and to add an egalitarian touch, Jim Jury, a janitor at the collegiate institute. Goldsmith's first complete game with the Tecumsehs occurred on May 24, 1876, when London played Guelph before 6,000 spectators at the old Fair Grounds, a contest that London won 8–7 in 10 innings, largely due to Goldsmith's "scientific pitching", using his innovative "skew ball." (Goldsmith went on to pitch for the
Troy, New York Troy is a city in and the county seat of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is located on the western edge of the county, on the eastern bank of the Hudson River just northeast of the capital city of Albany, New York, Albany. At the ...
, Trojans in 1879 and the Chicago White Stockings from 1880 to 1884.) After the military reserve was donated to the City for a public park in 1874, public protests in 1875 against the Tecumseh's use of a fenced area of the park prompted the club to move their games to the old Fair Grounds northeast of today's Central Avenue and Wellington Street, where they played until the end of the 1876 season, during which they defeated Guelph for the Canadian championship. The Tecumsehs joined the fledgling five-team Canadian Association of Base Ball in 1876 (London Tecumsehs, Hamilton Standards, Guelph Maple Leafs, Kingston St. Lawrence and Toronto Clippers). The Tecumsehs won the Canadian title in 1876. In 1877, the Tecumsehs joined the International Association of Professional Base Ball Players made up of London,
Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly east of Kitchener, Ontario, Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Ontario Highway 6, ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, and several U.S. teams, a league created as a rival to the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
. The Association's by-laws and constitution required member teams to pay $10 to join the league (plus an additional $15 to compete for the championship) and fan admission was set at 25 cents. Visiting teams were guaranteed $75, plus half of the gate receipts when they exceeded that amount ($75). Pitcher
Candy Cummings William Arthur "Candy" Cummings (October 18, 1848 – May 17, 1924) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a pitcher in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, and National League. Cummings is widely cred ...
was the International Association's first president in 1877, while he was a player with the Lynn Live Oaks in
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
.


Tecumseh Park

For the
1877 Events January * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed Empress of India by the Royal Titles Act 1876, introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great Sioux War of 1876: Batt ...
season, the Tecumsehs moved into the newly outfitted, Tecumseh Park in the village of Petersville on the west side of the forks of the Thames River (now the City-owned
Labatt Memorial Park Labatt Memorial Park (formerly Tecumseh Park, 1877–1936) is a ballpark, baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River (Canada), Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field. ...
) with Richard Southam, brother of William Southam, founder of the Southam newspaper chain, the team manager. (London-born George (Mooney) Gibson, catcher for the
1909 World Series The 1909 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1909 season. The sixth edition of the World Series, it featured the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates against the American League champion Detroit Tiger ...
Champions, the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, was a nephew of the Southams). Both the London Tecumsehs and Tecumseh Park were named after the
Shawnee The Shawnee ( ) are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands. Their language, Shawnee, is an Algonquian language. Their precontact homeland was likely centered in southern Ohio. In the 17th century, they dispersed through Ohi ...
Chief
Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; (March 9, 1768October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the Territorial evolution of the United States, expansion of the United States onto Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...
who fought alongside the British against the U.S. during the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. Chief Tecumseh died during the
Battle of the Thames The Battle of the Thames , also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was an American victory in the War of 1812 against Tecumseh's Confederacy and their United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British allies. It took place on October 5, 1813, ...
near Chatham, Ontario, in October 1813. While the Tecumsehs were charter members of the International Association, the team (like all teams in the league) continued to play many ball games against teams in other leagues. One of the first games played in the new stadium took place on Saturday, May 5, 1877, against the Hartfords of
Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. The new field was lauded for its many amenities, including a 600-seat grandstand, piped-in water for maintaining the grass and facilities for scorers, telegraph operators and reporters. London won the International Association pennant in 1877 by defeating the Pittsburgh Allegheny 5–2.


1877 International Association final standings

(compiled by Ray Nemec of the
Society for American Baseball Research The Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is a membership organization dedicated to fostering the research and dissemination of the history and statistical record of baseball. The organization was founded in Cooperstown, New York, on Au ...
) London Tecumsehs 14-4-2*
Pittsburgh Allegheny 13-6-0
Rochester (The Rochesters), New York 10-8-0
Manchester (The Manchesters), New Hampshire 9-10-0
Columbus Buckeyes 9-11-2
Guelph Maple Leafs The Guelph Royals are a baseball team based in the downtown area of Guelph, Ontario, and are a member of the Southern Ontario-based Intercounty Baseball League. The club was founded in 1861 as the Guelph Maple Leafs, and after winning the "Canadia ...
4-12-0
Lynn (Massachusetts) Live Oaks 1-9-0 * disbanded * London's star pitcher, Fred Goldsmith, believed by many to be the co-inventor of the
curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
along with
Candy Cummings William Arthur "Candy" Cummings (October 18, 1848 – May 17, 1924) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a pitcher in the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, and National League. Cummings is widely cred ...
, had a 14–4 record in 193 innings pitched with 3 shutouts, during International Association play in 1877. Although the 1878 Tecumseh home opener attracted 4,000 fans, the crowds subsequently started to drop off and the team fell into debt. Despite a ''
London Free Press ''The London Free Press'' is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. It has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Southwestern Ontario. History ''The London Free Press'' began as the ''Canadian Free Press'', founded by Willia ...
'' account about the Tecumsehs on 21 June 1939 (''Fred Goldsmith Invented The Curve Ball''), that stated the team defeated the
Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
in three straight games to win the title series in 1878, it appears the writer was in error, instead referring to a two-game series in 1877 between the Tecumsehs and the Chicago White Stockings. On August 22, 1878, the club folded due to insufficient patronage.


Bryce's 1876 and 1877 Base Ball Guides

A treasure-trove of information about early Canadian base ball came to light in 2002 when
Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; ) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. T ...
purchased (for $10,000 from an
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, bookseller) ''Bryce's Base Ball Guide of 1876'' and ''Bryce's Base Ball Guide of 1877'', two hand-coloured, 75-page booklets published by William Bryce of
London, Ontario London 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 (Ontario), Thames River and N ...
, which were originally sold for a dime. The two guides are considered to be the first significant publications on Canadian baseball. Bryce, a Scottish-born bookseller, news agent and sporting goods distributor in London, had a small stake in the Tecumsehs, considered by many to be the finest ball team in the entire Dominion of Canada. During U.S. President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
's visit to the Library and Archives Canada building on November 30, 2004, he showed a special interest in these two early Canadian baseball books which were laid out for his perusal.


London Tecumsehs resurrected

A new Tecumseh team was resurrected in 1888 and 1889 in the International Association with
Patsy Donovan Patrick Joseph Donovan (March 16, 1865 – December 25, 1953) was an Irish born right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played for several teams from to , most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted .301 lifetime and set a m ...
one of its most notable outfield stars, and later in the 1920s in the Michigan-Ontario Baseball League. (
Charlie Gehringer Charles Leonard Gehringer (May 11, 1903 – January 21, 1993), nicknamed "the Mechanical Man", was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played for the Detroit Tigers for 19 seasons from 1924 Detroit Tigers season, 1924 to 1943 Det ...
, a future
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
' star and Hall of Famer, played second base for the 1924 Tecumsehs.) On September 15, 1920, with
Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American professional baseball center fielder. A native of rural Narrows, Georgia, Cobb played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent ...
in the lineup, the Detroit Tigers defeat the London Tecumsehs 5-4 before 3,000 people at Tecumseh Park in exhibition baseball. Reserved seating was $1. The 1920 the Tecumsehs clinched the first-place pennant with 15 games to play and London led the Michigan-Ontario league in attendance, with an astonishing 100,686 people watching them play. On May 9, 1921, under manager George Gibson, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the London Tecumsehs 8–7 at Tecumseh Park before 3,500 people in an exhibition baseball game. Before the game, Gibson and his team is presented with a silver loving cup by the London Kiwanis Club. Gibson thrills the locals by catching the opening inning with his 1909 battery mate
Babe Adams Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams (May 18, 1882 – July 27, 1968) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Noted for his outstanding contro ...
and singling and scoring a run in his lone at-bat. London Mayor Sid Little entertained the team that evening at his home. On September 14, 1921, the Tecumsehs won the Michigan-Ontario Baseball League championship, 1-0 over
Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city in Bay County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 32,661 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is located just upriver from the Saginaw Bay on the Saginaw River. It is the princip ...
, before 1,000 people at Tecumseh Park. London scores its lone run in the first inning when third baseman Doc Shay, playing his first game of the series because of illness, triples and scores on a sacrifice fly. In three games of the series, London pitcher Frank Herbst of London allowed six hits and only one run in 33 innings. London advances against
Ludington, Michigan Ludington ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat and the largest city in Mason County, Michigan, Mason County. The population was 7,655 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the fourth largest city i ...
, champions of the Central League. On September 28, 1921, London won the best-of-seven series against Ludington 4–3, taking Game 7 10–7 at Grand Rapids, Mich. The Tecumsehs were down 3–1 in the series. A few days later, London manager Henry Buzz Wetzel was presented with a gold watch to commemorate the win. The normally reserved Wetzel speaks, saying, "Tried to do what was right and give you the best I had, and I honestly believe that the fans here have a right to be proud of their baseball team." On May 23, 1923, Washington's pitching ace
Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "the Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and Manager (baseball), manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Ba ...
is in uniform but does not pitch as the Washington Senators defeat the Tecumsehs 13–9 in an exhibition baseball game at Tecumseh Park. American baseball historians
Bill Weiss William J. Weiss (June 2, 1925, Chicago – August 16, 2011, San Mateo, California), was an American baseball historian and statistician. He served as the official statistician for the Pacific Coast League, and edited a weekly newsletter for ...
and Marshall Wright have placed the 1920 London Tecumsehs of the Michigan–Ontario League on the list of the Top 100 Minor League Baseball Teams of all-time—coming in at #52, with a record of 86 wins and 32 losses.


Labatt Memorial Park

On December 31, 1936, Tecumseh Park was donated to the City of London by the
Labatt Brewing Company Labatt Brewing Company Limited () is a Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned brewery headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1847, Labatt is the largest brewer in Canada. In 1995, it was purchased by Belgian brewer Interbrew. In 2004, Interb ...
along with $10,000 for improvements, on the provisos that the park be renamed the "John Labatt Memorial Athletic Park" and remain a public athletic and recreational field in
perpetuity In finance, a perpetuity is an annuity that has no end, or a stream of cash payments that continues forever. There are few actual perpetuities in existence. For example, the United Kingdom (UK) government issued them in the past; these were kno ...
. From a sociological-historical perspective, it could be argued that the name change from Tecumseh Park to Labatt Memorial Park highlights the dramatic shift from 19th-Century colonial Canada (where the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh was immortalized throughout Canada West for siding with the British in the War of 1812) to more modern times where businesses such as the Labatt Brewing Company became very influential. Today, Labatt Park is believed the world's oldest baseball grounds in continuous use in its original location. The park was designated under the ''
Ontario Heritage Act The ''Ontario Heritage Act'', (the ''Act'') first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Canadian Province of Ontario, as being of cultural heritage ...
'' in 1994, with the by-law reasons for designation amended in 1996 to include the ''circa''-1937 Roy McKay Clubhouse, home to the
London Majors The London Majors are an Independent baseball, independent, minor league baseball team of the Intercounty Baseball League. The team was founded in 1925, and is based in London, Ontario. They play their home games at the 5,200 seat Labatt Memorial ...
of the
Intercounty Baseball League The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is a Canadian baseball league, comprising teams of college players and others from North America and beyond. The teams are located in Southern Ontario. The league was formed in 1919 and has enjoyed much succ ...
.


Sources

* ''The Northern Game: Baseball the Canadian Way'' by Bob Elliott (Sport Classic, 2005). * ''Heritage Baseball: City of London'' a
souvenir program A programme or program (see American and British English spelling differences#Different spellings for different meanings, spelling differences) is a booklet available for patrons attending a live event such as theatre performances, concerts, fà ...
from July 23, 2005, celebrating the history of Labatt Park and London, Ontario's 150th anniversary as an incorporated city. * ''Boys of Summer: Knute, Boot, Milky and Buck'' by Don Maudsley (SCENE, London, Ontario, June 15, 2000). * ''The magic continues at London's Field of Dreams'' by Barry Wells (SCENE, London, Ontario, June 15, 2000). * ''Canada's Baseball Capital Celebrates 143rd Year'' by William Humber (page 36 of the ''London Majors Baseball Club, 1998 Souvenir Program''). * ''Diamonds of the North: A Concise History of Baseball in Canada'' by William Humber (Oxford University Press, 1995). * ''The Beaver, Exploring Canada's History'', ''Baseball's Canadian Roots: Abner Who?'' by Mark Kearney (October–November 1994). * ''The 1948 London Majors: A Great Canadian Team'' by Dan Mendham (unpublished academic paper,
UWO The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames River bisecting t ...
, December 7, 1992). * ''Diamond Rituals: Baseball in Canadian Culture'' by Robert K. Barney, (Meckler Books, 1989). * ''Journal of Sport History'', ''A Critical Examination of a Source in Early Ontario Baseball: The Reminiscence of Adam E. Ford'' by UWO Professor Robert K. Barney and Nancy Bouchier (Vol. 15, No. 1, Spring 1988). * ''Who's Who in Canadian Sport'' by Bob Ferguson, (Summerhill Press Ltd., 1985). * ''Cheering for the Home Team: The Story of Baseball in Canada'' by William Humber, (The Boston Mills Press, 1983). * ''Old Time Baseball and the London Tecumsehs of the late 1870s'' by Les Bronson, a recorded (and later transcribed) talk given to the London & Middlesex Historical Society on February 15, 1972. Available in the London Room of the London Public Library, Main Branch. * ''Bill Stern's Favorite Baseball Stories'' by
Bill Stern Bill Stern (July 1, 1907 – November 19, 1971) was an American actor and sportscaster who announced the nation's first remote sports broadcast and the first telecast of a baseball game. In 1984, Stern was part of the American Sportscaste ...
, (Blue Ribbon Books, Garden City, New York, 1949). * ''Some Baseball History, Both Amateur and Professional, in the City of London, Synopsis of Tecumsehs, the Renowned Champions of Early Days'' by Frank Adams, for 58 years a member of ''The London Advertiser'' staff, pages 214-217 of ''The Canadian Science Digest'', March, 1938, published monthly in London, Ontario, Canada, by Walter Venner. * An Eight-Page
Indenture An indenture is a legal contract that reflects an agreement between two parties. Although the term is most familiarly used to refer to a labor contract between an employer and a laborer with an indentured servant status, historically indentures we ...
/ Instrument #33043 between The London and Western Trusts Company Limited, The Corporation of The City of London and
John Labatt John Labatt (11 December 1838 – 27 April 1915) was a Canadian businessman and brewer. Labatt took charge of Labatt Brewing Company, formally known as Labatt and Company, after his father's death in 1866. Labatt helped Labatt Brewing Company e ...
, Limited, dated December 31, 1936, and registered on title in the Land Registry Office for the City of London on January 2, 1937, conveying Tecumseh Park to the City of London along with $10,000 on the provisos that the athletic field be preserved, maintained and operated in
perpetuity In finance, a perpetuity is an annuity that has no end, or a stream of cash payments that continues forever. There are few actual perpetuities in existence. For example, the United Kingdom (UK) government issued them in the past; these were kno ...
"for the use of the citizens of the City of London as an athletic field and recreation ground" and that it be renamed "The John Labatt Memorial Athletic Park."


References


Further reading


1876 and 1877 Bryce Baseball Guides


as reported by ''The New York Times''


1920 London Tecumsehs
Contains an error of fact regarding which league the 1877 London Tecumsehs played in (International Association, not the League Alliance)

by Jeff Hale of ''The London Free Press'', September 9, 1997

y Jeff Hale of ''The London Free Press'', September 9, 1997

by William Humber * ttps://web.archive.org/web/20050506112249/http://www.rochester.lib.ny.us/~rochhist/v64_2002/v64i4.pdf The 1877 Rochesters of the International Association
''Patsy Donovan is remembered for a stellar rookie season with the Tecumsehs''
by James Reaney, ''The London Free Press'', August 13, 2006


External links


Virtual Tour of Labatt Park

Map: location of Labatt Park in London
{{Authority control Baseball teams established in 1868 Defunct minor league baseball teams Baseball teams in London, Ontario Defunct baseball teams in Canada 1868 establishments in Ontario Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Michigan-Ontario League teams Tecumseh