The London Majors are currently members of Ontario's Intercounty Baseball League. The IBL, a semi-pro league formed in 1919, is the oldest currently-existing league in Canada. The Majors joined the league in 1925 and became league champions several times in subsequent years, but baseball in London existed far before then.
The London Tecumsehs
The London Tecumsehs formed in the 1860s following a merger of two local baseball teams. The team eventually began playing their games at Tecumseh Park, which was built in 1877 and is considered the oldest baseball facility still in use. The stadium was built where the Thames River forks, just west of what is now London's downtown area. A big year for the team, the Tecumsehs also won the newly formed International League's championship in 1877 when they defeated the Pittsburgh Alleghenies.
Oftentimes the Londoners would host visiting Major League teams for exhibition matches. During their 1877 campaign the Tecumseh's played the Boston Red Stockings, themselves National League champions later that year, and nearly pulled off an upset when they lost by a score of 7-6. They did however defeat the 1876 champions, the Chicago White Stockings, in an exhibition match a few months later.
Flooding
Located at a river fork, flooding soon became a problem. The grandstands of Tecumseh Park have been destroyed by flood waters on more than one occasion. The first such flooding occurred in 1883. New grandstands were built and stood until 1937 when another flood destroyed the park. The Labatt family, owners of the local Labatt Brewery, donated $10,000 for reconstruction and thereafter the field has been named Labatt Park.
Notable Tecumseh Players
In 1924 Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer played a season for the Tecumsehs while also playing five games with the Detroit Tigers. In 1925 he played eight more games for the Tigers, but spent most of the season playing ball in Canada. Finally in 1926 he played a full season for Detroit, soon establishing himself as one of the game's greatest second basemen.
Other notable Tecumseh's include George "Mooney" Gibson, who later managed the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates in 1909, and Fred Goldsmith, who many claim invented the curve ball.
The Tecumseh's would dissolve soon after Gehringer's stint, but the newly formed London Majors would establish themselves as formidable opponents for many years to come.
The London Majors
The London Majors won the IBL championship in their first year with the league in 1925. They won twice more in the 1930's, but the team's most storied season occurred in 1948. Not only did they claim the IBL title, but they went on to defeat Indiana's Fort Wayne General Electrics to become the North American amateur and semi-pro champions.
The Majors' last IBL title came in 1975, though the team still remains competitive. In 2008 they fell to the Brantford Red Sox in the championship series, the second time in three years they've done so.
Notable Majors Players
Former pitchers Denny McLain and Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins have each briefly played for the London Majors following their retirement from Major League Baseball. In 1974, McLain, hindered by arm problems, only pitched nine innings in his lone season with the team, but he did make frequent appearances as an infielder and finished the year batting .380. Jenkins, an Ontario native, pitched for the Majors in 1984 and 1985.
Sources:
The London City Council Planning Commitee Report, 1-15-07, item 8 (.PDF file)
 |
 |
