Sign up for a tour of Labatt Park, the World's Oldest Baseball Grounds

 

Labatt Park, the world's oldest continuously used baseball grounds, is finally receiving the promotion it deserves. I say "finally" because, despite owning the park since 1936, the City of London hasn't done much to boost its fame. But this summer, Tourism London is providing tours of the park, which has brand new interpretive signs as well as historical displays in the Roy McKay Clubhouse. You can book your tour here.

Some readers don't need to be told. You're already fans of baseball and Labatt Park. You enjoy the leisurely pace of the game, the fun of keeping a scorecard, the quoting of statistics. You love evening games, sitting in the grandstand under a dark, moonlit sky, the lights of downtown London shining across the River Thames. You also enjoy sitting in the stands on a bright summer day sipping a cold beer, cheering the crack of the bat. 

For others it's like watching paint dry. You may not be into spectator sports at all. 

Even if you're not into baseball, though, Labatt Park is still of interest to everyone interested in London history. Or women's history. Or black history. Some of the new signs illustrate why:

Signboard images courtesy of Tourism London.

The sign above illustrates how the floods of 1883 and 1937 were devastating to Labatt Park as well as the rest of downtown London. The 1883 flood destroyed the original grandstand. The Flood of '37 damaged the park again, necessitating the building of the park's third grandstand and a new clubhouse. 

During the first half of the 20th century, Labatt Park was visited by various Negro League teams from the US. Famed pitcher Satchell Paige visited in 1954 while touring with a baseball version of the Harlem Globetrotters. After Jackie Robinson broke the "colour barrier" in 1947, players formerly in the Negro Leagues, like Ted Alexander, played in the Intercounty Baseball League. 

During World War II, Labatt Park was the home field for several women's baseball, softball and fastball teams, including the London Supremes who played in the Michigan-Ontario Women's Fastball League right into the 1950s. It's like A League of Their Own right here in London. At left on the above sign is Marion Clark Knowles, pitching for the London Supremes. 

Courtesy of Stephen Harding

Information on the above topics and more can also be found inside the Roy McKay Clubhouse (right) which has been turned into a museum space. Shown here are displays about the Supremes, the PUC Playground Olympics, and the famous London Tecumsehs. The Tecumsehs, created in 1868, were named after their patron, the Tecumseh House Hotel that once stood at York and Richmond streets. One of their players was Fred Goldsmith, probably the inventor of the curve ball as this book explains. In 1877, the Tecumsehs became international champions by defeating the Pittsburgh Alleghenies 5-2 to win the International Baseball Association championship. Before it was Labatt Park, the diamond was Tecumseh Park. 

Courtesy of Tourism London

You never know who'll drop by while you're in the clubhouse. Here Barry Moore, 97, poses with a display of his own uniform, glove, and spikes. Mr. Moore, a retired teacher and minister, also found time to be a pitcher for the London Army team of the Intercounty Baseball League. The jerseys  in the background represent London Majors players who enjoyed exceptional careers during the team's 96-year history. Also on display are the jerseys of Londoners who have been inducted in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys.

Today, of course, Labatt Park is home to the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League. More information about the team and former players can be found here. Founded in 1925, the Majors are getting pretty historic themselves. 

Let's Play Ball!