The London Majors are an 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 Park .
104-824: Over the years, the team has also been known at various times as the London Braves (1925), the London Winery (1934–1936), the London Silverwoods (1937, 1938), the London Army Team (1942–1943), the London Majors (1944–1959), London Diamonds (1960–1961), the London Majors (1962), London Pontiacs (1963–1969), the London Avcos (1970–1973) and the London El-Morocco Majors (1974), depending on the team sponsorship of
208-510: A W.P.A. project to construct a new stadium. He presented an idea for a national, semi-professional baseball tournament to be held in Wichita. An idea that had not occurred to Dumont prior to the conversation. Lawrence Stadium was constructed prior to the 1934 baseball season. In 1978, Lawrence Stadium was renamed Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in honor of Dumont. Dumont continued to use gimmicks to promote his baseball tournaments. Games were held early in
312-415: A double play . Particular agility is required of the second baseman in double play situations, which usually force the player to throw towards first base while their momentum carries them in the opposite direction. A runner on second base is said to be in "scoring position", since there is a higher likelihood of scoring a run from second base on a single. Since second base is the farthest from home plate, it
416-420: A 17:12 ratio, but a physically built home plate will have side lengths accurate to a few hundredths of an inch. The other three corners of the square, in counterclockwise order from home plate, are called first , second , and third base . These bases are marked by canvas or rubber cushions, 18 inches (46 cm) square and 3–5 inches (7.6–12.7 cm) thick. Adjacent to each of the two parallel 8.5-inch sides
520-502: A buzzer was installed on the outfield wall. If either team took more than 90 seconds between innings or 20 seconds between pitches, a ball or strike was awarded to penalize the offender In 1945, Dumont created a national uproar with a plan for a global tournament. Just five days after Japan surrendered in World War II , Dumont announced his plan for a September tournament that would include an invitation to Japan. Dumont quickly withdrew
624-424: A game between circus clowns and firemen in 1925. Kansas had blue laws at the time that limited business activities on Sundays; that included the circus but not baseball. Sparks Bros Circus clowns and roustabouts inquired about playing a local baseball team to earn some extra money on their day off. Dumont setup the game at Island Park located on Ackerman Island in Wichita. Abe Goldstein, a famous clown, performed on
728-560: A national system to prevent "team jumping". The organization also sold trophies, medals, baseballs, umpire equipment and even insurance. Wichita businessman Dee Hubbard purchased the National Baseball Congress in 1972, following the death of Hap Dumont. The organization was renamed National Baseball Congress of America. In 1931, Dumont established the Kansas Invitation Baseball Tournament to determine
832-423: A plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, a mat made from artificial material, with the team or league logo painted onto it. The coach's boxes , located behind first and third base, are where the first and third base coaches are supposed to stand, although coaches often stand outside the box. This is permissible as long as the coach does not interfere with play and
936-407: A regulation mound is 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter, with the center 59 feet (18 m) from the rear point of home plate, on the line between home plate and second base . The front edge of the pitcher's plate or rubber is 18 inches (46 cm) behind the center of the mound, making the front edge's midpoint 60 feet 6 inches from the rear point of home plate. Six inches (15 cm) in front of
1040-403: A right angle. The plate is set into the ground so that its surface is level with the field. The corner of home plate where the two 11-inch sides meet at a right angle is at one corner of a 90-foot (27.43 m) square. The dimensional specifications are technically inconsistent because the angle constraints require that the front be √ 2 times the length of the back, which is not equal to
1144-678: A season for the London Majors. Due to arm problems, however, McLain only pitched nine innings for the Majors, but did play in 14 games at either shortstop, first base and catcher and batted .380, including hitting two homers in one game in London. In 1984–1985 after Fergie Jenkins retired from Major League Baseball in 1983, he pitched for the London Majors, commuting from one of his homes near Chatham, Ontario . After pitcher Dave Rozema retired from Major League Baseball ( Detroit Tigers , 1977–84, and Texas Rangers , 1985–86) on April 30, 1986, he pitched for
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#17330860383001248-432: A semi-pro champion in the state of Kansas. Thirty-two teams were invited to the inaugural event, a single elimination tournament held at Island Park in Wichita. Abilene won the first Kansas tournament. Additional state tournaments were organized in the following years, eventually including all fifty states. When the national tournament, NBC World Series, was established in 1935 the state tournament champions qualified for
1352-403: A spectator area behind the wall, or to protect a scoreboard incorporated into the wall. Many ballparks feature a yellow line denoting the top of the wall to aid umpires in judging whether the ball passed over the wall or if the ball is fair or foul. Foul poles, if present, help umpires judge whether a fly ball hit above the fence line is foul (out of play) or fair (a home run ). The poles are
1456-645: A star pitcher for a total of 14 seasons with the Homestead Grays and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro National League . Alexander left the Majors part way through the 1951 season, during which the Majors won the Intercounty title with star pitchers, Stan and Bill Slack . The Majors also won the Intercounty title in 1956 with former New York Yankee/ Pittsburgh Pirate outfielder Frank Colman as
1560-411: A strong arm to make the long throw to first base. Third base is sometimes referred to as the "hot corner" as it's common for right-handed batters to hit the ball hardly to third base, making successfully fielding the ball difficult and possibly dangerous. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5. Like a runner on second base, a runner on third base
1664-456: A vertical extension of the foul lines at the edge of the field of play. The outer edge of the foul lines and foul poles define foul territory. Both the lines and the poles are in fair territory, in contrast to American football and basketball, where the lines marking the playing boundaries are out of bounds. The minimum distance to hit a home run (along either foul line) is set by baseball rules, generally at 325 feet (99 m). Before 1931 (with
1768-406: A wall trying to make a catch despite the warning track. For this reason, outfield walls are typically padded for extra safety. Wrigley Field 's brick wall is covered only by ivy, which is not especially soft. However, there are pads on the walls of the tight left and right field corners in foul ground. Warning-track power is a derogatory term for a batter who seems to have just enough power to hit
1872-408: Is a batter's box. All the bases, including home plate, lie entirely within fair territory. Thus, any batted ball that touches those bases must necessarily be ruled a fair ball. While the first and third base bags are placed so that they lie inside the 90-foot square formed by the bases, the second base bag is placed so that its center (unlike first, third and home) coincides exactly with the "point" of
1976-429: Is also used metonymically to describe a team's collection of relief pitchers. There are two on-deck circles in the field, one for each team, positioned in foul ground between home plate and the respective teams' benches. The on-deck circle is where the next scheduled batter, or "on-deck" batter, warms up while waiting for the current batter to finish their turn. The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt;
2080-630: Is an annual collegiate and semi-pro baseball tournament held in Wichita, Kansas . Satchel Paige , Don Sutton , Tom Seaver , Ozzie Smith , Tony Gwynn , Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are just a few of the Major League Baseball stars who have played in the tournament. When the national tournament started in 1935, participants were primarily town teams and industrial teams. Team rosters featured aging former minor league and major league ballplayers and players ineligible for major league baseball. In
2184-419: Is an area of the field behind home plate which the catcher occupies to avoid committing a balk when a pitch is thrown. In roughly the middle of the square, equidistant between first and third base, and a few feet closer to home plate than to second base, is a low artificial hill called the pitcher's mound. This is where the pitcher stands when throwing the pitch . Atop the mound is a white rubber slab, called
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#17330860383002288-407: Is best known for promoting amateur baseball games, but their reach extended beyond the games. The National Baseball Congress printed an Official Baseball Annual that included two hundred pages of rules and records. A pocket size version of baseball rules was also printed. Certification was provided for umpires, scorers and leagues through the National Baseball Congress. Player contracts were tracked via
2392-415: Is known as the outfield. Most baseball fields are enclosed with a fence that marks the outer edge of the outfield. The fence is usually set at a distance ranging from 300 to 420 feet (90 to 130 m) from home plate. Most professional and college baseball fields have a right and left foul pole which are about 440 to 500 feet (130 to 150 m) apart. These poles are at the intersection of the foul lines and
2496-470: Is not located in the running lane, but Rule 6.05 lets the batter-runner leave the running lane "by means of a step, stride or slide in the immediate vicinity of first base" to step on first base. The batter's box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch from the pitcher . It is usually drawn in chalk on the dirt surrounding home plate , and the insides of the boxes are watered down before each game. The chalk lines delineating
2600-509: Is notorious for arguments over long, curving flies down a foul line (most notably in left field) that sail higher than the foul pole. At Major League Baseball fields, foul poles are usually yellow. Those at Citi Field are orange. At Petco Park , there is no foul pole in left field; the pole's function is served by a yellow metal strip along the corner of the Western Metal Supply Co. building. Several parks featuring advertising along
2704-425: Is placed with the white half in fair territory and the orange half in foul territory. The white half is used by the first baseman to make plays while the orange half is used by the runner. This creates a separation between the first baseman and runner, reducing the chance of injury on plays at first base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3. Second base
2808-435: Is said to be in "scoring position", since there is a higher likelihood of scoring a run on a single or sacrifice fly provided that the third and final out is not recorded before they can reach home plate. Home base, usually called "home plate", is the final base that a player must touch to score a run. Unlike the other bases, home plate is a five-sided slab of white rubber that is set at ground level. In most MLB stadiums,
2912-411: Is sometimes used, although this usually refers to less organized venues for activities like sandlot ball . The starting point for much of the action on the field is home plate (officially "home base"), a five-sided slab of white rubber. One side is 17 inches (43 cm) long, the two adjacent sides are 8.5 inches (22 cm). The remaining two sides are approximately 11 inches (30 cm) and set at
3016-455: Is the defensive player mainly responsible for the area near first base. A first baseman is often tall. A tall first baseman has a larger range for reaching and catching errant throws. In some youth leagues and adult recreational leagues, a "double first base" or "safety first base" is used. A double first base is rectangular (rather than square), measuring 30 by 15 inches. It is normally colored white and orange (two 15 by 15 inches squares). It
3120-423: Is the most commonly stolen base in baseball. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4, and the shortstop 6. Third base is the third of the four bases a runner must touch in order to score a run. The third baseman is the defensive player mainly responsible for the area nearest third base. A third baseman ideally possesses quick reaction to batted balls and
3224-410: Is the second of the four bases a runner must touch in order to score a run. Second base is mainly defended by the second baseman and the shortstop . The second baseman and shortstop ideally possess quick feet and the ability to release the ball rapidly and accurately. One player will usually cover second base while the other attempts to field the ball. Both players must communicate well to be able to make
London Majors - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-649: The Kitchener Panthers in four straight games and the defending IBL champions and pennant winners, the Barrie Baycats in five games. In the final series, however, the Majors were defeated four games to one by the Brantford Red Sox , who won their first Intercounty title since 1981 on August 25, 2006, in Brantford. In 1974, after Denny McLain had retired from the major leagues two years earlier, McLain played
3432-649: The London Tigers (1989–1993), the London Werewolves (1999–2001) and the London Monarchs (2003). After buying the London Majors prior to the 2004 season, in October, 2005, team owner Scott Dart brought his friend and former veteran London Majors' outfielder, Roop Chanderdat, in as team co-owner, with Chanderdat also assuming the duties of general manager . On January 14, 2006, The London Free Press reported that
3536-516: The Los Angeles Dodgers , would have a slightly higher mound. With the height advantage, the pitcher gains more leverage and can put more downward velocity on the ball, making it more difficult for the batter to strike the ball squarely with the bat . After 1968, known among baseball historians as " the year of the pitcher ", the official height of the mound was lowered from 15 inches (38 cm) to 10 inches (25 cm) in an attempt to "increase
3640-486: The backstop is at least 60 feet behind home plate and is composed of a lower solid wall and upper netting that protects spectators behind home plate from wild pitches , passed balls , and foul balls . In recreational fields, there is usually a tall chain-link fence that surrounds the infield and the players' bench for player safety. Baselines are straight lines between two adjacent bases. Physical baselines are not drawn between first and second or second and third bases;
3744-419: The '48 Majors still alive is Jack Fairs). Fort Wayne had gained renown by losing one game in 15 tournaments played during the previous two years. The Majors won the opener on September 21, 1948, at Labatt Park when Joe Bechard's single in the 11th inning scored Johnny Lockington from second with the winning run in an 8–7 victory. Three times in the game Bechard had knocked in a run tying the game for London. It
3848-548: The 1935 tournament. A victim of the baseball color barrier , Paige was not eligible to play minor league or major league baseball. Paige won four games, striking out 60 batters while leading the Bismarck Churchills to the first NBC World Series championship. He was named MVP of the tournament. Dumont recruited Baseball Hall of Fame member Honus Wagner as the guest of honor at the 1935 opening night banquet. In addition to Wagner, celebrity guests who have been honored at
3952-664: The 1945 London Majors at the external link below). Tom (Tim) Burgess also played for the 1945 Majors as a pitcher-outfielder and was signed to a pro contract in 1946 by the St. Louis Cardinals ' organization. After years in Major League Baseball as either a player or coach, Burgess was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. The London Majors Baseball Club was owned by player-coach Arden Eddie from 1976 until February 2004, when Eddie and his wife Shelley sold
4056-598: The 1946 season when he signed with the New York Yankees . In 1949 and 1950, Colman played for Seattle of the Pacific Coast League , before returning to play for the AAA Toronto Maple Leafs in 1951 as player-coach. In 1954, Colman returned to his hometown of London, Ontario, signing on as player-manager with the London Majors, then owned by team general manager Clare Van Horne. In 1955, Colman purchased
4160-616: The 1954 NBC World Series with the Goodland, Kansas Tigers. A new rule making major league "name" stars unavailable in National Baseball Congress tournaments was implemented following the 1955 NBC World Series. Notably, the Santa Barbara Foresters and the Seattle Studs have made up one or both of the teams in every championship game since 2005, save for 2007, 2009, 2017, and 2024. NBC World Series Champions and MVPs. Since 1975
4264-909: The 1975 Majors ballclub were: former Major League Baseball, left-handed pitcher Mike Kilkenny , a league all-star and 1975 Intercounty MVP; shortstop Dave Byers; all-star second-and-third baseman Barry Boughner ; 1975 batting champion Larry Haggitt (.412); manager Roy McKay; coach John Ambrose; long-time coach-trainer Norm Aldridge (Aldridge has a City-owned baseball diamond named after him in northeast London called Norm Aldridge Field ); Larry Wilson; pitcher Phil Schmidt; pitcher Rick Lindquist; Barry Fuller; Mike Fess; catcher Wayne (Dog) Fenlon; Brian Bell; captain Dave (Whitey) Lapthorne; infielder Mike Mitchell; infielder Rob Watral; John Marks; Alex McKay Jr; Jamie Hodge; John Gourley Jr.; pitcher Neal Ambrose; trainers Ed Loney and Bob Gilan; General Manager George Hall and batboy Jim McKay. Affectionately known as "Killer", Kilkenny
London Majors - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-584: The 2006 London Majors, won the Intercounty Baseball League Rookie of the Year (Brian Kerr Memorial Trophy). Vallejos enjoyed a productive first season in the IBL, hitting .304 with two homers and 41 RBI. The Ottawa , Ontario , native also hit five doubles, scored 28 runs and was fourth in the league with 19 stolen bases in 30 games. The 2006 London Majors fared well in the Intercounty playoffs, dispatching
4472-452: The 2016 MLB season. In some college baseball parks with artificial turf fields, the entire field (along with possibly the pitcher's mound) is made up of turf, with parts of the field mainly containing dirt instead merely being clay-colored turf. The outfield is made from thick grass or artificial turf . It is where the outfielders play. The positions to play in the outfield are left , center , and right field (named in relation to
4576-643: The Intercounty Baseball League's first-all-star team in 2006 were second-baseman Kyle Piwowarczyk and outfielder Brad McElroy (who also won the league's regular season batting title with a .403 batting average). The Majors also led the league in batting during the regular season with an overall team average of .305. Named to the second-all-star team in 2006 were outfielder Kevin Virtue, left-handed pitcher Erick Perez, designated hitter Chuck Roberts and manager Roop Chanderdat. Rudy Vallejos, an outfielder with
4680-461: The London Majors in the early 1990s. The 1937, tongue-and-groove clapboard Majors' clubhouse at Labatt Park, officially renamed "The Roy McKay Clubhouse" on August 1, 1996 ( Roy McKay was born on August 1, 1933), by longtime Majors' owner-player Arden Eddie , was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1996—an initiative spearheaded by The Friends of Labatt Park—by amending
4784-764: The London Pontiacs), 1975, 2021 and 2022 (as the London Majors). In 1943, 1944 and 1947, the London Majors also won the Ontario Baseball Association Sr. 'A' championships (see team photo below on an external link), the Canadian Baseball Congress Championships in 1943, 1944, 1947 and 1948 and the Can-Am North American Championship in 1948. According to the IBL record books, the Majors won the pennant race (atop
4888-589: The London Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. In 2004, the London Majors made it to the best-of-seven championship IBL series with the Guelph Royals , but were defeated four games to one. After the 2004 season, the Majors moved out of the Roy McKay Clubhouse, pending interior renovations to the historic structure, and into the dressing room under the third-baseline grandstand, a dressing room previously used by
4992-471: The Majors had become an international organization with 11 scouts in Latin America, the U.S., Mexico, Italy and Japan. Since the 2006 season, Majors' Co-Owner/ General Manager Roop Chanderdat has also been the team's field manager. In late June 2017, Chanderdat became the London Majors' manager to register the most career wins, overtaking former manager Roy McKay's record of 257 wins. London Majors named to
5096-628: The Majors in 1956 from Van Horne and co-founded the Eager Beaver Baseball Association with London sportsman Gordon Berryhill and Al Marshall. Colman's Majors won the Intercounty title in 1956. In 2019, Roop Chanderdat the Majors field and general manager reached 300 wins on July 7, with a 6-1 win over the Hamilton Cardinals at home. He finished the season at 305 victories. On Canada Day of that same season, long-tenured and fan-favourite Major Cleveland Brownlee, who had played in
5200-637: The Majors in the mid-1930s. In 1936, he was a top Intercounty League pitcher and hitter, winning the league batting title and MVP award, which soon led to a pro contract. In 1941 and 1942, Colman played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League . In 1942, he signed as an outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He remained with the Pirates as a first baseman-outfielder until late in
5304-833: The NBC World Series champion representing the United States and the Puerto Rico national champion from Guayama . In 1948, a Can-Am Series with Canada was billed as the Sandlot Baseball World Series. 1950 and 1952 matched the NBC World Series champion against Japan in the Inter-Hemisphere Series. International Series In 1955, a non-professional Global Series was organized. Teams representing Canada , Columbia , Hawaii (a U.S. Territory until 1959), Holland , Japan, Mexico , Puerto Rico and Spain played in
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#17330860383005408-477: The NBC World Series has recognized a former participant as "Graduate of the Year". Founder Raymond Harry "Hap" Dumont (1904–1971) spent his career working in sports. Early in life, he was a sports editor for newspapers in Wichita and Hutchinson. He also promoted boxing and wrestling matches. When the opportunity arose, he sold sporting equipment, succeeding in the mail-order business even as the great depression lingered. Dumont got his start promoting baseball with
5512-410: The attempt, the baserunner's running baseline is established as a direct line from his current position to the base he is trying for. A runner straying more than three feet (1 m) away from this baseline to avoid a tag may be called out. Beginning halfway between home and first base, and ending at first base, there is a second chalk line to the right of the foul line. This second line and the part of
5616-413: The ball goes thereafter. Foul poles are typically much higher than the top of the outfield fence or wall, and often have a narrow screen running along the fair side of the pole. This further aids the umpires' judgment, as a ball that bounces off this screen is a home run. It can still be a difficult call, especially in ballparks with no outfield stands behind the poles to provide perspective. Wrigley Field
5720-423: The ball to the warning track for an out, but not enough to hit a home run. The term more generally refers to someone or something that is almost but not quite good enough for something. The outfield wall or fence is the outer boundary of the outfield. A ball passing over the wall is dead . If it passes over the wall in fair territory , without touching the ground, it is a home run. The official rules do not specify
5824-411: The baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Relief pitchers usually wait in the bullpen when they have yet to play in a game, rather than in the dugout with the rest of the team. The starting pitcher also makes their final pregame warmups in the bullpen. Managers can call coaches in the bullpen on an in-house telephone from the dugout to tell a certain pitcher to begin their warmup tosses. "Bullpen"
5928-469: The batter's position; thus left field is beyond third base and right field is beyond first base). Outfields vary in size and shape depending on the overall size and shape of the playing field. The outfield stretches from the infield to the outfield wall and it contains the warning track. Outfields especially vary from Little League to major league fields. Little League outfields vary more in size than Major League outfields. Outfields often differ from infields in
6032-452: The batting" once again. A pitcher's mound is difficult for groundskeepers to maintain. Usually before every game it is watered down to keep the dust from spreading. On youth and amateur baseball fields, the mound may be much different from the rule book definition due to erosion and repair attempts. Even in the major leagues, each mound gains its own character, as pitchers are allowed to kick away pieces of dirt in their way, thereby sculpting
6136-416: The center of home plate with the inside line of each batter's box 6 inches (15 cm) from the near edge of home plate. A right-handed batter would stand in the batter's box on the right side of home plate from the perspective of the pitcher. A left-handed batter would stand in the batter's box to their left. A batter may only occupy one batter's box at a time and may not legally leave the batter's box after
6240-422: The center of the diamond. Occasionally the ball may take a tricky bounce off the dirt area or the edge between the dirt and the grass. Multiple World Series championships (including 1924, 1960 and 1986) have been decided or heavily influenced by erratic hops of ground balls . In artificial turf stadiums, infield dirt was originally only placed in three five-sided areas around the bases and in two circles around
6344-1060: The day. Since 1975, the team has stuck with the London Majors moniker. In 1948 London Majors, considered one of the best teams in Intercounty history, not only won the Intercounty League championship, but the Canadian Baseball Congress Championship and the Can-Am North American championship of the National Baseball Congress beating the Fort Wayne, Indiana , General Electrics in a best-of-seven-game series played at Labatt Park, with such London stars as pitcher "Tireless" Tommy White, catcher Jack Fairs, short-stop/ fielder Russell (the Muscle) Evon, catcher Gil Robertson, infielder Don Cooper and rookie outfielder Joltin' Joe Bechard (the sole remaining member of
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#17330860383006448-510: The discretion of the umpire , thus reducing the probability that they will affect a live play. The grass line, where the dirt of the infield ends and the grass of the outfield begins, has no special significance to the rules of the game (except in Double-A Minor League Baseball where all infielders must be on the infield dirt when the pitch is thrown as part of an experimental rule for the 2021 season), but it can influence
6552-433: The distance from that point on the wall to home plate. In most modern major league ballparks, the wall is made of some hard material (e.g., concrete, plywood, sheet metal) with padding on the field side to protect players who may collide with the wall at high speed while trying to make a play. Chain link fencing may also be incorporated into the wall in areas where the wall needs to be transparent, e.g., an outfield bullpen ,
6656-523: The distance. 30 yards (90 feet) between the bases was first explicitly prescribed by the NABBP Convention of 1857. Through trial and error, 90 feet had been settled upon as the optimal distance. 100 feet would have given too much advantage to the defense, and 80 feet too much to the offense. The original Knickerbocker Rules did not specify the pitching distance explicitly; the 1854 Unified Rules stated "from Home to pitcher not less than fifteen paces". By
6760-402: The eight team tournament. The NBC World Series champion represented the United States. The Global Series only lasted three seasons. Global Series 1955–1957 Baseball diamond A baseball field , also called a ball field or baseball diamond , is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park . The term sandlot
6864-404: The exception of a couple months in 1920) the foul lines extended indefinitely; a batter was awarded a home run only if a fly ball out of the field was fair where it landed. Now, a batted ball that leaves the field in flight is judged fair or foul at the point it leaves the field. Thus, such a fly ball passing on the fair side of a foul pole, or hitting a foul pole, is a home run regardless of where
6968-448: The fence while attempting to catch the ball safely. A warning track's width is not specified in the rules. It is generally designed to give about three steps of warning to the highest-level players using the field. Typical widths run from about six feet for Little League fields to about 10–15 feet (3.0–4.6 meters) for college- or professional-level play. A warning track this wide also lets groundskeepers avoid driving maintenance vehicles on
7072-450: The field and in the stands. The clowns did not provide all of the tricks as the Firemen's centerfielder patrolled the outfield on the back of a motorcycle driven by a policeman. A sellout crowd of 3,500 turned out to see the game. Island Park burnt down in 1933 when a cigarette ignited the wooden structure. Without a venue to host his baseball games, Dumont petitioned the city of Wichita for
7176-472: The field has been little changed since the Knickerbocker Rules of the 1840s. Those rules specified the distance from home to second as 42 "paces". The dictionary definition of a "pace" at the time was 30 inches, yielding base paths of approximately 75 feet; however, if a "pace" of three feet was meant then the distance would have been 89 feet. It is not implausible that the early clubs simply stepped off
7280-477: The foul line it runs parallel to, form the running lane that defines the path in which a batter-runner must run as he is advancing to first base. Rule 6.05(k) of the Official Baseball Rules states that if a batter-runner running to first base runs outside the running lane, and "in doing so" interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first, then the batter-runner is automatically out. First base itself
7384-412: The foul lines serve to mark the baseline between home plate and first base, and between third base and home. Generally, baserunners are not required to follow the baseline. A baserunner seeking to advance more than one base typically "rounds" the base, following a more circular path. However, a runner's left-right motion is constrained when the defense tries to tag him. At the moment the defense begins
7488-521: The grass. The track can be composed of finely ground rock particles such as cinders, which is why announcer Bob Wolff called it the "cinder path" rather than the "warning track". The idea of a warning track originated in Yankee Stadium , where an actual running track was built for use in track and field events. When ballpark designers saw how the track helped fielders, it soon became a feature of every ballpark. Single-minded fielders often crash into
7592-434: The infield; a ball that touches any part of a base is considered a fair ball. First base is the first of the four bases that must be touched by a runner in order to score a run for the batting team. The runner may continue running past first base in a straight line without being in jeopardy of being put out, so long as they make contact with first base and make no move or attempt to advance to second base. The first baseman
7696-461: The league since 2009 reached the 100 homerun plateau, in front of a near sold out crowd. The Majors won that game 15-3 over the defending champion Barrie Baycats. Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) IBL Pennants Senior A Ontario Baseball Association Great Lakes Baseball League Canadian Baseball Congress Can-Am Baseball Congress National Baseball Congress The National Baseball Congress World Series or NBC World Series
7800-454: The length of the foul pole, with the most prominent example being the advertising from Chick-fil-A at both Citi Field and Minute Maid Park (serving as a pun , with "fowl" being another term for a chicken , the primary meat featured by that restaurant chain). The bullpen (sometimes referred to as simply "the 'pen") is the area where pitchers warm up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along
7904-428: The mid-1960s team rosters transitioned to collegiate players, including prospects on the fast path to the major leagues. In 1975, the NBC World Series began recognizing a tournament participant who went on to a major league career as Graduate of the Year. The first NBC World Series called the "Little World Series" was held August 13–27, 1935 at Lawrence Stadium in Wichita. National Baseball Congress founder Hap Dumont
8008-472: The morning when graveyard shifts ended. An emphasis was put on "wumps", women umpires. One rule allowed the batter to run to either first or third base when the bases were unoccupied. Dumont had a microphone installed at home plate. When activated the microphone would rise up from the ground, allowing arguments at the plate to be broadcast to the whole stadium. To keep games moving at a rapid pace, he implemented an air device that could dust home plate. A timer with
8112-403: The mound a bit to their preference. The pitcher may keep a rosin bag on the rear of the mound to dry off their hands. Major League Baseball teams are also permitted cleat cleaners on the back of the mound. This may be a flat grate-style plate, or simply a hand tool such as a piece of wood used to remove mud and dirt from cleats. These items are allowed to remain on the backside of the mound at
8216-410: The national tournament. The state tournaments eventually became qualifying tournaments to regional tournaments, rather than the national tournament. Regional tournament champions qualified for the national tournament. With district, state, regional and a national tournament in place, Dumont set out to establish a non-professional global tournament. He started in 1939, with a seven-game series between
8320-403: The nearest fence, stand or other obstruction and are called the foul lines. The portion of the playing field between (and including) the foul lines is fair territory; the rest is "foul territory". The area within the square formed by the bases is officially called the infield, though colloquially this term also includes fair territory in the vicinity of the square; fair territory outside the infield
8424-491: The ninety-foot square. Thus, although the "points" of the bases are 90 feet apart, the physical distance between each successive pair of base markers is closer to 88 feet (26.8 m). Near the center of the square is an artificial hill known as the pitcher's mound, atop which is a white rubber slab known as the pitcher's plate, colloquially the "rubber". The specifications for the pitcher's mound are described below . The lines from home plate to first and third bases extend to
8528-535: The opening night banquet include: Stan Musial , Mickey Mantle , Dizzy Dean , Connie Mack , Allie Reynolds , Fred Clarke and Rin Tin Tin . Teams bolstered by military service players dominated the WWII (1943–1945) and Korean War (1952–1955) tournaments. During these eras, major league players were serving at military bases across the country and playing for the base teams. 1953 World Series MVP Billy Martin played in
8632-405: The opposing team does not object (in which case the umpire shall ensure that all coaches on both teams must abide by the boundaries of the coach's boxes). The coach's boxes are marked with chalk or paint. In the early days of baseball, the term "coacher's box" was used, as "coach" was taken to be a verb. As the term "coach" evolved into a noun, the name of the box also changed. The basic layout of
8736-438: The outcome of a game. Dirt running paths between the bases (and, at one time and still in some parks, between the pitcher and the catcher) have existed since the beginning of the game, although they were not mentioned in the rule books until around 1950, and their specifications are flexible. In addition to providing a running path, the grass lines act as a visual aid so that players, umpires and fans may better judge distance from
8840-413: The owner-manager of the team. Arden Eddie , who has played at first base, second base and the outfield during his 34-year playing career for the London Majors in the Intercounty League, was a key member of the 1975 Majors when they won the Intercounty title, the last year that the team has won the league championship. In 2007, Arden Eddie was inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame. Other players on
8944-580: The park's original (by-law) reasons for designation. The one-storey, cottage-style building is owned by the City of London and is one of the few remaining clubhouses of its kind remaining in North America still being used for the purpose for which it was built. On May 31, 1998, a fundraising ballgame ("The Rumble at the Riverforks") between the members of London city council, the media and the London Majors old-timers
9048-403: The pitcher has come set or has started their windup. Should the batter wish to leave the batter's box once the pitcher has engaged the rubber , they must first ask the umpire for time-out . Time will not be granted if the pitcher has already started their pitching motion. For playing rules relating to the batter's box, see Rules 6.05 and 6.06 of the Official Baseball Rules . The catcher's box
9152-408: The pitcher's and batting areas, which are referred to as "cut outs". In this configuration, the "grass line" is usually designated with a white arc. This setup first appeared at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium upon its opening in 1970. Among Major League Baseball fields, Rogers Centre was the last stadium to maintain this type of configuration and was reconfigured with a full dirt infield starting in
9256-436: The pitcher's plate or pitcher's rubber. It measures 6 inches (15 cm) front-to-back and 2 feet (61 cm) across, the front of which is exactly 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) from the rear point of home plate. This peculiar distance was set by the rule makers in 1893, not due to a clerical or surveying error as popular myth has it, but intentionally (further details under History ). In Major League Baseball ,
9360-418: The pitcher's rubber the mound begins to slope downward. The top of the rubber is to be no higher than ten inches (25 cm) above home plate. From 1903 through 1968, this height limit was set at 15 inches (38 cm), but in reality differed from ballpark to ballpark as the height was considered too difficult to enforce. A higher mound generally favors the pitcher and teams which emphasized pitching, such as
9464-481: The proposal and the tournament was not held. Five years later with the authorization of General Douglas MacArthur , the series was held in Tokyo and Osaka Japan. Dumont died in his office on July 3, 1971 while preparing for the 1971 National Baseball Congress World Series. His wife, Anne Dumont, retained ownership of the National Baseball Congress with Larry Davis leading the organization. The National Baseball Congress
9568-494: The regular season standings) in 1946, 1947, 1956, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975, 1988, 2008, 2016 and 2021 (13 in total). Traditionally, one of the high points in the season of the London Majors is a game with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1 ( Canada Day ), which is usually followed by fireworks over the adjacent forks of the Thames River . In 1950, pitcher Ted Alexander joined the Majors. Previously, Alexander had been
9672-524: The respective ends of the outfield fence and, unless otherwise specified within the ground rules , lie in fair territory. Thus, a batted ball that passes over the outfield wall in flight and touches the foul pole is a fair ball and the batter is awarded a home run. A baseball infield is the square area within the four 90-foot baselines (60-foot baselines in Little League Baseball for youths 12 years old and under). The four bases are integral parts of
9776-532: The series. The 1948 London Majors team is considered to be one of the best amateur men's baseball teams of all time and were inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame at Budweiser Gardens in 2002. The Majors have won the league (playoff) championship series 14 times in the years 1925, 1936, 1937 (as the London Silverwoods), 1943 (as the London Army Team), 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1951, 1956, 1969 (as
9880-420: The shape, height, or composition of the wall, or a specific mandatory distance from home plate (though Major League Baseball mandates a minimum distance of 250 feet (76 m) and recommends a minimum distance of 320 feet (98 m) at the foul poles and 400 feet (120 m) at center field). As a result, baseball fields can vary greatly along those lines. The wall has numbers affixed or painted on it that denote
9984-404: The specific type of grass used, but most major league outfields are grass. The warning track is the strip of dirt at the edges of the baseball field (especially in front of the home run fence and along the left and right sides of a field). Because the warning track's color and feel differ from the grass field, a fielder can remain focused on a fly ball near the fence and measure their proximity to
10088-812: The team to London businessperson/ mortgage consultant Scott Dart. Eddie, who holds three Intercounty League records—most games played (834); most stolen bases (179) and most bases on balls (668) -- first started playing for the London Majors in 1967 (as a junior call-up) after moving to London from his hometown of Wallaceburg, Ontario , where he has been inducted into the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame. The Majors have retired 13 numbered uniforms: those of Jon Owen (1), Norm Aldridge (3), Russ Evon (4), Stan (Gabby) Anderson/ Richard Thompson (5), Wayne Fenlon (9), Bob Deakin (10), Roy McKay (16), Tommy White/ Mike Kilkenny (17), Dave Byers (18), Fergie Jenkins (31) and on Sunday, July 6, 2008, Arden Eddie 's jersey (24)
10192-437: The time major league baseball began in the 1870s, the pitcher was compelled to pitch from within a "box" whose front edge was 45 feet (14 m) from the "point" of home plate. Although they had to release the ball before crossing the line, as with bowlers in cricket , they also had to start their delivery from within the box; they could not run in from the field as bowlers do. Furthermore, the pitcher had to throw underhand. By
10296-597: The two foul lines are rarely extended through the batter's boxes. However, those lines exist conceptually for the purpose of judging a batted ball fair or foul. In addition, inside edges of the batter's boxes are often not laid-in with chalk. Similarly, though not marked, those lines continue to exist for the purpose of the rules pertaining to the batter's box and the batter's position relative thereto. There are two batter's boxes, one on each side of home plate. The batter's boxes are 4 feet (1.22 m) wide and 6 feet (1.83 m) long. The batter's boxes are centered lengthwise at
10400-535: Was "the greatest display of clutch hitting ever seen in the local ball yard", wrote Free Press sports editor Jack Park. Fort Wayne went up 3–2 in the best-of-seven series but London pitcher Tommy White threw a five-hitter and Bechard hit a grand slam in a 13-1 London win in Game 6. White returned to the mound the next day and allowed five hits but blanked the Electrics 5-0 to give London the championship and post his third win of
10504-597: Was 9–0, with 129 strikeouts, 46 walks, nine complete games and an earned run average of 1.31. Kilkenny previously played for the Detroit Tigers (1969–1972), Oakland Athletics (1972), San Diego Padres (1972), and Cleveland Indians (1972–1973) during a five-season stint (1969–1973) in the Major Leagues. In 1969, Kilkenny was named "Rookie of the Year" for the Detroit Tigers. The 1975 London Majors were inducted into
10608-481: Was director of the National Tournament Committee of Wichita that put on the tournament. Thirty-two teams were invited to the first national tournament. A focus was put on diversity with five teams classified as "integrated," one team consisted of Native American players and another of Japanese players. Future Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel Paige was signed to a $ 1,000 personal appearance contract for
10712-450: Was held to help defray the costs of a new cedar-shingle roof on the Roy McKay Clubhouse. The game was organized by Arden Eddie, The Friends of Labatt Park, SCENE magazine and the London Majors. The late Roy McKay (1933–1995) was a longtime London Majors' pitcher, coach and manager who died on Christmas Day, 1995. At age 12, McKay was also the mascot-batboy for the 1945 London Majors — the Intercounty and Ontario champions (see photo of
10816-437: Was officially retired. Owners of the team over the years have included Public Utilities Commission director Bill Farquharson, Clare Van Horne, ex- Major League Baseball player Frank Colman (1956–early 1960), jeweller Chester Pegg, sportswriter/ author Bob Ferguson (1963–64), Ted Earley, George Hall, Arden Eddie (1976-February, 2003) and the current co-owners of Scott Dart and Roop Chanderdat. Frank Colman first played for
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