Many communities, schools, companies and organizations formed baseball clubs during this era. Games would often take place on organized sports days, alongside cricket, football and rugby matches, as well as horse and foot racing. At first, league play was minimal, with games usually taking place after one club challenged another. Nonetheless, regular intercity play began among the various communities in central Alberta in the 1890s. Edmonton, Strathcona, Fort Saskatchewan, Wetaskiwin and other local towns all fielded teams, and notable rivalries developed between a few of them—Edmonton and Strathcona especially didn’t care for one another. A new Canadian Pacific Railway line from Calgary arrived in Strathcona in 1891, bringing our local sports teams into regular contact with those in the south. Some of the first shots in what would become the Battle of Alberta were fired in May 1893, when a team from Calgary travelled north to participate in Edmonton’s Victoria Day sports weekend. Whoever won that first game has been lost to history, but it was the start of a lengthy well-known sports rivalry.
BASEBALL IN EDMONTON
Turning Pro: 1900-1920
Then & Now
F
ew things call up summer vibes like a baseball game. Sitting in the stands under the hot sun with a hot dog and a cold drink, as the players walk out onto the field below—it’s a tradition enjoyed the world over, especially in North America. Indeed, the game known as ‘America’s Pastime’ is very much a Canadian one, too. Here in Edmonton, where hockey and football dominate the sports headlines, many people may not be aware of our city’s long and rich baseball history. But with roots stretching back over 130 years, Edmonton can rightly claim a proud status as a baseball town.
Starting Out: 1884-1900 It’s not known exactly when baseball came to Alberta, but by the 1880s it was being played alongside more established sports like cricket and rugby. The first documented mention of the game comes in a short article dated May 24, 1884, in the Edmonton Bulletin. It reports on a meeting held at Ross Brothers Hardware on Jasper Avenue “for the purpose of organizing a base ball club.” Little else is known about this early team, as newspaper coverage of baseball was sporadic at best. But the growing community was about to catch baseball fever. EDMONTON PROSPECTS
Season Program 2018
As a baseball tradition took root in Edmonton, calls were made to develop better facilities for the game. In 1899 Edmonton purchased land from the Hudson’s Bay Company on the Ross Flats, in the modern-day neighbourhood of Rossdale. A new exhibition ground was built there, boasting a race track, baseball diamond and grandstand. Rossdale has been the beating heart of baseball in Edmonton ever since. At the same time, local promoters looked for ways to up the level of play. A Chicago native, W. F. “Deacon” White, moved here and helped launch the Western Canada League (WCL) in 1907. A dedicated ballpark was built for the local squad, the Edmonton Legislators. Diamond Park was located just a few blocks north of the exhibition grounds, in the shadow of the Hotel MacDonald (today, a city park there bears the same name). With a capacity
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