The History of Baseball in Edmonton

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.

Remax Field - Location: 10233 96 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta Opened: May 2, 1995 as Telus Field Capacity: 9,200, with 30 executive suites Surface: FieldTurf (infield); Grass (outfield) Fun Fact: The Green Monster is one of the highest in baseball. This big wall in centre field helps the batters to see the ball in flight.

Talk of landing a Pacific Coast League (PCL) franchise began in the 1960s. As a Triple-A league, the PCL represented the highest level of minor professional baseball. In 1980, the PCL dream came true when Oilers owner Peter Pocklington purchased the A’s of Ogden, Utah, and moved them north. The Edmonton Trappers began play in 1981 out of Renfrew Park. Following John Ducey’s death in 1983, the park was renamed after him the following year. In 1995 it would be torn down and replaced with the 9,200-seat Telus Field. Meanwhile, the Trappers found success by winning the PCL title four times—the most of any Canadian Triple-A team—and frequently boasting above-average attendance. A number of noteworthy players also dressed for the Trappers early in their careers. Among them, slugger Ron Kittle and outfielder Tim Salmon won league MVP honours, in 1982 and 1992 respectively. Kittle’s award came after a 50-home run season, the 50th coming on the last day of the season. Despite these achievements, the franchise was

Enter the Prospects. Playing in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL), a summer collegiate league with roots going back to the 1930s, the team was founded in 2005 as the Edmonton Big River Prospects. After bouncing around a bit in their early years, moving from Telus Field to St. Albert to John Fry Park on the south side, the Prospects returned to Rossdale for good in 2012. Though they struggled to win games early on, in recent summers the Prospects have found their footing, making the WMBL playoffs every summer since 2015 and advancing to the finals in 2016 and 2017. Impressively, they’ve found success with a roster that’s largely Canadian—including many local players.