Universal Baseball Encyclopedia: November 2024

1898-8-26 W-S. Bowmanville 10, Kingston 3 @Bowmanville. Bowmanville imported three players from the Toronto athletic club: Doc Shepherd, "boy wonder" [George "Knotty"] Lee, and catcher Benson.

"Manager Gallagher, Con. Millan, "Bob" Wilson, Kelly, the mascot, and "Judy," accompanied the team the boys report a "swell" time."

Cheney, W.J.

Dorgan, Willie "Bunny"

Duquette, George p 1901 Kingston Ponies

Elliott, Chaucer 1878-1913 1900 Ponies 1901 Ponies c-MG 1903 Ponies

Hickey, Fred also p

Sullivan, George p 22-23, .268 in EL 1900 Ponies

Vowinkel, Rip

Lee, George "Knotty" p 1900 Gananoque

1901-6-10 W-S. The Ponies' team will be strengthened within two weeks by southpaw Duquette of Potsdam NY.

1901-8-08 W-S. Duquette has decided to refuse his offer from Toronto EL due to the lateness of the season and his fondness for Kingston.

1901-10-02 Daily News. "Yesterday afternoon "Chaucer" Elliott, like most of the sporting fraternity is superstitious. He was standing on Princess street in front of Elliott Bros. with Duquette, the pitcher on the Ponies team, when he remarked to the twirler: "'Duke,' have you got a cent in your pocket?" The Potsdam man produced the money and handed it to "Chaucer," who made a pass and the copper was gone. Instead of the cent was a pretty little pearl handled knife which he presented to "Duke" as a remembrance of his baseball season in Kingston. Duquette left to-day for Potsdam, N.Y."

1900-8-14 W-S. Ponies 3, Gananoque 2. 10 innings. The Ponies took the championship from Gananoque. Gananoque has a high-priced professional team. Game was at Alexandria Bay - third match of series. In the first two games, Gananoque won at home 10-7, then the Ponies won at home 13-9.

McCarney, Gananoque manager, put up a forfeit of $25 for a purse of $400 for the third game, to be made up between the two teams.

Great game.

When Gananoque tied the game 2-2 in the 9th, "The whole of Gananoque simply went mad, but were sufficiently sane not to take any of the bets offered on Ponies; odds of $50 to $35, $25 to $15 and such like were offered on Ponies without takers."

Commentary - neither line nor box.

"The match was witnessed by a great number of Americans and many said they had never seen a better game by the big league teams.

The grounds are very poor at the Bay, being in a potato patch, rough and hilly. The outfield is simply vile, full of hills, hollows, stones and weeds.

The gate receipts were about $300. The Ponies got about $90.

The Gananoque team had a brass band along to play them home as victors...

It is calculated that at least $500 of Gananoque money found its way into the pockets of Kingston backers of the Ponies."

1924-7-30 Daily Standard. Remembers game of 1900-8-14 and reprints article. One of the greatest games ever in our district. George "Knotty" Lee pitched for Gananoque. Lists full names for Kingston team. "Bike" Young was one of the finest shortstops of his day. Walter Easton, George Sullivan, Billy Dehaney, Joe Daley (Daly), Charles Easlin. George Sullivan was Kingston's pitcher - pitched in Eastern League.

1901-8-02 Ponies 6, Rochester Athletics 5. Line. Lake Ontario Park. "Duke" Duquette struck out 14 and hit a triple over the railway track in the bottom of the ninth, scoring the winning run.

"VanAlmkerk, the Rochester twirler, had a little speed, but his big out-curve and drop was [sic] somewhat puzzling."

1901-8-16 Gananoque 4, Ponies 1. 800 ATT - game at Gananoque. "After being enemies for two months, Ponies and Gananoque baseball teams have concluded a peace, and are once more merely rivals."

1901-8-28 W-S. Kingston Ponies 13, Toronto Crescents 8. Box. Doc Shepherd described as nearly 60 - "the hairs of his head are decidedly numbered." Shepherd called "Chaucer" Elliott's Ponies the best team Kingston has ever had. Ponies' batting and fielding averages since 7-01.

1908-8-28 Daily News. Small turn-out. Match was announced for 3:00 but as the western train was late it began more like 4:30.

1901-9-07 Ponies 9, Rochester Athletics 6. Box.

1901-9-19 Ponies 7, Gananoque 6. 11 innings. Cape Vincent. Line. The Gananoque team will disband next Monday (9-23).

"The Toronto Star says that Kingston teams would be better liked if their supporters were not so boastful. If there's any boastfulness about Kingston, it originated from close proximity to Toronto. It's very contagious."

1901-9-28 Gananoque 10, Ponies 4. Lake Ontario Park, 600 ATT, last game of "unusually long" Kingston season. Line. "Uncle Sam" Islin, "Chaucer" Elliott, "Bike" Young, and "Jerry" Hunt are Pony players. Duquette described as "boy wonder" - was ill the night before and still weak, but pitched reasonably well.

The Ponies had a 26-11 record for the year.

"W.J. Cheney and E.E. Tilton, of the Ponies baseball team, left to-day for their homes in Potsdam, N.Y., to spend a couple weeks. They will return here and probably remain."

"G. L Duquette, the crack pitcher of the Kingston Ponies baseball team, left to-day for his home in Watertown, N.Y., thence going to Syracuse university. "Duke" pitched sixteen matches with the Ponies, and won thirteen. His worst enemies were the Gananoque team, whom he defeated four matches out of six. While in the limestone city "Duke" made scores of warm friends who regret his departure. However, he will pay a couple of visits to Kingston during the winter to see how hockey is played."

1903-7-31 Ponies 8, Watertown 5. Line. Lake Ontario Park. "Jerry" Hunt "is again the favorite of the ladies in the grand stand." The present Pony team is the strongest Kingston has ever had.

1904-4-14 Star. Lists last year's Kingston players who are now in the pros.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaucer_Elliott

1912-3-18 Pic of Chaucer Elliott. Hopes for his complete recovery are bright.

1913-3-14 W-S. Reprints tributes to Chaucer from various outside newspapers. Was a great football player at Queen's University.

1913-3-15 W-S. Pic. Buried today at Cataraqui cemetery.

1961-6-19 W-S. Pic. Was elected to the hockey hall of fame as a referee last week; probably the best athlete ever to come from Kingston. He died of cancer. Organized the famous Kingston Ponies and helped organize the Canadian League. Long profile.

1921-6-08 W-S. Ogdensburg 2, Kingston Ponies 0. 4 Ladouceurs in Ogdensburg line-up. Line.

Kingston Baseball Association (KBA) Organization still exists.

1942 Locos final pitching - three teams

1943 Locos final stats (good) - four teams

1944 Locos 1st half stats (vg) final fielding final batting (vg) final pitching - five teams

1945 Locos - three teams

1946

1947

1953

DeLuca, Frank p 1947

Gee, George .298 1946 BORD NHL, 9 yrs 1944 Navy

Jarrell, Arnie p 1942 Locos*10-1 1943 Locos*8-3

Lay, Joseph .289 1946 BORD 1945 Aluminums

Levandoski, Joseph 1953 Locos

McQuaide, Vincent Hit .319 in 1946 BORD as 31 pro-rookie 1943 Locos - .420 1945 Ponies

Scrutton, Stanley "Red" 1945 Aluminums batting 8th 1953 Locos PM

Brown, Adam 9 yrs in the NHL - p - 1944 Ordnance

Radley, Yip NHL 1942 Aluminums' MG

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Rodden Whig-Standard sports-editor from 1936 to 1958. The first person elected to both the Hockey HOF and Canadian Football HOF.

1942-9-10 4th game of finals postponed by rain. Allowed Arnie Jarrell to rest his weary arm.

"There are many Kingston baseball fans, especially the supporters of the soldier team, who blame the rain for the Army's loss to the Locos in the semi-finals. The Vimy Signalmen, with their mates from Ordnance, had the Locos in trouble. A third and deciding game was scheduled two days after Jarrell had twirled the Locos into a tie on the round. Rain prevented play, gave Jarrell a needed rest and Locos won the series later on a last inning pinch-hit."

A number of the Aluminum players also play with the softball Kingston Vics.

1942-11-19 Championship Locos honored at banquet.

1943-9-13 FINAL STATS. Official scorer Max Johnson picks all-star fielding team.

1944-9-08 Bob Elliott, who led the league with a .455 average, is one-eyed. He was field director of the Aluminums this year. He caught most games, and also played some first base and pitcher.

Preview for g#3 of the finals. The Tars' Conner, who is only 20 years old, pitched the best game of his career in the first game of the series. He will pitch tonight.

\ 1944-9-13 Fans picks an all-star team.

The Locos were definitely the class of the league. They were much stronger than the Kingston Ponies, who did well in the did well in the "Baseball Conference games at London."

1944-12-02 Nelles Megaffin political ad asking for support from sports fans. He is the KBA's second vice-president etc.

1945-8-08 Ad for a 6:30 game with attendance prize donated by Jos. Abramsky and Sons, Ltd.

The Locos will represent Kingston at the NBC tournament in London, 8-17 to 8-18. Ollie Olsen will lead while Joe Dailey will give advice. He managed last year's team that played in the Forest City. Players who will strengthen the Locos are listed. List of players from which Olsen is expected to pick his roster is given, with full names. Olsen is showing faith in his Locos by bringing his whole club to London.

Bob Elliott was invited to the team but couldn't make it. He would've been valuable as a utility as he can catch, pitch, and play the infield or outfield.

Olsen may start Giffin the first night knowing he can be sent out again the next day as he is one of those iron men so rare in modern baseball.

"Being fully aware of the fact that Hal Buck is one of the best players in Kingston, Olsen would have enlisted his services but the Aluminum stalwart has been suffering from an injury to his eye and has not seen much action of late. Last season Buck gave the most amazing exhibition of first base defensive play I have ever seen an amateur deliver and he had London players and fans talking to themselves.

"Buck was eager to make the trip and Mr. C. N. Rumfeldt, of the Aluminum Company, would have given him leave of absence if he had been able to secure permission from his doctor."

The Locos will take 17 players but the generous CLC AA will meet any deficit. As expenses will be $700 this may well be needed.

The Locos will face the Alcans tonight. Olsen is rumored to bring out Brockville's Giffin but this is unlikely as Howie Garrison has won six straight games.

1945-8-21 (Toronto via Kingston) "TORONTO, Aug. 21 - Walk down a Kingston street with Sammy Mulholland and the chances are you'll be mobbed by the city's small fry. Chunky, broad-smiling Sammy is their superman. At 15, he's one of the leading pitchers in the Kingston Baseball Association senior series, one of the country's top hardball loops. Before Arnie (Lefty) Jarrell left Kingston Locos to sign a professional contract with Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League, he and Mulholland hooked up in some nifty hurling duels-and the older, more experienced Jarrell didn't always win.

"Mulholland, whose teachers admit he's "not quite so strong" as a student, rates highly with baseball men in Kingston but they insist he may prove better as a football or hockey player."

1945-9-08 Managers of the three teams listed. Meeting last night.

"Few were in agreement about the interpretation of ground rules relative to balls hit into that short right field but finally, at the suggestion of President Art Casterton the following rule was accepted by almost unanimous vote.

"If a ball hits between the big tree and the foul line and touches the leaves on the tree it is a two-bagger. If it is in play and hits the sidewalk and then progresses beyond the walk between the big tree and the foul line through an error it is officially a two-base hit. On any ball that is hit to the left of the big tree the batsmen is entitled to all the bases he can reach safely."

Three umpires appointed for the playoffs who will officiate each game, instead of the two umpires used for regular season games.

Revised schedule listed for remaining games.

Next two games will began at 5:00 in an effort to fight the autumn darkness.

1945-9-12 Summary of pennant situation. All three teams still have a chance at first place.

"Kingston Baseball Association games are played on an open field with the clubs getting only a lesser share of the receipts and the players nothing at all. Amateur rules permit professionals to mix with amateurs in open parks but not when collections are taken, the idea being to prevent the professionals from following their trade."

"Kingston's position is, therefore, unique and it is to be very much doubted if it would be logical to deprive Jarrell of the right to participate in games.

Yip Radley, now in the twilight of his athletic career, speaks much on the Jarrell situation.

Radley was reinstated into the amateur OHA after having completed his pro hockey career.

"The Aluminums," said "Yip," "are far from likely to waste time in lodging any more protests. The last time we lodged one we couldn't even locate the committee room. We learned later that, probably in order to adhere to the strict code of amateurism the meeting was held in the dark and also in the open air. I guess that is why I couldn't find the site."

1945-9-14 Column.

Yip: "Anyhow, how could I help it if that outfield resembles Lansdowne Park at Ottawa when the grass isn't cut? Next season I will be in retirement but I think I will get some exercise by shoving a lawn mower around the Cricket Field."

Olsen will be cautious about using Jarrell - doing so would inflame passions in this tight pennant race.

1945-9-15 Bob Elliott was named head coach of the Queen's University Intercollegiate Union football team. Praise of Bob Elliott as football player and coach.

"Bob's natural tendency is to coach and in this sphere of endeavor he has been mainly responsible for the rise to popular acclaim of many ambitious local athletes During most of the Kingston Baseball Association senior race this season Aluminums have rallied mainly on the pitching efforts of two youngsters - Sammy Mulholland and George Lay - and these moundsmen have improved rapidly under Elliott's shrewd direction.

"Arnie Jarrell, now a member of the Toronto Maple Leaf pitching staff, is one of Bob's proteges."

1945-9-21 Talk of playoffs and future bad weather which may lead to future postponements - a prediction which seems to have been correct.

1945-10-09 Ole Olsen first guided the Locos on historic Cricket Field in 1942. He had previously managed three junior teams to titles. He has now won four consecutive league titles with the Locos.

"So unconcerned was Olsen about the 1945 race that he did offer to donate to a league-sponsored team such valuable performers as Vinny McQuaide and Joe Corkey and only circumstances prevented him from tossing Pitcher Arnie Jarrell into the league's melting pot last spring. So Corkey and McQuaide went away from there and erected the Ponies while Jarrell eventually threw in his lot with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was lost not only to Locos but also to amateurism.

"As Mr. Olsen surveyed the "wreckage" he calmly announced that in his studied opinion it would be a fine race but that when the chips were on the line his Locos would steam ahead at top speed and so they did just that and at the finish of the regular race were in first place and standing bye while Aluminums were eliminating the luckless but gallant Ponies."

"Before the arrival of the semi- final, however, Manager Olsen had noticed with alarm that his team had been badly riddled and in this dire emergency he sent an SOS call to Brockville for help and came up with Pitcher Jack Giffin and Outfielder Jim Cunningham as bona-fide members of the Locos team. His announcement cast consternation into the ranks of Aluminums and thereof a protest was lodged which got nowhere when "Yip" Radley could not find the league heads assembled in the dark on the court house steps. President Art Casterton did not look with favor on this importation business but in the dark he couldn't locate the elusive Olsen even if he did discover after counting the votes that Alcans' claim had not been allowed."

"Kingston Association heads are preparing a statement of activities and there is reason to believe that the clubs will all reap well financially. They are entitled to a generous share of the profits and thus encouraged they will come back next year strongly entrenched and ready for all eventualities."

Locos were the most resourceful team in the league this year, which allowed them to win even tho their roster was diminished.

1946-5-04 "Somebody wanted to know if any batsmen had ever hit the Court House. "With what?" says Ben [Lady]. "Not even Ruth could do it and I'm not fooling." Assured that Joe Lay had propelled a few grounders to the fountain, that Vinny McQuaide had pounded the Spalding to Bagot Street and that Joe Daley used to circle the bases while the outfielders were still pursuing the ball. Ben roared "Well, bring them out here." Ben just didn't know that Joe Daley, who watched the workout intently, had been Kingston's "Babe" Ruth in a glorious long ago.

"Last year," said one informant, Yip' Radley hit the ball almost to Bagot Street and by a terrific burst of speed slid into third base just ahead of the long relay throw. The decision was very close but Umpire Corrigan was too kind-hearted to declare Radley out. However, a minute later Radley cost a teammate credit for a two-bagger when he was exterminated trying to stagger home."

"It is now I am beginning to realize," sighed Ben, "that many odd events have occurred at the Cricket Field and glad I will be when we get to Megaffin Stadium."

"Ben had a copy of last year's Kingston Association averages in one capacious pocket and a Watertown newspaper and three brand new baseballs in the other. "Those Watertown athletics appear to be going places," said Ben. "Some mighty fine players there including [Albert] Klestinic of last year's Pine Campers."

Arnie Jarrell held Red Schoendienst to two singles in a game two years ago.

1946-5-09 In the Cricket Field, a ball hit over the right field fence is not a home run. A Pony took advantage of this in a pre-season game and the umpire, of the ground rules unknowing, let it stand as a home run. The manager too had not studied the ground rules and so did not protest.

1946-6-05 "Never before in history has Kingston been so jammed with baseball teams and, while support is divided, all clubs and leagues are struggling towards a beckoning haven and, in the parlance of sport, they are making financial ends. meet. Each league has its own loyal following and carries on independently of the others.

"In the Kingston Association Bob Elliott's experienced Giants seem to have a strangle-hold on the championship even at this early stage of proceedings and their supporters are already looking forward to a city title series between this machine and the Locos who "went away from there" while clutching the laurels and after having established a remarkable record of achievement."

Ole Olsen is Loco manager. He "feels that Locos had outlived their welcome in the Kingston loop and that in carrying the Kingston banner into baseball centres like Ottawa, Hull, Smiths Falls and Brockville the Limestone City champions have adopted a policy of great advertising value." [Locos had joined the Ontario-Quebec League.]

The Locos are tired of being KBA champs.

1947-6-12 In junior ball, the Gananoque Cubs' Billy Brown and the junior Ponies' Belky Murray threw a double no-hitter, which Murray won on an error and passed ball. The youngsters are playing fine ball, out of pure love of the game, to small crowds on the Cricket Field.

Bob Elliott, Giants' coach and catcher, is "one of Kingston's favorite baseball sons." The city senior loop has three teams.

The Vics have signed a battery: Frank DeLuca and Ross Doherty, both lately of the Kingston Ponies.

Praise for various senior players.

1948-9-10 Pony-amateur preview.

1948-9-13 Ponies beat Amateur All-Stars 10-5. 1500 ATT at season finale at Megaffin Stadium. Vincent McQuaide announced retirement.

1953-8-10 Senior averages listed. Scrutton and Levandoski are hitting.625 and .532, respectively. Win-losses listed. League has five teams. STL is arranging local tryout.

1960-8-19 Old-Timers beat Junior All-Stars 12-4 before crowd of 1K, the largest crowd to witness a game at Cricket Field in several years.

"The large crowd brought back memories to many people who could recall when every KBA game received the same attention... It is unlikely last night's game will have any effect on the crowds at the remaining KBA games."

1961-2-10 Max. age for junior players set at 21. Players must obtain release from team before signing with another team. The five teams and their managers are listed.

From article on failure of proposed Border League: The KBA is primarily a junior association. Kingston has no senior team, and when the juniors age out "they graduate nowhere."

1944-6-09 Locos 4, Vimy Signals 1. Jarrell k's 11.

1944-6-21 Box/standings. Jarrell wins 4th straight games. Only three hits were made off his "elusive and baffling cross-fire delivery." Yammy Jamieson, aka "Yammy the Great," is the Aluminums' jack-of-all-trades.

1944-7-11 Jarrell shutout Aluminums 4-0 despite allowing ten hits.

1944-7-21 Navy 5, Locos 3. Cricket Field is vastly improved. "Perhaps I should mention at this stage of the story that the field was vastly more playable than usual, thanks to the improvements made with sportsmen like Tom McGinnis, Hughey Plaxton, Detective Bill Fitzgerald, City-Engineer Dave Jack, Cecil Cornelius and Alderman Art Casterton directing operations carried on by willing workers... The field was not in as perfect condition as it might be but nobody, however earnest, can work miracles and those who labored in this task did a grand job in the short time at their disposal... It certainly was a step in the right direction and all those who participated are deserving of brackets... Then too, while the game was in progress a patrol kept the fans at a respectful distance from the playing field and they enabled the outer gardeners to prevent some of these cheap home runs."

Locos' catcher Arniel was caught in the middle finger by a foul ball and bled copiously but had it patched up and returned to the game.

"In the seventh inning McQuaide made two of the most remarkable catches of the season away out there deep in left field and in close proximity to the parked automobiles." McQuaide is a "veteran with the enthusiasm of a youth."

Locos are 8-2 - in 2nd place is Navy ay 5-2-2.

1944-8-16 Box/standings. Locos are in 1st by eight pts at 11-2. Remaining games listed.

Commentary - e.g. listing the Locos' two losses.

London sportswriters are praising the Kingston Ponies.

1945-8-20 Ponies 6, Aluminums 0. The Ponies' demise was greatly exaggerated. Lefty Conner - ex-Navy pitcher - shutout the Alums while batting leadoff. He is fully recovered from the illness which has kept him out most of the year.

1945-8-22 Aluminums 2, Locos 1. 15-year-old Sam Mulholland pitched & won for the Aluminums. He has a 6-3 record for the season.

Mike Cosgrove played short for the Locos and did a great job. He was the replacement for Scotty Thomson. He is from Wolfe Island.

The large crowd was generous, and Star Reid staggered under the weight of the quarters and dimes that he collected.

1945-9-09 Alcans win. They are 11-10; tied in points with 11-9 Locos.

Art Casterton is president of the Association and Star Reid is in charge of the affairs at the Cricket Field.

1945-9-10 Box/standings. Standings use points - two points per win.

Arnie Jarrell appeared in a Locos uniform last night but was not called upon.

"Jake" Quinn was inclined to take a philosophical view of the situation while 'Yip" Radley confessed that all amateurism is strictly in the alleged class. Somebody mentioned the constitution but it hasn't been printed yet and if so it hasn't been discovered. If there are any amateurs of ability left in the country they probably reside in "Shennanigan Falls."

Umpire "Squeak" Reason kept Alcan MG Jake Quinn in check.

1945-9-17 Box/standings. Justin Sullivan played 1b for the Aluminums - he has been with Moncton NB.

1945-9-21 Locos 9, Ponies 2. Ponies eliminated. Giffin pitched for Locos.

1947-6-09 Senior. Athletics 5, Giants 4. The Giants' first loss in 20 league games.

(1947-6-10) Junior. Line for double no-hitter. Norm Harry k'd 16 in 6 innings but settled for a tie.

1947-6-20 Dyer beat the Giants. The Athletics acquired Dyer when the Ponies released him. One of the largest and most excited crowds of the season watched the game.

1944-9-01 Semis. Navy 5, Aluminum 4. Aluminum, eliminated by this loss, is managed by Bob Elliott and Yip Radley.

\ 1944-9-04 G#1. Navy 7, Locos 1. Locos were favored going into the game. Lefty Conner, Tar, pitched a great game. There was a fracas between players at third base in the middle of the game. The fans stayed admirably aloof but "fifty non-playing Tars" ill-advisedly "hastened to the scene of promised hostilities."

Jack Purcell, world champion badminton player, attended the game, and was astonished at the size of the attendance. The largest crowd in many seasons saw the game.

The Locos were unhurt by their long rest.

1944-9-06 G#2. Locos 4, Navy 0. Jarrell pitched one of the best games Kingston has ever seen - showed he is the "easily the shrewdest and best pitcher" in the league. The Navy defense was inept. Bill Braun, Navy pitcher, isn't as young as he used to be.

1944-9-08 G#3. Locos 14, Navy 1. Jarrell made his third appearance on the mound in five days.

The game was forfeited to the Locos in the sixth because the Tars were stalling.

1944-9-11 G#4. Locos 15, Navy 1. Jarrell went the distance in the last three games, allowing just two runs in 24 innings. The Locos outscored the Sailors 29-2 in the last two games. Jarrell was beaten in the first game but he and the Locos bounced back strong.

1945-9-28 G#3. Locos 4, Aluminums 3. Game ad for g#4.

1945-10-06 Locos win final series three games to one.

1947-9-22 Senior finals g#1. Giants pitcher Jack Edwards throws knuckleballs. Frank Dyer pitched for the A's - he'd pitched for the junior A's in their OBA series on Saturday (which they won 2-0). He is one of the best amateur hurlers in the district.

(1945-8-07) Brockville 6, Locos 5. Brockville 7, Kingston All-Stars 3. Brockville's "Little Jack" Giffin won both games, going the distance in the afternoon game and pitching five innings in relief in the evening game. Giffin has been the best local pitcher since Jarrell left for the Maple Leafs.

"Despite the rather tragic results the "take" was considerable and the profits will be used to partially pay the expenses of the Locos to the Conference Games at Labatt Stadium in London. The Kingston Association champions have definitely decided to seek the Ontario crown and I am delighted to report that they will possess a formidable array of talent with Jack Giffin, Vinny McQuaide, Bob Elliott, Joe Lay, Joe Corkey and Hal Buck added to the regular squad."

1945-9-22 Locos 6, Barrifield Bears 2. Lauzon, KBA pitched for the Bears. The game was a fight, won by Locos due to Jarrell's invincibility in the pinches. 1K+ ATT. Community Chest Fund game.

1945-9-18 Barriefield Bears, Service League champs, who will face the Locos and Arnie Jarrell.

https://kdshf.ca/inductees/nelles-david-megaffin/ Team owner.
https://www.thewhig.com/opinion/remembering-kingstons-pro-baseball-team

1948 cartoon of Arnie Jarrell, Kingston product & Pony pitching ace. Worked in a local plant and played hockey for the Kingston Saints in the off-season."

"The Ponies were led by player-manager Ben Lady. This 29-year-old Indianapolis native was a veteran minor-league catcher who realized — a la Crash Davis, the Kevin Costner character in the movie Bull Durham — that he would never make it to the big leagues. So he opted instead to stay in the game by getting into management. Kingston ball fans were glad that he did. Lady was a popular figure with locals who flocked to Megaffin Stadium. The Montreal Street ball yard was built in 1945-46 by local businessman/hotelier and team owner Nelles Megaffin, a member of the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame.

"The Ponies never won a championship, but they did lead the league in attendance for a couple of seasons. In their first year, the team averaged 1,100 fans for each of 58 home games. Remember, this was at a time when Kingston’s population was only about 40,000. The Ponies were a big deal locally, and their players were celebrities.

"Most of the Ponies players were American imports. However, there were a few homegrown talents — prominent among them were crafty left-handed pitcher Arnie Jarrell and fleet-footed outfielder Vinnie McQuaide. Like Nelles Megaffin, both are in the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame."

Al Alronowitz compares Cricket Field unfavorably to Vancouver ballpark. The ball acts unpredictably.

1947-6-21 Arnie Jarrell has an ailing shoulder. (Box/commentary - 1300 ATT.)

1950-6-26 Kingston Monarchs box. Belky Murray pic.

History of sports in Kingston by Michael Rodden.

1967-7-01 Hockey contin. More hockey. contin. Football/baseball.

"Ironically enough, as the years rolled on cricket lost its appeal in Kingston and was replaced by baseball in, of all places, the famous Cricket Field. During the many years that have followed the Cricket Field has been the site of countless baseball games and this despite the fact that the terrain slopes upward in the left garden and that the tree-laden outreaches in right field are much too close to first base.

"It would be impossible to provide a full list of all the notables who have scintillated on the Cricket Field as managers, umpires or players, but some of them were George Sullivan, Joe Daley, Stan Scrutton, Ollie Olsen, who led the Locos, Charlie and Jimmy Stewart, Hal. Buck, Bob Elliott, Johnny Evans, "Flat" Walsh, Bill Laird, Del Cherry and his two sons, Don and Dick, Bert Hunt, Arnie Jarrell, Joe Lay, Vinny McQuaide, Bob Nesbitt, now the police chief, Jimmy Arniel, "Jake "Edwards, Joe Corkey and "Yammy" Jamieson.

"In 1945 an All-Star team from Kingston reached the final in the Congress Tournament in London and then bowed out to the powerful home forces. The following season Kingston Locos participated in the Congress series but encountered the same fate when sore arms assailed Manager Ole Olsen's pitchers. Looking back, Bob Elliott recalls that Kingston's finest failed in similar bids in Hamilton in 1944 and in London in 1947.

"As he watched the thrilling going-on the late Nelles Megaffin visualized bright futurities for professional baseball in Kingston and a few months later he launched the movement that brought into being the Border Baseball League."

"Reaching into the KBA for players' services, Mr. Megaffin signed Arnie Jarrell, Joe Lay, George Gee and Vinny McQuaide. The squad went through training exercises at the Cricket Field. Others were recruited from various centres and among them were Pete Karpuk and "Pud" Kitchen. Jack Jarvis was hired as trainer and business manager on the road.

"The locals, called the Ponies, reached the playoff finals in the inaugural campaign, the while Arnie Jarrell paced the league's pitchers. At that time futurities looked bright but after the Ottawa Nationals were admitted with "Daffy" Dean as the manager they became too powerful for the company they kept."

CLC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Locomotive_Company 1878-1969

"It was demolished in August 1971 after having constructed over 3000 locomotives from its earliest beginnings, making it at the time, Canada's second largest commercial builder after Montreal Locomotive Works."

https://tracksidetreasure.blogspot.com/2021/01/kingstons-canadian-locomotive-company.html
1951-8-01 Overview of sports program. The CLCAC was founded in 1928 or 1929 and since then "has been handling all sporting activities for the workers in the plant."

The CLC first got into sports with a baseball team around the turn of the century.

"The most famous end of sports activity at the plant was the Loco ball team. Until they folded in 1949, the Locos were without a doubt "the" amateur ball club in Kingston. From 1942 to 1945 inclusive they were reigning champions of the Kingston Baseball Association senior series. Players like Vinny McQuaide, Jimmy Arniel, Joe Corkey, Gord Wood, the Smart boys, Doug and George, Joe Lay and Joe Watts- they were all stars led by one of the biggest sports figures in the history of the Loco-Ollie Olsen, manager par excellence in baseball and boxing. Always an agitator to the crowd, Olsen kept bringing record crowds down to the Cricket Field, scene of all the Loco triumphs in the KBA.

"In 1948 the Loco team entered the Central Ontario Baseball League. Beaten in the finals by Peterborough Petes, the Kingston club went into the OHA senior B playdowns. They defeated Oshawa and followed that victory up with one over Ottawa for the Eastern Ontario title. Scheduled to play off with Guelph for the Ontario championship, the Locos asked that the final be decided in a sudden-death game to be played at Peterborough. Guelph would not agree and wanted a three out of five series. In the end, the series didn't pan out."

Ollie Olsen

1921-9-29 Leading off for Wolfe Island?

1951-8-01 Profile w/pic. Lied about his age and began working at CLC at age 13. He's spent 43 years with the company. He is the foreman of the locomotive-building department.

Best known for his sporting activities. He founded a team in 1912 while still in school called the Park Nine, named after a well-known pro club. In 1930 he formed a Boxing and Wrestling Club at CLC. For seven years he regularly organized boxing & wrestling shows.

"Perhaps Mr. Olsen's greatest fame stemmed from his activities as manager, coach and guiding light of CLC's baseball teams. "The Locomotive Works has always had a hardball team as long as I can remember," says Mr. Olsen. In 1938, the CLC team entered the Bay of Quinte League, and "they were never out of the playoffs."

"These days, when Mr. Olsen isn't wheeling locomotives or recalling past exploits of his athletes, he takes technicolor movies or goes duck-hunting on Wolfe Island.

Kingston-born, Mr. Olsen married "a girl from Wolfe Island," Ruby La Rush, in 1925. They had four boys and four girls, of which seven are living. Ronnie, the eldest boy died suddenly and tragically last year at the age of 25, stricken by a rare blood disease, leukemia.

"Recently his daughter Blanche, a registered nurse and highly trained as an X-ray technician, was married to Murray Kennedy, a Whig-Standard sportswriter. Referring to this event, Mr. Olsen shakes his head and perplexity clouds his eye. "She gets all those initials after her name," he muses, "and then goes and gets married!""

1970-5-16 J.O. "Ollie" Olsen. Obit. Died at 75. Prior to coaching the Locos he "trained boxers at local gymnasiums." Retired from the CLC in 1964. Survived by wife, four daughters, and two sons, all listed with names and residencies.

https://sites.rootsweb.com/~woodmanlarush/larush-ruby.htm Pic with wife.

Frank Dyer, ambidextrous pitcher.

1946-5-02 An account of one of trainer Jack Jarvis's WWII tales.
1946-5-03 Ponies practice notes. Joe Lay, just back from his hockey season, complains of Lady's hard training that "never did even 'Simon Legree' Olsen give me the rush-around like this."

The Locos practiced at the Cricket Field in the evening. The team's star pitchers, Howie Garrison and Jack Giffin, are both in the hospital for tonsil removals."

Trainer Jack Jarvis was once a welterweight of ability and today is one of the best trainers in the boxing business. He tells many tall tales of his time in the army in WWII.
1946-5-04 "Ben again exhibited keen interest in the double handed deeds of Pitcher Frank Dyer from Picton. He has become intrigued by the willing youngster's naiveness and natural ability. "Never saw anything like him before," says Ben. "He's got speed and perfect control, using either arm. Might make him into a switch-pitcher and wouldn't that be one for Ripley? Can you imagine a left handed batsman's surprise if that ball came zooming from the left when he was looking to the right?

"Dyer is only 18 years of age and never saw an organized baseball game in his young life yet he pitches with the coolness of a veteran. Don't know how he'll stand up under league fire but I'm thinking I may have accidentally landed a diamond in the rough, sure enough."

Ben Lady has instituted intense exercise.

1946-5-09 Pitched and won for Pony Regulars v. Yannigans yesterday - a kind of initiation into the pros.
1946-5-23 "Pitcher Frank Dyer, the "ambidextrous Kid", is in need of experience and will throw in his lot with Ole Olsen's powerful Locos, who will operate in the St. Lawrence League. "In no time at all" says Ole, "Dyer will be mowing them down with either the left hand or the right, depending on the kind of batsmen we are facing. I will have him ready for professional company at my own discretion which probably means that he will be with my champions during the entire season."

1946-5-14 Using his right arm only, Dyer won his first pro game in relief.
1946-7-03 ON-QC game. Frankie Dyer lost 3-1 to Hull Volants despite allowing just two hits. Locos are 2-3 at home despite having scored the same amount of runs as their opponents - 15- and having outhit them 33-21. "Dyer was cool as the proverbial cucumber" pitching.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston,_Ontario

https://kdshf.ca/inductees/earl-gallivan/ Canadian Boxing HOF. Boxed while Olsen promoted in Kingston.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragically_Hip From Kingston

SEA pitcher Matt Brash is from Kingston.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zal_Yanovsky Lead guitar/singer of the Lovin' Spoonful

Bob Elliott

Played 3b for Smiths Falls Railroaders in 1934 St. Lawrence League.

1934-9-22 Citizen. Smiths Falls held a banquet to honor its Railroaders, its Millermen, its champions. Captured the E.O.B.A. championship.

Lists roster, with full names. Bob Elliott, "popular third sacker and Queen's University rugby star..."

Universal Baseball Encyclopedia

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Regional tournaments

Monday, November 11, 2024

Kingston, ON

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Eastern Canada Leagues

Economics of baseball

Ambidextrous / switch pitchers

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