LABATT MEMORIAL PARK: WORLD'S OLDEST BASEBALL GROUNDS, 1877~PRESENT DAY
Designated a historic site under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1994, after a successful lobbying and informational campaign by the Friends of Labatt Park. The designating by-law was amended in 1996 to specifically include the "Roy McKay Clubhouse" at Labatt Park. Labatt Memorial Park was inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame in September 2021. Labatt Park worthy of national historic site designation, by Chip Martin, LFP, July 11, 2020
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Fuller Field in Clinton, Massachusetts, which dates back to 1878, tried to claim the above distinction, but it was eventually rejected by the Guinness Book of World Records in favour of Labatt Memorial Park, which has been the site of organized baseball since 1877 to the present day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labatt_Park
| NAMING THE ROY MCKAY CLUBHOUSE: "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission." Majors' owner Arden Eddie received official approval from the City of London for the clubhouses's new name after the dedication ceremony at the park had already been set to go and advertised. |
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The dignitaries on-field during the pre-game ceremonies for the June 21, 1937 IBL game at Labatt Memorial Park (first game after the April 26, 1937 Thames River Flood) between the London Silverwoods and the Stratford Nationals (L-R): E.V. Buchanan, GM of the Public Utilities Commission; Gil Forgue, field manager of the London Silverwoods; J.C. Doidge, chairman of the PUC; A.E. Silverwood, president of Silverwood's Dairy and team sponsor; Alex Morrison, chairman of the PUC's parks' committee and R.W. Del Lewis, president of the London Silverwoods Baseball Club
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Entrance
The above Art-Deco gate off Dundas Street (today's Riverside Drive) was constructed in 1938 to commemorate the renaming of Tecumseh Park to Labatt Memorial Park, after John Labatt Limited purchased the park and donated it to the Corporation of the City of London, effective January 1, 1937, on the proviso the park remain a public athletic park in perpetuity. Notice the billboard for the London Lords Senior Football Club (left photo), a now-defunct team which also played its home games for 18 years at Labatt Park. Unfortunately, the above gate was demolished circa 1980, in favour of the gates around the corner at 25 Wilson Avenue.
Scoreboard
Over the years, Labatt Park has featured different scoreboards, including ones operated by someone standing with the scoreboard changing the numbers. Currently, the scoreboard is done by local company OES Scoreboards and features all electronic operations.
Roy McKay Clubhouse
Built shortly after the Thames River Flood on April 26, 1937, the old team clubhouse was officially renamed the "Roy McKay Clubhouse" by Arden Eddie on August 1, 1996, the same year the building was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. The clubhouse is the heart and soul of Labatt Memorial Park, the place where the team gathered before taking the field and celebrated after the game.
Legacy Classic
In 2020, the Majors season was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 Pandemic. Between the efforts of the Majors, City of London, Middlesex Health Unit and Guelph Royals, the longevity of the World's Oldest Active Ball Grounds could continue. The Majors' dominant pitching led the team to a 3-0 victory. This game was known as the Legacy Classic. LEGACY CLASSIC (SHORT VIDEO)
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L-R: Friday, August 21, 2020, at Labatt Park during the Legacy Classic Exhibition Game between the Guelph Royals and the London Majors. London won 3-0, thanks to solid pitching, Barry Boughner, Chair, London Majors' Alumni Association; Roop Chanderdat, Manager, GM and Co-Owner, London Majors; Rick Corner, London Majors Alumni Association; Cleveland Brownlee, DH, #35, London Majors.
| The final team photo was taken at Labatt Park after the Legacy Classic between the Guelph Royals & London Majors. A maximum of 100 fans were permitted to watch the game at the ballpark due to the ongoing COVID-19 (Virus) pandemic restrictions. It's likely to be the only baseball game at Labatt Park during the 2020 season due to the global pandemic. |
LEGACY CLASSIC: London Majors host Guelph Royals in IBL exhibition game at Labatt Park to keep streak alive, by Ryan Pyette, LFP, Aug. 18, 2020
LEGACY CLASSIC GAME on Rogers TV-13 and YouTube, from Friday, August 21, 2020. London won 3-0
LEGACY CLASSIC GAME: CBC TV's The National, Fri. Aug. 21, 2020
