Early Games

The table below provides a chronology of the earliest documented baseball games played by Canadian teams, whether played in Canada or otherwise. It is primarily the fruits of the research of CCBR Director Martin Lacoste, augmented by the contributions and commentary of CCBR Director Bill Humber and Ottawa researcher Steve Rennie. Research covers all years through 1870, i.e. before the advent of the organized professional era with the National Association in 1871. Supporting documentation is included via links to the appropriate source in the BOX column; commentary and discussion can be found through similar links in the NOTES column. Discussion covers such issues as the rules under which the game seems to have been played, e.g. the New York rules or the rules of the 11-man “Canadian baseball”.

Please note that this table is a work in progress. Corrections and additions, preferably accompanied by underlying source documentation, are welcomed, especially for games played outside Ontario (Canada West).

Abbreviations:

BC        Buffalo Courier
BCOM Buffalo Commercial
BDC     Buffalo Daily Courier
BME    Buffalo Morning Express

CG       Canadian Gleaner

DFP     Detroit Free Press
GA       Guelph Advertiser
GEM    Guelph Evening Mercury
GH       Guelph Herald
GM      Guelph Mercury
GWM   Guelph Weekly Mercury
G&M    Toronto Globe
HS        Hamilton Spectator
HT        Hamilton Times
HWS    Hamilton Weekly Spectator
HWT    Hamilton Weekly Times
IC         Ingersoll Chronicle

KBW   Kingston Weekly British Whig

LFP      London Free Press

MA      Mitchell Advocate and County of Perth General Advertiser

MES    Montreal Evening Star

MG      Montreal Gazette

MH      Montreal Herald and Daily Commercial Gazette

NYC     New York Clipper
NYSM  New York Sunday Mercury

ODC     Ottawa Daily Citizen

ODJ      Ogdensburg Daily Journal

OIS       Orleans Independent Standard

OT        Ottawa Times

REE      Rochester Evening Express
SDC     Syracuse Daily Courier
SDS      Syracuse Daily Standard

VC        Weekly British Colonist and Victoria Chronicle

VET      Victoria Evening Telegraph

WSOT  Wilkes’ Spirit of the Times