City council is honouring the Barrie Baycats’ boys eight-and-under team for winning the Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) Championship.
With Mayor Alex Nuttall unable to attend the meeting, the job of delivering the team its official civic accolade fell to Deputy Mayor Robert Thomson — as did the job of informing them that their full uniforms were not considered appropriate attire.
“Just a little bit of housekeeping — we ask that hats not be worn in the chamber,” Thomson said as the young players dutifully removed their matching baseball caps. “Thank you, everyone.”
Coach Mike McIntosh also delivered a few stirring words to the band of batters “This is about these boys here and their incredible accomplishment, and also for the family members as well — this is a team thing. . . . Talented as they are, talent only goes so far. Hard work, dedication, following our team values and believing in each other — that’s really what got them the Ontario championship. Congratulations and way to go, guys!”
The championship series saw the Baycats take on the Guelph Royals in September, beating them in four straight games. The final game ended with a score of 6-2.
It is believed baseball has been played in Canada since the late eighteenth century, though the rules were not formalized for another century. According to sports historian William Humber, a distinctly Canadian version of the game was played well into the 19th century. This featured five bases, four of which were spaced 40 feet apart, while home was placed near first base. It was also played by 11 players, all of whom needed to be struck out in each of the four innings.
