Toronto Maple Leaf Baseball — Memoirs
Earl asked me to write a memoir type of entry regarding my earliest recollections of watching baseball so to accommodate this request we have to go back to circa 1955.
I would have been seven at the time.
As you read take into account that there is no research to determine if the facts are correct. These are my memories only, stemming from the mid fifties and manifesting themselves here in 2007
My interest in baseball I am sure came from my father who constantly listened to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League broadcasts over 590 CKEY (now the FAN) in Toronto and their cross-lake rivals the Buffalo Bisons on 55 WGR.
The Toronto play-by-play tandem consisted of Joe Chrysdale and Hal Kelly. Kelly was the older brother of Dan Kelly who went on to become a famous hockey play-by play commentator for CBC and later the voice of the St. Louis Blues. Dan was also behind the mike when Mario Lemieux scored the winning goal for Team Canada against the USSR in the 1987 Canada Cup.
Bill Mazur was the voice of the Buffalo Bisons and he became a somewhat noted hockey announcer in the US during the NHL’s earliest attempts at gaining a hockey foothold south of the border. Probably worked for CBS.
But I digress.
So from these beginnings my interest in rounders was born. My father was not athletic in any sense and if I were to describe his interest in sports it was truly as a fan. And he was your typical homer fan. When his team lost it was because they were a bunch of bums and the umpires or referees cheated the home team. He never seemed to enjoy the games because of the paranoia he felt regarding the officials and the dread of the home side letting him down. There was no objectivity at all. No analysis. Just the opportunity to gloat over the fact that his team had beaten the opposition or bemoan the fact that his team lost.
The first World Series I recall was the 1955 Classic between the Dodgers and Yanks. Three Dodgers stick out in mind from that Series and for no particular reason other than they were Roy Campanella, Charlie Neal and Johnny Podres. I also recall Don Newcombe, Gil Hodges and Peewee Reese. But I don’t remember Jackie Robinson or Duke Snider. For the Yankees I guess it was my first introduction to Mantle, Berra and Elston Howard and Elston Howard was a link back to the Toronto Maple Leafs as he was their catcher 1954.
My first visit to a Professional Baseball game was somewhat unique in that rather than just being a single game it was in fact a triple-header. I am not sure if this was in ’55 or ’56 but it was on a Labour Day Monday
I attended, as with most youngsters, the games with my father. I remember going to the games on the streetcars since my dad did not have a car at that time.
We got off the Bathurst (Exhibition) streetcar right in front of venerable old Maple Leaf Stadium (2 great photos here and here). It was located at the foot of Bathurst St in an awkward intersection with Fleet Street and what turns into the now present Queen’s Quay. It was a large stadium for a minor league park with seating in the neighbourhood of 20,000. The location is now occupied by townhouses but the one remnant of the area is a street bounding the complex is called Stadium Rd.
The International League season in those days end on the weekend following Labour Day and the Leafs were in a dogfight for the pennant.
It was a cool overcast and misty day as I recall and the reason it was a tripleheader was that the schedule had originally called for a standard double header - a nine-inning opener and a seven-inning nightcap. However in Toronto and again I always have to go back to “in those days” they had what was called the Sunday Blue Laws. In short nobody was supposed to have fun on Sundays. Games on Sunday would start at 1:30 but no pitch could be thrown after 6:00 pm.
So on this particular Sunday the curfew came and the rules stated that the game had to be completed immediately before the start of the next scheduled game between the two teams. That was on the Monday. Therefore Monday’s activities consisted of the completion of the suspended game followed by the regularly scheduled double header.
And as fate would have it the home nine lost all three games and fell out of pennant contention.
I don’t recall anything about those first games and I could not even remember any of the players. When it comes to the players all I can offer up are names that may have appeared that day. In other words here is a list of my first recollections of Toronto Maple Leafs.
The catchers were Ebba St. Claire and “Tim” Thompson. Joe Chrysdale every now and then would give us Tim Thompson’s full as Charles Lebanon Thompson. Why do players with a name of Tim not use their real names (I refer you to our beloved Tim Horton whose real name was Miles Gilbert).
At First base was Rocky Nelson. Rocky went on to play for other teams in the International League and had a fairly solid Major League career with Pittsburgh. He took part in Harvey Haddix’s pitching gem and won a World Series thanks to Maz’s dramatic Home run.
The second baseman was Mike Goliat. He was a career minor leaguer but was part of the Philadelphia Phillies whiz kids who won the NL pennant in 1950.
The shortstop was Hector Rodriguez. Don’t know much about him although I remember him as a crowd favourite. He played one season in the majors.
At third base there were two players who come to mind. One was Stan Jok from Buffalo N.Y and the other was a career minor leaguer as well Steve Demeter. Demeter had his biggest success with Rochester Red Wings and is one of their honoured players.
In the outfield there was a fellow by the name of Archie Wilson who played left field. The centerfielder was Sam Jethroe who besides being one of the earliest black players in the Majors was also Rookie of the Year in 1950. The right fielder was a longtime Maple Leaf Lew Morton. He had been with the Leafs for so long they even had a special day for him.
The pitchers that come to mind had some strange names. There was Lynn Lovenguth who had a cup of coffee in the majors. There were two pitchers name Johnson. One was Don and the other’s name was Connie. Being a kid I thought it weird for a pitcher to have a girls first name. The big relief pitcher was Bobby Tiefenauer. He also pitched in the majors for a long time. He came with the moniker “Tief for Relief”
The first Manager I recall was Luke Sewell who a catcher in the majors as well as a player manager for the St. Louis Browns and the coach was Bruno Betzel. Another manager I recall was multiple time all star in the majors Dixie Walker who had a brother who also managed in the majors Harry “the Hat” Walker.
Those are the names I will call as my first recollection all-star team.
Next: The Havana Cuba Sugar Kings
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Tags: 1955, Archie Wilson, Bill Mazur, Bobby Tiefenauer, Bruno Betzel, Charles Lebanon Thompson, Dixie Walker, Ebba St. Claire, Hal Kelly Dan Kelly, Harry The Hat Walker, Harvey Haddix, Hector Rodriguez, International League, Joe Chrysdale, Joe Crysdale, Lew Morton, Luke Sewell, Lynn Lovenguth, Maple Leaf Stadium, Mike Goliat, Miles Gilbert, Rocky Nelson, Sam Jethroe, Stadium Road, Stan Jok, Steve Demeter, Sunday Blue Laws, Tim Horton, Tim Thompson, Toronto Baseball, Toronto Maple Leaf Baseball, Toronto Maple Leafs
February 4, 2007
Genius article, Daperman. I can’t wait to read about the Havana Sugar Kings.
February 6, 2007
Daperman, in 1955 & on, were their any Maple Leafs that you think could have performed at a high level in the MLB? By this I mean players that never made the show or players that lasted a year or two longer in the minors than they should have.
September 19, 2008
Maple Leaf Stadium:
Did the Toronto Rifles play at Maple Leaf Stadium or Varsity Stadium?
Ths,
Ian Ross
April 27, 2010
Both – Maple Leaf Stadium first and then Varsity.
December 1, 2008
I was at alot of games in late 50′ & 60′….use to sit behind visiting team dugout…i liked Rockey Nelson & Jim King & Sparky Anderson…i collected a Photo Albim from a game in 1960..it was handed out by Shoppsy’s…it was called …Shopsy’s Maple Leaf Player Photo Album…it had 13 pictures (Cards) in it..it was autograph day that day & i got to go on the field & get autographs from the players…they are in the album…i’m interestd in getting a price for this album if anyone can help me…its also for sale..its 48 years old now..wow..how time flys…if someone can help..please email me &…olecoug58@yahoo.ca,,name is Dave
April 17, 2009
My Father pitched with the Toronto Maple Leafs. H e was a team mate of George Sparky Anderson, Timmy Thompsons, Joe Hanna, Frank Funk, Al Cicotte, I could go on.
May 22, 2009
Hello Terence
I had many opportunities to see you Dad pitch for the Leafs. He was quite the competitor and in 1960 he was part of one of the great pro pitching staffs ever. The team had 100 wins and 32 of them were shutouts! This all brings back wonderful memories for me! Drop me an email if you’d like to talk more.
Thanks
Al
May 31, 2009
On August the 9th, 1958 my Dad took me to see the Leafs play the Miami Marlins at the old Toronto Stadium. Satchel Paige was a member of that Miami team but unfortunately for me had been suspended two weeks earlier for having disappeared. Newspaper reports suggested he had gone fishing to parts unknown.
However that day I did see Pat Scantlebury pitch. This was the year Rocky Nelson won the Triple Crown and Scantlebury was a key pitcher. The game got exciting when Toronto homered early but the very next player up, shortstop Bobby Johnson was intentionally hit by a pitch in retaliation. Apparently the League President has declared earlier in the season this action should have resulted in an automatic ejection but for whatever reason the umpire did not even warn their pitcher or both benches.
Later in the game Poncho Herrera hit a home run for Miami. Scantlebury was still on the mound and being the veteran he was made sure that the very next hitter Forrest “Woody” Smith got one high and tight. Again there was no warning but both benches all stood at the railing of their respective dugouts and were yelling pretty good at each other.
On the next pitch to Smith he swung and intentionally let the bat fly out of his hands helicoptering out at Scantlebury. Pat jumped in order to avoid being hit. I recently exchanged emails with Toronto catcher Joe Hannah who described the action as follows:
” Yes I remember that baseball game with Miami. Pat went to get the bat which was behind the mound. The other team thinking because he had the bat in his hand – that he was going to use it. So their entire team rushed the mound! To defend himself Pat warned them off by swinging and flipping the bat around. Chuck Essegian a great quarterback for Stanford, charged Pat and Pat hit him with the bat on the thighs. It was a huge pileup and lasted for several minutes.
It ended up over on 3rd base foul territory. By the time all the players were off, Chuck was astride Pat and was getting ready to pound his face. I couldn’t take that! So I yelled at Chuck and told him I wasn’t fighting – I just wanted to end the fight. Then I knocked him off Pat with my shoulder. The fight was ended – and Pat, Chuck, Woody and me were kicked out of the game. Each fined $50.00.”
Gord
January 17, 2010
I would go to sleep at night hearing Joe Crysdale & Hal Kelly describing the game.
I have seats from ML Stadium on my back deck.
I met Sam Jethroe and he said if I was ever in Erie PA to drop into his Bar. I did on 3 occasions and have autographs from him.
I spent many Sundays at ML Stadium.
My brother and 2 cousins would get a ride from my father and he would pick us up after the game.
I would say that from 1956 to the closing of ML Stadiumin the late 60′s I saw at least 100 games.
A few years ago an older friend of mineshowed me home plate from ML Stadium that he went and got when they were tearing it down.
February 18, 2010
The second game I saw for my hometown Rochester Red Wings was in 1959 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. I saw the Leafs play many times until they left after 1967.
I almost saw a game at Maple Leaf Stadium. My parents, my aunt and uncle and I were vacationing in Toronto. We stayed at a “tourist home” on Lake Shore Blvd. I wanted to go to the game but the adults didn’t so that ended that. When I became old enough to visit TO by myself the baseball Leafs and the stadium were gone.
The Blue Jays should have ponied up a few bucks and bought the naming rights from Jack Dominico. After all, the Leaf baseball team was using the name before the hockey club was a gleam in Major Conn Smythe’s eye.
April 24, 2010
WOW!!! A page of history related to my upbringing. Listened to 590 CKEY with my dad and older brother in the early 50s. (Owned then by Jack Kent Cooke, who at the time also owned Libery magazine.) My dad told me that Joe Crysdale and Hal Kelly were NOT at the away games, and did the games by ticker tape putting in the sound of the bat, cheers etc. I couldn’t believe the recreation.
Mazur was the ulitmate “homer” announcer…….Luke Easter being the big first baseman at one point.
Maple Leaf Stadium (Handle Bar Hank on the outside.) was the first pro stadium I was in. It was a big deal when dad would ask for long distance from Guelph and get the operator to connect to LIberty 6-5611 and get tickets in Blue R2 or R3 along the first base line. ($1.25??)
Great memories and thanks to Shopsy’s, Cabinet Cigars, Charles Abel Photo Finishing,Tip Top Tailors et al. for sponsoring these games. Joe and Hal were great!!!!!! I remain today an ardent baseball fan thanks in many parts to them.
t.
Remember Joe Becker as one manager, but never my favourite. “Fireman” Ray Shore (sp?) the closer. Could go on and on!!! Sexy(?) mattress ad out in LF……..
May 5, 2010
In the 1950′s, when I was growing up in Toronto, I remember buying the 50 cent or so general admission tickets and then eventually sneaking down closer to the field. Mike Goliat was my favorite slugger and I once saw Satchell Paige pitch a few innings-but I think it was an exhibition event. I remember Hank Aaron and the Milwaukee Braves winning their game against the International League all-stars. During batting practice, Aaron hit ball after ball out of the park. During the game, I remember that he homered at least once. The song that played over and over again for about two years at Maple Leaf stadium was Wayward Wind by Gogi Grant. Good memories!
May 9, 2010
Thanks for the memories. The names that I remember: Billy de Mars;Frank Funk;Carl Sawatski; Elston Howard; BobTiefenauer;Rocky Nelson; Mike Goliat; Lou Morton; Thompson (was it Jim or Tim).
Loved Hal Kelly and Joe Crysdale’s broadcasts and it was only years later I learned that they did the out of town games from the teletype feed and recreated everything else in the studio. Wonderful theatre.
June 1, 2010
Looking for a player roster from 1885 to 1910.My grandfather played during that time frame
July 27, 2010
For Charlie Payne: See if you can find the book “Baseball’s Back In Town” published in 1977. Your grandfather’s name could be on one of the early pictures of the old Toronto Maple Leafs.
Put his name down on this website and perhaps someone will see it in that book.
July 1, 2010
It’s Jult 1/10 I’ve just watched some of Ken Burns history of baseball bringing back fond memorys of Maple Leaf Stadium & spending many hours there beginning @ 12 yrs.old – I sold shopsy hot dogs in the 50′s with my boyhood friend Earl Linzon – we always wanted to work in the bleachers as many of the fans would bet on every pitch & we would sell out your load quickly however it was almost impossible to sell Maple leaf weiners in that section – my heros were Lou Morton & Rocky Nelson I think it was Rocky Nelson who used to wiggle his bum at the plate – been an avid baseball fan every since
July 27, 2010
There was a book published in 1977 called “Baseball’s Back In Town”. It gave the history of baseball in Toronto along with stories about the different eras and the names of many players. As well, it had the first Toronto Blue Jays team roster.
July 28, 2010
I remember my uncle used to take me as a kid to the stadium on Fathers Day and get a free baseball bat. Probably would not work today. To Mike Horgan, I believe it was Tim Thompson. And how about pitcher Lefty Riverboat Smith. Was he not announced as being smooth as a riverboat gambler?
July 30, 2010
Where did you get that photo of Leon Day and Charlie White? That is the first photo I’ve seen of Leon from Toronto.
Does anyone remember Gonzalo “Cholly” Naranjo from Columbus?