Craig Baird
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thread 1/9
It is #BlackHistoryMonth and each day I am looking at the Black Canadians from Canada's history.

Today, it is the Chatham Coloured All-Stars!

The story of the team begins in 1932 when a group of friends started playing baseball together in Chatham, Ontario.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 2/9
In 1933, a local business owner named Archie Sterling noticed them. He wanted the team to play in the Ontario Baseball Amateur Association. At the time, Black players were not typically allowed in amateur level baseball in Canada.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 3/9
The team was able to join the league and quickly became a fan-favourite. In 1934, the team won the provincial championship.
In 1935, the team won the city title and the Western Counties Baseball Association Championship.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 4/9
Despite the skill of the team, they dealt with near-constant issues because of the race of the players. They were sometimes turned away from hotels in nearby towns, threats of violence against players was common and umpires often favoured their white opponents.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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Players on the team included:

Earl "Fat" Chase: As a pitcher, his pitches were said to be as fast as 130 km/h. He set several hitting records, and had a .700 batting average with the team.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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Wilfrid "Boomer" Harding: The first Black player in the International Hockey League. He had a .339 batting average in the 1934 OBAA championship.

Ferguson Jenkins Sr.: A gifted outfielder, he was typically first in the batting order. He is the father of Baseball Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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Willie Shaugnosh: He was well-known for his hitting and fielding ability and also excelled at pitching. He was an Indigenous man.

In 1940, the team disbanded because several of its players went on to serve in the Second World War.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 8/9
In 2001, the team was honoured at a Toronto Blue Jays game with the team wearing replica jerseys. There were two surviving members at the time.

In 2022, the team was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
To date, the team has not been inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 9/9
If you enjoy my Canadian history work, you can support it with a donation at https://www.buymeacoffee.c...

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01:23 PM - Feb 17, 2024
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