Intercounty League (Ontario)

The Intercounty League has been a fixture in Southern Ontario since 1919.  The 2007 edition comprised teams from Toronto, Barrie, Brantford, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Oshawa, and Stratford.

Toronto Maple Leafs captured the 2007 crown August 29th with a 13-5 win over the defending champion Brantford Red Sox in the 7th and deciding game of the final series.  Jeremy Walker clubbed a pair of two-run homers to lead the offensive outburst.  Joe Colameco, selected as the playoff MVP, added a homer and single. Former Blue Jay Paul Spoljaric pitched into the 7th inning to capture the win.  It was the Leafs first title since 2002 and the club's eighth championship since the team joined the league in 1969. 

Spoljaric (W), Craig (7) and xxx
Hogeterp (L), xxx (5) and xxx

1948 Game Reports  
1955 Game Reports  
1961 Game Reports 

Links :
Intercounty League  

                   
    Barrie Baycats        Brantford Red Sox       Guelph Royals        Hamilton Thunderbirds      Kitchener Panthers 

         London Majors                Oshawa Dodgers                Stratford Nationals               Toronto Maple Leafs  

MAJOR INTERCOUNTY BASEBALL LEAGUE
ALL-TIME STANDINGS (to 2006)

Windsor           93   69   24 .742 
Oakville          54   39   15 .722 
Toronto         1255  823  432 .656 
Kitchener       1986 1158  828 .583 
Niagara Falls    168   92   76 .548 
Barrie           212  114   98 .538 
Stratford       1247  668  579 .536 
London          1964 1012  952 .515 
Brantford       1879  945  934 .503 
Guelph          1861  910  951 .489 
Oshawa           337  156  181 .463 
Listowel         285  134  151 .470 
Cambridge       1092  472  620 .432 
Waterloo         779  334  445 .429 
St. Thomas      1361  535  826 .393 
Hamilton        1560  555 1005 .356 
   

One of the league's most storied franchises is the London Majors.  In their most successful season, the Majors captured the North American semi-pro title with a victory over the Fort Wayne (Indiana) General Electrics in a best-of-seven series.  Fort Wayne was fresh from winning the National Baseball Congress title in the United States.  The team featured such stalwarts as Tommy White (left) who won three games in the series and 15 straight over the season, catcher Jack Fairs and outfielder Joe Bechard.  The London franchise has been in the forefront of maintaining the history of the team and its ballpark.

 
Among the Negro League stars who suited up in the Intercounty League were Jimmy Wilkes, Barney Brown and Wilmer Fields (left).  During his final season (1955) in the loop, he was called Wilmer (The Great) Fields as he won another batting title (with a .425 mark) and led the league in hits, home runs, total bases and runs batted in.  He led Oshawa to top spot in regular season play.  In 1954, Fields had led the league in batting, .379, hits, doubles and was tied for the lead in homers.  In his first Intercounty season, 1951, he led Brantford to the pennant and was named MVP as he led the circuit in hits, home runs, total bases, runs batted in and pitching (9-1). 
 

(July 21, 1945)   London Majors notched their 13th straight victory Saturday night downing Waterloo Tigers 8-2 before 2,500 fans at Labatt Park.  Versatile Tim Burgess was brilliant in leading Majors to the win. The young lefty, who patrols left field when not on the hill, fired a three-hitter.

(September 16, 1945)   The Rochester Red Wings of the Triple-A International League edged the London Majors, champions of the Intercounty Baseball League, 4-2 at London.  The winners capitalized on a jittery opening inning by the home team.

(March 24, 1948)   According to The Sporting News, Johnny Futcher has signed with Daytona Beach of the Florida State League after a tryout at the invitation of the Washington Senators.  Futcher, a 22-year-old  shortstop, played with St. Thomas of the Inter-County League.

(September 3, 1952)  The Sporting News reported on the Inter-County League noting Pat Seerey, the former Cleveland and Chicago White Sox outfielder, had won the homer run title with 11, breaking the record of 10 shared by Wilmer Fields.  Sheerey hit .253 playing for Guelph.  Phil Marchidon, a former major league pitcher, batted .371 and had a 2-4 record for Waterloo.

(July 8, 1953)   According to The Sporting News, Springfield Cubs of the International League signed Mike Mellis, former Jersey City moundsman, to bolster their staff.  In 1952, Mellis managed the Oshawa club of the Inter-County League.  In 1950 he pitched for Moose Jaw Canucks of the Southern League.

(March 17, 1954)   The Sporting News reported Frank Colman had gone on the voluntary retired list.  The former Pittsburgh and Yankee outfielder had decided to remain at home in London, Ontario to managed the local team in the Inter-County League.  Colman was officially on the roster of Charleston of the American Association following a trade with Toronto of the International League.  Colman had been the batting champion of the Inter-County circuit before moving into pro ball.

(July 21, 1954)   Former Pittsburgh Pirate hurler, Harry Fisher, has won seven of his first eight decisions with Brantford of the Inter-County League.  Fisher, who played last year with Hollywood of the PCL, also was a star at the plate with a .326 mark as a part-time outfielder.  Frank Colman, the former Yankee and Pirate, had a .250 mark up to July 1 while Wilmer Fields, the former Negro League star who played with Toronto of the International League in 1952 was battering the ball at a .460 clip with 34 runs batted in over his first 22 games.  Among other former pro players, Bill Macdonald, with Hollywood in 1953, Johnny Maldovan, former hurler in the Yankee system, Charley Wolf, with Scranton of the Eastern League in 1953 and Jim Turner, with Tulsa of the Texas loop in 1953.

(July 28, 1954)   Bill Allen made quite a debut with London of the Inter-County League.  Allen, who had an 0-4 record last season with Columbus of the American Association, registered a pair of wins on his first night with the team.  The lefthander blanked St. Thomas 1-0 in the first game of a double-header and came back in a relief role in the second game as London won 5-4 in 18 innings.  Both games were won on home runs by Vern Kaiser, former Montreal Canadians' hockey player.

(September 8, 1954)   Wilmer Fields captured the batting title of the Inter-County League with a .379 mark edging former major leaguer Harry Fisher who finished at .373.  Frank Colman, who also played in the majors, was third at .360.  Fields and Fisher, both with Brantford, tied for the lead in hits, each with 87, and each clubbed 14 homers to tie the league record.  Fisher led in total bases, 157, and Fields in doubles with 24.  Fisher also led the loop in wins with 13 and Johnny Maldovan, a former Yankee farmhand, had the lowest ERA, 2.54.