Baseball in Canada, 1838-1988

Baseball is believed to have evolved from the English game of rounders. The first recorded baseball game was played in Beachville (in Upper Canada, now Ontario), on 4 June 1838 as part of the celebration marking the government's 1837 victory in the Upper Canada Rebellion. The Beachville game was played a year earlier than the more publicized American game held at Cooperstown, New York. Minor League baseball has flourished in Canada since the 1850's. The Hamilton Young Canadians, formed in April 1854, was Canada's earliest known team of long duration. From the "minors", over one hundred and fifty Canadians have gone on to the "majors". The first Canadian major league team, the Montreal Expos, played its first National League game on 8 April 1969. The Toronto Blue Jays followed suit, playing their first American League game on 7 April 1977. The future of baseball depends on amateur baseball, which is supported by both the Jays and Expos. Proceeds form their exhibition game for the Pearson Cup have been used for this purpose. The Pearson Cup, first played for on 29 June 1978, is named after the former Prime Minister who was an avid player and fan. The two teams have not recently competed for the Cup due to their conflicting game schedules. The history of baseball in Canada is preserved at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at Ontario Place in Toronto. Toronto designer Les Holloway has followed a design concept similar to the one he used for the 1987 Grey Cup football stamp. A baseball, falling into a player's glove, is superimposed onto the familiar baseball diamond-shaped playing field. The vivid colours of the stamp and the typography resembling the insignias on players' jerseys combine to bring the game alive.