HOCKEY TEAM’S PLANE CRASHES CANADIAN COACH AMONG DEAD {page 4}
CROSBY HE’LL BE BACK ... BUT WHEN? {page 20}
LONDON
Thursday, September 8, 2011 www.metronews.ca News worth sharing.
Baseball Canada’s ‘sacred ground’
Reader responses We asked Londoners through social media what makes Labatt Park special. Here’s what you said: Twitter @tbkCreative “it’s obviously special based on how much support it had from the #lndont community during the competition! ^JG” @chriscraigman “the uncomfortable seating, the crackling sound system & the unhealthy (yet so good) ballpark food make #LabattPark the best.” @dartscott “what makes Labatt Park special is quality events and having the park looked after by dedicated groundskeepers” @ButchMcLarty “Labatt Park is a “baseball paradise garden” with a long history dating back to 1877 (world’s oldest baseball grounds).” @Sadie_Liz “It is the history! It is the oldest continuously operated baseball grounds in the world! So many memories!” @phronk “TEAR ‘EM UP TIGERS, LET’S GO. That is all.”
Contest gave people glimpse of best amateur parks in country London community ‘took to’ the competition: Baseball Canada More than 19,000 votes were cast in two-week final Thousands of people have confirmed what many Londoners already knew — Labatt Park is the most beloved ballpark in the country. The field brought home the title yesterday, beating out Thunder Bay’s Port
Arthur Stadium in Canada’s Favourite Ballpark contest. Officials from Baseball Canada, the contest’s sponsor, will visit London in coming months to hang a banner touting the achievement at the park. Jim Baba, Baseball Canada executive director, said the trip will be co-ordinated with the man who nominated Labatt — Joe O’Neill, commissioner of
the Intercounty Baseball League, which includes the London Majors. Labatt field is important not just for its beauty but also for its rich 134-year history that makes it “truly a baseball park,” said O’Neill, president of the London and District Baseball Association. “It’s sacred ground.” Baba has been to the field several times and understands why
it took 63 per cent of the final vote. “It’s tremendous sitting in that ballpark, looking out at the city of London,” Baba said. “It’s a great way to watch a baseball game.” The ballpark contest started in June with 40 submissions. The field was narrowed to 16 by Baseball Canada’s staff, and from there, people cast online votes.
ANGELA MULLINS
Ryan Valdron: “As a former player, when standing in the batters box, the view towards the downtown London skyline is breathtaking.” Ann Martin: “as someone that strongly believes in the preservation of Heritage i think this announcement is very important for London. It is an amazing part of our downtown core that sometimes seemed to be forgotten....until now!” Dylan Madge: “won a homerun derby there way back in the day.”
A brief park history ANGELA MULLINS/METRO
Joe O’Neill, commissioner of the Intercounty Baseball League and president of the London and District Baseball Association, declares victory yesterday at Labatt Park. O’Neill submitted the photos and penned the 200-word essay that helped garner the field its new title as Canada’s Favourite Ballpark.
Labatt Park opened as Tecumseh Park in 1877. It bills itself as the world’s oldest baseball park in continuous use.