Dates set for Canadian baseball history conference

By Andrew Hendriks
Canadian Baseball Network
This November, esteemed baseball historians, pundits and fans alike will gather in St. Marys for the inaugural Canadian Baseball History Conference.

The two-day event will include discussions on baseball’s highly debated origins, the future of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys and other compelling subjects pertaining to the history of America’s pastime north of the border.

The brainchild of two long-time SABR members, this stand alone event has been formed to draw further attention to the games longstanding history in Canada, while mirroring that of the incredibly successful Fredrick-Ivor 19th Century Base Ball Conference at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

“What we’ve decided to do was remove the restriction of the 19th century” explained Andrew North, one to the two founding members of this years function. “This conference that we’re holding is about any period in Canadian history.”

With presentations from noted historians and writers such as Bill Humber (Dundurn Press), Chip Martin (Baseball’s Creation Myth) and a riveting disposition on some of Canada’s most unique historical ties to the game by David McDonald, November’s conference promises to entertain those who make the pilgrimage to the southern Ontario hamlet.

“Part of the idea here is to provide a boost to the profile of that Hall of Fame’s historians and researchers” added North, emphasizing the importance of the two subjects. 

In order to secure a diverse perspective with regards to the planned discussion of Canada’s historical contributions to the Grand Old Game, those interested in joining the list of presenters are asked to contact Andrew North (mavrix@rogers.com) or Brian Marshall (bmarshal@sfi-limited.com) with both a title and abstract of their work.

This years conference will take place on the weekend of Nov. 12-13, and will be held at the St. Marys Golf and Country Club.

Registration is now open and those interested in attending are urged to contact Andrew or Bill as spots are filling up fast.

- Follow Andrew Hendriks on Twitter (@77hendriks)