By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

At the banquet to celebrate the Intercounty League’s 100th anniversary John Thompson was asked to give an update on a publication he was working on.

Thompson was editor of the 100th Season Book. When he got up to speak we figured maybe a nice story on each franchise and the list of the all-time top 100 players ever to appear in the league.

Oh no, Thompson is a multi-task man: he asked IBL fans at the banquet for team pictures of every team. Now, we are unsure if he found all the team photos from the 1919 team. It was a needle-in-1,000-haystacks undertaking, but Thompson, along with stats man Herb Morrell, have finished their work.

And the 248-page 100th Season Book is available. From listening to the passion Thompson showed when he spoke of his project, I have zero doubt that this will be a grand slam. 

I have zero doubt that this will be a great read whether you live in the one of the Southern Ontario cities which had a franchise of elsewhere. 

This book highlights each and every team to call the IBL home, the Top 100 IBL Players of All-Time, champions from 1919 to present day, standings from 1946 to date and much more. Cost is $20 plus shipping.

We don’t think Thompson went all the way back to my grand father Edwin (Chaucer) Elliott, who managed the 1911 St. Thomas Saints of the Canadian Baseball League and before that played for Class-D Brantford. 

TOP 100 IBL PLAYERS
KEVIN AITCHESON (OF - STRATFORD, 78-91)
STAN “GABBY” ANDERSON (OF - LONDON, 58-66)
TED BAKER (C - BRANTFORD, 60-65)
BARRY BOUGHNER (IF/OF - LONDON, 66-84)
JOE BECHARD (OF - LONDON, 48-54)

BILL BILLINGS (P - ST. THOMAS, 24-31)
BRAD BISSELL (P – BARRIE, 02-17)
RAUL BORJAS (OF – HAM/BRA/TOR, 99-15)
GORD BRADSHAW (C – GALT/BRA, 27-36)
RUSS BRAHMS (P – CAM,/TOR 79-88)

CLEVELAND BROWNLEE (1B/OF – LONDON, 10-17)
WALLACE “SPUD” BUSH (P – BRA/GAL, 60-65)
ROB BUTLER (OF – TORONTO, 90-05)
BILL BYCKOWSKI (C/IB – KIT/TOR, 80-91)
DAVE BYERS (SS – LON/GAL/WAT, 70-87)

JORDAN CASTALDO (1B/3B – OSH, TOR, BAR, 08-17)
LUTHER “SHANTY” CLIFFORD (C – BRANTFORD, 51-59)
DAN COLLISON (IF/OF – STR/WAT/KIT/ST.T, 78-89)
CASEY COOPER (P – GUELPH, 94-03)
JAMIE CORKE (CF – BRANTFORD, 74-84)

LARRY CUNNINGHAM (OF – HAM/GAL, 57-69)
KEVIN CURRAN (P – KITCHENER, 84-99)
RANDY CURRAN (1B/OF/DH – KITCHENER, 84-03)
KYLE DEGRACE (C/SS/OF – TOR/BAR, 05-17)
LEE DELFINO (SS – BRANTFORD, 05-16)

ROGER DEWAELE (C/OF – GALT, 62-71)
DEAN DICENZO (1B/2B/OF – HAM/BRA, 80-99)
DAVE DIX (OF/1B – BRA/WAT, 70-86)
GARY EBEL (1B/DH – KITCHENER, 64-79)
ARDEN EDDIE (OF – LONDON, 67-01)

RUSS EVON (OF/IF – LON/ST.T, 46-66)
JOHN FARAGHER (P/OF – STR/LON, 82-98)
WAYNE FENLON (C – LONDON, 66-88)
WILMER FIELDS (P/OF – BRT, OSH, 51-55)
HARRY FISHER (P – BRANTFORD, 45-50)    

DENIS FLANAGAN (C – STRATFORD, 72-91)
ROB FROESE (3B – KIT/STR, 82-90)
SCOTT GARDINER (1B/3B – HAM/NFS/TOR, 82-92)
JOHN GILL (1B – NIAGARA FALLS, 85-89)
MATT GOODING (OF/IF – ST.T/LON, 76-91)

FRENDY GRAHAM (P – GALT, 21-30)
BRAD HAGEDORN (P/OF – KITCHENER, 89-04)
LARRY HAGGITT (1B/3B – LON/STR, 74-84)
FRANKIE HARE (IF/OF – GUE/BAR, 01-12)
COURT HEINBUCH (P – KITCHENER, 61-72)

KEVIN HINTON (1B/DH – GUE/BAR/BFD/TOR, 85-13)
RICHARD JACK (P – HAM/KIT, 59-68)
DAN JACKSON (1B/OF – GAL/GUE/KIT, 51-61)
GLENN JACKSON (OF – GUE/BAR/TOR, 05-17)
RICK JOHNSTON (OF – TORONTO, 89-95)

BRANSON JOSEPH (OF – BURLINGTON, 09-12)
VERN “TEX” KAISER (OF – GAL/KIT, 49-55)
WALTER “JO JP” KALMUSKY (2B – STRATFORD, 35-47)
DARRELL KEMP (2B/3B/DH – NIAGARA FALLS, 85-89)
BRUCE KLAEHN (P – KITCHENER, 72-84)

PAUL KNIGHT (P – KIT/GUE, 67-83)
ROMAN KNIGINYZKY (OF – TORONTO, 75-84)
WILBUR KRESS (P/OF – GALT, 20-30)
DICK KROL (2B/P – GALT, 64-67)
DOUG LANDRETH (P – STRATFORD, 67-83)

ERIK LASEKE (SS/P – GUELPH, 91-96)
JOSH MCCURDY (OF – BRANTFORD, 99-16)
TOM MCKENZIE (SS – LON,KIT, 60-80)
BOB MCKILLOP (C/P – KITCHENER, 66-77)
SCOTT MEDVIN (P – KITCHENER, 94-00)

MEL MELEHES (P – GUELPH, 94-10)
GEORGE “IRISH” MISKIMMONS (C – STRATFORD, 24-54)
BRIAN MURPHY (P – LONDON, 67-72)
RON MUSSELMAN (OF – STRATFORD, 78-94)
JIM O’CONNOR (IF-OF, GUELPH, 19-30)

MURRAY OLIVER (SS – HAM/GAL, 58-64)
JOHN OSBORNE (2B/P – TOR/STR, 69-75)
JON OWEN (P – LONDON, 77-99)
ALF PAYNE (SS – TOR/BFD, 70-82)
BARRY PETRACHENKO (2B – STRATFORD, 85-95)

JEFF PIETRASZKO (OF – KITCHENER, 95-17)
SHELDON PLENER (OF – TORONTO, 73-78)
JOHN POHOLSKY (P – LIS/GUE, 58-63)
BRUNO POLLOCK (OF-STM/GUE, 32-36)
HARRY PSUTKA (C – KITCHENER, 48-61)

JASON RAUSCH (1B – KITCHENER, 88-98)
SEAN REILLY (1B/DH – HAM/GUE/BAR/TOR/KIT, 97-17)
JIM RIDLEY (OF – TOR/STR/GUE, 72-75)
ANGUS ROY (P – BARRIE, 02-09)
ROLF SCHEEL (P – LON/SFD, 64-69)

PHIL SCHMIDT (P – LONDON, 74-82)
LOUIS SMITH (OF – BRANTFORD, 35-46)
RYAN SPATARO (OF – BARRIE, 05-17)
PAUL SPOLJARIC (P -TOR/BAR, 02-10)
RON STEAD (LON/BFD/GUE, 55-72)

STEFAN STRECKER (P – BRANTFORD, 01-17)
FRED THOMAS (OF – WAT/KIT/GUE/LON, 50-55)
RICHARD THOMPSON (OF – LONDON, 88-98)
DAMON TOPOLIE (C – SFD/TOR, 95-17)
PHIL TURNER (1B – ST.THOMAS, 81-88)

WRAY UPPER (3B – GAL/BFD, 54-74)
ALEX WATTS (OF – STM/GAL, 22-34)
TOMMY WHITE (STM/LON)
JIMMY WILKES (OF – BRANTFORD, 53-63)
JIM WOJCIK (OF/3B – CAM/TOR, 82-96)