December 26, 2020

By Allen Galley

Maritime Baseball Blog

The 1948 season was the Wildcats first in the Halifax & District League, as they previously played in the Central Baseball League.

The Wildcats would stay in the H&D League until the league folded after the 1959 season. The team had a loose affiliation with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Here is the team roster, with a short blurb on each player (except for the two I couldn’t find info for).

-Wilf Anderson, OF: Nova Scotia native, attended Acadia University.

-Jim Arbucho, pitcher: Played minor league ball for the Giants from 1949-51, topping at class B Trenton in 1950. Also played at Fordham University.

-Soc Bobotas, 2B: Native of Manchester,N.H. and played for UNH.

-Hal Burby, OF: Native of Keene, NH and passed away in 2007.

-Jack Kaiser, OF: St. John’s Redmen legend, stadium named after him. He also managed in the minor leagues (Lexington Red Sox, class D Nebraska League in 1957 and 1958).

-Don MacKenzie, 3B:

-Tom McMullen, pitcher: Brooklyn Dodger recommended him for the Wildcats. He went on to play in the Dodgers’ farm system, playing as high as class B (Asheville Tourists, Tri-State League).

-Dom Novak, pitcher: Member of St. John’s University Redmen.

-Paul O’Neil, catcher: Former minor leaguer, most recently with the New England League’s Nashua Dodgers in 1947 (class B).

-Art Raynor, pitcher: Bucknell University Athletic Hall of Famer.He would play in the Dodgers’ system in 1953 and 1954 (Miami Sun Sox, Fayetteville Highlanders and Asheville Tourists, all class B).

-Gordon Troke, OF: Nova Scotia native.

-Johnny Watterson, SS: Later managed the Albions, native of Keene, N.H.

-Joe Cormier, 1B: Cape Breton native.

-Dick Gernert, 1B: Played 11 seasons in the MLB (mostly with Red Sox). He last played in 1964 with the double-A Eastern League Reading Red Sox.

-Jerry Gerrard, pitcher:

-Eddie Gillis, OF: New Waterford native that played in the Colliery League (1937 New Waterford Dodgers). He was also a talented hockey and rugby player. Was also an area scout for the Cardinals. Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.