Intercounty Baseball League
SportBaseball
Founded1919
CommissionerTed Kalnins
No. of teams9
CountryCanada
Most recent
champion(s)		Welland Jackfish (1st title)
Most titlesBrantford Red Sox (15)
Official websitetheibl.ca

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is a Canadian Semi-Professional baseball league, comprising teams of college players and former professionals from North America and beyond. The teams are located in Southern Ontario.

The league was formed in 1919 and has enjoyed much success over its long history.[1] Teams are run similar to a professional minor-league team, providing players an opportunity to play under the same conditions, using wooden bats and minor-league specification baseballs. Teams play 42 scheduled games from early May to late-August. The playoffs are best-of-five series with the championship series typically played around Labour Day. The most recent champions are the Welland Jackfish, who defeated the Barrie Baycats 4-2 in the 2023 Dominico Cup Final.

History

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) was founded in 1919 with just four cities represented — Galt, Guelph, Stratford and Kitchener, and is the oldest amateur men's league in Canada.[2] During the early years, the league expanded to include the cities of Waterloo, Brantford, Preston, London, and St. Thomas.

It was previously known as the Intercounty Major Baseball League and the Senior Intercounty Baseball League. Teams compete for the Jack and Lynne Dominico Trophy, which is awarded to the league champions. The trophy is named for the late owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team, husband and wife Jack and Lynne Dominico.

Labatt Park in London, Ontario, home of the London Majors.

All-Star Game

On July 8, 2006, in Barrie, the league's New Era IBL All-Star Classic game between the Barrie Baycats and the IBL All-Stars; Barrie won 7–2.

On August 21 and 22, 2010 in Ottawa, the Fat Cats hosted the New Era All-Star Classic between the IBL All-Stars and the All-Stars from Ligue de Baseball Senior Élite du Québec (LBSEQ).[3]

Barrie hosted the league's All-Star Game on July 11, 2015, with the IBL All-Stars defeating Barrie Baycats 13–4.

Teams

Intercounty Baseball League
Team City Stadium Capacity Founded 2023 Record Finish
Barrie Baycats Barrie Vintage Throne Stadium at Barrie Community Sports Complex 1,500 2001 26-16 3rd
Brantford Red Sox Brantford Arnold Anderson Stadium 2,000 1911 8-34 8th
Chatham-Kent Barnstormers Chatham Fergie Jenkins Field at Rotary Park 1.100 2024 N/A N/A
Guelph Royals Guelph David E. Hastings Stadium at Exhibition Park 1,400 1919 19-23 5th
Hamilton Cardinals Hamilton CARSTAR Field at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium 3,000 1953 19-23 6th
Kitchener Panthers Kitchener Jack Couch Baseball Park 1,400 1919 26-15* 2nd
London Majors London Labatt Memorial Park 5,200 1925 17-25 7th
Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Dominico Field at Christie Pits Park 1,000 1969 21-20* 4th
Welland Jackfish Welland Welland Stadium 3,375 2018 31-11 1st

* a game between Toronto and Kitchener on August 15, was rained out and not made up due to the game not having any effects on the standings

Source:[4]

Past teams

Former Intercounty Baseball League Teams
Team City Stadium Founded Folded/Moved
Burlington Herd Burlington Nelson Park 2016 2018; moved to Welland and renamed Welland Jackfish
Burlington Bandits Burlington Nelson Park 2012 2016; renamed Burlington Herd
Burlington Twins Burlington Nelson Park 2011 2012; renamed Burlington Bandits
Galt/Cambridge Terriers Galt Dickson Park baseball field 1919 1984
Guelph C-Joys Guelph Exhibition Park 1964 renamed Guelph Royals
Hamilton Cardinals Hamilton Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium 1958 2005; renamed Hamilton Thunderbirds
Hamilton Thunderbirds Hamilton Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium 2005 2012; renamed Hamilton Cardinals
Kitchener Dutchmen Kitchener Jack Couch Stadium, Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex 1957 renamed Kitchener Panthers
Kitchener Legionnaires Kitchener Victoria Park 1957 renamed Kitchener Dutchmen
Kraven Knits Stratford National Stadium 1974 1976; renamed Stratford Hillers
Listowel Legionnaires Listowel John Bell – Listowel Memorial Park 1957 1969
London Avcos London Labatt Park 1970 1974; renamed London El-Morocco Majors
London Chester Pegg Diamonds London Labatt Park 1960 1963; renamed London Majors
London El-Morocco Majors London Labatt Park 1974 1975; renamed London Majors
London Pontiacs London Labatt Park 1964 1970; renamed London Avcos
Mississauga Twins Mississauga Meadowvale Baseball Complex 2009 2011; moved to Burlington as Burlington Twins
Niagara Falls Mariners Niagara Falls Oakes Park 1985 1989
Oakville Oaks Oakville 1956 1958
Oshawa Dodgers Oshawa Kinsmen Stadium 2002 2009
Ottawa Fat Cats Ottawa Ottawa Baseball Stadium 2010 2012
Preston Riversides Preston Riverside Park 1920
St. Thomas Elgins St. Thomas Emslie Field, Pinafore Park 1948 as the Legion until 1953 1961; re-emerged in 1976 and folded again in 1996
St. Thomas Storm St. Thomas Emslie Field, Pinafore Park 2000 Moved to Stratford in 2004
Stratford Hillers Stratford National Stadium 1976
Stratford Nationals Stratford National Stadium 2006 2008; moved to Mississauga as Mississauga Twins
Stratford Storm Stratford National Stadium 2004 2006; renamed Stratford Nationals
Strathroy Royals Strathroy 1938
Waterloo Tigers Waterloo Bechtel Park Ball Stadium 2000 2003
Windsor Chiefs Windsor Mic Mac Park 1979; 1969 in the Essex County Senior League 1981; left for Detroit Federal League in 1982

Champions

The winning team is awarded the Jack and Lynne Dominico Cup.

Other awards presented include:

  • Rawlings IBL Player of the Year Award/John Bell Memorial Trophy
  • IBL Rookie of the Year/Brian Kerr Memorial Trophy

Notable players

† Player is an inductee of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Notable executives

  • Bob Ferguson, league statistician (1958 to 1966) and owner of the London Pontiacs (1963 to 1964)[5]

References

  • Intercounty Major Baseball League's 1998 Record Book by Editor Herb Morell and Dominico Promotions Inc.
  1. ↑ "An Intercounty Baseball League Primer". Mop-Up Duty. 14 June 2010.
  2. ↑ "IBL signs lease for Ottawa Stadium". Ballpark Digest. 18 March 2010.
  3. ↑ "New Era All-Star Classic, Intercounty Baseball League". Ottawa Citizen. 21 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "Standings: IBL 2021". theibl.ca. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ Boughner, Barry (2021). "London Majors' History 1925–2021". London Majors' Alumni Association. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
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