In a noteworthy baseball tale, the Toronto Blue Jays found success in the World Series 32 years ago with assistance from St. Catharines, Ont., and their affiliate team, known as the Baby Jays. The Toronto MLB organization established the St. Catharines Blue Jays in 1985 to broaden their fan base beyond Toronto. St. Catharines joined the New York-Penn League (NYPL) the following year and maintained a decade-long affiliation with Toronto. The city’s proximity to Toronto and its suitable playing field, then called Community Park, made it an ideal location for baseball activities within the NYPL, a Class A short-season minor league.
David Siegel, a retired political science professor at Brock University and current writer for the Society for American Baseball Research, described the NYPL as an “up or out” league, emphasizing the competitive nature where players either advanced to higher levels or exited the sport. Siegel extensively researched and attended games at St. Catharines, highlighting the significance of the city as a pivotal starting point for players transitioning to major league careers.
One notable player who began his journey with the St. Catharines Blue Jays was Carlos Delgado. Delgado, initially a catcher and designated hitter, later excelled at first base for Toronto, contributing to their 1993 World Series triumph. Reflecting on his time with the Baby Jays in 1989 and 1990, Delgado fondly reminisced about his early days in Canada, highlighting the city’s charm and the supportive community that fostered his growth in baseball.
St. Catharines aimed to enhance sports tourism by revamping Community Park into George Taylor Field, with aspirations of constructing a downtown baseball stadium to attract tourists and baseball enthusiasts. The city’s initiative in promoting the Baby Jays through various marketing efforts and community engagement initiatives, such as the Baby Jays fan club, aimed to bolster local interest and support for the team.
Despite the eventual rebranding of the Baby Jays to the St. Catharines Stompers in 1995 under new local ownership, the team’s legacy continued to resonate within the community. The transition marked the end of an era for minor league baseball in St. Catharines, with the team eventually departing in 1999. However, for devoted baseball enthusiasts like Siegel and lifelong residents like Jordan Clark, the memories of the Baby Jays era remain cherished and serve as a testament to the city’s rich baseball history.
From its humble beginnings as the Baby Jays to its evolution into the Stompers, the St. Catharines baseball journey left an indelible mark on the city’s sports landscape, embodying a chapter of baseball history that continues to be celebrated and remembered by fans and historians alike.