http://torontodreamsproject.blogspot.com/2015/04/an-illustrated-history-of-baseball-in.html
https://twitter.com/prewarcards/status/1748131758715908568 guess who got the Joe Spring?
https://nikkeimuseum.org/www/item_detail.php?art_id=A46491 1926 pic of Oslers w/ Asahi
portrait of Fred Hamilton. Joe Spring - Billy Greer - Tommy Burt- Lou Lister (30s) - Jack Egan
"Exercising such independence could create friction between clubs, leagues, and those governing amateur sport. The Oslers’ 1926 mid-season trip west—their second in two years—had so disrupted the Ossington Park League’s schedule that league officials passed a resolution at season’s end that, going forward, no team would be granted leave to travel. Nevertheless, through the winter of 1927, Oslers officials pressed forward in negotiations with officials in Japan to arrange a summer tour of that country, centered around Kobe, where a newspaper was interested in sponsoring their visit.
The Oslers players, who felt they’d achieved all they could in Ontario amateur baseball, declared that they were excited at the prospect of touring Asia—the longest trip any Canadian team had ever planned, even if it meant resigning from the Ossington Park League. Their resignation sent ripple effects across the local amateur baseball scene. Despite having been given notice months in advance, league officials didn’t move forward with alternative plans and remained inactive for the 1927 season—leaving numerous clubs, including Hillcrest, without a league to play in."
"As members of the International Independent Professional League, the Oslers played a full schedule against company-sponsored ballclubs like General Tires and Easter Brands (both of Buffalo), black teams like Elite Elks and John Boli’s All-Stars (also of Buffalo), as well as teams from Lewiston, Youngstown, and the Black Rock suburb of Buffalo. With rosters composed of former minor leaguers, college stars, and long-time barnstorming players from the Negro leagues, the opposition’s calibre of play was high. Some observers felt the league was one of the strongest independent leagues in the United States—although it’s difficult to assess the quality of the opposition since just about every visiting team claimed ownership of some title or crown of dubious merit."\
"The Oslers had hoped to participate in the All-American Semi-Pro Championship. But, when the tournament fell through, they instead played—and lost—an exhibition series against the Cleveland-based Pennsylvania Railroad team reputed to be the best semi-pro ball club in the United States."
"Catcher Clare Hoose moved to Cleveland for work in 1928, but continued playing baseball in that city’s highly rated semi-pro league. A scout for the Cleveland Indians offered him a tryout, but Hoose declined and later returned to the Oslers—a hasty decision he later regretted."
from 1929 tour:
"When they weren’t playing games of bridge or poker on the train, a number of Oslers players defrayed travel costs by washing dishes in restaurants or making lower berths aboard trains."
"Although new baseball clubs and players rose to prominence in Toronto, there were widespread complaints about the declining quality and popularity of the sport since the glory days of the Oslers-Hillcrests rivalry. “Senior hard ball has all gone to pot,” Watson declared in the Star (August 15, 1936). The Oslers’ 1926 championship remained the last provincial amateur title won by a Toronto ball club until 1937. Cuts to city grants providing baseball equipment to clubs meant that there were fewer players on fewer teams. The city’s youth, critics opined, weren’t learning the fundamentals. And players, Watson believed, were too worried about jobs and the family budget during the Great Depression to put on a good show on the diamond. “The rollicking, happy-go-lucky-who-cares-a-hoot boys are gone,” he concluded."
"Sources consulted: Pat Adachi, Asahi: A Legend in Baseball (Coronex Printing and Publishing Ltd., 1992); Thomas Barthel, Baseball Barnstorming and Exhibition Games 1901-1962 (McFarland & Company, Inc., 2007); Ida Clingan, The Virden Story (The Empire Publishing Co. Ltd., 1957) [PDF]; Kevin G. Jones, “Developments in Amateurism and Professionalism in Early 20th Century Sport,” in Journal of Sport History, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Spring 1975); Alan Metcalfe, “The Anatomy of Power in Amateur Sport in Ontario, 1918-1936,” in Journal of History of Sport Vol. XXII, No. 2 (December 1991); and articles from the Buffalo Courier-Express, Buffalo Evening News, Niagara Falls (NY) Gazette, Regina Morning Leader, Toronto Globe, Toronto Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and Windsor Border Cities Star."
1926-4-23 League opens tomorrow with a double-header. Five-team league.
"Oslers were a power in amateur ball for many years and they have made an excellent showing since they joined professional company this spring. Over the week-end they defeated the General Tire team of Buffalo in two games to win the championship of their league and they will now meet the Cleveland champions for the inter-city honors. The pitching of Joe Spring and Billy Greer has featured all the Osler victories.
1927-4-25 "Close to 2000 fans watched the local take the jump into the ranks of professionalism. The team intact jumped and all the regulars played with the exception of Jimmy Fleming. "Irish" Eagleson took his place at second base. "Lefty" Westlake, the old MINT league star, and "Al" Tyson, the player from Oshawa who was refused a card by the O.B.A.A., were also in uniform."
1927-9-09 "Oslers are right now playing better ball than they have shown for the past month. After romping away with everything in the first half of the season the local independents fell into a slump and they were way below form."
1927-9-16 Will face General Tires of Buffalo. Joe Spring will go for 12th win.
w/boxes (from Buffalo newspapers):
1927-8-05 Tires are champs of Western NY, Oslers are champs of Canada. Oslers drew 10K crowd in game against Toronto Maple Leafs last year and beat them 11-10.
1927-8-06 teams tied 3-3.
1927-7-10 Oslers 7, General Tires 0.
1927-8-07 Tires 6, Oslers 5. Tires 4, Oslers 3. (no box) Oslers eliminated from championship race.
1927-9-05 Oslers 4, Tires 2. 2K ATT. 9-03: Tires 8, Oslers 4. (no box)
1928-7-28 Tires 8, Oslers 1. no box
Dye, Babe Oslers rf
Lapp, Frankie Buffalo c
play by play (Star Weekly)
1928-6-08 Buffalo Easter Brand 5, Oslers 0.
1928-7-21 Oslers 4, Lewiston 1.
1926-6-30 1st of seven games in Winnipeg. Oslers 5, Tammany Tigers 2. 1.5K ATT.
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