I don’t know about you, but after watching last week’s Toronto Blue Jays post-season games, I was looking for a pick-me-up. Or so to speak.
When lacking inspiration for my column, I often take a look at archived newspapers to get the creative juices flowing.
It’s like the universe knew reading this would make me smile.
My archive reading led me to a front page story outlining a Wingham midget softball team’s successful All-Ontario Championship series.
In the top spot on the front page of the Oct. 14, 1953 Wingham Advance Times newspaper I read that the Wingham Midgets rolled up an impressive score of 15-3 against the Kirkland Lake Huskies on the Monday prior, and 19-10 in the first game of the Ontario OASA Midget Championship.
“Led by some wonderful pitching by Keith Lancaster and a battery of hitters who knocked the northern team all over the lot,” the story read.
“In Saturday’s game the local boys held the visitors scoreless in the first three innings, with Lancaster striking out three in the first inning. Wingham scored 12 runs, five each in the first two innings and two in the third. In the fourth and fifth innings Kirkland Lake came back with a total of nine runs from six hits, and in the sixth gained their additional counter, which ended their activities for the day. Wingham was blanked in the fourth, sixth and seventh, but gained three from two in the fifth and four from three in the eighth.”
“Lott and Murrary with four runs apiece, paced the winners with Campbell, Hodgkinson and Lancaster each getting three.”
“In Monday’s game the locals took an early lead, gaining three runs in the first and two in the second, and holding Kirkland Lake scoreless in the first three innings. In the fourth and fifth, the visitors managed three runs from two hits, but that pretty well concluded their hitting for the game, except for one each in the seventh and ninth, neither of which amounted to anything.”
“Wingham went on to get one run in the fourth, three in the sixth, one in the seventh, and five in the eighth.”
“Leading the Wingham hitters were Campbell and Hodgkinson, with three runs each, Murray, Lott and Procter, with two a piece, and Lancaster, Bain and Storey with one.”
Also featured on the front page was a story detailing the team’s reception from the town.
“Towards the end of the game, when it was already apparent that the championship was in the bag, the big red Wingham fire truck appeared on the field, waiting to carry the victors on their jaunt around the town. Almost as soon as the last Kirkland Lake player was called out in the ninth inning, and in the middle of a field of players being congratulated by excited fans, the fire siren sounded and the fire truck roared onto the field. Members of the winning team were quickly hoisted up on the truck and the siren sounding and bell ringing, the fire truck headed out of the park for its victorious sweep through town, followed by a cavalcade of fans and admirers.”
This was the second such championship for Wingham in the calendar year.
“Following the parade through town a reception was held at the town hall for both the winners and the losers … Townspeople almost filled the hall for the occasion.”
“Vic Loughlean, coach of the Midgets, expressed his thanks for the cooperation he had received from members of the team and those who had made the win possible. Bruce Lott, captain of the team, added his thanks to those of the coach.”
“Other speakers were Mayor DeWitt Miller, Reeve R. E. McKinney and Keith Lancaster, the winning pitcher.”
“After the speeches in the Town Hall both teams were served a lunch in the council chambers by a group of ladies in town.”
I hope that this piece from the past made you smile or helped mend your broken baseball heart. As for me, it offered a distraction, and I will continue to be distracting myself by watching the Nation Football League season.
I hope I’m not on route to another heartbreak.
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Kelsey Bent is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter working for Midwestern Newspapers. Comment or feedback can be sent to kbent@midwesternnewspapers.com.
