Toronto Maple Leafs (baseball)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Toronto Maple Leafs Baseball Club is an Intercounty Baseball League team with Christie Pits as its (free admission) home ballpark at the corners of Bloor and Christie streets. They are also known as the Intercounty Maple Leafs or the Intercounty Leafs to distinguish themselves from the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team.
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[edit] History
The Maple Leafs baseball team began play in 1969, the year after the original Toronto Maple Leafs baseball team of the AAA International League moved to Louisville, Kentucky.
In its inaugural year, the new Leafs lost 23 games, finishing 18 games out of first place. But they have never ended a season that far back since then. They have been in first place 19 times in the subsequent years and have the best winning percentage of any active team in the League.
The team has been owned by husband and wife Jack and Lynne Dominico for its entire 37-year history. The Intercounty Baseball League Championship is also named in their honour, the Jack and Lynne Dominico Trophy.
[edit] Championships
Along with numerous individual awards and All-Star nominations, the team has won the Jack and Lynne Dominico Trophy as Intercounty Baseball champions seven times:
- 1972
- 1982
- 1985
- 1988
- 1995
- 1999
- 2002
In 2002, the Leafs were undefeated at home. It is believed that this is the first time in Intercounty League history that a team has posted a perfect record at home.
[edit] Players
Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Paul Spoljaric will don the blue and white for the baseball Leafs. Current Atlanta Braves player Pete Orr once played for the Intercounty Leafs as did former Toronto Blue Jay Rich Butler. Rich's brother, Rob Butler, who was also a former Toronto Blue Jay, played with the Leafs between 2001-2005.
