Arden Eddie
Encyclopedia
Arden Eddie is a former Iron Man
player, team owner and manager in the Intercounty Baseball League
. He holds several Intercounty records, including most games played (834), most bases on balls (668), most hits (764) and most stolen bases (170).
Off the field, Eddie is a realtor and home renovator. He enjoyed a 36-year career in the Intercounty League (32 years as a player for the London Majors
: 1967-1999; 27 years as owner of the Majors: 1976-February 2004), before selling the team to 37-year-old London mortgage consultant Scott Dart after the 2003 baseball season.
Eddie was born in Wallaceburg, Ontario
, Canada
(where he has been inducted into the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame), but moved to London, Ontario
, Canada, in 1967 at age 18. A knee injury playing as a sea cadet in Nova Scotia
reduced his pro prospects but didn't diminish his enthusiasm for the game of baseball.
, where he played outfield, second base and first base wearing jersey #24.
Eddie was a player on the 1968 Canadian junior champions, the London Diamonds, while also playing games for the London Majors.
The Majors won the senior Intercounty pennant and title in 1975, the last time the London Majors have done so (although when Eddie was a player, the London Pontiacs won the Interconty league pennant in 1968, the pennant and championship in 1969 and the league pennant in 1970 as the London Avcos and the league pennant again in 1988 as the London Majors).
In 1976, Eddie bought the London Majors from George Hall.
The clubhouse was officially named the Roy McKay Clubhouse on August 1, 1996, in honour of Eddie's mentor, Roy McKay
(1933-1995), a former Majors batboy in 1945, pitcher, manager and coach who was born on August 1.
See a photo of the Roy McKay Clubhouse at Labatt Park here.
Eddie was supportive of the heritage designation of Labatt Park under the Ontario Heritage Act
in 1994 as the world's oldest baseball grounds in continuous use in its original location. The park's designating by-law was subsequently amended in 1996 to protect and preserve the Majors' clubhouse. As a result both the park and the Roy McKay Clubhouse are designated City of London-owned heritage
properties under the Ontario Heritage Act.
During Eddie's ownership of the London Majors, the team contributed many thousands of pounds of food to the London and Area Food Bank and enabled scores of local charities and non-profits to raise more than $115,000 through Majors' ticket sales.
Additionally, many baseball pundits credit Eddie with keeping the Majors' franchise alive in London despite competition from three professional teams between 1989 and 2003 (the Eastern League
's London Tigers
, the Frontier League
's London Werewolves
and the Canadian Baseball League
's London Monarchs
).
Today, Arden Eddie and his family reside just south of Seaforth, Ontario
and remain honorary members of The Friends of Labatt Park
for their contributions to local/ area baseball and its heritage and the Intercounty Baseball League.
On May 14, the London Sports Council announced that Arden Eddie is one of the four inductees into the London Sports Hall of Fame for 2007. On Sunday, July 6, 2008, the jersey of Arden Eddie (#24) was officially retired by the London Majors.
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
player, team owner and manager in the Intercounty Baseball League
Intercounty Baseball League
The Intercounty Baseball League is a semi-professional baseball organization located in the Canadian province of Ontario. The league was formed in 1919....
. He holds several Intercounty records, including most games played (834), most bases on balls (668), most hits (764) and most stolen bases (170).
Off the field, Eddie is a realtor and home renovator. He enjoyed a 36-year career in the Intercounty League (32 years as a player for the London Majors
London Majors
The London Majors are an independent, minor league baseball team of the, semi-pro, Intercounty Baseball League. The team was founded in 1925, and is based in London, Ontario...
: 1967-1999; 27 years as owner of the Majors: 1976-February 2004), before selling the team to 37-year-old London mortgage consultant Scott Dart after the 2003 baseball season.
Eddie was born in Wallaceburg, Ontario
Wallaceburg, Ontario
Wallaceburg is an unincorporated community and town located in the municipality of Chatham-Kent in Southern Ontario, Canada. Originally a small settlement, it was recognized for its significant contribution to the lumber and boat building industries and strategic location along the banks of the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(where he has been inducted into the Wallaceburg Sports Hall of Fame), but moved to London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
, Canada, in 1967 at age 18. A knee injury playing as a sea cadet in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
reduced his pro prospects but didn't diminish his enthusiasm for the game of baseball.
Baseball in London
In 1967, Eddie started playing for the London Diamonds' junior Intercounty team coached by Mike Fenlon and for the London Majors of the senior Intercounty Baseball League in 1968 at historic Labatt ParkLabatt Park
Labatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium near the forks of the Thames River in central London, Ontario, Canada. It is in size, has 5,200 seats and a natural grass field...
, where he played outfield, second base and first base wearing jersey #24.
Eddie was a player on the 1968 Canadian junior champions, the London Diamonds, while also playing games for the London Majors.
The Majors won the senior Intercounty pennant and title in 1975, the last time the London Majors have done so (although when Eddie was a player, the London Pontiacs won the Interconty league pennant in 1968, the pennant and championship in 1969 and the league pennant in 1970 as the London Avcos and the league pennant again in 1988 as the London Majors).
In 1976, Eddie bought the London Majors from George Hall.
Roy McKay Clubhouse
In the spring of 1977, Eddie moved the London Majors back into the old team, circa 1937 clubhouse, saving the one-story, cottage-style structure from near-certain demolition. (For the previous decade the clubhouse was being used by the City's Parks and Recreation Department as a storage facility.)The clubhouse was officially named the Roy McKay Clubhouse on August 1, 1996, in honour of Eddie's mentor, Roy McKay
Roy McKay
Roy Alexander McKay was an aggressive left-handed baseball pitcher born in London, Ontario, Canada, who signed with the Detroit Tigers organization in 1952 after spending much of his youth at Labatt Park, including a stint as batboy for the Ontario Baseball Association champions, the 1945 London...
(1933-1995), a former Majors batboy in 1945, pitcher, manager and coach who was born on August 1.
See a photo of the Roy McKay Clubhouse at Labatt Park here.
Eddie was supportive of the heritage designation of Labatt Park under the Ontario Heritage Act
Ontario Heritage Act
The Ontario Heritage Act, first enacted on March 5, 1975, allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Province of Ontario, Canada, as being of cultural heritage value or interest....
in 1994 as the world's oldest baseball grounds in continuous use in its original location. The park's designating by-law was subsequently amended in 1996 to protect and preserve the Majors' clubhouse. As a result both the park and the Roy McKay Clubhouse are designated City of London-owned heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
properties under the Ontario Heritage Act.
During Eddie's ownership of the London Majors, the team contributed many thousands of pounds of food to the London and Area Food Bank and enabled scores of local charities and non-profits to raise more than $115,000 through Majors' ticket sales.
Additionally, many baseball pundits credit Eddie with keeping the Majors' franchise alive in London despite competition from three professional teams between 1989 and 2003 (the Eastern League
Eastern League (U.S. baseball)
The Eastern League is a minor league baseball league which operates primarily in the northeastern United States, although it has had a team in Ohio since 1989. The Eastern League has played at the AA level since 1963. The league was founded in 1923 as the New York-Pennsylvania League...
's London Tigers
London Tigers
The London Tigers were a professional AA baseball team that played in the Eastern League from 1989 to 1993. They played at Labatt Memorial Park in London, Ontario, and were affiliated with the Detroit Tigers.-History:...
, the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
's London Werewolves
London Werewolves
The London Werewolves were an independent Frontier League baseball team based in London, Ontario, Canada. The team had previously been known as the Kalamazoo Kodiaks, from Kalamazoo, Michigan. The team arrived in London for the 1999 season and left after the 2001 season to Canton, Ohio. The...
and the Canadian Baseball League
Canadian Baseball League
The Canadian Baseball League, was an independent minor league that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Ferguson Jenkins...
's London Monarchs
London Monarchs
The London Monarchs were a professional American football team in NFL Europe and its predecessor league, the World League of American Football . The Monarchs played their final season in 1998 as the England Monarchs...
).
Today, Arden Eddie and his family reside just south of Seaforth, Ontario
Seaforth, Ontario
Seaforth is a Southern Ontario community in the municipality of Huron East, in Huron County, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
and remain honorary members of The Friends of Labatt Park
Friends of Labatt Park
Friends of Labatt Park is a grassroots, non-profit group of volunteers dedicated to "promoting and enhancing Labatt Park in London, Ontario, Canada, as the world's oldest baseball grounds in continuous use in its original location since 1877."...
for their contributions to local/ area baseball and its heritage and the Intercounty Baseball League.
On May 14, the London Sports Council announced that Arden Eddie is one of the four inductees into the London Sports Hall of Fame for 2007. On Sunday, July 6, 2008, the jersey of Arden Eddie (#24) was officially retired by the London Majors.
External links
- Intercounty Baseball League official Web site
- London Majors Baseball Corp. official Web site
- Arden Eddie and Mike Fenlon by Jim Cressman of The London Free Press, 2006
- Roy McKay Night at Labatt Park, August 1, 1996
- Mr. Majors bows out by Jim Kernaghan, The London Free Press, Feb. 26, 2004
- Map: location of Labatt Park in London