The London Monarchs played in the independent 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...

 that existed for half of the summer season of 2003 before folding. Located in the city of 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...

, the team featured a variety of international ballplayers from 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...

, the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

The Monarchs led the east division with a 20-13 record before league officials pulled the plug on the season at the half-way point. They played out of Labatt Park

Labatt 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...

.

The Monarchs' field manager was former Major League outfielder Willie Wilson

Willie Wilson (baseball player)

Willie James Wilson is a former Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, and Chicago Cubs. He was an outfielder known for his speed and ability as an effective leadoff hitter....

. The team went through two general managers, the first being former pro umpire Kirk Sawyers

Kirk Sawyers

Kirk Arnold Sawyers is a baseball umpire who currently works games in his hometown and surrounding areas and for the Intercounty Baseball League....

. Shortly after the regular season began, Sawyers and several other prominent league employees, including ex-MLB star Ron LeFlore

Ron LeFlore

Ronald LeFlore is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos, retiring as a Chicago White Sox in . He stole 455 bases in his career, and was an American League All-Star selection in 1976...

, resigned en masse.

The Monarchs hosted the inaugural CBL game. This was the league's only regular season sellout, as more than 5,000 people saw London defeat Montreal in the nationally televised game. The Monarchs averaged over 700 fans per game for the remainder of the shortened season.