Eager Beaver Baseball Association
Encyclopedia
Eager Beaver Baseball Association, Inc. (EBBA) is a baseball
league for youths in London, Ontario
, Canada
, that was first organized in 1955 by former Major League Baseball
player Frank Colman
, London sportsman Gordon Berryhill and Al Marshall.
In an article inThe London Free Press on February 22, 1955, sportwriter Bob Ferguson reported the EBBA's goals: "The objective of the association is to implant firmly in the boys of the community, the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and reverence, so that they may be finer, stronger and happier boys and will grow to be good, clean, healthy men."
swinging a baseball bat.
Other individuals who played a key role in founding the EBBA are: Stan (Gabby) Anderson; Norm Aldridge; Ron Armstrong; Len Barker; Bill Benninger; Ken Burgess; Vic Byers; Jack Colman; the Eager Beaverettes; Bill Farquharson; George Gibson; John Gillies; Don Greason; Clare Hatt; Bob Livingstone; London Majors
Baseball Club; Tom Munro; Harry Nielson; Lorne Palmer; Alex Park; Gord Parker; Les Thomas; Hugh (Red) Wood; London YMCA
-YWCA
.
In 1979 under President Vern McLean, the EBBA incorporated to become Eager Beaver Baseball Association, Inc.
in 1983 at age 65, the EBBA honoured Colman by organizing the inaugural Frank Colman Day in 1984. Each year, the EBBA holds Frank Colman Day at Labatt Park
in London in mid-July to honour the league's co-founder, the league's all-stars and celebrate the game of baseball.
1955-56: Frank Colman; 1957: Jim House; 1958: Archie Henderson; 1959: Don Waugh; 1960: Fred Dale; 1961-64: Bob Bodkin; 1965-66: George Mucahy; 1967-68: Stan (Gabby) Anderson; 1969: Jim Ramsey; 1970: Russ Mills; 1971-73: Doug Stinson; 1974-75: Rock Bergeron; 1976: Don Jury and Harold Bush; 1977-78: Harold Bush; 1979: Vern McLean 1980: Harold Bush; 1981: Mike Lumley Sr. and Al Kovacs; 1982: Al Kovacs; 1983: Steve Howe and Nick Nicholls; 1984: Lynda Ross; 1985: Bob Humphries; 1986: Lynda Ross; 1987: Bill Ross; 1988: Ron Matthew; 1989: Dan Pulham; 1990: Lynda Ross; 1991-94: Donald Burke
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
league for youths in 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
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...
, that was first organized in 1955 by former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player Frank Colman
Frank Colman
Frank Lloyd Colman , was a Major League Baseball player who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Yankees....
, London sportsman Gordon Berryhill and Al Marshall.
In an article inThe London Free Press on February 22, 1955, sportwriter Bob Ferguson reported the EBBA's goals: "The objective of the association is to implant firmly in the boys of the community, the ideals of good sportsmanship, honesty, loyalty, courage and reverence, so that they may be finer, stronger and happier boys and will grow to be good, clean, healthy men."
Eager Beavers
It was Ferguson who first coined the phrase, "Eager Beavers." Frank Colman was named the first league president. London Free Press staff cartoonist Merle Tingley designed the first EBBA crest of a beaverBeaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
swinging a baseball bat.
Other individuals who played a key role in founding the EBBA are: Stan (Gabby) Anderson; Norm Aldridge; Ron Armstrong; Len Barker; Bill Benninger; Ken Burgess; Vic Byers; Jack Colman; the Eager Beaverettes; Bill Farquharson; George Gibson; John Gillies; Don Greason; Clare Hatt; Bob Livingstone; 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...
Baseball Club; Tom Munro; Harry Nielson; Lorne Palmer; Alex Park; Gord Parker; Les Thomas; Hugh (Red) Wood; London YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
-YWCA
YWCA
The YWCA USA is the United States branch of a women's membership movement that strives to create opportunities for women's growth, leadership and power in order to attain a common vision—to eliminate racism and empower women. The YWCA is a non-profit organization, the first of which was founded in...
.
In 1979 under President Vern McLean, the EBBA incorporated to become Eager Beaver Baseball Association, Inc.
Frank Colman Day
After Frank Colman died from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1983 at age 65, the EBBA honoured Colman by organizing the inaugural Frank Colman Day in 1984. Each year, the EBBA holds Frank Colman Day at 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...
in London in mid-July to honour the league's co-founder, the league's all-stars and celebrate the game of baseball.
EBBA Presidents and other officers, 1955-1994
- Honorary Lifetime President: George Gibson,
- EBBA Commissioner: Gordon Berryhill, 1955
- EBBA Honorary Presidents, 1957: George (Mooney) Gibson; Mayor R.A. Dennis; Walter J. Blackburn; Police Chief A.E. Knight; Fire Chief R.C. McRonald
- EBBA Honorary Lifetime Member: Fergie Jenkins, 1992
1955-56: Frank Colman; 1957: Jim House; 1958: Archie Henderson; 1959: Don Waugh; 1960: Fred Dale; 1961-64: Bob Bodkin; 1965-66: George Mucahy; 1967-68: Stan (Gabby) Anderson; 1969: Jim Ramsey; 1970: Russ Mills; 1971-73: Doug Stinson; 1974-75: Rock Bergeron; 1976: Don Jury and Harold Bush; 1977-78: Harold Bush; 1979: Vern McLean 1980: Harold Bush; 1981: Mike Lumley Sr. and Al Kovacs; 1982: Al Kovacs; 1983: Steve Howe and Nick Nicholls; 1984: Lynda Ross; 1985: Bob Humphries; 1986: Lynda Ross; 1987: Bill Ross; 1988: Ron Matthew; 1989: Dan Pulham; 1990: Lynda Ross; 1991-94: Donald Burke