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For George Smith, baseball was a life long achievement. Though he modestly called it a pastime, 50 years of dedication don't lie. George Smith was a pioneer of the Kings County Baseball League, where he started as a young pitcher for the Peakes Hawks in the early 1930's. Not having the other recreational outlets we have today, baseball was what kept young men busy.
In those days, it was a laughing matter when a team was started up in a small community, but after he convinced James "Fiddler" MacDonald to pitch for the Bombers, it wasn't long before crowds appeared.
A highlight of George's baseball career was a game in 1936. Peakes played against an all-star Charlottetown team. This game stands out because George was catching for pitcher MacDonald
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who set a record of 24 batters struck out in one game. To quote Fiddler MacDonald, "George Smith, was in my mind the best catcher in these Maritimes at that time."
In 1950, George retired as a player. Fortunately he stayed in the game to anchor the league as secretary. He also coached the Peakes Bombers team for several years and wrapped up his baseball career as an umpire in the late sixties. George was equally at home throwing out potential base-stealers from the crouch, teaching young pitchers the techniques of pitches and pick-offs in his farmyard, or pacing the coach's box with a wad of tobacco in his jaw. He was that rare talent that was just as effective coaching as he was playing. For all those who knew him, he will always be "Mr. Baseball."
George Smith was inducted into the PEI Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 – a fitting honor for a man who brought baseball to life in the early 1930's in rural King's County. George helped to keep that spark alive in many young players through his dedication and love for the game. |
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| James 'Fiddler' MacDonald | Mike Kelly |
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