Baseball

One of the first sports to establish itself in Lethbridge was baseball. The sport began as the idle pastime of youngsters but soon became an organized sport which pushed the cricket players out of the square (Galt Gardens). The sport was first disliked by cricket players (cricket being the more proper English sport) mostly for the way in which the "foreign element" took to the game. The first organized Lethbridge baseball team to take the field was the Lethbridge Miners in 1909.

P19901015014-GP The Galt Miners baseball team, 1910

One way in which baseball was different than other early sports was that it was played by women. Women tended to play softball more than baseball; softball was basically the same as baseball, but in softball the ball was larger and pitches were underhand. Women's leagues were first just played for fun and companies sponsored the teams. The Hudson's Bay company, for example, had a softball team for its female employees as early as 1927. The tradition of women's softball continued and in 1974 the Lethbridge Junior Optimists team won the Alberta championships going on to represent Lethbridge in the Canadian Junior Girls Softball championships.

P19930034001-GA An old local baseball jersey dating back to the 1930's

In the latter half of this century Lethbridge's residents maintained their love of baseball. The city is home to one Major Junior team, the Lethbridge Elks, who host an internationally recognized tournament each year. Lethbridge has also been the home to some professional baseball teams through the Pioneer League; the Lethbridge Expos, Dodgers, Mounties, and Black Diamonds have all delighted baseball fans over the years as minor league baseball teams. One of these teams, the Lethbridge Dodgers even managed to win the Pioneer League championship in 1976.

Much has changed in baseball since its beginnings in Lethbridge. From the early days when it was purely recreational to its heyday in the weary depression years and the professionalism after the Second World War, two things have remained constant; an intense rivalry with Medicine Hat teams and Lethbridgians. love of the game.