Eager Beaver Baseball Association
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 in The London Free Press on February 22, 1955, sportswriter 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 beaver 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.
Frank Colman Day
After Frank Colman died from cancer 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.
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
External links
References
- EBBA: 40 Years of Baseball by Jeffrey Reed (Eager Beaver Baseball Association, Inc., London, Ontario, 1994, ISBN 0-9698289-0-X).
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