Baseball HISTORY

For close to 20 years, as a hobby, I've researched the history of baseball in Quebec, with a particular focus on the Provincial League, which was one of the top leagues outside of Organized Baseball in the late 1930s, then again after World War II, and a final time in the late 1960s. For a time, it even managed to outbid the major leagues for some players. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, following the arrival of Jackie Robinson with the Montreal Royals, it was a prime destination for Negro Leagues and Latin American players who wanted to test their skills in integrated leagues.

Combing through old newspapers, I've discovered many fascinating stories, and I've had to play detective quite often, as many players sejourned in Quebec under fake names, as being outside of Organized Baseball meant a possibility of being suspended.

I've collected some of my findings, mostly rosters, statistics and photos, on a website. I am affiliated with the Quebec chapter of the Society of American Baseball Researchers. I am also an Associate Editor for the Journal of Canadian Baseball.

I've recently stumbled upon a great story: Charlie Culver, after stints with top black teams, played 6 games in the 1922 Eastern Canada League, a class B league affiliated to the major leagues. He thus became one of the very few African Americans to play in affiliated leagues between 1890 and 1946. An article was published in the Baseball Research Journal and it was recently covered by La Presse.

Publications

Minor League Baseball and affiliations in Quebec: the solutions or the causes of all problems?, forthcoming in SABR book on Minor Leagues in the 1940-1960 period.

Léo Dandurand, nationalisme canadien-français et baseball: Quand la sainte flanelle transpose sa formule aux autres sports, Revue du baseball canadien, 2022.

Punching Above its Weight: The Quebec Provincial League, in "Our Game Too: Influential Figures and Milestones in Canadian Baseball", 2022.

The Quebec Adventures of Chappie Johnson’s All-Stars, in "Our Game Too: Influential Figures and Milestones in Canadian Baseball", 2022.

Paul Calvert, SABR BioProject, 2021.

The 1938-40 Quebec Provincial League: The Rise and Fall of an Outlaw League, Baseball Research Journal, Fall 2021.

24 Years Before Jackie Robinson, Charlie Culver Broke Barriers in Montreal, Baseball Research Journal, Spring 2020.

Out of Here: Homeruns in Canada, Baseball Research Journal, Fall 2011.

Integration in Quebec: more than Jackie, in "Dominionball: Baseball above the 49th", 2005.

Quebec baseball outside Montreal, in "Dominionball: Baseball above the 49th", 2005.