Guelph Royals (baseball)

Guelph Royals
Information
LeagueIntercounty Baseball League (1919–present)
LocationGuelph, Ontario
BallparkDavid E. Hastings Stadium
Founded1861
Nickname(s)The Royals
League championships9
  • 1919
  • 1920
  • 1921
  • 1932
  • 1970
  • 1993
  • 1997
  • 2003
  • 2004
Former name(s)
  • Guelph Royals
  • Guelph CJOYs
  • Guelph Royals (1962–63)
  • Guelph Merchants (1958–61)
  • Guelph Plymouths (1957)
  • Guelph-Waterloo Royals (1954–56)
  • Guelph Maple Leafs (1861–1953)
Former league(s)
ColoursRoyal blue, white
   
OwnershipShawn Fuller
ManagerDino Roumel
Websitewww.guelphroyals.com
Uniforms

The Guelph Royals are a baseball team based in the downtown area of Guelph, Ontario, and are a member of the Southern Ontario-based Intercounty Baseball League. The club was founded in 1861 as the Guelph Maple Leafs, and after winning the "Canadian Silver Ball Championship" three times between 1869 and 1872, went on to become world semi-professional champions in 1874, and hold brief membership in the International Association for Professional Base Ball Players during the 1877 season, rivalling National League teams.[1][2]

In 1919, they joined the Intercounty Baseball League, and underwent a series of name changes (the Guelph-Waterloo Royals in 1954; the Guelph Plymouths in 1957; the Guelph Merchants in 1958; the Guelph Royals in 1962; the Guelph CJOYs in 1964) before being officially renamed the "Royals".[3][4][5][6][7][8] From 1861 to 1925, the team divided its home games between various ballparks in the city, before the construction of a stadium in Exhibition Park led them to permanently play there.

In 1986, they moved into a new stadium, David E. Hastings Stadium, also in Exhibition Park. In spite of only winning one Intercounty championship between 1932 and 1993, the team has done well in some subsequent years. However, a May 2018 news item stated that "the Royals haven’t been above .500 since 2012 and haven't won a league title since 2004".[9] The team folded in 2017 but was re-started under new owners in 2018.[10]

  1. ^ "Slapshots and Shortstops", Guelph: A People's Heritage, 1827-2002.
  2. ^ "Baseball", Canadian Encyclopedia.
  3. ^ ""Intercounty League: Ontario", Western Canada Baseball". Archived from the original on 2009-08-22. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  4. ^ ""1954 . . . A Team Of Our Own", Western Canada Baseball". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  5. ^ ""1957 . . . Nearly world champs", Western Canada Baseball". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  6. ^ ""1958 . . . American college kids take the Canadian title", Western Canada Baseball". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  7. ^ ""1962 . . . Winding down ... the GreenCaps", Western Canada Baseball". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  8. ^ ""1964 ... a wrap on the Western Canada League", Western Canada Baseball". Archived from the original on 2009-06-25. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  9. ^ https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-sports/revamped-guelph-royals-bringing-in-five-players-from-dominican-republic-914702, Revamped Guelph Royals bringing in five players from Dominican Republic
  10. ^ https://www.guelphtoday.com/local-news/mayor-teams-up-with-businessman-to-take-over-guelph-royals-714300, Mayor teams up with businessman to take over Guelph Royals