London Majors
Playoff preview: How do Majors stack up against Royals?
Around the Diamond: London takes on Guelph in first round of IBL playoffs; Majors have been playing ‘playoff’ baseball for months; Jose Arias strong out of ‘pen; Kyle Maves a catalyst
Cobra Chickens hatch again on Civic Holiday
The London Majors’ April Fool’s joke that turned into a real marketing opportunity captures the essence of minor league baseball’s creativity in drawing fans and supporters.
After tricky stretch, Majors back to winning ways
Around the Diamond: Janisse locking it down; Seven Majors headed to IBL All-Star Game; Springer joins the pitching mix; Majors’ bats need to be more disciplined.
Walk-off wins have Majors rolling
Around the Diamond: Payano Pitcher of the Week; Is Reichstein ready for a resurgence?’; Walk-off wins exciting fans and players alike; Bullpen a work in progress.
Knights seek win column this weekend
Defending champs embark on new season
Knights crowned Memorial Cup champs
Rethinking BSL basketball
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About the Majors
Founded in 1925, the London Majors are an amateur baseball team that competes in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL), the top summer league in Canada since 1919. They play their home games at Labatt Memorial Park, the oldest continually operating baseball grounds in the world. Going under different names for their first 50 seasons, London’s Intercounty entry won 11 league championships. The team adopted the Majors nickname for good in 1975.
That same year, the Majors won their 12th (and most recent) league title, led by former major league pitcher Mike Kilkenny and manager Roy McKay. In 1984 and 1985, the team was headlined by Hall-of-Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins, who had recently retired from the MLB.
In 2004, under new ownership (Scott Dart), the Majors reached their first Intercounty final since 1982, losing to the Guelph Royals. In 2005, Roop Chanderdat was brought in as co-owner and general manager. In 2006, he also took over managing duties. Under Chanderdat, the Majors have reached the IBL final three times, most recently in 2014. The team has also won the pennant race (first place in regular season) in 2008 and 2016.
In 2017, Chanderdat became the franchise’s winningest manager, surpassing McKay’s previous record of 257 wins. In 2019, he passed the 300-win milestone. That same season, long-time Major and fan-favourite Cleveland Brownlee, the franchise’s home run leader, reached the 100 home-run mark.