The Royal Canadian Baseball Association - R.C.B.A.

The league was originally started by a bunch of people who regularly got together for some pickup softball in the downtown Toronto area circa 1975. It quickly grew, and permanent teams were established so that by the early 80's it had grown to its present format of 8 teams, and firmly established its identity with a formal championship and consolation trophy. The name of the league was borrowed from an associates squash league and rumour has it that royal consent was granted for the use of the name by some person of reputed royal heritage.

The philosophy of the league has always been to have fun, and the weekly get together after the games is one of the main attractions. We play 3 pitch softball. The team at bat supplies its own pitcher, and each batter gets a maximum of 3 pitches regardless of outcome. It's a lively game with lots of offense and many opportunities for dazzling defensive plays.

Everyone makes the playoffs with a 1-8, 2-7, 3-6, 4-5 format for the first round of playoffs. There is a championship round pitting those winners of the first round in a semifinal round then a final game. There is also a consolation round for the losers of the first round playoff games. The league champion and the consolation winners recieve their trophies and props at a star studded gala affair following the championship game.

2003 Royal Canadian Baseball Association

The Originals - 2003 Champions
The Allsorts
The Beasties
The Gorillas
R.E. Sports
The Sultans
The Thunder Dawgs
The Toronto Athletic Club

RCBA Championship Teams

2003 - Originals
2002 - Allsorts
2001 - Thunder Dawgs
2000 -
1999 -
1998 -
1997 -
1996 - Sultans
1995 - Copy Shop
1994 - Terry Howard
1993 - Terry Howard
1992 - Squash Academy
1991 - International Top Models
1990 - Sultans
1989 - Squash Academy
1988 -
1987 -
1986 - International Top Models
1985 - International Top Models
1984 - Squash Academy
1983 - Sultans
1982 - International Top Models
1981 - Odds & Ends
1980 - Copy Shop

RCBA Consolation Champions

2003 - R.E. Sports

This award has gone missing and hopefully will be returned as it is the only existing record for this category.

The Wally Stefoff Spirit Award

2003 - Jim Longo
2002 - Tina Mitchell
This award for sportsmanship and league spirit has been in existence since about 1990. But unfortunately it was left in a Toronto taxicab by accident and lost in 2002. The award was replaced but the previous winners are lost.

If you have knowledge of past winners please email me any information.

RCBA Commissioners

2002 - 2003 - Rob McKelvey
1997 - 2001 - Jerry Jordan

1996 - I need some help here, please email me any information.

Previous RCBA Member Teams

The CFL Offices
The Copy Shop
Morgan Earl Sounds
The Sheriffs
The Sultans of Swing
International Top Models (I.T.M.)
Terry Howard Productions
The Squash Academy
Hot House

Previous RCBA Parks

Over the years there have been many famous and not so famous places that we have played. Here is what I can remember . . .

• Rosedale Park - home of the first Grey Cup game, and home to our championship games from 1980 to the early 90's. Features included the 6 foot cliff in deep right field, and the big oak tree along the right field line.
• Pricefield - behind the LCBO and next to the Toronto Lawn and Tennis Club. More rules than we could mention here, but most noteable were the tree in right field and the tennis courts just over the short right field fence (ouch!), the drinking fountain in center field and the playground right behind 3rd base.
• Jesse Ketchum School - another small park, but beggars can't be choosers.
• Havergal College - expensive field that we used for a year or two.
• Greenwood Park - Greenwood and Danforth, watch out for the soccer players in center field.
• Ramsden Park - right on Yonge Street, with a very short left field.
• There was a park at Greenwood and Danforth. The younger members on our team liked it because it had the nicest playground. The outfielders disliked it because of the soccer players in left field, who also didn't like us very much.
• There was the park at Wanless - only one problem there, the city issued a simultaneous permit to an Ultimate league. They won.
• There was the schoolyard at Dufferin and Bloor.

Previous RCBA Bars

There also have been many notable and sometimes notorious places we have frequented after our games on Wednesday evenings. Among them are . . .

• Panama Joe's - on the Danforth. Home for much of the nineties, until numerous LCB violations closed them down. Huge place with outdoor patio, backwards TV where players ran to third base from home, pool tables, video games, and one nasty waiter.
• Wheels - Church Street just south of Carlton, formerly a gas station, currently a parking lot. We spent a season or two there in the early 80's. Upon showing up the following year, we were told that our business was no longer wanted. Well look who's still in business and who isn't!
• St. Louis' Bar and Grill - south of Yonge and Eglinton, best remembered for Sunny the waitress. She later used her tips to open "Sunny's" in the MacLean Hunter Building on College.
• The Hogtown Diner - on Front Street just east of the St Lawrence Market.
• Pauper's - a rooftop patio on Bloor Street West