Conclusion: Baseball is Forever, War is Not - Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

While baseball was not a priority throughout the Second World War, the game took shape as an activity with a purpose. As men and women came together, making daily sacrifices, and living in a constant state of worry and fear, baseball remained the game for all, and it was played nearly everywhere: in the schoolyards of the local schools across Canada, in Maple Leaf Stadium in Toronto, or Athletic Park (Capilano Stadium) in Vancouver, in the boundaries of Training Camp Bordon in England, in Wembley Stadium in London, or even in the fields of France and Belgium. Baseball and softball were the common game, uniting, distracting, and fulfilling the often-missing joy of Canadian soldiers and civilians alike.

Baseball would thrive within Canada following the conclusion of the Second World War. In 1946 Jackie Robinson, himself a veteran, took the field for the Montréal Royals, and would break Major League Baseball’s colour barrier the next year with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Countless Canadians would thrive in the Major Leagues, and Canadian Leagues themselves would be revived or would create new baseball traditions within the country in the decades following. Eventually, less than 25 years after the conclusion of the Second World War, the Montréal Expos would become Canada’s first-ever Major League Baseball Franchise.

Baseball should be seen as one of the most important non-combat activities of the Second World War. To Canadians, soldiers and civilians alike, it was far more than just a game.

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame would like to recognise every Canadian in baseball and softball who so bravely sacrificed their safety and lives to protect the freedom of Canada and the world. We would also like to recognise every Canadian baseball and softball player through the Second World War, who endured countless hardships and worries.

We thank you for visiting this Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum virtual exhibit! We hope you have enjoyed it, and if you would like to learn more about Canadian baseball history, we encourage you to visit our website. If you have any questions, comments, or corrections about the exhibit please feel free to contact us through email at [email protected]. Would you like to donate your collection to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum? Send us an email!

Home and Away – Canadian Baseball in the Second World War

Curated by Logan Habel – Summer 2024 Museum Assistant