Ottawa Nationals and Senators in the Border League, 1947-1950
This article was written by Warren Campbell
This article was published in From Bytown to the Big Leagues: Ottawa Baseball From 1865 to 2025
A playoff souvenir from the Ottawa Nationals. (City of Ottawa Archives, MG-946-1-1)
On December 9, 1945, a meeting chaired by Father Harold Martin took place at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Heuvelton, New York. Father Martin played baseball at Fordham University and pitched minor-league ball for teams in Albany and Toronto.1 His goal was to bring minor-league baseball back to northern New York State. Six teams were represented: Ogdensburg Maples, Watertown Athletics, Auburn Cayugas, Geneva Redbirds, Granby (Quebec) Red Sox, and the Kingston (Ontario) Ponies. The league was known as the Border League and played at Class-C level, the fifth of six levels of minor-league baseball.
1946
The first year of the Border League began with the six teams, but the Sherbrooke (Quebec) Canadians replaced Geneva, creating a balance of Canadian and American teams. The Kingston Ponies were the only team to have an affiliate relationship with a major-league team, as the Philadelphia Athletics supplied Kingston with players. The Auburn Cayugas were the regular-season champions but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Kingston. Watertown defeated Kingston in the final to become the first champions of the Border League.
1947
Two teams changed cities for the second season. Granby moved to Geneva, and sports promoter Tommy Gorman relocated the Sherbrooke team to Ottawa, renaming them the Ottawa Nationals. This move established a Nationals baseball franchise in both the capital cities of Canada and the United States. Gorman announced that home games would be played at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa. State-of-the-art lighting, consisting of six 100-foot-high poles in the outfield and lights on top of the grandstand for the infield, were installed.
Weeknight games were scheduled to start at 9:00 P.M. Ticket prices were set at $1 for most seats, 50 cents for bleachers, and 25 cents for youth. Sunday baseball was prohibited under Ontario provincial law, so the Nationals played home games at a baseball diamond built at Connaught Park racetrack across the river in Aylmer, Quebec.
Tommy Gorman was no stranger to the sports world. He co-founded the National Hockey League and managed race tracks across North America. In 1947, preparations began to assemble a competitive team for what became the first professional baseball team in the nation’s capital since the shared Ottawa-Ogdensburg franchise of the 1940 Can-Am League.
Gorman wasted no time announcing that two hockey stars from Montreal would join the Nationals, and negotiations were underway with a high-profile baseball figure to manage the team. On March 11, Gorman revealed that the Nationals had added Montreal Canadiens star forward Maurice Richard to their negotiation list, intending for him to play center field. In April, it was announced that Paul “Daffy” Dean had signed on as manager.2 On April 23, Dean, accompanied by his wife and three children, arrived in Ottawa after a 1,600-mile drive from Little Rock, Arkansas. This marked his first visit to Canada and his first managerial position.3
The roster began to take shape as players arrived from across the United States and Eastern Canada. Only two players–pitchers Leon St. Dennis and George Smith–remained from the last-place Sherbrooke team. In early May, they departed for a training camp in Saratoga Springs, New York, playing exhibition games against teams in Bristol, Connecticut, and Malone, New York. The team was promoted to fans in Ottawa and the Hull region, with particular emphasis on manager Dean and the new recruits, including “the $50,000 infield.”4
On May 14, Opening Day arrived in Ottawa amid much excitement. Mayor Stanley Lewis threw out the first pitch to Hull mayor Ray Brunet, though it sailed behind him, preventing a swing.5 Reports varied, but between 3,500 and 4,000 spectators attended the game on a sunny but chilly afternoon.6 The home fans left happy as the Nationals defeated the Ogdensburg Maples, 6–3, thanks to a stellar pitching performance by Nick Butcher, who scattered seven hits over nine innings and contributed a triple that drove in the final Nationals run.
There was considerable buzz surrounding the new team. Local newspapers reported that within minutes of the final out of the home opener, police received four calls requesting the dispersal of boys playing baseball on Ottawa’s streets.7 While all was well in Ottawa, some issues persisted at Lansdowne Park; fences were absent, and children interfered with players. An Ogdensburg player even had his glove stolen.8 By the Nationals’ return after the opening homestand, fences were in place, and measures had been implemented to prevent fan interference.
Early in the season, the Nationals emerged as one of the stronger teams in the league, prompting speculation about whether manager Dean would pitch in a game. His major-league career had been cut short by bursitis, with his most recent outings comprising a few games at the AA level in 1946. Finally, on June 7, before a crowd of 4,000 people, Paul Dean made his debut as the starting pitcher. He departed after six innings, trailing 4-0, though three runs were unearned. Dean also contributed a hit in two at-bats. When asked about his pitching style, he remarked, “I was throwing easy all day. I was always a sidearm pitcher, just like Diz. I was an under-and-up pitcher, sometimes going higher when using my curve.”9
Approaching the season’s midpoint, the Nationals began to pull ahead of Watertown and Auburn, their closest challengers. Strong pitching and defensive play characterized their performance. On July 16, 21-year-old pitcher Len Seamon pitched a masterful no-hitter against the Geneva Redbirds, marking the fourth no-hitter in Border League history and Seamon’s second, having achieved one as a rookie with Granby in 1946. By month’s end, five Nationals players had been selected to participate in the all-star game in Kingston, representing the North team against players from the league’s three Southern teams.
The second half of the season proved even more successful for the Ottawa team, winning 35 of their final 46 games after the all-star break, comfortably securing the league title by 12 games over Watertown. On and off the field, the team’s success drew interest from other Canadian promoters. Peter Campbell, president of the International League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, sought teams for Peterborough and Belleville, Ontario, with plans for a working relationship with the IL Maple Leafs for the Peterborough franchise.
At the conclusion of the 1947 regular season, the Nationals clearly stood out as the league’s top team. The Border League implemented a playoff system to determine its champion, and the Nationals, finishing in first place, swept third-place Auburn 4-0 in a best-of-seven series. In the championship series, they faced their Opening Day opponents and second-place finishers, the Ogdensburg Maples. The Nationals were missing one of their ace pitchers, 40-year-old Walt Masters, who, alongside his baseball duties, also coached the Ottawa football team. Masters had some major-league experience, having pitched three games for the 1931 Washington Nationals, one game for the 1937 Philadelphia Phillies, and four games for the 1939 Philadelphia Athletics. Despite his 11-4 record for the Nationals, Masters opted to focus on football coaching rather than pitching during the playoff run.
Game One of the finals saw 31-year-old Charles Schupp deliver a masterful one-hitter in front of 4,000 chilly hometown fans. Ogdensburg responded by winning Game Two, but Ottawa ultimately prevailed in six games. After Game Four of the series, manager Dean abruptly departed the team and drove back home to Arkansas.
The Sporting News conducted an interview with Paul Dean, who discussed his challenges with the local media’s lack of support for Lansdowne Park as a professional baseball venue. He acknowledged that the sports pages were supportive of the team but Dean was never the same after reading those editorials about the quality of the home field. He didn’t feel that it was healthy for a professional baseball team to play in a city with that level of criticism. In response, the Gorman family—Tommy and his sons—assured Dean that they would handle those concerns and he should concentrate on winning the playoffs. They had provided him with a comfortable life in Ottawa including a residence on Clemow Ave., a car for transportation, and ensured the local community welcomed his family.10
To make up for the loss of their manager, owner Gorman responded swiftly by appointing 28-year-old Bill Metzig as the new player-manager and he managed the team to the championship. Metzig had appeared in five games for the 1944 Chicago White Sox.
1948
In January 1948, the Border League held its owners’ meetings in Watertown, New York, deciding to maintain six teams. Player-manager Metzig confirmed his return, and most of the Ottawa lineup from the championship ‘47 season would remain intact. One notable addition generating considerable interest was young hockey star Doug Harvey, who also excelled in Canadian football. In 1944, Harvey played for the combined Marine St-Hyacinthe-Donnacona team, winning the Grey Cup, Canada’s football championship, although he did not participate in the final due to being on active duty for the Canadian military.
Alongside the young Montreal Canadiens defenseman, rumors again circulated about Tommy Gorman potentially bringing star forward Maurice Richard to Ottawa. However, Richard never played for the Nationals due to an injury sustained while playing third base for the Drummondville team in the outlaw Provincial League of Quebec.11
The Nationals held their preseason in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, playing exhibition games at historic Henninger Field. Once again, they asserted their dominance in the league, rebounding from two initial losses in Ogdensburg to secure an Opening Day victory in front of 4,000 fans at Lansdowne Park. As in 1947, the mayors of Ottawa and nearby Hull participated in the festivities. This time, Ottawa mayor Lewis threw a pitch over the plate to Hull’s mayor Brunet, who swung and missed. The Nationals enjoyed a successful outing with a 15-3 victory. Sunday games were relocated from the Aylmer, Quebec racetrack to Décosse Field, a more baseball-friendly stadium built by longtime Hull athlete and sports personality Gene Décosse.12
Kingston franchise owner Nelles Megaffin accused the Nationals of exceeding the salary cap by allegedly paying some players more than the league limit of $750 per season. Megaffin lodged a complaint with league president John Ward, though no public statement was made on the matter.13
By the mid-season all-star game, the Nationals held a seven-game lead over Geneva, with several players drawing interest from major-league scouts. Pitchers Len Seamon and Harry Baker, Doug Harvey, and shortstop Pete Karpuk were all closely monitored by scouts from the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees. The Montreal Royals also extended an offer to Harvey.
The Nationals traveled to Montreal for an exhibition game against the Atwater All-Stars at Delorimier Park, a benefit for Father Ryan’s Boys Town Club of Montreal. Seamon impressed the crowd with 11 strikeouts over six innings, while local favorite Doug Harvey went 1-for-4 in the game.
Left-hander Seamon finished the season with a remarkable 21-4 record. Harvey emerged as a breakout star after adjusting his batting stance early in the season—his hands noticeably apart and resting his bat on his shoulder “as if he was in the box for a short rest”14— resulting in a .340 batting average. Metzig also distinguished himself as one of the league’s top hitters. The team boasted the best fielding percentage, batting average, and pitching records, clinching the season championship by 6 ½ games ahead of Geneva.
Despite their regular-season success, the Nationals faced disappointment in the playoffs, matched against third-place Ogdensburg, who finished 11 games behind. The Nationals struggled both offensively and defensively, losing the best-of-seven series 4-1 to the eventual champions.
Following the playoff setback, tragedy struck the Nationals in October when Len “Lefty” Seamon passed away suddenly at the age of 22. A standout pitcher in the Border League with multiple opportunities to advance in professional baseball, Seamon had received offers from the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Initially suspected to have appendicitis after complaining of abdominal pain at season’s end, doctors discovered a large tumor that proved fatal.15
The 1948 Ottawa Nationals dominated the regular season but faced an unexpected upset in the playoffs. Despite finishing 11 games ahead of Ogdensburg, the Nationals fell 4-1 in the best-of-seven series to the eventual champions. (City of Ottawa Archives, MG-946-2)
1949
In early 1949, baseball interest in Ottawa grew as the city emerged as a potential location for a higher-level minor league team. The New York Yankees’ top farm team, the Newark Bears, considered relocating, with discussions including the possibility of moving to Ottawa or establishing a second team in Montreal. Tommy Gorman proposed a plan to play weeknight games in Ottawa and Sunday games in Montreal.16
Once again, the Nationals began their season with two games in Ogdensburg, splitting the series unlike their 1948 opening games. Returning home, they secured a 4-3 victory in the home opener, where Mayor E.A. “Eddy” Bourque threw the first pitch to team president Theo Lanctot. Throughout the season, the Geneva Robins led the league standings, with the Nationals fluctuating between second and third place. For the first time, fan voting determined the all-star teams, resulting in five Nationals players being selected. Ottawa players featured prominently, with catcher Bill Kivett hitting a two-run homer and shortstop Michael Pontarelli driving in the winning run. The game drew an overflow crowd of 2,800 at Geneva.
Following the all-star game, manager Metzig hoped for an improved second half of the season. The team lagged behind Geneva in batting and ranked third in fielding across the league. Inconsistent pitching left them 5½ games behind the league-leading Geneva Robins.
Despite efforts, the Nationals couldn’t close the gap beyond 2½ games behind Geneva. Strong performances from hitters Doug Harvey, Bill Kivett, and player-manager Bill Metzig buoyed the team, but pitching inconsistencies persisted. In mid-August, they faced Geneva in a crucial three-game series, their final opportunity to challenge the Robins directly. After losing the opener and splitting a doubleheader, their hopes of winning the regular-season pennant faded.
Earlier in the season, the league introduced the Len Seamon Award, honoring the top pitcher. During a break in the doubleheader, Walt Balash of the Nationals received the award, voted by Border League managers.17 Interestingly, this followed Balash’s challenging outing, allowing 11 runs in his worst start of the year, resulting in a loss to Geneva.
As in 1948, the playoffs proved disappointing for the Nationals. In the Border League’s playoff format, second-place Ottawa faced fourth-place Auburn in the semi-finals. After a seven-game series, Auburn emerged victorious, highlighting the Nationals’ struggles with key hitting and consistent pitching.
1950
The 1950 season saw the Nationals retain many regulars from ‘49 while integrating rookie replacements from leagues in Ontario and Quebec, necessitated by a new league rule limiting rosters to eight veterans. To aid adjustment, teams were allowed to retain all players, up to 24, for the first 30 days of the season.
Even with the need for rookies, the Nationals were still on the hunt for quality veteran players. Manager Metzig made a strong effort to sign former St. Louis Browns outfielder, one-armed Pete Gray.18
Opening the season with a two-game sweep in Ogdensburg, the Nationals returned to Ottawa for the home opener festivities. League president John Ward threw the first pitch to Hull mayor Brunet, who reportedly hit a “clean single.”19 However, a sluggish start left the Nationals in last place after seven games with a 2-5 record, marking the first time they had trailed all other teams in the standings. It wasn’t until the end of May that Ottawa’s offense ignited, sparking an 11-game winning streak and propelling them into first place.
By Canada Day, the Nationals held a commanding 6½ game lead over second-place Watertown, prompting the decision to host the all-star game at Lansdowne Park on July 12. League founder Rev. Harold J. Martin delivered the first pitch to Nationals Club President Theo Lanctot. Tragically, President Lanctot suffered a stroke in the fourth inning and had to be escorted from the stadium. Facing the league all-stars, the Nationals prevailed 4-3 in 12 innings, winning the game when right fielder Frank Schwartz stole home on a missed squeeze play.
Despite holding a nine-game lead over Ogdensburg just before the all-star break, the Nationals encountered difficulties, allowing their lead to dwindle to four games. Throughout July, the pennant race evolved into a three-team battle with Ottawa maintaining first place, closely pursued by Ogdensburg and Kingston. To bolster their lineup, Ottawa signed 22-year-old catcher Jim Wallace, formerly of the Newark Eagles in the Negro National League. Metzig expressed optimism about Wallace’s potential, stating “For my money Wallace is a good bet to be another Jackie Robinson.”20
On July 31, tragedy struck as pitcher Robert Larkin was killed in a car accident involving a US Army truck near Watertown, New York, while returning from a game. Four teammates were injured in the crash. Nationals executives personally delivered the heartbreaking news to Larkin’s wife and infant daughter, who lived at 393 MacLaren Street in downtown Ottawa.
On August 3, Ogdensburg swept a doubleheader, resulting in a tie atop the standings. They extended their lead by sweeping Ottawa in a subsequent series. In need of reinforcements, Ottawa signed Willard Brown, fresh from winning two batting Triple Crowns in the Puerto Rican league and becoming the first African American to hit a home run in the American League.21 Brown would later earn induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the Salón de la Fama del Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico.22
Throughout August, the lead changed hands between Ottawa and Ogdensburg, culminating in Ottawa securing the pennant with a season-ending five-game winning streak highlighted by Don Bryant’s no-hitter. Strong performances from Bryant, Ed Flanagan, and newcomers Brown (.352 average) and Wallace (.278) bolstered Ottawa’s confidence heading into the playoffs.
In the postseason, Ottawa and Ogdensburg advanced by defeating Kingston and Watertown, respectively, in five games. The championship series saw Ottawa struggle with inconsistent hitting against Ogdensburg, resulting in a six-game series loss.
By mid-October, discussions arose about a new team potentially coming to Lansdowne Park, prompting speculation about the Nationals relocating to Cornwall. On December 6, 1950, it was confirmed that Horace Stoneham, owner of the New York Giants, had acquired the minor-league rights in Ottawa, intending to relocate his AAA affiliate, the Jersey City Giants, to the Canadian capital. Consequently, the Nationals moved to Cornwall, becoming the Cornwall (Ontario) Canadians. However, the franchise’s tenure was short-lived, ceasing operations on June 26, 1951, preceding the Border League’s dissolution on July 16 by a few weeks.
is a Canadian-based entertainment industry executive who once lived in a suburb of Ottawa, but not at a time when professional baseball was in the area. For 30 years, he has avoided being on a stage and spends his free time searching through old publications for curious baseball stories. He still has dreams of owning an independent team.
NOTES
1 Jack Smith, “Baseball’s Bloodstream,” (New York) Daily News, July 22, 1942: 491.
2 Paul Geisler Jr, “Paul Dean,” SABR BioProject, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/paul-dean/
3 Tommy Shields, “Sports Roundup,” Ottawa Citizen, April 23, 1947: 18.
4 Advertisement, Ottawa Citizen, May 10, 1947: 2.
5 Tommy Shields, “Sports Roundup,” Ottawa Citizen, May 15, 1947: 23.
6 Shields, “Sports Roundup.” Ottawa Citizen, May 15, 1947: 23.
7 “Nats Start Wave Sandlot Baseball,” Ottawa Journal, May 15, 1947: 24.
8 Tommy Shields, “Sports Roundup,” Ottawa Citizen, May 19, 1947: 20.
9 Tommy Shields, “Sports Roundup,” Ottawa Citizen, June 9, 1947: 18.
10 Austin F. Cross, “Dean’s Run-Out During Playoffs at Ottawa Laid to Editorial Rap,” The Sporting News, October 22, 1947: 25.
11 André Rivest, “Histoire du Baseball à Montréal,” La Presse, October 22, 2023. https://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/4187-64ec-5335da14-b13d-138aac1c6068%7CXAMK27~RIxCq.html. Accessed on May 13, 2024
12 “Gene Decosse – In the System – 1924,” HabsGoalies.blogspot.com, May 24, 2007. https://habsgoalies.blogspot.com/2007/05/gene-decosse-1924.html. Accessed on May 20, 2024.
13 Ken Cuthbertson, When the Ponies Ran (Kingston, Ontario: Cataraqui Press, 2021), 31.
14 Bill Westwick, “Sports Roundup,” Ottawa Journal, May 29, 1948: 24.
15 “Lefty Seamon, 23, Star Ottawa Pitcher Dies of Cancer,” Ottawa Journal, October 14, 1948: 1.
16 “Suggest Ottawa as Home of International League Team,” Ottawa Journal, January 17, 1949: 29.
17 “Walt Balash Star Hurler Border Loop,” Expositor (Brantford, Ontario, Canada), August 24, 1949: 19.
18 “Metzig Will Continue Efforts to Land One-Armed Pete Gray,” Ottawa Journal, April 15, 1950: 19.
19 “Battery for Opening Ceremonies,” Ottawa Journal, May 13, 1950: 20.
20 “Colored Slugger and Catcher Signed by Nats,” Ottawa Journal, July 18, 1950: 1.
21 Jake Bell, “August 13, 1947: Willard Brown hits first American League home run by a Black player,” SABR Games Project, https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-13-1947-willard-brown-hits-first-american-league-home-run-by-a-black-player/
22 Rory Costello, “Willard Brown,” SABR BioProject, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/willard-brown/