Cecil Saunders (sports builder)
| Cecil Saunders | |
|---|---|
| Toby | |
| Born | 1900 Toronto, Ontario |
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1921–at least 1922; by 1933–at least 1980 |
Cecil Saunders (born 1900) was a baseball coach, umpire, and organizer who was instrumental in reviving the sport in Port Arthur and founded the Port Arthur Red Sox Baseball Club. Cecil Saunders was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 as a builder.[1]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Cecil Saunders was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on 26 September 1987 in the builder category for baseball.[1]
Career and service
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Saunders began his involvement in Baseball as a player. He spent a brief period in professional baseball with the Elmira Colts, a farm team for the Boston Red Sox. He first moved to Port Arthur in 1921, where he played for a local club for two seasons before leaving the area. He returned to the community during the depression years of the early 1930s.[1]
Upon returning to Port Arthur, Saunders discovered that Softball had replaced Baseball as the primary sport at Mariday Park. After spending two years as a coach and umpire for the South End team, he took the initiative to re-establish baseball in the town. He acquired equipment and uniforms on credit to organize a local squad capable of competing against the two existing teams in the rival community of Fort William.[1]
For the following four decades, Saunders focused on recruiting and training players, emphasizing professional techniques and a disciplined approach to the game. He required his athletes to attend daily practices and maintain a constant knowledge of the rule book. His efforts led to the creation of the Port Arthur Red Sox Baseball Club and the winning of numerous championships. Even at the age of 80, he remained active in the local sports scene, mentoring young players and coaches in Thunder Bay.[1]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1921–at least 1922; by 1933–at least 1980) rests on the following dated evidence. He arrived in Port Arthur in 1921 and played for a couple of seasons, then returned in the early 1930s and was active for the next 40 years and until age 80.[1]
Honours and achievements
- Played professional baseball for the Elmira Colts in the Boston Red Sox system
- Revived the game of baseball in Port Arthur during the 1930s
- Founded the Port Arthur Red Sox Baseball Club
- Coached numerous championship baseball teams over a 40-year career
- Introduced professional-level training standards and daily practice regimens to local amateur baseball[1]
- Possibly the same as C. Saunders; the name matches, but too little is shared to merge the pages.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "Cecil 'Toby' Saunders", builder profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/builder-profile/0e76e91d-b772-46b2-a40b-eaf113fe34e0 (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.