1934 Colored Baseball Team: Chatham-Kent Sports Black History Month

They were champions, and trail blazers. The 1934 Chatham Colored All-Stars surprised everyone, and won the hearts of Chatham-Kent baseball fans as they became the first ever team from Chatham to win a Provincial baseball championship.

Featuring stars including Chatham Sports Hall of Fame, and future Black History Month feature players Earl “Flat” Chase and Wilfred Harding.

Entering the competitive Chatham City League, the Chatham Colored All-Stars won their way to the 1934 Provincial ‘B’ Ontario Baseball Association title.

Their win however, wasn’t without adversity. In their final series, after defeating Sarnia, Welland, and Milton, the Colored All-Stars were up against a tough Penetang team, and other factors. After splitting the first two games, and with the game tied 2-2 in extra-innings of the deciding game, the umpire called the game due to darkness out of fear that the Colored All-Stars would win, even though it was light enough to play.

Eventually however, the Chatham Colored All-Stars defeated Penetang in the extra fourth and deciding game.

Not only were the Chatham Colored All-Stars the first Chatham team to win an OBA title, they were also the first ever team, comprised entirely of black athletes, to enter the OBA playoffs.

Continue to follow CKSN.ca as we honour Chatham-Kent’s black athletes and teams in celebration of February, as Black History Month in Canada. To read the previous stories Click Here for our Black History Month coverage.