Frank Lloyd Colman (b. March 2, 1918; d. February 19, 1983), one of eight brothers and sisters, honed his baseball skills on the sandlots of London, Ontario, Canada, while attending H.B. Beal Secondary School. A view of the playing field at Busch Stadium II St. ... Nickname: The Forest City Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario County Middlesex County Settled 1826 (as village) Incorporated 1855 (as city) City Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best Governing Body London City Council MPs Sue Barnes (LPC) Joe Fontana (LPC) Irene Mathyssen (NDP) Joe Preston (CPC) MPPs Chris Bentley (OLP) Deb Matthews...

The son of Frederick and Harriet Colman who operated a shoe store on Hamilton Road in London, Colman joined the London Majors of the senior Intercounty Baseball League in the mid-1930s (winning the batting title as a pitcher, Most Valuable Player award and a championship in 1936), the Pittsburgh Pirates as a first-baseman-outfielder from 1942 to 1946 and the New York Yankees as an outfielder in 1946 and 1947, where he roomed with the young Yankee catcher Yogi Berra. The London Majors Baseball Club is an amateur mens baseball team from London, Ontario, Canada. ... The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is an amateur baseball league operating in central and southern Ontario. ... In American sports, a Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests. ... Major league affiliations National League (1887-present) Central Division (1994-present) Current uniform Ballpark PNC Park (2001-present) Major league titles World Series titles (5) 1979 â€¢ 1971 â€¢ 1960 â€¢ 1925 1909 NL Pennants (9) 1979 â€¢ 1971 â€¢ 1960 â€¢ 1927 1925 â€¢ 1909 â€¢ 1903 â€¢ 1902 1901 Central Division titles (0) None East Division titles... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) East Division (1969-present) Current uniform Ballpark Yankee Stadium (1923-present) Major league titles World Series titles (26) 2000 â€¢ 1999 â€¢ 1998 â€¢ 1996 1978 â€¢ 1977 â€¢ 1962 â€¢ 1961 1958 â€¢ 1956 â€¢ 1953 â€¢ 1952 1951 â€¢ 1950 â€¢ 1949 â€¢ 1947 1943 â€¢ 1941 â€¢ 1939 â€¢ 1938 1937 â€¢ 1936 â€¢ 1932 â€¢ 1928 1927... For the similarly named animated character see Yogi Bear. ...

Colman batted and threw left, was five-feet tall and weighed 188 pounds. His debut in Major League Baseball was on September 12, 1942, and his final game in the big leagues was on August 3, 1947. Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ...

In addition to Berra, Colman's teammates on the legendary 1947 Yankees included Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, Allie Reynolds, Johnny Lindell, Charlie Keller, Tommy Heinrich, Ralph Houk and Joe Page. Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio , born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr. ... Philip Francis Rizzuto (born as Fiero Francis Rizzuto on September 25, 1916) is a former Major League Baseball player and radio/television sports announcer, known both for his skills as a player and his popular but idiosyncratic style as an announcer. ... Allie Pierce Reynolds (February 10, 1917 _ December 26, 1994) (known as the Superchief) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. ... Charlie Keller - Bowman baseball card - 1949 Series, #209 Charles Ernest (Charlie) Keller (September 12, 1916 - May 23, 1990) was a left fielder in Major League Baseball. ... Ralph George Houk (born August 9, 1919 in Lawrence, Kansas), nicknamed The Major, is a former catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. ...

Colman and Yogi Berra were teammates with the minor-league Newark, New York, Bears in 1946 and both were called up to the Yankees. Newark is a village located in Wayne County, New York. ...

In 1947, Colman opened the season as the starting right fielder with the Yankees but suffered a leg injury and underwent season-ending surgery. That would be his last season in the big leagues, although Colman did play two more seasons in 1949 and 1950 in the Pacific Coast League with Seattle where he batted .319 with 18 HRs and 98 RBIs in 1949 and batted .310 in 1950. The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a minor league baseball league operating in the West and Midwest of the United States. ...

What had to be disappointing for Colman was being a non-roster player for the Yankees when they defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games for the 1947 World Series championship. For the 1930s NFL team, see Brooklyn Dodgers (football). ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...

Nevertheless, Colman was part of the World Series scene. The only other Londoner to experience the World Series was the outstanding Iron Man catcher George Gibson in 1909 when Gibson's Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers starring Ty Cobb in the best-of-nine final series, five games to two. Iron Man (Anthony Edward Tony Stark) is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... George C. Gibson (July 22, 1880 - January 25, 1967) was a Canadian catcher and manager in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1998-present) Current uniform Ballpark Comerica Park (2000-present) Major league titles World Series titles (4) 1984 â€¢ 1968 â€¢ 1945 â€¢ 1935 AL Pennants (9) 1984 â€¢ 1968 â€¢ 1945 â€¢ 1940 1935 â€¢ 1934 â€¢ 1909 â€¢ 1908 1907 Central Division titles (0) None East Division Champs (3... Tyrus Raymond Ty Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed the Georgia Peach, was an American baseball player generally considered to be the greatest player of the dead ball era (1900 – 1920). ...

Nineteen-forty-seven was a benchmark for Major League Baseball if there ever was one. Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher was suspended for the year even before the season opened for "conduct detrimental to baseball". The doors were finally opened to the black athlete as an infielder by the name of Jackie Robinson was plucked from the Montreal Royals to lead the Brooklyn Dodgers into one of the most memorable World Series of all time. Leo Ernest Durocher (July 27, 1905 - October 7, 1991), nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball. ... Jackie Robinson in his now-retired number 42 jersey. ... Statue at Montreals Olympic Stadium of the Royals most famous player, Jackie Robinson. ...

Colman finished his six-year major league career with 571 at-bats, 15 home runs and 106 RBIs in 271 games for a career average of .228.

Colman returns to his hometown

Colman returned to his hometown of London in 1954 after serving as a player-coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the AAA International League from 1951 through 1953, a team owned by Canadian sporting legend Jack Kent Cooke. The International League (IL) is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States and Canada. ... Jack Kent Cooke (25 October 1912 – 6 April 1997) was a Canadian entrepreneur who became one of the most widely-known executives in North American professional sports. ...

Colman signed on as playing manager for London Majors' owner and general manager Clare Van Horne in 1954. (Years later, Van Horne would subsequently leave London facing a paternity suit, move to California and be convicted of murdering his girlfriend with a hammer).

That same year, Alex Park of Alex Park Sporting Goods Ltd. at 300 Dundas Street, hired Colman as an in-store salesman. The sporting goods store was the meeting place for a number of Londoners interested in forming a baseball league for youths.

Purchases the London Majors

The following year in 1955, Frank Colman took over the Intercounty League's London Majors at Labatt Park, where it all began for Colman 20 years earlier. Colman's brother Jack (who died in 1962), helped coach the 1955 London Majors. Labatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium in London, Ontario, Canada. ...

"The sale of the Majors baseball club to Colman is one of the best things to happen to baseball in many years," wrote London Free Press sports editor Jack Park in his "Sport Sparks" column at the time. The London Free Press is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. ...

As player-owner Colman's London Majors won the Intercounty title in 1956. The team also won the Great Lakes championship in 1957. Colman returned the Majors to the Intercounty loop in 1958, organizing an exhibition ballgame in June of 1958 in conjunction with the Knights of Columbus and the Mocha Temple Shrine in aid of the Shrine Hospitals for Crippled Children. The ballgame between the Toronto Maple Leafs of the AAA International League and an all-star team put together by Colman attracted 5,000 fans to Labatt Park. In 1959, Colman sold the London Majors. The Knights of Columbus is the worlds largest Catholic family, fraternal, service organization and is named in honor of Christopher Columbus. ... The International League (IL) is a minor league baseball league which operates in the eastern United States and Canada. ...

Colman, co-founder of the Eager Beaver Baseball Association

In 1955, Colman co-founded the Eager Beaver Baseball Association (EBBA) with sportsman Gordon Berryhill and that organization renamed its all-star day -- "Frank Colman Day" -- in 1984. The EBBA is still going strong 51 years later, having mentored thousands of young ballplayers. Eager Beaver Baseball Association, Inc. ...

Before Frank Colman died of cancer in 1983 at the age of 65, he had been working at the University of Western Ontario in the maintenance department. The University of Western Ontario (Western or UWO) is a coeducational, non-denominational, research-intensive university located in London, Ontario. ...

Sixteen years later in 1999, Frank Colman was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. In a letter to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, Yogi Berra wrote that he visited Colman at his home in Canada on several occasions. The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is now located in St. ...

"I've made a lot of friends in baseball through the years, but I'll always remember Frank as one of the most decent and genuine people that I ever met," Berra wrote. "I was proud that he was my friend."

His son, Frank Colman Jr., accepted the Hall of Fame plaque at the ceremony in St. Marys, Ontario with a large contingent of Colmans on hand. St. ...

"If he were here, I think he would say his greatest accomplishment has been his contribution to the community through the work with the Eager Beaver Baseball Association," his son said. "That was his real pride and joy. He really loved that kind of work."

In 2005, Colman was also inducted into the London Sports Hall of Fame at the John Labatt Centre. The John Labatt Centre is a sports-entertainment centre in London, Ontario, Canada -- the largest such centre in southwestern Ontario. ...

References

• The Northern Game: Baseball the Canadian Way by Bob Elliott (Sport Classic, 2005).
• Heritage Baseball: City of London's souvenir program from July 23, 2005, celebrating the history of Labatt Park and London, Ontario's 150th anniversary as an incorporated city.
• The magic continues at London's Field of Dreams by Barry Wells (SCENE magazine, London, Ontario, June 15, 2000).
• Diamonds of the North: A Concise History of Baseball in Canada by William Humber (Oxford University Press, 1995).
• EBBA: 40 Years of Baseball by Jeffrey Reed (Eager Beaver Baseball Association, Inc., London, Ontario, 1994, ISBN 0-9698289-0-X).
• Diamond Rituals: Baseball in Canadian Culture by Robert K. Barney (Meckler Books, 1989).
• Who's Who in Canadian Sport by Bob Ferguson, (Summerhill Press Ltd., 1985).
• Sport Sparks by Jack Park, The London Free Press, June 12, 1968.

Eager Beaver Baseball Association, Inc. ... The London Free Press is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. ...

External links

• Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum Web site
• Baseball-Reference.com's page on Frank Colman
• Colman started, finshed in London by London Free Press sportswriter Morris Dalla Costa, Oct. 26, 2005
• Colman's obituary in the New York Times on Feb. 22, 1983
• Sportspic Bio of Colman Note misspelling of Colman's name as Coleman

London, Ontario

A-Channel London | Fanshawe College | Grand Theatre | London Free Press | London International Airport | London Transit | One London Place | St. Paul's Cathedral | St. Peter's Basilica | Springbank Park | University of Western Ontario | Victoria Park Sports: Boler Mountain | Forest City Velodrome | John Labatt Centre | Labatt Memorial Park | London Ice House | London Majors | London Knights | TD Waterhouse Stadium | Western Mustangs Nickname: The Forest City Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario County Middlesex County Settled 1826 (as village) Incorporated 1855 (as city) City Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best Governing Body London City Council MPs Sue Barnes (LPC) Joe Fontana (LPC) Irene Mathyssen (NDP) Joe Preston (CPC) MPPs Chris Bentley (OLP) Deb Matthews... File links The following pages link to this file: London, Ontario Categories: Flag images ... CFPL, A-Channel London (formerly The New PL) is a television station owned by CHUM Limited which serves the London and Sarnia regions of Ontario, Canada. ... Fanshawe College is a large community college in London, Ontario, Canada. ... The Grand Theatre is a professional theatre located in London, Ontario, Canada. ... The London Free Press is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada. ... London International Airport, (ICAO CYXU, IATA YXU), is located 5. ... The London Transit Commission (LTC), is the public transit system for the City of London, Ontario. ... One London Place is an office tower located in London, Ontario, Canada. ... St. ... St. ... Springbank Park is a 57 hectare (140 acre) park located along a stretch of the Thames River in London, Ontario, Canada. ... The University of Western Ontario (Western or UWO) is a coeducational, non-denominational, research-intensive university located in London, Ontario. ... Victoria Park is an 18-acre (73,000 m²) park located in downtown London, Ontario, in Canada. ... Boler Mountain, is the home of the London Ski Club in London, Ontario. ... The Forest City Velodrome is an indoor cycling facility located in London, Ontario, Canada. ... The John Labatt Centre is a sports-entertainment centre in London, Ontario, Canada -- the largest such centre in southwestern Ontario. ... Labatt Memorial Park is a baseball stadium in London, Ontario, Canada. ... The London Ice House is an arena in London, Ontario, Canada. ... The London Majors Baseball Club is an amateur mens baseball team from London, Ontario, Canada. ... City: London, Ontario League: Ontario Hockey League Conference: Western Division: Midwest Founded: 1968 (1965) Home Arena: John Labatt Centre Colours: Green, Gold, Black, and White Head Coach: Dale Hunter General Manager: Mark Hunter Affiliated Team(s): Petrolia Jets London Knights 2004-2005 The London Knights are an ice hockey team... TD Waterhouse Stadium is an 8,000 seat Canadian football stadium located on the campus of the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. ... -1... Festivals: Home County Folk Festival | London Balloon Festival | Rock the Park | Sunfest | Western Fair Home County Folk Festival is a folk music festival in London, Ontario. ... The London International Hot Air Ballon Festival (London Balloon Festival) is an annual hot air balloon festival held in London, Ontario. ... Rock the Park is an annual Classic Rock music festival held at Harris Park in London, Ontario, Canada, that is currently in its third year. ... Sunfest is an annual Canadian world music music festival that happens in London, Ontario primarily in Victoria Park. ... The Western Fair is an agricultural fair held annually in London, Ontario, Canada. ...