Picture a half-century ago, when Pictou County boasted the niftiest softball teams around. It was a time when softball enjoyed enormous fan appeal and its players were highly skilled. Only catchers and first basemen wore gloves and pitchers could firehard and accurate offerings without aid of the “whip” used today. The Monarchs won provincial honors in 1937, 1938 and 1939. Only the Second World War could break up this versatile, talented, dedicated team.

Stellarton won the Maritime title in 1937, defeating Moncton. When Stellarton challenged Moncton for the Maritime championship in 1938, Moncton declined because their star player was unavailable, a player who during the 1937-38 season won the National Hockey League scoring championship for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His name was Gordie Drillon. The Monarchs received some consolation in 1938. A team from Boston won the New England championship, considered the Monarchs Maritime champions and invited them to play a best-of-three series there. The series was played in the old “Mechanic Building”, home for numerous championship boxing matches in Boston during the 1930s. It was a huge warehouse-like edifice, whose dimensions on the hardwood floor were near those of a regular ballfield. Stellarton responded by beating the Boston team 7-1 in the first game, with Clary Potts pitching, and 3-2 in the second game, with Ernie Works recording the win. Several hundred fans showed up, mostly Maritimers. The venue also had a balcony about two storeys high overlooking floor level where the boxing ring would be located when cards were scheduled. Stellarton batters belted four home runs and deposited seven pitches into the balcony for ground rule doubles while winning the first game. The Boston team invoked host team privileges and altered the ground rules so that a ball landing in the balcony for the second game was a single.

More amazing still, Stellarton won the series yielding to Boston two obvious advantages. Boston pitchers threw the whip, and all their players wore gloves. While the Monarchs accommodated Moncton’s excuse in 1938, they claimed the title in 1939 when Moncton again declined to play them. After all, the Monarchs contended, does one player’s absence sideline an entire team?

The Monarchs could win any way they had to: bunting, hitting away for average or hitting for power. Their pitchers all had a distinctive style. When the opposition did hit, Stellarton’s strong suit really showed – defence. Whoever caught games were masters. The middle infield was like a vacuum cleaner. The outfielders could track down any fly ball hit in their vast area. It was a team without parallel.

Team members: George (Toot) Boutilier, Ron Brennan, John (Twit) Clarke, Allison (Midge) Fleming, Chet Fleming, Cliff Frame, Laird (Boots) Frame (manager, 1937), Bucky Keith, Royce Kellock, Andrew (Bunker) MacKenzie, Clary Lowe, John MacGillivray, George MacKay(sponsor), Ned MacKinnon, William (Woodie) MacLean, Frank MacLeod, Dick MacQuarrie (sponsor), Clary Potts (captain, 1937; coach, 1938-39), Robie Potts, John William (J.W.) Sobey (sponsor), George Whytewood, Ernie Works.

Bio courtesy of Stephen Goodwin