1

During the first five years of operation, H&D league rosters contained a number of local players who easily held their own against the growing number of imported ballplayers who were attracted to Nova Scotia by the level of play and reasonably competitive salaries. Condy, Clark, Ferguson, the Seamans, Clyde and Sid Roy, Harry Reekie, Wilf Anderson, Eddie Gillis, Leo Fahey, Bev Buckler, Gordon Troke, Joe Cormier, Bill Marsh, Harris Young, Mac Bowers, Joe Breen, "Twit" Clarke, "Red" Burchell, Dev Vickers, Neil Staples, Stan Cann, Lloyd Young, Howie Martin, Tommy "Mountain Boy" Linkletter, Jackie Rudderham, Win Langille, Leo Woods, and Jimmy Gray were just a handful of the talented locals who played and often starred on the diamond in these years.

2

Neil Staples, a local player, of the Dartmouth Arrows
1948



3

Team photograph of the Halifax Capitals.
1948
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia


4

One souvenir program for a game.
1948



5

Opening day 1948
24 May 1948
'Little Brooklyn', Dartmouth Nova Scotia


6

When the Brooklyn Junior Dodgers visited Nova Scotia in the summer of 1948 to take on a team of junior-age players it was the home-brews who led the local squad to a 3-1 victory. On the strength of Maritimer Joe Breen's towering home run the H&D league juniors bested the Dodgers, whose roster included eventual major leaguers, Billy Loes, Don McMahon and Joe Pignatano,. Nova Scotian"Twit" Clarke held the baby Dodgers to just four hits. A similar scene unfolded in a three game series in 1949 against the New York Equitable Life team, the National Baseball Congress Semi-pro champions in the United States in 1948 and 1949. Although the New Yorkers won the deciding match in extra innings, they were more than impressed with the quality of their opponents, especially locals Johnny Clark and "Red Burchell". According to New York first-baseman Fred Price his club came to Nova Scotia expecting to meet the equivalent of a Class C club, but found the game here "as good as anything being played in the Class A leagues in the United States."

7

League players give batting tips.
1949



8

Dartmouth Arrows coach Dev Vickers argues a call with umpire Johnny Fortunato
1948
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia


9

Buddy Condy of the Halifax Arrows gets safely back to first base
1947
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia


10

1948 Halifax and District All Stars
1948
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia


11

Season pass for Elliott Hudson
1948



12

1947 Halifax and District All Stars
1947
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax, Nova Scotia


13

Even as late as 1950 there was still enough local talent to field a competitive team in the Rainbow Haven all-star game pitting imports against homebrews. The game, held before 5500 fans at Wanderer's Grounds in Halifax, was a tight one, which the imports won by a score of 5-4 despite having been held to five hits. By this time, however, the die was pretty well cast. As Skit Ferguson observed, the average player in the league gradually became an import rather than a local. "Many locals could've continued to play," Johnny Clark points out. "They may not have been stars, but many of those who were brought in from the States weren't stars either." Only the exceptional Maritime ballplayer would be given a chance to play in the H&D league after 1950.

14

Sidney Roy of Westville
1952
Albion Field, Stellarton, Nova Scotia