The Chatham-Kent Barnstormers are an independent minor league baseball team based in Chatham, Ontario, playing in the Intercounty Baseball League (IBL). The team was founded in 2024 and play their home games at the 1,100 seat Fergie Jenkins Field.
The team played its first game in franchise history on May 18, 2024, a 5-3 win over the Kitchener Panthers.
History
On November 23, 2022, the Intercounty Baseball League announced that it had approved an expansion application for Chatham Ontario for admittance into the league starting with the 2024 IBL season.[1] The team's name was initially unveiled as the "Chatham-Kent Blackbirds" on January 27, 2023, but was dropped only three days later after team officials learned the term held historical derogatory use.[2][3] The team later stated that they would change the name to “better reflect the diverse cultural history of the community.” On July 6, 2023, the new team name was officially unveiled as the "Chatham-Kent Barnstormers" (a reference to barnstorming).[4]
References
- ^ "News: IBL Approves Expansion Membership For Chatham - Intercounty Baseball League". www.theibl.ca. 2022-11-23. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "Chatham-Kent Blackbirds set to soar". www.iheartradio.ca. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ Wright, Pam (2023-01-30). "Ball team drops 'Blackbirds' nickname | The Chatham Voice". chathamvoice.com. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "Local IBL Team Rebranded As The Chatham-Kent Barnstormers". 99.1 FM CKXS | Your Music Variety. 2023-07-06. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
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