The Chatham Coloured All-Stars have once again been shut out of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame announced its 2023 inductees on Wednesday, the first day of Black History Month in Canada. They are former Toronto Blue Jay outfielder Jesse Barfield, former Blue Jays and Montreal Expos pitcher Denis Boucher, former Oakland A's pitcher Rich Harden, and veteran Manitoba baseball Joe Wiwchar.
The Chatham Coloured All-Stars were snubbed by the Hall of Fame last year. Executive Director and Curator of the Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society and Black Mecca Museum Samantha Meredith said at that time she was disappointed the team wasn’t selected for induction and felt the Hall of Fame missed a golden opportunity.
The Chatham Coloured All-Stars have been on the ballot for several years and still have a few years left of eligibility. All qualified nominees remain on the ballot for up to nine years.
The team was the first black team to win an Ontario Baseball Association championship in 1934. The legendary team has been honoured with a children’s book, baseball cards, comic books, at the University of Windsor, the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame, and most recently was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame has not responded yet to a request asking how far away the team was to being inducted into the hall. Voting results are not made public.
The four new Hall of Famers will be honoured along side former Blue Jays First Baseman John Olerud and legendary Montreal Expos broadcaster Jacques Doucet, who couldn't make it to the induction ceremony in 2020.
The current induction ceremony will be held June 17, 2023.