you can also use bselig as login name and address.

I am older than I think. If memory serves me correct, he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League and if I recall he played for a team that won the pennant by about 20 games and went to the majors the next year where he stayed. If I am mistaken please correct me. I think Lou Johnson was on the team also.

I know Daddy Wags was signed by the then-New York Giants in 1954 and came up to the majors with the San Francisco Giants in 1958. Was Toronto a Giants farm team then?

Stan is right on. That Maple Leafs team won 100 games (it would be 32 more years until another minor league team won 100, and no AAA team has ever done it since). I am pretty sure that Sparky Anderson also played on that team.

This was in 1960, and during and after the season Wagner played in 39 games with the Cards, and got picked by the Angels in the expansion draft. Good move; he led the Angels in home runs their first three years.

The Maple Leafs were not a farm team of anybody then. But they were able to get players that were career minor leaguers or guys on the cusp in the majors. Elston Howard played for a year here before going to the Yankees. Jack Kent Cooke owned the team in those days and wasn't afraid to spend money to get them. The Maple Leafs were a good fit for Howard apparently in those days.

Ah, my mind escaped me. In fact neither Wagner nor Lou Jonhson played on those Leafs, in fact they were traded for each other in '61. This is a great piece on those Leafs, from Minor League Baseball's Top 100 Teams Of All Time.

Craig, I take it that the pitching star of the Leafs, Al Cicotte (COMN for his major league record) was no relation to Eddie. Funny thing though, they were both from Michigan.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. The article brought back a lot of memories. Some of the players I had forgotten. Pitching was outstanding. Some of the seasons faded into each other in my memory. I will always remember Rocky Nelson.

That's a very sad story. Daddy Wags isn't the only ex-player to have fallen on hard times. There is an organization called B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team), founded by former players, that's supposed to assist in such cases, but perhaps they weren't aware of Leon's problems, and sometimes people can't, or won't, be helped.

I take it that the pitching star of the Leafs, Al Cicotte (COMN for his major league record) was no relation to Eddie.

No! Believe it or not, Al Cicotte was Eddie Cicotte's grandnephew!

Thanks, Craig. Now there's a story.

I think that one of the reasons that the Yankees sent Howard to Toronto is that they wanted him to learn to be a catcher and the Maple leaf manager was Luke Sewell who had been a catcher in the Majors. I saw Howard play that year. It was my first year as real fan.

Loved reading about the Toronto Maple Leafs on this site. My interest goes back even further to 1947 ...the first time I saw the Leafs play. The starting pitcher (and best hitter) was Oscar Judd. Some of the names I recall from my youth include Johnny Welaj (left field), Eddie Sanicki (cf), Mike "The Grunter" Goliat (2b),Alex Garbowski(ss). Billy DeMars (3b),"Jumbo" Plumbo (c) and "Fireman" Ray Shore (p).
Does anyone recall the Sunday curfew? (something like no full inning could start after 5pm to allow enough time to get home for vespers) That's in the same time frame as locking up the swings/teetertotters on Sundays...nobody got to play on a Sunday.Eatons even closed the drapes on their shop windows!!
My reason for writing is this: I was a devoted Maple Leaf fan from 1947 up until their demise.Particularly during the Jack Kent Cook era. I have been trolling the Internet trying to find information about team members of the '50's era . Not much success. Does anybody have any suggestions. I live in Victoria...therefore a trip to the library to get old copies of the Globe&Mail are out.
"Those were the days,my friends,..I thought they'd never end"
Thanks John Arnold

John, the Hanlan's Point chapter of SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) is active in organizing the 2005 SABR convention in Toronto, and they are hoping to make the Maple Leafs a part of the proceedings. You might be able to find out more on internet resources on the Maple Leafs from them.