Teams & Sponsorship

A navy polo shirt with "Artful Dodgers" and "CGSL '80" printed on the front (Photo by M. Pereira).

A black nylon jacket with "Toolbox" and the player's name and number "Allan 15" printed on the front crest (Photo by M. Pereira).

A grey uniform printed front and back with the name "Toolbox" and the number "15" (Photo by M. Pereira).

A yellow t-shirt printed front and back with “East Side Story” and “Fraser 13” (Photo by M. Pereira). This uniform belonged to archivist James Fraser, one of the founders of the CLGA.

The CGSL was founded with the mandate to provide opportunities for its members to play softball without fear of discrimination on the basis of age, race, physical ability and sexual orientation. All officials on the executive committee and team managers were members of the CGSL, nominated from and voted on by the membership. Initially, the leadership decreed that the league would be free from commercial sponsorship, figuring that it would promote the valuing of athleticism over participation. For this reason, some of the teams were given names of rather personal significance, such as "Raw Talent", "Sons and Lovers", and "Toronto Trojanz". The principle prohibiting commercial sponsorship was soon rejected. For this reason, many of the team names include references to sponsors. The majority of these sponsors were owners of businesses located in the heart of The Village, such as The Artful Dodger Pub, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and The Toolbox Bar. A study of team sponsorship would contribute greatly to an understanding of the topographical history of The Village.