Stratford Nationals

Independent baseball team
name = Stratford Nationals
founded = 1919
city = Stratford, Ontario
logo =
cap
current league = Intercounty Baseball League (2002-present)
current division=
past league =
currentname = Stratford Nationals (2006-present)
pastname = Stratford Nationals / Stratford Kraven Knits / Stratford Hillers / St. Thomas Storm
colors = red & white
ballpark = National Stadium
pastparks =
leaguechamps = 14 (5 Ontario Baseball Association titles)
divisionchamps =
owner = John Gillespie
Shawn Gillespie
manager = Mud Grasby
gm = Shawn Gillespie
media =
website = http://www.stratfordnationals.com www.stratfordnationals.com The Stratford Nationals are an independent, minor league baseball team of the, semi-pro, Intercounty Baseball League based in Stratford, Ontario. They play their home games at National Stadium.

The team was moved from St. Thomas, Ontario, to Stratford in 2004 after several years of dwindling fan support in St. Thomas.

The team changed it's name from the Storm to the Nationals for the 2006 season, in view of the Canadian National Railway's historical importance to Stratford.

The Nationals have struggled in their past two seasons, winning only one game out of 34 in 2005.

For many years, however, Stratford was a premier franchise in the Intercounty League and also one of its founding members in 1919 (along with Galt, Guelph and Kitchener), operating at various times as the Stratford Nationals, the Stratford Kraven Knits and Stratford Hillers.Derrick Franklin hit the first RBI for the nationals as a new team in 2006.

Championships

Intercounty League

* 1934 (as the Nationals)
* 1938 (as the Nationals)
* 1939 (as the Nationals)
* 1940 (as the Nationals)
* 1946 (as the Nationals)
* 1974 (as the Kraven Knits)
* 1976 (as the Hillers)
* 1977 (as the Hillers)
* 1980 (as the Hillers)
* 1986 (as the Hillers)
* 1987 (as the Hillers)
* 1989 (as the Hillers)
* 1991 (as the Hillers)
* 1992 (as the Hillers)

The Stratford Nationals also won the Ontario Baseball Association title in 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933 and 1934.

External links

* [http://www.stratfordnationals.com The Stratford Nationals Website]

References

* "Intercounty Baseball League's 1998 Record Book" by Editor Herb Morell and Dominico Promotions Inc.