T.B.C. PHILOSOPHY
- To promote and develop recreational baseball programs and sportsmanship for the youth of the area (16u Youth thru Senior)
- To build knowledge and skill in the game of baseball
- To develop a positive attitude towards sportsmanship
- To help develop the habits and attitude in youth that is associated with responsible behavior through counsel and example
HISTORY and TRADITION
The Tecumseh Thunder Baseball Club was founded in 1943.
To fully appreciate the heritage of the club, it is necessary to explore the distant past and to give credit to those who triggered the 'renaissance' of baseball in Tecumseh.
As mentioned earlier the present club first saw the light of day in 1943, however we may add that the desire to organize started in 1942. Nine fellows who called themselves the "Tecumseh Tourists" gathered whatever equipment they could and hit the trail since there was no playable diamond (yet) in Tecumseh. The boys played exhibition matches in Stoney Point, St. Joachim and Paincourt. The "Tourists" would split the collection with the home team for gasoline and a bottle of pop with the balance.
Those nine players were:
- Baillargeon, Wally
- Beausoleil, Mose
- Campeau, Francis "Nooks"
- Cecile, Tic
- Lacasse, Bert
- Lacasse, Maurice
- Lacharite, Larry
- Lanoue, Rev. C
- Morand, Francis
Little by little the baseball spirit was being revived. Gerry Gouin, Gerry Cecile, Isidore Robinet and Bernard Dunning formed the nucleus of a strong team in Maidstone in 1942, a team that went on to win the North Essex League title. That did it; if those Tecumseh boys could be lured back and a suitable diamond rigged up, Tecumseh would be back in organized baseball after an absence of about 15 years. Therefore it was in the spring of 1943 that official meeting were called.
Inventory was quickly taken and jobs passed out. Gerry Cecile's task was to line up the playing material; Don Gouin and Bert Lacasse had to dig up the finances while Ernie Campeau and the late Baptiste Lesperance had the responsibility of arranging the school grounds into playable condition. Playing manager Gerry Cecile had rounded up enough material for a presentable nine featuring such notable players as Gerry Gouin, Mose Beausoleil, Isidore Robinet and Harold Jackson.
There you had our humble beginnings.
LACASSE PARK, 1950
The Club was called the TECUMSEH INDIANS from 1943 to 1954. Then the Carling people moved into town; being the judge of good "hops" they offered some financial assistance, hence the transfer of ther indians tag to the TECUMSEH RED CAPS from 1955 to 1958.
In 1959 the club was then labelled the TECUMSEH GREEN GIANTS a fitting name since the Green Giant Company of Canada is Tecumseh's Industry (Now the industry is run by the Bonduelle Company) and since this company has always had a soft spot in it's heart for us from the early beginning. They have also come through with numerous services through their repair and welding shops and also contributed to special projects. The Club is indeed grateful to the green giant people.
In the year 1996, The Tecumseh Green Giant Company name was replaced with the Bonduelle Company. The Club decided that a name change was in order as well. That is when the TECUMSEH THUNDER Name was born and it is what the Club name has been ever since.
Lacasse Baseball Park Highlighted in Simply Lakeshore Magazine, by Corey Savard
Issue 5, March 2012
