Terrier Town: Summer of ‘49

A rollicking tale of life and baseball in small-town southwestern Ontario in the summer of 1949. Charlie Hodge, a fictional character, joins the Galt Terriers and tells the story of an inter-country baseball league, their antics, their season, and the semi-final series against the Brantford Red Sox that capped it all off. Debate still rages about who invented baseball. But one thing is certain…it was alive and fractious in southwestern Ontario in the summer of 1949. It was a remarkable summer. For Charlie Hodge, just finished his last year of high school, the summer of 1949 begins with great fanfare and excitement. He has made the Galt Terriers’ roster and will be riding the bench with a star-studded team. When those seasoned pros arrive in town, big things are expected, and they don’t disappoint. It all comes down to Game 7 in the Terriers’ semi-final series with the Brantford Red Sox, when a convicted gambler, playing center field that night, makes one of the most controversial plays ever seen at Dickson Park. Based on exhaustive research and extensive interviews, David Menary recreates that post-war season in Terrier Town through the eyes of Charlie Hodge. While Charlie is a fictional character, the other players are not. This is a team that becomes a vital part of the town, and the town an elemental part of the team. This is a time rapidly fading from memory – a summer of myths and legends. Readership: Historical Fiction; Baseball; Local History.