Frank Colman one of the first Canadians to play in Major League Baseball

On my walk through Woodland Cemetery in London, Ontario, I visited the urn niche of Frank Colman, a Canadian-born ballplayer who reached the pinnacle of the sport, playing Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees.

Born in London, Ontario, Frank Colman began his baseball career with the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League, where he helped capture the IBL Championship in 1936 as both a pitcher and a hitter. While he showed versatility on the field, it was his bat that caught the attention of professional scouts — most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Colman made his MLB debut on September 12, 1942, and would remain with the Pirates through 1946. During his time in Pittsburgh, he appeared in 244 games, collecting 123 hits, 95 RBIs, and 12 home runs, several of them launched out of Forbes Field, the Pirates’ historic home park. His standout season came in 1944, when he led the Pirates in RBIs with 53, a notable achievement on a struggling wartime roster.

Frank Colman was only one of five Canadians playing in the Major Leagues in the 1940’s.

His major-league career concluded in 1947 wearing a New York Yankees uniform, where he famously roomed with a young Yogi Berra, just as Berra’s legendary career was beginning.

After his playing days, Colman returned home to London, becoming owner and manager of the London Majors and dedicating himself to the development of baseball in his hometown, helping nurture future generations of players.

A true hometown hero, Frank Colman was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999. He died in London, Ontario, on February 19, 1983, at the age of 64.

1918-1983