Biographical data

Biographical Data
MacCarl, Gordon Neil Photo Credit: Unknown

Biographical Data

MacCarl, Gordon Neil

Photo Credit: Unknown

Title	Ordinary Seaman (Officer Candidate UNTD) (RCN(R))
Official Number	(nk)

Birth	03/10/1927	Death	05/08/2011
Place	Oshawa	Place	Toronto
Area	ON	Area	ON
Country	Canada	Country	Canada

Titles
Honours
Awards
Qualifications	BA

Biography
He was living in Whitby ON at the time of his recruitment into the navy. He graduated first in his class in Journalism (1948) at the University of Western Ontario, only one in class of 27 who wanted to be a sportswriter. His first employment after graduation was in the sports department at the London Free Press from June 1948 to March 1949 when he was hired by the editorial department of the Toronto Star. Shortly thereafter, Neil moved to the sports department to replace the departing Annis Stukus. After 8 months at the London Free Press, he joined the Toronto Star in March of 1949, where he spent 43 years primarily covering baseball, also curling in the off season. Founding chairman of the Toronto chapter, Baseball Writers Association of America, a post he held for 15 years. Elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and retired after the Toronto Blue Jays won their first World Series in 1992. Spent 12 years as the official scorer. During the baseball off-seasons, Neil covered curling, including 19 consecutive Briars. He also campaigned to have these games shortened from 12 to 10 ends, and for the players to have their names sewn on the backs on their sweaters, both of which eventually came to pass.

Biography

He was living in Whitby ON at the time of his recruitment into the navy. He graduated first in his class in Journalism (1948) at the University of Western Ontario, only one in class of 27 who wanted to be a sportswriter. His first employment after graduation was in the sports department at the London Free Press from June 1948 to March 1949 when he was hired by the editorial department of the Toronto Star. Shortly thereafter, Neil moved to the sports department to replace the departing Annis Stukus. After 8 months at the London Free Press, he joined the Toronto Star in March of 1949, where he spent 43 years primarily covering baseball, also curling in the off season. Founding chairman of the Toronto chapter, Baseball Writers Association of America, a post he held for 15 years. Elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and retired after the Toronto Blue Jays won their first World Series in 1992. Spent 12 years as the official scorer. During the baseball off-seasons, Neil covered curling, including 19 consecutive Briars. He also campaigned to have these games shortened from 12 to 10 ends, and for the players to have their names sewn on the backs on their sweaters, both of which eventually came to pass.

Military Service
He was appointed as an Ordinary Seaman (Officer Candidate UNTD) RCN(R) 1947. In 1947 he served in HMCS Prevost for UNTD. (He was released.)

Vessels Owned
Aircraft Flown
Named Features	The the Toronto Blue Jays' player of the year was renamed the Neil MacCarl Award.

Anecdotes
Bill Clearihue writes "During the heady exuberance following the Blue Jays 1st World Series win in 1992, it would never have dawned on me that the Toronto Star Baseball Writer covering the event might have been an ex-UNTD. Now, in 2017, nothing surprises me and sure enough that Writer was a UNTD. Neil would have had at least 1 UNTD summer, in 1947, in those pre-Officer Cadet status days, and could have been in as far back as 1945. There is no record of his having been Commissioned, but if so it was to the Ret'd List as he is not in the 1949 Cdn Navy List. Our provenance for this comes from his 1948 UWO Grad write-up."

Anecdotes

Bill Clearihue writes "During the heady exuberance following the Blue Jays 1st World Series win in 1992, it would never have dawned on me that the Toronto Star Baseball Writer covering the event might have been an ex-UNTD. Now, in 2017, nothing surprises me and sure enough that Writer was a UNTD. Neil would have had at least 1 UNTD summer, in 1947, in those pre-Officer Cadet status days, and could have been in as far back as 1945. There is no record of his having been Commissioned, but if so it was to the Ret'd List as he is not in the 1949 Cdn Navy List. Our provenance for this comes from his 1948 UWO Grad write-up."

References
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=gordon-neil-maccarl&pid=153002000; https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2011/08/12/neil_maccarl_was_an_oldschool_writer_who_actually_watched_the_game.html;
Last update
2017-03-12 09:17:13

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Biographical Data

MacCarl, Gordon Neil