Hamilton Cardinals


The Hamilton Cardinals is an amateur Canadian baseball team, in the Intercounty Baseball League based in Hamilton, Ontario. Founded in 1958, the club is the second oldest sports team in the city of Hamilton. Players range in age from 19-35. Many are former major leaguers and minor Pros as well as current and former NCAA/U Sports players. Home games are played at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium.
The team has gone through several name changes over the years, most recently returning to the Cardinals name, after eight seasons as the Thunderbirds. The team's name was changed to the Hamilton Thunderbirds when Drew Brady purchased the franchise in on January 1, 2005. The club then took on a whole new look with revitalized facilities and new uniforms. But the club announced at a press conference on February 1, 2012, that it would again be named the Hamilton Cardinals, because of the club's relationship with Hamilton Cardinals youth rep program. In late 2013 Gary Molinaro purchased the team and appointed his son JP Molinaro the new team President while also hiring Mike Fortuna as the new GM.
2018, the Hamilton Cardinals were on the verge of folding before a Hamilton based Community group led by the Mercanti family stepped in to revitalize the team.
The Hamilton Cardinals played 1,490 games with a record of 525 wins and 965 losses before becoming the Thunderbirds, and won the Intercounty title in 1978.
The Intercounty League consists teams from Barrie, Brantford, Burlington, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, London and Toronto and is considered the premier senior amateur league in Canada at non-Major level, with teams boasting a roster of 25 signed players, 4 coaches, equipment manager and bat boy.