Carmen Bush

Carmen Bush, the godfather of minor baseball in Toronto, was born Carmen Bucchiarello in Toronto, Oct. 26, 1912. The family surname was changed after his father was advised by fellow construction workers to Anglicize his name. Carmen attended DeLaSalle High School. He began volunteering at the Columbus Boys Club in 1931 and became Athletic Director and later Director of the club until it was closed by the Knights of Columbus in 1977.

Carmen was a natural leader who began organizing street teams when he was a teeenager. In 1927 he was the star pitcher for St, Francis Bantams who won the Ontario Championship. His playing career lasted into his 40's when he decided to retire and threw his baseball shoes over the Bloor Viaduct after his final game.

In 1928 he had a conflict with the executive of the TABA when he was accused of signing with two teams and was suspended. Carmen vowed to see that the "ogres" on the board were removed. In 1931 he became the rep for the club and he gradually became the benevolent dictator of minor baseball in Toronto. Needless to say, the "ogres" were history. As the years rolled by, he had a hand in starting up various leagues - the Boys Club League, Western City League and also the Oldtimers Baseball Association. As new associations sprung up in what were then suburbs of the city, Carmen asssisted them in devising constitutions and becoming members of what had become the Metropolitan Toronto Amateur Baseball Association.

Over the years Carmen became disenchanted with the treatment of Toronto and our teams by the Ontario Baseball Association. In 1952 he led the MTABA withdrawal from the OBA, a situation that lasted for 17 years. In the winter of 1968-69 he was implored by W. J. Smith, a founder of both MTABA and OBA, to return to the fold. In 1969 we rejoined OBA and Carmen quickly became an elected Director and a force there. Indeed, almost all of those he disagreed with were now gone from the scene.

For about 60 years Carmen Bush led the TABA/MTABA/TBA as Secretary-treasurer and Registrar always with total honesty and integrity. We were blessed to benefit from his love of the game and its participants.,

Carmen Bush passed away on Dec. 5, 2001.

CHRONOLOGY OF AWARDS