In Memory of Ron Pegg (1938-2025)

The Ontario Baseball Association is deeply saddened by the passing of Ron Pegg, who left an indelible mark on our organization and the baseball community.

Ron Pegg, who devoted over five decades to minor baseball in Ontario and was a life member of the Ontario Baseball Association, passed away on January 21 at the age of 86.

“One of the finest persons that I have ever met and/or worked with,” Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Howie Birnie wrote on the Baseball Ontario Facebook page after Pegg’s death. “His contributions to OBA are immeasurable.”

Born in Beeton, Ont., on March 7, 1938, Pegg graduated from Waterloo Lutheran University and worked as a secondary school teacher for 34 years in Flesherton, Newmarket and Alliston, Ont.

He also devoted more than 50 years to coaching baseball teams in Ontario, while also serving in executive positions in the York Simcoe Baseball Association and the OBA. 

In 1987, Pegg initiated participation development clinics in Ontario. They were designed as an outreach program to areas of the province where baseball was new or non-existent. The clinics ended up contributing greatly to the growth of baseball in Ontario, especially in Northern Ontario. Pegg was also one of the leaders in the development of Ontario’s Rookie Ball and girls’ programs.

The tireless coach and executive also made time to found the Flesherton Minor Baseball program and the Western Ontario Baseball Association (WOBA).

"Ron also contributed extensively in our league, coaching both senior and junior teams in Flesherton, with a number of the junior teams winning championships in the 1990s,” wrote the executive board of the North Dufferin Baseball League in a statement on their Facebook page.  

Pegg also served as vice president and president of the North Dufferin Baseball League in 1997 and 1998 respectively. 

For his efforts, Pegg was inducted into the OBA Hall of Fame in 2016.

He is survived by his wife Cathy, his children Jamie, Rob, and Stacey, and several grandchildren.

You can read his full obituary here.