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77-667: Over 100 future major league players played in the Basin League, among them Baseball Hall of Fame members Bob Gibson , Jim Palmer and Don Sutton . The Basin League was established in 1953 with a roster of South Dakota franchises and one nearby Nebraska team. Teams in Chamberlain (Chamberlain Chiefs), Mitchell ( Mitchell Kernels ), Pierre (Pierre Cowboys), Winner (Winner Pheasants), as well as Valentine, Nebraska (Valentine Hearts) were

154-470: A few cases, like umpires, they wear caps without logos. (Executives are not depicted wearing caps.) Additionally, as of 2015, inductee biographies on the Hall's website for all players and managers, and executives who were associated with specific teams, list a "primary team", which does not necessarily match the cap logo. The Hall selects the logo "based on where that player makes his most indelible mark." Although

231-415: A manager and sportswriter) had first approached the idea of making a memorial to the great players of the past in what was believed to have been the birthplace of baseball: Cooperstown, New York , but the idea did not muster much momentum until after his death in 1925. In 1934, the idea for establishing a Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum was devised by several individuals, such as Ford C. Frick (president of

308-511: A pre-game home run hitting contest. The event is normally held at one of the CCBL home fields, though it returned to Fenway Park for a three-year stretch from 2009 to 2011. The league annually presents several individual awards, including: Individual season records below are for a 42-game regular season from 1963 to 1987 and a 44-game regular season from 1988–present. Aluminum bats were used from 1975 through 1984. The CCBL Hall of Fame and Museum

385-464: A special election at the 1939 Winter Meetings in Cincinnati, specifically to elect Gehrig (most likely because it was known that he was terminally ill , making it uncertain that he would live long enough to see another election). Nobody else was on that ballot, and the numerical results have never been made public. Since no elections were held in 1940 or 1941, the special election permitted Gehrig to enter

462-577: A time, the Basin League was touted as the best summer college league in the country. Comparable leagues included the Cape Cod League and the Alaska Baseball League . Key:** Denotes MLB All-Star Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York , operated by private interests. It serves as

539-518: Is a history museum and hall of fame honoring past players, coaches, and others who have made outstanding contributions to the CCBL. Since its inaugural class in 2000, the Hall of Fame has held annual inductions of new members, enshrining over 170 members to date. Originally opened to the public in 2003 at the Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich , the Hall of Fame and Museum moved in 2008 to

616-593: Is known today as collegiate summer baseball . In 1954, the league expanded, as Huron (Huron Elks), Watertown (Watertown Lake Sox) and Yankton (Yankton Terrys) entered the league as expansion franchises. In 1955, the League ran an advertisement in The Sporting News seeking players. In the April 6, 1955 edition of "The Sporting News ": "Class A Players Wanted - For fast semipro Basin League. Capable of playing Class A ball. Write 712 Capital, Yankton, S.D." In 1958,

693-534: Is listed as the Angels despite playing one fewer season for that team than for the Astros. In 2001, the Hall of Fame decided to change the policy on cap logo selection, as a result of rumors that some teams were offering compensation, such as number retirement, money, or organizational jobs, in exchange for the cap designation. (For example, though Wade Boggs denied the claims, some media reports had said that his contract with

770-567: Is the current chairman of the board of directors.) The erroneous claim that Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown was instrumental in the early marketing of the Hall. An expanded library and research facility opened in 1994. Dale Petroskey became the organization's president in 1999. In 2002, the Hall launched Baseball as America , a traveling exhibit that toured ten American museums over six years. The Hall of Fame has since also sponsored educational programming on

847-403: The 2009 election process ; the main committee did not select a player, while the panel for pre–World War II players elected Joe Gordon in its first and ultimately only vote. The main committee voted as part of the election process for inductions in odd-numbered years, while the pre-World War II panel would vote every five years, and the panel for umpires, managers, and executives voted as part of

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924-740: The Boston Red Sox and the Pierre Cowboys were assigned to the Cleveland Indians . While a positive for those franchises, it created an imbalance in support for the other league teams without a sponsoring parent club. To support their Basin League teams, new stadiums were built in Rapid City and Sturgis, when both teams joined the league as expansion teams in 1957 and 1961 respectively. The Basin League roster structure changed in 1960. Teams were limited to three professional players per team. In 1961,

1001-516: The Bourne Braves and the Brewster Whitecaps joined the CCBL as expansion teams and the resulting ten-team league was split into East and West divisions. Since 1988, there have been no changes to the league's franchise composition or divisional alignments. * During the 1923–1939 era, postseason playoffs were a rarity. In most years, the regular season pennant winner was simply crowned as

1078-646: The Cincinnati Reds when he was their manager in the 1980s. (Baseball's Rule 21, prominently posted in every clubhouse locker room, mandates permanent banishment from MLB for having a gambling interest of any sort on a game in which a player or manager is directly involved.) Rose later admitted that he bet on the Reds in his 2004 autobiography . Baseball fans are deeply split on the issue of whether these two should remain banned or have their punishment revoked. Writer Bill James , though he advocates Rose eventually making it into

1155-544: The East Division and West Division . Each division consists of five teams which each play 44 regular season games, 6 games against each team from within their division, and 4 games against each team from the other division. During the latter half of the regular season, an all-star game is contested between the all stars from the East and West divisions, and features a pre-game home run hitting contest. The CCBL All-Star Game

1232-678: The Massachusetts Maritime Academy , Otis Air Force Base , and the Cape Verdean Club of Harwich among others. In 1963, the Cape Cod Baseball League was reorganized and became officially sanctioned by the NCAA . The league would no longer be limited to Cape Cod residents, but would recruit college players and coaches from an increasingly wide radius. In 1985, the league moved away from the use of aluminum bats , and became

1309-624: The National League ) and Alexander Cleland, a Scottish immigrant who decided to serve as the first executive secretary for the Museum for the next seven years that worked with the interests of the Village and Major League Baseball . Stephen Carlton Clark (a Cooperstown native) paid for the construction of the museum, which was planned to open in 1939 to mark the "Centennial of Baseball", which included renovations to Doubleday Field. William Beattie served as

1386-570: The Negro leagues have also been considered at various times, beginning in 1971. In 2005, the Hall completed a study on African American players between the late 19th century and the integration of the major leagues in 1947, and conducted a special election for such players in February 2006; seventeen figures from the Negro leagues were chosen in that election, in addition to the eighteen previously selected. Following

1463-471: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays required him to request depiction in the Hall of Fame as a Devil Ray.) The Hall decided that it would no longer defer to the inductee, though the player's wishes would be considered, when deciding on the logo to appear on the plaque. Newly elected members affected by the change include the following: Sam Crane (who had played a decade in 19th century baseball before becoming

1540-648: The United States House of Representatives by Rep. Richard Hanna , a Republican from New York, and passed the House on October 26, 2011. The coins, which depict baseball gloves and balls, are the first concave designs produced by the Mint. The mintage included 50,000 gold coins, 400,000 silver coins, and 750,000 clad (nickel-copper) coins. The Mint released them on March 27, 2014, and the gold and silver editions quickly sold out. The Hall receives money from surcharges included in

1617-532: The Veterans Committee , which now consists of four subcommittees, each of which considers and votes for candidates from a separate era of baseball. Five years after retirement, any player with 10 years of major league experience who passes a screening committee (which removes from consideration players of clearly lesser qualification) is eligible to be elected by BBWAA members with 10 years' membership or more who also have been actively covering MLB at any time in

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1694-449: The 10 years preceding the election (the latter requirement was added for the 2016 election). From a final ballot typically including 25–40 candidates, each writer may vote for up to 10 players; until the late 1950s, voters were advised to cast votes for the maximum 10 candidates. Any player named on 75% or more of all ballots cast is elected. A player who is named on fewer than 5% of ballots is dropped from future elections. In some instances,

1771-406: The 2010 changes, Negro leagues figures were primarily considered for induction alongside other figures from the 1871–1946 era, called the "Pre-Integration Era" by the Hall; since 2016, Negro leagues figures are primarily considered alongside other figures from what the Hall calls the "Early Baseball" era (1871–1949). Predictably, the selection process catalyzes endless debate among baseball fans over

1848-520: The All-Star Game continued to be contested between the CCBL's Upper Cape (western) and Lower Cape (eastern) divisions from 1963 to 1969. In 1963, an additional All-Star Game was played by a team from the CCBL against a team from the southeastern Massachusetts -based Cranberry League. The game was played at Keith Field in Sagamore , and the CCBL came out on top, 15–2. From 1970 to 1987, a team of stars from

1925-662: The Barnstable County Agricultural Society determined to limit the fair's annual baseball championship to teams from Cape Cod. Falmouth won the championship in 1921, and Osterville in 1922. Interest in baseball was growing, as was a movement to create a formal league of Cape Cod teams. The "Cape Cod Baseball League" was formed in 1923, consisting of four teams: Falmouth, Osterville, Hyannis , and Chatham . Teams were made up of players from local colleges and prep schools, along with some semi-pro players and other locals. One notable player during this period

2002-420: The Basin League, as they did with lower minor professional leagues. In 1966, the Basin League amateur talent pool was damaged when the NCAA ruled that NCAA college seniors could no longer play in the league. To keep their amateur status, most Basin League players received approximately $ 200-$ 500 for the summer season, with the pay received for working 'odd jobs' in the local communities. Players often worked for

2079-554: The CCBL played an annual interleague All-Star Game against stars from the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL). The games were typically played at major league stadiums including Fenway Park , Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium in New York, and Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium . Since 1988, the All-Star Game has been contested between stars representing the CCBL's East and West divisions, and has also featured

2156-581: The CCBL shared their team nickname with a team in Major League Baseball (MLB). However, in late 2008 MLB announced that it would enforce its trademarks, and required those CCBL teams to either change their nicknames or buy their uniforms and merchandise only through MLB-licensed vendors. Three of the teams eventually changed their nicknames. In 2009, the Chatham Athletics became the Anglers , and

2233-502: The Cape League disbanded in 1940. With young men returning home after World War II, the Cape League was revived in 1946. The league now excluded paid professional or semi-pro players, and for a while attempted to limit players to those who were Cape Cod residents. The league was split into Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions, and in addition to many of the town teams from the "old" Cape League, new teams now joined such as those representing

2310-573: The Chamberlain Mallards, Pierre Cowboys, Rapid City Chiefs and Sturgis Titans. In its duration, the league was supported and promoted through the Black Hills Sports Inc. Presidents of the organization were Al Steinmetz from 1955 to 1960, followed by Cal Ackerman in 1961, Bill Baumgartner in 1962, Milo Brekhus in 1963 and Neil Simpson in 1964. Floyd Fitzgerald 1965 to 1973. R.M. 'Bus' Walseth of Pierre, served as league commissioner. For

2387-530: The Commissioner's Office made reparations, but the negative publicity damaged the Hall of Fame's reputation, and made it more difficult for it to solicit donations. In 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed a law ordering the United States Mint to produce and sell commemorative, non-circulating coins to benefit the private, non-profit Hall. The bill, H.R. 2527 , was introduced in

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2464-413: The Hall always made the final decision on which logo was shown, until 2001 the Hall deferred to the wishes of players or managers whose careers were linked with multiple teams. Some examples of inductees associated with multiple teams are the following: In all of the above cases, the "primary team" is the team for which the inductee spent the largest portion of his career except for Ryan, whose primary team

2541-550: The Hall had been sold on the collectibles market. The items had been lent to the Baseball Commissioner 's office, gotten mixed up with other property owned by the Commissioner's office and employees of the office, and moved to the garage of Joe Reichler , an assistant to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn , who sold the items to resolve his personal financial difficulties. Under pressure from the New York Attorney General,

2618-532: The Hall of Fame have been inducted posthumously, including four who died after their selection was announced. Of the 39 members primarily recognized for their contributions to Negro league baseball , 31 were inducted posthumously, including all 26 selected since the 1990s. The Hall of Fame includes one female member, Effa Manley . The newest members of the Hall of Fame, inducted on July 21, 2024 , are Adrián Beltré , Todd Helton , Jim Leyland , and Joe Mauer . In 2019, former Yankees closer Mariano Rivera became

2695-479: The Hall of Fame, compared the people who want to put Jackson in the Hall of Fame to "those women who show up at murder trials wanting to marry the cute murderer ". The actions and composition of the Veterans Committee have been at times controversial, with occasional selections of contemporaries and teammates of the committee members over seemingly more worthy candidates. In 2001, the Veterans Committee

2772-602: The Hall while still alive. If a player fails to be elected by the BBWAA within 10 years of his eligibility for election, he may be selected by the Veterans Committee. Following changes to the election process for that body made in 2010 and 2016, the Veterans Committee is now responsible for electing all otherwise eligible candidates who are not eligible for the BBWAA ballot — both long-retired players and non-playing personnel (managers, umpires, and executives). From 2011 to 2016, each candidate could be considered once every three years; now,

2849-562: The Hall, and voted on a reduced number of candidates from among players whose careers began in 1943 or later. Separate committees, including sportswriters and broadcasters, would select umpires, managers and executives, as well as players from earlier eras. In the first election to be held under the 2007 revisions, two managers and three executives were elected in December 2007 as part of the 2008 election process . The next Veterans Committee elections for players were held in December 2008 as part of

2926-437: The Hall. The first five men elected were Ty Cobb , Babe Ruth , Honus Wagner , Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson , chosen in 1936; roughly 20 more were selected before the entire group was inducted at the Hall's 1939 opening. As of January 2024 , 346 people had been elected to the Hall of Fame, including 274 former professional players, 23 managers, 10 umpires, and 39 pioneers, executives, and organizers. 118 members of

3003-589: The Internet to bring the Hall of Fame to schoolchildren who might not visit. The Hall and Museum completed a series of renovations in spring 2005. The Hall of Fame also presents an annual exhibit at FanFest at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game . Among baseball fans, "Hall of Fame" means not only the museum and facility in Cooperstown, New York, but the pantheon of players, managers , umpires , executives, and pioneers who have been inducted into

3080-699: The Orleans Cardinals became the Firebirds . The following season, the Hyannis Mets became the Harbor Hawks . The Bourne Braves and Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox , teams who share nicknames with Boston's two historic professional baseball franchises, chose to keep their nicknames and use MLB licensees for their merchandise. MLB could not enforce the "Mariners" trademark against the Harwich Mariners because

3157-416: The ballot at the first election at least six months after his death. Roberto Clemente set the precedent: the writers put him up for consideration after his death on New Year's Eve, 1972, and he was inducted in 1973. The five-year waiting period was established in 1954 after an evolutionary process. In 1936 all players were eligible, including active ones. From the 1937 election until the 1945 election, there

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3234-539: The central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-related artifacts and exhibits, honoring those who have excelled in playing , managing , and serving the sport. The Hall's motto is "Preserving History, Honoring Excellence, Connecting Generations". Cooperstown is often used as shorthand (or a metonym ) for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. The Hall of Fame

3311-478: The charter franchises. The league's moniker reflected the number of franchise cities situated along the Missouri River Basin . The Pierre Cowboys played in all 21 seasons of the league's existence. As the Basin League began play in 1953, team rosters were a mix of professional players and amateurs (upper high school and collegiate players). The Basin League later became exclusively amateur, evolving into what

3388-400: The city recreation departments maintaining public facilities and baseball fields. The Basin League ceased operations after the 1973 season. The growth of youth baseball had created conflicts for fans. The NCAA had put restrictions on the league, while at the same time, major league teams were reexamining player development resources. The four league teams remaining in the final 1973 season were

3465-496: The election process for inductions in even-numbered years. Further changes to the Veterans Committee process were announced by the Hall in July 2010, July 2016, and April 2022. Per the latest changes, announced on April 22, 2022, the multiple eras previously utilized were collapsed to three, to be voted on in an annual rotation (one per year): A one-year waiting period beyond potential BBWAA eligibility (which had been abolished in 2016)

3542-586: The exchange of a brass kettle. The Wareham Gatemen are the only team that does not play its home games over the bridge, as the town of Wareham sits on the edge of the mainland, at the "gateway" to Cape Cod. Wareham was considered Cape Cod prior to the construction of the Cape Cod Canal. Origins Below is a partial list of Cape Cod baseball teams from the 1860s until the formation of the Cape League in 1923. Early Cape League era (1923–1939) Upper and Lower Cape League era (1946–1962) Beginnings of

3619-403: The first curator of the museum. According to the Hall of Fame, approximately 260,000 visitors enter the museum each year, and the running total has surpassed 17 million. These visitors see only a fraction of its 40,000 artifacts, 3 million library items (such as newspaper clippings and photos) and 140,000 baseball cards. The Hall has seen a noticeable decrease in attendance since

3696-611: The first player to be elected unanimously. Derek Jeter , Marvin Miller , Ted Simmons , and Larry Walker were to be inducted in 2020, but their induction ceremony was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic until September 8, 2021. The ceremony was open to the public, as COVID restrictions had been lifted. Players are currently inducted into the Hall of Fame through election by either the Baseball Writers' Association of America (or BBWAA), or

3773-450: The frequency depends on the era in which an individual made his greatest contributions. A more complete discussion of the new process is available below . From 2008 to 2010, following changes made by the Hall in July 2007, the main Veterans Committee, then made up of living Hall of Famers, voted only on players whose careers began in 1943 or later. These changes also established three separate committees to select other figures: Players of

3850-420: The game. — Ogden Nash , Sport magazine (January 1949) Contrary to popular belief, no formal exception was made for Lou Gehrig (other than to hold a special one-man election for him): there was no waiting period at that time, and Gehrig met all other qualifications, so he would have been eligible for the next regular election after he retired during the 1939 season. However, the BBWAA decided to hold

3927-439: The hope of heightening the value of their own selection. After no one was selected for the third consecutive election in 2007, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt noted, "The same thing happens every year. The current members want to preserve the prestige as much as possible, and are unwilling to open the doors." In 2007, the committee and its selection processes were again reorganized; the main committee then included all living members of

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4004-629: The larger region, as in 1929 when Falmouth played an exhibition game against the major league Boston Braves . The league enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the 1930s, and even engendered competition in the form of the Barnstable County Twilight League and the Lower Cape Twilight League. However, as the cumulative effects of the Great Depression made it increasingly more difficult to secure funding for teams,

4081-413: The league champion. However, there were four years in which the league split its regular season and crowned separate champions for the first and second halves. In two of those seasons (1936 and 1939), a single team won both halves and was declared overall champion. In the other two split seasons (1933 and 1935), a postseason playoff series was contested between the two half-season champions to determine

4158-520: The league split the season into two halves, with each half winner meeting for the league championship. The Basin League returned to full season play in 1959. As the league grew the late 1950s, a few Basin League teams were assigned a "'parent" major league club and received equipment and support. The Rapid City Chiefs were assigned to the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Sturgis Titans were assigned to

4235-446: The level of Jackson or Rose. Jackson and Rose were both banned from MLB for life for actions related to gambling on their own teams—Jackson was determined to have cooperated with those who conspired to intentionally lose the 1919 World Series , and for accepting payment for losing, and Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent spot on the ineligible list in return for MLB's promise to make no official finding in relation to alleged betting on

4312-732: The lower level of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum in Hyannis, Massachusetts , where it remained until 2017. The league anticipates a 2024 reopening of the Hall of Fame at a permanent location in South Yarmouth . Inductees (by year): The following former CCBL players have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York . In addition to the player inductees below, Cooperstown also honored longtime CCBL president Judy Walden Scarafile in 2010 by featuring her in

4389-425: The major leagues. As early as the 1860s, baseball teams representing various Cape Cod towns and villages were competing against one another. The earliest newspaper account is of an 1867 game in Sandwich between the hometown "Nichols Club" and the visiting Cummaquid team. Though not formalized as a league, the games provided entertainment for residents and summer visitors. In 1885, a Fourth of July baseball game

4466-700: The merits of various candidates. Even players elected years ago remain the subjects of discussions as to whether they deserved election. For example, Bill James ' 1994 book Whatever Happened to the Hall of Fame? goes into detail about who he believes does and does not belong in the Hall of Fame. The selection rules for the Baseball Hall of Fame were modified to prevent the induction of anyone on Baseball's "permanently ineligible" list, such as Pete Rose or "Shoeless Joe" Jackson . Many others have been barred from participation in MLB, but none have Hall of Fame qualifications on

4543-476: The mid-2010s. A 2013 story on ESPN.com about the village of Cooperstown and its relation to the game partially linked the reduced attendance with Cooperstown Dreams Park, a youth baseball complex about 5 miles (8.0 km) away in the town of Hartwick . The 22 fields at Dreams Park currently draw 17,000 players each summer for a week of intensive play; while the complex includes housing for the players, their parents and grandparents must stay elsewhere. According to

4620-498: The modern era (1963–1987) From 1963 to 1969, the newly reorganized league maintained the Upper Cape/Lower Cape divisional structure, with the championship series played by the winners of each division. Beginning in 1970, the divisional structure gave way to a single combined league, with the top four teams in the league advancing to the playoffs. This combined league structure continued through 1987. Present Day In 1988,

4697-404: The number of professionals per team was reduced from three to two. Then, in 1962, none were allowed. Professionals were allowed to manage. But by 1964, professional managers were also excluded. Amateur umpires were used by the league from 1953 to 1960. From 1962 through 1967, the Basin League received regular national coverage in the weekly publication "The Sporting News." The Sporting News covered

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4774-531: The only collegiate summer league in the nation at that time to use wooden bats. This transition began a period of significant growth in the league's popularity and prestige among MLB scouts , as well as among college players and coaches. This popularity has translated into over one thousand former players who have gone on to major league playing careers, including multiple members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame . The CCBL regular season runs from mid-June through mid-August. Teams are geographically divided into

4851-511: The overall champion. The first CCBL All-Star Game took place in 1946, as a squad of Cape League stars battled a collection of Boston Red Sox tryout players. Throughout the Upper and Lower Cape League era (1946–1962), the two divisions routinely featured both intra-divisional all-star contests, as well as an annual inter-divisional CCBL All-Star Game. From 1957 to 1961, the CCBL All-Star Game

4928-404: The sale price: a total of $ 9.5 million if all the coins are sold. Cape Cod League The Cape Cod Baseball League ( CCBL or Cape League ) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts . One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousand former players who have gone on to play in

5005-435: The screening committee had restored their names to later ballots, but in the mid-1990s, dropped players were made permanently ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, even by the Veterans Committee. A 2001 change in the election procedures restored the eligibility of these dropped players; while their names will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, they may be considered by the Veterans Committee. Players receiving 5% or more of

5082-534: The story, Prior to Dreams Park, a room might be filled for a week by several sets of tourists. Now, that room will be taken by just one family for the week, and that family may only go into Cooperstown and the Hall of Fame once. While there are other contributing factors (the recession and high gas prices among them), the Hall's attendance has tumbled since Dreams Park opened. The Hall drew 383,000 visitors in 1999. It drew 262,000 last year. A controversy erupted in 1982, when it emerged that some historic items given to

5159-534: The use of the nickname by Harwich predated the entry of the Seattle Mariners into MLB as an expansion team in 1977. The four teams whose nicknames were not in conflict with MLB have locally themed names such as the nautical monikers of the Falmouth Commodores and Brewster Whitecaps . The Cotuit Kettleers nickname recalls a legendary local Native American land transaction whose terms of sale involved

5236-503: The votes but fewer than 75% are reconsidered annually until a maximum of ten years of eligibility (lowered from fifteen years for the 2015 election). Under special circumstances, certain players may be deemed eligible for induction even though they have not met all requirements. Addie Joss was elected in 1978, despite only playing nine seasons before he died of meningitis. Additionally, if an otherwise eligible player dies before his fifth year of retirement, then that player may be placed on

5313-463: Was North Truro native Danny "Deacon" MacFayden , who went on to play for seventeen years in the major leagues. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the composition of the league varied from season to season. Towns did not opt to field teams in every season, and teams from other towns such as Bourne , Harwich , Orleans , Provincetown , and Wareham joined the league. Teams were not limited to league play, and often played teams from towns and cities in

5390-468: Was established in 1939 by Stephen Carlton Clark , an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune. Clark sought to bring tourists to the village hurt by the Great Depression , which reduced the local tourist trade, and Prohibition , which devastated the local hops industry. Clark constructed the Hall of Fame's building, which was dedicated on June 12, 1939. (His granddaughter, Jane Forbes Clark ,

5467-483: Was held matching teams from Barnstable and Sandwich. According to contemporary accounts, the 1885 contest may have been at least the twelfth such annual game. By the late 19th century, an annual championship baseball tournament was being held each fall at the Barnstable County Fair, an event that continued well into the 20th century, with teams representing towns from Cape Cod and the larger region. In 1921,

5544-453: Was in effect. (DiMaggio, for example, retired after the 1951 season and was first eligible in the 1953 election.) The modern rule establishing a wait of five years was passed in 1954, although those who had already been eligible under the old rule were grandfathered into the ballot, thus permitting Joe DiMaggio to be elected within four years of his retirement. Z is for Zenith The summit of fame. These men are up there. These men are

5621-422: Was no waiting period, so any retired player was eligible, but writers were discouraged from voting for current major leaguers. Since there was no formal rule preventing a writer from casting a ballot for an active player, the scribes did not always comply with the informal guideline; Joe DiMaggio received a vote in 1945, for example. From the 1946 election until the 1954 election, an official one-year waiting period

5698-457: Was played at Fenway Park from 2009 to 2011, but is normally played at one of the CCBL home fields. Following the regular season, the top four teams in each division qualify for the playoffs , which is an elimination tournament consisting of three rounds of best of three series to determine the league champion and winner of the Arnold Mycock trophy. Prior to 2009, six of the ten teams in

5775-486: Was reformed to comprise the living Hall of Fame members and other honorees. The revamped Committee held three elections, in 2003 and 2007 , for both players and non-players, and in 2005 for players only. No individual was elected in that time, sparking criticism among some observers who expressed doubt whether the new Veterans Committee would ever elect a player. The Committee members, most of whom were Hall members, were accused of being reluctant to elect new candidates in

5852-418: Was reintroduced, thus restricting the committee to considering players retired for at least 16 seasons. The eligibility criteria for Era Committee consideration differ between players, managers, and executives. While the text on a player's or manager's plaque lists all teams for which the inductee was a member in that specific role, inductees are usually depicted wearing the cap of a specific team, though in

5929-470: Was sponsored by P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company . Ballantine was a major advertising sponsor of the New York Yankees , and arranged for appearances at the CCBL festivities by Yankee alumni including Phil Rizzuto , Elston Howard , Whitey Ford , Moose Skowron , Bill Stafford , Eddie Lopat , and Mel Allen , as well as Brooklyn Dodgers great Roy Campanella . As the league's modern era began,

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