The Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox , or Y-D Red Sox , are a collegiate summer baseball team based in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts . The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Red Sox play their home games at Red Wilson Field on the campus of Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School .
200-512: The Red Sox most recently won the CCBL championship in 2016 when they defeated the Falmouth Commodores two games to one to win the best of three championship series. The title was the team's third consecutive and sixth in a 13-year span. The Red Sox also won back-to-back league titles in 1989 and 1990. The team has been led since 1998 by Cypress College field manager Scott Pickler. Baseball in
400-549: A Peabody, Massachusetts native from Northeastern University who batted .318 and took home the Outstanding New England Player award. The CCBL Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame honoring past players, coaches, and others who have made outstanding contributions to the CCBL. Below are the inductees who spent all or part of their time in the Cape League with Falmouth. * During
600-464: A 17-year major league career. Future major league all-stars Brandon Inge and hurler Mark Mulder were CCBL all-stars for the Braves in 1997. Bourne's 2001 team featured CCBL Hall of Fame reliever Ryan Speier , winner of the league's Outstanding Relief Pitcher Award. Speier set a league record with 16 saves, and allowed only 10 hits, one walk, and one earned run in his 20 innings of relief. The team made
800-535: A 6–1 win in Game 2 at home, powered by slugger Mike Finnell, who launched a two-run homer and scored four of the team's six runs. Finnell was at it again in Game 3 on the road, blasting another four-bagger as the Commodores took a two-games-to-one series lead. The exciting Game 4 finale at Guv Fuller Field found the score tied at 10–10 and the bases loaded for Falmouth in the bottom of the tenth. The Commodores walked off with
1000-418: A CCBL Hall of Fame career. After the series, it was announced that winning Red Sox skipper Don Reed was not asked to return the following season due to "philosophical differences." Reed went on to manage Wareham throughout the 1990s, where he won another pair of CCBL titles. After its 1990 title, Y-D suffered a 10-season playoff drought, but the team nevertheless featured several notable players. The 1991 team
1200-574: A career total of 60 games in the league, including a no-hitter in 1953. The Clouters played at Keith Field, just steps from the Cape Cod Canal in the shadow of the Sagamore Bridge . Keith Field had been dedicated in 1936 and named in memory of Bourne native Eben Keith, a Massachusetts state senator and head of Keith Car & Manufacturing Company , once the Cape's largest industrial plant. The field
1400-459: A combined no-hitter tossed by Commodore hurlers Kris Dobrowiecki, Sean Morgan, Brandon Copp and Sam Demel against Bourne . Future major league all-star pitcher Aaron Crow was the CCBL's Outstanding Pro Prospect in 2007. In 2008, another future MLB all-star, A.J. Pollock , took home the league's MVP Award, batting .377 with 61 hits. Jimmy Cesario led the Cape League with a .387 batting average in 2008, and CCBL Hall of Famer Todd Cunningham did
1600-502: A decisive Game 5 to be played on the neutral Chatham field . In the finale, the Clouters held down Orleans early, leading 5–0 after seven behind a masterful performance by Sanford. Orleans rallied to score three in the eighth, and with two down in the ninth, pushed across another and put the tying run on second. With the series on the line, Sanford put Orleans batter Johnny Linnell in the hole with two quick strikes. Linnell managed to foul off
1800-525: A dominating 31–12–1 regular season record. As in 2004, the Red Sox swept the final series against Falmouth , again winning the final game in Falmouth in dramatic fashion by scoring the go-ahead run on a Nick Romero suicide squeeze in the eighth inning scoring Posey. Castro scored another on a passed ball and Y-D's 2–0 lead held up as Y-D took the crown. Playoff MVP honors went to Game 2 starter Trevor Holder who held
2000-411: A doubleheader, and Barnstable came out on top in both halves of the twinbill, 9–1 and 11–5, to even up the series. In Game 3 at Central Park Field, Barnstable slugger Jake Edwards hit a ball that crashed through the third-story window of a house just beyond the park's cozy right field, a blast that many Falmouth fans estimated was the longest seen at the field. The decisive Game 5 finale at Falmouth Heights
2200-496: A formal collegiate league. Teams began to recruit college players and coaches from an increasingly wide geographic radius. The league was originally composed of ten teams, which were divided into Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions. Yarmouth joined Harwich , Chatham , Orleans and a team from Otis Air Force Base in the Lower Cape Division. Yarmouth's 1965 team featured Colby College hurler Joe Jabar , who went 7–4 for
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#17330940254492400-607: A former state senator, and Maritime head baseball coach Bob Corradi. Aylmer had spearheaded the Cape League's addition of an expansion franchise in Hyannis in 1976, and their positions at the Maritime Academy afforded Aylmer and Corradi a similar opportunity in 1988. The Bourne Braves called the Academy's Hendy Field home from 1988 to 1995, when they moved to Coady School Field next to Bourne High School. In their inaugural 1988 season,
2600-402: A four-hit shutout en route to Falmouth's decisive 5–0 victory. The championship was Falmouth's sixth of the modern era, and 14th overall. The 1980s saw two Falmouth players post batting averages that are among the highest in Cape League history. In 1981, CCBL Hall of Famer Sam Nattile batted .443 with 70 hits and eight home runs for the Commodores. Nattile also belted a game-tying home run at
2800-408: A league record with base hits in nine consecutive at bats, took the honors. Pickler's first title came in 2004, when the team rolled through the playoffs, sweeping Brewster in the semi-finals, and sweeping Falmouth in the finals. The Red Sox took Game 1 of the title series at home, 4–3, on shortstop Ryan Rohlinger 's game-winning 8th inning homer. Game 2 of the finals was an all-time classic, with
3000-606: A league record with three home runs in the game. In 1984, an insect infestation at Red Wilson Field forced the "Road Sox" to play the entire season away from the home ballpark. Craig Biggio of the 1986 Y-D Red Sox went on to amass over 3,000 major league hits, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 2015. Y-D returned to the league championship series in 1987, fueled by league MVP and CCBL Hall of Famer Mickey Morandini , who led
3200-470: A league-high 15 home runs, and Doug Fisher, a first baseman who tied the league's single-season RBI record with 54, and finished just behind McCollom with 14 homers. The 1991 Falmouth team was led by skipper Dan O'Brien , a former Cape Leaguer with Chatham who had gone on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals . In 1992 and 1993, the Commodores were piloted by CCBL Hall of Famer Arthur "Ace" Adams, who had played for
3400-429: A mammoth blast by Smith. The Sox completed the sweep in Game 2 at Eldredge Park , taking a tight 2–1 ballgame on the strength of a second-inning dinger by Cape Cod native Will Toffey , and an eighth-inning RBI by Joey Thomas. The win set up an East Division finals match with Chatham . Smith homered again in Game 1 at Red Wilson Field, and Y-D took the slugfest, 9–8. The Sox completed their second series sweep in Game 2 on
3600-408: A mark Trundy proceeded to leave far behind. The Commodores qualified for postseason play in nine of ten years in the 2010s, and reached the CCBL championship three times. Falmouth was bounced from the championship series in 2011 by Harwich . In 2014 and 2016, the Commodores ran into old nemesis Y-D , who defeated Falmouth for a pair of titles as they had done the decade before. From 2016 to 2019,
3800-537: A minor leaguer in the Chicago Cubs farm system, took over managerial duties and pitched for the Falcons in 1952. Eastman, Robb and Parent were all-stars again in 1952, along with Borden and catcher Jack Cavanaugh. After disappointing seasons by both Falmouth teams in 1952, a merger for the following season was discussed, but the Falcons were not keen to the idea. Town funds were appropriated for only one team in 1953, but
4000-514: A no-hitter in a rain-shortened six-inning game against Harwich at Doran Park in 2012, and pitchers Austin Gomber , Josh Laxer, and Ryan Harris teamed up for a combined no-hitter at Cotuit in 2013. Bourne's Spencer Brickhouse was West Division MVP at the 2018 CCBL All-Star Game, going 2-for-2 with a homer, double and two RBI's in the West's 4–3 victory. A pair of Braves hurlers were named co-recipients of
4200-568: A one-game playoff for the Upper Cape Division title, then met Lower Cape champion Harwich in the best-of-three championship series. Harwich took Game 1 at Brooks Park, 6–1, holding the All-Stars to just three hits. Game 2 was played on Labor Day at Falmouth Heights before a reported crowd of 3,000. Pires struck out seven, and was "seldom in trouble," as Falmouth capitalized on four Harwich errors to build an 8–0 lead before Harwich finally got on
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#17330940254494400-520: A rare triple play . The Grays fared better that season against teams from Barnstable and Harwich , defeating those clubs by decisive margins of 31–3 and 19–7. In 1891 and 1892, Harvard University 's Frank Hallowell was player/manager for the South Yarmouth team. Hallowell was a two-time gridiron All-American for Harvard, and also played center field for the Crimson nine. While at South Yarmouth, he
4600-560: A rough field into one of the finest diamonds used for amateur base ball in this part of the country; ...equal in every respect to many of the major league diamonds," and with "[arousing] enthusiasm in base ball in Falmouth to such a pitch that people come from quite a distance to swell the crowds at the games." The team's popularity was such that Marshall, team captain Ralph Mendall, and the other Cottage Club players were celebrated in song at local theatrical performances. Marshall managed
4800-594: A score of 7–6. Games 2 and 3 were played as a doubleheader. The Indians dropped Game 2 at Sagamore, but came back to win the crown before a home crowd in Yarmouth. In 1961, Red Wilson was named Lower Cape league MVP, and teammate Dick Cassani was the league's Outstanding Pitcher. The Indians were dominant in the regular season, and met up with Orleans for the Lower Cape finals. Cassani no-hit Orleans to win Game 1, 3–0, but Orleans answered by taking Game 2. Orleans looked to have
5000-544: A second franchise in the Cape League. Described as "young and spirited," the Falmouth Falcons were composed mainly of players in their late teens and early twenties. The team played for three years in the Cape League, sharing the Falmouth Heights field with the All-Stars. The 1951 Falcons were skippered by player/manager Charlie "Wig" Robb, and after opening their inaugural campaign in respectable fashion by finishing
5200-533: A shutout inning in the CCBL All-Star Game. Joining Zych on the 2010 staff was the league's Outstanding Pitcher, Grayson Garvin , who went 5–0 with a league-leading 0.74 ERA in 36.2 innings. The Outstanding Pitcher Award went to a Brave for a second consecutive season when Ryan Eades took the 2011 honor. Eades posted a 3–0 record with an 0.84 ERA in 32.1 innings, and was the West Division starting pitcher at
5400-417: A span of four years in the 2000s. Red Sox Slugger Jason Cooper was the league's home run derby champ in consecutive seasons in 2000 and 2001. University of Michigan righty Jim Brauer was an all-star for Y-D in 2001 with a 1.84 ERA, then returned in 2002 and tossed a nine-inning complete game no-hitter against Chatham . The Red Sox boasted the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect in 2002, as Wes Whisler , who set
5600-615: A squirt of canned cheese. The Boston Screamer, which made its official debut in 2010, is a hamburger served on a Boston cream doughnut. On July 19, 2011, the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox served their 6000th "upgraded" hamburger. Falmouth Commodores The Falmouth Commodores are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Falmouth, Massachusetts . The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in
5800-410: A starting pitchers' matchup of Vanderbilt teammates Cunningham and Orleans' Greysen Carter, with the Braves prevailing, 6–4. Bourne dropped Game 2 at home, 4–3, sending the series to a decisive Game 3 at Eldredge Park . Bourne starter Trystan Levesque allowed a pair of solo homers to Firebirds second baseman Jo Oyama early, and the Braves trailed, 2–0, after three innings. Bourne got one run back in
6000-407: A strong showing at the season-ending fair tournament. The Keith Car team continued to compete through at least the 1913 season, when the club was described as the "strongest team on the Cape." Bourne first joined the Cape League in 1933. The league had begun in 1923 with four teams, but over the years various towns moved in and out of the league. In 1933, Provincetown had joined the league for
6200-708: A team from Barnstable again in 1883 for a July 4 contest that had become an annual event. The 1883 Yarmouth team featured pitcher Fred Tenney , principal of Yarmouth High School, who went on to play in the major leagues with the Washington Nationals and the Boston Reds of the Union Association . In 1886, the Yarmouth Grays dropped a July 3 contest to the Brewster town club , 11–9, in a game that saw Brewster turn
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6400-558: Is a history museum and hall of fame honoring past players, coaches, and others who have made outstanding contributions to the CCBL. Below are the inductees who spent all or part of their time in the Cape League with Yarmouth-Dennis. * Regular seasons split into first and second halves are designated as (A) and (B). (*) - Indicates co-recipient Italics - Indicates All-Star Game Home Run Hitting Contest participant (1988 to present) (*) - Season count excludes 2020 CCBL season cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic . Red Wilson Field
6600-618: Is the official home of the Sinker Burger, the Hurler Burger, and the Boston Screamer. Introduced during the 2004 season, the Sinker is a hamburger served on a lightly toasted cake doughnut, with three varieties: inside, down-the-middle, and outside (cinnamon, powder, and plain). The Hurler, also introduced in 2004, is a hamburger patty served between the halves of a jelly doughnut, finished with
6800-427: The 2019 MLB Draft . In 2019, Falmouth featured league Outstanding Relief Pitcher Zach Brzykcy and league batting champ Zach DeLoach (.353). The 2020 CCBL season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic . The 2023 Commodores were led by second baseman Travis Bazzana , the league's MVP and batting champ, who notched a .375 average with six homers, 31 RBI and 14 stolen bases, and first baseman Tyler MacGregor,
7000-598: The Baltimore Orioles , and was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2000. Due to a scheduling conflict with the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League , the 1972 CCBL All-Star Game was contested between the CCBL all-stars and the defending champion Falmouth team at Guv Fuller field. The game was won by Falmouth, 8–1, with the home team's Mike Flanagan getting the victory. With Livesey's departure after
7200-574: The Boston Red Sox in 1934, and Flaherty went on to enjoy a long major league umpiring career, officiating for over 20 years in the American League , including four World Series assignments. Falmouth's 1938 championship team featured burly slugger John Spirida , who went on to play pro football with the Washington Redskins the following year. The pitching star of the 1938 title team
7400-565: The Boston Red Sox , and Freddie Moncewicz , a longtime Hyannis/Barnstable infielder who had played for Boston in 1928. Bourne's mainstay during this period was Massachusetts native Tony Plansky , who was a league all-star for Bourne each year from 1933 to 1939. Plansky, a star fullback from Georgetown University , had played professionally in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Boston Braves . Prior to
7600-620: The House of David , whom Falmouth defeated in a 1929 contest, the Lizzie Murphy All-Stars , who played Falmouth to a 2–2 tie in 1930, and the Philadelphia Giants , who defeated Falmouth in 1930 behind the celebrated battery of Will "Cannonball" Jackman and Burlin White . In 1930, Holy Cross catcher Jack Walsh joined Falmouth and batted .360 for the season. From 1931 to 1935, Walsh
7800-560: The Keith Car & Manufacturing Company of Sagamore played a pair of games against the Falmouth town team . In 1910, the Sagamore club was described as "one of the finest local teams on the Cape." Although the 1910 team lost twice to the powerful Hyannis town team early in the summer, the Keith squad had its revenge at the close of the season in what was billed as the baseball "championship of
8000-453: The 1935 CCBL championship was decided by a best-of-five playoff between Falmouth and Barnstable . Falmouth sent Lefebvre to the mound in Game 1 at Hallet's Field, and took an 8–3 victory over Barnstable's ace Ted Olson in a pitching duel between future teammates for the 1938 Boston Red Sox . In Game 2 at home, Falmouth scratched out two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win, 3–2, and take a commanding series lead. Games 3 and 4 were played as
8200-399: The 1951 title rematch. In the most drawn-out championship series in league history, the best-of-five 1951 CCBL championship series was scheduled with just one game each week, and so began in late August and ended on the final day of September. The Clouters were on the verge of being swept after dropping Game 1 at home, 4–2, and Game 2 at Eldredge Park , 2–1. A classic Game 3 saw Sagamore turn
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8400-481: The 1956 Upper Cape title, and swept the Kettleers in two games. Sagamore jumped out early in Game 1 at Lowell Park with a six-run second frame, and hurler Johnny Karras made it stand up, tossing a complete game in the 7–5 win. The Clouters pasted Cotuit at Keith Field in Game 2, striking in the second once again with an eight-run frame, and riding the strong arm of Dick Smith to the 13–2 victory. The win sent Sagamore to
8600-410: The 1972 season, Falmouth struggled for most of the rest of the 1970s, reaching the league championship only once, losing to Cotuit in 1975. The '70s dropoff reached its low point in 1977 when the team was forced to withdraw from the league mid-season, "plagued by injuries and lack of employment for its players." 1979 provided a sign of good things to come when CCBL Hall of Famer Billy Best hit .398 for
8800-478: The 1990 team and was named the league's Outstanding Pitcher in both seasons. Wissler had posted an 8–2 record with a 1.56 ERA in 1990. In 1991, he led the league in innings pitched with 92, and posted a 1.96 ERA with seven complete games and three shutouts. The 1991 squad also featured slugger Bobby Higginson , who went on to an 11-year career with the Detroit Tigers . Bill Mueller was a Cape League all-star with
9000-508: The 1992 Braves, then went on to win an American League batting title, and was starting third baseman for the World Series champion 2004 Boston Red Sox . 1992 Braves hurler Ron Villone left the team mid-season to play for Team USA at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona , and 1994 Brave Mark Kotsay won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics before going on to
9200-539: The 2000s, but were swept by Y-D in both 2004 and 2007. The 2004 Falmouth team featured CCBL Hall of Fame shortstop Cliff Pennington and future Boston Red Sox star Jacoby Ellsbury , and in both seasons the Commodores were led by the league's MVP. In 2004 the MVP was CCBL Hall of Famer Daniel Carte, and in 2007 it was fellow CCBL Hall of Famer Conor Gillaspie . Carte began the 2004 season in an 0-for-19 slump, but busted out of it with his first three hits, all home runs. He led
9400-518: The 4–3 win for Sagamore in Game 1 at Veteran's Field , but the Canalmen lost a 16–14 slugfest as the teams combined for nine home runs at cozy Keith Field in Game 2. Kinski was on the mound again on the road for Game 3, and tossed a complete game three-hit gem in the 2–1 Sagamore victory. Chatham again knotted the series with a Game 4 win, setting up the Game 5 finale back in Chatham. Making his first start of
9600-435: The 8–4 victory and claim the league crown. Y-D was led by playoff co-MVPs Rohlinger and pitcher Joshua Faiola. Rohlinger hit .429 in the postseason, including a key squeeze bunt in the 11th inning of the Game 2 finale. Faiola earned the save in Game 1 of the finals, then got the win in Game 2, pitching two innings of scoreless relief. Pickler's 2006 team featured future San Francisco Giants all-star catcher Buster Posey , who
9800-462: The Braves a series-clinching 8–1 win to secure the club's second CCBL crown of the modern era. Playoff MVP Bryce Eblin batted .458 in the postseason, and went 4-for-5 in the Game 2 finale. Landers' 2023 Braves returned playoff star Eblin, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer , and pitcher Bryce Cunningham, and also featured sluggers Garrett Michel and CCBL All-Star Game MVP Derek Bender. After a fourth place regular season finish, Bourne swept first-place Cotuit in
10000-407: The Braves were skippered by Maritime Academy assistant coach Jim Watkins. Worcester, Massachusetts native and Dartmouth College product Mark Johnson played for the Braves in 1988 and 1989, and went on to play several seasons in the big leagues. In 1989, just the Braves' second year in the league, Watkins' squad finished the regular season in first place atop the West Division, but was bumped from
10200-433: The CCBL All-Star Game. Bourne boasted the league MVP twice in the decade, as Travis Jankowski took home the honor in 2011, and CCBL Hall of Famer Max Pentecost won it in 2013. Jankowski hit .329 and stole 15 bases, and led the league in hits, runs and triples. Pentecost was among the league leaders in all three triple crown categories, finishing with a .346 average, 6 homers and 29 RBIs. Braves hurler Jeff Thompson spun
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#173309402544910400-545: The CCBL MVP award with Sagamore in 1965. After finishing the regular season atop the Upper Cape division, the Commodores faced Lower Cape champ Chatham in the best-of-five 1966 title series. Falmouth dropped Game 1 at Veteran's Field , but rebounded in Game 2 at home behind a 1–0 complete game shutout by Kinski. Game 3 was a 7–3 win on the road for Falmouth, setting up a classic series clincher at Guv Fuller Field in Game 4. With
10600-580: The CCBL Outstanding Pitcher Award, fanning a league-high 57 batters while walking only nine in 55 innings of work with a 1.47 ERA. CCBL Outstanding Relief Pitcher Tyler Burgoon led the league with 12 saves, striking out 34 in 21.1 innings with a 1.69 ERA. After winning three titles in four years with the Red Sox in the 2000s, manager Scott Pickler bested that feat in the 2010s, skippering Y-D to three consecutive league championships from 2014 to 2016, qualifying for postseason play in every year of
10800-412: The CCBL title series against Cotuit . The championship series opened at Doran Park, with the Braves starting Alex Wimmers on the mound for Game 1. The Braves proceeded to jump all over the Kettleers, scoring seven in the first, and another six in the second, on a total of eight hits and eight walks in the first two frames. Cotuit managed only one run through five innings, but had begun to make noise in
11000-535: The CCBL was reorganized and became officially sanctioned by the NCAA . The league would no longer be characterized by "town teams" who fielded mainly Cape Cod residents, but would now be a formal collegiate league. Teams began to recruit college players and coaches from an increasingly wide geographic radius. The league was originally composed of ten teams, which were divided into Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions. Falmouth joined Wareham , Cotuit , Bourne and Sagamore in
11200-491: The CCBL with Bourne and Wareham . Notre Dame slugger Dick Licini was league MVP in 1968, leading the league with a .382 batting average. Bourne withdrew from the league for the 1970 season, but was back the following season. 1971 and 1972 saw the return of 1965 Sagamore shortstop Bob Schaefer, now the pilot of the Bourne team. Schaefer's 1972 team featured CCBL Hall of Fame pitcher John Caneira , who racked up 119 strikeouts as
11400-413: The CCBL's 1923–1939 era, postseason playoffs were a rarity. In most years, the regular season pennant winner was simply crowned as the league champion. However, there were four years in which the league split its regular season and crowned separate champions for the first (A) and second (B) halves. In two of those seasons (1936 and 1939), a single team won both halves and was declared overall champion. In
11600-528: The Cape League finals. In Game 1, the Indians shut down the Clouters' attack with a three-hit gem by Silver for a 2–1 victory. Sherman took the mound in Game 2, and the Indians came away with the 4–3 win to sweep the series and claim the team's first Cape League crown. In 1960, Halunen's boys were at it again. After dispatching the Dennis Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, the Indians faced Harwich for
11800-489: The Cape League since 1961 with Harwich and Orleans . His 1964 Bourne club starred CCBL Hall of Famer and league batting champion Harry Nelson, who hit .390 for the season. Sagamore's 1963 team featured future major league all-star Billy Grabarkewitz , but the team finished in last place with only six wins on the season. The two teams from Bourne merged for the 1965 season as the Sagamore Canalmen . The 1965 team
12000-461: The Cape League title led by player-manager Larry Donovan, the team's first baseman. In addition to perennial all-star Plansky, Donovan's club featured local star third baseman Ugo Tassinari, as well as several "winning pitchers" including Frank "Quack" Escott, Al Sayce, and Ray Chamberlain. Normally during this period, the Cape League season had no playoffs; a champion was determined by the best regular season record. But as it had done in 1933 and 1935,
12200-538: The Cape League title series against the Lower Cape champion Dennis Clippers . Smith twirled a two-hitter in Game 1 of the title tilt, and the Clouters downed the Clippers at Dennis, 7–1. Game 2 was a tight pitcher's duel early, but Sagamore scratched out a 5–3 win to secure its third Cape League championship in six years. Sagamore's 1958 and 1959 teams featured Bill Powers, who earned the Upper Cape Division's Most Valuable Pitcher Award in both seasons. Pena's Clouters reached
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#173309402544912400-434: The Cape" at the annual Barnstable County Fair. In the four-team tournament, Falmouth defeated Hyannis and Sagamore shut out Wellfleet to set up a final game between Sagamore and Falmouth. On a rain-soaked day that produced "mud and slippery ball and bats," Sagamore prevailed in a shortened seven-inning contest, by a score reported variously as 9–3 or 10–3. The Keith team had another successful year in 1911, and again made
12600-400: The Commodores down, 4–3 in the seventh inning, Bugbee, who had so far gone hitless in the series, blasted a two-run homer to put Falmouth up, 5–4. Clinging to a one-run lead with no outs and a runner on first in the top of the ninth, Livesey called to the bullpen for Kinski. The ace lefty proceeded to pick off the runner, then struck out Chatham all-stars Steve Saradnik and George Greer to give
12800-479: The Commodores finished the regular season atop the league's West Division three out of four years, but were bumped from the playoffs in each season. North Dighton, Massachusetts native and Holy Cross hurler Nate Koneski was the league's Outstanding New England Player in 2011, posting a 1.03 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. Falmouth's 2013 and 2014 teams starred CCBL Hall of Fame shortstop Kevin Newman , who led
13000-420: The Commodores the championship. The two teams met again for the title in 1967, with Chatham coming out on top. The 1968 Commodores championship team included Worcester, Massachusetts native Pat Bourque , who went on to win a World Series with the 1973 Oakland A's . The Commodores met Harwich in the best-of-five 1968 championship series, and dropped Game 1 at Whitehouse Field . Falmouth stormed back with
13200-471: The Commodores to one hit in eight innings while striking out ten. Holder gave way to Cassavechia who struck out the side in the ninth to claim the title for Y-D. The Red Sox had won their third title in four years, and the 2007 trio of Posey, Beckham and Castro went on to be selected as three of the top ten picks in the 2008 MLB draft . Pickler's 2009 team again featured the league's top pitchers. The tall southpaw and future Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale won
13400-405: The Commodores, and set league records with a 32-game hitting streak and at least one base hit in 39 of his 41 games played. In 1980, the Commodores welcomed the new decade by returning to the league championship series. Led by manager Al Worthington , the 1980 team featured future major leaguers Sid Bream and Steve Lombardozzi . After disposing of Cotuit in the semi-finals, the Commodores met
13600-414: The Commodores, posting a 1.53 ERA with 317 strikeouts and 28 complete games. In the 1969 title series against Chatham , Falmouth dropped Game 1 in Chatham, being no-hit into the sixth inning, and ending up with only two hits in Chatham's 4–0 victory. But the Commodores stormed back in Game 2 at Guv Fuller Field as Paul Mitchell was the hero on the mound and contributed a home run in a 9–4 victory that set up
13800-506: The East Division in 2007, with Posey making the all-star team as a reserve. Beckham led the league in dingers with nine, and was tied for tops in RBI with 35. The team also featured the league's Outstanding Relief Pitcher, Nick Cassavechia, who led the league with 11 saves while recording a 1.07 ERA with 24 strikeouts and only three walks in 25.1 innings of work. The team cruised to the playoffs with
14000-639: The Ezra Baker school in South Dennis . The neighboring towns developed a heated rivalry throughout the 1940s and 1950s. The Clippers were the first in the Lower Cape league to play home games at night, as lights were installed at Baker Field in 1949, and the field also boasted an electronic scoreboard. The Lower Cape teams held their annual All-Star Game under the Baker lights in 1949, the Dennis diamond being considered one of
14200-425: The Falcons remained in the league through independent financial support, led by new skipper Phil White. The season was the final one for the Falcons, as the teams were finally merged for the 1954 season. Fall River, Massachusetts native and future Boston Red Sox catcher Russ Gibson had just joined Falmouth in 1957 when he was signed by Boston. In his only game with Falmouth, he hit two home runs. In 1963,
14400-628: The Falmouth Heights cottages where the players resided. Falmouth home games from the turn of the century through the early 1960s were played just steps from water's edge at the Central Park Field in Falmouth Heights. Spectators enjoyed an ocean view and a cool breeze as they took in the action at what was widely regarded as one of the most picturesque baseball settings in the nation. During this era, attempts were made periodically to formalize league play among Cape Cod ballclubs. One such foray came in 1913 when Cottage Club manager H. Newton Marshall led
14600-526: The Falmouth team in 1920 and 1921. Morey's 1919 Falmouth-Oak Bluffs club featured Somerville, Massachusetts native Pie Traynor , a shortstop who batted .322 on the season. Prior to the Labor Day game at Falmouth Heights against a visiting Fall River club, Traynor displayed his all-around athleticism by winning a "circling the bases" competition in 15 seconds, as well as winning the sprinting and baseball throwing competitions. Traynor went on to play in
14800-438: The Falmouth team travelled to Rockland, Massachusetts to play a charity exhibition contest against the major league Boston Braves . Before a crowd of about four thousand, the big-leaguers won the game, 8–7, but the game was tight and Falmouth "not only outhit the major aggregation 13–11, but outplayed them in many departments of the game." The Braves featured Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman George Sisler , who went 0-for-3 in
15000-538: The Game 1 pitcher's duel at Guv Fuller, 1–0, on a homer by Brad Linden. Game 2 in Orleans also ended with a 1–0 tally, but this time the Commodores were on top to tie the series. Falmouth sent Paul Mitchell to the hill for Game 3 at home, and the ace came through with a 3–1 victory behind a three-run dinger by Kevin Bryant. An ugly sixth-inning brawl involving players, umpires and fans marred Game 4 at Eldredge Park . Skipper Livesey
15200-585: The Gatemen, 14–7. Sox catcher Kirk Piskor blasted three long balls in the game, including two in the eight-run third inning. Wareham held serve in Game 2, holding Y-D to just six hits en route to a 6–0 shutout at Clem Spillane Field . Game 3 went down to the wire, with Sweeney knocking a game-winning walk-off RBI in the ninth to give the Sox an 8–7 win and their second consecutive CCBL championship. Playoff MVP honors went to Piskor, and two-time title series hero Sweeney wrapped up
15400-451: The Indians on the season. He pitched nine complete games and fanned 74 batters in 14 starts, and was named the Lower Cape Division's starting pitcher at the 1965 CCBL All-Star Game. Jabar went on to pitch two more stellar seasons in the CCBL with Chatham , and was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2003. His playing days with the Indians now behind him, Merrill "Red" Wilson became the club's skipper in 1966, and served in that role for 16 of
15600-440: The Indians to CCBL championships in 1958 and 1960, defeating the powerful Sagamore Clouters for both titles. The 1958 Indians featured star hurlers Bob Sherman and Jack Silver, as well as CCBL Hall of Famer Jim Hubbard, an outfielder who went on to manage Cotuit to four consecutive Cape League titles in the 1960s. Yarmouth met perennial league powerhouse Orleans in the best-of-three 1958 Lower Cape title series. The teams split
15800-425: The Kettleers' attack. Bourne took it, 5–1, to complete the sweep and earn the Braves' first CCBL title, and the first for a Bourne team since the 1965 Sagamore club. Roller took home playoff MVP honors, having hit .500 with eight RBIs in the postseason. The Braves reached the playoffs in nine of ten years in the 2010s, advancing to the West Division finals five times. Bourne was back in the title series in 2017, but
16000-416: The Lower Cape title. The Indians got a three-hit shutout performance by Ron Normand in Game 1 to win, 6–0. Game 2 was a pitcher's duel between Harwich's Dick Mayo and the Indians' Ned LeRoy. LeRoy no-hit Harwich through 6 2/3 innings, and finished strong in the 1–0 series-clinching win for Yarmouth. In the Cape League finals, Yarmouth again met up with Upper Cape champ Sagamore . Yarmouth took a rainy Game 1 by
16200-450: The Lower Cape's dominant team, Orleans . The Clouters claimed league titles in 1951, 1954, 1956 and 1959. At a time when most Cape League teams generally abided by the unwritten rule of using predominantly local players, Sagamore led the way in recruiting collegiate talent, and so set the stage for the league's modern era. The Clouters first reached the title series in 1950, when they were downed by Orleans , but Sagamore had its revenge in
16400-447: The NFL, Plansky had played for Hyannis in the Cape League in 1928, and when his football career was over, Plansky returned to the Cape to play for Bourne. In 1999, Plansky was ranked by Sports Illustrated as the #25 all-time greatest sports figure from Massachusetts . He was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2001. Bourne had its most successful campaign of the era in 1936, winning
16600-635: The Nichols, Independent, Shawme, and American clubs. The "Independent Club" defeated the "Mattakeesetts" of Yarmouth that year, winning 41–35 in eight innings. The same year, the "Nichols Club" played a series of three games against the "Cummaquid Club" of Barnstable . The first game, played "a short distance from the Sandwich Glass Company 's works," was won by the Cummaquids, but the Nichols Club took
16800-504: The Red Sox faced the Hyannis Mets . In Game 1 at Red Wilson Field, Red Sox hurler Jim Dougherty tossed a three-hit shutout and the Sox got homers from league MVP Kurt Olson and Holliston, Massachusetts native Mark Sweeney to stomp the Mets, 9–0. Game 2 was played in a steady rain at McKeon Field . Y-D got two triples from Sweeney and came away with a 6–1 triumph to sweep the series and claim
17000-579: The Red Sox into the early 1980s. A beloved teacher, administrator, coach and athletic director at Dennis-Yarmouth High School , the baseball diamond shared by the school with the Y-D Red Sox was renamed in Wilson's honor in 1981. The 1981 Red Sox featured CCBL Hall of Famer Mark Angelo, who hit .335 and led the league with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs. The Red Sox' 1982 season was highlighted by an 18–3 July 4 win at Falmouth in which Y-D's Joe Olker went 6-for-6 and tied
17200-481: The Red Sox' 5–1 victory. Playoff MVP honors went to Red Sox reliever David Robertson , who pitched a perfect three innings with seven strikeouts to close out the Gatemen in the finale. Posey returned for the 2007 campaign, and was surrounded by perhaps an even more talented squad. Future major leaguer Gordon Beckham took over at shortstop, while Posey shared time at catcher with future major leaguer Jason Castro . Beckham and Castro were named All-Star Game starters for
17400-414: The Sox coming back to tie the game at Guv Fuller Field in the ninth inning on an RBI by CCBL Outstanding New England Player Award winner Frank Curreri. With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth, Y-D outfielder Jim Rapaport made a game-saving diving catch on a sinking liner to right. In the top of the 11th, Y-D opened it up with four runs, including a two-run bomb by Nick Moresi, to secure
17600-491: The Upper Cape Division was known as the Falmouth All-Stars , as the players were a collection of stars from Falmouth's in-town "twilight league". Led by manager John DeMello, the All-Stars won the inaugural championship of the new Cape League in 1946. The team featured CCBL Hall of Famers Roche Pires and Manny Pena, both of whom became regular fixtures for the All-Stars during this period. Falmouth defeated Sagamore in
17800-534: The Upper Cape Division. In 1964 the Falmouth All-Stars moved from the Falmouth Heights field and began playing home games at Guv Fuller Field . The following year, the team's name was changed to the Falmouth Commodores . Falmouth was the dominant team in the Cape League from the mid-1960s through the early 1970s. Led by CCBL Hall of Fame manager Bill Livesey , Falmouth reached the Cape League championship series six consecutive times beginning in 1966, winning
18000-520: The annual visit to Yarmouth of the Boston team...which has established a special relationship between Yarmouth and the Red Sox," and capitalized on local excitement surrounding the Boston team's 1967 " Impossible Dream " season. In 1973, the team's home games were moved from Simpkins Field to the Dennis-Yarmouth High School baseball diamond, and Yarmouth proceeded to make its first appearance in
18200-530: The board with a pair of homers in the seventh. The Harwichers rallied again in each of the final two frames, but Pires held them off and went the distance in a 10–6 win that knotted the series at one game apiece. After Game 2, a coin flip determined Falmouth would host Game 3 the following weekend, and the All-Stars sent Pires to the mound in the finale. The game was even at 3–3 through five frames, but again Harwich's errors were its downfall, leading to Falmouth rallies in
18400-412: The call again in the Game 5 finale at neutral Lowell Park , and twirled a six-hit complete game 8–4 victory to give the championship to Sagamore. Sanford's impressive final line for the series included three wins on the mound, and a 5-for-12 performance at the plate. Orleans topped Sagamore in the 1952 and 1953 championship series, but Sagamore rebounded again as the two clubs met in the title tilt for
18600-473: The championship as Stephen Greenberg , son of Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg , drew a base on balls off Harwich's CCBL Hall of Fame hurler Pete Ford to force in the series-winning run. Ace pitcher and CCBL Hall of Famer Paul Mitchell starred for Falmouth from 1969 to 1971. He was named the league's Outstanding Pitcher in 1969 and 1970, and was the winning pitcher in the league all star game in 1970 and 1971. In three seasons, Mitchell won 25 games for
18800-414: The championship series again in 1958, but were downed by Yarmouth , then bounced back in 1959 to claim another CCBL championship. Sagamore finished atop the Upper Cape league in both halves of the 1959 regular season, earning a spot in the title series against their familiar foe, Lower Cape champ Orleans . The Clouters jumped ahead in the best-of-three 1959 championship series as Powers went the distance on
19000-418: The championship series, Y-D faced Falmouth , and sent Buehler to the mound in Game 1. Buehler tossed eight shutout innings, and late-season call-up catcher Marcus Mastrobuoni went 3-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs, and two runs scored as the Sox took the opener, 5–0. Game 2 at Red Wilson Field was back-and-forth early, but the Sox took the lead with a six-run sixth, and handed the game over to Bickford, who tossed
19200-463: The deal, Bowden tossed the final two innings of relief, and Y-D took home its second consecutive league title. Playoff MVP honors for Y-D were shared by Walton and Bowden. The Red Sox completed the "three-peat" in 2016, led by a sterling playoff performance by University of Maryland infielder Kevin Smith . The club met Orleans in the opening round of the playoffs, and took Game 1 with a 4–2 win marked by
19400-549: The decade, and reaching the finals series five times. Stanford University hurler Jordan Pries provided one of the highlights of the 2010 season when he tossed a no-hitter against Orleans . Y-D boasted the East Division All-Star Game MVP in three consecutive seasons with Caleb Ramsey in 2010, James Ramsey (no relation) in 2011, and Alex Blandino in 2012. The Red Sox also owned the league batting crown in 2011 with Stephen Piscotty 's .349 mark. The team reached
19600-577: The decade, as Mark Watson stymied Harwich in 1994, and Hank Thoms did the same to Orleans in 1998. Y-D's 1997 team featured league batting champ Jason McConnell (.345), and home run champ Edmund Muth (7), the East Division MVP of the All-Star Game. Led by manager Scott Pickler, longtime Cypress College coach who had joined the Red Sox in 1998, Y-D finished in first place atop the East Division five times and took three CCBL championship crowns in
19800-429: The decisive Game 3 in hand, up 6–1 in the ninth, but the Indians staged a dramatic rally to take the game and the series. Yarmouth went on to face Cotuit in the Cape League championship series, but was downed two games to one. In 1963, the CCBL was reorganized and became officially sanctioned by the NCAA . The league would no longer be characterized by "town teams" who fielded mainly Cape Cod residents, but would now be
20000-578: The decisive third game. Falmouth's Mickey Karkut twirled a complete game gem and the Commodores came out on top, 5–2, to secure their second consecutive league title. Returning to the championship series in 1970, the Commodores faced the Orleans Cardinals . Falmouth lefty Jim Jachym shut out the Cards in Game 1, 2–0. The Commodores sent ace Paul Mitchell to the mound with ideas of a sweep in Game 2 at Eldredge Park . Falmouth jumped out to an early 3–0 lead in
20200-437: The defending league champion Commodores team. Italics - Indicates All-Star Game Home Run Hitting Contest participant (1988 to present) (*) - Season count excludes 2020 CCBL season cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic . All 44 Falmouth Commodores games are broadcast live to YouTube . All home games feature multiple cameras, graphics, replays, and live audio commentary, while away games consist of only live audio. Below are
20400-453: The door and give the Sox a 1–0 victory to claim the series. In the East Division finals against Harwich , center fielder Stevenson provided the power in Game 1, clouting a homer and four RBIs in the Sox' 7–2 road win. The Mariners took Game 2, but Y-D prevailed in the Game 3 pitchers' duel, 2–0, on a combined shutout by Justin Jacome and Bickford, who struck out six in 2 2/3 innings for the save. In
20600-550: The eighth, and the Red Sox held on for a 2–1 win that propelled them to the title series for the second consecutive season. In the championship round, Y-D faced Hyannis , who crushed the Sox, 8–1, in Game 1 at McKeon Park . Y-D bounced back with a 9–3 victory at home in Game 2 behind the stellar mound work of Thomas, a three-run bomb by Walton, and a two-run shot by Edman. In Game 3, the Sox returned to Hyannis and avenged their 8–1 Game 1 defeat, this time coming out on top of an 8–1 tally. Billingsley's three-run eighth-inning homer sealed
20800-420: The entire span of the league's history. During the 1920s, several future major leaguers played for Falmouth. Brown University pitcher Hal Neubauer pitched for Falmouth in 1923, and played for the Boston Red Sox two years later. His battery-mate at Falmouth was catcher Bill Cronin , who hit a whopping .420 in 1923. Cronin went on to play several seasons for the major league Boston Braves . Falmouth took
21000-409: The fifth consecutive season in 1954. Games 1 and 2 of the 1954 championship were played as a doubleheader. In a matchup of CCBL Hall of Fame hurlers, Orleans took Game 1, 4–3, with Roy Bruninghaus outdueling the Clouters' Jack Sanford. Sagamore answered in Game 2 with a 5–3 victory behind moundsman Dick Smith. The Clouters took Game 3, but Orleans knotted the series with a 10–6 Game 4 victory, setting up
21200-422: The final three innings of shutout ball for the save to close out the title sweep with a 10–4 win. Playoff MVP honors were shared by ace Buehler and the hot-hitting Mastrobuoni, who batted .444 in the playoffs and went 5-for-6 while driving in five of the team's 15 runs in the championship series. Y-D narrowly squeaked into the playoffs in 2015, not clinching a spot until the final day of the regular season. The club
21400-494: The finest in the Cape League at the time. Skipper Bren Taylor's Clippers reached the CCBL title series in 1956, defeating Orleans in the semi-final playoffs, but losing out to Sagamore in the finals. The Clippers teams of the late 1950s and early 1960s featured hard-hitting infielder Jim Cross , an ice hockey star from Boston University , and CCBL Hall of Famer Bill Livesey of the University of Maine . The Clippers withdrew from
21600-523: The first place Chatham Athletics in the best-of-five title series. Falmouth took the first two games, but dropped the next two, setting up the pivotal Game 5 in Chatham. In the finale, Falmouth took the lead early when Bruce Helser drove in Tom "Bat" Masterson in the second inning. The run was the only one the Commodores needed. Falmouth starter Mark Winters, a 6-foot-6 southpaw, took advantage of swirling Veteran's Field winds to keep Chatham hitters at bay, tossing
21800-491: The first time, but withdrew mid-season. Bourne stepped in and played out the remainder of Provincetown's schedule, but won only one game in its inaugural partial season. Bourne remained in the league until the league itself folded after the 1939 season, and played its home games at the Bourne High School diamond. In 1934 and 1935, Bourne featured hard-hitting third baseman Bob "Red" Daughters , who went on to play for
22000-405: The first two games, with the Indians taking Game 1, 3–0, but dropping Game 2, 5–1. In Game 3, Yarmouth broke out the big bats against Orleans hurler and future major leaguer Art Quirk , the Lower Cape's Outstanding Pitcher of the season. The Indians piled up seven runs on Quirk, and Sherman made it stand up for a 7–5 series-clinching victory. The Indians moved on to face a powerful Sagamore team in
22200-531: The formation of a "Cape Cod Base Ball League". The league comprised six teams: Osterville , Pocasset , Orleans , Sandwich , South Yarmouth , and the Falmouth Heights Cottage Club, with each team playing each other team twice for a ten-game schedule. In what appears to have been the league's lone season, the Cottage Club claimed the pennant with a 9–1 record. Marshall was credited with "[turning]
22400-619: The former and current interns to serve as play-by-play broadcasters for the Falmouth Commodores: Bourne Braves The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts . The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park on the campus of Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Bourne. The Braves are owned and operated by
22600-442: The fourth, then took the lead on a Bender RBI double as part of a three-run sixth inning rally. Bender added an insurance run in the eighth on a solo homer, and Anthony DeFabbia nailed it down in relief with four and a third scoreless innings, sealing the Braves' 5–2 win and second consecutive league title. Eblin finished the playoffs with a team record 23-game hitting streak, and Kuroda-Grauer, who hit .444 with two homers and 13 RBI in
22800-475: The game. Falmouth went on finish the 1929 season two games ahead of Chatham - Harwich to win the pennant and claim the Cape League championship. The exhibition contest with the Braves became an annual event into the mid-1930s, with Falmouth defeating the major leaguers on multiple occasions. Baseball Hall of Famer Rabbit Maranville played for the Braves in the 1931 Falmouth game. Falmouth also played exhibitions against well-known barnstorming teams such as
23000-407: The late innings that gave the All-Stars the 8–4 victory and the league crown. Falmouth's championship club was celebrated as playing a "forcing, aggressive type of ball" that "compared favorably with the old semi-pro teams" of Falmouth's pre-war era. Pires and Pena led Falmouth back to the championship series in 1949, but the club was downed by Lower Cape champ Orleans . In 1951, Falmouth entered
23200-399: The league and disbanded after the 1961 season. CCBL Hall of Famer Cal Burlingame pitched for the Indians in the early 1950s, tossing no-hitters for Yarmouth in 1953 and 1954. The Indians of the late 1950s and early 1960s were skippered by John Halunen, and starred CCBL Hall of Famer Merrill "Red" Wilson, who joined the club in 1956. He became a seven-time all-star catcher for Yarmouth, and led
23400-407: The league championship series in 2010 and again in 2012, but were shut down by Cotuit and Wareham respectively. The 2014 Red Sox featured future major leaguers Andrew Stevenson and Walker Buehler , and the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect and Outstanding Relief Pitcher, Phil Bickford . The team began the season winning only five of its first 16 games, but came on strong in the second half. In
23600-416: The league championship series in the modern era. The team featured future major leaguer Dave Schuler , who was the winning pitcher in the league All-Star Game that year. Despite posting a losing record in the regular season, skipper Red Wilson's Red Sox upset regular-season champion Chatham in the semi-final playoff series. Yarmouth went on to drop the championship series in five games to a Cotuit team that
23800-408: The league crown. Sweeney, who hit .500 in 20 postseason at-bats, was named playoff MVP. Sweeney, the star of the 1989 title club, returned to the Sox for the 1990 campaign. Y-D again finished the regular season atop the East Division, and swept Orleans in the semi-final playoff series. The Sox moved on to face a talented Wareham team in the title series. Y-D got 19 hits in Game 1 at home to outslug
24000-610: The league each season. The Yarmouth Athletic Association did not enter a team in the Cape League during this era, but played instead in the Cape Cod Twilight League. The Cape League reorganized in 1946 after a hiatus during World War II . The Yarmouth Indians and Dennis Clippers played in the Lower Cape Division. The Indians played at the John Simpkins school in South Yarmouth , while the Clippers' played home games at
24200-492: The league in batting (.360), and became the first CCBL player in 11 years to hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat at Hyannis . The Braves finished the regular season in first place atop the West Division, and after disposing of Falmouth and Hyannis in the divisional playoffs, met the Brewster Whitecaps in the CCBL championship series for a second consecutive season. Braves skipper Scott Landers, who had been
24400-518: The league in batting (.376) and established a new CCBL single-season record with 43 stolen bases. Despite losing the title series to Harwich , the 1987 season marked the beginning of a four-year stretch under CCBL Hall of Fame skipper Don Reed in which the Red Sox made the playoffs each season, winning three consecutive East Division regular season titles, and back-to-back league championships. The 1988 team featured future major leaguers Mike Mordecai , Denny Neagle , and CCBL Hall of Famer Eric Wedge , but
24600-485: The league in batting both seasons, the first player in the league's modern era to win back-to-back batting titles. Newman hit .375 in his first season, then bettered his mark by 10 points the following season, and was named 2014 league MVP. The 2016 Commodores featured the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect, Michael Gigliotti, as well as the league's Outstanding Pitcher, Jeff Passantino. Adley Rutschman played for Falmouth in 2017 and went on to be selected first overall in
24800-474: The league in runs scored. Valentine's performance impressed the Los Angeles Dodgers , who made him the 5th overall pick in the following year's MLB draft . Valentine's roommate at Yarmouth was CCBL Hall of Famer Dan DeMichele, himself a three-time CCBL all-star who had played on Lamoriello's championship 1965 Sagamore squad. In 1968, manager Red Wilson returned to his position after a one-year hiatus, and
25000-437: The league split the 1936 season in two half-seasons, with the winners of the two halves meeting in a postseason series for the overall title. In 1936, no postseason was needed, as Bourne took both the first and second half titles and was declared league champion. The Cape League was revived after World War II , and the new league began play in 1946 with 11 teams playing in Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions. The town of Bourne
25200-457: The league with 11 homers and 38 RBI, and his .308 average left him just 19 points shy of the triple crown . Gillaspie finished the 2007 season tops in the league in batting with a .345 mark, and also led the league in slugging and extra-base hits. 2005 Commodore Tim Norton was co-recipient of the league's Outstanding Pitcher Award, posting a 5–1 record with a 1.77 ERA and 77 strikeouts against only 15 walks in 61 innings. The 2006 season featured
25400-525: The league's Outstanding New England Player Award in 2018, as Justin Lasko of Stratford, Connecticut and the University of Massachusetts shared the honor with Methuen, Massachusetts native Jacob Wallace of the University of Connecticut . University of Hartford lefty Nick Dombkowski provided the highlight of the 2019 season when he tossed a perfect game for Bourne in a 5-inning rain-shortened 6–0 win over Yarmouth-Dennis at Doran Park. The 2020 CCBL season
25600-447: The league's Outstanding Pitcher. The team folded after the 1972 season, beginning a 16-year period when Bourne did not field a team in the league. In 1988, the Cape League expanded from eight teams to ten, adding the Brewster Whitecaps and Bourne Braves , and forming two new five-team divisions. The drive to secure a team for Bourne was led by CCBL Hall of Famers Jack Aylmer , president of Bourne's Massachusetts Maritime Academy and
25800-539: The league's West Division. The Commodores play their home games at Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field in Falmouth. The Commodores most recently won the CCBL championship in 1980 when they defeated the Chatham A's in the championship series. The title was the team's sixth overall in the league's modern era, having won four consecutive league titles from 1968 to 1971. The team has been led since 1999 by field manager Jeff Trundy. Baseball has been played in Falmouth since
26000-556: The league's all star game at Fenway Park , a game that ended in a 4–4 tie. Hometown star Bob Allietta took the reins as Commodores field manager in 1983. A graduate of Falmouth's Lawrence High School , Allietta had played for the Commodores in 1970 and had gone on to play in the major leagues for the California Angels in the mid-1970s. The 1984 Falmouth team was skippered by CCBL Hall of Fame manager Ed Lyons, and featured CCBL Hall of Famers Jim McCollom, who batted .413 and slugged
26200-468: The league's annual All-Star Game Home Run Derby. In 2009, the Braves finished in first place in the West Division, and featured the league's MVP in CCBL Hall of Famer Kyle Roller , who hit .342 with 33 RBIs and a league-best 10 home runs during the regular season, and Pierre LePage, the spark plug of Shapiro's club, who was the league's 10th Player Award winner. In a year when playoff seedings crossed divisional lines, Bourne faced old nemesis Orleans for
26400-485: The league," having "thrilled the crowds on several occasions by stealing home." CCBL all-league catcher Gene Connell played for Falmouth from 1927 to 1929, and went on to play for the Philadelphia Phillies . Future major league umpire Bill Stewart pitched for Falmouth in 1929. Prior to joining Falmouth in 1929, shortstop Waddy MacPhee had played briefly for the New York Giants . On August 26, 1929
26600-503: The lights were transported to Hyannis for the second game of the home-and-home series between the two clubs. Falmouth went on to win its second consecutive league championship in 1939, led by Danvers, Massachusetts native Connie Creeden , who went on to play for the Boston Braves . The Cape League was revived after World War II and was originally composed of 11 teams across Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions. Falmouth's entry in
26800-464: The lopsided match, 30–13, and with their victory secured the prize of a "beautiful silver mounted carved black walnut bat costing $ 15." In 1877, Yarmouth split a pair of games against the "Sandwich Resolutes". In a July 4 contest the following year, the Resolutes defeated Yarmouth, 14–2, but the teams played a much more closely contested game when they met once more in 1879. The Yarmouth team met up with
27000-517: The major leagues for seventeen seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates , winning the World Series with Pittsburgh in 1925 , and compiling a lifetime .320 batting average. Considered one of the greatest third basemen in major league history, Traynor was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York in 1948, the first former Cape Leaguer to be so honored. In 2009 Traynor
27200-468: The major leagues, winning a World Series title with the New York Yankees in 1932. Haskell "Josh" Billings played for Falmouth from 1925 to 1927, was team MVP in 1925, and finished the 1927 season playing for the Detroit Tigers . National Football League running back Curly Oden spent his off-season as Falmouth's player-manager in 1927 and 1928. Oden was known as "the king of the base stealers in
27400-461: The major leagues. Falmouth pitcher Walt Whittaker hurled a no-hitter against Oak Bluffs in 1915, and then played briefly for Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics in 1916. Available players and funding were at a premium as the U.S. became involved in World War I , but Falmouth was able to field a team in 1917 under manager Earl White, a season highlighted by a split doubleheader against
27600-408: The mound in the 14–4 Game 1 rout at Keith Field. Sagamore completed the sweep in Game 2 at Eldredge Park , scratching out a 5–3 win to give the Clouters the title. The 1959 series was the Clouters' final championship matchup with longtime foe Orleans, and Sagamore's win evened the score at three titles apiece over the teams' six title tilts in the decade. In a repeat of its 1958 title loss, Sagamore
27800-424: The next 21 years. In 1967, Yarmouth was managed by CCBL Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello . A former all-star player in the league, Lamoriello had managed Sagamore to the league title in 1965. He recruited a rising high school senior from Connecticut to play for his 1967 Yarmouth team, and the 17-year-old Bobby Valentine proceeded to bat .294 against the Cape League's elite collegiate pitching that summer, while leading
28000-499: The next five offerings before Sanford finally whiffed him on a high ball to claim the crown for the Clouters. From 1955 to 1958, the Clouters featured Billy Cleary , the 1958 Upper Cape MVP, and his brother Bobby Cleary . The Clearys were Harvard ice hockey standouts who went on to lead the US ice hockey team to a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics . The Clouters were back in championship form in 1956 as Pena's men faced Cotuit for
28200-487: The non-profit Bourne Athletic Association. Bourne won its second consecutive and ninth overall CCBL championship in 2023 by defeating the Orleans Firebirds two games to one to win the best of three championship series. Bourne's baseball history is one of the longest of all teams on the Cape, dating as far back as the 1860s when the town was still part of Sandwich . In 1867, Sandwich had four organized baseball teams:
28400-423: The opening round of playoffs to meet Hyannis in the West Division finals for a second consecutive season. After dropping Game 1 at McKeon Park , the Braves took Game 2, 13–3, behind back-to-back homers by Bender and Michel. Bender went deep again in Game 3 as Bourne's 12–4 victory earned the club a return trip to the CCBL finals to face East Division champ Orleans . Game 1 of the championship series featured
28600-504: The opening round of the playoffs, Y-D dropped Game 1 to Orleans , but with Buehler on the mound in Game 2, the Red Sox answered back with a 9–0 pasting of the Firebirds to even the series. Y-D pushed across a run on a second inning sacrifice bunt in Game 3, and Kevin Duchene twirled a masterful one-hit gem, allowing only one hit in 7 1/3 innings. The single run stood up as Bickford came in to slam
28800-451: The other two split seasons (1933 and 1935), a postseason playoff series was contested between the two half-season champions to determine the overall champion. * Regular seasons split into first and second halves are designated as (A) and (B). (*) - Indicates co-recipient (*) Due to a scheduling conflict with the ACBL , the 1972 All-Star Game was contested between the CCBL all-stars and
29000-465: The pennant in the league's inaugural 1923 season, posting a record of 9–3, while Chatham, Osterville and Hyannis finished in a three-way tie for second place with identical 5–7 records. CCBL Hall of Famer Danny "Deacon" MacFayden , a Cape Cod native from Truro , played for Falmouth in 1925. The season was highlighted by MacFayden's one-hitter against Hyannis . By 1926, he was playing for the hometown Boston Red Sox and went on to pitch for 17 years in
29200-481: The pitching coach for Brewster during their 2021 finals victory over Bourne, was now poised to help his new club exact its revenge. In Game 1 at Doran Park, the Braves rode a shutout performance by hurlers Matt Duffy and Seth Keener, and scratched out three runs against strong Brewster pitching to take the opener. On the road for Game 2, Bourne jumped out to an early lead with a four-run first inning and never looked back. Shaw and Ryan Enos added late-game homers to give
29400-417: The playoff semi-finals but fell to Cotuit in the championship series. Y-D was led by future New York Yankees slugger Steve Balboni . Balboni hit 13 home runs for Y-D in 1977, and clobbered another two over Fenway Park's Green Monster in the annual CCBL All-Star Game. He was named league MVP and Outstanding Pro Prospect, and was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2006. Red Wilson continued to manage
29600-411: The playoffs in the West finals by Hyannis . The 1989 Braves starred infielder Bob Rivell, the league's 10th Player Award winner, who led the league with a .358 batting average, and also featured Cape Cod native Jeff Handler of Harwich , the team's starting third baseman from Eastern Connecticut State University . Bourne struggled throughout the 1990s, and fan support was low at times. The team made
29800-457: The playoffs only twice, being ousted by Wareham in the West Division finals in both 1997 and 1998. Notable players of the decade included local product Steve Corradi of Sandwich and UMass-Amherst , who was a league all-star for the Braves in 1990, and returned to the Braves in 1991 and 1992. The 1991 Braves featured two future CCBL Hall of Famers: Framingham, Massachusetts native Lou Merloni , and tall righty Bill Wissler, who returned from
30000-474: The playoffs, but was once again ousted by Wareham . 2003 saw the arrival of CCBL Hall of Fame manager Harvey Shapiro . In his first year with the team, Shapiro led the Braves to their first appearance in the league's championship series, where they were defeated by Orleans . The Braves were led by the microscopic earned run averages of Kyle Schmidt (0.55) and CCBL Hall of Famer Eric Beattie (0.39). Beattie went 4–0 and struck out 51 while walking only six on
30200-432: The postseason, was named playoff MVP. The CCBL Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame honoring past players, coaches, and others who have made outstanding contributions to the CCBL. Below are the inductees who spent all or part of their time in the Cape League with Bourne. * During the CCBL's 1923–1939 era, postseason playoffs were a rarity. In most years, the regular season pennant winner
30400-553: The powerful visiting Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn, New York . In the 1918 and 1919 seasons, Falmouth combined players and resources with the Oak Bluffs town team in response to the war shortage. The 1918 team was managed by Lewis Whiting, and featured Dave Morey , who had played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1913. Morey took over as player-manager of the combined team in 1919, and continued in that position for
30600-556: The pre- Civil War days. The Barnstable Patriot reported on July 7, 1857 that, "the Fourth was celebrated at Falmouth by a game of base ball, in which some of the principal men of that place participated." In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, teams representing various Cape Cod towns routinely competed against one another. One particularly strong team was the Falmouth Heights Cottage Club team, whose name derived from
30800-408: The right to advance to the championship series. Game 1 of the semi-final series did not look good for Bourne, as Orleans hurler Jorge Reyes dominated the Braves through eight innings at Doran Park, and took a 2–0 lead into the final frame. But with one out in the ninth, Bourne's Scott Woodward singled, and LePage drew a four-pitch walk that marked the end of Reyes' night. Roller then lined a shot off
31000-439: The road to claim Game 2 and won the series at home in Game 3. The same sequence repeated in the finals, as Y-D dropped Game 1 at home to Wareham , only to tie the series with a road victory in Game 2, and claim the championship at home in front of a crowd of over 8,000 at Red Wilson Field. In the decisive game, Y-D starter Doyle was perfect through four, going six innings with nine strikeouts and one walk and allowing only one run in
31200-748: The road, but came back to win a dramatic Game 2 at Red Wilson Field. Tied at 1–1 after seven, the Red Sox brought in Ben Bowden for five innings of scoreless relief. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 13th, Brusa stole home on a wild pitch to give the Sox the 2–1 victory to even the series. Brusa led off the scoring early in Game 3, launching a bomb over the Eldredge Park center field fence, and starter Dustin Hunt struck out 10 and allowed only two Firebird hits in 7 2/3 shutout innings. Walton drove in Brusa for another run in
31400-411: The road, getting six effective innings by starter William Montgomery, and prevailing by a 4–1 tally, sending the Sox to a title series match against Falmouth . The Sox fell to Falmouth, 5–4, in the Game 1 opener at Guv Fuller Field . In Game 2 at home, Y-D jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the first on back-to-back homers by Toffey and Deon Stafford, Jr., and got a two-run clout in the fourth by Smith, knotting
31600-425: The same in 2009 with his .378 mark on the way to being named the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect. Longtime Commodore volunteer Arnie Allen received the league's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, and in 2004 the diamond at Guv Fuller Field was named Arnie Allen Diamond in his memory. CCBL Hall of Fame skipper Jeff Trundy surpassed Bill Livesey in 2007 as the longest-tenured manager in Falmouth history,
31800-401: The season on the mound, the Canalmen's Bob Ritchie overcame Chatham's four-run first inning to scatter nine hits in a complete game 5–4 win that gave Sagamore the league championship. In 1967, the club reclaimed its former moniker Bourne Canalmen , and the late 1960s saw two more CCBL Hall of Fame players on the team. Former Bourne High School baseball star Jim Prete played several seasons in
32000-415: The season's first half in second place in the Upper Cape Division, the team's outlook seemed promising. Falcons' hurler Charlie Eastman was the winning pitcher for the Upper Cape in its 5–3 victory over the Lower Cape in the 1951 CCBL All-Star Game, and was joined on the Upper Cape squad by fellow Falcons Joe Parent at shortstop and Robb at third base. Falmouth native Charlie Borden, who had spent time as
32200-462: The season, and was named the league's Outstanding Pitcher. The team again reached the championship series in 2005, but was again shut down by Orleans . In 2006, the Braves moved from Coady Field to a new field constructed behind Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School . The following season, the field was dedicated as " Doran Park " in honor of George Doran, Sr. The 2006 team was powered by future Boston Red Sox slugger Mitch Moreland , who won
32400-574: The second game played in Barnstable. The third game was contested at a "neutral" site in West Barnstable , with the Cummaquid Club taking the rubber match. Of these early contests, it was reported that, "a large party from this and adjoining villages were present to witness the game, and as it was new to very many of the number, it was of unusual interest." In 1909, a team from Bourne sponsored by
32600-517: The series around on a last-minute rally. Orleans had scored early in Game 3 at Keith Field, and Sagamore manager Karras brought in CCBL Hall of Fame hurler Jack Sanford, just back in his first game after a tour in Korea with the US Army, for long relief in the second inning. Sanford kept the game close, but the Clouters found themselves trailing, 5–4, in the bottom of the ninth. Needing only one final out to secure
32800-483: The series with a 9–4 win. The Sox went up on the Commodores early in Game 3, scoring three runs in the first two innings to take a 3–0 lead. Starter Bryan Sammons tossed six-plus shutout innings of two-hit baseball, and closer Calvin Faucher extinguished a rally in the eighth and slammed the door in the ninth to make the score hold up as the final tally, the win earning the Red Sox their third consecutive league title. Smith
33000-441: The series, Orleans committed a throwing error that scored Walt Stahura from third base. With the bases loaded and the score now tied, pinch-hitter Bill McCabe drew a walk that sent CCBL Hall of Famer Tello Tontini across the plate with the winning run. The Clouters started Sanford on the mound in Game 4 on the road, and came away with a 10–8 win highlighted by a six-run fourth inning that was manufactured on just two hits. Sanford got
33200-416: The series-winning run on a Ray O'Brien single to left. The win gave Falmouth its fourth consecutive championship, and fifth in six years. Falmouth's 1972 team featured CCBL batting champ Ed Orrizzi (.372) and future major leaguers Billy Almon and Mike Flanagan . Flanagan went 7–1 for the season with a 2.18 ERA while also belting seven home runs; he went on to win a World Series and Cy Young Award with
33400-534: The shortstop's glove into left field that allowed Woodward to score on a close play at home. LePage scored the game-tying run on a wild pitch, and Stefan Romero belted a long sacrifice fly that brought in Roller from third with the walk-off score. Game 2 at Eldredge Park was not as dramatic. Braves starter Seth Maness set down 10 straight Firebirds to open the game, and Bourne got solo shots from LePage and Roller, going on to shut out Orleans, 8–0, and sweeping its way into
33600-510: The sixth when the game was interrupted multiple times and finally called due to heavy fog, a 15–5 Braves victory. In Game 2 at Lowell Park , LePage again was the spark, belting a two-run single in the third, then stealing second and drawing a throw that allowed Woodward to score from third to put the Braves up, 3–1. Bourne never looked back. Starter Eric Cantrell tossed five plus, then gave way to Logan Billbrough and closer Kevin Munson , who shut down
33800-576: The summer with Barnstable , finished it with Falmouth, and was playing with the Philadelphia Athletics in September. Walsh's 1935 Falmouth title team starred Bill "Lefty" Lefebvre , who went on to play for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators , and also featured pitcher Jud McLaughlin , who had played for the major league Red Sox a few years earlier. Due to a split regular season,
34000-582: The team became known as the Yarmouth Red Sox . Beginning in the early 1960s, the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce had annually invited Boston Red Sox players, officials, and their families to take an all-expenses-paid getaway to Yarmouth during the MLB All-Star break , an event that had been billed as "Yarmouth Red Sox Day". The 1968 decision to change the team name "[recognized] the remarkable success of
34200-533: The team in the early 1970s and was a league all-star in 1973. A colorful character, Ace's Falmouth baseball roots ran deep: not only had his father also played in the Cape League, but his father first met Ace's mother at Falmouth Heights field. CCBL Hall of Fame manager Harvey Shapiro took the Falmouth helm in 1994, and led the team through 1998. The 1994 Commodores team featured several outstanding players. CCBL Hall of Famer and future major league all-star Darin Erstad
34400-594: The team through 1916, and his teams featured several past and future major leaguers. Fletcher Low of Dartmouth College played for the Cottage Club in 1914 and then played briefly for the Boston Braves the following season. Former New York Highlanders hurler Ray Tift pitched for the Cottage Club late in 1914, after defeating Falmouth earlier in the season as a member of the West Somerville, Massachusetts town team. Horace "Hod" Ford played shortstop for Falmouth in 1915 and 1916, and went on to play 15 years in
34600-453: The team's popular infielder, who was a seven-time all-star for Sagamore from 1946 to 1952. Karras was followed by fellow CCBL Hall of Famer Manny Pena, who had played in the league for Falmouth and Sagamore from 1946 to 1955, and skippered the Clouters from 1956 to 1961. Sagamore was a league powerhouse throughout the decade of the 1950s. To fans, it seemed that Sagamore would reach the league championship series every season, usually to face
34800-485: The title in five of six years, including four consecutive titles from 1968 to 1971. Livesey's 1966 title team featured CCBL Hall of Fame pitcher Noel Kinski, a three-time all star who had played for Bourne and Sagamore in the previous two seasons. Kinski went 7–3 with a 3.15 ERA and was the Upper Cape Division's starting All-Star Game pitcher for Falmouth in 1966. The club also featured another Sagamore castoff in University of Connecticut slugger Ron Bugbee, who had won
35000-486: The title series. Milton's season was highlighted by his no-hitter against Orleans in which he came within one walk of a perfect game. The Commodores took home individual honors in 1997 as Jason Edgar was named MVP of the CCBL All-Star Game, and in 1999 when Doc Brooks became the first Commodore to win the CCBL All-Star Game Home Run Derby. The Commodores reached the CCBL championship series twice in
35200-433: The top of the first, but Orleans answered in the bottom half to go ahead 4–3. The Cardinals took a 7–5 lead into the top of the ninth, but the Commodores rallied to go ahead 8–7, and Mitchell nailed down the series-clinching victory by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth. The 1971 title series was a best-of-five series, and was a rematch of the prior year, with the Commodores facing Orleans . The Cardinals took
35400-478: The town of Yarmouth dates back to the early days of the sport on Cape Cod . The Yarmouth Mattakeesetts were organized in 1867 and battled the "Barnstable Cummaquids" on at least three occasions that year. After splitting their first two recorded contests, the seemingly evenly-matched teams met for a highly anticipated third game, this time as an attraction at the Barnstable County Fair. The Cummaquids took
35600-436: Was Falmouth's player-manager, and also managed the team in 1936. He led the league in batting in 1933 with a .362 average, and skippered the team to league championships in 1931, 1932 and 1935. Walsh posted a 170–109 won-loss record as manager and did not have a losing season. He was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2007. One of Walsh's charges at Falmouth was pitcher Al Blanche , a Somerville, Massachusetts native who
35800-521: Was a CCBL all-star at shortstop. The team was particularly strong on the mound, boasting the league's Outstanding Pitcher Terry Doyle and the Outstanding Relief Pitcher Josh Fields . Doyle, a Warwick, Rhode Island native and Boston College product, struck out 52 on the season, including 12 in his July 16 no-hit performance against Chatham . Y-D lost Game 1 of its semi-final playoff series at home against Brewster , but went on
36000-531: Was a rematch of moundsmen Lefebvre and Olson. With both hurlers pitching effectively, the game was tied, 2–2, with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Falmouth walked it off and took the title in exciting fashion when Jerry Shanahan scored on a hard line drive by Myron Ruckstull that resulted in an error off the usually reliable infielding glove of Barnstable's 18-year-old future major leaguer and CCBL Hall of Famer Lennie Merullo . Joe Mulligan and Red Flaherty played for Falmouth in 1936. Mulligan had pitched for
36200-516: Was again downed in the 1960 championship series by Lower Cape champion Yarmouth . The 1962 Clouters featured CCBL Hall of Famer Wayne Granger , who hit .329 with six homers. In 1963, the CCBL was reorganized and became officially sanctioned by the NCAA . The league would no longer be characterized by "town teams" who fielded mainly Cape Cod residents, but would now be a formal collegiate league. Teams began to recruit college players and coaches from an increasingly wide geographic radius. The league
36400-547: Was awarded playoff MVP honors, having batted .370 with three homers in the playoffs. His sixth league championship, the 2016 title tied Scott Pickler with Falmouth's Bill Livesey and Orleans ' Laurin "Pete" Peterson for CCBL career championships by a manager. Pickler was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2019. Y-D again boasted the league's top pitchers in 2017 with CCBL Outstanding Pitcher Kris Bubic and Outstanding Relief Pitcher Riley McCauley. Former team president, general manager, and longtime volunteer Barbara Ellsworth
36600-467: Was bounced from the playoffs in the semi-finals by Orleans . In 1989, the Red Sox broke through with their first league title of the modern era. The team finished the regular season in first place atop the East Division, then faced Brewster in the playoff semi-finals. Y-D took Game 1 from the Whitecaps, 2–1, in 15 innings, and finished the series sweep with a 4–3 victory. In the league championship series,
36800-585: Was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic . Shapiro's 2021 Braves began the season with an 11-game winning streak, followed it up with another 8-game streak later in the season, and finished the regular season in first place atop the West Division, but were downed in the playoff finals by Brewster . After the 2021 season, Shapiro stepped down as Bourne's manager after 18 seasons. The 2022 Braves were led by first-year pilot Scott Landers and hitting coach and former Boston Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia . Bourne featured league MVP Matt Shaw , who led
37000-457: Was constructed privately by the Marconi Social and Athletic Club on land previously occupied by the Keith plant. The Clouters were initially led by CCBL Hall of Fame manager Pat Sorenti, who later served as president and commissioner of the Cape League. CCBL Hall of Famer George Karras was Sagamore's player-manager from 1948 to 1954. Karras' teams starred CCBL Hall of Famer Tello Tontini,
37200-468: Was downed by Brewster in a matchup of the two 1988 expansion franchises. Skipper Harvey Shapiro continued to pilot the team throughout the decade, his total years with the Braves surpassing the total of all previous managers combined. In 2010, Bourne featured the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect and Outstanding Relief Pitcher, Tony Zych . Zych allowed only two runs while striking out 29 in 20.1 innings, posting an 0.89 ERA with 12 saves, and contributing
37400-399: Was former longtime major league hurler Rosy Ryan , who played in three World Series, and struck out the mighty Babe Ruth with the bases loaded in the 1923 World Series . In 1939, the final year of the early Cape League, night baseball was introduced for the first time. Portable lights were staged at the Falmouth Heights field and used for a game against Barnstable . The following night,
37600-406: Was in the midst of a string of four consecutive league titles. In 1977, the team name was expanded to take in the town of Dennis. With the name change, the Red Sox continued to call D-Y High School home, although plans originally called for the team to play a limited number of home dates in Dennis at Ezra Baker School field. In a repeat of 1973, the now Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox defeated Chatham in
37800-494: Was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2018. The 2019 Red Sox were led by the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect Austin Wells , who batted .308 with seven homers. The 2020 CCBL season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic . In 2022, Y-D skipper Scott Pickler recorded his 540th career CCBL victory, passing longtime Chatham coach John Schiffner atop the league's all-time managerial wins list. The CCBL Hall of Fame and Museum
38000-605: Was inducted into the CCBL Hall of Fame. In 1923 the Cape Cod Baseball League was formed and included four teams: Falmouth, Chatham , Osterville , and Hyannis . This early Cape League operated through the 1939 season and disbanded in 1940, due in large part to the difficulty of securing ongoing funding during the Great Depression . Although the composition of the league changed from year to year as various teams joined or dropped out, Falmouth's entry alone lasted
38200-404: Was led by all-stars up the middle with double-play tandem Tommy Edman and Donnie Walton and center fielder Cole Billingsley, and also featured switch-hitting slugger Gio Brusa, and mound ace Ricky Thomas. The Sox swept Brewster in the opening round of playoffs, with Thomas twirling six scoreless innings in the Game 2 clincher. In the East Division finals against Orleans , Y-D dropped Game 1 on
38400-494: Was led by league MVP Brent Killen, and the 1993 team featured two top pitchers in the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect Chris Clemons and the league's Outstanding Pitcher Andy Taulbee. Jon Petke led the CCBL in batting in 1994 with a .379 mark, and sluggers Todd Greene and Eddy Furniss claimed the All-Star Game Home Run Hitting titles in 1992 and 1996 respectively. Red Sox hurlers tossed a pair of no-hitters in
38600-401: Was originally composed of ten teams, which were divided into Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions. The Clouters and Canalmen joined Wareham , Falmouth , and Cotuit in the Upper Cape Division. Bourne reached the playoffs in 1963, but was bumped out in the first round by Wareham . In 1964, CCBL Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello became Bourne's 21-year-old player-manager. Lamoriello had played in
38800-491: Was part of Falmouth's 1931 title team and went on to play for the Boston Braves . Another member of the 1931 team was third baseman Al Niemiec of Holy Cross . Niemiec went on to play for the Boston Red Sox , and in 1937 was traded by the Red Sox with one other player to San Diego of the Pacific Coast League in exchange for a promising young "kid" named Ted Williams . 1933 Falmouth hurler Emil "Bud" Roy began
39000-448: Was praised for his "fine work, and especially his system of coaching." In 1923, the Cape Cod Baseball League was formed and initially included four teams: Falmouth , Chatham , Osterville , and Hyannis . This early Cape League operated through the 1939 season and disbanded in 1940, due in large part to the difficulty of securing ongoing funding during the Great Depression . During this period, teams from various towns moved in and out of
39200-580: Was represented in the Upper Cape Division by Bourne and Sagamore teams. Bourne's team became known as the Bourne Canalmen , and Sagamore's as the Sagamore Canal Clouters , or Sagamore Clouters . The Canalmen played in the league until 1950, then after a decade-long hiatus, returned to the league in 1961. The Bourne team of the 1940s featured CCBL Hall of Famer Jack Sanford, a hard-throwing lefty who went on to play with Sagamore until 1954, winning
39400-400: Was simply crowned as the league champion. However, there were four years in which the league split its regular season and crowned separate champions for the first (A) and second (B) 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
39600-405: Was skippered by Lou Lamoriello, now no longer in a player-manager role. Powered by an array of talented ballplayers, including league MVP Ron Bugbee, and CCBL Hall of Famers Dan DeMichele, shortstop Bob Schaefer , and pitcher Noel Kinski, who won 10 games for the team. The 1965 club went 25–9 in the regular season and met Lower Cape champ Chatham in the best-of-five CCBL title series. Kinski got
39800-512: Was the Cape League's MVP. Joining him were the league's Outstanding Pitcher and fellow CCBL Hall of Famer, Bob St. Pierre, as well as the league's Outstanding Relief Pitcher, Scott Winchester. Winchester set a league record with 13 saves, while St. Pierre went 9–1 with a 1.44 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 75 innings. Falmouth reached the league championship only once in the 1990s, as the 1996 Commodores were carried by CCBL Hall of Fame pitcher Eric Milton's microscopic 0.21 ERA, but lost to Chatham in
40000-411: Was tossed in the eighth, and Orleans went on to win, 7–5, to tie the series at two games apiece. Like Games 1 and 2, Game 5 at Guv Fuller Field was a pitcher's duel that ended with just a single run being scored. Commodores hurler Bob Lukas was dominating, allowing just five hits while striking out 16. The decisive run came in the bottom of the seventh, as Dave Creighton walked and stole second, then scored
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