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84-465: The Brockton "Shoemakers" nickname corresponds with Brockton's large shoemaking industry in the era, when a peak of 13,000 employees worked at shoe factories in the city. From 1907 to 1909, the Brockton team was known as the "Tigers" in their first three seasons of play following the 1905 Grover Shoe Factory disaster in Brockton. Brockton teams played home minor league games at both Highland Park and

168-467: A $ 2,000 signing bonus from Boston. McHale was sent to the minor leagues and promptly made his professional debut with the 1910 Brockton Shoemakers. After his stint with Brockton, McHale then made his major league debut with Boston on September 28, 1910. After his baseball career ended, McHale performed professionally in vaudeville , singing as a tenor . Variety Magazine referred to McHale as "baseball's Enrico Caruso " and Babe Ruth stated that McHale

252-533: A 0.95 ERA. Playing with the Chicago Cubs in 1911, Sheckard set the single season major league record for walks with 147. The record was broken by Babe Ruth in 1920. Sheckard is one of four players in the modern era (1900–present) to hold the single season walks record; the others are Ruth, Jack Crooks , and Barry Bonds . Sheckard is the all-time major leader among left fielders in assists, with 243. After beginning league play on May 1, 1897, Brockton tied for

336-565: A 45–27 record, Brockton folded while leading the league standings. Playing under returning manager Walter Burnham, Brockton folded on the same day as the Pawtucket Tigers. The eventual first place Portland Phenoms were the league champion in 1899. Ed Breckenbridge of Brockton hit 12 home runs to lead the New England League. The New England League did not return to play in the 1900 season. In an oddity, after not fielding

420-417: A 50–31 record, finishing 2.0 games ahead of second place Brockton, who had a final record of 48–33. There was controversy that led to a final playoff series between the top two teams. In 1885, Lawrence was managed by Walter Burnham, who later had a championship tenure as the Brockton manager. The Brockton and Lawrence teams were both in competition for the 1885 Eastern New England League championship throughout

504-409: A Class B level status. Brockton ended the season with a 30–51 record in New England League play, as Fred Doe replaced Bill McGunnigle as manager for the season. Bill McGunnigle left Brockton and became owner/manager of the rival Lowell franchise in the New England League. The Shoemakers finished the 1893 season in fifth place, ending the season 25.5 games behind the first place Fall River Indians in

588-546: A Fall River team in 1875. After his hands became sore after playing catcher, McGunnigle used bricklayers' gloves with the glove fingers removed to fashion the first catchers mit. In 2015, a plaque of Bill McGunnigle was dedicated at the Brockton City Hall after having been first unveiled in a temporary location at a Brockton Rox game in 2014. Officially, the Lawrence team ended the 1885 season in first place with

672-399: A brick boiler house attached to the wooden factory as the crossbar of the E . When the fourth floor was added, the original boiler was replaced by a larger one and the old boiler, 17 feet (5.2 m) long and six feet (1.8 m) in diameter, was left in place as a backup. Since the new boiler could generally meet the factory's demands on its own, the old one was seldom used; and when used,

756-423: A ceremony at Brockton's Melrose Cemetery three days later. The disaster's 58th victim, Hiram Pierce, died on April 15. On the day of the fire, the leatherworkers union announced that the injured would be paid $ 5 weekly (equivalent to $ 170 in 2023) until they recovered, and that the families of the dead would receive $ 100 (equivalent to $ 3,391 in 2023) for each family member killed. Civic leaders created

840-408: A chimney effect in the parts of the factory still standing, resulting in a fire hot enough to melt iron pipes and radiators. The wooden floors, treated nightly with linseed oil to keep the dust down, burned quickly. High winds helped spread the fire to nearby storage sheds and neighboring buildings including a hardware store and a rooming house. The Campello neighborhood's district firehouse shared

924-423: A city block with the factory and its firefighters arrived quickly, as did many local citizens. Using long timbers as levers, they were able to lift some of the wreckage and rescue some workers before the flames reached them. Local newspapers recount many acts of heroism in the rescues made that day. Barrels of naphtha , a volatile industrial solvent related to gasoline, were stored in a wooden shed directly behind

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1008-422: A close race, Brockton finished 1.5 games behind the first place Worcester Busters and manager Jesse Burkett in the final New England League standings. Olaf Henriksen of Brockton scored 88 runs to lead the New England League and teammate Simmy Murch had a league best 144 total hits. Tigers' pitcher Marty O'Toole returned to Brockton and again led the New England League in wins, with 26, along with 265 strikeouts,

1092-531: A collegiate ice hockey coach. In his hockey coaching career, Gaw coached the Dartmouth College , Princeton University Tigers and Boston University Terriers collegiate hockey teams. The 1912 Brockton Shoemakers ended the Class B level New England League season in fifth place, playing the season under manager Ed McLane . The Shoemakers ended the season with a 62–62 record and finished 14.5 games behind

1176-525: A dispute over Sexton having no intention of pitching for Brockton after May 16, 1894. Sexton showed the media a contract with signatures of both he and Allen with clear wording that Sexton was to pitch for Brockton from April 16 to May 16, 1894. After his Brockton stint, Sexton eventually signed with the Boston Beaneaters on June 18, 1894. The Brockton Shoemakers folded before the end of the eight–team 1894 New England League season, after compiling

1260-474: A game against Lawrence. The incident ended McGunnigle's career as a regular player. Lawrence pitcher Dick Conway threw two pitches at his head that McGunnigle was able to avoid, before Conway hit McGunnigle in the head with the third pitch, according to the Brockton Weekly Gazette. The Boston Globe , said of the beaning. "The only topic on the street tonight is the question of whether it

1344-485: A member to begin the season. On June 30, 1901, Bangor had compiled a record of 22–14 while playing under manager Walter Burnham, Brockton's former manager, when the franchise was relocated to Brockton, Massachusetts . The team's tenure in Brockton was brief. One week later on July 6, 1901, the Brockton franchise folded from the New England League. Overall, the Bangor/Brockton team had a 24–16 final record when it

1428-622: A national boiler safety code. Safety improved, but the Massachusetts fatalities would not be the last. Twenty-three people were killed and 94 injured in 1962 when a boiler exploded and ripped through a New York Telephone Company cafeteria at lunchtime. A city agency later determined that the boiler had been improperly maintained and operated. 42°03′59″N 71°01′00″W  /  42.066336°N 71.016738°W  / 42.066336; -71.016738 Jim Cudworth James Alaric Cudworth (August 22, 1858 – December 21, 1943)

1512-502: A poor record. On August 25, 1894, having played under managers William Allen and Charles Wilson, the Shoemakers folded with a record of 30–62 on that date. The Fall River Indians were the eventual league champions. Despite folding the previous season, Brockton continued membership in the 1895 Class B level New England League and began the season with the rest of the eight–team league. The Brockton Shoemakers finished in sixth place in

1596-651: A team in 1900, Brockton had two separate teams play in two separate leagues in the 1901 season. This happened after Brockton began the 1901 season without a minor league team. The first 1901 Brockton team evolved from the Bangor Millionaires , who began the season as members of the independent level New England League before relocating to Brockton during the season. The Augusta Live Oaks , Bangor Millionaires , Haverhill Hustlers , Lewiston , Lowell Tigers , Manchester , Nashua and Portland teams began league play on May 15, 1901, without Brockton joining them as

1680-637: The Cincinnati Reds and joined the Reds for the end of the 1908 season. He appeared in three games for Cincinnati, with a 1–0 record and a 2.40 ERA. At the conclusion of the 1909 season, the Brockton Tigers finished as the runner-up in the eight–team Class B level New England League. Managed during the season by the returning Stephen Flanagan, the Tigers ended the season with a record of 75–48. In

1764-602: The Fitchburg Burghers in the 1914 New England League. In 1914, the Brockton Shoemakers left the New England League and became charter members of the newly formed Colonial League , a league that became mired in controversy. The Colonial League was formed for the 1914 season as a six–team Class C level minor league. The Fall River Spindles , New Bedford Whalers , Pawtucket Tigers , Taunton Herrings and Woonsocket Speeders teams joined Brockton in

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1848-511: The Grover Shoe Factory disaster . After the explosion, engineers estimated the force of the boiler explosion as equal to 660 pounds (300 kg) of dynamite. When the baseball team resumed minor league play, Brockton was known by the "Tigers" nickname for the 1907 to 1909 seasons. The 1907 Brockton Tigers returned as members of the New England League, as the league played as a Class B level league with eight teams. Brockton replaced

1932-632: The Lowell Browns , Manchester Farmers and Salem Witches franchises as the new members. Bill McGunnigle managed Lowell, who won the league championship. After managing Lowell, Bill McGunnigle became manager of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms , signed by Brooklyn for a salary of $ 2,500. McGunnigle led Brooklyn to the 1889 and 1890 National League pennants. McGunnigle was best friends with former teammate Jim Cudworth who replaced him as Lowell's manager in 1888 after having also replaced him as

2016-795: The Manchester Textiles team in the league and the Manchester manager, Stephen Flanagan, became the Brockton manager in 1907, beginning a five-season tenure with the team. Beginning in 1905, the Lynn franchise had also become known as the "Shoemakers' during Brockton's absence from the league. The Brockton Tigers joined the Fall River Indians , Haverhill Hustlers , Lawrence Colts , Lowell Tigers, Lynn Shoemakers , New Bedford Whalers and Worcester Busters teams in beginning league play on April 26, 1907. The Tigers had competition in

2100-503: The "Brockton" team became charter members of the Eastern New England League . The Biddeford Clamdiggers , Haverhill , Lawrence , Newburyport Clamdiggers and Portland teams joined with Brockton in beginning league play. Brockton's Eastern New England League team player/manager was Bill McGunnigle , a Brockton native. A decade earlier McGunnigle was credited with using the first catchers mit, while playing with

2184-409: The 1886 New England League season. Brockton had a final record of 45-56 and ended the season in fourth place in the six-team league. Brockton was managed by Bill McGunnigle and Jim Cudworth , as the team finished 29.5 games behind the first place Portland team. The Brockton team did not return to play as members of the 1887 New England League. The league expanded from six teams to eight teams, adding

2268-417: The 1892 season with a 46–45 record to place fourth in the eight–team New England League, which lost three teams during the season. The Shoemakers finished 15.5 games behind first place Woonsocket team in the final standings, as the New England League ended the season with five remaining teams. In 1893, the Brockton Shoemakers continued play as the New England League played the season with six teams and retained

2352-462: The 1898 six–team Class B level New England League, the Brockton Shoemakers won their second consecutive New England League championship in a shortened season. The New England League stopped play on July 5, 1898. The Shoemakers ended the season with a record of 32–16 and were in first place under returning manager Walter Burnham when the New England League folded in July. Brockton finished 6.5 games ahead of

2436-483: The 1903 New England League to begin the season. On June 27, 1903, the Brockton "Bees" team had compiled an 18–23 record when the franchise relocated to become the New Bedford Whalers . The Brockton/New Hartford team ended the season with an overall record of 46–63, playing the season under manager Fred Doe , who returned to manage Brockton after a ten-year period between tenures. Brockton/New Hartford ended

2520-400: The 1907 Brockton Tigers ended the season in third place in the eight-team league behind manager Stephen Flanagan. The Tigers ended the 1907 season with a 59–51 record, ending the season 16.0 games behind the first place Worcester Busters, managed by Jesse Burkett in the Class B level league. Brockton player Simmy Murch tied for the New England League lead in home runs, with 4 total home runs on

2604-405: The 1908 New England League, batting title, hitting .327. Catterson also led the league with 140 total hits. Tigers pitcher Marty O'Toole won 31 games to lead the league, along with 266 strikeouts, best in the New England League. The next league player finishing behind O'Toole in wins was Frank Barberich of Worcester, who had 24 wins. After the New England League season ended, O'Toole was signed by

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2688-504: The Brockton Relief Fund, which collected and distributed nearly $ 105,000 in cash assistance to the families (equivalent to $ 3,560,667 in 2023). Factory owner Robbins Grover worked for the rest of his life to secure financial aid for the families of those who died. An assistant engineer who had been with Rockwell five minutes before the explosion stated that when he left, the boiler gauges showed steam pressure to be in

2772-431: The Brockton Shoemakers were the co-champions of the six–team Class B level New England League, after ending the regular season in a tie. The Fall River Indians, New Bedford Whalers , Newport Colts , Pawtucket Phenoms and Taunton Herrings teams joined Brockton in 1897 New England League play. Bill Magee was a 20-year-old pitcher when he played for the 1897 Brockton Shoemakers. Magee advanced and played five seasons in

2856-473: The Brockton manager in 1886. The Brockton "Shoemakers" nickname for their baseball team corresponds with local history and industry in the era. Circa 1900, over 6,000 people were employed in over 100 separate shoe manufacturing entities within the city. Brockton was nicknamed as the "Shoe City." In 1919, there were 39 shoe manufacturers in the Brockton with 13,000 employees. By 1964, Brockton had 10 shoe factories, with 2,000 employees. The last shoe manufacturer in

2940-591: The Centre Street Grounds. The Brockton franchise utilized both ballparks intermittently from 1885 through 1933. Brockton played a partial minor league season in the 1933 New England League and were a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers that season. Brockton next hosted minor league baseball with the 2002 Brockton Rox , after nearly a seventy-season gap between minor league teams. Minor league baseball began in Brockton in 1885, when

3024-650: The New England League championship. The Shoemakers ended the season with a 70–37 record, playing under returning manager Walt Burnham. Brockton finished in a first-place tie, as the Newport Colts ended the New England League season the identical record. No playoff was held between the two teams. Brockton and Newport were followed in the New England League standings by the Pawtucket Phenoms (54–51), Fall River Indians (47–59), Taunton Herrings (40–68) and New Bedford Whalers (38–67). Jimmy Sheckard of Brockton led

3108-485: The R. B. Grover shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts on March 20, 1905. Following a boiler explosion , the four-story wooden building collapsed and the ruins burst into flames, incinerating workers trapped in the wreckage. The Grover disaster brought new attention to industrial safety and led to stringent safety laws and a national code governing the safe operation of steam boilers. The R. B. Grover shoe factory

3192-615: The Syracuse/Brockton team ended the season in seventh place with a 45–87 overall record. The team finished 44.0 games behind the first place Rochester Bronchos in the eight-team league. Brockton did not return to the Eastern League in 1902, with the Jersey City Skeeters replacing the Brockton franchise in league membership. After not fielding a minor league team in 1902, Brockton returned as members of

3276-533: The United States. On March 29 the district attorney stated that the accident was due to a hidden defect in the boiler and that no criminal charges would be filed. As to civil liability , two weeks later a judge ruled that the explosion was caused by a defect that could not have been discovered, and held the company blameless. He also found that the various insinuations made against chief engineer Rockwell were untrue. An engineering study begun as part of

3360-423: The boiler house. The shed was set afire by the burning coals and the naphtha exploded, throwing sheets of flame onto the wreckage and driving rescuers away. Between 300 and 400 workers were in the factory at the time of the explosion. Workers in the sections that were still standing escaped down stairways or climbed to the roof; others had to jump from windows because the explosion had knocked some fire escapes off

3444-539: The boiler was inspected in December and found in apparent good condition. Several employees testified that David Rockwell "seemed capable of attending to his duties" that morning. Boiler inspectors who examined the ripped-open boiler reported finding a crack in one of its riveted , lap jointed seams. Experts characterized the boiler, built in 1890, as old technology likely to have a short service life under high pressure. Thousands of similar boilers were then in use in

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3528-487: The building and its full tank smashed through the roof, causing that end of the building to immediately collapse, with the floors pancaking and the walls falling in on top of them. Many workers who survived the initial explosion and collapse were trapped by broken beams and heavy machinery. Burning coals thrown from the boiler's fire pit landed throughout the debris, starting fires that were fed by broken gas lines. The factory's more than 300 windows, now blown out, created

3612-405: The building. About 100 workers escaped unharmed and 150 were injured. A number who were only slightly injured went home without reporting their injuries. Police later related the story of a worker so dazed that he left the scene, applied for a job at another shoe factory, worked all day, then went home to find his family mourning him. An immediate search was made for the chief engineer. Rockwell

3696-668: The city closed in 2009. Today's Footjoy shoe brand was founded in Brockton as the Burt and Packard Shoe Company in 1857. It was soon named the Field and Flint Company, and established the Footjoy brand in 1923. Famed boxer Rocky Marciano grew up in Brockton, playing baseball at Brockton High School and dreaming of a baseball career. Marciano's father was employed at the Adams Shoe Company. His father forbid Rocky from working at

3780-706: The country, to its creditors. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) had been founded in 1880 in response to the boiler explosions that had become common as the use of steam power expanded during the Industrial Revolution . Between 1880 and 1890 there were over 2000 boiler explosions in the United States. By 1890, some 100,000 boilers were in service, many of them unsafe. Inspections were rare, and operating guidelines almost nonexistent. Steam pressures were regularly cranked up to produce additional work. The Grover disaster, coupled with another fatal Massachusetts shoe factory boiler explosion

3864-489: The eight–team league. With a final record of 48–56, the Shoemakers ended the season 18.0 games behind the first place Fall River Indians in the final standings. Royal Perrin managed Brockton during the 1895 season. With Walt Burnham beginning a tenure as manager, the 1896 Brockton Shoemakers improved to finish in third place in the New England League season. Brockton ended the season with a 63–43 record, playing its first season under manager Walter Burnham. The league championship

3948-466: The era, Class A was the highest level of minor leagues. On July 25, 1901, the Syracuse Stars team of the Eastern League team relocated to Brockton, with the team becoming known as the Brockton "B's." On that date, Syracuse had a 28–39 record while playing under manager Frank Leonard when the franchise relocated to become the Brockton B's. After compiling a 17–48 record while based in Brockton,

4032-416: The explosion might have been caused by a recently installed safety device. C. E. Roberts, a manager of Hartford Steam Boiler, stated "So far as I have been able to learn there appears to have been no carelessness in the handling of the boiler, and the explosion, in my opinion, was caused by a defect that was impossible to discover." A coroner's inquest was convened. A Grover representative testified that

4116-539: The explosion, and when told of Mrs. Rockwell's remarks said that the amount of pressure on the boiler was not a matter in which factory officials interfered, adding that the engineer "took his orders in this matter from the Hartford Boiler Insurance Company, and if he overworked that boiler he did it without our knowledge. We do not even know why he used the old boiler this week instead of the newer one". One Grover executive speculated that

4200-480: The final league standings. Playing the season under returning manager Stephen Flanagan, Brockton ended the season with a record of 59–60 in the eight-team league. The Shoemakers finished 16.0 games behind the first place Lowell Tigers, as the league held no playoffs. Chippy Gaw played for the Brockton Shoemakers teams in both 1911 and 1912. While playing baseball, Gaw received his degree in dentistry from Tufts University . Following his baseball career, he later became

4284-406: The final standings. In 1894, Brockton native Frank Sexton was a local player who had signed to play with the team. However, Sexton was in dispute with the Shoemakers over the language in his signed contract for the upcoming season. On April 17, 1984, Sexton did report to the team at the beginning of the season for Brockton despite being under contract. Sexton and Brockton manager W.H. Allen were in

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4368-555: The first place Fall River Spindles in the final standings. The 1915 Colonial League reorganized itself, officially becoming a farm system for the major league rival Federal League. As a result, the league voluntarily withdrew itself from the National Association . At the April 1915 Colonial League meeting, Charles Coppen was re-elected as president and Alexander Bannwart was elected as league secretary. Walter S. Ward,

4452-415: The first place Lawrence Barristers in the league standings, as the eight-team league held no postseason playoffs. The Brockton team continued to be known as the "Shoemakers," playing in the 1913 eight-team New England League and finishing the season in last place. Nick Rufiange was the Brockton manager as no playoffs were held. The Shoemakers ended the season with a 44–75 record and finished 33.5 games behind

4536-401: The first place Lowell Grays in the final standings. The second place Portland Duffs team was managed by Baseball Hall of Fame member Hugh Duffy in 1913. The third place Worcester Busters, were managed again by Baseball Hall of Fame member Jesse Burkett. Following the 1913, season, the Brockton franchise left the New England League and joined a new league. The Brockton franchise was replaced by

4620-605: The following year in Lynn , brought new cries for improved industrial safety. A new governor demanded prompt action and a Board of Boiler Rules was formed, drafting a simple three-page set of rules. After the ASME helped overcome manufacturer objections to "needless government interference", Massachusetts passed "An Act Relating to the Operation and Inspection of Steam Boilers" in 1907. The Massachusetts laws eventually led to passage of

4704-475: The inquest brought new facts to light. At least two barrels of naphtha were stored in a wooden shed directly behind the boiler house. The study said that without the naphtha explosions the number of deaths would have been only about one-quarter of the actual. When the naphtha exploded, it crushed one side of the factory building, pinning more workers under beams and machinery. A second outbuilding containing naphtha caught fire after about fifteen minutes and there

4788-410: The league in multiple categories. Sheckard won the league batting championship, while hitting .370. His 53 stolen bases, 122 runs scored and 166 total hits, also led the league. Brockton pitcher Togie Pittinger led the New England League pitchers with a 14–5 record. On June 22, 1898, Fall River Indians pitcher Tom Flanagan threw a no–hitter and defeated the Brockton Shoemakers 5–0. Continuing play in

4872-576: The league with Hall of Fame member Jesse Burkett serving as player/manager for the Worcester Busters team, who would have multiple championship seasons. During the 1907 season, the Brockton Tigers added Brockton native Buck O'Brien to their roster. In July, O'Brien signed his first professional contract. Buck O'Brien's professional debut came on August 20, 1907, against the Haverhill team. O'Brien gave up six runs in four innings, before he

4956-501: The major leagues before he suddenly disappeared. In 1907, with a wife and children, Magee reportedly vanished, never to be seen or heard from again. Jimmy Sheckard played for the Brockton Shoemakers in 1897 before making his major league debut with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms at the end of the season, embarking on a 17-year career. At age 18, Sheckard led the New England League in batting average, runs scored, stolen bases and total hits. Sheckard also pitched in 11 games for Brockton and had

5040-589: The most in the New England League. In three seasons pitching for Brockton, O'Toole won 76 games. In 1910 Marty McHale began a storied baseball season. While pitching for the Maine Black Bears baseball team in 1910, McHale threw three consecutive no-hitters during the college baseball season. Upon graduating from Maine, McHale signed with the Boston Red Sox organization in May of 1910, and received

5124-476: The newly formed league. During their first 1914 season, it was speculated that the Colonial League was being controlled by the major league rival Federal League , a claim which was denied by the league, but later proved to be accurate. In April, 1914 Pawtucket team owner Alexander Bannwart drew attention in hiring Big Jeff Pfeffer to manage his Pawtucket Tigers. In May, it was suspected that Bannwart

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5208-627: The organization of the National Association. Continuing play in the eight-team 1915 Colonial League, Brockton joined the Fall River Spindles, Hartford Senators , New Bedford Whalers, New Haven White Wings , Pawtucket Rovers, Springfield Tips and Taunton Herrings teams in Colonial League play. Grover Shoe Factory disaster The Grover Shoe Factory disaster was an industrial explosion, building collapse and fire that killed 58 people and injured 150 when it leveled

5292-425: The place Pawtucket Tigers in the final standings. Brockton pitcher Grant Thatcher led the New England League with a 10–2 record. Brockton continued play as the New England League resumed play in 1899 after folding during the previous season. The league expanded from six teams to eight teams to begin the 1899 season, but four of the teams folded during the season, first place Brockton included. On August 8, 1899, with

5376-399: The plant manager telephoned Rockwell to ask about some strange noises coming from the radiators along one wall. Rockwell had just stepped out of the building, but his assistant assured the manager that everything was in order. A few minutes later, the old boiler exploded, rocketing up through three floors and the roof. The flying boiler knocked over an elevated water tower at one end of

5460-455: The police. Body collection began that afternoon, with only bone fragments to be found toward the rear of the factory where the fire was worst. As families arrived looking for missing workers, grief-stricken relatives ran back and forth between reading the latest survivor lists and watching the recovery of bodies. Due to the extreme heat of the fire, only a few bodies could be positively identified. Thirty-nine unidentified victims were buried in

5544-402: The previous season. Stephen Flanagan continued his tenure as Brockton's manager, as the Shoemakers ended the season with a final record of 45–62. Brockton ended the 1910 season 29.0 games behind the first place New Bedford Whalers in the final standings of the Class B level league. Continuing the Brockton membership in the Class B level New England League, the 1911 Shoemakers team placed sixth in

5628-414: The safe range and the boiler to have plenty of water. The state Inspector of Boilers checked the boiler's fusible plug and determined that the explosion was not caused by a lack of water. Rockwell's wife stated that for the past few days her husband had been irritable because he had to operate the boiler at "a pressure it was unequal to". A factory official stated that he was "at a loss" to account for

5712-503: The season finished 24.0 games behind the first place Lowell Tigers in the final standings of the eight-team Class B level league, as no playoffs were held. The New Bedford franchise continued play as members of the New England League in the 1904, 1905 and 1906 seasons. Brockton did not field a minor league team during those seasons. On March 20, 1905, a boiler explosion at a shoe factory in Brockton killed 58 workers and injured hundreds of workers and nearby residents. The event became known as

5796-428: The season. The 1908 Brockton Tigers were again managed by Stephen Flanagan as the team finished in fourth place in the eight-team New England League final standings. The Tigers had a 66–56 final record, finishing the season 13.0 games behind the New England League champion Worcester Busters and manager Jesse Burkett in the final standings of the Class B level league, which held no playoffs. Tom Catterson of Brockton won

5880-400: The season. As the season was nearing its end, two games between the two teams were disputed and the league ruled in a September meeting that they were to be made up at the end of the scheduled regular season. The games were scheduled by the league to be played on October 3 in Lawrence and October 4 in Brockton. However, the Brockton team did not appear for the first game in Lawrence. With fans in

5964-474: The shoe factories and encouraged him to follow other pursuits, which led him to baseball and then boxing. With Bill McGunnigle returning as manager from his time with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Brockton resumed minor league play in 1892. The Brockton franchise rejoined the Class B level New England League, with the team becoming known as the "Shoemakers" for the first time. The Shoemakers finished

6048-610: The stands, the game at Lawrence was declared a 9-0 forfeit by the umpire after Brockton did not appear. McGunnigle said in the aftermath that he wasn't able to reassemble his complete team in time for the game and Lawrence countered the Brockton should be expelled from the league. After a league meeting was held on October 6, 1895, the two teams were in agreement to play a three-game series for the championship. The games were rescheduled to be played on October 10 in Brockton, October 13 in Lawrence, and October 15 in Boston , if necessary. Lawrence

6132-643: The treasurer of the Brooklyn Tip-Tops and the son of Brooklyn team owner George S. Ward , was elected as the Colonial League's treasurer. Wishing to expand the Colonial League into Springfield, Massachusetts , Hartford, Connecticut and New Haven, Connecticut , whose regions belonged to the Eastern Association , the Colonial League reorganized itself as the farm system for the Federal League. and voluntarily withdrew itself from

6216-418: Was "the best goddamn singer I ever heard." Continuing as New England League members in 1910, the Brockton franchise returned being known by their former nickname. The renamed Brockton "Shoemakers" continued Brockton's tenure in New England League play and finished the season in last place in the eight-team league. The last place finish was a fall from their second-place finish in the New England League standings

6300-491: Was Conway's idea to frighten the batsman or if he was trying to get the balls as close to the batsman as possible" The Eastern New England League continued play and shortened its name for the 1886 season. The newly named "New England League" played its first game in 1886 , with the same five Eastern New England League clubs plus the addition of the Boston Blues as the sixth team. Brockton resumed minor league play during

6384-478: Was a second naphtha explosion, showering hundreds of gallons of the flaming liquid on the burning wreckage. Engineers estimated the force of the boiler explosion as equal to 660 pounds (300 kg) of dynamite. Although his factory was insured , Captain Grover was financially ruined. The R. B. Grover Company declared bankruptcy and assigned its remaining assets, more than 30 Emerson shoe stores scattered around

6468-494: Was at first reported as among the injured, then could not be found, then at one point was reported as having left town. From her kitchen window, Mrs. Rockwell had seen him sitting in a chair near the boiler house window five minutes before the explosion. A search of the boiler house the next day turned up a charred body, a bent watch, two rubber heels and a torn piece of clothing identified by Mrs. Rockwell as belonging to her husband. Survivors were asked to register their names with

6552-568: Was disbanded. After the folding of the Bangor/Brockton team before the conclusion of the season, pitcher Frank Willis joined the Lowell Tigers and led the New England League with both 18 wins and 160 strikeouts in pitching for teams in the three cities. Following its folding from the New England League, the Brockton franchise immediately gained a team in another league. Brockton joined the reformed 1901 Class A level Eastern League nineteen days after their New England League team had folded. In

6636-429: Was one of a number of shoe factories in Brockton, a town that had 35,000 shoe workers. The wooden building, shaped like a letter E , occupied half a city block at the corner of Main and Calmar Streets. Grover made the popular Emerson brand shoe, and business had been good enough to add a fourth floor. The factory was heated using steam radiators , with the steam being produced by coal-fired steel boilers installed in

6720-416: Was removed by manager Stephen Flanagan, but the Tigers rallied to win the game by the score of 9–7. In two subsequent appearances for Brockton, O'Brien improved his performances. After establishing himself in the major leagues, on April 20, 1912, O'Brien was the starting pitcher for Boston Red Sox in the first game ever played at the newly constructed Fenway Park . In their return to the New England League,

6804-440: Was used reluctantly. Grover's chief engineer David Rockwell, who had a first-class engineer's license and twelve years experience, did not trust it. The new boiler had to be flushed out as part of its regular maintenance, so Rockwell had put the old boiler back into service temporarily. Early that cold damp Monday, he fed its coal fire and put the boiler to work heating the building for arriving day-shift workers. At 7:45 a.m.

6888-407: Was victorious in the playoff, winning the first game 9–4 and the second game 11–4 and won the league championship. Kent Howard of Brockton won the league batting title, hitting .357. Teammate William Hawes scored a league leading 87 runs. Brockton continued minor league play in 1886. On July 23, 1886, Brockton player/manager Bill McGunnigle suffered a fractured skull when hit in the head by a pitch in

6972-511: Was won again by the Fall River Indians, who finished 4.5 games ahead of third place Brockton in the final standings, as the league held no playoffs. Ed Breckinridge of Brockton led the New England League with 25 home runs, while also hitting .402 on the season. Brockton pitcher Jim Korwan led the league with 168 strikeouts and advanced to pitch for the Chicago Cubs in 1897. At age 25, Korwin died of tuberculosis in 1899. In 1897,

7056-411: Was working as an "agent" of the Federal League, which Bannwart denied. The 1914 Brockton Shoemakers ended their first Colonial League season in last place in the final standings of the newly formed league, which held no playoffs. With a record of 36–61 the Shoemakers placed sixth in the six-team league. Playing the season under managers Willie Reardon and Bert Weeden , Brockton finished 25.0 games behind

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