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121-675: 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 the pre- Civil War days. The Barnstable Patriot reported on July 7, 1857 that, "the Fourth

242-593: A saw mill , grist mill , and a fulling mill on the Quequechan River. In 1714, Church sold his land, along with the water rights to Richard Borden of Tiverton and his brother Joseph. This transaction would prove to be extremely valuable 100 years later, helping to establish the Borden family as the leaders in the development of Fall River's textile industry. During the 18th century, the area consisted mostly of small farms and relatively few inhabitants. In 1778,

363-439: 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 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

484-509: A 6-foot-6 southpaw, took advantage of swirling Veteran's Field winds to keep Chatham hitters at bay, tossing 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

605-527: 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 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

726-539: A carpenter for Samuel Slater in his early years. The Troy Mill opened in 1814 at the upper end of the falls. In 1821, Colonel Richard Borden (along with Maj. Bradford Durfee) established the Fall River Iron Works at the lower part of the Quequechan River . Durfee was a shipwright, and Borden was the owner of a grist mill. After an uncertain start, in which some early investors pulled out,

847-462: A few years after the merger with Plymouth Colony. In 1746, in the settlement of a colonial boundary dispute between Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Tiverton was annexed to Rhode Island , along with Little Compton and what is now Newport County, Rhode Island . The boundary was then placed approximately at what is now Columbia Street. In 1703, Benjamin Church, a hero of King Philip's War established

968-526: A large portion of downtown. City Hall was spared, but was badly damaged. Today, many of the structures near the corner of North Main and Bedford Street date from the early 1930s, as they were rebuilt soon after the fire. By the 1930s and the Great Depression , many of the mills were out of business and the city was bankrupt. The once mighty American Printing Company finally closed for good in 1934. In 1937, their huge plant waterfront on Water Street

1089-537: A leading textile manufacturing center in the United States. While the textile industry has long since moved on, its impact on the city's culture and landscape is still prominent. Fall River's official motto is "We'll Try", dating back to the aftermath of the Great Fire of 1843. Nicknamed The Scholarship City after Irving Fradkin founded Dollars for Scholars there in 1958, mayor Jasiel Correia introduced

1210-539: 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 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

1331-469: 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 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

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1452-460: A public water supply, and sewerage system were constructed to meet the needs of its growing population. From 1896 to 1912, Fall River was the headquarters of the E. P. Charlton & Company , a chain of five and ten cent stores . Founded at Fall River in 1890 by Seymour H. Knox and Earle Perry Charlton as the Knox & Charlton Five and Ten Cent Store, E.P. Charlton operated fifty-eight stores in

1573-562: 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

1694-594: A scheduling conflict with the ACBL , the 1972 All-Star Game was contested between the CCBL all-stars and 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

1815-522: A sewer. In the 20th century the mills were abandoned and some of them burned, exposing the falls once more. Because of highway construction in the 1960s, the waterfalls were buried under Interstate 195 , which crosses the Taunton River at Battleship Cove. Plans exist to "daylight" the falls, restore or re-create them, and build a green belt with a bicycle path along the Quequechan River. In the south end, Cook Pond, also formerly known as Laurel Lake,

1936-412: A sheltered harbor at the edge of downtown. Fall River has two large lakes (originally one lake) and a large portion of protected woodlands on the eastern part of the city, which is higher in elevation, with the Quequechan River draining out of the ponds and flowing 2.5 miles (4.0 km) through the heart of the city, emptying out an estimated 26 million US gallons (98 × 10 ^  L) per day into

2057-446: A sign of good things to come when CCBL Hall of Famer Billy Best hit .398 for 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

2178-496: 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 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

2299-586: Is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts , United States. Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States census , making it the tenth-largest city in the state . It abuts the Rhode Island state line with Tiverton, RI to its south. Located along the eastern shore of Mount Hope Bay at the mouth of the Taunton River , the city gained recognition during the 19th century as

2420-439: 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 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

2541-696: Is located on the border of Dartmouth in North Dartmouth's Hixville section that borders Fall River. Copicut Hill, the highest point in Fall River, is located between North Watuppa Pond and the Copicut Reservoir. The hill has a summit elevation of greater than 404 feet (123 m) above sea level. The Quequechan River breaks out of its bed in the west part of the South Watuppa Pond, just west of The Narrows, and flows through

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2662-548: Is named. In this distance the total fall is about 132 feet (40 m). and the volume of water 122 cubic feet (3.5 m ) per second. Originally an attractive feature of the landscape, the Quequechan has seldom been visible since it was covered over by cotton mills and the Bay Colony Railroad line in the 19th century. As the Quequechan became an underground feature of the industrial landscape, it also became

2783-792: Is the North Watuppa Pond , the city's main reservoir. The southern pond is the South Watuppa Pond. The narrow strip of land where the two ponds meet is known as The Narrows. East of the North Watuppa Pond is the Watuppa Reservation, which includes several thousand acres of forest-land for water supply protection that extends north into the Freetown-Fall River State Forest , and east to the Copicut Reservoir . Copicut Pond

2904-622: Is the Sagamore Mills on North Main Street, which were constructed from similar rock quarried in Freetown and brought to the site by rail). Fall River rode a wave of economic prosperity well into the early 20th century. During this time, the city boasted a bustling downtown with several upscale hotels and theaters. As the city continuously expanded during the late 19th century, additional infrastructure such as parks, schools, streetcar lines,

3025-556: The Battle of Freetown , was fought here during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) after British raids badly damaged Bristol and Warren. The militia of Fall River, at that time known as Freetown, put up a stronger defense against a British force. In 1803, Fall River was separated from Freetown and officially incorporated as its own town . A year later, Fall River changed its name to "Troy." The name "Troy"

3146-660: 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 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

3267-611: 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 the summer with Barnstable , finished it with Falmouth, and

3388-629: 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 was former longtime major league hurler Rosy Ryan , who played in three World Series, and struck out

3509-456: The Brutalist style popular in the 1960s and 1970s, the new city hall drew complaints from city workers and residents almost immediately. In 1970, Valle's Steak House opened one of its landmark restaurants on William S. Canning Boulevard in the city's South End. The steak house was popular with Fall River residents, but economic challenges caused the chain to close all of its restaurants in

3630-690: 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 was Falmouth's player-manager, and also managed

3751-476: The St. Louis Cardinals . In 1992 and 1993, the Commodores were piloted by CCBL Hall of Famer Arthur "Ace" Adams, who had played for 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

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3872-567: The "Make It Here" slogan as part of a citywide rebranding effort in 2017. Fall River is known for the Lizzie Borden case , the Fall River cult murders , Portuguese culture , its numerous 19th-century textile mills and Battleship Cove , home of the world's largest collection of World War II naval vessels (including the battleship USS  Massachusetts ). Fall River has its city hall located over an interstate highway . At

3993-492: The 1960s, the city's landscape was drastically transformed with the construction of the Braga Bridge and Interstate 195, which cut directly through the heart of the city. In the wake of the highway building boom, the city lost many of its longtime landmarks. The Quequechan River was filled in and re-routed for much of its length. The historic falls were diverted into underground culverts. A series of elevated steel viaducts

4114-575: The 1980s. Also during the 1970s, several modern apartment high-rise towers were built throughout the city, many part of the Fall River Housing Authority. There were two built near Milliken Boulevard, two on Pleasant Street in Flint Village, another on South Main Street, and in the north end off Robeson Street. Today, these high-rises mostly house the elderly. In 1978, the city opened the new B.M.C. Durfee High School in

4235-501: 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 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

4356-492: 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, 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

4477-550: 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 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

4598-474: 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 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

4719-520: 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 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

4840-459: 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 the league with 11 homers and 38 RBI, and his .308 average left him just 19 points shy of the triple crown . Gillaspie finished

4961-495: The Commodores. Nattile also belted a game-tying home run at 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

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5082-545: The Fall River Iron Works was incorporated in 1825. The Iron Works began producing nails, bar stock, and other items, such as bands for casks in the nearby New Bedford whaling industry. They soon gained a reputation for producing nails of high quality, and business flourished. In 1827, Col. Borden began regular steamship service to Providence, Rhode Island . The American Print Works was established in 1835 by Holder Borden, uncle of Col. Richard Borden. With

5203-511: 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 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

5324-523: 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

5445-438: 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

5566-601: 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 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,

5687-587: The North End, replacing the historic Rock Street building that had become overcrowded and outdated for use as a high school. The "new" Durfee is one of the largest high schools in Massachusetts . Since approximately 1980, there has been a considerable amount of new development in the North End of the city. A significant number of new single- and multi-family housing developments have been constructed, particularly along North Main Street. In 2017, Fall River

5808-486: The Quequechan's power had been all but maximized. The Massasoit Steam Mill was established in 1846, above the dam near the end of Pleasant Street. However, it would be another decade or so when improvements in the steam engine by George Corliss would enable the construction of the first large steam-powered mill in the city, the Union Mills in 1859. The advantage of being able to import bales of cotton and coal to fuel

5929-483: The South's large investment in new machinery and other equipment. In 1923, Fall River faced the first wave of mill closures. Several of the mills merged, allowing them to remain in business into the late 1920s. The worst fire in Fall River's history occurred on the evening of February 2, 1928. It began when workers were dismantling the recently vacated Pocasset Mill . During the night, the fire spread quickly and wiped out

6050-514: The United States and Canada by the time of its merger with several other retailers to form the F. W. Woolworth Company in 1912. In 1920, the population of Fall River peaked at 120,485. The cotton mills of Fall River had built their business largely on one product: print cloth. Around 1910, the city's largest employer, the American Printing Company (APC), employed 6,000 people and was the largest company printer of cloth in

6171-490: 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 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

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6292-506: The best tidewater privilege in southern New England. It was perfect for industrialization—big enough for profit and expansion, yet small enough to be developed by local capital without interference from Boston . The Fall River Manufactory was established by David Anthony and others in 1813. That same year, the Troy Cotton & Woolen Manufactory was founded by a group of investors led by Oliver Chace of Swansea. Chace had worked as

6413-441: 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 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

6534-426: The city (partially underground in conduits) where it falls to a channel leading to what is now Fall River Heritage State Park at Battleship Cove on the Taunton River. The Quequechan River originally flowed unconfined over an almost level course for more than a mile. In the last half-mile (800 m) of its progress it rushes down the hillside in a narrow, precipitous, rocky channel, creating the falls for which Fall River

6655-402: The city before draining into the bay. Quequechan is a Wampanoag word believed to mean "falling river" or "leaping/falling waters." During the 1960s, Interstate 195 was constructed through the city along the length of the Quequechan River. The portion west of Plymouth Avenue was routed underground through a series of box culverts, while much of the eastern section "mill pond" was filled in for

6776-649: The city had one-sixth of all New England cotton capacity and one-half of all print cloth production. The Spindle City, as it became known, was second in the world to only Manchester, England in terms of output. To house the thousands of new workers—mostly Irish and French Canadian immigrants during these years—over 12,000 units of company housing were built. Unlike the well-spaced boardinghouses and tidy cottages of Rhode Island , worker housing in Fall River consisted of thousands of wood-framed, multi-family tenements, usually three-floor " triple-deckers " with up to six apartments. Many more privately owned tenements supplemented

6897-407: The city has a total area of 40.2 square miles (104.2 km ), of which 33.1 square miles (85.8 km ) is land and 7.1 square miles (18.4 km ), or 17.68%, is water. Water power from the Quequechan River and natural granite helped form and shape Fall River into the city it is today. The Quequechan River once flowed through downtown unrestricted, providing water power for the mills and, in

7018-644: The company housing. During the 19th century, Fall River became famous for the granite rock on which much of the city is built. Several granite quarries operated during this time, the largest of which was the Beattie Granite Quarry, near what is now the corner of North Quarry and Locust Streets. Many of the mills in the city were built from this stone, and it was highly regarded as a building material for many public buildings and private homes alike. The Chateau-sur-Mer mansion in Newport, Rhode Island

7139-608: The convention's delegates agreed on. In July 1843, the first great fire in Fall River's history destroyed much of the town center, including the Atheneum, which housed the Skeleton in Armor which had been discovered in a sand bank in 1832 near what is now the corner of Hartwell and Fifth Street. During this time, the southern part of what is now Fall River (south of Columbia Street) remained part of Tiverton, Rhode Island . In 1856,

7260-480: The deep Mount Hope Bay/Taunton River estuary in the western part of the city. The city lies on the eastern border of Mount Hope Bay, which begins at the mouth of the Taunton River starting south from the Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge . The greater portion of the city is built on hillsides rising quite abruptly from the water's edge to a height of more than 200 feet (60 m). From the summits of these hills,

7381-460: 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 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

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7502-416: 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

7623-549: 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]

7744-672: The former and current interns to serve as play-by-play broadcasters for the Falmouth Commodores: Chatham Anglers Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 222448828 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 10:50:11 GMT Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River

7865-521: 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

7986-561: The highway embankment. In 1653, Freetown was settled at Assonet Bay by members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony as part of Freeman's Purchase, which included the northern part of what is now Fall River. In 1683, Freetown was incorporated as a town within the colony. The southern part of what is now Fall River was incorporated as the town of Tiverton as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1694,

8107-591: The last 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) of its length, down a series of eight steep waterfalls falling 128 feet (39 m) into the Taunton River at the head of the deep Mount Hope Bay . Fall River and surrounding areas are located in the northeastern coastal forests, which make up the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome. Fall River was the only city on the East Coast of the United States to have had an exposed waterfall in part of its downtown area; it flowed less than 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.8 km) into

8228-615: The leadership of the Borden family, the American Print Works (later known as the American Printing Company) became the largest and most important textile company in the city, employing thousands at its peak in the early 20th century. Richard Borden also constructed the Metacomet Mill in 1847, which today is the oldest remaining textile mill in the city; it is located on Anawan Street. By 1845,

8349-517: 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 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

8470-409: 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, a mark Trundy proceeded to leave far behind. The Commodores qualified for postseason play in nine of ten years in the 2010s, and reached

8591-547: 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

8712-664: 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

8833-536: 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

8954-458: 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

9075-564: 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, 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

9196-430: 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 a doubleheader, and Barnstable came out on top in both halves of the twinbill, 9–1 and 11–5, to even up

9317-426: 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 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

9438-463: 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

9559-563: 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

9680-527: 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 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

9801-524: The prosperity that followed. By 1868, it had surpassed Lowell as the leading textile city in America with over 500,000 spindles. In 1871 and 1872, a "most dramatic expansion" of the city occurred: 15 new corporations were founded, building 22 new mills throughout the city, while some of the older mills expanded. The city's population increased by 20,000 people during these two years, while overall mill capacity doubled to more than 1,000,000 spindles. By 1876,

9922-633: 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 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

10043-504: The semi-finals, the Commodores met 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,

10164-460: 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 the late innings that gave the All-Stars the 8–4 victory and the league crown. Falmouth's championship club

10285-403: 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 was a rematch of moundsmen Lefebvre and Olson. With both hurlers pitching effectively, the game

10406-480: 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 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

10527-437: The steam engines to Fall River's deep water harbor (and ship them out from the same) made Fall River the city of choice for a series of cotton mill magnates. The first railroad line serving Fall River, The Fall River Branch Railroad, was incorporated in 1844 and opened in 1845. In 1847, the first regular steamboat service to New York City began. The Fall River Line , as it came to be known, operated until 1937, and for many years

10648-447: 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 was part of Falmouth's 1931 title team and went on to play for

10769-594: 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

10890-448: The terrain extends back in a comparatively level table-land, on which a large section of the city now stands. Two miles (3 km) eastward from the shore lies a chain of deep and narrow ponds, eight miles (13 km) long, with an average width of three-quarters of a mile, and covering an area of 3,500 acres (14 km ). These ponds are supplied by springs and brooks, draining a watershed of 20,000 acres (81 km ). The northern pond

11011-606: The textile industry in Fall River grew out of the developments made in nearby Rhode Island , beginning with Samuel Slater at Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1793. In 1811, Col. Joseph Durfee, the Revolutionary War veteran and hero of the Battle of Freetown in 1778, built the Globe Manufactory, a spinning mill at the outlet of Cook Pond on Dwelly St. near what is now Globe Four Corners in the city's South End. (It

11132-632: The time of the establishment of the Plymouth Colony in 1620, the area that would one day become Troy City was inhabited by the Pocasset Wampanoag tribe, affiliated with the Pokanoket Confederacy headquartered at Mount Hope in what is now Bristol, Rhode Island . The "falling" river that the city's name refers to is the Quequechan River (pronounced "quick-a-shan" by locals) a 2.5 mi (4km) river which flows through

11253-552: The town of Tiverton, Rhode Island voted to split off its industrial northern section as Fall River, Rhode Island. In 1861, after decades of dispute, the United States Supreme Court moved the state boundary to what is now State Avenue, unifying both Fall Rivers as a city in Massachusetts (among other changes; see History of Massachusetts § Rhode Island eastern border ). The early establishment of

11374-553: 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

11495-493: The world. Dozens of other city mills solely produced cloth to be printed at the APC. World War I had provided a general increase in demand for textiles, and many of the mills of New England benefited during this time. The post-war economy quickly slowed, however, and production quickly outpaced demand. The Northern mills faced serious competition from their Southern counterparts due to lower labor and transportation costs, as well as

11616-482: Was acquired by the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and soon employed 2,600 people. A handful managed to survive through World War II and into the 1950s. In October 1941, just a few weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor , another large fire broke out in the main building of the printworks. The fire was a major setback to the U.S. war effort; 30,000 pounds (13,607 kilograms) of raw rubber worth $ 15 million

11737-548: Was an initial group, which was wary of allowing free black full membership, so a second group (this one) was formed in response by Elizabeth Buffum Chace and her sisters, who were committed to allowing free black women membership. Sarah G. Buffman, a delegate from the group, was sent to the Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women in Philadelphia in 1838. Buffman signed all three of the statements that

11858-514: 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, 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

11979-565: 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 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

12100-503: 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 the Falmouth Heights cottages where the players resided. Falmouth home games from

12221-409: Was constructed from Fall River granite , known for its greyish-pink color. While most of the mills "above the hill" were constructed from native Fall River granite, nearly all of their counterparts along the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay were made of red brick due to the high costs and impracticality associated with transporting the rock through the city and down the hill. (One notable exception

12342-673: Was constructed to allow access the new bridge. Many historic buildings were demolished, including the Old City Hall, the Troy Mills, the Second Granite Block (built after the 1928 fire), as well as other 19th-century brick-and-mortar buildings near Old City Hall. Constructed directly over Interstate 195 in the place of it predecessor, the new city hall (known as Government Center) was opened in 1976 after years of construction delays and quality control problems. Built in

12463-460: 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 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

12584-551: 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

12705-525: Was lost in the inferno. With the demise of the textile industry, many of the city's mills were occupied by smaller companies, some in the garment industry, traditionally based in the New York City area but attracted to New England by the lure of cheap factory space and an eager workforce in need of jobs. The garment industry survived in the city well into the 1990s, by which point it had fallen victim to globalization and foreign competition. In

12826-434: 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 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

12947-569: 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 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

13068-435: 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 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

13189-540: Was originally composed of ten teams, which were divided into Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions. Falmouth joined Wareham , Cotuit , Bourne and Sagamore in 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

13310-422: Was part of Tiverton, Rhode Island at the time.) While Durfee's mill itself was not particularly successful, its establishment marked the beginning of Fall River's time as a mill city. The real development of Fall River's industry, however, would occur along the falling river from which it was named, about a mile north of Durfee's first mill. The Quequechan River , with its eight falls, combined to make Fall River

13431-411: 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 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

13552-658: 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, the 1935 CCBL championship was decided by a best-of-five playoff between Falmouth and Barnstable . Falmouth sent Lefebvre to

13673-550: Was ranked the 51st most dangerous city in the United States. It was also the third most dangerous city in Massachusetts and fourth most dangerous city in New England. On January 20, 2019, a cannabis dispensary opened in Fall River, becoming only the sixth dispensary in Massachusetts and the first in Southeastern Massachusetts to open to anyone 21 years or older. According to the U.S. Census Bureau ,

13794-462: Was signed by Boston. In his only game with Falmouth, he hit two home runs. 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

13915-418: Was skippered by CCBL Hall of Fame manager Ed Lyons, and featured CCBL Hall of Famers Jim McCollom, who batted .413 and slugged 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

14036-432: 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 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

14157-470: 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 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

14278-550: Was the preferred way to travel between Boston and Manhattan . The Old Colony Railroad and Fall River Railroad merged in 1854, forming the Old Colony and Fall River Railroad. In 1854, Fall River was officially incorporated as a city; it had a population of about 12,000. Its first mayor was James Buffington. Fall River profited well from the American Civil War and was in a fine position to take advantage of

14399-432: 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

14520-472: Was used for 30 years and was officially changed back to Fall River on February 12, 1834. During this period, Fall River was governed by a three-member Board of Selectmen , until it became a City in 1854. In 1835, The Fall River Female Anti Slavery Society was formed (one of the many anti-slavery societies in New England) to promote abolition and to allow a women's space to conduct social activism. There

14641-445: Was won by Falmouth, 8–1, with the home team's Mike Flanagan getting the victory. With Livesey's departure after 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

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