Pittsfield Baseball Timeline

1791 – Pittsfield bylaw prohibits playing baseball within 80 yards of new Meeting House “for the Preservation of the Windows” – the first baseball bylaw in America.

1859 – First inter-collegiate baseball game played at North and Maplewood in Pittsfield. Williams vs. Amherst. Amherst wins in 26 innings, 73 – 32.

1862 - Elms Base Ball Club forms in Pittsfield. 1865 – African American second baseman, Frank Grant, born in Pittsfield. Nominated for the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, inducted in 2006. 1872 – Pittsfield Old Elms team formed. Known as the “best local team”. They win over 80% of games before disbanding in 1892; however they did lose 65-19 to the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team in history.

Site of 1st Intercollegiate Baseball game in America. Looking South over Maplewood Institute towards center of Pittsfield. Block present day St. Josephs High School and St. Joseph's Church. Photo, Courtesy of Berkshire Athenaeum

1880s – Baseball is leading summer recreational sport. Teams include the shoe clerks vs the bakers; the toolmakers at Stanley Manufacturing vs the meter department; church affiliated teams; the temperance society members vs the non-temperance people and even teams formed by The Pittsfield Bicycle Club.

1892 – George W. Burbank, a Pittsfield contractor, creates “Wahconah Park” an enclosed ballpark and grandstand on 8 acres of land behind Brennen’s Saloon. The first game seen by around 500 people is August 9, 1892; Pittsfield vs Albany NY Gises. Pittsfield wins 12-1. Wahconah Park has been designated as being on the National Historic Register as of June 2005.

c. 1880-1896 – Stanley’s, a semi-professional baseball team, is sponsored by Stanley Manufacturing.

July 1905 – Saugerties’ Hudson River franchise moves to Pittsfield. This is Pittsfield’s only season in the Hudson River League.

Sept. 1908 – Interest renewed for organizing a semi-pro baseball team. Discussion started on forming a stock-funded “Pittsfield Baseball Association”.

1909 – New Wahconah Park grandstand built to replace 1892 one.

1919 – North Street tobacconist, Phil Wilkinson, leads a group which purchases the Eastern League’s New London Planters and moves them to Pittsfield, where they become the Pittsfield Hillies. Because of flooding from the Housatonic River, the Hillies open the season at the Common, but move in mid-season to Wahconah Park. They win the pennant their first year with pitcher Gary Fortune leading the Eastern League with 24 wins and 182 strikeouts. Future major leaguers, Cliff Brady, Mickey Devine and John Tillman play on team.

1921- Hillies win the Eastern League title, again!

1921-1922 – Boston Red Sox play two exhibition games at Wahconah Park against the Hillies. Boston wins the first game (10-9) and the Hillies win the second (4-1).

1922 – Jim Thorpe plays baseball at Wahconah Park, once with the Hartford Senators, twice more with Worcester Boosters.

1924 – Lou Gehrig makes his professional debut (hitting a home run into the Housatonic River) with the Hartford Senators at Wahconah Park.

1925 – Charles “Casey” Dillon Stengel plays in Wahconah Park as a Player/Manager on four different occasions with the Eastern League Worcester team.

1927 – Dennis Sothern is beaned in mid=season and spends several days in a coma. He comes back to lead the Eastern League with 117 runs scored. Earl Webb, George “Mule” Haas, and Moses Solomon, all future major leaguers play with the club.

1928 – Boston Red Sox lose another exhibition game (4-2) against the Pittsfield Hillies at Wahconah Park.

1930 – Pittsfield withdraws from Eastern League in last place. Beginning of twenty years of City League adult amateur baseball played at the Pittsfield Common.

1941 –Pittsfield Electrics team is now a member in the Canadian-American League.

1942 – Future major leaguer Mark Belanger is born in Pittsfield. Pittsfield’s American Legion team wins state and regional championships. Team includes with Ted Mezejewski, who becomes a legendary St. Joe High School coach, Carl Heidel whose pitching career is cut short by an Axis bullet, and Earl Turner who becomes catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1947 – January. Pittsfield Electrics open Canadian-American League season. Admission price for games 70 cents. c. June, Berkshire County Semipro Baseball League established.

1949 –Pittsfield’s All-American Amateur Baseball Association Team, sponsored by Pat Cioffi of the Brass Rail, wins national championship in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. American Legion team coached by Ed Hickey wins state and New England titles. Pittsfield High’s team, coached by Art Fox, wins state championship, and eight players go on to professional contracts, including Bobo Quadrozzi, Tony Ferdyn, Ed McMahon, Bud Sheran and Rit Flynn.

1950 – New grandstand opens at Wahconah Park, nine years after having been first proposed. Pittsfield Little League formed by Clem Farrell and John O’Brien with first games at the site of Crescent Creamery.

1951 – American Legion team wins state and New England titles.

1952 – Canadian-American league suspends operations in Pittsfield. Joe Borletto’s semi-pro Tyler Aces are state champs and play for national championship in Wichita, Kansas. Pittsfield’s All-American Amateur Baseball Association Team, sponsored by Frankie Martin of the Majestic Restaurant, wins national championship in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Pittsfield joins New Orleans and Brooklyn as the only two-time winners of this national event. Billy McMahon and Larry Bossidy are the premier pitchers of this era.

1953 – Former Pittsfield Electric’s third baseman Al Rosen is American League MVP. Larry Bossidy pitching for the Springfield Westinghouse Team wins three games at the National Baseball Congress tournament in Wichita, Kansas.

1962 – Mark Belanger, PHS shortstop, begins professional career.

1964 – Pittsfield Babe Ruth League Team, coached by Buddy Pellerin, wins Massachusetts State Championship. Babe Ruth League is for 13 – 15 year olds.

1965 – Pittsfield Red Sox join Eastern League and win pennant under manager Eddie Popowski nipping Earl Weaver’s Elmira Pioneers. George Scott, Chris Coletta, Gerry Moses, Reggie Smith, Carlton Fisk, Bob Montgomery and Bill Lee assigned to team.

1966 – Future major leaguers Sparky Lyle, Ken Wright, Gerry Moses and Billy Conigliaro on Pittsfield team. Teammates Tony Torchia and Jerry Hudgins lead the Eastern League. Pittsfield High School team, coached by Buddy Pellerin using his exciting brand of “buddy ball,” wins state championship. Player Tom Grieve goes on to a baseball career first as a player and then as manager of the Texas Rangers.

1967 – Pittsfield’s Bobby Mitchell and Bill Schlesinger lead the Eastern League. Ken Brett, Ken Wright, Gerry Moses and Bill Klimkowski also with club.

1969 – Pittsfield’s Jackie Mountain hits 5 straight doubles in a 14-2 win over Waterbury. Teammate Carlton Fisk leads Eastern League catchers with 22 errors. Bill Lee with club.

1970 – David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower throw out first ball for the Pittsfield Senators game at Wahconah Park.

1972 – Bill Madlock playing with Pittsfield Rangers. Former Pittsfield Red Sox catcher, Carlton Fisk, wins American League Rookie of the Year Award.

1973 – The Pittsfield Rangers, under manager Joe Klein, win the Eastern League pennant but lose the playoffs to Reading. Pittsfield’s Jim Rice leads the Eastern League with a .317 average. Pittsfield’s American Legion Team, coached by Pete Elsworth, wins state championship.

1974 – Pittsfield West Little League Team is Massachusetts State Champion.

1976 – Recreation of 1859 Williams-Amherst collegiate baseball game, June 1. Williams wins 13-12. Pittsfield (Berkshire) Brewers leave the Eastern League. Pittsfield South Little League Team, coached by Jack Brennan, is Massachusetts State Champion

1977 – Former Pittsfield Red Soxer, Sparky Lyle, wins American League Cy Young Award. Pittsfield South Little League Team, coached by Jack Brennan, is Massachusetts State Champion.

1982 – Pittsfield High Team, coached by Buddy Pellerin, shares state championship when finals are curtailed due to Proposition 2 ½.

1986 – Bill Maddux plays with Pittsfield Cubs on the way to the majors. Pittsfield North Little League Team is Massachusetts State Champion.

1987 – Comedian/Actor, Bill Murray, is owner of Pittsfield Cubs. Visits Wahconah Park. Pittsfield Cubs win Eastern League pennant under manager Jim Essian. Mark Grace named Eastern League player of the year.

1988 – Pittsfield leaves Eastern league after drawing only 53,121 fans

1989 – Little Falls Mets (NYP League) move to Pittsfield. Future major leaguer outfielder, Curtis Pride on Pittsfield team. Former Pittsfield Cub, Jerome Walton, wins National League Rookie of the Year Award.

(click image for gallery)
Curtis Pride, left
Photo courtesy of
Bill Cormier,
Cormier Gallery

1990 – Pittsfield Mets under manager Tim Blackwell win NYP League pennant.

1991 – Pittsfield Mets under manager Jim Thrift win McNamara Division of NYP League.

1995 – Pittsfield Mets finish last in McNamara Division of NY-Penn League.

1999 – Former Pittsfield player Rafael Palmeiro named American League Player of the Year by The Sporting News.

2000 – Pittsfield South Little League Team is Massachusetts State Champion, and again in 2001.

2001 –Former Pittsfield pitcher, Brooks Lawrence dies in Springfield, OH, and former Pittsfield manager, Eddie Popowski dies.

2002 – Berkshire Black Bears join the independent Northern League. Stay through 2003 season.

2004 – Pittsfield proclaims itself “The Baseball Garden of Eden”. Vintage baseball game organized by Jim Bouton, Chip Elitzer and Eric Margenau at Wahconah Park. Pittsfield Hillies vs The Hartford Senators. Pittsfield loses 14-12.

2005 – Berkshire Dukes, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, make their second season debut at Wahconah Park. Pittsfield Babe Ruth League Team wins Massachusetts State Championship to play in 2005 Babe Ruth World Series.

2006 – 19th century African American Frank Grant, who was born in Pittsfield, nominated in 1865, was inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame.