Bookshelf: When Towns Had Teams (Chapter 2)

 

 

 

 

 

When Towns Had Teams (Jim Baumer)

Chapter 2: Mill Towns and River Valleys: Town Team Baseball Experiences a Revival

In this chapter, Baumer focuses on town-based teams and leagues in western Maine and Androscoggin County in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. 

A theme of a rotating constellation of teams and leagues continues from the first chapter, with teams including Casco, Chisholm-Livermore, Danville, Dixfield Dixies, Gray, Naples, Norway-Paris Twins, Poland, Rumford Pirates, Rumford Rams, Turner, West Minot Townies, and the Wilton Loggers. And leagues consisting of the Andy County League, Pine Tree League, Spruce Tree League, Timber League, Twin City League, and the Western Maine League.

One unifying consistency appears to be the Yankee Amateur Baseball Congress (YABC), an annual tournament among town teams that determined which team would represent Maine in the national tournament in Battle Creek, Michigan. 

And another unifying consistency appears to be the multigenerational motivations for community-based baseball, as explained by former town player, college coach, and Cape Cod League coach Jeff Trundy:

Growing up in a small town of about 300, you learned very early in life that you were supposed to play baseball. If you were good enough, then you would one day get to wear the uniform of the town team and represent your town against rival communities. All of us kids, who played sandlot ball growing up, aspired to one day put on the uniform and take our places out there with our fathers, uncles, or neighbors on the local team.