Bookshelf: When Towns Had Teams (Chapter 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Towns Had Teams (Jim Baumer)

Chapter 8: The Summer of '69: A Season to Remember

Baumer inventories town-based baseball as the tumultuous 1960s come to a close, and this chapter is a mix of celebration and foreboding.

On one hand, amateur baseball was still active and vibrant throughout the Pine Tree State during the summer of 1969. On the other hand, multiple concerning factors--including a lack of younger players eager to replace aging players--indicated amateur baseball in Maine was on a downward trend.

One of those indicators was the close of the 20-year tradition of the YABC tournament, an event that marked the end of a statewide tradition that brought Maine's disparate leagues and teams together every season.