| Chatham Athletics |
|---|
 ChathamAs2003.jpg | |
|---|---|
| Team Information | |
|---|---|
| 'League' | Cape Cod Baseball League |
| 'Division' | Eastern Division |
| 'Location' | Chatham, MA |
| 'Ballpark' | Veteran's Field |
| History | |
|---|---|
| 'League Championships' (5) | 1967, 1982, 1992, 1996, 1998 |
| 'Post-Season Division Championships' (7) | 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001 |
| 'Regular Season Division Championships' (7) | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997 (tie), 1999, 2001 |
| 'Last Season' | 25-16-3 (53 points) 2nd Eastern Division |
| Management | |
|---|---|
| 'President' | Art Dunn |
| 'General Manager' | Charlie Thoms |
| 'Field Manager' | John Schiffner |
The 'Chatham Athletics', more commonly referred to as the 'Chatham A's', are an amateur baseball team based in
Chatham, MA. The team is a member of the
Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Eastern Division. Chatham currently plays its home games at
Veteran's Field in the town of Chatham. The A's have been owned and operated by the non-profit Chatham Athletic Association since
1963[1]. Like other Cape League teams, the Chatham Athletics are funded through merchandise sales, donations, and other fundraising efforts at games such as fifty-fifty raffles.
In
2007, Chatham finished the year in second place in the Eastern Division with 53 points and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since
2005, where they were swept by eventual champion
Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Chatham has not won the league championship since
1998, when they defeated the
Wareham Gatemen three games to two in the championship series.
History
The Pre-Modern Era
Amateur baseball in the town of Chatham dates back to the early
1900s and the old
Cape Cod Twilight League. Chatham was the dominant team in the league throughout the
1930s, winning the Twilight League championship seven consecutive times between
1933 and
1939[2]. The team has played at its current home ballpark, Veteran's Field, since
1923.
The Modern Era
Chatham has seen significant success in the league's modern era, winning a total of five Cape League Championships. They began the modern era by reaching the Cape League championship series for four consecutive years. Their first title came in
1967, when
Thurman Munson led the team to a 30-9-4 record in the regular season and a championship victory over the
Falmouth Commodores[3]
The A's reached the championship series four more times before they finally won another league title in
1982 when they swept the
Hyannis Mets three games to none in the championship series.
Chatham was one of the league's most successful teams throughout the
1990s and early
2000s. Chatham made the playoffs nine out of ten years between
1991 and
2000, including with Cape League titles in
1992,
1996, and 1998. The A's have claimed more Cape League Regular Season (7) and Post-Season (7) Eastern Division titles than any other team, their last of which came in
2001 when they lost the championship series to the
Wareham Gatemen.
[4]
The A's in media
The Chatham A's were featured prominently in the 2001
Warner Bros. motion picture "
Summer Catch," staring
Freddy Prinze Jr.. Published in 2004, Jim Collins' ''The Last Best League'' is a non-fiction account of the 2002 Chatham A's.
Famous Alumni
★
Jeff Bagwell 1987-1988
★
Jason Bay 1999
★
Seth Etherton 1995-1996
★
Mike Lowell 1994
★
Mike MacDougal 1998
★
Kevin Mench 1998
★
Thurman Munson 1967
★
Chad Orvella 2002
★
Kyle Snyder 1998
★
Tim Stauffer 2002
★
Scott Williamson 1996
★
Chris Young 2000
References
1. 1998 Cape Cod Baseball League Official Yearbook, p. 14
2. 2001 Cape Cod Baseball League Official Yearbook, p. 15
3. Alder, Eric (2005-07-28). "Chatham A's 1967 Team Honored". ''The Cape Cod Chronicle''. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
4. Cape League Championships. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
External links
★
Chatham A's official site
★
CCBL Home Page
★
Chatham A's Broadcast Archives