The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousand former players who have gone on to play in the major leagues.

History

Pre-modern era

Origins

As early as the 1860s, baseball teams representing various Cape Cod towns and villages were competing against one another. The earliest newspaper account is of an 1867 game in

Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

between the hometown "Nichols Club" and the visiting Cummaquid team. Though not formalized as a league, the games provided entertainment for residents and summer visitors. In 1885, a

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

baseball game was held matching teams from Barnstable and Sandwich. According to contemporary accounts, the 1885 contest may have been at least the twelfth such annual game. By the late 19th century, an annual championship baseball tournament was being held each fall at the Barnstable County Fair, an event that continued well into the 20th century, with teams representing towns from Cape Cod and the larger region. In 1921, the Barnstable County Agricultural Society determined to limit the fair's annual baseball championship to teams from Cape Cod. Falmouth won the championship in 1921, and Osterville in 1922. Interest in baseball was growing, as was a movement to create a formal league of Cape Cod teams.

The early Cape League era (1923–1939)

The "Cape Cod Baseball League" was formed in 1923, consisting of four teams: Falmouth, Osterville, Hyannis, and Chatham. Teams were made up of players from local colleges and prep schools, along with some

semi-pro ''Semi-Pro'' is a 2008 American sports comedy film. The film was directed by Kent Alterman in his directorial debut, written by Scot Armstrong, and produced by Jimmy Miller. It stars Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, André Benjamin and Maura Tier ...

players and other locals. One notable player during this period was North Truro native Danny "Deacon" MacFayden, who went on to play for seventeen years in the major leagues. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the composition of the league varied from season to season. Towns did not opt to field teams in every season, and teams from other towns such as Bourne, Harwich, Orleans,

Provincetown Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Province ...

, and Wareham joined the league. Teams were not limited to league play, and often played teams from towns and cities in the larger region, as in 1929 when Falmouth played an exhibition game against the major league Boston Braves. The league enjoyed widespread popularity throughout the 1930s, and even engendered competition in the form of the Barnstable County Twilight League and the Lower Cape Twilight League. However, as the cumulative effects of the Great Depression made it increasingly more difficult to secure funding for teams, the Cape League disbanded in 1940.

The Upper and Lower Cape League era (1946–1962)

With young men returning home after World War II, the Cape League was revived in 1946. The league now excluded paid professional or semi-pro players, and for a while attempted to limit players to those who were Cape Cod residents. The league was split into Upper Cape and Lower Cape divisions, and in addition to many of the town teams from the "old" Cape League, new teams now joined such as those representing the

Massachusetts Maritime Academy Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Mass Maritime) is a public university in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, focused on maritime-related fields. It was established in 1891 and is the second oldest state maritime academy in the United States. Originall ...

Otis Air Force Base Otis may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Otis (Superman), in the films ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' and related DC Comics media ** Otis Graves, in the TV series ''Supergirl'' * Otis (''The Walking Dead''), in the Image Comics ...

, and the Cape Verdean Club of Harwich among others.

Modern era (1963–present)

In 1963, the Cape Cod Baseball League was reorganized and became officially sanctioned by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

. The league would no longer be limited to Cape Cod residents, but would recruit college players and coaches from an increasingly wide radius. In 1985, the league moved away from the use of aluminum bats, and became the only collegiate summer league in the nation at that time to use wooden bats. This transition began a period of significant growth in the league's popularity and prestige among MLB

scouts Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpack ...

, as well as among college players and coaches. This popularity has translated into over one thousand former players who have gone on to major league playing careers, including multiple members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Structure and season

The CCBL regular season runs from mid-June through mid-August. Teams are geographically divided into the East Division and West Division. Each division consists of five teams which each play 44

regular season In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of ...

games, 6 games against each team from within their division, and 4 games against each team from the other division. During the latter half of the regular season, an

all-star game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

is contested between the all stars from the East and West divisions, and features a pre-game

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

hitting contest. The CCBL All-Star Game was played at

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Bas ...

from 2009 to 2011, but is normally played at one of the CCBL home fields. Following the regular season, the top four teams in each division qualify for the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

, which is an

elimination tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

consisting of three rounds of

best of three There are a number of formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the ''single elimination'', the ''best-of-'' series, the ''total points series'' more commonly k ...

series to determine the league champion and winner of the Arnold Mycock trophy.

Teams

Current teams

Origin of team nicknames

Prior to 2009, six of the ten teams in the CCBL shared their

team nickname A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fict ...

with a team in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). However, in late 2008 MLB announced that it would enforce its trademarks, and required those CCBL teams to either change their nicknames or buy their uniforms and merchandise only through MLB-licensed vendors. Three of the teams eventually changed their nicknames. In 2009, the Chatham Athletics became the Anglers, and the Orleans Cardinals became the Firebirds. The following season, the Hyannis Mets became the Harbor Hawks. The Bourne Braves and Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox, teams who share nicknames with Boston's two historic professional baseball franchises, chose to keep their nicknames and use MLB licensees for their merchandise. MLB could not enforce the "Mariners" trademark against the Harwich Mariners because the use of the nickname by Harwich predated the entry of the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

into MLB as an expansion team in 1977. The four teams whose nicknames were not in conflict with MLB have locally themed names such as the nautical monikers of the Falmouth Commodores and Brewster Whitecaps. The Cotuit Kettleers nickname recalls a legendary local Native American land transaction whose terms of sale involved the exchange of a brass kettle. The Wareham Gatemen are the only team that does not play its home games on Cape Cod, as the town of Wareham sits on the edge of the mainland, at the "gateway" to Cape Cod.

Franchise timelines

Origins ''Below is a partial list of Cape Cod baseball teams from the 1860s until the formation of the Cape League in 1923.'' *Barnstable Cummaquids *Barnstable Osceolas *Barnstable Village *Chatham *Falmouth Cottage Club *Harwich *Hyannis *Orleans Pants Factory *Osterville *Sandwich Athletics *Sandwich Nichols Club *West Barnstable Mastetuketts *West Falmouth *Yarmouth Mattakeesetts
Early Cape League era (1923–1939) DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1100 height:auto barincrement:26 PlotArea = left:20 right:20 bottom:20 top:20 Period = from:1923 till:1939 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:majorGridColor value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:lineColor value:gray(0.5) id:ohio value:rgb(0.85,0.80,0.80) id:notpro value:rgb(0.82,0.80,0.80) id:black value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.0) id:west value:rgb(1,0.80,0.80) id:east value:rgb(0.82,0.91,1) ScaleMajor = start:1925 increment:5 gridcolor:majorGridColor # -- Text Positions Define $Up = shift:(,1) Define $Left = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,) Define $LeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(10,) Define $LeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(3,) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,1) Define $Right = anchor:till align:left shift:(25,) Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,) Define $RightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,1) Define $UpRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,1) Define $UpRightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,1) Define $UpUpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,10) Define $Down = shift:(,-10) Define $Downx2 = shift:(,-20) Define $DownRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,-10) Define $DownLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-2,-10) Define $DownLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,-10) Define $t = textcolor Define $champ = text:"•" $t:white fontsize:L shift:(-4, -1) Define $I = text:"(I)" BarData = # -- Cape League bar:Falmouth bar:Chatham bar:Hyannis bar:Osterville bar:ChatHarw bar:Wareham bar:Orleans bar:Harwich bar:Barnstable bar:Provincetown bar:Bourne PlotData = color:notpro $t:black width:20 fontsize:M mark:(line, black) anchor:middle # other options are anchor:from anchor:till align:center # other options are align:left align:right shift:(0,-7) # -- Falmouth bar:Falmouth from:01/01/1923 till:12/31/1939 color:west $LeftIn text:"Falmouth, 1923–1939" # -- Barnstable bar:Barnstable from:01/01/1931 till:12/31/1937 color:west $LeftIn text:"Barnstable, 1931–1937" bar:Barnstable from:01/01/1939 till:12/31/1939 color:west $LeftIn text:"1939" # -- Bourne bar:Bourne from:01/01/1933 till:12/31/1939 color:west $LeftIn text:"Bourne, 1933–1939" # -- Hyannis bar:Hyannis from:01/01/1923 till:12/31/1930 color:west $LeftIn text:"Hyannis, 1923–1930" # -- Osterville bar:Osterville from:01/01/1923 till:12/31/1930 color:west $LeftIn text:"Osterville, 1923–1930" # -- Chatham bar:Chatham from:01/01/1923 till:12/31/1926 color:west $LeftIn text:"Chatham, 1923–1926" bar:Chatham from:01/01/1930 till:12/31/1931 color:west $LeftIn text:"1930–1931" # -- Harwich bar:Harwich from:01/01/1930 till:12/31/1939 color:west $LeftIn text:"Harwich, 1930–1939" # -- ChatHarw bar:ChatHarw from:01/01/1927 till:12/31/1929 color:west $LeftIn text:"Chatham-Harwich, 1927–1929" # -- Wareham bar:Wareham from:01/01/1927 till:12/31/1928 color:west $LeftIn text:"Wareham, 1927–1928" bar:Wareham from:01/01/1930 till:12/31/1932 color:west $LeftIn text:"1930–1932" # -- Orleans bar:Orleans from:01/01/1928 till:12/31/1934 color:west $LeftIn text:"Orleans, 1928–1934" bar:Orleans from:01/01/1937 till:12/31/1938 color:west $LeftIn text:"1937–1938" # -- Provincetown bar:Provincetown from:01/01/1933 till:12/31/1933 color:west $LeftIn text:"Provincetown, 1933"
Upper and Lower Cape League era (1946–1962) F4U and TBM aircraft at Otis Field in August 1944

F4U and TBM aircraft at Otis Field in August 1944

DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1100 height:auto barincrement:26 PlotArea = left:20 right:20 bottom:20 top:20 Period = from:1946 till:1962 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:majorGridColor value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:lineColor value:gray(0.5) id:ohio value:rgb(0.85,0.80,0.80) id:notpro value:rgb(0.82,0.80,0.80) id:black value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.0) id:west value:rgb(1,0.80,0.80) id:east value:rgb(0.82,0.91,1) ScaleMajor = start:1950 increment:5 gridcolor:majorGridColor # -- Text Positions Define $Up = shift:(,1) Define $Left = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,) Define $LeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(10,) Define $LeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(3,) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,1) Define $Right = anchor:till align:left shift:(25,) Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,) Define $RightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,1) Define $UpRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,1) Define $UpRightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,1) Define $UpUpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,10) Define $Down = shift:(,-10) Define $Downx2 = shift:(,-20) Define $DownRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,-10) Define $DownLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-2,-10) Define $DownLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,-10) Define $t = textcolor Define $champ = text:"•" $t:white fontsize:L shift:(-4, -1) Define $I = text:"(I)" BarData = # -- Upper Cape League bar:FalmouthAllStars bar:Sagamore bar:Barnstable bar:Bourne bar:Maritime bar:Mashpee bar:Sandwich bar:Cotuit bar:Osterville bar:Otis bar:FalmouthFalcons bar:Wareham bar:Chatham bar:Harwich bar:Yarmouth bar:Dennis bar:Orleans bar:Brewster bar:Verdean bar:Eastham bar:Truro bar:Wellfleet PlotData = color:notpro $t:black width:20 fontsize:M mark:(line, black) anchor:middle # other options are anchor:from anchor:till align:center # other options are align:left align:right shift:(0,-7) # -- FalmouthAllStars bar:FalmouthAllStars from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1962 color:west $LeftIn text:"Falmouth (All-Stars), 1946–1962" # -- FalmouthFalcons bar:FalmouthFalcons from:01/01/1951 till:12/31/1953 color:west $LeftIn text:"Falmouth (Falcons), 1951–1953" # -- Mashpee bar:Mashpee from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1951 color:west $LeftIn text:"Mashpee, 1946–1951" bar:Mashpee from:01/01/1953 till:12/31/1955 color:west $LeftIn text:"1953–1955" # -- Sandwich bar:Sandwich from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1949 color:west $LeftIn text:"Sandwich, 1946–1949" # -- Bourne bar:Bourne from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1950 color:west $LeftIn text:"Bourne, 1946–1950" bar:Bourne from:01/01/1961 till:12/31/1962 color:west $LeftIn text:"1961–1962" # -- Sagamore bar:Sagamore from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1962 color:west $LeftIn text:"Sagamore, 1946–1962" # -- Cotuit bar:Cotuit from:01/01/1947 till:12/31/1962 color:west $LeftIn text:"Cotuit, 1947–1962" # -- Osterville bar:Osterville from:01/01/1948 till:12/31/1950 color:west $LeftIn text:"Osterville, 1948–1950" # -- Barnstable bar:Barnstable from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1946 color:east $LeftIn text:"Barnstable, 1946–1952" bar:Barnstable from:01/01/1947 till:12/31/1952 color:west bar:Barnstable from:01/01/1955 till:12/31/1956 color:west $LeftIn text:"1955–1956" bar:Barnstable from:01/01/1959 till:12/31/1962 color:west $LeftIn text:"1959–1962" # -- Otis bar:Otis from:01/01/1949 till:12/31/1950 color:west $LeftIn text:"Otis AFB, 1949–1950" bar:Otis from:01/01/1955 till:12/31/1955 color:west $LeftIn text:"1955" bar:Otis from:01/01/1957 till:12/31/1961 color:west $LeftIn text:"1957–1961" # -- Maritime bar:Maritime from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1947 color:east $LeftIn text:"Mass. Maritime Academy, 1946–1947; 1949–1961" bar:Maritime from:01/01/1949 till:12/31/1961 color:west # -- Wareham bar:Wareham from:01/01/1952 till:12/31/1962 color:west $LeftIn text:"Wareham, 1952–1962" # -- Brewster bar:Brewster from:01/01/1948 till:12/31/1951 color:east $LeftIn text:"Brewster, 1948–1951" bar:Brewster from:01/01/1956 till:12/31/1960 color:east $LeftIn text:"1956–1960" # -- Chatham bar:Chatham from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1962 color:east $LeftIn text:"Chatham, 1946–1962" # -- Dennis bar:Dennis from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1961 color:east $LeftIn text:"Dennis, 1946–1961" # -- Eastham bar:Eastham from:01/01/1949 till:12/31/1955 color:east $LeftIn text:"Eastham, 1949–1955" # -- Harwich bar:Harwich from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1962 color:east $LeftIn text:"Harwich, 1946–1962" # -- Verdean bar:Verdean from:01/01/1949 till:12/31/1950 color:east $LeftIn text:"Harwich Cape Verdean Club, 1949–1950" # -- Truro bar:Truro from:01/01/1952 till:12/31/1957 color:east $LeftIn text:"North Truro AFS, 1952–1957" # -- Orleans bar:Orleans from:01/01/1947 till:12/31/1962 color:east $LeftIn text:"Orleans, 1947–1962" # -- Wellfleet bar:Wellfleet from:01/01/1956 till:12/31/1956 color:east $LeftIn text:"Wellfleet, 1956" # -- Yarmouth bar:Yarmouth from:01/01/1946 till:12/31/1962 color:east $LeftIn text:"Yarmouth, 1946–1962"
Beginnings of the modern era (1963–1987) From 1963 to 1969, the newly reorganized league maintained the Upper Cape/Lower Cape divisional structure, with the championship series played by the winners of each division. Beginning in 1970, the divisional structure gave way to a single combined league, with the top four teams in the league advancing to the playoffs. This combined league structure continued through 1987. DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy ImageSize = width:1100 height:auto barincrement:26 PlotArea = left:20 right:20 bottom:20 top:20 Period = from:1963 till:1987 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:majorGridColor value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) id:lineColor value:gray(0.5) id:ohio value:rgb(0.85,0.80,0.80) id:notpro value:rgb(0.82,0.80,0.80) id:black value:rgb(0.0,0.0,0.0) id:west value:rgb(1,0.80,0.80) id:east value:rgb(0.82,0.91,1) ScaleMajor = start:1965 increment:5 gridcolor:majorGridColor # -- Text Positions Define $Up = shift:(,1) Define $Left = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,) Define $LeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(10,) Define $LeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(3,) Define $UpLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftIn = anchor:from align:left shift:(-1,1) Define $UpLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,1) Define $Right = anchor:till align:left shift:(25,) Define $RightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,) Define $RightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,) Define $UpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,1) Define $UpRightMargin = anchor:till align:right shift:(-2,1) Define $UpRightIn = anchor:till align:right shift:(-25,1) Define $UpUpRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,10) Define $Down = shift:(,-10) Define $Downx2 = shift:(,-20) Define $DownRight = anchor:till align:left shift:(2,-10) Define $DownLeft = anchor:from align:right shift:(-2,-10) Define $DownLeftMargin = anchor:from align:left shift:(1,-10) Define $t = textcolor Define $champ = text:"•" $t:white fontsize:L shift:(-4, -1) Define $I = text:"(I)" BarData = # -- Cape League bar:Cotuit bar:Falmouth bar:Wareham bar:Bourne bar:Sagamore bar:Hyannis bar:Chatham bar:Harwich bar:Orleans bar:Yarmouth bar:Otis PlotData = color:notpro $t:black width:20 fontsize:M mark:(line, black) anchor:middle # other options are anchor:from anchor:till align:center # other options are align:left align:right shift:(0,-7) # -- Falmouth bar:Falmouth from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1987 color:west $LeftIn text:"Falmouth, 1963–1987" # -- Bourne bar:Bourne from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1964 color:west $LeftIn text:"Bourne, 1963–1964" bar:Bourne from:01/01/1967 till:12/31/1969 color:west $LeftIn text:"1967–1969" bar:Bourne from:01/01/1971 till:12/31/1972 color:west $LeftIn text:"1971–1972" # -- Sagamore bar:Sagamore from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1966 color:west $LeftIn text:"Sagamore, 1963–1966" # -- Cotuit bar:Cotuit from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1987 color:west $LeftIn text:"Cotuit, 1963–1987" # -- Hyannis bar:Hyannis from:01/01/1976 till:12/31/1987 color:west $LeftIn text:"Hyannis, 1976–1987" # -- Wareham bar:Wareham from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1987 color:west $LeftIn text:"Wareham, 1963–1987" # -- Otis bar:Otis from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1964 color:east $LeftIn text:"Otis AFB, 1963–1964" # -- Chatham bar:Chatham from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1987 color:east $LeftIn text:"Chatham, 1963–1987" # -- Harwich bar:Harwich from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1987 color:east $LeftIn text:"Harwich, 1963–1987" # -- Orleans bar:Orleans from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1987 color:east $LeftIn text:"Orleans, 1963–1987" # -- Yarmouth bar:Yarmouth from:01/01/1963 till:12/31/1987 color:east $LeftIn text:"Yarmouth/Y-D, 1963–1987"
Present Day In 1988, the

Bourne Braves The Bourne Braves are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Bourne, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's West Division. The Braves play their home games at Doran Park on the ca ...

and the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Bro ...

joined the CCBL as expansion teams and the resulting ten-team league was split into East and West divisions. Since 1988, there have been no changes to the league's franchise composition or divisional alignments.

League championships

* During the 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 the league split its regular season and crowned separate champions for the first and second 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. Lou Lamoriello

Emmanuel Burriss on July 11, 2015 cropped

All-Star Game

The first CCBL

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

took place in 1946, as a squad of Cape League stars battled a collection of

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

tryout players. Throughout the Upper and Lower Cape League era (1946–1962), the two divisions routinely featured both intra-divisional all-star contests, as well as an annual inter-divisional CCBL All-Star Game. From 1957 to 1961, the CCBL All-Star Game was sponsored by

P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company was an American brewery founded in 1840, making Ballantine one of the oldest brands of beer in the United States. At its peak, it was the 3rd largest brewer in the US. The brand is currently owned and ope ...

. Ballantine was a major advertising sponsor of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

, and arranged for appearances at the CCBL festivities by Yankee alumni including

Phil Rizzuto Philip Francis Rizzuto (September 25, 1917 – August 13, 2007), nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career with the New York Yankees (1941–1956), and was elected to th ...

Elston Howard Elston Gene Howard (February 23, 1929 – December 14, 1980) was an American professional baseball player who was a catcher and a left fielder. During a 14-year baseball career, he played in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball from 1948 t ...

Whitey Ford Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (October 21, 1928 – October 8, 2020), nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees ...

, Moose Skowron, Bill Stafford,

Eddie Lopat Edmund Walter Lopat (originally Lopatynski) (June 21, 1918 – June 15, 1992) was a Major League Baseball pitcher, coach, manager, front office executive, and scout. He was sometimes known as "The Junk Man", but better known as "Steady Eddie ...

, and

Mel Allen Mel Allen (born Melvin Allen Israel; February 14, 1913 – June 16, 1996) was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, ...

, as well as Brooklyn Dodgers great

Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering the minor lea ...

. As the league's modern era began, the All-Star Game continued to be contested between the CCBL's Upper Cape (western) and Lower Cape (eastern) divisions from 1963 to 1969. In 1963, an additional All-Star Game was played by a team from the CCBL against a team from the

southeastern Massachusetts Southeastern Massachusetts consists of those portions of Massachusetts located along Buzzards Bay, including the cities of New Bedford and Fall River and their respective suburbs. Despite the location of Cape Cod and the islands to its south, ...

-based Cranberry League. The game was played at Keith Field in Sagamore, and the CCBL came out on top, 15–2. From 1970 to 1987, a team of stars from the CCBL played an annual interleague All-Star Game against stars from the

Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League The Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) is a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The league has experienced moderate success in having alumni appear in Major League Baseball. Fourt ...

(ACBL). The games were typically played at major league stadiums including

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...

and

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.

in New York, and Philadelphia's

Veterans Stadium Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capacities were 65,358 for foo ...

. Since 1988, the All-Star Game has been contested between stars representing the CCBL's East and West divisions, and has also featured a pre-game

hitting contest. The event is normally held at one of the CCBL home fields, though it returned to Fenway Park for a three-year stretch from 2009 to 2011. Mike Flanagan 1977

Washington Nationals manager Jim Riggleman

Annual award winners

Joey Cora coaching the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017

Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters (32)

Stephen Piscotty (40603348973) (cropped)

The league annually presents several individual awards, including: * The Pat Sorenti MVP Award * The Robert A. McNeece Outstanding Pro Prospect Award * The BFC Whitehouse Outstanding Pitcher Award * The Russ Ford Outstanding Relief Pitcher Award * The Daniel J. Silva Sportsmanship Award * The Manny Robello 10th Player Award * The John J. Claffey Outstanding New England Player Award * The Thurman Munson Award for Batting Champion

Statistical records

Individual season records below are for a 42-game regular season from 1963 to 1987 and a 44-game regular season from 1988–present.
Aluminum bats were used from 1975 through 1984.

Individual batting, season (1963–present)

Individual pitching, season (1963–present)

No-hit games

1976 Cleveland Indians Postcards Stan Thomas

Presidents and commissioners

Hall of Fame and Museum

The CCBL Hall of Fame and Museum is a history

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

and hall of fame honoring past players, coaches, and others who have made outstanding contributions to the CCBL. Since its inaugural class in 2000, the Hall of Fame has held annual inductions of new members, enshrining over 160 members to date. Originally opened to the public in 2003 at the

Heritage Museums and Gardens Heritage Museums and Gardens (100 acres), formerly the Heritage Plantation of Sandwich, is located at 67 Grove Street, Sandwich, Massachusetts. The public garden, with its nationally significant collection of rhododendrons hybridized by Charles De ...

, the Hall of Fame and Museum moved in 2008 to the lower level of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum in Hyannis, Massachusetts. In 2017, it moved from this location, and is currently awaiting the completion of its new home within the planned Total Athletics of Cape Cod sports training facility in Hyannis. Inductees (by year): * 2000 – Dick Bresciani; Bill Enos; Mike Flanagan; Ed Lyons; Lennie Merullo;

Thurman Munson Thurman Lee Munson (June 7, 1947 – August 2, 1979) was an American professional baseball catcher who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, from 1969 until his death in 1979. A seven-time All-Star, Mun ...

; Arnold Mycock; Jeff Reardon; Danny Silva; Frank Thomas;

Mo Vaughn Maurice Samuel Vaughn (born December 15, 1967), nicknamed "The Hit Dog", is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Boston Red Sox, Anaheim Angels, and New York Mets from 1991 to 2003. He was a three-time All-Sta ...

; Merrill "Red" Wilson * 2001 – Cal Burlingame; Fred Ebbett;

Darin Erstad Darin Charles Erstad (; born June 4, 1974) is an American former professional baseball player and the former head coach of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball, baseball team. Erstad spent most of his playing caree ...

;

Chuck Knoblauch Edward Charles Knoblauch (; born July 7, 1968) is an American former professional baseball player. He played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1991 through 2002, for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, and Kansas City Royals. He play ...

; Tony Plansky;

Terry Steinbach Terry Lee Steinbach (born March 2, 1962) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher from 1986 to 1999, most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics team that won three ...

;

Robin Ventura Robin Mark Ventura (born July 14, 1967) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager. Ventura played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Do ...

* 2002 –

Curly Clement Robert F. "Curly" Clement (July 19, 1919 – June 29, 2006) was a Major League Baseball umpire who worked briefly in the American League in 1978 and 1979. He was also a longtime NCAA and Cape Cod Baseball League umpire. Clement worked two games ...

;

Ron Darling Ronald Maurice Darling Jr. (born August 19, 1960) is an American former professional baseball player and current television sports color commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a m ...

; Russ Ford;

Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra (; born July 23, 1973) is an American retired Major League Baseball player and current SportsNet LA analyst. After playing parts of nine seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played shortstop, third ...

;

George Greer George W. Greer (born 1942) is a retired Florida circuit judge who served in Florida's Sixth Circuit Court ( Pinellas- Pasco counties), family law division, in Clearwater, Florida. He received national attention in 2005 when he presided over t ...

; George Karras; Bernie Kilroy; Bill Livesey; Paul Mitchell;

Buck Showalter William Nathaniel "Buck" Showalter III (born May 23, 1956) is an American professional baseball manager for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, he served as manager of the New York Yankees ( 1992–1995), Arizona Diamon ...

; Dick Sullivan;

Jason Varitek Jason Andrew Varitek (; born April 11, 1972), nicknamed Tek, is an American professional baseball coach and former catcher. He is currently the game planning coordinator, a uniformed coaching position, for the Boston Red Sox. After being traded ...

* 2003 – Ed Baird; Sean Casey; Joe Jabar; Noel Kinski; Jack McCarthy; Carlos Pena; Jim Perkins; Ron Perry Jr.; Judy Walden Scarafile;

Cory Snyder James Cory Snyder (born November 11, 1962) is an American former professional baseball right fielder and the manager of the Northern Colorado Owlz. He played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 1994 for the Cleveland Indians, ...

; Pat Sorenti * 2004 – Roy Bruninghaus; Bob Butkus; John Caneira;

Will Clark William Nuschler Clark Jr. (born March 13, 1964) is an American professional baseball first baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 through 2000. He played for the San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, an ...

; Pat Hope; Eric Milton;

Jim Norris James Francis Norris (born December 20, 1948) is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball from 1977 to 1980 for the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers, playing all three outfield positions. Amateur career ...

; Don Reed; Dave Staton; Tello Tontini * 2005 – Mike Curran; Bobby Kielty;

Mickey Morandini Michael Robert "Mickey" Morandini (born April 22, 1966), is an American former professional baseball second baseman and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays. His car ...

; Sam Nattile;

Pat Pacillo Patrick Michael Pacillo (born July 23, 1963) is an American former professional baseball player. Pacillo pitched for the Cincinnati Reds of the Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1987 and 1988. Career Pacillo grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey and pl ...

; Manny Pena; Jack Sanford; Tim Teufel; John Thoden; Ken Voges * 2006 –

Steve Balboni Stephen Charles Balboni (; born January 16, 1957) is an American former Major League Baseball player, who played for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers. He was a player with home run power and a tendency ...

; Rik Currier; Steve Duda; Jim Hubbard;

Ross Jones Ross A. Jones (born January 14, 1960) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played for the New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Amateur career A native of Miami, Florida, Jon ...

; Greg Lotzar;

Lance Niekro Lance William Niekro ( ; born January 29, 1979) is a baseball coach and former first baseman, who is the current head baseball coach of the Florida Southern Moccasins. He played college baseball at Florida Southern for coach Chuck Anderson from 1 ...

; Josh Paul; Allen (Buzzy) Wilcox * 2007 – Del Bender; Scott Hemond; Dick Licini; John Morris; Steve Saradnik;

Bob Schaefer Robert Walden Schaefer (born May 22, 1944) is an American baseball executive. He is currently the special assistant to the general manager with the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB), and is a former interim manager, bench coach ...

;

Walt Terrell Charles Walter Terrell (born May 11, 1958) is a retired Major League Baseball player. A starting pitcher, Terrell pitched from 1982 to 1992 for the New York Mets (1982–1984), Detroit Tigers (1985–1988), San Diego Padres (1989), New York Yank ...

; Jack Walsh; John Wylde * 2008 – Derrick DePriest;

Bob Hansen Robert Louis Hansen II (born January 18, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. A guard, he played nine seasons (1983–1992) in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Hansen is currently a commentator for Iowa Hawkeyes ...

;

Jeff Innis Jeffrey David Innis (July 5, 1962January 30, 2022) was an American baseball pitcher who played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "I-Man", he played for the New York Mets from 1987 to 1993. He batted and threw right-handed ...

; Robert A. McNeece; Matt Murton; Roche Pires;

Ben Sheets Ben Michael Sheets (born July 18, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. Sheets is a four-time MLB All-Star (2001, 2004, 2 ...

;

Mike Stenhouse Michael Steven Stenhouse (born May 29, 1958) is a former outfielder, first baseman, and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Montreal Expos from -, the Minnesota Twins in , and the Boston Red Sox in . Stenhouse is the CEO ...

* 2009 – Mark Angelo; John Awdycki; Zane Carlson;

Lou Lamoriello Louis P. Lamoriello (born October 21, 1942) is an American professional ice hockey executive who is the president of hockey operations and general manager for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is also the former ge ...

; Joe "Skip" Lewis;

Joe Magrane Joseph David Magrane (born July 2, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals, California Angels, and Chicago White Sox between 1987 and 1996, and is currently a color commentary broadca ...

; Art Quirk; Bill Schroeder; Pie Traynor;

Greg Vaughn Gregory Lamont Vaughn (born July 3, 1965) is an American former baseball left fielder who played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1989–1996), San Diego Padres (1996–1998), Cincinnati Reds (1999), Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2000–2002) and Colorado ...

* 2010 –

David Aardsma David Allan Aardsma (; born December 27, 1981) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, currently serving in the Toronto Blue Jays front office as a coordinator of player development. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the S ...

; Casey Close; Jack Cressend; Peter Ford;

Wayne Granger Wayne Allan Granger (born March 15, 1944) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1968, 1973), Cincinnati Reds (1969–1971), Minnesota Twins (1972), New York Yankees (1973), Chicago Wh ...

; Tom Grieve; Mike Loggins;

Lou Merloni Louis William Merloni (born April 6, 1971), nicknamed "Sweet Lou", is an American radio personality and a former Major League Baseball player. Merloni played for his hometown Boston Red Sox from – and again for part of 2003. He also played for t ...

; Steve Robbins; Tom Weir * 2011 – David Bush; Doug Fisher;

Scott Kamieniecki Scott Andrew Kamieniecki (born April 19, 1964) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, and Atlanta Braves between 1991 and 2000. Biography A native of M ...

;

Mike Lowell Michael Averett Lowell (born February 24, 1974) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 13-year career, Lowell played for the New York Yankees (1998), Florida Marlins (1999–2005), and the Boston Red Sox (2006&nda ...

; Paul O'Neill; Mark Smith;

Eric Wedge Eric Michael Wedge (born January 27, 1968) is an American former baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and manager. As a player, Wedge attended Northrop High School in Fort Wayne and played on the school's state champion baseball team in ...

; Bill Wissler * 2012 – John "Jack" Aylmer; Billy Best; John Carroll; Dan DeMichele; Danny "Deacon" MacFayden; Andrew Miller; Laurin "Pete" Peterson; Jim Sherman * 2013 –

Garrett Atkins Garrett Bernard Atkins (born December 12, 1979) is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. Between 2003 and 2010, he played for the Colorado Rockies and Baltimore Orioles. Amateur career High school career Atkins attended Univer ...

; Daniel Carte; Merrill Doane; Ed Drucker; Mickey O'Connor; Jim Prete; Ryan Speier;

Matt Wieters Matthew Richard Wieters (; born May 21, 1986) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, and St. Louis Cardinals. Wieters played college basebal ...

* 2014 – Eric Beattie; Phil Corddry;

Sam Fuld Samuel Babson Fuld (born November 20, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and the current general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Tampa B ...

; Donald Hicks Sr.; Bob St. Pierre * 2015 – ''(None)'' * 2016 – J.C. Holt; Warner Jones; Jim McCollom;

Mark Petkovsek Mark Joseph Petkovsek (born November 18, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Texas Rangers (1991 and 2001), Pittsburgh Pirates (1993), St. Louis Cardinals (1995–98) and Anaheim Angels (1999–2000). He ...

;

Kyle Roller Kyle Matthew Roller (born March 27, 1988) is an American professional baseball first baseman. Career Amateur Roller played college baseball at East Carolina University from 2007 to 2010. In 2008 and 2009, he played collegiate summer baseball i ...

; Kolten Wong * 2017 – Joey Cora; Dennis Long;

Justin Masterson Justin Daniel Masterson (born March 22, 1985) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. Drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of the 2006 MLB draft from San Diego State University, he made his MLB debut two years later. ...

; Tim McIntosh; Steve Newell; Jeremy Sowers; Chuck Sturtevant; Tom Yankus * 2018 – Arthur "Ace" Adams; Barbara Ellsworth;

Peter Gammons Peter Gammons (born April 9, 1945) is an American sportswriter, media personality, and musician. He is a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Early ...

;

Craig Hansen Craig Robert Hansen (born November 15, 1983) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates between 2005 and 2009. College career Hansen's collegiate career began at St. John's ...

; John Schiffner;

Mark Sweeney Mark Patrick Sweeney (born October 26, 1969) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for several teams from 1995 to 2008. He is best known for his skill as a pinch hitter, where he ranks second in career pinch h ...

* 2019 – Paul Galop;

Conor Gillaspie Conor Michael Gillaspie (born July 18, 1987) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman who played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim between 2008 and 2017. Early life Gillaspie ...

; Brad Linden; Chris Overman; Scott Pickler;

Kyle Schwarber Kyle Joseph Schwarber (born March 5, 1993) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Indiana Hoosiers and was a first-round selection in the 20 ...

; Shaun Seibert; Nick Zibelli * 2020 – Charles P. "Buzz" Bowers; Bob Corradi; Tyler Horan; Harry Nelson; Kevin Newman, Cliff Pennington, Harvey Shapiro; Sol Yas * 2021 – ''(None; class of 2020 ceremonies postponed to 2021 due to

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

)'' * 2022 –

Marcus Stroman Marcus Earl Stroman (born May 1, 1991) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets. Stroman is listed at , making him o ...

;

Ian Happ Ian Edward Happ (born August 12, 1994) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball at the University of Cincinnati for the Cincinnati Bearcats baseball team. The ...

;

Billy Wagner William Edward Wagner (born July 25, 1971), nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He pitched for the Houston Astros (1995–2003), Philadelphia Ph ...

;

Justin Smoak Justin Kyle Smoak (born December 5, 1986) is an American professional baseball first baseman who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewer ...

; Patrick Biondi; Steven Wilson

Alumni in the National Baseball Hall of Fame

The following former CCBL players have been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In addition to the player inductees below, Cooperstown also honored longtime CCBL president Judy Walden Scarafile in 2010 by featuring her in the museum's ''Diamond Dreams'' exhibit, which highlights stories of pioneering women in baseball.