The Haverhill Hillies were a minor league baseball team based in

Haverhill, Massachusetts Haverhill ( ) is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Haverhill is located 35 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 17 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The population was 67,787 at the 2020 United States Cen ...

. The "Hillies" teams played as members of the New England League from 1926 to 1929, finishing in last place twice. The Hillies were immediately preceded in New England League play by the 1919 Haverhill "Climbers," who were managed by

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

member

Jesse Burkett Jesse Cail Burkett (December 4, 1868 – May 27, 1953), nicknamed "Crab", was an American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1890 to 1905 for the New York Giants, Cleveland Spiders, St. Louis Perfe ...

. The Haverhill Hillies hosted minor league home games at the Haverhill Stadium. Today, the stadium site is still in use and has been renovated to become Trinity Stadium.

History

Early minor league teams

Haverhill, Massachusetts first hosted minor league baseball in 1877, when the "Haverhill" team became members of the

New England Association The New England Association was an Independent level minor league baseball league that played in the 1877 season and briefly in the 1895 season. The league franchises were based in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The New England Ass ...

. The league began play on May 3, 1877, as an eight–team league, but ended the season reduced to four teams with Haverhill among the four teams that folded. The league was one of the earliest minor leagues. The

Lowell Ladies Men Lowell may refer to: Places United States * Lowell, Arkansas * Lowell, California * Lowell, Florida * Lowell, Idaho * Lowell, Indiana * Lowell, Bartholomew County, Indiana * Lowell, Maine * Lowell, Massachusetts ** Lowell National Historical ...

, with a 33–7 record, won the championship, finishing 4.0 games ahead of the second place Manchester Reds who finished with a 29–11 record. Lowell and Manchester were followed in the final standings by the

Fall River Cascades Minor league baseball teams were based in Fall River, Massachusetts between 1877 and 1949. Fall River teams played as members of the New England Association (1877), League Alliance (1877), New England League (1893–1898, 1902–1913), Colonial ...

(19–21) and Providence Rhode Islanders (11–29). The

Lynn Live Oaks Lynn may refer to: People and fictional characters * Lynn (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Lynn (surname) * The Lynns, a 1990s American country music duo consisting of twin sisters Peggy and Patsy Lynn * Lynn (v ...

(8–22), Fitchburg, Haverhill and Lawrence franchises all folded before the 1877 New England Association season ended on October 15, 1877. The New England Association folded after the conculsion of the 1877 season. In the 1885 season, Haverhill next hosted minor league baseball, when the "Haverhill" team resumed play as a member of the five-team

Eastern New England League The Eastern New England League was a minor league baseball league that played in the 1885 season. League teams were based in Maine and Massachusetts. The league evolved into the New England League in 1886. History The Eastern New England League ...

. The league existed for just the 1885 season before the league changed its name and became the long tenured New England League. Haverhill joined the Biddeford Clamdiggers,

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

, Newburyport Clamdiggers and

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

as the charter teams, with Lawrence winning the 1885 championship. Haverhill then played as charter members of the New England League in 1886, managed by Baseball Hall of Fame member

Frank Selee Frank Gibson Selee (October 26, 1859 – July 5, 1909) was an American Major League Baseball manager in the National League (NL). In his 16-year Major League career, he managed the Boston Beaneaters (1890–1901) and Chicago Orphans / Cubs (1902 ...

. In a New England League contest at Haverhill on July 30, 1894, Haverhill played the

Pawtucket Maroons Pawtucket may refer to: * Pawtucket, Rhode Island * Pawtucket Falls (Massachusetts), Lowell, Massachusetts * Pawtucket tribe * 2 ships named USS Pawtucket * Pawtucket Brewery, fictional brewery on the television series ''Family Guy ''Fami ...

. In the contest, Pawtucket's Buck Freeman hit 4 home runs with 13 RBI, while going 5-5 in the game. Freeman then hit 2 more runs the next day. The 1914

Haverhill Hustlers The Haverhill Hustlers were a minor league baseball team located in Haverhill, Massachusetts. They played in the New England League from 1901 to 1914. The team's roster included player-manager and Baseball Hall of Fame member Billy Hamilton. The ...

ended a 13-season tenure as members of the New England League, when the league folded following the season.

1919: Haverhill Climbers - New England League

In 1919, minor league baseball resumed when Haverhill joined the reformed six-team, Class B level New England League, with the Haverhill "Climbers" returning to the league. The 1919 team was also referred to as the "Orphans." Haverhill joined with the Fitchburg Foxes,

Lawrence Barristers Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

Lewiston Red Sox Lewiston may refer to: Places United States * Lewiston, Alabama *Lewiston, California * Lewiston, Georgia *Lewiston, Idaho ** Lewiston, Idaho metropolitan area *Lewiston, Indiana *Lewiston, Maine ** Lewiston, Maine metropolitan area *Lewiston, Mi ...

, Lowell Grays and Portland Blue Sox teams in beginning league play on May 23, 1919. With a hall of fame member as a manager, Haverhill had a final record of 26-40, playing a shortened season under the direction of manager

. Haverhill was 13.0 games behind the first place

when the league stopped play before the end of the season. The New England League folded on August 2, 1919 with Haverhill in fourth place. Jesse Burkett was a

player, who won three National League batting titles between 1895 and 1901, twice hitting over .400. Burkett had a lifetime .338 batting average. Burkett had a lengthy career as a minor league owner and player/manager after his major league baseball career concluded. Before joining Haverhill, Burkett had previously managed and played sporadically for the

Worcester Busters The Worcester Busters was an American baseball team which played at Boulevard Park (Worcester, Massachusetts), Boulevard Park, Worcester, Massachusetts. They played in Class B of the New England League from 1906 and the Eastern League (1916), Eas ...

in the New England League from 1906 to 1915. After he sold the Worcester team, of which he was an owner, Burkett became the baseball coach at Holy Cross in Worcester from 1917 to 1920, overlapping with his season managing Haverhill. Burkett then became a coach for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

1926 to 1929: Haverhill Hillies - New England League

After a six-season absence from minor league baseball, Haverhill returned to minor league play in 1926, when the New England League reformed as a Class B level league with eight teams. The Haverhill "Hillies" became a member of the reformed league, beginning another tenure of a Haverhill franchise playing in the league. Haverhill joined the

Lawrence Merry Macks Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparato ...

, Lewiston Twins, Lowell Highwaymen, Lynn Papooses, Manchester Blue Sox, Nashua Millionaires and

Portland Eskimos Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

teams in beginning play for the reformed league on May 11, 1926. The

Haverhill High School Haverhill High School (HHS) is a public high school in Haverhill, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Haverhill Public Schools district and is open enrollment. History At least three buildings have served as Haverhill High School. ...

later followed the lead of the minor league team as their athletic teams became known by the " Hillies" nickname in the 1940's, as coined by local sportswriter Walter Ryan. The Haverhill Hillies began play in the newly formed league and finished in fourth place behind the first place Manchester Bue Sox, who won the 1926 New England League championship. Led by player/manager John Kiernan, Haverhill finished the season with a 49–46 record to place fourth in the final standings, as the Hillies finished 5.5 games behind the first place Manchester team. No playoffs were held. Haverhill's Donald McPhee led New England League pitchers with a 16 wins. After finishing in fourth place the previous season, the 1927 Haverhill Hillies finished the eight-team Class B level New England League season in last place. As the league adopted a playoff format, Haverhill ended the regular season in eighth place with a 39–57 record in the eight-team league. Playing under returning manager John Kiernan, the Hillies finished 25.5 games behind the first place Lynn Papooses. In the playoff, Lynn swept Portland in four games to win the New England League championship.

Frank McCrehan Francis J. McCrehan was an American baseball player and coach at Boston College. Early life McCrehan was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His father, Jack McCrehan, was a Cambridge police officer. One of his brothers, Jeremiah “Jud” McCrehan ...

was a pitcher for the 1927 Haverhill Hillies, compiling a 7–4 record and an ERA of 4.25 on the season. Later in 1926, McCrehan had a change in his baseball career when he joined Jack Slattery's coaching staff at his alma mater

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

as the pitching coach. In 1931 he became the head coach of the varsity team. He coached Boston College through the 1939 season. The 1928 Haverhill Hillies improved from last place the previous season to a seventh-place overall finish in the New England League. Havenhill was under the direction of returning manager John Kiernan and Jack Ryan. Lynn finished in first place in the regular season New England League standings, capturing the league pennant, finishing 7.0 games ahead of Haverhill. The Haverhill Hillies ended the regular season with a 46–48 overall regular season record, while finishing 5.0 games behind the second place Manchester Blue Sox in a competitive league standing. The Lynn Papooses won the second half of the split season schedule after the Attleboro Burros won the first half title and Lynn defeated Attleboro 4 games to 3 in the playoff. Haverhill pitcher Phil Dolan led the New England League with a 14–4 record.

Steve Slayton Foster Herbert "Steve" Slayton (April 26, 1902 – December 20, 1984) was a professional baseball relief pitcher who played briefly for the 1928 Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). Listed at and , Slayton batted and threw right-hand ...

pitched for Haverhill in 1928 after being sent there by the

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 eight ...

. After finishing an inning, Slayton reportedly asked Boston manager Bill Carrigan, "No shift?" Carrigan, who was hard of hearing, misheard the question and thought the rookie Slaton had made a different comment. Boston and Carrigan innediately sent Slaton to Haverhill before releasing him following the season. After his playing career ended due to back problems, Slayton returned to his hometown of

Barre, Vermont Barre, Vermont may refer to: *Barre (city), Vermont *Barre (town), Vermont Barre ( ) is a New England town, town in Washington County, Vermont, Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,923 at the 2020 census, making it the 3r ...

and became an educator and trained troops in Vermont during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He coached his alma mater Spaulding High School baseball team to four state championships before his retirement in 1966. Manager Jack Ryan was a Haverhill, Massachusetts native and a long-time minor-league manager after his playing career. Ryan was a catcher and played from 1889 to 1913 in the

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

and

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

. Ryan later coached the

Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as ''Wahoos'' or ''Hoos'', are the athletic teams representing the University of Virginia, located in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level ( FBS for football), in the Atlantic C ...

college baseball team. He is noteworthy in baseball history, having played in Major League games in four different decades. Following his tenure with Haverhill in 1928, Ryan remained managing in the 1929 New England League with the New Bedford Millmen at age 60 in his final season as manager. In 1929, Haverhill played in their final minor league season and the franchise relocated twice before the season ended. On July 28, 1929, the Haverhill Hillies moved to Fitchburg with a record of 11–10 to become the

Fitchburg Wanderers Fitchburg may refer to: Places in the United States of America * Fitchburg, California * Fitchburg, Kentucky * Fitchburg, Massachusetts * Fitchburg, Michigan * Fitchburg, Wisconsin Transportation *Fitchburg Railroad, named for the Massachusetts ci ...

. After compiling a record of 5–20 while based in Fitchburg, the team relocated again to become the Gloucester Hillies on August 25, 1929. the Haverhill/Fitchburg/Gloucester team ended the regular season with an overall record of 39–79. The team placed eighth in the standings, playing under managers Jack Driscoll and William McDonough. The combined team finished 37.5 games behind the first place Manchester Blue Sox. The New England League reduced to six teams in 1930, folding the Gloucester team and Haverhill did not return to the league. Haverhill, Massachusetts has not hosted another minor league team.

The ballpark

The Haverhill Hillies and Haverhill Climbers teams hosted minor league home games at the Haverhill Stadium. The stadium was opened in 1916 and bricks from two demolished shoe factories were reused to build the facility. In the 1930's it underwent a grandstand renovation as part of President Roosevelt’s

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

that replaced the original wooden grandstand with cement and brick.

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

and

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...

played at the site. The original grandstand was demolished in 1991. In 2017, the grandstand and facility underwent a major renovation. The brick wall perimeter is 12’ high and was built as part of the WPA project in 1935 and the original brick wall still stands (over 2000 feet of wall). In 1960, the newly formed

Boston Patriots Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

, held their first intrasquad scrimmage at the stadium. Before renovations, attempts were made in 2004 to have the stadium listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. The site today contains Trinity Stadium within Riverside Park. Utilized by

athletic teams (also known as the "Hillies"), Trinity Stadium is located at 155 Lincoln Ave in Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Timeline

Year–by–year records

Notable alumni

(1919, MGR) Inducted

, 1946 *

Ed Carroll Edgar Fleischer Carroll (July 27, 1907 – October 13, 1984) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. Listed at , 185 lb., Carroll batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Carroll played briefly for the 1929 Boston ...

(1928) * Harry Heitmann (1927–1928) * Red Lutz (1927) *

(1927) *

Carl Ray Carl Ray (January 10, 1943 – September 26, 1978) was a First Nations artist who was active on the Canadian art scene from 1969 until his death in 1978. Considered primarily a Woodlands Style artist. He was a founding member of the Indian Grou ...

(1927) * Jack Ryan (1928, MGR) *

(1928) *

Red Torphy Walter Anthony "Red" Torphy (November 6, 1891 – February 11, 1980) was a professional baseball player. He appeared in three games in Major League Baseball at first baseman, first base for the 1920 History of the Boston Braves, Boston Braves. To ...

(1928) *

Bill Vargus William Fay Vargus (November 11, 1899 – February 12, 1979) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for two seasons. He pitched for the Boston Braves for 11 games during the 1925 Boston Braves season and four games during the 1926 Boston ...

(1927) * Haverhill Hillies players

References

{{reflist

External links

Haverhill - Baseball ReferenceHaverhill Stadium photos
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