This book delves deep into the history of the New England League, whose years of operation spanned six decades during the pivotal early years of minor league baseball. Author Charlie Bevis, an expert on New England’s baseball past, explores the complex ties to the regional economy, especially to the textile industry, and discusses the pioneering experiments with playoffs, night baseball, and integration.

Charlie Bevis, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research, is an adjunct professor of English at Rivier University. He has written for Nine, The Cooperstown Symposium, The National Pastime and Base Ball, and is the author of several baseball books. He lives in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

Charlie Bevis
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 317
Bibliographic Info: 28 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2008
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3159-5
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      1

1. Final Days, September 1949      7

2. Roots of the League, 1877      14

3. Initial Years, 1885–1888      30

4. Burnham Thwarts League, 1890–1891      64

5. Murnane Saves League, 1892–1899      83

6. Heyday of the League, 1901–1912      110

7. Prelude to Merger, 1913–1915      140

8. Donnelly Revives League, 1919      169

9. Davidson Revives League, 1926–1930      186

10. Great Depression Revival, 1933      212

11. Semi-Pro Years, 1941–1945      237

12. Final Years, 1946–1949      256

Epilogue      284

Chapter Notes      289

Bibliography      299

Index      303

“well-written”—Choice; “amazing”—Midwest Book Review; “a richly textured work”—Nine; “extremely well-researched work”—www.unhmagazine.unh.edu.