The Woods Hole Clippers: Filling the Postwar Years With Baseball, Basketball, and Camaraderie by Deborah Griffin Scanlon
From 1946 to 195 1, the 2 1 members of the Woods The Woods Hole Athletic Association sought and Hole Athletic Associatio n met in an upstairs room gained membership in the Fa lmouth Twili ght League of the Community Hall to plan thei r upcoming baseball association, and since there was no basketball sporting events. The Woods Hole Clippers baseball league, organized its own basketball schedule. The team played a full sched ule through the summer members named their team the Clippers, long before months, and then it was time for the C li ppers' bas the Falmouth schools adopted the nickname. "We ketball season. just discussed it and decided that this was appro priate fo r a ream representi ng a Cape Cod seaport vill age," How d id a vill age the size of Woods Hole - the M r. G riffin said. popul ation in 1950 was about 600 - come to have an athletic association and such an acti ve SPOrtS program?
"After the Second World War, the soldiers came home, and people wanred to get together," explained Ro bert W. Griffin , who fo unded the athletic as sociation with Norman "Nog gie" Eldridge, and was its fi rst pres ident. " It was the era before TV, and baseball and basketball games afforded the opportunity to not only play the spans, but fo r the townspeople to spend evenings together and social ize." The Falmouth Enterprise repoered, " It has been unau Some of the Woods Hole Cli ppers got their start in baseball playing for lhe Woods Hole t ho ri tative ly sa id that fis hing Yankees. In the early 19305. Bob G riffin organized (he (cain schedule, and his uncle. boars often put in early at Woods T.S. Perry G ri ffi n, d rove {h e {cam ro their games. Photo is 3 1 North Falmouth ra il road Hole in o rder to be on hand fo r starion. Front row from left: Bud Denny, Jackie Quicken. Jimmy Cavanaugh. Eugene Young. Frank Cavanaugh. MidcU e: Jack Cavanaugh, Richard McKenzie. Leslie Hilton, a Clipper game." Ji mmy Giffo rd. Back: John Ki rtila, Rogcr Savery, Billy Mcinnis, and Bob G ri ffi n. Phoro cOUflCSY Robert W. G riffin . 4
The Clippers baseball team played mostly Falmouth Cape Cod Standard- Times read "Sports Program at teams: Johnny Pena and the Falmouth Giants, the Woods Hole Attended by 100." The Story reported North Falmouth team with its star and former semi that "Baseball jackets were presented to 16 members pro player Marshall Douthart, Waquoit, and the of the Woods Hole Clippers baseball team, Falmouth Town club. The teams played on hardball diamonds Twilight League champions of 1947, at a sports night throughout the town, Nye Park in North Falmouth, program in Community Hall here last night." the Woods Hole ballpark at Bell Tower lane, Fal mouth Heights field and Fuller Field, which had The Woods Hole C lippers baseball squad was made been built for football and baseball during the De up of Woods Hole natives and young men who had pression. Mr. Griffin said that Charlie White, town other connections with the village. Charlie Vail lived engineer and WPA coordinator, studied Fenway to in Waquoit but his sister worked at WHO\. When get the dimensions of Fuller Field correct. he came back from college during the summer, he was the team's catcher. Bob MacMillan was in the They only played five years, but those were glory days Coast Guard; Mr. Griffin, the team manager, grew for the Woods Hole Clippers baseball team, based on up in Woods Hole and was a civil engineer and land the news clippings of that time. A headline in 7he surveyor.
FALMOUTH TWILIGHT LEAGUE FIRST HALF ECOND HAll: JUl\r July. 3 GIJUb n . Wouds Hole, IIf F ;UIIlOO lil Heiglus :. 18 Nt). Falmoulh "s Tn.... · n Club. III No. FalmoUl h I () Falmourh vs. Waqoon. II I No. Falmouth Waquoit ,'s, Glanu. II I F:al moulh Heighu 6 WooJ. Ilule \':" No, Ellmoulh. al Wood, Unle 22 Ci:aJH.s , 's, No. Fl1 lnkJu l.h, :al U.s.O, .5 W liqUOIf vs To ..... n Oub. lIf F.. lmDtHh lif'ighls I Town G ub " J. \'(foods Hole. al 1:"llIlouth H}:lhu. 10 TO"fl aub vs, Giams.:at FalmoUlh Hdgh[J 2) \'(/0005 Hole \'S, Glams, ;&1 Woods Hole \,\/000.\0 I-Iolc vs. Waqul)il. II I Woods Hole A r \'(/lIquoir "s. No. Fli lmoulh, II I Fil lmotllh 1'18hl_ I} I 0 FOl lnlnulh vs. Town Qub. :11 0. 1:.. I01oulh " 29 No. FalnM nh V.I. ~' oods Holt-, :11 Nu. Falmuudl \\7aqu IJ u "S. Gianls. lII l Fllimoulh Heights TOwn Club "s. "" lIquoi l. II I Falmouth HeiShu 1- C Ul. nu VI. No. Falmouth. II I U .0 . :; I GiantS " $. To ....' n Club. II I .S 0 T~n C.lub v ~ . Wood. Hole. lac F:dmouth Hgl). W:aquoil ,'s.. W oods liolt:, 111 FJhnuUlh Ht'ighu " .. 19 Woods J lule \'S. Giants. :u Woods Hnk 1'. Au!:u5l : W aqUO!! "s. No, Fal mouth. al F;lJmouth Hgu S Town Club VI. No. FlllmC: lUl h, II I Fill. Helglu.li rl.. 2 No. l'ulmutHh ,'s. Woods Hole. ;&1 No. F.llmouth Ginnls \·s. Wllquoir, 21 U.s.O, " . Tuv.'11 Club vs. Wllquoit. :It FalmCXllh Heights I 7 No. F:&Lnoulh vs. Gi!U1ts.. al No. F;1hnouth G. 16 G uants "" To ....' n Club. II I US.O. ~ Woods HoJco vs. Town Club. II I 'Ji'oods Hole .r( \X/:&q uoit \IS. W oods Hole... \I F:llmotllh Hc.ights - 11 Gilluf.S ,.:It. \'(/oods Hole. :& 1 f JlmI)l.nh Hei8111s r; . • July No. falmouth "s. Waquoit, al Nil. falmoulh ' : I T gv;n Club VI. Nil, P"lnxx.IIh. III )::d, Heighu I) Woods Hule ,'s, No. f;tlmouth. In Woods H ~ G,nofJ ".I. \'(Illqunil. II I U.s.O. W:&quoit ,'s. To ..... n Club. lit Falmouth HC: I ~lu s NOrth Falmouth vs. G i:ams. ilt No. Ealmout h 19 To ..... n Club vs. Gi;1 nr ~. Itt Flt lrnoluh lit'iglus Wood~ Hole " S, Town Clu b. 11 1 Woods Hole Wood5 Hole VI. \'(i'!!q uoil, 21 Woods Hole 8 G ilUlU vs. Woods Hole. :11 F:IIlmoulh Heighu I 21 No, f almmuh ,'s. Town Club. al No. f almuuth No Fll lmuulh "s. Woquoil. tt l No. f ll imouth ;! I \'Claquoir Vi. Cil,m. II F:&lmnut h I-I d~hts I J Woods Hole ,'s. No. F:t.l moulh. :II Wood Hole 26 Gilll1lS \ No. Falmouth. II U.s.O, W :.quoit vs. Town Oub. at Fl1hnoulh Heights T O'A'n Cub vs. Woods Hole, al F:l 1. Hc: i#ItS 1~ To.·n Club VI, Cunli. al Fillmnulh Hd&h ls 29 Woods Hole V~ . \'(/aqu 'I. :n W oods Hole PLAYOFF GAMI;5 Schedule I() bt I1rrungro later.
Twilight League baseball schedule. Clipping courtesy Robert W, Griffin. 5
The Woods Hole Clippers. Kneeling rrom left: Noggic Eldridge. Charlie Vail , Jimmy Giffo rd, Bob MacM illan. and Bob Grir fi n. Smnding: Sam C... hoon Jr., El lie Eldridge. Jack Cavanaugh, Alben Chase, and Eugene Young. Also on lhe Icam were l hure Blomberg. Jim Cavanaugh. Dick A1bcns, Wa rren "Whitey" Windl. Al Graham. Dave Graham , Don Beers and Edd ie Pelerson. Phmo cou nesy Roben W. Griffi n.
O rh er baseball playe rs included Thure Blomberg Along wirh his brorher Noggie Eldridge, Elwood of Woods Hole, a ca retaker; Jimmy G iffo rd , Mr. "Elli e" Eldridge grew up in rh e vill age and they we re
G riffin's cousin , worked ar WHO!. W hirey W itzell "outstanding athletes," according [ 0 Mr. Griffin. wo rked ar rh e Fisheries and for Sam Cahoon ar his Borh played for the C lippers, Elli e during his sum icehouse. Jack Cavanaugh worked ar MacDougalis mer vacations from Brown University and Noggie boarya rd and Gene Young worked ar Edwards while he worked ar WHO!. Ellie Eldridge could boaryard . AI C hase and Sa m Cahoon Jr. worked ar play any posirion in jusr abour any sporr, Mr. Griffin Sam Cahoon Sr.'s fi sh market. Eddie Pererson, Dick remembered. A srar arhlere in high school, he also Alberts, AI Graham, Dave Graham, Don Beers, and played foorball ar Brown with Joe Parern o, who larer Jim Cava naugh were also on rhe rea m. became Penn State's legendary football coach. 6
In an interview in July 2009, Mr. Eldridge, who protest. The Cape Cod Standard- Times reported that died several months later, talked about playing every at the time the game was ea1led off, the Townies had position on the Clippers baseball team, but claimed, one man on second. twO out and the count was two "We didn't have any superstars." balls and two strikes.
"You werd" interjected Mr. Griffin. Foggy, wet conditions were frequent problems. "Some days we had to have someone toss the ball Both men recounted the details of the games and in the air before the game to see ifit could be seen," players as ifit were yesterday, not 50 years ago. "There Mr. Eldridge said. was that pitcher, Ernie Upton, who I couldn't hit. Well, once I did go three for four against him," Mr. An 11-0 Clippers win against the Falmouth Giants, Eldridge said. in which Jack Cavanaugh pitched a perfect game, was protested by the Giants, who charged the "grounds "And I loved that house at the Heights field next to were wet. t> the corner of Grand Avenue and Central Park Av enue. If I got a fastball that I couldn't hit, I'd swing The Clippers played baseball through the summer late and it would hit that house. Automatic ground months, then shifted their focus to basketball. rule double!" The Clipper basketball squad played teams from "The Woods Hole ball park field bordered the marsh. Barnstable, Osterville, New Bedford. Wareham, I hit the ball," reea1led Mr. Eldridge, "and Eddie Middleborough, Westport, Yarmouth, Mashpee, Moniz of the Town club ran back and caught it, but Sandwich, Bourne, Wellfleet, occasionally Vineyard landed in the marsh. Squish. Eddie told that story Haven, and two Falmouth teams. There were 18 for 50 years!" players on the squad, and sometimes they played both varsity and ]V games. Most of the Clippers The left field at the Bell Tower field had indeed been baseball players played basketball, and Mr. Griffin gradually sinking into the swamp. One day, the managed the basketball team as well. contractor in charge of dredging trenches on East St. (now MBl St.) for the Woods Hole sewer project The Clippers developed a special rivalry with the asked Mr. Griffin ifhe knew any place to dump the Falmouth Giants in basketball and baseball. The excess fill . A short time later, the outfield in the left Giants were made up of players from different parts field corner grew by about 30 feet. of Falmouth and managed by John Pena of West Falmouth. His two brothers, Manny and Carlos, Playing in the Twilight League had its challenges. played for him. One of his players in both sports was There were no lights. of course, and some evenings Roche Pires. Roche never played in high school, but the umpire would call the game for darkness. At the was one of Cape Cod's great athletes. top of the sixth inning one night, Clippers catcher Charlie Vail complained that he couldn't see the ball. The startup costs for a team required money for The ump ea1led the game, which was tied 4-4. Their uniforms and equipment. In baseball, the town arch rival, the Falmouth Townies, entered an official provided its Twilight League teams with uniforms 7
and equi pment, but in basketball the teams had to The first basketball season (I946-47) started with come up with their own. "We managed me equip eight wins. There was a big buildup for a showdown ment, but had limited money to buy uniforms," with the Barnstable 'earn at Hyannis. "We thought recalled Mr. Griffin. "At that time, Eastman's Hard we were preny good.n Mr. Gr iffin said. "Seven ware sold athletic equipment. Possibly because of straight wins so we scheduled a game against ,he rhe post-war reduction of armed forces. a ream Barnstable Townies." The game was at the Barnstable from Cape Edwa rds that had ordered uniforms no High gym, which was a combination gym and audi longer needed them. Eastman's gave us a good deal. torium. The stage was also the basketball co urt. "The It's been said that when Martha's Vineyard Regional Townies were a veteran independent ream, rhe best High started football , they got some ex-Holy Cross on ,he Cape. We plunged. The score was 79-37." purple uniforms. The Woods Hole Clippers became The F{/lmollth Ellterprisecommenred, "How low did Orangemen like Syracuse University." ,he mighty faiL"
"JllC Woods Hole Clippers. From from left: Sam Vinccm, Newcomb C1ssick, Perc Bai ley, Bob MacMillan , Thure Blomberg. Middle: Jimmy Gifford . Dick AJbcns, Noggic Eldridge. Ellie Eldridge. Jack Cavanaugh, Whitey Wif".lcll. Back: Bob Griffin , Dave C1silcs. Sa m Cahoon Jr., Richie Cahoon, Marsh ie Douman, Bob Prarr, Bill "nlayer. Phoro courtesy Robert W. Griffin . 8
Clippers Claim Falmouth Title Waquoit Bows Woods Hole 79, Wood s Hole raps Yarmouth 68 Gian ts by 44-43 " To Woods Hole > I Peterson Pitches Clippers' Attock TALI40l1TH. J. n. 2'-Wood$ 1I0le Clip pus ..... re lhe hlah lid.1Ac Two·hit, 4·0 Win Paced by Borden ~tb.,b·~r=th~t;n·~~~~'I~ TALMOllTll HEIClfTS. JU M n PALMOUT1t. "eb. 2lI-Woodlt Hall Sd>ooI um ..... 1 ..[pI.. _ ..... d'" ""I~' ''' ' fo.me, Lt...... 1KlI HOIol CUppll" P'fO"kWd IMI. blacat 'n>e G lan... beld • ,Um mIIlCill ofI _ polnl _ th~ Woo4& 1101. lIl.h 0« hurln. lU I nllbl pillthtd . 11 upMt \0 cb~ wlon! tbcr de· Wooch Ho'" CllpPtn \0 a 4.0 t ..Wd lbt bt,hl,r.raw.s Vonaouth IQm Uitou«boul mOd of the f rs,., "Ie. lor,. O"I«r Wa.quolt In • Talmou'h I.erloo ti .. ~ T9 \0 .. In • hc
Both baseball and basketball games were well covered by 'flu Folmollrh Enurpris~ and 'flu Cap~ Cod Sto11turd- TIm~. The clippings above are from 1"~ Cap~ Cod Standard-TImes. 1946-50. Counesy Roben W. Griffin. 9
"This loss brought the Clippers down to earth. The in his fishing boat, the Priscilla V. The fishermen were season was still successful. but there were no other our number one fans. They and Sam Cahoon, who teams on the Cape of the caliber of the Barnstable owned the fi sh market, came to as many games as Townies," Mr. Griffin said. they could," Mr. Griffin said. the Falmouth Entuprise report of a Clippers game against Mashpee noted, Because gyms varied a lot in size and quality in those "On hand as usual were the Woods Hole fishermen rimes, the teams frequently had to adjust their play and their families, the most loyal supporters any ing styles. Falmouth games were played in the Fal team ever had." mouth Junior High (later called Hall School) gym. This was the gym used by Lawrence High School. The Woods Hole Clippers baseball and basketball The junior high building had been built under a low teams ended in 1951. By that time, Mr. Griffin bid contract in 1924, according to Mr. Griffin, and noted, the country was well on its way to post-war had defects in quality and design. The gym ceiling recovery. "The lack of sports and recreation during fell in several times. In the gym there was a double the war had built up a strong desire, partly nostal row of bench seats on the sidelines and some rows of gic, to get going again, so, some things, including bench seats at one end. There were exposed girders at baseball and basketball, made a strong restart," said the top. These ca used some problems. Ellie Eldridge, Mr. Griffin. Five years later, many of those longings the star athlete in high school, college and then the were "fairly well satisfied," he said. "Television was Clippers, freq uently took long arcing shots and some really springing up, providing entertainment that hit the girders. included lots of sporrs. The local athletes and spec tators were moving and starting new careers. The One gym in WellAeet was in a small wooden building post-war novelty of returning to happy days of yore heated by a large pot-bellied stove, somewhat peril was wearing off, and new peacetime ventures were ous for running athletes and bouncing basketballs. changing the scene." The high school gym in Wareham had covered pillars on the base line that were not quite far enough from Deborah Griffi n Scanlon is the daughter of Woods Hole natives the basket. In Midrlleborough, the court was small Robert W Griffin and the late Manha Vincent Griffin. She is an 11 th generation Cape Coddcr and a descendant of (he and also sunken, resembling a handball court. Gifford and Hatch families. A graduate of Syracuse University with a double major in English and Journalism, Deborah is cur The Clippers traveled to Martha's Vineyard to play rendy the communications coordinaror for me MBl Ecosysrems the Vineyard Haven team several times. "The steam Cemer. She has wrirtcn for 71J~ Falmouth EmerpriJe and other publications. She and her husband Jack Scanlon live in Nonh ship schedule would not have gotten us there in rime Falmouth. for the game, so Jared Vincent took the Clippers over