Clem Spillane Field
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| Address | 54 Marion Road at Viking Drive |
|---|---|
| Location | Wareham, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 41°45′28.88″N 70°43′19.77″W / 41.7580222°N 70.7221583°W |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Field size | Left Field: 325 ft Center Field: 400 ft Right Field: 330 ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
| Wareham Gatemen | |
Clem Spillane Field is a baseball and football venue in Wareham, Massachusetts, home to the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). Wareham High School is located to the southeast of the field.
Spillane Field is named for longtime Wareham High teacher and coach Clement S. Spillane. A graduate of Oliver Ames High School in Easton, Massachusetts, Spillane came to Wareham in 1947 and coached football, basketball and baseball. In 13 years at Wareham, Spillane's teams never posted a losing record, and claimed multiple league and regional titles. Spillane is enshrined in the Massachusetts coaches' halls of fame for each of the three sports he coached.[1][2]
The field is a multipurpose facility, used for both baseball and football. A pressbox and concession stand is located behind home plate, and large sections of bleachers along the first and third base lines and left field fence provide abundant seating. A 2007 grant from the Yawkey Foundation allowed for major improvements in the field's playing surface, irrigation, and security.[3]
The CCBL's Gatemen began play at Spillane Field in the 1960s.[4] The field hosted the league's all-star game in 1965, 1993, 1995, 2007, 2015 and 2017, and has seen the Gatemen claim eight CCBL championships, most recently in 2018. The ballpark has been the summertime home of dozens of future major leaguers such as Lance Berkman, Kyle Schwarber, and George Springer.
From 2005 through 2007, each July the field hosted an annual Cape Cod High School Baseball Classic, an all-star baseball game for high school upperclassmen.[5]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Buddy Thomas (August 27, 2017). "Buddy's Best Coaching Legends: No. 1 Clem Spillane, who never had a losing record". southcoasttoday.com. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ "Clement S. Spillane". Easton Public Schools. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ "Yawkey Foundation Field Improvement Grant". capecodbaseball.org. March 12, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ "Cape League Announces 2017 Schedule". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. December 15, 2016. pp. B1.
- ^ Lax, Dave (August 17, 2007). "2007 Baseball Express Cape Cod Classic, presented by Under Armour Recap". baseballfactory.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2019 – via Wayback Machine.