Massachusetts

• Capital: Boston, MA
• Largest City: Boston, MA
• Area: 10,555 sq mi
  • Rank: 44
• Population (2010): 6,547,629
  • Rank: 14
• Admission to Union: February 6, 1788
• Time Zone: Eastern

The state of Massachusetts located in the northeastern U.S. and forming the heart of New England, is the only one to have hosted major league baseball continuously since the founding of the National Association in 1871; Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania all experienced short breaks during the 19th Century. In Massachussets' case, there was always a team based in the state's capital and largest city, Boston.

In addition to Boston, there has been AAA baseball in Springfield and Worcester at various times, with Worcester even hosting a National League team for a few years. A number of minor leagues were based around the state, including various incarnations of the New England League, the Atlantic League, the Colonial League and the Eastern League. The state has also been a hub of college baseball, with the first college game on record having been played in Pittsfield, MA on July 1, 1859 between Williams College and Amherst College, both based in the state. The Cape Cod League was the first summer collegiate league and remains the most prestigious one.

The state is at the origins of the modern game, as the "Massachusetts rules" were in competition with the "New York rules" developed by the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York until the latter won out. Fenway Park in Boston is the oldest major league ballpark still in use, while Wahconah Park in Pittsfield is one of the oldest minor league parks in the country.

Further Reading

• Peter Morris et al.: Base Ball Founders: The Clubs, Players and Cities of the Northeast That Established the Game, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2013. ISBN 978-0-7864-7430-1