The Brockton Shoemakers were an early minor league baseball team based in Brockton, Massachusetts. The "Shoemakers" had a long tenure as members of the New England League beginning in 1892 and continuing through the 1933 season, after the first "Brockton" team began play in 1885. The Shoemakers won New England League championships in 1887 and 1888.
The Brockton "Shoemakers" nickname corresponds with Brockton's large shoemaking industry in the era, when a peak of 13,000 employees worked at shoe factories in the city.
From 1907 to 1909, the Brockton team was known as the "Tigers" in their first three seasons of play following the 1905 Grover Shoe Factory disaster in Brockton.
Brockton teams played home minor league games at both Highland Park and the Centre Street Grounds. The Brockton franchise utilized both ballparks intermittently from 1885 through 1933.
Brockton played a partial minor league season in the 1933 New England League and were a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers that season.
Brockton next hosted minor league baseball with the 2002 Brockton Rox, after nearly a seventy-season gap between minor league teams.
History 1885–1886: Early minor-league teams Minor league baseball began in Brockton in 1885, when the "Brockton" team became charter members of the Eastern New England League. The Biddeford Clamdiggers, Haverhill, Lawrence, Newburyport Clamdiggers and Portland teams joined with Brockton in beginning league play.Bevis, Charlie (2007). The New England League: A Baseball History, 1885-1949. .
Brockton's Eastern New England League team player/manager was Bill McGunnigle, a Brockton native. A decade earlier McGunnigle was credited with using the first catchers mit, while playing with a Fall River team in 1875. After his hands became sore after playing catcher, McGunnigle used bricklayers' gloves with the glove fingers removed to fashion the first catchers mit. In 2015, a plaque of Bill McGunnigle was dedicated at the Brockton City Hall after having been first unveiled in a temporary location at a Brockton Rox game in 2014.
Officially, the Lawrence team ended the 1885 season in first place with a 50–31 record, finishing 2.0 games ahead of second place Brockton, who had a final record of 48–33. There was controversy that led to a final playoff series between the top two teams. In 1885, Lawrence was managed by Walter Burnham, who later had a championship tenure as the Brockton manager.
The Brockton and Lawrence teams were both in competition for the 1885 Eastern New England League championship throughout the season. As the season was nearing its end, two games between the two teams were disputed and the league ruled in a September meeting that they were to be made up at the end of the scheduled regular season. The games were scheduled by the league to be played on October 3 in Lawrence and October 4 in Brockton. However, the Brockton team did not appear for the first game in Lawrence. With fans in the stands, the game at Lawrence was declared a 9-0 forfeit by the umpire after Brockton did not appear. McGunnigle said in the aftermath that he wasn't able to reassemble his complete team in time for the game and Lawrence countered the Brockton should be expelled from the league. After a league meeting was held on October 6, 1895, the two teams were in agreement to play a three-game series for the championship. The games were rescheduled to be played on October 10 in Brockton, October 13 in Lawrence, and October 15 in Boston, if necessary. Lawrence was victorious in the playoff, winning the first game 9–4 and the second game 11–4 and won the league championship. Kent Howard of Brockton won the league batting title, hitting .357. Teammate William Hawes scored a league leading 87 runs.
Brockton continued minor league play in 1886. On July 23, 1886, Brockton player/manager Bill McGunnigle suffered a fractured skull when hit in the head by a pitch in a game against Lawrence. The incident ended McGunnigle's career as a regular player. Lawrence pitcher Dick Conway threw two pitches at his head that McGunnigle was able to avoid, before Conway hit McGunnigle in the head with the third pitch, according to the Brockton Weekly Gazette. The Boston Globe, said of the beaning. "The only topic on the street tonight is the question of whether it was Conway's idea to frighten the batsman or if he was trying to get the balls as close to the batsman as possible"
The Eastern New England League continued play and shortened its name for the 1886 season. The newly named "New England League" played its first game in 1886, with the same five Eastern New England League clubs plus the addition of the Boston Blues as the sixth team. Brockton resumed minor league play during the 1886 New England League season. Brockton had a final record of 45-56 and ended the season in fourth place in the six-team league. Brockton was managed by Bill McGunnigle and Jim Cudworth, as the team finished 29.5 games behind the first place Portland team.
The Brockton team did not return to play as members of the 1887 New England League. The league expanded from six teams to eight teams, adding the Lowell Browns, Manchester Farmers and Salem Witches franchises as the new members. Bill McGunnigle managed Lowell, who won the league championship. After managing Lowell, Bill McGunnigle became manager of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, signed by Brooklyn for a salary of $2,500. McGunnigle led Brooklyn to the 1889 and 1890 National League pennants. McGunnigle was best friends with former teammate Jim Cudworth who replaced him as Lowell's manager in 1888 after having also replaced him as the Brockton manager in 1886.
1892–1899: Brockton Shoemakers, New England League
The Brockton "Shoemakers" nickname for their baseball team corresponds with local history and industry in the era. Circa 1900, over 6,000 people were employed in over 100 separate shoe manufacturing entities within the city. Brockton was nicknamed as the "Shoe City." In 1919, there were 39 shoe manufacturers in the Brockton with 13,000 employees. By 1964, Brockton had 10 shoe factories, with 2,000 employees. The last shoe manufacturer in the city closed in 2009. Today's Footjoy shoe brand was founded in Brockton as the Burt and Packard Shoe Company in 1857. It was soon named the Field and Flint Company, and established the Footjoy brand in 1923.
Famed boxer Rocky Marciano grew up in Brockton, playing baseball at Brockton High School and dreaming of a baseball career. Marciano's father was employed at the Adams Shoe Company. His father forbid Rocky from working at the shoe factories and encouraged him to follow other pursuits, which led him to baseball and then boxing.
With Bill McGunnigle returning as manager from his time with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, Brockton resumed minor league play in 1892. The Brockton franchise rejoined the Class B level New England League, with the team becoming known as the "Shoemakers" for the first time. The Shoemakers finished the 1892 season with a 46–45 record to place fourth in the eight–team New England League, which lost three teams during the season. The Shoemakers finished 15.5 games behind first place Woonsocket team in the final standings, as the New England League ended the season with five remaining teams.
In 1893, the Brockton Shoemakers continued play as the New England League played the season with six teams and retained a Class B level status. Brockton ended the season with a 30–51 record in New England League play, as Fred Doe replaced Bill McGunnigle as manager for the season. Bill McGunnigle left Brockton and became owner/manager of the rival Lowell franchise in the New England League. The Shoemakers finished the 1893 season in fifth place, ending the season 25.5 games behind the first place Fall River Indians in the final standings.
In 1894, Brockton native Frank Sexton was a local player who had signed to play with the team. However, Sexton was in dispute with the Shoemakers over the language in his signed contract for the upcoming season. On April 17, 1984, Sexton did report to the team at the beginning of the season for Brockton despite being under contract. Sexton and Brockton manager W.H. Allen were in a dispute over Sexton having no intention of pitching for Brockton after May 16, 1894. Sexton showed the media a contract with signatures of both he and Allen with clear wording that Sexton was to pitch for Brockton from April 16 to May 16, 1894. After his Brockton stint, Sexton eventually signed with the Boston Beaneaters on June 18, 1894.
The Brockton Shoemakers folded before the end of the eight–team 1894 New England League season, after compiling a poor record. On August 25, 1894, having played under managers William Allen and Charles Wilson, the Shoemakers folded with a record of 30–62 on that date. The Fall River Indians were the eventual league champions.
Despite folding the previous season, Brockton continued membership in the 1895 Class B level New England League and began the season with the rest of the eight–team league. The Brockton Shoemakers finished in sixth place in the eight–team league. With a final record of 48–56, the Shoemakers ended the season 18.0 games behind the first place Fall River Indians in the final standings. Royal Perrin managed Brockton during the 1895 season.
With Walt Burnham beginning a tenure as manager, the 1896 Brockton Shoemakers improved to finish in third place in the New England League season. Brockton ended the season with a 63–43 record, playing its first season under manager Walter Burnham. The league championship was won again by the Fall River Indians, who finished 4.5 games ahead of third place Brockton in the final standings, as the league held no playoffs. Ed Breckinridge of Brockton led the New England League with 25 home runs, while also hitting .402 on the season. Brockton pitcher Jim Korwan led the league with 168 strikeouts and advanced to pitch for the Chicago Cubs in 1897. At age 25, Korwin died of tuberculosis in 1899.
In 1897, the Brockton Shoemakers were the co-champions of the six–team Class B level New England League, after ending the regular season in a tie. The Fall River Indians, New Bedford Whalers, Newport Colts, Pawtucket Phenoms and Taunton Herrings teams joined Brockton in 1897 New England League play.
A native of New Brunswick, Canada, Bill Magee was a 20-year-old pitcher when he played his first professional season with Brockton in 1897. Magee pitched to a 17–14 record with a 2.05 ERA, throwing 28 complete games and 279 innings for the Shoemakers.https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=magee-001wil Magee advanced and pitched for six teams in five seasons in the major leagues. Magee had career a 29–51 record before he suddenly disappeared following his 1906 season.https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mageebi01.shtml In 1907, with a wife and children, Magee reportedly vanished from Buffalo, New York and left his family, never to be seen or heard from again.
Jimmy Sheckard played for the Brockton Shoemakers in 1897 before making his major league debut with the Brooklyn Bridegrooms at the end of the season, embarking on a 17-year career. At age 18, Sheckard led the New England League in batting average, runs scored, stolen bases and total hits. Sheckard also pitched in 11 games for Brockton and had a 0.95 ERA. Playing with the Chicago Cubs in 1911, Sheckard set the single season major league record for walks with 147. The record was broken by Babe Ruth in 1920. Sheckard is one of four players in the modern era (1900–present) to hold the single season walks record; the others are Ruth, Jack Crooks, and Barry Bonds. Sheckard is the all-time major leader among left fielders in assists, with 243.