Arnie Allen Diamond

Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field is a baseball venue in Falmouth, Massachusetts, home to the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL).

Arnie Allen Diamond
Full nameArnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field
Address790 Main Street
LocationFalmouth, Massachusetts
Coordinates41°33′18.79″N 70°36′14.70″W
Capacity8,000
Field sizeLeft Field: 320 ft
Center Field: 385 ft
Right Field: 320 ft
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1938-1939
Tenants
Falmouth Commodores

Located in downtown Falmouth, the town athletic field was constructed in the late 1930s with assistance from the Work Projects Administration.[1][2] The facility was dedicated in 1952 in honor of Elmer E. "Guv" Fuller, longtime coach and athletic director at Falmouth's Lawrence High School.[3][4][5] Fuller, whose nickname referenced 1920s Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller, had quarterbacked Falmouth's high school football team in 1905 and 1906. He returned to his alma mater in 1926, and remained a central figure in the town's athletic programs until his retirement in 1952.[6][7][8]

Falmouth's CCBL ballclub has called the field home since 1964, having previously played its home games at the Central Park field in Falmouth Heights.[9] In 2004, the baseball diamond at Guv Fuller Field was named in memory of longtime Commodores' volunteer Arnie Allen. Allen began his association with the Commodores as a seven-year-old bat boy, and remained with the club for 46 seasons, serving primarily as the team's equipment manager, and receiving the league's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.[10][11][12] Aging and in need of significant upgrades,[13] the facility was awarded a field improvement grant from the Yawkey Foundation in 2006.[14][15] Another round of major upgrades began in 2018.[16][17]

Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field has hosted the CCBL all-star game festivities several times, including its first all-star game in 1966,[18] and its most recent in 2003.[19] The field has seen Falmouth claim six CCBL titles, including four consecutively from 1968 to 1971.[20][21] The ballpark has been the summertime home of dozens of future major leaguers such as Tino Martinez,[22] Darin Erstad,[23] and Jacoby Ellsbury.[24]

References
  1. "The Heart of Falmouth is its Village Green". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. May 8, 1953. pp. 21, 22.
  2. "Fuller Field's High Stands Will Disappear". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. April 6, 1962. pp. 1, 5.
  3. "Nov. 8 Will Be "Guv" Fuller Day". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. October 10, 1952. p. 1.
  4. "Moses To Be MC For Dedication Of Fuller Field". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. October 17, 1952. p. 1.
  5. "Fans Brave Chill Autumn Wind To Watch Dedication Of Field". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. November 14, 1952. p. 3.
  6. Moses, George L. (November 7, 1952). "Tribute to the Coach". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. p. 5.
  7. "Guv Fuller Honored At Dedication Of Town Athletic Field Saturday". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. November 14, 1952. p. 12.
  8. "Dedication to "Guv"". Falmouth Enterprise. Falmouth, MA. January 2, 1953. p. 7.
  9. Crowley, Dan (2004). Baseball on Cape Cod. Charleston, SC: Arcadia. p. 61. ISBN 0-7385-3508-7.
  10. "Falmouth to Dedicate Arnie Allen Diamond". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. June 17, 2004. p. 13.
  11. T.J. Lasita (June 24, 2004). "Legendary Commodore Honored". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  12. Russ Charpentier (November 3, 2002). "High Class". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  13. Walsh, Sean M. (June 30, 1994). "Greener Grass, Brighter Diamonds: Ranking the Fields of the Cape League". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. pp. 5, 27.
  14. "Yawkey Foundation donates S300K for Cape League fields". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. March 2, 2006. p. 21.
  15. Laura Rasmussen. "Falmouth Commodores' 2008 Season Much Brighter Now Thanks to Improved Lighting System at Guv Fuller Field". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  16. Christine Legere (January 24, 2018). "Falmouth Recreation Department looks to upgrade Guv Fuller Field". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  17. Brad Cole (May 11, 2018). "Falmouth Commodores Provide Update On Guv Fuller Field". capenews.net. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  18. "Four Kettleers Make All-Star Team". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. July 26, 1966. p. 6.
  19. John Garner, Jr. (July 29, 2003). "All Star Game was a Hit to the Very End". capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  20. "The Way it Ended". The Cape Codder. Orleans, MA. September 3, 1970. p. 23.
  21. "Falmouth Wins Cape League Title Deplorable Brawl In Fourth Game". The Cape Codder. Orleans, MA. August 26, 1971. p. 23.
  22. "Cape League Wrapup". Barnstable Patriot. Barnstable, MA. July 3, 1986. p. 10.
  23. Judd, Grant (January 31, 2002). "Cape League honors its own". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. p. 8.
  24. Murphy, Sarah (November 1, 2007). "A mother knows: Host mom was early witness to Ellsbury's greatness". Yarmouth Register. Yarmouth, MA. p. 16.

See also


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