"The summer I spent in Chatham was one of the most enjoyable of my life. I hope someday to be able to repay the people who made it possible." -- Anonymous, former A's player

     CHATHAM -- Planned for all winter by the Chatham Athletic Association, the Chatham A's Summer Baseball Celebration culminated Thursday night (July 5) in grand style as close to three dozen former A's players came to town to play in the organization's first-ever Chatham A's Alumni Game.

     The event was pulled together in large part by Laurie Galop, spouse of current Chatham A's President Paul Galop, Bob Sherman and Jim Eldridge.

Steve Duda, the last Cape League ace to hurl a no-hitter, can still bring after years off the playing field. Diane Troy/Chatham A's 2001

     Earlier in the week, the A's had a special pre-game ceremony (July 3) to retire former field manager Eddie Lyons' number -- 29. Thursday night, former A's young and old laced up the spikes and hefted the leather and lumber once again to play against each other under the lights at Veterans Field. The list of those who came to play read more like a Who's Who of Cape League All-Time Greats: Ken Voges (1963), who still holds the record for highest single-season batting average at .505; Steve Duda (1991-92), the former righty ace who once tossed a no-hitter; current and longtime A's field manager and former Cape Leaguer John Schiffner; Jon Palmieri (1998), the all-star first baseman who batted .307 for the A's Championship team and many, many more.

     Players from each era of the Chatham organization were in attendance, from the original Chatham Town Team, to the Chatham Red Sox to the current Chatham Athletics. The first year Chatham entered a ball club into the Cape Cod Baseball League was 1923. That year, there were four clubs in the Cape League: Chatham, Sandwich, Osterville and Barnstable. Known colloquially as the Chatham Townies back then, Chatham took the Cape Twilight League title seven consecutive seasons, from 1933 through 1939. It wasn't until the 1960s as the modern era of the Cape Cod Baseball League dawned (1963) that Chatham once again saw itself crowned a Cape League powerhouse. In 1962-64, 1966-67 and 1969, Chatham was crowned champion of the Lower Cape Cod League. During that time, Chatham uniforms bore the moniker Red Sox as the Major League Baseball Boston Red Sox supported the club. The Chatham Red Sox actually wore old Boston Red Sox uniforms during that time.

     In the 1970s, the team changed names to become the Chatham A's. In 1976, 1980 and 1985, the A's won regular season crowns, followed by the team's first modern Cape Cod Baseball League Championship under Hall of Fame manager Ed Lyons. While Lyons would never again coach the A's and retired with 331 lifetime wins (the most-ever until the record was broken by Don Reed in 1999), the legacy he left behind was enough to earn him an induction into the first class of CCBL Hall of Fame enshrines.

     In the 1990s, the A's were crowned CCBL Champs three times - 1992, 1996 and again in 1998. In 1991-93, 1996-97 and in 1999, the A's were crowned East Division Champions.

Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Famer Eddie Lyons (center) had his number retired during the Chatham A's Summer Baseball Celebration in July. Standing with Coach Lyons is single season batting record holder Ken Voges (left) and former A's player now Manager John Schiffner (right). Diane Troy/Chatham A's 2001

Former Chatham A's righty ace Steve Duda, who pitched the last no-hitter in the Cape League in 1992 and who played for the A's in 1991-92, shares a fun moment with his wife Sarah and daughter Julie. Diane Troy/Chatham A's 2001

Cape League Hall of Fame member Ed Lyons (left) chats about the good old days with Ken Voges (Chatham/1963), the CCBL all-time single season record holder for batting (.505). Lyons, Voges and three dozen former Chatham A's convened at Veterans Field Thursday (July 5) night to play in the first-ever Chatham A's Alumni Game.   Sean Walsh/CCBL 2001