The Orleans Firebirds, formerly the Orleans Cardinals, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Orleans, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Firebirds play their home games at Eldredge Park in Orleans, which opened in 1913 and is the CCBL's oldest ballpark. The Firebirds are owned and operated by the non-profit Orleans Athletic Association.
Orleans has won two CCBL championships in the 21st century, most recently in 2005 when they defeated the Bourne Braves two games to one to win the best of three championship series. The team was a dominant force in the CCBL during the 11-season span from 1947 to 1957 in which Orleans claimed seven league titles. The team has been led since 2005 by field manager Kelly Nicholson.
History
Pre-modern era
Early years
Baseball in Orleans has been played at Eldredge Park since 1913, when the land for the park was donated to the town by baseball enthusiast Louis Winslow "Win" Eldredge, "in consideration of [his] affection for and interest in the young people of Orleans and [his] desire to provide a playground for them."
The early Cape League era (1923–1939)
In 1923 the Cape Cod Baseball League was formed and included four teams: Falmouth, Chatham, Osterville, and Hyannis. This early Cape League operated through the 1939 season and disbanded in 1940, due in large part to the difficulty of securing ongoing funding during the Great Depression. Orleans' entry into the league came in 1928. Wareham had been added in 1927 to bring the number of teams to five, and Orleans and Plymouth were to be added in 1928, though the Plymouth entry never materialized.
Orleans featured several notable figures during this era. Lynn, Massachusetts native John "Blondy" Ryan played for Orleans in 1928 and went on to play for the World Series-winning 1933 New York Giants. New Hampshire native Red Rolfe played for Orleans in 1930 and went on to be the starting third-baseman for the New York Yankees of the late 1930s. Rolfe was a four-time American League all-star, and won five World Series titles with the Bronx Bombers. While at Orleans, Rolfe played for skipper Patsy Donovan, a longtime major league player and manager who had managed the Boston Red Sox in 1910 and 1911, and who piloted the Orleans team in 1929 and 1930. Al Weston and Ed Wineapple played for Orleans in 1931. Weston was a former Boston College star who had played with the major league Boston Braves in 1929, and Wineapple a 1929 Washington Senator who had played for Osterville in the CCBL for three years previously. Lawrence, Massachusetts native Johnny Broaca played for Orleans from 1930 to 1932, and later pitched for the 1936 World Series champion Yankees.
Orleans withdrew from the league after the 1934 season due to funding issues, but returned in 1937. Massachusetts Governor Charles F. Hurley was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to open the 1937 season in Orleans as the team faced Harwich. Orleans fielded a team again in 1938, but then was forced to withdraw from the league again for the 1939 season, after which the league itself disbanded.
Orleans' 1938 team featured Danvers, Massachusetts native Connie Creeden, who batted over .400 for the season to lead the league, and who went on to play for the major league Boston Braves. The team's ace pitcher in 1938 was Somerville, Massachusetts native Al Blanche. Blanche was a Cape League veteran who had led Harwich's 1933 title club, then spent two seasons in the majors with the Boston Braves before returning to the Cape League in 1938 to play for Orleans. CCBL Hall of Famer Bill Enos played for Orleans during this period, and went on to be a longtime scout for the Boston Red Sox, as well as the first-ever scouting liaison for the Cape League to Major League Baseball.
The Upper and Lower Cape League era (1946–1962)
The Cape League reorganized in 1946 after a hiatus during World War II, and Orleans began play in the revived league in 1947. The team was originally known as the Orleans Sparklers, but soon became known as the Orleans Red Sox. Orleans dominated the post-war period, appearing in the CCBL championship series in each of its first nine years in the league, and 11 times total between 1947 and 1959. During this span, the club won seven CCBL titles, including back to back championships in 1949 and 1950, and again in 1952 and 1953.