"ADONIS" TERRY DAY CELEBRATED IN “VINTAGE” STYLE  

More Than 500 “Cranks” Celebrate The Career Of Westfield’s Nineteen Century Baseball Legend

WESTFIELD, MA - On July 23, 2006, the city of Westfield Massachusetts honored the life and baseball career of William "Adonis" Terry with a celebration culminating with a vintage baseball game between the Westfield Wheelmen and the Hartford Senators at Westfield's Bullens Field. The game was played by the rules of 1886 along with replica equipment and uniforms. Among the other highlights included a pre-game ceremony where Mayor Richard Sullivan declared the day “Adonis” Terry Day in the city of Westfield, a baseball legend of the Westfield River Valley League of the 1940s threw out the first pitch, while the Chord Sharks, a barbershop quartet performed a wonderful rendition of the National Anthem and entertained the “cranks” (a 19^th century term for “fans”) in between innings, a demonstration of high-wheel bicycle riding by the Rhode Island Wheelmen Bicycle Club performed during the game, and the voice of Fenway Park, Carl Beane, as the special guest M.C. and public address announcer for the event, added much flavor.

William H. Terry, nicknamed "Adonis" was born in Westfield in 1864, spent 13 years in the major leagues and by comparison to other National Baseball Hall of Fame players from the 19th Century, belongs right along side. Terry, who umpired in the major leagues during and after his playing days, was also known as a clean living player during a rough time in major league baseball history and was considered a pioneer in off-season training. Terry passed away of pneumonia in 1915 at the age of 50.

"This was truly a great day for the city of Westfield and Mr. Terry and I am sure he would have been proud," said Dan Genovese the town's baseball historian, author of 2 books on Westfield baseball history, and founder and captain of the Westfield Wheelmen Vintage Base Ball Club. "With such a great response by the citizens of Westfield, work is already underway for next year’s vintage base ball event," stated Genovese, the event organizer, “it promises to be an even greater show.”

Westfield on Weekends coordinated and marketed the event, while the Westfield Wheelmen and Adonis Terry Day is supported in part by a grant from the Westfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Other sponsors to date include De-Tech / Detectors Technology, Inc., Air Compressor Engineering Company, the Western Hampden Historical Society and the Westfield Babe Ruth League.