Williams, Amherst Rivalry Returning to Pittsfield

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The Ephs will meet the Lord Jeffs on Sunday at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield to determine the NESCAC West Division champ.
PITTSFIELD — Williams and Amherst colleges will try once again to rekindle their rivalry at the city's historic Wahconah Park.

The Ephs and Lord Jeffs were set to play there three weeks ago, but the game had to be canceled because of rain.

So this Sunday, May 4, the baseball teams will meet in the city where it all began 149 years ago this July. The game also marks the 149th year of college baseball in America.

Williams and Amherst met in the first intercollegiate contest back on July 1, 1859 in Pittsfield in a game won by Amherst 73-32 in 25 innings.

Sunday's game will determine the champion of the New England Small College Athletic Conference West Division as both Amherst and Williams enter the contest with a record of 8-3 in conference play.

Former Eph baseball player Michael Barbera, class of 1989, got the ball rolling on this project and was assisted by Amherst graduate Dan Duquette, who grew up in Dalton.

Barbera and Duquette, former general manager of the Boston Red Sox and owner of the Pittsfield Dukes, worked with Williams head coach William Barrale and Amherst head coach William Thurston to move the game from the Williams campus to Pittsfield.

Barbera and Duquette also enlisted the support of the Pittsfield Mayor James. M. Ruberto and secured the use of historic Wahconah Park.

The 291st meeting Sunday between the archrivals is setting the stage for what is expected to be an even larger celebration in 2009 when the 150th year of college baseball will be noted.

Pittsfield, of course, is famed for being the earliest home of baseball, based on the discovery of a 1791 bylaw banning its playing near the meetinghouse.


U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, has introduced legislation in the U.S. House to proclaim Pittsfield the "Birthplace of College Baseball." He is expected to speak on the resolution before the game.

Also on the field for the ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. will be Ruberto and Barbera; the first pitch will be thrown out by former Williams College baseball player Jim Briggs, class of 1960.

The game begins at 1:10.

It will be preceded by a youth baseball clinic for local leagues provided by the Dan Duquette Sports Academy of Hinsdale from 10 to 11:15 a.m. All children attending the clinic will receive a free baseball hat commemorating the first college game.

Both teams will then take turns at practice on the field until 12:35.

A free fan bus for Williams students will depart from Chapin Hall at 11:30 a.m. Each Eph riding the bus will receive a coupon for a free gelato in the Paresky Center and other prizes will be given out on the ride. The fan bus will return to campus immediately following the game.
 
All Williams students and children will be admitted free.. The price of an adult ticket is $5.

 

 
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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