On Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Montvale Plaza, the Intercity League Hall of Fame will be inducting in their second Hall of Fame Class.

The ICL is considered one of the top amateur baseball leagues in the Northeast and is in its 61 year of existence. The Town of Reading is represented in the league by the up-and-coming Bulldogs franchise, founded by John Halsey, which reached the deciding game of the League semi-final series this past season, in only the franchise’s second year.

Before there were the Bulldogs, Reading’s entry in the ICL was referred to simply as the “Town Team."  This team played during the decades of the 50’s and 60’s when the League was sponsored by the Carling Brewery and was considered a semi-pro league.

Two members of that original franchise are being inducted this year:

Jim “Gigi” Cavanaugh is a Reading native and 1959 graduate of RMHS who was one of the stars of the league during the 1960’s. Jim grew up behind the Hunt LL Field and that undoubtbly helped fuel his love of the game. 

He made a name for himself by being what is now called a “five-tool” player. Gigi was a leadoff hitter who hit for average and power and who could run like the wind. He was mostly known as a catcher and a shortstop but was called upon to play most every position on the field during his tenure.  

In 1965, he was named the Carling Intercity League Most Valuable Player. Gigi spent one professional season with the Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate in Illinois before returning home to finish out his baseball days with Reading. Jim was a most valuable contributor to the team’s 1967 ICL Championship, batting .476 on the season.

Charlie Patterson was the player/manager for the team and had an 11 year tenure spanning from 1959 through 1969.

Charlie hails from Stoneham where he was a 1955 graduate at SHS and an all-scholastic athlete in baseball. Charlie did his own stint in professional baseball, after being drafted by the Milwaukee Braves baseball club, where he pitched for three years up through the AA level. He played against such notable major leaguers as Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal, Joe Pepitone and Bill Monboquette.

Charlie’s role with the team was immense as he was a player and coach and had to raise funds for the team in order to keep the baseball operation going from year to year. The well-respected Manager led Reading to five appearances in the Championship series.  In 1967, with one of the younger squads in the league his team broke through and won the first ever championship for the Reading franchise.

Other notable inductions:

Ellis “Sonny” Lane is a longtime Reading resident and a Stoneham native who is being honored for his days with the Hosmer Chiefs.

Sonny is well known for being a prominent coach and administrator on the local high school athletic scene. His accomplishments as a player and coach could fill a small library. He is also a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame for both Stoneham HS and Wakefield HS.

He was an all-scholastic basketball and baseball player at SHS and former captain of the Suffolk University baseball team. As a coach, he was equally as successful, winning 5 Middlesex League basketball championships, 3 state sectional titles, 1 Eastern Mass state title, and was a 3 time Coach of the Year.  His son, Steve, is a member of the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame being inducted in their second induction ceremony in 1998.

Dave Polcari is also a longtime Reading resident and native of Medford who is a member of this year’s ICL Hall of Fame class.

Dave’s contributions to the Reading baseball scene have been significant over the years as a coach at the youth baseball levels, PONY League President and Legion Post 62 Coach.

Dave was a star player for the legendary Hosmer Chiefs teams of the 1970’s and spent some time as a player in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. After his playing days were over Dave was the baseball coach at Medford HS where he won over a 100 games.

Those seeking ticket information for the Hall of Fame event should contact Orazio Azzarello at (617) 839-1488 or by e-mailing ICLHallofFame@yahoo.com.