The American Amateur Baseball Congress is the sponsoring organization of the Connie Mack World Series. The A.A.B.C. provides activities for youth and young adult baseball players through seven league divisions in the United States and Puerto Rico. Connie Mack regular season play allows players ages 16 to 18 to participate.
Forty-three years ago, a delegation of Farmington businessmen traveled to the A.A.B.C. Annual Meeting in Chicago in what many thought was a futile effort to bid on the 1965 Connie Mack World Series. The tournament had been held in Springfield, Illinois until this time. With their 1963 Babe Ruth World Series and the 1964 Connie Mack South Plains Regional Tournament experience behind them, the delegation presented a convincing story and won the bid by
ONE vote.
2007 marks the 43rd year for the Connie Mack World Series to be held in Farmington. It is not by chance or by accident that this tournament continues to be a success. It has been a team effort from the beginning to assure "new blood," and surely, without the "foster parent plan" initiated in 1975, the tournament would have long ago become a financial burden too big to handle. The support of the foster parents, the civic clubs, the sponsors, administrators, coaches, players, and fans has made the Connie Mack World Series one of the finest amateur tournaments in baseball.
The Connie Mack World Series Committee of Farmington received the 1995 Sponsor of the Year Award at the National Meeting of the Amateur Baseball Congress held in Clearwater Beach, Florida in November of 1995. The Committee is renowned for the quality and quantity of work that it accomplishes year-round in order to successfully host this world-famous baseball tournament.
Since Farmington hosted the first tournament in 1965, the Connie Mack World Series has grown to be the largest and highest- esteemed tournament in the realm of amateur baseball. Each year the crowds are larger and the enthusiasm continues to increase. Above all, the quality of the Connie Mack World Series Committee continues to amaze those intricately involved with the World Series.
According to Joe Cooper, National AABC President, "Few committees are capable of maintaining the quality and quantity of this Committee. The Committee is structured in such a manner that every task is assigned to individuals with valuable experience, and those individuals add new persons to eventually take their place."
Recipient of the Beam Clay National Baseball Diamond of the Year Award for 1987 and the 1992 Diamond Dry Groundskeeper of the Year Award, sponsored in conjunction with the National High School Baseball Coaches Association, Ricketts Park was developed by volunteer efforts and community donations. Continued improvements to Ricketts Park are funded with proceeds from the Connie Mack World Series. Operated by the City of Farmington year-round, the seating capacity at this top-ranked baseball field is 5, 072. Dimensions of Ricketts field - RF-330, RCF-342, CF-370, LCF-544, and LF-320.
