Count Down Begins!

Hosting the longest running baseball tournament for any age group anywhere has led to Farmington, New Mexico being known as the “The Amateur Baseball Capital of the World.”

Our tournament is named after Connie Mack, who was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. He was the longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball  history and holds records for wins, losses, and games managed (7,755), with his victory total being almost 1,000 more than any other manager.

The Connie Mack World Series is also the single largest event for Major League Baseball scouts each year.
On the average, the tournament hosts 56 draft choices each year.

In 1964, Farmington was given the bid to host the 1965 Connie Mack World Series. The series was held on land that was once home to the San Juan County Fair, until the fair moved to McGee Park.

The city of Farmington kicked in more than $3,000 for maintenance and the Connie Mack World Series was held at what was then called Babe Ruth Field.

In 1967, the field was renamed Orvil Ricketts Park and over the years, the park has become a landmark to area residents and fans of young baseball players around the country.

Operated by the City of Farmington year-round, the seating capacity at this top-ranked baseball field is over 6,100.
In 2011, a more than $600,000 renovation was completed. The first phase of the multi-year project was completed.
Residents and businesses raised a large portion of the funds for phase one through donations.

At the entrance, the grounds boast hundreds of bricks with donors’ names etched into them. Plaques that also recognizing the donors, line the redesigned entrance to the park.

A “larger than life” original bronze sculpture, created by local artist Steve Meyers, will be a focal point of the renovations. Keeping that spirit alive for amateur baseball players and their fans is what improvements to Ricketts Park is all about.

Ricketts Park is located at 1101 Fairgrounds Rd. and the Farmington Civic Center is located at 200 W. Arrington in Farmington, N.M.

Fifty 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 to host the 1965 Connie Mack World Series.

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.

On this, the 50th anniversary of the series, we celebrate the support of the foster parents, the civic clubs, the sponsors, administrators, coaches, players, and fans that have made the Connie Mack World Series one of the finest amateur tournaments in baseball.

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.

Farmington’s Connie Mack World Series Committee received the 1995 Sponsor of the Year Award at the national meeting of the Amateur Baseball Congress in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The Committee is known 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 most prestigious tournament in amateur baseball. The quality of the Connie Mack World Series Committee continues to amaze those intricately involved with the World Series.

“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,”

Joe Cooper, National AABC President said.

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.

Ricketts won 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.

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.