Eastern Association (baseball)

Last updated
Eastern Association
Formerly Connecticut League
Classification Class A (1891)
Class D (1909)
Class B (1913-1914)
Sport Minor League Baseball
First season1891
Ceased1914
PresidentCharles D. White (1891)
Fred Paige (1909)
Jim O'Rourke (1913-1914)
No. of teams25
Country United States of America
Last
champion(s)
Unknown
Most titles1
Buffalo Bisons (1891)
Newburgh Colts (1909)
Hartford Senators (1913)
New London Planters (1914)
Related
competitions
Eastern League

The Eastern Association was a minor league baseball league. The first version of the league appeared in 1882, followed by similar one season leagues in 1891 and 1909 with teams in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. The league was a Class B level league in the 1913 and 1914 seasons, with teams based in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Contents

History

The 1891 Eastern Association played as a Class A level league and the president was Charles D. White. the 1891 league members were the Albany Senators, Buffalo Bisons, Lebanon Cedars, New Haven Nutmegs, Providence Clamdiggers, Rochester Hop Bitters, Syracuse Stars and Troy Trojans. [1] [2] [3]

In 1909, the Eastern Association played for eleven days before folding under league president Jim Paige. The 1909 league comprised Amsterdam, Gloversville, Johnstown, Kingston Colonials, Middletown Orange Blossoms, Newburgh Colts, Poughkeepsie Students and Schenectady. [4]

The 1913 Eastern Association was an eight-team league that featured the Bridgeport Crossmen, Hartford Senators, Holyoke Papermakers, Meriden Hopes, New Haven White Wings, New London Planters, Pittsfield Electrics, Springfield Ponies and Waterbury Contenders. The league president was Baseball Hall of Fame member Jim O'Rourke. The Holyoke Papermakers moved to Meriden on July 11, 1913. [5] [1] [4] [6]

In their final season of play, the 1914 Eastern Association was an eight-team league, as Jim O'Rourke continued as president. The 1914 Eastern Association comprised the Bridgeport Crossmen, Hartford Senators, New Britain Sinks, New Haven White Wings, New London Planters, Pittsfield Electrics, Springfield Ponies and Waterbury Contenders. [1] [7] [4] [8]

Cities represented

Standings & statistics

1891 Eastern Association

schedule

TeamWLGBPct.Manager
Buffalo Bisons 8935.718Patrick Powers
Albany Senators 7249.59515.5 Joe Gerhardt
Troy Trojans 5177.39836.5David Mahoney
Lebanon Cedars 4873.39737.0James Randall
Syracuse Stars 5642.571NA George Frazer
New Haven Nutmegs 4839.552NAWalt Burnham
Rochester Hop Bitters 3660.375NA Tom Power / Lew Kerstein
Providence Clamdiggers 2954.349NA Bill McGunnigle

Providence disbanded August 13; New Haven disbanded August 14; Syracuse & Rochester disbanded August 25. [4]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Buck West SyracuseBA.339 Les German BuffaloW35
Ted Scheffler BuffaloRuns156 Tony Von Fricken AlbanySO197
Harry Lyons BuffaloHits166L.A. GillilandNew HavenERA0.89
Dan Lally New HavenHR5 Les German BuffaloPCT.761; 35–11
Pete Sweeney RochesterHR5
Art Bader AlbanySB106

[4]

1909 Eastern Association

TeamWLGBPct.Manager
Newburgh Colts 82.800William Landgraf
Amsterdam53.6252.0NA
Johnstown43.5712.5NA
Kingston Colonials 43.5712.5Hugh MacKinnon
Gloversville45.4443.5Jacob Leist
Middletown Orange Blossoms 26.2505.0William K. Murray
Poughkeepsie Students NANANANAFred Paige
Schenectady Electricians NANANANAJoseph Andries

Poughkeepsie and Schenectady disbanded June 1
The league folded after eleven days on June 6. [4]

1913 Eastern Association

schedule

TeamWLGBPct.Manager
Hartford Senators 8348.634Simon McDonald
New Haven White Wings 7952.6034.0Jerry O'Connell
Waterbury Contenders 7061.53413.0Sam Kennedy
Bridgeport Crossmen 6963.52314.5 Gene McCann /
John Freeman / Monte Cross
New London Planters 6566.49618.0John Burns / Gene McCann
Springfield Ponies 6070.46222.5 Frank Corridon / Jack O'Hara
Pittsfield Electrics 6273.45923.0John Zeller
Holyoke Papermakers /
Meriden Hopes
4095.29645.0 Jim Garry

Holyoke (24–52) moved to Meriden July 11. [4]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Benny Kauff HartfordBA.345 Bill Hopper New HavenW31
Bill Morley HartfordRuns103 Wib Smith PittsfieldSO175
Benny Kauff HartfordHits176 Bill Hopper New HavenERA2.03
Tom Stankard Holy/Mer/SprinHR8 Bill Hopper New HavenPCT.795 31–8

[4]

1914 Eastern Association

schedule

TeamWLGBPct.Manager
New London Planters 8135.698 Gene McCann
Waterbury Frolickers 6951.57514.0 Lee Fohl
Bridgeport Bolts 6756.54517.5 Jake Boultes
Hartford Senators 6256.52520.0Simon McDonald / Daniel O'Neill
Springfield Ponies 6361.50822.0 Billy Hamilton / Simon McDonald
Pittsfield Electrics 6063.48824.5John Zeller
New Haven White Wings 5464.45828.0Jerry O'Connell
New Britain Sinks 2797.21858.0George Browne / Jim Garry

[4]

Player statistics
PlayerTeamStatTotPlayerTeamStatTot
Elmer Smith WaterburyBA.332 Willie Jensen New HavenW21
Marty Becker New LondonRuns90 Bun Troy PittsfieldSO212
Ed Barney HartfordHits140 Doc Powers New HavenERA2.03
Pete Shields WaterburyHR7 Doc Powers New HavenPCT.769 20–6

[4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern League (1938–present)</span> American sports league in minor league baseball

The Eastern League (EL) is a Minor League Baseball (MiLB) sports league that has operated under that name since 1938, with the exception of the 2021 season, during which the league operated under the moniker Double-A Northeast. The league has played at the Double-A level since 1963, and consists primarily of teams located in the Northeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad</span> American Class I railroad (1872–1968)

The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, commonly known as The Consolidated, or simply as the New Haven, was a railroad that operated principally in the New England region of the United States from 1872 to December 31, 1968. Founded by the merger of the New York and New Haven and Hartford and New Haven railroads, the company had near-total dominance of railroad traffic in Southern New England for the first half of the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York and New England Railroad</span> Defunct railroad in southern New England

The New York and New England Railroad (NY&NE) was a railroad connecting southern New York State with Hartford, Connecticut; Providence, Rhode Island; and Boston, Massachusetts. It operated under that name from 1873 to 1893. Prior to 1873 it was known as the Boston, Hartford and Erie Railroad, which had been formed from several smaller railroads that dated back to 1846. After a bankruptcy in 1893, the NY&NE was reorganized and briefly operated as the New England Railroad before being leased to the competing New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1898.

Three popular American sports were invented in New England. Basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian, in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1895. Paintball was invented in 1981 in Henniker, New Hampshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Company</span> US electric street railway company

The Connecticut Company was the primary electric street railway company in the U.S. state of Connecticut, operating both city and rural trolleys and freight service. It was controlled by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which also controlled most steam railroads in the state. After 1936, when one of its major leases was dissolved, it continued operating streetcars and, increasingly, buses in certain Connecticut cities until 1976, when its assets were purchased by the state government.

The Connecticut League, also known as the Connecticut State League, was a professional baseball association of teams in the state of Connecticut. The league began as offshoot of the original Connecticut State League, which dates back as far as 1884. In 1891, the Connecticut State League included the Ansonia Cuban Giants, a team made up of entirely African-American ballplayers, including future Hall of Famers Frank Grant and Sol White. In 1902, it was a Class D league with teams in eight cities. In 1905, the league became Class B, which lasted until 1913, when the league became the Eastern Association due to several teams outside of the state entering the league. Also a Class B league, it survived two more seasons, then folded after the 1914 season.

The New York State League was a minor league baseball league that played between 1885 and 1917. The league began play as an Independent level league before playing from 1902 to 1917 as a Class B level league. League franchises were based in New York and Pennsylvania. John H. Farrell served as president of the league from 1897 to 1917.

Jeremiah Hurley, was a professional baseball player who played catcher in nine games for the 1901 Cincinnati Reds and one game for the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas.

The Colonial League was the name of two mid-level American minor baseball leagues. The first Colonial League was a Class C level league that existed from 1914 to 1915 as a minor league for the outlaw Federal League. The second Colonial League existed from 1947 through mid-July 1950. It was graded Class B, two levels below the major leagues, and featured teams based in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren R. Briggs</span> American architect

Warren R. Briggs (1850–1933) was an American architect who worked in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The New Britain Perfectos were a minor league baseball team based in New Britain, Connecticut. From 1908 to 1912, the Perfectos played as members of the Class B level Connecticut State League. New Britain hosted home minor league home games at Electric Park.

The Torrington Tornadoes were a minor league baseball team based in Torrington, Connecticut. Torrington played the 1896 season as members of the Independent level Naugatuck Valley League, followed the next season by the 1897 Torrington Demons, playing in the Class F level Connecticut League.

The Amsterdam-Gloversville-Johnstown Jags was a primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams representing the cities of Amsterdam, New York, Gloversville, New York and Johnstown, New York between 1890 and 1908. Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Gloversville-Johnstown teams played as members of the New York State League from 1894 to 1895 and 1902 to 1908.

The Poughkeepsie Colts was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Poughkeepsie, New York. Between 1886 and 1950, Poughkeepsie teams played as members of the Hudson River League, New York State League (1894), Hudson River League (1903–1907), Eastern Association (1909), New York-New Jersey League (1913), Atlantic League (1914) and Colonial League (1948–1950). Poughkeepsie teams won five league championships.

The Schenectady Electricians were a minor league baseball team based in Schenectady, New York and Schenectady County, New York. Schenectady teams played as members of the New York State League and Eastern Association (1909), winning the 1903 New York State League championship. Schenectady hosted minor league home games at the County Fairgrounds through 1900 before moving home gamed to Island Park.

The Newburgh Taylor–mades was a primary name of the minor league baseball teams based in Newburgh, New York. Between 1886 and 1914, Newburgh teams played under numerous nicknames as members of the Hudson River League, the 1913 New York-New Jersey League and 1914 Atlantic League. Newburgh hosted minor league home games at the West End Park and Driving Park.

Minor league baseball teams were based in Meriden, Connecticut in various seasons between 1884 and 1913. Meriden teams played as members of the Connecticut State League (1884–1885), Southern New England League (1885), Eastern League (1886), Connecticut State League, Connecticut League (1903), Connecticut State League, Connecticut Association (1910) and Eastern Association (1913).

The New Haven Blues were an early minor league baseball team based in New Haven, Connecticut. The New Haven "Blues" teams played as members of the Connecticut State League from 1899 to 1908, winning league championships in 1899 and 1902.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Eastern Association (B) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  2. "1891 Eastern Association". Baseball-Reference.com.
  3. "1891 Eastern Association (EA) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Lloyd Johnson; Miles Wolff, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN   978-1932391176.
  5. "1913 Eastern Association". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. "1913 Eastern Association (EA) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  7. "1914 Eastern Association". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. "1914 Eastern Association (EA) on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.

Sources