Professional baseball in Connecticut

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There have been numerous professional baseball teams in Connecticut since the late 1800s. Most have been minor league teams, however, some early major league teams played in Connecticut. The last major league team was the Hartford Dark Blues, which played its final season in Hartford as a charter member of the newly-established modern National League in 1876.

Contents

History

New Britain/Bristol

Minor League Baseball in New Britain has had a wide variety of teams and notable players, famous players such as Roger Clemens, David Ortiz and Curt Schilling have played for New Britain; The individual considered the fastest pitcher in professional baseball, Steve Dalkowski, also grew up in New Britain. [1] The Boston Red Sox former AA Pawtucket Red Sox moved to Bristol in 1973, and then to New Britain in 1983. In 1995 the New Britain Red Sox became the Minnesota Twins affiliate and changed their name to the Rock Cats. The team switched its affiliation to the Colorado Rockies prior to the 2015 season and left New Britain in favor of Hartford at the end of the 2015 season, but was replaced by the Independent New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League. [2]

At the end of the 2019 season, the New Britain Bees announced the franchise was leaving the Atlantic League, and reorganizing as an amateur team in the New England–based Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). [3] The nearby Bristol Blues transferred from the FCBL to the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) at the end of 2019, creating a vacancy in the league for the Bees.

Hartford

Hartford had nearly continuous baseball from 1874 to 1952, including early major league baseball teams from 1874 to 1877. Notable events include five league titles by the Hartford Senators. In 2016, the former minor league club from New Britain began play as the Hartford Yard Goats, but did not play a home game in Hartford until 2017.

Waterbury

Several different Minor League Baseball teams have been located in the city of Waterbury, Connecticut since 1884. These include 1884–1888, 1891, 1894–1895, 1897–1902, 1906–1914, 1918–1928, 1947–1950, 1966–1971, and 1973–1986. Teams won their respective league championships three times in 1924, 1925, and 1970.

The earliest Waterbury teams played in the Connecticut State League between 1884 and 1912. These teams went by several different nicknames during this period, including the Brassmen, Brass City, Indians, Pirates, Rough Riders, Authors, Invisibles, Finnegans, Champs and Spuds. The Waterbury Brasscos (also called the Nattatucks) played in the old Eastern League from 1918–1928. They won two league titles in 1924 and 1925. The Waterbury Timers played in the Colonial League between 1947 and 1950.

Waterbury became home to professional baseball again in 1966 when the Waterbury Giants, an affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants came to town. From 1966 to 1986 (with the exception of 1972), the Waterbury team played in the Eastern League as an affiliate of the Giants, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds and California Angels. The team name changed every time the affiliation agreement changed hands. Waterbury did not have an Eastern League team at the start of the 1972 season. However, in the middle of the season, flooding made the ballpark in Elmira, New York unusable, and so the Elmira Pioneers played their "home games" in the second half of the 1972 season in Waterbury.

The Independent Northeast League chose to place a team in Waterbury in 1997 as the Waterbury Spirit, but they moved after the 2000 season to become the North Shore Spirit.

Summary of franchises by city

Bridgeport

Former Bridgeport teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Bridgeport Bluefish 1997–2017N/A Atlantic League
(Independent of MLB)		N/A Harbor Yard, Bridgeport
Bridgeport Bees1947–1950B Colonial League N/ACandlelite Stadium, Bridgeport

Hartford

Hartford Yard Goats (active)

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Hartford Yard Goats Since 2016
Bristol/New Britain since 1973		AA Eastern League Colorado Rockies Dunkin' Donuts Park, Hartford (from 2017)
Dodd Stadium early 2016

Former Hartford teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Hartford Dark Blues
Hartfords of Brooklyn (1877)		1874–1877 MLB National Association (1874–75)
National League (1876–1877)		-- Hartford Ball Club Grounds
New Bedford/New Haven/Hartford1878N/AInternational Association----
Hartford Babies (1885)/
Hartford (1884)		1884–1885N/AConnecticut State League (1884–1885)
Southern New England League (1885)		----
Hartford Dark Blues1885–1886N/AEastern League (original)----
Hartford1889–1890N/AAtlantic Association----
Hartford1891EConnecticut State League----
Hartford Cooperatives (1898)
Hartford Bluebirds (1895–1897)		1895–1898B (1897–1898)Atlantic League (1896–1899)
Connecticut State League (1895)		----
Hartford Indians/
Wooden Nutmegs		1899–1901AEastern League (original)----
Hartford Senators 1902–1945

(also known as the Bees

and the Laurels)

A (1919–1933)
B (1905–1918, 1934)
*varies		Eastern League (1916–1933)
Northeastern League (1934)
Colonial League (1915)
Eastern Association (1913–1914)
Connecticut State League (1902–1912)		-- Brooklyn Dodgers (1932)

-- Boston Bees (1938-1940)

-- Boston Braves (1941-1945)

 Morgan G. Bulkeley Stadium
Hartford Chiefs (1946–52)
Hartford Bees (1939–45)
Hartford Laurels (1938,1944)		1938–1952AEastern League-- Morgan G. Bulkeley Stadium
Note: Clubs frequently changed leagues in early baseball history; franchise dates are approximate. From Baseball-Reference. [4]

New Britain/Bristol

Active former professional teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
New Britain Bees *Since 2016
N/A Futures Collegiate Baseball League (Amateur) [3]

Atlantic League 2016-2019
(Independent of MLB)

N/A New Britain Stadium

Former New Britain teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
New Britain Rock Cats (1997–2015)*/
New Britain Red Sox (1983–94)/
Bristol Red Sox (1973–82)		1983–2015 (New Britain)
1973-1982 (Bristol)		AA EL Colorado Rockies (2015–2017)*
Minnesota Twins (1995–2014)
Boston Red Sox-AL (1973–94)		 New Britain Stadium (1995–2015)
Beehive Field 1983-94
(Both at Willow Brook Park)
Muzzy Field, Bristol (1973–82)
New Britain Sinks [5] 1908–1914BEastern Association
New Britain Brass City [5] 1891EConnecticut State League
New Britain [5] 1884–1885N/ASouthern New England League
Note1: Also known as the "Hardware City Rock Cats" circa 1995-1996
Note2: Team moved to Hartford at the conclusion of the 2015 season

Former Bristol teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Bristol Owls [6] 1949-1950B Colonial League N/A Muzzy Field

Middletown

Former Middletown teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Middletown Mansfields [7] 1872MLB National Association N/A Mansfield Club Grounds

Norwich

Norwich Sea Unicorns (active)

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Connecticut Tigers (2010-2019)/
Norwich Sea Unicorns (2020-Present)		Since 2010A-Short Season (2010-2020) New York-Penn League (2010-2020)
Futures Collegiate Baseball League (2021-Present)		 Detroit Tigers 2010-2020
Dodd Stadium
Note: Due to the 2020 MLB Takeover of the MiLB, The New York-Penn League and the entire Class A-Short Season system was shut down. The Norwich Sea Unicorns have been a part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League since 2021.

Former Norwich teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Norwich Navigators (1995–05)/
Connecticut Defenders (2006–09)		1995–2009AA EL New York Yankees-AL (1995-02)
San Francisco Giants-NL (2003–09)		 Dodd Stadium
Note: Team relocated to Richmond, Virginia at the end of 2009.

New Haven

Former New Haven and metro area teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
New Haven County Cutters 2004–2007N/A Can-Am League (independent)N/A Yale Field
New Haven Ravens 1994–2003AA EL St. Louis Cardinals (2001–2002)
Seattle Mariners (1999–2000)
Colorado Rockies (1994–1998)
 Yale Field
West Haven Yankees (1972–80)
West Haven White Caps (1980)
West Haven A's (1981–82)		1972–1982AA EL New York Yankees (1972-1980)
Oakland Athletics (1980-1982)		 Quigley Stadium
New Haven Elm Citys 1875MLB National Association N/AHoward Avenue Field
Note: New Haven Ravens relocated to New Hampshire at the end of 2003.
Note: West Haven Yankees known as White Caps for 1980 season, switched to the West Haven A's for the 1981 and 1982 seasons before folding.

Waterbury

Former Waterbury teams

Franchise nameYears activeLevelLeagueMLB affiliateHome venue
Waterbury Spirit [ citation needed ]1997–2000 Northeast League (1997–1998)

Northern League East (1999–2000)

 Independent Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Indians1985–1986Class AA (1966–1986)

Eastern League (1966–1986)

 Cleveland Indians (1985–1986)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Angels1984 California Angels (1984)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Reds1980–1983 Cincinnati

Reds (1980–1983)

Municipal Stadium
Waterbury A's1979 Oakland Athletics (1979)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Giants1977–1978 San Francisco Giants (1977–1978)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Dodgers1973–1976 Los Angeles Dodgers (1973–1976)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Pirates1970–1971 Pittsburgh Pirates (1970–1971)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Indians1968–1969 Cleveland Indians (1968–1969)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Giants1966–1967 San Francisco Giants (1966–1967)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Timers1947–1950Class B (1947–1950) Colonial League (1947–1950)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Brasscos1920–1928Class A (1919–1928) Eastern League (1918–1928)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Nattatucks1918–1919Municipal Stadium
Class B (1906–1914, 1918)
Waterbury Contenders1913–1914 Eastern Association (1913–1914)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Spuds1912 Connecticut State League (1900–1902, 
1906–1912)
Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Champs1911Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Finnegans1910Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Invincibles1909Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Authors1906–1908Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Rough Riders1899–1902Class D (1902) Connecticut League (1899)Municipal Stadium
Class F (1897–1901) Connecticut State League (1888, 1891, 1894–1898)
Waterbury Pirates1898Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Indians1897Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Brassmen1895Class B (1894)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury1888, 1891, 1894Class E (1891)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Brass City1887 Eastern League (1885–1887)Municipal Stadium
Waterbury Brassmen1886Municipal Stadium
Waterbury1884–1885 Southern New England League (1885)Municipal Stadium
Connecticut State League (1884–1885)

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References

  1. ↑ Wendel, Tim (6 April 2013). "Steve Dalkowski:The Fastest Ever?". The National Pastime Museum. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "New Britain Bees lose in home-opener to York Revolution". 22 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 "New Britain Bees set to leave Atlantic League, will join Futures Collegiate Baseball League". The Hartford Courant. October 28, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Hartford, Connecticut Register City Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "New Britain, Connecticut Minor League City Encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "About Muzzy Field". Futures Collegiate Baseball League of New England. 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  7. ↑ Middletown Mansfields 1866-1872
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