It is with deep sadness that we report the passing of David Mark Bindas of Newington (September 23, 1955 – March 31, 2025), a beloved umpire known for his dedication to local baseball. For over 50 years, he called balls and strikes with remarkable resilience. Since the 1970s, he officiated the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League, NCAA baseball, the New England Collegiate Baseball League, high school and youth leagues, including American Legion and Jaycee-Courant.

Known for his wisecracking personality, Dave Bindas began his umpiring career with a humorous twist. While playing varsity at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Britain, he once argued a call with an umpire, shouting, “I’m going to become an umpire!” He did just that. At 18, he attended
Harry Wendelstedt Umpire School in Daytona Beach, Florida and then joined the Hartford Board of Umpires. He followed in the footsteps of his father, also a Hartford umpire, and the two shared the field, working games together.

An avid Boston Red Sox fan, Bindas lived for baseball’s lighthearted moments, but he took umpiring seriously during the game. He was known for sprinting to a spot on the field to get a better view of a play. Everyone appreciated his hustle. For several years he mentored aspiring umpires by leading training classes for the Hartford Board. In the winter months, he ran up and down the basketball court officiating youth leagues in South Windsor. Perhaps he reffed basketball as training for his sprints on the baseball field.

In 2002, Bindas earned high praise from Jim Bransfield, a tough critic and sports writer for the Middletown Press:

“He’s a terrific umpire who hustles, is dedicated to his craft and for my money, is as good an umpire as there is around here.”

Jim Bransfield (1946-2018), Middletown Press

Bindas’ most controversial moment came in the 2011 Class LL State Championship at Muzzy Field. With the game coming down to the wire between Southington High School and Newington High School, future major leaguer Sal Romano crashed a double that was supposed to score the winning run. However, Newington appealed to Bindas that the runner never touched home plate. He awarded the appeal and Newington ended up hoisting the trophy. His call made national news, and it became a subject of discussion between Cincinnati Reds announcers Thom Brennaman and Chris Welsh when Romano was called up.

We think Bindas had the right call. See here: Home-Sick: Did Spruill’s Foot Actually Touch Home Plate? (Patch.com – Ken Lipshez)

Since the 1970s, Dave Bindas has been a constant presence in the GHTBL, earning camaraderie and respect from players and managers alike. Ron Pizzanello, a former catcher for the Vernon Orioles and current manager of the South Windsor Phillies, developed a strong bond with Bindas over hundreds of games with him behind the plate. Similarly, Tom Abbruzzese, longtime manager of M&T Bank, shared a connection with Bindas, rooted in their respect for the game.

“David would often compliment players on their exceptional performances. That alone was impressive on his part. I can also testify to the uplifting words of support that he would often express, especially to new baseball managers fielding teams for the first time.”

Tom Abbruzzese, Manager, M&T Bank

GHTBL wishes to express our deepest condolences to the Bindas family and especially to his two brothers. Rest in Peace, Dave.

“If I miss one, I tell them.”

Dave Bindas

In memory of David Mark Bindas

Sources

1. Blue Knights Lose Heartbreaker in 10, Patch.com, https://patch.com/connecticut/southington/blue-knights-lose-heartbreaker-in-10, 2011.
2. Some Umps Need More Training, Middletown Press, https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/Some-umps-need-more-training-11909272.php, 2003.
3. Legion Assignment Makes His Season, Hartford Courant, 1990.

The list of innovators from Connecticut is impressive. Eli Whitney, Samuel Colt, Charles Goodyear and Igor Sikorsky stand out as famous figures, but the inventor who most influenced the game of baseball was Hartford’s own, William Gray. A mechanical genius, Gray originated patents for baseball’s first chest protector (1887) followed by the world’s first payphone (1889). His chest protector transformed the catcher position, and the invention gave Gray enough resources to advance telephone communications across the globe.

Born in December 1850 in Tariffville, Connecticut, Gray was one of five children to Scottish immigrants, Neil and Mary Gray. His father, a bridge builder, moved the family to Boston when William was young. As an apprentice at a pharmacy, William neglected his work and spent time carving wood and building models instead. Recognizing his mechanical inclination, his father found him work at a machine shop, where he thrived.

William Gray wound up in Hartford a few years later working as a polisher at Samuel Colt’s armory. Then he earned a new position at Pratt & Whitney, the leading manufacturer of interchangeable parts in precision machinery. Gray was head of the company’s polishing department for fifteen years and worked closely with ownership, Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney. He also found opportunities to tinker with inventions. Dissatisfied with the company’s belt shifter, he designed an improved version, which he patented and sold to Pratt & Whitney for distribution.

Yet his creativity extended beyond manufacturing as Gray was an avid “base ball” fan. In 1884, he patented a “Sand Handle Base Ball Bat,” and later sold the design to A.G. Spalding & Brothers Company. The patent was the first commercial attempt to sell bats with a built-in grips. The bats included a roughened covering around the handle section with granulated material firmly attached by shellac or cementing material. Though he profited from the improvement, the product was far less popular than his next invention.

After witnessing a bicycle tire being filled with air, Gray devised a padded, inflatable chest protector for catchers and umpires. His design shielded the catcher’s torso and groin while allowing flexibility. The rubber protector consisted of pneumatic (air-filled) ribs that the user could inflate or deflate. Gray was granted patent number 295543 in 1887 for a Body-Protector, known today as a chest protector.

Back in July of 1883, Hartford’s catcher Tony Murphy tested Gray’s protector in a professional game. Murphy was “unmercifully guyed” and chided for wearing the gear. Only a few years later, a catcher would be thought crazy to take the field without a wearable equipment. Another catcher named Charlie Bennett used a homemade chest protector that same year. Bennett and his wife designed a torso shield by sewing strips of cork in between bed ticking material.

But Gray’s design was more durable, repeatable and patentable than any other. As a result of, catchers began standing and squatting closer the plate than they had in the past. In 1884, the National League removed restrictions on overhand pitching, in part because catchers had greater protection from foul balls thanks to Gray’s Patent Body Protector.

After the chest protector proved to be successful, Gray sold his patent to Spalding for $5,000. Throughout the 1890s, Spalding’s Official Base Ball Guide featured full-page ads for “Gray’s Patent Body Protector,” as, “the most useful device ever invented for the protection of catchers or umpires.” Spalding claimed the gear rendered the wearer impervious to injury without interfering with range of motion. The ads emphasized the protector’s lightweight that was easily deflatable and rolled for storage. Spalding’s marketing worked, and despite a hefty ten-dollar price tag, the gear became a bestseller.

Gray wasted no time investing in another venture: pre-paid telephones. By the late 19th century, telephones were becoming common in homes and businesses, but public access was limited—people could only make calls from booths staffed by attendants who collected fees. Seeing an opportunity, Gray developed a payphone that accepted coins, filing a patent on April 5, 1888. The concept quickly gained traction, and in 1889, the patent was granted. Southern New England Telephone Company installed the first coin-operated public phone inside Hartford National Bank on State Street.

In 1891, the inventor of the chest protector founded the Gray Telephone Pay Station Company. The concern grew into one of Hartford’s largest employers. Gray accumulated 23 patents related to payphone technology, and his company dominated the market. However his health deteriorated after a paralytic stroke in 1903, and Gray passed away five days later at his Hartford home, survived by his wife and four children.

“Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRAY, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Coin-Controlled Telephone Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make and use the same.”

William Gray, Patent No. 408,709, Aug. 13, 1889.

Though he’s largely an unknown figure today, Gray’s ingenuity has lived on, far beyond his passing. His patented chest protector continued to be a staple in baseball, shielding catchers from injury. Coin-operated payphones became an essential part of American life for more than century. They provided convenience to the mainstream of society up until the advent of cell phones.

The Gray Telephone Pay Station Company, benefiting from exclusive patents, was extraordinarily profitable. By 1930, an original hundred dollar investment in the company would have grown to $12,000. Even the 1929 Stock Market Crash failed to slow its success, when the company reported nearly a million dollars in profit that year, while issuing two dividends. As Gray’s patents expired, the company eventually lost its competitive edge, and it was acquired by a rival.

As stated in the Hartford Courant’s June 6, 1924 obituary of William Gray: “There are few who would associate the prepayment telephone with baseball and yet the relation is remarkably intimate…by reason of the fact that baseball furnished revenue for the launching of the prepayment telephone business.”

That’s the story of Hayford’s great inventor, William Gray.

What’s the best dynasty team in Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League history?

Let’s make the case for the Newington Capitols.

The “Caps” seized seven Season Titles and six Playoff Championships between 1987 and 1998. Their championship streak rivals the dominance of two other twilight league dynasties: Moriarty Brothers of Manchester (25 pennants) and the Vernon Orioles (18 pennants).* However Newington captured more pennants (13) in a shorter timespan than any team. A total of 16 Capitols have been inducted into the GHTBL Hall of Fame—a strong indication of the team’s success.

Evolving from earlier clubs, the Caps played in Newington from 1982 to 2001. They were originally Hartford Insurance Group, who won GHTBL Season Titles in 1972 and 1973. The team rebranded as the Hartford Capitols (1978-1981), when most games were held at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield. Their true identity emerged after relocating to Newington under managers Robert “Bud” Lyons and GHTBL Hall of Fame inductee, Mike McDonald. When Dave Sacco took over as player-manager, Newington transformed from a competitive squad into a Twi-loop powerhouse.

Sacco began managing the Caps in 1984, and he held the reins for 18 uninterrupted seasons. A master of recruiting and in-game strategy, he had the players to execute his vision. While earning the most all-time wins by any Caps pitcher, Sacco also managed the team to a remarkable streak of championships. Yet, the Caps were about more than just winning—they fostered a bond that extended beyond the diamond. Games became social events where families gathered, lifelong friendships were forged, and twilight legends were made.

One of Newington’s top hitters was outfielder Roberto Giansiracusa from the University of New Haven. He won the 1984 Batting Title, hitting .544—one of the highest averages in GHTBL history. The following year, he signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Giansiracusa was one of many elite athletes on the Capitols with collegiate and minor league baseball experience.

Many of the Caps were stars in college, with several hailing from Central Connecticut State University. Among them were pitchers Dave Sacco, Jim Snediker, Joe Rich, and Jason Schuberth, along with position players Mark Marut, Dave Rose, Pete Bartlewski, Jamie Palmese, Steve Bennett, John Mayette, and Jason Maule. Marut, a standout first baseman, left a lasting legacy both with the Capitols and at CCSU, where he ranks sixth all-time in home runs and fourth in slugging percentage for the Blue Devils.

Caps left fielder Tom Meucci, a Jacksonville University alumnus, briefly emerged in the Baltimore Orioles organization. As a GHTBL All-Star, he consistently led the team in RBIs. Meucci and Sacco stood as the only players to compete every season for both the Hartford and Newington Capitols (1978–2001). The Caps featured Rich Hollfelder, an All-New England outfielder at Quinnipiac University, Mark Zaleski, a power-hitting catcher from Stetson University, Jeff Peak, a steady presence behind the plate of Western Connecticut State University and Peter Zabroski, a utility infielder out of University of Notre Dame, who played eight seasons through 1983.

Capitols from Eastern Connecticut State University included shortstop Mike Mangiafico, catcher Joe DeLillo and a control pitcher named Matt Mailman. Mangiafico anchored the Caps’ infield as a tremendous defender, contact hitter and relief pitcher. Their top bullpen arm was Chris Hayes from UConn, who also appeared with the Adirondack Lumberjacks of the Northwest League. Inbound Caps of UConn Baseball included Scott Cormier, Jack Hurley, Mike Malley and Jeff Uccello of Newington, a gifted catcher who signed with the Boston Red Sox in 1996. Other UConn graduates were Uccello’s older brother, Greg Uccello as well as former Bulkeley High School Bulldog, Gino Caro.

Newington’s first GHTBL Playoff Championship came on August 17, 1987, at Moriarty Field in Manchester. Second baseman Gino Caro sealed the victory with two home runs off Malloves Jewelers pitcher Todd Mogren. Capitols ace Jim Snediker dominated, striking out eight over a complete game. As a former minor leaguer with the Boston Red Sox, Snediker finished the twilight season with 6-0 win-loss record and a 0.87 ERA. He displayed elite command of the strike zone and three a no-hitter against Katz Sports Shop a few years later.

“In my thirteen seasons with the Capitols, we were always a close knit team. We played for each other, and we cared about winning. Those championship seasons were the best summers of my life. We all remain in touch, and the great moments that we had as Capitols will forever keep us connected.”

Gino Caro

The Capitols had a breakout season in 1989, posting a 31-4-1 record. Mike Schweighoffer earned Most Valuable Pitcher after going 7-0 with a 1.23 ERA. Schweighoffer was coming off four seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and gave the Caps a massive boost. Meanwhile, Scott Cormier led the league in home runs, earned Most Versatile Player and shared the Regular Season co-MVP with Jeff Johnson of Moriarty Brothers.

“I have nothing but great memories with the Capitols. Dave Sacco assembled a team of talented, competitive players who loved the game, played the right way and played hard. We had great chemistry, and Dave kept it fun and light-hearted. There was no other place like our dugout! But make no mistake, once we stepped between the lines it was all about competing and winning. We had a potent offense one through nine, a deep pitching staff and solid defense – a nice formula for consistent success. But far more important than the games, the W’s and the championships are the friendships I made from that team. Dave and many of my Capitols teammates are close friends of mine today.”

Mike Schweighoffer

After a sole season with the Capitols in 1989, Basilio Ortiz was named GHTBL Rookie of Year. Ortiz was a Hartford native, a star player for Bulkeley High School, and fellow alumnus Gino Caro was helpful in recruiting him to the Caps. Ortiz had a marvelous career at Eastern Connecticut before embarking on a 7-year career and 47 home runs with the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and Montreal Expos organizations.

Newington would claim three consecutive Season Titles and Playoff Championships from 1989 to 1991. While Giansiracusa and Cormier led the club in average and slugging during the season, the 1991 Playoff MVP went to Gino Caro, who notched 10 hits, including two doubles, three triples, a homer and eight RBI. The Regular Season and Playoff Championship three-peat tied a league record set by Moriarty Brothers (1969-1971) and later matched by the Vernon Orioles (2016-2018). Then the Caps added a fourth-straight Playoff Championship in 1992.

Their consecutive victories were especially impressive given the level of competition during the 1980s and 1990s. Back then, GHTBL permitted metal bats (until 2004), and every team featured collegiate standouts and local prospects. The Caps overpowered opponents with ear-ringing extra base hits and a durable pitching staff. Not only did they win games decisively, but they won in high pressure moments and they did so against perennial contenders for the league crown: Newman Lincoln-Mercury, Society for Savings, Malloves Jewelers, the East Hartford Jets, and the Vernon Orioles.

“I like to think that I have confidence in the play I’m going to call. If it fails, I still think it’s the right call and I just live with it. I just had a feel for it.”

Dave Sacco, Player-Manager, “Mr. Newington Capitol”

In 1993, T.R. Marcinczyk suited up for a single summer with the Newington Capitols. Marcinczyk was a former Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year at St. Thomas Aquinas High School (New Britain), who matriculated to Florida State University and University of Miami. Then he tore up the minors with the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins organizations, swatting 108 professional homers over six seasons. Towards the end of his career, Marcinczyk came home to play for the New Britain Rock Cats.

With a formidable heart of the batting order, the Caps secured two more Season Titles in 1994 and 1995. Veteran outfielders Scott Cormier, Kevin Beaudoin, and Brian Marshall were forces at the plate. Cormier, a 19-year mainstay for Newington, earned GHTBL Most Valuable Player honors in 1996 and 1998. Beaudoin, a member of Bill Holowaty’s Eastern Connecticut National Championship teams, grabbed GHTBL Playoff MVP in 1992 and 1998. Marshall headlined for University of New Haven before claiming a GHTBL Batting Title in 1995, a home run title in 1998, and a rare Triple Crown in 1999.

Throughout the mid-1980s and 1990s, the Caps leaned on pitchers Joe Rich, Jack Hurley, Todd Malinosky, Larry Brooks, Frank John, Bob Cogan, Joe Schuberth and Jason Schuberth. As a newcomer to the team, Schuberth nabbed five league awards, including Rookie of the Year in 1994 and Most Valuable Pitcher honors in 1996 and 1998. Dave Sacco declared Schuberth to be the twilight league’s best arm.

Another key addition was Chris Corkum, known for his baseball school in East Windsor. He provided the Caps with clutch at bats when Newington shared the Regular Season co-title with the East Hartford Jets in 1997. Then they swept the 1998 Regular Season and Playoff Tournament on Corkum’s championship-winning, pinch-hit single in the sixth inning against BankBoston.

When age finally took its toll, the Capitols gradually came to an end. They hung up their spikes in 2001, though the team’s legacy had already been solidified. Their meteoric rise was arguably the hottest streak of any twilight team. The Caps fielded a mix of pro-caliber players and local diehards who elevated the reputation of the league. Today, they are celebrated as one of the GHTBL’s all-time dynasties.

“The baseball was great. It’s amazing how massive a part of our lives it was. But, the best part of the Capitols by far, was the closeness, camaraderie and the lifelong friendships we all developed. There were other great teams, but we were the envy of the league in how tight knit we were as a group. Our closeness continues to this day.”

Dave Sacco, Player-Manager, “Mr. Newington Capitol”

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*Since 1929, only a handful of GHTBL clubs have won multiple Season Titles and Playoff Championships. Winning is tough, but winning pennants repeatedly is tougher. Among the hundreds of teams to enter the twilight league, about a dozen, including the Newington Capitols, can be considered dynasties. The following teams have captured more than five pennants:

Moriarty Brothers (1956-1989)
Season Titles: 12x (1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1988)
Playoff Championships: 13x (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1988)
Total: 25

Vernon Orioles (1966-present)
Season Titles: 11x (2004, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023)
Playoff Championships: 7x (1996, 1999, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024)
Total: 18

Newington Capitols (1980-2001)
Season Titles: 7x (1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998)
Playoff Championships: 6x (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998)
Total: 13

East Hartford Jets (1970-present)
Season Titles: 5x (1992, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2022)
Playoff Championships: 4x (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
Total: 9

Bristol Merchants (2001-2011)
Season Titles: 5x (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010)
Playoff Championships: 4x (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009)
Total: 9

Hamilton Standard (1955-2022)
Season Titles: 3x (1958, 1962, 1963)
Playoff Championships: 5x (1955, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1966)
Total: 8

Newman Lincoln-Mercury (1990-2003)
Season Titles: 3x (1999, 2000, 2003)
Playoff Championships: 4x (1994, 1995, 1997, 2003)
Total: 7

Society for Savings (1976-1993)
Season Titles: 3x (1979, 1983, 1984)
Playoff Championships: 4x (1982, 1983, 1985, 1993)
Total: 7

People’s Bank (2000-2022)
Season Titles: 3x (2001, 2007, 2011)
Playoff Championships: 4x (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006)
Total: 7

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft (1947-1960)
Season Titles: 3x (1953, 1954, 1955)
Playoff Championships: 3x (1953, 1954, 1957)
Total: 6

View GHTBL Champions here: GHTBL.org/Champions

The National League, originally formed in 1876, played a crucial role in establishing professional baseball, and serving as its first president was Morgan G. Bulkeley of Hartford, Connecticut.

Born in East Haddam, Connecticut, on December 3, 1837, Morgan Gardner Bulkeley was the son of Lydia Smith Morgan and Eliphalet Adams Bulkeley, co-founder of Aetna Insurance. At the outbreak of the Civil War, a 24 year old Morgan Bulkeley enlisted in the New York National Guard. He later joined the Union Army as a private, serving under General George B. McClellan amid the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, a failed attempt to capture Richmond, Virginia. Despite the mission’s outcome, Bulkeley remained in service for the rest of the Civil War before returning to business, finance, insurance, politics and sports.

In 1874, Bulkeley was persuaded by a baseball magnate, Benjamin Douglas Jr., to contribute as an investor of the Hartford Base Ball Association. Also known as the Hartford Dark Blues, the club entered into the National Association backed by $5,000 in capital. The following year Bulkeley was elected President of the Hartford Dark Blues. The team included player-manager Bob “Death to Flying Things” Ferguson and the supposed inventor of the curveball, Candy Cummings. When the National League replaced the National Association in 1876, Hartford joined as a charter member.

To determine the first president of the National League, a lottery was held, and Bulkeley’s name emerged. Baseball’s top brass, William Hulbert and Albert Spalding of Chicago, welcomed Bulkeley. They deemed him as a leader with enough gravitas to legitimize the new league. Hulbert had to convince Bulkeley to take the position, arguing that the first president should come from the northeast, where baseball drew its origins. However, the National League was not Bulkeley’s primary focus, and he served only one season before Hulbert succeeded him.

Bulkeley went on to lead Aetna Insurance and pursue a political career. As a member of the Republican Party, he served four terms as Mayor of Hartford and in 1888, he was elected Governor of Connecticut. After a controversial gubernatorial election in 1890, lacking a clear winner, Bulkeley declared that he would remain in office. However, Democratic Comptroller Nicholas Staub padlocked the door to Governor Bulkeley’s office at the State Capitol. Undeterred, Bulkeley ordered the lock to be forcibly removed with a crowbar, earning him the nickname, “Crowbar Governor.”

In 1904, Bulkeley won a seat in the United States Senate. He served one term in Congress before returning to Aetna Insurance, where he remained until his death on November 6, 1922. To recognize his baseball contributions, Hartford’s Bulkeley Stadium was named in his honor in 1928. Bulkeley was posthumously inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the 1937 Veterans Committee.

Sources:

1. “Morgan Bulkeley.” Baseball Hall of Fame, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/bulkeley-morgan. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025

2. “Morgan Gardner Bulkeley.” National Governors Association, https://www.nga.org/governor/morgan-gardner-bulkeley/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

3. “Morgan Gardner Bulkeley.” Museum of Connecticut History, August 2015, https://museumofcthistory.org/2015/08/morgan-gardner-bulkeley/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

4. “December 26: Connecticut’s Crowbar Governor.” Today in Connecticut History, 26 Dec. 2019, https://todayincthistory.com/2019/12/26/december-26-connecticuts-crowbar-governor-2/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

5. “Morgan Bulkeley.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_Bulkeley#CITEREFFleitz. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More than a century before the Yard Goats brought us Dunkin’ Park, there was another minor league field called Hartford Base Ball Park. Also called Wethersfield Avenue Grounds, the park was built in 1896 by shareholders of the Hartford Baseball Club. They were led by the team’s new owner and manager, William “Bald Billy” Barnie, a former outfielder of the original Hartford Dark Blues. As a new entry into the 1896 Atlantic League, Barnie revived professional baseball in the city after a brief absence and earned widespread admiration for his efforts.

For the new field, Bald Billy secured a plot of land on the west side of Wethersfield Avenue near Hanmer Street. The 150-foot by 20-foot grandstand, made of wood and steel, could accommodate 1,500 spectators, with tickets priced at 15 cents. A press box was built atop the grandstand for journalists covering the games. While construction was underway, the Hartford club prepared for their season by practicing with the Trinity College team at their grounds. The new ballpark was finished in time for a home opener on April 23, 1896, and Hartford dominated New Haven with a decisive 7-1 victory.

Along with their new digs, Hartford’s season was both attention-grabbing and controversial. Barnie’s team, sometimes called the Hartford Bluebirds, featured a powerful outfielder and hometown hero, John Gunshanan. They were captained by Bob Pettit, a 34 year old utility player from Williamstown, Massachusetts. Key contributors like John Thornton and Reddy Mack helped propel the Bluebirds into a tight pennant race with Newark. They made a final push for Atlantic League supremacy and ended with a 73-57 win-loss record.

However when Newark finished in first place, Hartford protested the decision. Manager Barnie argued that Newark’s record was unfairly inflated due to a dozen extra games played. Newark also used a suspended pitcher named Joseph Frye who had left Hartford midseason. As a result, the second place Bluebirds challenged Newark to a 7-game series dubbed the Soby Cup sponsored by Charles Soby. Newark declined the invitation, but third place Paterson accepted, and Paterson won the Soby Cup.

By November of 1896, the matter was put to rest by Sam Crane, President of the Atlantic League, who declared Newark as champions. The most devoted of Hartford fans felt cheated out their first pennant and local news was about to get worse. After the season, it was announced that Barnie sold the team to another group of investors because he was hired as manager for his hometown Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the National League.

Barnie returned as Hartford’s manager a few years later but unexpectedly died during the 1900 season. Condolences and words of support for Barnie poured into Hartford from across the baseball world. He was buried alongside other baseball greats in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. Hartford fans remembered him fondly, and the ball club finally won a minor league pennant at Hartford Base Ball Park in 1909. The venue later became Clarkin Stadium and then Bulkeley Stadium.

“I was euchred out of the pennant.” -Billy Barnie

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
2. Vaccaro, Frank. “Billy Barnie: Baseball Titan.” Medium, 14 Jan. 2020, medium.com/@infofrankvaccaro/billy-barnie-baseball-titan-1c8c9560f50f.

It’s with deep sadness to report the passing of Steve Krajewski (1955-2025). Also known as “Krash,” he was a mainstay third baseman and a key supporter of the Vernon Orioles for the last five decades. Recently, he led the re-establishment of the GHTBL Hall of Fame as President. The Vernon Orioles and the Twilight League are eternally grateful for his innumerable contributions to the league and to the Town of Vernon.

Stephen Krajewski was born on June 14, 1955. Prior to moving to Enfield three years ago, he had lived a lifetime in Vernon. He worked at the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department for 42 years, mostly as Assistant Director before retiring in 2019. As a youngster at Rockville High School, he starred in basketball and baseball and was later inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame. He went on to captain the Eastern Connecticut State University baseball team, earning two All-New England selections under Head Coach Bill Holowaty. Krash was named to Eastern’s All-time Baseball Team in 1978 and inducted to the ESCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

Krajewski’s GHTBL playing days for Vernon spanned from 1969 to 1994. Before he was even a freshman in high school, he played for the Orioles at the age of 14; the youngest player in league history. In his twi-loop career he had 333 RBI, a .331 batting average and 55 home runs, solely for the O’s. He was selected to the GHTBL All-Star team 10 times and led the league in hits and average in 1988. Krash often talked about how much he enjoyed playing for longtime friend, coach, sponsor and GHTBL Hall of Fame inductee Frank J. McCoy.

Krash was inducted into the GHTBL Hall of Fame, Class of 1995. He then took over for McCoy as O’s manager from 1998 to 2000, leading them to a Playoff Championship in 1999. He served as General Manager for the next 25 years. He also coached Vernon’s American Legion and supported the program in various ways. He took great pride in representing the Orioles and his hometown of Vernon.

“He was like the backbone of the Vernon Orioles. Steve was always not only an outstanding player, but a terrific leader. He was a great asset to his club and our league.” -Jim Gallagher, former GHTBL President.

The Twilight League sends our sincere condolences to the Krajewski family. Steve is survived by his wife Danielle, and daughters Meagan and Taylor, and sisters Jane Urban and Phyllis Baker.

There is currently a fundraising effort in progress to rename Eastern Baseball Stadium after the Holowaty family. The Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League is pleased to congratulate our President, Bill Holowaty and his wife Jan on this momentous honor. Their dedication and commitment to Eastern Connecticut built Warriors Baseball from the ground up into one of the nation’s top Division-III programs.

The campaign is being led by Gregory Sullivan, Class of 2006, and countless Eastern Connecticut alumni. Donations go to the Eastern Connecticut baseball program for the Holowaty renaming and for revamping areas of the stadium. Contributions have reached $83,772.22 as of today (1/2/25) – about 24% of the $350,000 goal.

Click the button below to honor Coach Holowaty and family with a donation to the cause:

From Alumni.easternct.edu:

Bill Holowaty, a legendary figure in collegiate baseball, dedicated 45 years to building one of the most successful baseball programs in NCAA Division III history at Eastern. Serving as head coach from 1969 to 2013, Holowaty transformed the Warriors into a national powerhouse, amassing an astonishing 1,404 career wins—placing him among the winningest coaches in NCAA baseball history. Holowaty is also credited as the motivating force behind the rise of the entire athletic program to national prominence. The Mohawk, New York, native served as the University’s director of athletics for 14 years.

Under his leadership, the Warriors claimed four national championships (1982, 1990, 1998, and 2002) and made 12 College World Series appearances, establishing a tradition of excellence that continues to define the program. Coach Holowaty’s teams were not only dominant on the field but also set a standard for academic achievement, with his players consistently excelling in the classroom and contributing to the community.

Holowaty’s coaching philosophy emphasized discipline, hard work, and sportsmanship, earning him admiration and respect from players, colleagues, and opponents alike. Over the course of his career, he developed and mentored countless student-athletes, many of whom went on to successful careers in professional baseball and other fields, carrying forward the values instilled by their coach.

His outstanding contributions to the sport and collegiate athletics have been recognized through numerous honors, including induction into multiple halls of fame. These prestigious inductions include:

• American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame
• Eastern Connecticut State University Athletics Hall of Fame
• Little East Conference Hall of Fame
• New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association Hall of Fame
• National College Baseball Hall of Fame
• Greater Utica Sports  Hall of Fame

In addition to his coaching accolades, Holowaty was named NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year four times and received numerous regional and conference honors. His commitment to the sport extended beyond Eastern, as he served as a leader and advocate for collegiate baseball on the national stage. 

This naming opportunity in honor of Coach Bill Holowaty pays tribute to his unparalleled contributions to Eastern Connecticut State University and the broader baseball community. It will serve as a lasting reminder of his legacy of excellence, his dedication to student-athletes, and his role in shaping Eastern’s proud history.

Bill Holowaty, Head Baseball Coach, Eastern Connecticut State University – 1969-2013 (45 years)

•    Overall Record: 1,936 Games: Won 1,404, Lost 525, Tied 7 (72.7)

•    Little East Regular-Season Record: 194-44 (81.5)  

•    Little East Tournament Record: 44-24 (64.7)

•    Little East Regular-Season Championships: 11 (4 straight twice)

•    Little East Tournament Championships: 7

•    Little East Conference All-Conference Players: 104

•    National Championships: 4 (1982-1990-1998-2002)

•    NCAA Division III Regional Tournaments: 33

•    NCAA Division III Regional Championships: 12

Read more about Bill Holowaty and his baseball career here: https://ghtbl.org/bill-holowaty-local-sports-legend:

Bill Holowaty, Local Sports Legend

Here are comments from GHTBL President Holowaty in 2022 after the East Hartford Jets downed the Vernon Orioles 5–4 in the Playoff Championship game:

Need we say more? GHTBL has donated, have you?! Let’s get this done for Coach Holowaty!

It was once said of Coach John “Whitey” Piurek:

“Those young men who have played for and survived Whitey will tell you it wasn’t easy. But eventually they realize that they’ve become better men because of the experience.”

Piurek was a significant New England sports figure due to his contributions as a player, coach, official, scout, and administrator. He’s the only Connecticut coach to win state titles in three different sports. Over a career spanning a half century, he earned state, regional and national recognition for his dedication to high school athletics, particularly in baseball, football and basketball. His life and career reflected a deep commitment to the values of discipline, hard work and respect for the game.

Piurek was born on June 11, 1915, in Enfield, Connecticut. He excelled in multiple sports as a youngster at Hartford’s Bulkeley High School. He was a speedy shortstop for the Maroons under the legendary head coach, Babe Allen. His teammates included two of Hartford’s greatest ballplayers, Johnny Taylor and Bob “Spike” Repass. Piurek graduated from Bulkeley as valedictorian of the Class of 1935. That same year, he competed in the Hartford Twilight League with a club known as Check Bread. Hartford Courant reporters called him, “a natural” and “one of the most promising schoolboy baseball players ever to step into spiked shoes in this state.”

Piurek attended Holy Cross College, where he joined a top-rated program coached by Jack Barry – a Meriden native formerly of the Million Dollar Infield. Barry chose Piurek to be captain of the Crusaders and he became a highly scouted shortstop and first baseman. He was selected to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League and snatched all-star honors with the Harwich Mariners. After receiving Dean’s List honors, a bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross, and a masters degree from Catholic University, Piurek pursued professional baseball.

He spent three years in the minor leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies organizations. Piurek’s professional career concluded with the 1943 Utica Braves, managed by a 4-time World Series winner, Wally Schang. Piurek also played infield for several independent teams: Rutland Royals, Meriden Insilcos, Meriden Contelcos, West Haven Sailors, Waterbury Brasscos, Savitt Gems, Hartford Red Sox, Hartford Indians and New Britain Cremos. Among his peers on the diamond were big league stars Joe DiMaggio and Jimmy Piersall.

In 1943, Piurek accepted a teaching and coaching position at Plainville High School, where his teams won a state basketball championship and two state football titles. Then he moved on to West Haven High School as head baseball coach and remained there for 36 years. He was Athletic Director from 1965 to 1981 while also working as a history teacher. From 1948 to 1981, he was a professional scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners.

His coaching career at West Haven High School is nothing short of legendary. Piurek finished with an 526-115-2 overall record from 1945 to 1981. He was the first baseball coach in Connecticut history to achieve 500 victories. His clubs won two state championships (Class L in 1967 and Class LL in 1973) and finished runner-up twice (1955 and 1974). Under Piurek’s hard-nosed leadership, West Haven achieved 21 District League titles and a remarkable 34-game winning streak (1967-1968).

His coaching philosophy was grounded in fundamentals. West Haven Athletic Director Jon Capone, who played for Piurek and co-captained the 1973 title-winning team, recalled that, “Piurek was a stickler for the basic fundamentals of the game. He always said physical mistakes are excusable to a limit, but mental mistakes are never accepted.” Coach Piurek demanded excellence and precision from his players at all times, fostering the same discipline and focus key to his success.

In addition to his accomplishments in baseball, Piurek’s football teams attained a 57-27-4 record. In 1948, West Haven High School football played before a record-breaking Thanksgiving Day crowd of 42,242 at the Yale Bowl against Hillhouse, a highlight in New England scholastic history. Piurek’s basketball teams accomplished a 114-59 record with eight state tournament appearances.

Yet his impact extended beyond scouting and coaching as an official and administrator. Piurek was president, commissioner and tournament chairperson for high school officiating in football, baseball, basketball, soccer and hockey. He helped organize the Connecticut High School Coaches Association and served as its second president. His devotion to local sports continued until his final days.

Piurek’s athletic legacy is enshrined in multiple halls of fame: the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame (1998), the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (1981), the Greater New Haven Diamond Club (1981), and West Haven High School itself (2000). He was also awarded High School Coach of the Year by the American Association of College Baseball Coaches (1967 and 1973) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (1968).

Piurek’s assistant coach and successor at West Haven High School, George Hanchette, stated, “Whitey had a knack of making the most out of every single minute at practice. He had it down to a science. If you couldn’t get the work done within two hours, you’d just be wasting time after that.” Piurek was ever focused on the present, never referring to past successes but emphasizing the importance of living in the moment.

Whitey Piurek’s contributions to West Haven High School were commemorated in 2004 when the school’s baseball field was named in his honor. His long-lasting influence on the school and community remains a point of pride for all who knew him. He passed away on December 3, 2009, at the age of 94, leaving behind an enduring legacy of excellence in coaching, sportsmanship and dedication to youth athletics. As one of Connecticut’s most accomplished and respected sports figures, Piurek’s life work continues to inspire.

Sources
1. Spiegel, Dan. “Hartford Kid Struck Out 25 But Never Got Chance at the Majors.” Hartford Courant, 7 Mar. 2014, www.courant.com/2014/03/07/hartford-kid-struck-out-25-but-never-got-chance-at-the-majors-2/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

2. Lovelace, Leland. “Ex-Westies Coach Piurek Dies at 94.” New Haven Register, 18 Oct. 2017, www.nhregister.com/news/article/Ex-Westies-coach-Piurek-dies-at-94-11641164.php. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.

3. Various news articles from New Haven Register, Record-Journal and Hartford Courant, Newspapers.com

4. Rutland Historical Society. Baseball in Rutland: The Rutland Royals. Rutland Historical Society. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://rutlandhistory.com/baseball-rutland-royals/

Robert “Rob” Keith Dibble graduated from Southington High School in 1982 and was drafted in the 11th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead of going pro, he enrolled at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. During the summer of 1983, he played in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League on the Katz Sports Shop club of Meriden, Connecticut. Shortly thereafter, Dibble was selected 20th overall in the 1st round of the MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase by the Cincinnati Reds.

As their closer, Dibble’s big right arm helped the Reds win a World Series in 1990. He was the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 1990 National League Championship Series (NLCS). He also earned a pair of MLB All-Star appearances in ‘90 and ‘91. Dibble was part of the Cincinnati bullpen nicknamed the “Nasty Boys” which included Norm Charlton and Randy Myers. After twelve professional seasons, Dibble finished his career as relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers.

He now hosts the Rob Dibble Show on 97.9 ESPN radio at studios in Hartford, Connecticut.

Summer is coming and another season of twilight baseball nears!

GHTBL is pleased to announce that our 2024 Regular Season will be highlighted by another charity event at the home of the Hartford Yard Goats – Dunkin’ Park – America’s best minor league ballpark. This year will mark the eighth consecutive “Stadium Series” organized by GHTBL in support of local charities.

Two doubleheaders (four games) are scheduled for Thursday, August 1, 2024, and Friday, August 2, 2024, at 6 PM and 8 PM.

This time around, the games will benefit food banks in the Greater Hartford area. Eight GHTBL franchises will compete on the field and off the field to raise money for food banks in or around their respective towns. The GHTBL club that raises the most will earn prizes! 

Here are the teams and their beneficiaries: 

• Bristol Greeners fundraising for Meals for the Needy (stjosephbristol.org/outreach-ministries/meals-for-the-needy)
  
• East Hartford Jets fundraising for Connecticut Food Share (ctfoodshare.org)
  
• Rainbow Graphics fundraising for MACC Charities in  Manchester (macc-ct.org)
  
• Record-Journal Expos fundraising for Meriden Soup Kitchen (meridensoupkitchen.org)
  
• Middletown Mets fundraising for Amazing Grace Food Pantry in Middletown (svdmiddletown.org/food-pantry)
  
• South Windsor Phillies fundraising for South Windsor Food and Fuel Bank (facebook.com/swfoodandfuelbank)
  
• Vernon Orioles fundraising for Cornerstone in Rockville (cornerstone-cares.org)
  
• M&T Bank fundraising for Hands on Hartford (handsonhartford.org)

This event is open to the public.

Buy tickets to help feed families, children and anyone experiencing food insecurity.

General Admission is for all four games (both nights). Show your ticket at the Main Gate.

You may purchase tickets on this webpage or in person at the games. Kids 14 and under attend free.

Come watch the top amateurs in Connecticut at the top minor league ballpark in America, and support this local cause.

Concessions will be open.

Here are the donations GHTBL has made from our events at Dunkin’ Park:

2017: $5,641 to @campcourant
2018: $4,500 to @ctchildrens
2019: $7,000 to @ms_4_ms
2020: $2,000 to @coltfoundation
2021: $5,624 to @ConnSportsFdn
2022: $5,035 to @sandyhook
2023: $4,000 to @hartfordpal

Note: The full 2024 Regular Season schedule will be announced at a later date.

In the world of baseball, a top-notch catcher is like finding a unicorn—rare and game-changing. Elite backstops not only excel at calling games, preventing wild pitches and controlling the basepaths, but they also contribute offensively, making them a double threat. With a great catcher behind the plate, the game flows more smoothly, reducing defensive lapses and boosting chances of victory. Yet, exceptional catchers are few and far between.

The likes of Josh Gibson, Yogi Berra, Johnny Bench, Ivan Rodriguez, Buster Posey, Yadier Molina, and Adley Rutschman are some of the game’s greatest anomalies. So what about catchers from Connecticut? Who’s been the best man with a mitt from the Nutmeg State?

Maybe it was one of the following major league catchers: Brad Ausmus, Brook Fordyce, John Ellis, or Skip Jutze. Perhaps the title belongs to a lesser-known big leaguer such as Nick Koback, Mike Sandlock, Matt Sinatro, or P.J. Higgins. There are several unsung candidates from the minor leagues including Jim Sheehan, Roger LaFrancois, and George Enright.

Last but not least, many have called Wallace “Wally” Widholm one of the best. He’s rarely remembered today, but Widholm dominated the local scene in the 1950s and 1960s. His mentees, GHTBL President Bill Holowaty and Vice President Andy Baylock, still rave about his talent and his control of the game. Wally Widholm is certainly up there with Connecticut’s greatest catchers, and it’s fair to call him the best twilight league backstop of all-time.

Let’s take a look at his life and athletic career:

Originally from Astoria, Queens, New York, Wallace R. Widholm was born on August 6, 1927. He grew up in the same Astoria sandlots as the famed southpaw, Whitey Ford. Widholm was Ford’s teammate and catcher. He once claimed that a broken finger prevented him from signing with the New York Yankees at the same time as Ford.

Then in 1946, the New York Giants inked Widholm to a professional contract at 18 years old, but Widholm opted to serve in the United States Navy. He briefly attended Ursinus College before transferring to the University of Connecticut in 1949 as a two-sport athlete. His college eligibility was called into question over his brief contract with the Giants, but a court ruling made him eligible at UConn.

To become UConn’s starting catcher, Widholm won a head-to-head competition in tryouts. Longtime Connecticut head coach J. Orlean Christian chose him over a returner named Walter Allen. Widholm ended up batting .325 on the season, earned the role of captain and received a First Team All-District selection. His commanding presence and his “lead-by-doing” approach were unmistakable. He took charge and set the standard for others to follow.

At 6’2″ Widholm was also key to the UConn men’s basketball team. He manned the forward position and took part in UConn’s first qualifying season (1950–51) for the NCAA Tournament. Though the Huskies lost to St. John’s University at Madison Square Garden, he described the game as, “The biggest thrill I had at UConn.” Widholm played three basketball and baseball seasons for the Huskies.

After graduating, he began working at Hamilton Standard – a propeller maker in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. He was one part ballplayer and one part employee. Hamilton teams were nicknamed the “Propellers” or “Props” and Widholm was their field general behind the dish. He was known for timely line-drive hitting and for blocking nearly every ball in the dirt.

His performance spurred the Props to a second place finish in the 1952 Hartford Industrial Baseball League (known as the Dusty League for short). Then Hamilton won four pennants in 1953: the Dusty League, the Connecticut State Semi-Pro, the Connecticut Industrial, and the Bi-State (Connecticut and Rhode Island) championships. Widholm was named captain of the baseball team and that winter, he also guided the Props to a Dusty League basketball title.

Widholm was highly regarded and heavily scouted as one of New England’s top catching prospects, making him a sought-after player for local amateur and semi-pro clubs. He was recruited by the Puritan Maids of the Hartford Twilight League, where he earned an All-Star selection, and also made appearances for the Portland Brownstones of the Middlesex County Baseball League.

Widholm had many highlights in ’53, but none more memorable than his trip to Dallas, Texas. Hamilton Standard athletes were flown to the Lonestar State to oppose airplane manufacturer, Chance Vought in a series of contests: baseball, basketball and bowling. Both Hamilton Standard and Chance Vought were divisions of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft at the time, and Chance Vought had relocated from Stratford, Connecticut, to Dallas, Texas a few years prior. The interstate competition allowed the divisions to meet and negotiate labor union contracts.

In the lead up to Texas, the Hartford Courant splashed Widholm’s face across the sports page. The captain and his fellow employees were photographed as they boarded a United Aircraft Convair at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. On September 12, 1953, the counterpart companies did battle at Burnett Field in Dallas. Chance Vought edged Hamilton Standard 2-1 and held them to one hit.

Many of Widholm’s Props teammates were longtime Hartford Twilight League players. They were William Landers, Harold Lewis, Charlie McMeans, Ed Kukulka, Joseph Haberl, Thomas Delucco, Daniel Ambrosio and others. Some of these men, at one time or another, were minor leaguers, and Widholm would follow suit. In 1954, he signed a contract with the Milwaukee Braves organization and was designated to the Miami Beach Flamingos of the Florida International League.

Managing Miami was a 3-time World Series Champion, Pepper Martin. Of the Miami club, Widholm once said, “That was the best team I ever played with.” He banged 6 home runs in 80 games with a 2 to 1 strikeout-to-walk ratio for Miami in 1954. He was a 26 year old rookie who showed flashes of brilliance on defense. His bat proved to be full of contact, but he lacked consistent home run power.

When the Miami Beach Flamingos folded midseason, Widholm was sent to the Quebec Braves of the Provincial League. He performed at a high level in Quebec, batting .347 in 29 games played. The only catcher with a better batting average was Dick Brown of the Sherbrooke Indians. Somehow, during his torrid streak in Quebec, Wiholm managed to avoid hitting a home run.

To squeeze more homers out of Widholm, the powers-that-be of the Braves organization sent him to work with Hall of Famer, Paul Waner (113 MLB career home runs). Waner considered Widholm an “arm hitter” and claimed it was too late to change styles. Widholm recalled the memory in a 1976 Hartford Courant interview stating, “I didn’t believe him then, but I did later in my second year when I batted .292 with no homers.”

Widholm’s professional career came to an end in the state of Mississippi. There he played 117 games with the Chicago Cubs-affiliated Vicksburg Hill Billies of the 1955 Cotton States League. He may have forgotten, but Widholm swatted 4 home runs and finished third on the team in RBI (45). Knowing the big leagues were out of reach, he decided to make a new life back in Connecticut.

After marrying his fiancée Joyce Papetti, Widholm settled in East Hartford before moving to Glastonbury. He resumed work at Hamilton Standard while continuing his passion for baseball, playing as a standout catcher for the Meriden Merchants and the Bloomfield Athletic Club. Over the next decade, Widholm became a fixture in statewide tournaments and competed in both the Hartford Industrial League and the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League.

His Hamilton Standard team of 1958 remains one of the greatest in GHTBL history. The Propellers lost only one game in the Regular Season to capture the league title, and they swept the Playoff Tournament. Widholm called nearly every pitch that season. A year later with the Meriden Merchants, he was named Most Valuable Player of the 1959 Merchants Invitational Tournament at Ceppa Field.

For most onlookers, there was no catcher in the state with more ability than Widholm. His physical traits on the field were unmistakable and long-lasting. His right arm stayed healthy enough to afford him occasions on the mound as a relief pitcher into his later years. Widholm had his most dominating season in 1966 when he served as player-manager for Hamilton Standard and won Most Valuable Player at 39 years old. Former big leaguer and manager Frankie Frisch presented him the award at Stonehaven Restaurant in West Hartford.

Widholm suited up in the Twi-loop until the age of 43. He switched clubs a few times from the Hamilton Props to Herb’s Sport Shop, and to the Manchester-based super team, Moriarty Brothers. He collected 7 Season Titles and 8 Playoff Championships in the GHTBL. Widholm retired from playing in 1970 as a member of Moriarty Brothers. Afterwards he became a successful head baseball coach for East Hartford’s Post 77 American Legion.

After an impressive athletic career and a full life, Wally Widholm passed away on March 4, 2005, at age 77. He was survived by his wife Joyce and their two children, Leslie and Wallace. Today, Wally Widholm is remembered fondly by old friends and fans. His character reflected the archetype of a well-rounded athlete. He was a great catcher, a power forward, a family man, an animal lover, a generous soul, a gentleman, and a quiet leader of men.

“The greatest thing about sports is the people and the ballplayers. It’s a healthy environment. You get to know a lot about yourself.”

Wally Widholm

Other star catchers of the GHTBL:

– Francisco Ascensio, Meriden Merchants
– Andy Baylock, Hamilton Standard
– Bob Blinn, Herb’s Sport Shop
– William “Sonny” Carroll
– Dennis Casey, Riley’s Redlegs
– Bill Chapulis, Moriarty Brothers
– Dave Chicon, Bristol Cassins
– Art Clune, Hartford Knights
– Kyle Cooney, Meriden ProCare
– Edward “Red” Cox, East Hartford Anchors
– Theodore DeMaio, Herb’s Sport Shop
– John Dione, Columbia A.C.
– Marek Drabinski, Newman Lincoln-Mercury
– Walter Dunham, Savitt Gems
– Douglas G. Elliot, Malloves Jewelers
– Douglas S. Elliot, People’s United Bank
– Ray Fagnant, Vernon Orioles
– Max Festa, Ellis-Slavkins
– Jake Fournier, Bill’s Sport Shop
– Allan Garray, Society for Savings
– Willie Gonzales, Bank of Boston
– Simon Greenbaum, Tuckel’s Radio Rhymers
– Mike Gulino, Record-Journal Expos
– Matt Hackney, Bristol Merchants
– Dan Hickey, Ferguson Waterworks
– Albert G. Huband, Savitt Gems
– Matt Hukill, Society for Savings
– Skip Jutze, Valco Machine
– Ronald “Rollie” Johnson, Hartford Orioles
– William “Hank” Karlon, Savitt Gems
– Stanley “Mickey” Katkaveck
– Nick Koback, Puritan Maids
– Ronald Kozuch, Wethersfield A.C.
– Mike Leonard, Vernon Orioles
– John Liptak, Valco Machine
– Michael J. Lombardi, Check Bread
– Felix Lupia, People’s United Bank
– Kevin MacIlvane, Vernon Orioles
– Richard Magner, Volkswagon
– Justin Morhardt, People’s United Bank
– Bill Nardi, Hartford Imagineers
– Jim O’Connor, East Hartford Jets
– Frank Orefice, Tuckel’s Radio Rhymers
– Jim Penders, East Hartford Jets
– Ron Pizzanello, Vernon Orioles
– Matt Pliszka, Hamilton Standard
– Jeff Rustico, People’s United Bank
– Sebby Salemi, Hamilton Standard
– Guy Settino, Yellow Cab
– Thomas Shortell, Mayflower Sales
– Zac Susi, Foss Insurance
– Dick Teed, Herb’s Sport Shop
– Chris Thomas, Malloves Jewelers
– Jim Tucker, Superior Auto
– Francis “Woody” Wallett, Savitt Gems
– Edward Wojcik, St. Cyril’s

The Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League bids a fond yet somber farewell to our former President, Mark Foss. He headed the league from 2006 to 2013.

Mark and his wife Jane served the Twi-loop as steady leaders and perennial Foss Insurance franchise sponsors during the 2000s and 2010s. They were crucial directors and contributors who held the league together behind the scenes. Mark and Jane bridged the gap between generations and guided GHTBL towards a more competitive brand of baseball.

Mark was a Korean War veteran with the United States Army, a father of four children and an avid Boston Red Sox fan.

Funeral service celebrating Mark’s life will be Thursday (June 13, 2024) at 5 pm at the D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford. Mark’s family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday afternoon from 3-5 pm at the funeral home chapel.

See more: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/east-hartford-ct/mark-foss-11848162

The Spanswick’s of Enfield, Connecticut, were once the most talented family of pitchers in New England. Two brothers, William Henry “Bill” Spanswick Jr. and James “Jim” Spanswick as well as Jim’s son, Jeff Spanswick, excelled as amateurs and professionals. At different points in their careers, each of them also appeared in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. Let’s take a closer look at their story…

The Spanswick family lived in the Thompsonville section of Enfield. Bill’s father, William Henry “Harry” Spanswick Sr. originally hailed from Hartford, while his mother, Bonnie Spanswick was from Enfield. Harry was an employee of the Hartford Machine Screw Company, an amateur ballplayer, a local bowling champion, and a soon-to-be Little League coach. Harry and Bonnie had four children: Bill, James, Barbara and Nancy. Bill Spanswick Jr. was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on July 8, 1938, and Jim arrived three years later.

Both Bill and Jim Spanswick developed into standout athletes at Enfield High School. The brothers once pitched no-hitters in the same week for American Legion Maciolek Post 154. Bill was a 6’3″ left-handed pitcher with a lively fastball. He threw seven consecutive shutouts, one no-hitter and seven one-hitters in his senior year of high school. Nicknamed “Span,” Bill matriculated to the College of the Holy Cross and starred on the freshman baseball team.

Then in 1958, Bill Spanswick signed with his favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. However, his quick decision was costly. He accepted the contract over the phone from Jack Onslow – a Red Sox scout and former manager of the Hartford Senators. Onslow showed up at the Spanswick residence the next morning, and the $4,000 contract was inked at the kitchen table. And yet, Major League Baseball soon revoked a bonus rule and Spanswick lost out on $60,000.

Nevertheless, Bill Spanswick traveled west to join Boston’s Class-D Midwest League affiliate in Waterloo, Iowa. He was quickly promoted to the Lexington Red Sox of the Nebraska League and posted a 7-4 record with a 3.13 ERA and a league-leading 142 strikeouts. In an August 21, 1958, game against the Superior Senators he tallied 22 strikeouts, a Nebraska League record.

The following season he advanced to the Carolina League and dominated for the Raleigh Capitals. His win-loss record soared to 15-4 behind a 2.49 earned run average. He led the league in both categories and Raleigh went on to capture the pennant. “Span” was considered a top prospect in the Red Sox organization, which included other arms such as Dick Radatz, Dave Morehead, Earl Wilson and Wilbur Wood.

That same year Jack Onslow signed Bill’s brother, Jim Spanswick to the Red Sox organization. He was another hard-throwing southpaw who chucked three consecutive no-hitters at Enfield High School. In the minors, Jim tossed a total of 407 innings with the Red Sox (1960-1962) and the Washington Senators (1963). After being released by the Winston-Salem Red Sox in 1964, he took the mound at Colt Park in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League for Herb’s Sports Shop and later for Royal Typewriter.

Meanwhile, Jim’s older brother was nearing the major leagues. Bill endured minor bumps along the way with Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, the Seattle Rainiers. In 1963, he mastered control problems to become an All-Star and the Pacific Coast League strikeout king (209). He had a 14-8 record for last place Seattle, and three of his defeats were by a difference of one run. During this time, both Spanswick brothers served their country as reserves for the United States Marines Corps.

Coming out of 1964 Spring Training in Tucson, Arizona, Red Sox Manager Johnny Pesky admired Spanswick’s ability and judged him to be ready for the majors. The Associated Press ranked Spanswick, “…the brightest pitching prospect in the Boston Red Sox organization.” When he made the team, the 25 year old lefty credited his minor league coach, Mace Brown, for helping him prepare mentally. It would be Spanswick’s only big league season.

Spanswick made his debut by tossing three innings of hitless relief at Fenway Park on April 18, 1964, against the White Sox. His first win came on May 8, versus the Washington Senators in a 9-3 victory. Bill’s teammates started calling him “Crow” for his dark and bird-like physical features. He was known to have a habit of stashing Camel cigarettes in his cap – something he may have learned in the Marines.

On June 12, 1964, Bill Spanswick faced his toughest opponents yet. Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees beat up on the Red Sox, 10-6 at Yankee Stadium. Mantle had two hits and a pair of RBI. The contest was indicative of Span’s 1964 season. He pitched in 29 games with a bloated 6.89 ERA, 55 strikeouts, 44 walks and a 2-3 record. The Red Sox sank to eighth in the American League. He showed flashes of brilliance, but reporters described his time in Boston as a failure.

In 1965, Bill Spanswick was traded to the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs. He earned a 6-3 record before being released again. The California Angels organization picked him up in 1966, but his career was coming to an end due to elbow injuries. He returned to Connecticut once more to be with family and took a sales job in the trucking industry. In a surprise appearance, he pitched his last game for Hamilton Standard of the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League – beating Moriarty Brothers 4-3 on June 28, 1967. Bill would later established Spanswick Trucking, which remains a family business to this day.

Bill Spanswick stayed connected to baseball through coaching. In 1991, he managed American International College to the NCAA Division-II College World Series. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame as the town’s only major leaguer. Upon retiring to Naples, Florida, he became an usher for Red Sox Spring Training games at JetBlue Park. Bill Spanswick died peacefully in Florida on December 2, 2020, and was buried at Thompsonville Cemetery.

I feel good about saying I pitched in the big leagues. Back then, there were only eight teams in the American League. You were one of 72 guys pitching. You had to prove yourself in the minor leagues. It’s pretty special.”

Bill Spanswick Jr.

Bill’s nephew and Jim’s son, Jeff Spanswick, represented the next generation of the family. Naturally, Jeff was an ace pitcher at Enfield High School. The young right-hander had expert level coaches including Enfield’s longtime skipper, Bob Bromage. Jeff suited up for American International College where his Uncle Bill was head coach. At AIC, Jeff became an ECAC All-Star and a Division-II Second Team All-American. Though he was never drafted, Jeff followed his family’s footsteps by pitching at Fenway Park in the 1992 College All-Star Game (the Division-I All-Stars defeated the Division-II & Division-III All-Stars, 6-3).

Jeff Spanswick took time off from baseball after college, and in 1994 he married Lisa Noyes of Enfield. Four years later he made a return to the diamond with the East Hartford Jets of the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. Thanks in large part to Jeff’s 7-0 record, the Jets and their manager Hal Benson were co-champions of the 1998 Regular Season. Jeff Spanswick played for East Hartford until 2002 when he changed teams to Mr. G’s (Giansanti) of South Windsor. Mr. G’s won the 2002 Regular Season in Spanswick’s last year in baseball.

Sources

1. Bill Spanswick by Bill Nowlin, SABR Bio Project, 2021: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Bill-Spanswick/.

2. Bill Spanswick Dies, Enfield’s Only Major League Baseball Player by Tim Jensen, Patch.com: 2020, https://patch.com/connecticut/enfield/bill-spanswick-dies-enfields-only-major-league-baseball-player.

3. Mass Live article by David Dorsey, The News-Press, 2012: Bill Spanswick, formerly of Enfield and Boston Red Sox, finds new home at Jet Blue Stadium

Recently, Rainbow Graphics player-manager Jason Valliere accepted a role as Assistant Sports Information Director at the United Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Congratulations to Jason on his latest career move! Jason is on a path to a promising career in sports. He joins the countless number of twilight players who have worked for high profile institutions – men who have led inspiring careers in athletics, business, and public service.

Hundreds of twilight leaguers have made their mark in a wide array of professions and careers. From coaching to teaching to sales and management, you might say that GHTBL alumni help keep the economy going. And you might be wondering, “where are they now?” Well, here’s a list of former twilight players and their current occupation followed by their company or organization:

• Ryan Aiken, Operations Manager & Treasurer, High Grade Gas Service, Inc.
  
• Greg Annino, Senior Field Technician, Greenskies Clean Energy
  
• Chris Anselmo, Realtor, Marino Realty
  
• Brian Archibald, Special Education Teacher, Bristol Central High School
  
• Jeff Bagwell, Special Advisor, Houston Astros
  
• Steve Bartunek, Insurance Agent, RDDK
  
• Andy Baylock, Director, UConn Football Alumni/Community Affairs
  
• Ken Bratina, Program Director, Connecticut Junior Republic
  
• Conor Bremer, Supplier Program Manager, Dynetics, Inc.
  
• *Brett Burnham, Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual
  
• *Steve Cannata, Head Coach, Kingswood-Oxford School Baseball
  
• Clarke Caudill, Area Sales Manager, Intuitive
  
• Tony Cekovsky, Regional Account Manager, Monster Energy
  
• *Jack Champagne, Teacher, Longmeadow School District
  
• *Paul Ciotto, Engineering Director, Aetna
  
• Rob Cipolla, MSSP Sales, IBM
  
• Chris Corkum, Founder, Chris Corkum’s Baseball, Inc.
  
• *Scott Cormier, Vice President of Purchasing, Katsiroubas Produce
  
• *Tony Dedominicis, Musician
  
• Tyler Dew, Attorney and Claim Director, Chubb Insurance
  
• Ryan DiPietro, Senior Environmental Inspector, BL Companies
  
• Mark DiTommaso, Kitchen Designer, EHL Kitchens
  
• Doug Elliot Jr., Financial Advisor, Marcum LLP
  
• Doug Elliot Sr., President, The Hartford (retired)
  
• Jake Fournier, Financial Manager, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
  
• Paul Gallo, Lead Instructor, Los Angeles Dodgers Training Academy
  
• *Ralph Giansanti Jr., Financial Advisor, Infinex Investments, Inc.
  
• *Roberto Giansiracusa, Owner, GimaSport
  
• John Gieras, Teacher, Somers Public Schools
  
• *Kevin Gieras, Detective, New York Police Department
  
• TJ Grande, Senior IT Business Management Specialist, Burns and McDonnell
  
• Matt Grosso, EVP of Business Development, Wentworth DeAngelis & Kaufman Insurance
  
• Jerry Hasler, Vice President, Forestville Manufacturing
  
• Mike Hepple, Insurance Broker, Wentworth, DeAngelis & Kaufman Insurance
  
• Rick Hewey, Contract Administrator, Hartford HealthCare
  
• Charlie Hickey, Head Coach, Central Connecticut State University Baseball
  
• Dan Hickey, Client Manager II, Lockton Companies
  
• Nick Hock, Batting Practice Specialist, Delmarva Shorebirds (Baltimore Orioles)
  
• Matt Hodges, Off Campus Operations Manager, University of Pennsylvania
  
• Jack Hurley, Pension Consultant, PASI
  
• *Scott Jeamel, VP Financial Consultant, Charles Schwab
  
• Dave Katz, Owner, Katz Sport Shop
  
• Chris Kehoe, Technical Architect, TriZetto Group
  
• *Tom Kirby, Chief Financial Officer, JE Shepard Company
  
• *Steve Krajewski, Assistant Director, Vernon Parks and Recreation Department (Retired)
  
• John Kubachka, Operations Manager, Town of Newington
  
• James Kukucka, Financial Analyst, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
  
• Ryan Lamarche, Owner, RDL Painting
  
• **Gary LaRocque, Director of Player Development, St. Louis Cardinals
  
• Matt Lavatori, Vice President of Client Services, Fred C. Church Insurance
  
• Marc Levin, Owner, Malloves Jewelers
  
• Derek Litke, Business Develop Manager, Triumph Group
  
• *Jason Maule, Physical Education Teacher, Meriden Public Schools
  
• *Brian Marshall, Field Reimbursement Manager, Novartis
  
• Steve Matyczyk, Principal, Tariffville Elementary School
  
• Frank McCoy Jr., Personal Injury Attorney, McCoy & McCoy
  
• Adam McLaughlin, Senior Vice President, Webster Bank
  
• *Todd Mercier, Manager, Murray Kaizer Inc.
  
• Daryl Morhardt, Head Coach, Housatonic High School Baseball 
  
• Greg Morhardt, Professional Scout, Boston Red Sox
  
• Mike Mowel, Chief Accounting Officer, Safepoint Holdings
  
• *Walter Nakonechny, Science Department Chair, Rockville High School
  
• Tyler Olander, Assistant Coach, University of Saint Joseph Men’s Basketball
  
• Basilio Ortiz, Youth Services Officer, CT Department of Children and Families
  
• Cory Parker, Sales Manager, AnnieMac Home Mortgage
  
• Joe Parlante, Sales Account Manager at New England Industrial Supply
  
• Jim Penders, Head Coach, UConn Baseball
  
• *Adam Peters, Corporate Safety Director, KBE Building
  
• Kevin Powell, Second Vice President, Travelers (retired)
  
• *Bunty Ray, Teacher and Coach, Bristol Eastern High School
  
• Cory Riordan, Pitching Coach, Dunedin Blue Jays (Toronto Blue Jays)
  
• Kevin Rival, Founder, CT Rivals AAU Program
  
• Jake Ruder, Manager, Fastenal
  
• Peter Rynkowski, Senior Executive Recruiter, Ed-Exec, Inc.
  
• *Dave Sacco, Operating Manager, Rhino Insurance Services
  
• *Harvey Shapiro, Manager, Wareham Gatemen (retired)
  
• *Michael Schweighoffer, Chief Lending Officer, Farmington Bank
  
• Jim Shannon, Owner, Metro Communications
  
• Charlie Shover, Plant Manager, Corsicana Mattress Company
  
• *Jim Snediker, Commercial Insurance Leader, Travelers
  
• Chris Strahowski, Teacher, Windham Technical H.S. & Adjunct Professor, SCSU
  
• David Swanson, KZone Producer, ESPN and Founder of Swanson Baseball
  
• Rob Tenzca, Project Manager, Arcadis
  
• Tom Thibodeau, Head Coach, New York Knicks
  
• **Leo Veleas, Head Coach, Berlin High School
  
• Pete Walker, Pitching Coach, Toronto Blue Jays
  
• Justin Waz, Director of Revenue Operations, RecDesk Software
  
• Josue Zamora, Police Officer, State of Connecticut
  
• *James Ziogas Jr. Attorney at Law, Ziogas Law

*GHTBL Hall of Fame Inductee
**GHTBL Hall of Fame Gold Glove Honoree

Comment below with your addition to this list.

Before becoming one of the game’s greatest sluggers, Hank Greenberg began his professional career in Hartford, Connecticut. As a youngster, Greenberg attended James Monroe High School in The Bronx, New York, where he was an outstanding athlete in baseball, basketball, and soccer. At 19 years old he dropped out of New York University to sign a $9,000 contract with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers placed him on their Class-A affiliate, the Hartford Senators of the Eastern League. Greenberg appeared in 17 games for the Senators in the spring of 1930.

The two-time American League MVP and two-time World Series champion did not perform like an all-star in his first few professional appearances. He was a scrawny and inexperienced version of the player who later became “Hammerin’ Hank.” Greenberg cut his teeth with Hartford while in search of his persona as a right-handed power-hitter. He was the youngest player on a less than mediocre team.

His Hartford teammates and his manager called him by the nickname “Bruggy.” Greenberg’s first skipper was Lore “King” Bader, a former big league spitballer known for his love of cards. Hartford’s top hitter was John “Bunny” Roser, a local first baseman and a former major leaguer who hit .322 on the 1930 season. King Bader opted to use Roser over Greenberg and after a few weeks, Greenberg was demoted to the Class-C Raleigh Capitals of the Piedmont League.

Following a 35-44 win-loss record, Hartford folded on June 30, 1930, citing financial ruin. Bad baseball and austerity brought on by the Great Depression ended Hartford’s season early. The Eastern League was reduced to four clubs, but Greenberg went on to bigger and better things. He hit .314 for Raleigh of the Carolina League that summer. Then on September 14, 1930, Greenberg made his major league debut as a pinch hitter against the New York Yankees.

What about the rest of the Greenberg story? Well, he attracted national attention during the 1934 pennant race when he decided not to play on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. He was the first Jewish superstar in American sports. While enduring anti-semitic remarks and gestures, he prevailed over prejudice with a .314 lifetime batting average and 331 major league home runs. His seventeen years in professional baseball were limited by the events of World War II, when served in both the United States Army and the Army Air Corps.

On his return to a baseball in 1945, Greenberg and the Tigers claimed another World Series victory. Then in 1947, his final year, Greenberg was one of few opposing players to publicly welcome Jackie Robinson to the major leagues. Hank “The Hebrew Hammer” Greenberg was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956. He is one of three Jewish players to be inducted (in addition to Sandy Koufax and Lou Boudrou).

Sources:
1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
2. SABR article on Hank Greenberg by Scott Ferkovich

On the evening of Wednesday, July 23, 1890, Hartford, Connecticut, became the site of a groundbreaking technological experiment. The city’s first night baseball game, illuminated by electric lights, took place at Ward Street Grounds. The event garnered national attention and was hailed as the “Greatest Novel Attraction of the Season” by the Hartford Courant. Ten arc lamps, provided by the Hartford Electric Company, were suspended above the field and powered by generators. Over 2,000 spectators attended, eager to witness Connecticut’s first-ever night game.

By that time, the leisurely pastime of “base ball” had evolved into a professional sport in Hartford, though within the minor leagues. The Hartford team was struggling, sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Association standings, and they were in desperate need of a boost in attendance. The night game offered a solution, attracting fans with day jobs who couldn’t typically attend weekday afternoon games. A playful article in the Hartford Post joked, “The Hartford Base Ball team does well to play at night. Many of its games would look better in absolute darkness.”

The game by electric light pitted Hartford against the original Baltimore Orioles, a team that was well-known to local fans. Baltimore’s manager, William “Bald Billy” Barnie, had played for the 1874 Hartford Dark Blues. The Orioles also featured a young Connie Mack as catcher, who had started his career with Meriden and Hartford. Leading the Hartford team were the directors and shareholders of the Hartford Base Ball Association. A printer named A.W. Lang served as president, while the manager was John M. Henry, a former major leaguer. The team’s star hitter, “Gentleman George” Stallings, would later go on to manage in the big leagues for many years.

Hartford would see a boost in ticket sales, but the evening game was a debacle. Due to an insufficient amount of light, the experiment was labeled a burlesque and a parody. Players were unable to track the ball in dim lighting, and batters were bunting for base hits. Every man on defense played in, and fielders rolled the ball to first base to record outs. The exhibition was called off after four innings. No official score was taken.

While Hartford’s first night game failed, the attempt built upon previous experiments. Baseball by electric light traced back to July of 1880 – a year after Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb. The Boston Post reported on a night game between amateur nines at Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. One of Edison’s rivals, Edward Weston, supplied the lights. Here’s a drawing of the Edward Weston arc lamp used at Nantasket Beach:

There were many naysayers and detractors to the idea of night baseball, but Hartford’s club tested it again in 1901. This time, a string of carbide lights were hung on poles around Hartford Base Ball Park (near Hanmer Street and Wethersfield Avenue). The game was described as a successful demonstration. Spectators were said to be amused, and they did not seem to care that Hartford lost to Brockton, 15-8.

Sources:

1. Eddleton, O. (1980). Under the Lights. Sabr.org. https://sabr.org/journal/article/under-the-lights/.
2. Various articles, Hartford Courant database, Newspapers.com.

The Greater Hartford Twilight League inducted a dozen into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, November, 19, 2023 at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington. Among the inductees were GHTBL President, Bill Holowaty as well as Kevin Beaudoin, Steve Cannata, Jack Champagne, Scott Jeamel, Tom Kirby, Walt Nakonechny, Adam Peters, Bunty Ray, Dave Sacco, Bobby Stefanik and Mike Susi. GHTBL Hall of Fame President, Steve Krajewski was the master of ceremonies.

Congratulations to all coaches and ballplayers! This class represents some of the top baseball names in the Greater Hartford area from the 1960’s to 2000’s. The event brochure, written by GHTBL Hall of Fame Committee Member Jack Hurley, will be posted at a later date. Here’s the presenting words given by the League Secretary inducting Bill Holowaty:

I’m proud to present the induction of our President, Bill Holowaty to the Executive Committee, recognizing league officials. Coach Holowaty is just the 10th person to earn this honor and the first since Jim Gallagher. What people might not realize about Bill is that he’s one of Connecticut’s all-time amateur sports figures.

He played basketball at UConn starting in 1964 – not too long ago. While in college he appeared in the Hartford Twilight League with Hamilton Standard. His teammates were fellow Hall of Fame inductees, Wally Widholm, Hal Lewis and Bill Risley. Holowaty only played for a few summers before graduating and embarking on a coaching career at Eastern – a fledgling college at the time. 

He built up the program by installing an attitude of toughness and hard work. His demands for excellence were unparalleled. Bill won his 1000th game at Eastern in the year 2000. The Warriors went to 39 postseasons in 45 years under Holowaty, who won 4 National Titles and a total of 1,412 games – more than any coach in New England. 

He led the project to build a baseball stadium at Eastern and it really should be called Bill Holowaty Stadium if you consider all that he achieved. Though he did help start the NECBL, Coach sent hundreds of players to the Twilight League. For example, one of his former players, Jim Schult has helped the East Hartford Jets win the last 4 championships.

After retiring from coaching, he agreed to be Twilight President in 2017. Everyone continued to call him Coach Holowaty and he immediately made us more competitive. He gave veteran players and longtime managers new energy. He started a golf tournament/fundraiser with Marc Levin. With Bill at the helm, the league has raised over $25,000 for charities with benefit games at Dunkin’ Park. A lot of his contributions have also been thanks to his wife Jan.  

Bill has has seen many obstacles for a guy born in 1945 from Little Falls, New York. He has fought through controversy and illness, and has won again and again. His sports career is rivaled by few. Before our state had Geno Auriemma, Jim Calhoun or Dan Hurley, we had Coach Holowaty winning National Championships. The Greater Hartford Twilight League is grateful for his leadership. We are in the best financial position we’ve even been in and he hasn’t asked for anything in return.

Coach, you’re now one of the Hall of Fame’s most well-known “baseball guys” – right up there with Phil Rizzuto an Honorary Member. Let’s put it this way; you’re one of two people in this room with a Wikipedia page. You are highly regarded, even today in this forgetful world. You’re a friend and a great role model. You’re one of a kind. Congratulations on the induction.

Bill Holowaty inducted to GHTBL Hall of Fame by Weston Ulbrich, League Secretary, 11/18/23.

On August 27, 2023, a radio show called Baseball Talk with “Fast” Ed Litos interviewed Weston Ulbrich, GHTBL Secretary, who made his third appearance on the program. The topic of discussion was minor league baseball history in Hartford. Other guests on the hour-long talk show were Dom Amore, sports journalist for the Hartford Courant and David Arcidiacono, author of Major League Baseball in Gilded Age Connecticut.

Ed and Wes talked mainly about the Hartford Bees and the Hartford Chiefs and the various minor league teams and soon-to-be Major League players who have represented the capital city. Click this link to listen the latest episode of Baseball Talk: https://rb.gy/2s284.

Baseball Talk with Ed Litos, a West Hartford native, has been airing since 2020. The following stations broadcast Baseball Talk: WLIS – 1420 AM & 97.3 FM / WMRD – 1150 AM & 103.7 FMv. All of their broadcasts are also available as podcasts. Visit the homepage at http://wliswmrd.net/.

Of all the Hall of Famers to barnstorm Hartford, Connecticut, (Ty Cobb, Ted Williams, Josh Gibson, Satchel Paige and Babe Ruth – to name a few) one of the earliest stars to come here was George Edward “Rube” Waddell. The unpredictable left-hander led Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics against the Washington Senators at Hartford Base Ball Park. The postseason exhibition game took place on a Monday afternoon, October 8, 1906, to benefit Newington’s Cedar Mountain Hospital for consumptives (patients with tuberculosis).

A year prior to his Hartford visit, Waddell won a rare pitcher’s Triple Crown. He paced the American League with 27 wins, 287 strikeouts and an earned run average of 1.48. Waddell was baseball’s biggest celebrity and drawing card, though he was injured for the 1905 World Series. Over thirteen big league seasons, he appeared with Louisville, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philadelphia and St. Louis. He was nicknamed “Rube,” meaning “country bumpkin” – as many rural players were called at the time.

Born on Friday the 13th of October, 1876, in Bradford, Pennsylvania, George Edward Waddell was the sixth child of Mary and John Waddell, who worked in the oil fields for Standard Oil Company. Rube made his Major League debut at 20 years old. He garnered a reputation for unmanageable free-spiritedness. Rube was known to miss regular season games for fishing trips and he often moonlighted with amateur teams, which included appearances at Rollins College and Volant College. Sometimes dubbed “Lunatic Lefty,” Waddell indulged in drinking, gambling, firefighting and even alligator wrestling.

Despite his eccentricities and idiosyncrasies, Waddell was baseball’s top southpaw at the time of his Hartford sojourn. Rube was the talk of the city as the Philadelphia club arrived late to check-in at Hartford’s Heublein Hotel on Wells Street. The game was scheduled for 2:30 PM. Fans arrived early, packing the grandstand and encircling the roped off field. Local dignitaries such as Morgan G. Bulkeley, former U.S. Senator, Connecticut Governor and first President of the National League, William J. Tracy, Vice President of the Connecticut League of Baseball Clubs and John F. Gunshanan, former professional ballplayer, community leader and head organizer of the Rube-featured exhibition.

Before night fell over Hartford Base Ball Park, onlookers were awed by Waddell’s victorious complete game shutout. He allowed two hits and struck out 16 batters. His fastball was overpowering and his curve confounded opponents. Behind Rube at second base was another Hall of Famer, Charles “Chief” Bender who recorded a double and a run in the game. A pitcher’s duel that lasted one hour and twenty minutes ended with the Athletics downing the Senators, 2-0. Washington’s lefty, Frank Kitson earned the loss on just five Philadelphia hits.

More than 4,000 fans were estimated in attendance at $0.50 per ticket. Waddell’s Hartford game raised $1,250 for consumptives at Cedar Mountain Hospital – the reported cost of running the institution for about a month. After the game, it was claimed that Waddell has some of his teammates stopped in at Wethersfield Prison to lift the spirits of inmates (something you would never hear of Major League baseball players doing today).

Coincidentally, Waddell contracted tuberculosis less than eight years later. He died of consumption at 37 years old on April Fool’s Day, 1914. He was buried in San Antonio, Texas. The nearly unhittable “Rube” was eventually elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

Rube was one of a kind — just a big kid, you know. He’d pitch one day and we wouldn’t see him for three or four days after. He’d just disappear, go fishing or something, or be off playing ball with a bunch of twelve-year-olds in an empty lot somewhere. You couldn’t control him ’cause he was just a big kid himself. Baseball was just a game to Rube.”

Sam Crawford, Detroit Tigers, National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee

Sources

1. Baseball-Reference.com
2. Rube Waddell: Baseball’s Peter Pan by John Thorn
3. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
4. SABR Article: The Strangest Month in the Strange Career of Rube Waddell by Steven A. King

Recently on August 14, 2023, a former GHTBL player, Raymond E. Gliha, passed away peacefully at his home in Manchester, Connecticut. He lived a full life that was closely associated with local baseball. Gliha was passionate about the game and he excelled on the diamond for many teams.

Ray Gliha was born December 23, 1959. He was a lifelong Manchester resident who was known to have a witty sense of humor. He would often write a poem or limerick for friends and family on their birthday and anniversary celebrations. People close to Ray knew him as the life of the party, a very loyal friend and an avid Boston Red Sox fan.

Gliha played for Manchester High School and Manchester American Legion Post 102 before going on to Eastern Connecticut State College. In 1979, he batted .375 as a walk-on Freshman under the guidance of Head Coach Bill Holowaty. Throughout his college career, Gliha batted .345 with 212 hits, 20 home runs and 161 RBI in 175 games. He tied a national record with six hits in a single game. He started at all three outfield positions on four straight NCAA Division III postseason teams.

During his senior season, Gliha played center field and batted .395 with 7 home runs and 47 RBI. He was tri-captain that year, the team MVP and a 3rd Team All-American. Eastern went on to play in the 1982 Division III World Series in Marietta, Ohio. Gliha scored the go-ahead run in two of the games. Then in a 12-inning thriller, Eastern beat California State Stanislaus, 9-8, thanks to Gliha’s bases loaded single. It was Eastern Connecticut Baseball’s first of five national titles.

Gliha also competed in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League for 17 consecutive seasons. His twi-loop career began in 1979 for Gene Johnson’s Moriarty Brothers and ended in 1995 with the same franchise (changed names to Newman Lincoln-Mercury in 1990). Gliha was named to the GHTBL All-Star team at least three times, and he won the league’s Gold Glove Award in 1989. In total, Gliha earned 4 Season Titles and 6 Playoff Championships as a top outfielder in the Twilight League.

In 2002, Gliha was inducted into the ECSU Athletic Hall of Fame. His game-winning hit in the National Title game was fondly remembered at the induction. His level of play raised the bar for Eastern Connecticut Baseball for years to come. Gliha was said to have enjoyed his years playing baseball, especially because that’s where he accumulated many of his life-long friends.

Towards the end of his baseball career, Ray Gliha was interviewed by local sportswriter, Ed Yost of the Hartford Courant. When asked about his long association with the game, Gliha said, “Baseball is in my blood.” Then he recalled his favorite season:

The best Twi’ team I played on was in 1980. We had a well-balanced team but when we picked up Bill Masse and Chris Peterson (both out of high school) we were even better. We won both the regular season and playoffs and by big margins. We had a lot of guys who could hit the ball out of here. We just blew the other teams away. We’ve been successful because we have been able to get guys who know how to play. All of our guys have college or pro experience. Gene has been fun to play for. He wants to win and if you give 100% he’s satisfied. His motto has been to play hard and have fun.”

Ray Gliha, 1994.

Minor League

• Eastern League (1938-1945)

Championship Season

• 1944

Major League Affiliations

• Boston Braves (1941-1945)
• Boston Bees (1938-1940)

Hartford Bees in the National Baseball Hall of Fame

• Warren Spahn, Pitcher (1942)

Notable Hartford Bees

• Del Bissonette, Manager (1942-1943)
• Ralph Hodgin, Outfielder (1939-1941)
• Bama Rowell, Outfielder (1939)
• Fresco Thompson, Manager (1939)
• Sebby Sisti, Infielder (1938-1939)
• Eddie Onslow, Manager (1938)

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From 1934 to 1937, minor league baseball in Hartford was put on hold. The Great Depression era had left the city without a farm club and the semi-professional Savitt Gems took over at Bulkeley Stadium. Though in February of 1938, the Boston Bees of the National League moved their Class-A affiliate from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Hartford. Bees owner Bob Quinn leased Bulkeley Stadium, bringing Eastern League baseball back to the city.

Bob Quinn appointed his son, John Quinn, President of the newly minted Hartford Bees. Day-to-day operations were entrusted to Charles Blossfield, whose dedication and charisma as General Manager made him a cherished figure in the community. Blossfield oversaw every detail, from assembling a capable staff and preparing the stadium to recruiting players. The first Hartford Bees roster was selected at Spring Training in Evansville, Indiana. At the time, Class-A baseball represented the final proving ground before the Major Leagues, and the Eastern League was a premier stage for future stars—a legacy that endures to this day.

As the final stop before reaching the big leagues, Hartford’s new team became a source of excitement and anticipation. The club garnered multiple endearing nicknames. While some fans clung to the familiar Senators mascot, the Hartford Courant alternated between calling them the Senators, Bees, or Baby Bees. Meanwhile, the Hartford Times dubbed them the Laurels. Despite conflicting mascots, thousands of fans flocked to Bulkeley Stadium, united by baseball’s return.

The 1938 Hartford Bees were managed by Eddie Onslow, a 45 year old major league veteran. He directed a youthful crew of power hitters, including Ralph McLeod, Stan Andrews and Lee Heller. A two-way player named Art Doll paced the team in batting average (.366) as well as innings pitched (244). The Bees finished their first season with an even record at 67 wins and 67 losses. 

Hartford then acquired the services of Fresco Thompson to be player-manager the following season. Thompson, 37, had been an elite hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was also a former teammate and friend of Lou Gehrig at Columbia University, who had previously played minor league ball in Hartford. Expectations for a quality team at Bulkeley Stadium grew with Thompson’s connections and recruiting ability.

The Bees added outfield prospects in Ralph Hodgin and Bama Rowell. Sebby Sisti returned for a second season. In 199 at bats, Sisti had a .312 batting average before being called up to Boston. Despite a promising roster, fan expectations were dashed. The 1939 club had a miserable second half of the season, and Hartford sunk to the bottom of the Eastern League.

Hartford finally reached their potential in 1940. The turnaround came when the organization hired Jack Onslow as manager. He was a catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, a radio broadcaster and the younger brother of former Hartford manager, Eddie Onslow. The new Onslow was credited for his handling of his pitching staff. Starters Art Johnson, Hank LaManna, George Diehl and Joseph Rucidlo each earned double-digit-win seasons, and they were among league leaders in earned run average.

The best all-around 1940 performance came from Ralph Hodgin, whose 160 hits marked second-most in the Eastern League. Second baseman, Tommy Neill, knocked a team-high .326 batting average. A 19-year old reliever named Jim Hickey began his four-year stint with the team. Mike Sandlock, a local from Greenwich, Connecticut, served as backup catcher. Hartford placed third to qualify for the postseason. They contended in a four-team playoff dubbed the Governor’s Cup but lost to Binghamton in the finals.

In 1941, as the Boston Bees reverted to their previous name, the Boston Braves, business manager Charlie Blossfield wanted change in Hartford. He convinced franchise owners Bob Quinn and John Quinn to upgrade Bulkeley Stadium. Blossfield predicted that stadium lights would boost ticket sales if night games were played on a regular basis. Fans could go home after work and attend evening games on weekdays. The Bees’ first home game under the lights took place on June 16, 1941; Hartford lost 5-3 to Scranton.

Three weeks later on July 8, over 5,500 fans marveled at an exhibition game between the Hartford Bess and their parent club, the Boston Braves. The widely adored Casey Stengel was Boston’s manager at the time. Stengel’s Braves fielded several former Baby Bees; Sebby Sisti at third base and lead-off hitter and Bama Rowell at second base, hitting fifth. Boston squeezed by Hartford 8-7, escaping the embarrassment of losing to their minor league affiliate.

As the regular season commenced, Hartford scuffled and Jack Onslow was dismissed. Their 26-year-old first baseman Don Manno assumed the role of player-manager. The Bees were destined for a seventh place finish, yet, for major league-owned franchises like Hartford, winning minor league pennants was no longer a priority. The Bees were run as a farm system that fed top players to Boston. George Barnicle, Al “Skippy” Roberge and William “Whitey” Wietelmann were among personnel who split time between Hartford and Boston as call-ups.

Meanwhile, Ralph Hodgin continued his torrid pace for the 1941 Bees with 150 base hits. Hodgin’s dependable bat made him one of the most popular hitters to ever wear a Hartford uniform. Leo Eastham also contributed with 107 hits and nearly flawless defense at first base. Charles George, Robert “Ace” Williams and John Dagenhard led the club in innings pitched. Serviceable catchers John Stats and Red Steiner shared time behind home plate.

In Hartford and throughout the nation, the attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, changed everything. American troop enlistment during World War II upended the careers of countless minor leaguers – though not all of them. The 1942 Hartford Bees regrouped under a new manager named Del Bissonette. By developing the next generation of stars, he became one of Hartford’s most memorable field generals.

In his first season, Manager Bissonette welcomed a budding superstar to Hartford – a 21 year old Warren Spahn. The southpaw arrived following a stellar performance in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League In one of Hartford’s greatest single seasons by a pitcher, Spahn had a 17-12 record for with a 1.96 earned run average before being called up to Boston. He was the only Bees player named to the 1942 Eastern League All-Star team. Spahn later enlisted in the United States Army and was awarded a Purple Heart in combat.

With a few exceptions, the 1943 Hartford Bees were made up of Boston’s newest signings. The new roster came together at Spring Training where the Bees faced J.O. Christian’s team at the University of Connecticut. The day game at Storrs was well documented in the Hartford Courant. The Bees defeated the Huskies 8-1. Vivid photographs captured the action:

Bissonette’s Baby Bees had reliable starters in John Dagenhard and Carl Lindquist. Stan Wetzel, Tommy Neill and Don Manno were the team’s top batsmen. Because of the ongoing war, local talent found opportunities with the Bees. Homegrown players and alumni of the Hartford Twilight League, pitchers Peter Naktenis and Sam Hyman, and infielder Jimmy Francoline of East Windsor, each joined the Bees for their first of consecutive three seasons.

The success and popularity of the Bees culminated amid their 1944 pennant run. Opposing pitchers were no match for Hartford’s hitters, as Vince Shupe, Bob Brady, Roland Gladu and Stan Wetzel, all batted over .300. Peter Naktenis led the staff in strikeouts with 139, though he only threw home games due to his engineering job at Colt’s Manufacturing. Two relatively unknown starting pitchers, William Marshall and Warren Mueller both had remarkable seasons. The Bees outclassed the Eastern League to snatch the regular season title, finishing eight wins ahead of Albany.

In 1945, Del Bissonette was promoted to the Boston Braves as third base coach, and eventually manager. In place of him, Hartford employed Merle Settlemire, a retiring pitcher from their pennant winning team. Peter Naktenis performed admirably again in his final year as a professional. Mickey Katkaveck of Manchester, Connecticut, and a member of the Savitt Gems, played thirty games as a backup catcher. Hartford’s fourth place finish went down in history as an obscurity, and the Bees era came to an end the following year, when they were rebranded the Hartford Chiefs.

The year was 1886. Meriden was a thriving industrial city steeped in two things: cutlery manufacturing and base ball. Like most urban settings in America, The Silver City was captivated by the new National Game. Meriden enthusiasts formed a professional club – the Silverites of the Eastern League. The club’s best player was Ulysses Franklin Grant of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Frank Grant dominated on the diamond and as the first black player to sign with a minor league team in Connecticut, his presence was polarizing.

The Eastern League featured two other African-American players in 1886 – George Stovey with Jersey City and Moses Fleetwood Walker with Waterbury. Like Stovey and Walker, Grant previously competed for all-black clubs. His first foray into organized (white) baseball was with Meriden. He debuted on April 14, 1886, in an exhibition at South Meriden’s Hanover Park where he helped to demolish Trinity College, 22-0.

After the game The Sporting Life published an article stating, “Grant is our young colored player and his home run hit was the longest ever made on our [Meriden] grounds.” The same publication later attested, “Grant was again called to the box and proved that he can play any position in good shape.”

Frank Grant appeared in 44 games for Meriden at second base and pitcher. His .316 batting average, ranked as the team’s best and their only everyday player to bat above .277. Another reporter from The Sporting Life noted, “The Meridens seem to contain some really good material, but lack the proper coaching.” In addition to thin managerial support, Meriden was a small market team compared to the rest of the Eastern League.

The 1886 Meriden’s were financially weak. Shareholders of the Meriden Base Ball Association complained about their schedule at the beginning of the season, because the team had no weekend dates and only seven home games during the month of May. This negatively affected ticket sales early in the season. The team eventually disbanded on July 13, 1886, toting a miserable 12-34 record. As a result, Frank Grant left Meriden with two teammates, Steve Dunn and Jack Remsen, to join the Buffalo Bisons of the International League.

Grant was happy to join a more wealthier club. One Hartford Courant reporter stated, “Grant gets double the pay in Buffalo he received in Meriden.” However, in Buffalo his race became more of a controversy than it was in Meriden. Several news outlets alluded to his ethnicity. According to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat newspaper, “The Spaniard is what Grant, the colored player of the Buffalos, is called.” The Syracuse Evening Herald announced, “Manager [John] Chapman of Buffalo calls Grant, his colored second baseman, an ‘Italian.’”

Some sportswriters nicknamed Grant “The Black Dunlap,” as a reference to Fred Dunlap, a top-fielding second basemen of the 1880’s. In three seasons with Buffalo, Grant welcomed loud cheers but he also dealt with numerous racial taunts and threats. Players and officials by International League tried to ban black players. Despite the animus against him, Grant hit .353 and led the league with 11 home runs and 49 extra-base hits in 1887. He hit for the cycle and stole home twice.

Grant’s departure from the International League was attributed to racial bigotry. He faced discrimination from his opponents and his own teammates. He wore wooden shin guards to protect himself from the cleats of sliding baserunners. Pitchers threw at him intentionally on a few occasions. Teammates threatened to strike if he continued to play, and some refused to pose with him in photographs. When Grant asked for the same salary as the previous year ($250 per month), Buffalo denied his request and he went elsewhere.

By 1891, Grant had become the highest paid member of the New York Gorhams – one of the best black teams of all-time. The Gorehams were granted into the Connecticut League as the club representing the Town of Ansonia. When his team traveled to Cape May, New Jersey, in mid-August, they won a game with United States President Benjamin Harrison in attendance. Harrison was the only sitting President to witness a black club in action during the era of segregated baseball.

Grant played professionally for another sixteen years. He starred for the Cuban Giants, Page Fence Giants, New York Gorhams, Cuban X-Giants, Philadelphia Giants and Brooklyn Royal Giants. His last known games were with Brooklyn in 1907. He retired from the game at 42 years old after a long and successful career. The 1910 United States Census listed Frank Grant’s occupation as “baseball player” – even though his diamond days had already ended.

After baseball, Grant worked as a waiter for a catering company in New York City. He died on May 27, 1937, at age 71. He was buried in East Ridgelawn Cemetery in Clifton, New Jersey, and his grave was unmarked until 2011. Frank Grant was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, along with class from the Negro Leagues.

Frank Grant…in those days, was the baseball marvel. His playing was a revelation to his fellow teammates, as well as the spectators. In hitting he ranked with the best and his fielding bordered on the impossible. Grant was a born ballplayer.”

Sol White (a National Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee and a teammate of Frank Grant)

Frank Grant

For the last five years, Cooper Johnson of Newington, Connecticut, has played at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. The center fielder has recently committed to M&T Bank for the upcoming 2023 GHTBL season as a third generation player. He will be joining the same franchise as his father, Mike Johnson, who played with Tom Abbruzzese’s Bank Boston team in the 1990’s. Cooper’s grandfather Rollie Johnson was a GHTBL Hall of Fame inductee and a significant figure in professional scouting.

Here are some of Cooper’s individual accolades coming into the GHTBL as a first-year player:

• NE10 Academic Honor Roll – Academic Distinction
• NE10 Academic Honor Roll – Academic Honors
• Walked-off a win on his birthday (11th inning) w/ RBI single vs. Saint Rose in NE10 Tournament

Cooper’s grandfather, Roland “Rollie” Johnson was a professional scout for more than 40 years, including 30 year with the New York Mets. He initially scouted for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1982. Rollie served as director of scouting for the Mets from 1986 to 1992. Rollie also co-authored influential baseball books – The Baseball Encyclopedia (1969) and The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball (1974).

During Johnson’s tenure as Director of Scouting with the Mets, there were several notable draft picks including Todd Hundley in 1987. Johnson also remembers drafting Curtis Pride on the recommendation of an area scout. Pride was 95% deaf, but a great athlete, and a greater individual.”

SABR Bio Project, Rollie Johnson by Alan Cohen

Rollie had the rare opportunity to draft his son, Mike Johnson, in the 42nd round of the 1993 MLB Draft. Mike suited up for the New York Mets organization at Rookie ball in Kingsport. He was promoted to low and high Single-A the following year, but Mike’s professional career came to end shortly thereafter.

In 1990, Rollie earned an induction into the GHTBL Hall of Fame in the Players Division. He was a Trinity College graduate who began twi-loop ball in 1961 as a catcher for the East Hartford Merchants. Then he played for a team known as Landerman Orchestras – sponsored by Hartford’s most well known musicians of their era, Paul and Maurice Landerman. Rollie joined the Hartford Orioles in the summer of 1963. Rollie he finished his twilight career with Moriarty Brothers in 1973.

(Aside: the Rollie Johnson family is unrelated to Gene Johnson’s family.)

Rollie was a veritable baseball junkie. After publishing two books, he was hired away from the Twilight League by the St. Louis Cardinals. From there Rollie enjoyed a marvelous scouting career. He was bestowed with the A.B. “Turk” Karam Award in 1998 and was later elected to the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame in 2009.

An excerpt published in the Hartford Courant on Apr. 16, 2023:

Gary was raised in Torrington and graduated from Torrington High School, class of 1979, where he was recognized as an all-star baseball and basketball player. Following high school, Gary received a “full ride” baseball scholarship to the University of New Haven where he started at third base all four years for the UNH Chargers and compiled such strong statistics that he was inducted into the UNH Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. To date, he ranks eighth in career RBIs (126) and recently fell out of the top-10 for all-time home runs.

In 1981, Gary played for the Harwich Mariners of the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League and was named to the All-Region and All-New England Collegiate Conference in 1983. After graduation, his love for baseball continued and he played numerous seasons (1983-1988) on the Society for Savings team in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League all while continuing his education earning his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Hartford Campus.

Professionally, Gary leveraged the leadership skills he learned on the field and built a successful career as a National Account Manager for several industrial organizations such as J.M. NEY Company, Curtis Industries, and Barnes Distribution. In addition to his full-time job, he went on to have a prolific career as a women’s basketball official at the Division I, II, and III collegiate level, ultimately getting to spend time on the court refereeing teams of the Atlantic 10, Ivy League, American East and MAAC conferences.

In his personal life, Gary was an avid runner having completed the Boston Marathon and too many road races to count, namely the Litchfield Road Race, an annual occurrence with a large group of his friends and family in attendance. Over time, golf became his passion and something he enjoyed regularly with friends and family. He was a member of Indian Hill Country Club as well as Suffield Country Club where you would find him weekly trying to improve his game. We will always remember the many years filled with laughter on and off the course annually sponsoring what became known as the ZAV OPEN. Although Gary’s time with us was cut short, his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew him for years to come.

For Gary’s full obituary go to: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/hartfordcourant/name/gary-zavatkay-obituary?id=51601640

Did you know? The following four ballparks are named after longtime GHTBL players, coaches, team sponsors and GHTBL Hall of Fame inductees:

1. Matthew M. Moriarty Field at Mt. Nebo park in Manchester, Connecticut – dedicated in 1975:

2. Ray McKenna Field at McAuliffe Park in East Hartford, Connecticut – dedicated in 1984:

3. Frank J. McCoy Field at Henry Park in Vernon, Connecticut – dedicated in 2010:

4. Buzzy Levin Field at Pat Kidney Sports Complex in Middletown, Connecticut – dedicated in 2018:

Leo James Bravakis, Jr., 79, of Windsor Locks, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 4, 2023. He was born on July 26, 1943, in Middletown, CT, to Doris (Ahern) and Leo J. Bravakis, Sr.

Leo attended Middletown High School (1961), completed undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut (1965), and received his Master of Education from the University of Hartford (1970). Leo earned varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball in high school. In 1960, he was awarded the Thom McAn football MVP Trophy and as quarterback, led his team to a 7-2-1 record. Leo was also a two-year starter in hoops. Baseball was where Leo excelled.

He was co-captain of the 1961 Middletown High Tigers who were the Connecticut Valley Conference Co-Champions and ranked #1 in the Class M CIAC Tournament with a 19-1 record. Leo recorded 121 strikeouts in 76 innings of work. He received the prestigious Sal Mazzotta Award given annually to the best all-around senior athlete who has demonstrated proficiency in scholarship and citizenship. Leo was inducted into the Middletown Hall of Fame in 2002.

Leo pitched four years for the UConn Huskies, tossed a no-hitter as a freshman and was a key pitcher on the 1965 College World Series squad that only gave up 66 hits in 254 innings. During the deciding series versus Holy Cross at Fenway Park, Leo hit a double off the famous Green Monster. At the CWS, Leo pitched in relief and got a hit in UConn’s victory over Lafayette. His senior year, Leo received the “C’ Ring, an award for excellence in athletics, scholarship, citizenship, and leadership. As a proud Husky alum, Leo was a member of the UConn Dugout Club.

After college, Leo pitched in the Middlesex County and Hartford Twilight Leagues before an arm injury ended his career. Leo finished with a 27-9 record in the Hartford Twilight League and was inducted into the GHTBL Hall of Fame in 1997 as pitcher.

After his athletic playing career ended, Leo turned to officiating soccer and umpiring baseball. Leo was considered to be one of the state’s best in both sports. Leo worked 15 state soccer tournament title games – 8 girls and 7 boys finals-and worked 18 state baseball tournament title games. He served on the soccer officials and baseball umpires committee boards. He was President of the soccer association from 1983-1985 and was President of the Connecticut Board of Approved Umpires twice. He served as the Commissioner for the Hartford Chapter of the Connecticut Board of Approved Umpires. Leo received the 1981 Central Connecticut Soccer Officials Association Bernard O’Rourke Distinguished Service Award and also was conferred lifetime membership for his years of dedicated service. Leo was inducted as a charter member into the Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003 for officiating.

Leo was a math teacher for East Windsor Public Schools from 1965-2001. He coached girls’ basketball and baseball at East Windsor High School. His baseball teams had a record of 89-69 winning league titles twice. He coached his son Sean’s Windsor Locks American Legion baseball team for three summers.

When he retired from coaching, Leo served as the athletic director at East Windsor High School for ten years. During his tenure, Leo was instrumental in bringing about changes that have made girls’ basketball one of the most respected and valued sports in Connecticut.

He served as the President of the East Windsor Education Association and was on the East Windsor Athletic Club Hall of Fame nominating committee. He was a member of the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors Executive Board and a member of the CIAC Girls’ Basketball Committee for five years. In 2000, Leo received Central Connecticut Board No. 6 of Approved Basketball Officials Commissioner’s Award. Leo was inducted into the East Windsor Athletic Club Hall of Fame in 2006.

Leo and his wife Carolyn enjoyed visiting various North American cities plus venturing abroad to Prague, Paris, Rome, London (2012 Olympics), Barcelona and taking the Rhine Cruise and Baltic Tour.

Leo, a devoted fan of UConn’s basketball programs, held season tickets for games both in Storrs and Hartford. He enjoyed watching sports on TV. An avid golfer, Leo was a member of Tallwood Country Club in Hebron, CT, for decades and won numerous club championships. He loved his visits with his three grandchildren and enjoyed following their pursuits.

Leo enjoyed raising many a glass of adult beverages with his numerous friends. With Leo you always knew where you stood; he loved a spirited debate about anything. He once proudly stated “I am not politically correct, I am Leo correct.” Leo was a one-of-a-kind character who made an impression on everyone he met.

He leaves behind his high school sweetheart and beloved wife of 57 years, Carolyn McCarthy Bravakis; his son Sean Emmett Bravakis and his wife Rebecca; grandchildren Emmett, Isabelle, and Timothy Bravakis. He is survived by his sister, Alice Hodge and her husband Richard; niece Leigh Hodge Fischer and her husband Sean; nephew James Hodge and his wife Dawn; and Christopher Hodge and his wife Heather; his brother-in-law Dr. Robert E. McCarthy; nieces Katharine, Christine, and Coreen McCarthy. Leo was predeceased by his parents and sister-in-law Sandra McCarthy. Leo’s family would like to extend heartfelt appreciation to the ICU Team at St. Francis Hospital for making his last days comfortable. Special recognition to Doctors Sudhanshu Mulay, Paul B. Murray and Alan Soroka for their extraordinary care, compassion, and kindness to Leo over the year

A time of visitation for family and friends will be held on Monday, March 13, 2023, from 4-7 p.m. at the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor. His funeral service will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Leo’s name to the East Windsor Athletic Club, c/o Ted Szymanski, 166 Rockville Road, Windsorville, CT 06016 and the UConn Baseball Stadium Enhancement Fund, c/o Jim Penders, Head Baseball Coach, 2095 Hillside Road, Unit 1173, Storrs, CT 06269. To leave an online message of condolence for his family, please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com.

Published by Hartford Courant on Mar. 9, 2023.

A long lost baseball park in the South End of Hartford, Connecticut, once hosted Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, hometown professionals and local amateurs. Wethersfield Avenue Grounds, also referred to as Hartford Baseball Park or the Hartford Grounds was built in 1896. Hartford Base Ball Club owner and manager, William Barnie, led the construction of a grandstand, 150 feet wide and 20 feet tall. Then in 1905, James H. Clarkin purchased the Hartford Senators of the Connecticut State League and leased Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. At that time, the Hartford Courant praised the baseball diamond as “the finest in this section of the country.”

Including home stands of the Hartford Senators, thousands of games were played on the skin diamond at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. High demand in the venue caused improvements and renovations on several occasions. The first remodel came after the Senators won a pennant in 1909. The following spring Wethersfield Avenue Grounds boasted a new ticket office, a concessions stand and carpeting in the clubhouse. Senators Manager Bob Connery expressed his pleasure with the upgrades and the ballpark became a destination for the game’s biggest names.

In the summer of 1916, the infamous Ty Cobb delighted a Hartford crowd fans at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. Cobb guest starred for the visiting New Haven Colonials at first base and relief pitcher against the semi-professional Hartford Poli’s. Alongside Cobb on the Colonials was Torrington High School alumnus and Philadelphia Athletics shortstop, Joe Dugan. The Colonials shutout the Poli’s 7-0. Cobb would return to Hartford in 1918, though his visits would be overshadowed by another great slugger.

In 1918 and 1919 the one and only Babe Ruth played at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds as part of his annual barnstorming tour. Days after winning the World Series with Boston Red Sox, Ruth made his first appearance in Hartford on September 16, 1918. Ruth pitched the Hartford Poli’s to a 1-0 victory versus the Fisk Red Tops, by hurling a complete game shutout and allowing just four hits. He also batted third in the order, recording a single and double. The game drew a crowd of about 5,000 spectators and Ruth was paid $350 for his appearance.

In 1921, Owner Clarkin built a new ballpark a stones throw from Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. The new site was located at the intersection of Hanmer Street and George Street off of Franklin Avenue in South Hartford. Dubbed Clarkin Field, the new grandstand of steel and concrete wrapped from foul pole to foul pole. The park was completed in 1921 and baseball at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds finally came to a close.

Back when most manufacturing companies organized baseball clubs, one of the longest running teams in Connecticut was Royal Typewriter of Hartford. In 1908, Royal Typewriter moved operations from Brooklyn, New York, to New Park Avenue on Hartford’s western edge. Along with their crosstown competitor, Underwood Typewriter Company, Royal Typewriter’s relocation made Hartford the “Typewriter Capital of the World.” That same year, the Royal Baseball Club joined the city’s lively amateur scene. Ownership built a baseball diamond next to their facility, supplied uniforms and the Royals would become a local powerhouse for the next four decades.

Royal Typewriter players were young working men from the factory floor. A tall, right-handed pitcher named Moses “Moe” Lenhoff from Ashley Street was the team’s ace. Lenhoff had minor league experience with New Britain of the Connecticut State League and later with Amsterdam, New York, of the Eastern Association. His Royal battery mate was John “Boggy” Muldoon of West Hartford, a catcher who later signed with the Hartford Senators of the Eastern League at 20 years old. Following a semi-pro career, in which he caught a game for Babe Ruth, Muldoon became a well-known umpire, later retiring from the factory after 42 years of service.

The Royal club was revered as one of Hartford’s top company teams. Their manager club was A. A. MacKay, recognized as “Father Baseball” by his players. In 1913, they were chosen to represent the city in a newly arranged Connecticut Independent Baseball League by sporting goods purveyor and community organizer, Harry N. Anderson. Other entries were Manchester, Meriden, Wallingford, Bristol, New Britain, Windsor Locks and Collinsville. For a company team, Royal Typewriter was elite, but as semi-professionals, they finished fourth place in consecutive seasons.

On October 9, 1926, the Hartford Daily Courant reported that Royal had made its one millionth typewriter. The thriving business also served up exciting baseball action. Thousands of fans witnessed the Royals perform after work hours. However, public interest in company teams waned during the impending Great Depression. Unemployment made sports less of a priority. Crowds of 5,000 at Royal games were now reduced to a few hundred Hartford Industrial League fans.

Royal Typewriter finally hit their stride as a baseball franchise in the late 1930s. Under a new manager, Frank Strong, they became runner-ups of the 1937 Industrial League. The next season, Royal defeated Chance Vought and captured the “Dusty” League title with a perfect 15-0 win-loss record. Many Royals on the 1938 championship team such as Pete Kapura, George Dixon, John Carlin, Yosh Kinel and Jackie Cronin were savvy veterans with plenty of diamond time as members of the Savitt Gems, Bill Savitt’s semi-professional club at Hartford’s Bulkeley Stadium.

Manager Strong guided the Royals to another victorious season in 1939. After falling behind Pratt & Whitney in the Dusty League, the Royals bounced back by competing in a statewide “Connecticut Semi-Pro Baseball Championship” against the Bridgeport Springwoods. Because Bridgeport defeated Pratt & Whitney a few days earlier, the Royals secured the semi-pro state championship with a 3-2 win. A week later, the Royals faced Rhode Island’s state champion, Club Marquette of Woonsocket, but were swept three games in row.

Royal Typewriter underwent immense changes during World War II and baseball took a backseat. The company suspended all commercial sales and converted all operations to manufacture supplies for the Allied cause. Women joined the workforce in droves as men enlisted for military service. More than 3,000 Royal Typewriter employees made machine guns, rifles, bullets, propellers and spare parts for airplane engines. When the war ended Royal averted a major strike by offering pay bumps and the company began to sponsor a team in the 1947 Hartford Twilight League.

The Royal’s most significant twi-loop highlight was a benefit fundraiser called the Pete Kapura Memorial Doubleheader. Kapura, a former minor leaguer and a Royal employee, died at 35 years old at Saint Francis Hospital due to an illness. On August 11, 1947, Kapura’s wife and two children were supported by more than 3,000 attendees at Bulkeley Stadium. It was a heartfelt ending in Royal Typewriter’s long baseball history. After a mediocre twilight season in 1948, the Royals faded away, and for a short time, the company sponsored youth teams in the Jaycee-Courant League.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant

2. Record-Journal

On Saturday, November 5, 2022, the GHTBL Hall of Fame Committee organized a night to remember at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington, Connecticut. Eleven new inductees were officially honored and inducted as the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. Here’s the list of players (and one manager) who earned the league’s highest honor:

Scott Cormier
Mike Schweighoffer
Jim Snediker
Brian Marshall
Roberto Giansiracusa
Jason Maule
Jeff Johnson
Brett Burnham
Todd Mercier
Kevin Gieras
Thomas Abbruzzese

Congratulations to all inductees! Special thank you GHTBL Hall of Fame Committee, its President Steve Krajewski and Jack Hurley for your diligent efforts.

John “Johnny” “Jackson” “Schoolboy” Arthur Taylor

Born: 2/4/1916 – Hartford, Connecticut
Died: 6/15/1987 – Hartford, Connecticut

Johnny “Schoolboy” Taylor was a pitching phenom from Hartford, Connecticut. As a young man he set a national record for strikeouts in a high school game for Bulkeley High School. Taylor was nearly signed by the New York Yankees fifteen years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, but instead, he went on to throw a dozen no-hitters as an ace in the Negro National League, Mexican League and Cuban League. When the Hartford Chiefs signed him in 1949, Taylor became the city’s first professional black athlete.

Born on February 4, 1916, to John and Etta, Johnny Taylor grew up in the South End of Hartford on Douglas Street and later on Roosevelt Street. He learned baseball in city parks and sandlots. Taylor and his sandlot teammates earned a small wage from the Hartford Senators by chasing down foul balls and home runs at Bulkeley Stadium. Not until Taylor’s senior year at Bulkeley High School did the right-hander pitch competitively.

Taylor had been snubbed by the Bulkeley baseball team as an underclassman. Alternatively, he pole-vaulted and high-jumped in track and field. When he made the Maroons baseball club as an upperclassman, Taylor joined a team comprised of an eventual major leaguer, Bob Repass and a future scout, Whitey Piurek. Bulkeley’s longtime head coach, Babe Allen, is credited with discovering the tall (6’0″) and slim (170 lbs.) Taylor, who had a high leg-kick, a whip-arm, a lively fastball and a sharp “12-to-6” curveball.

On April 28, 1933, Taylor won his first game against Hartford Public High School. Three days later he punched out 17 batters to defeat West Hartford High School. Then he tossed 19 strikeouts by the Hartford Hilltoppers, surpassing a record set by another Hartford native, Pete “Lefty” Naktenis. Taylor was also a proficient hitter, batting nearly .500 in his senior season. When the Maroons walloped an undefeated Weaver High School, he homered over the left field fence (claimed to be the longest high school home run at Bulkeley Stadium).

In Taylor’s final high school contest, he shattered his single-game strikeout record with 25 strikeouts against New Britain High school (a State of Connecticut record to this day). He won 8 games, finished with a .428 batting average and was named to the Greater Hartford Scholastic Team. The New York Yankees became interested in Schoolboy Taylor, until however, when Yankees scout Gene McCann learned that Taylor was black. McCann suggested that Taylor should claim Cuban heritage since white baseball barred black players. The light-skinned Taylor refused to falsify his heritage.

After the Yankees passed on him, Taylor competed with the Home Circle club of the Hartford Twilight League. He twirled on the many diamonds of Colt Park on Wethersfield Avenue and at Bulkeley Stadium on Hanmer Street. At the stadium on September 10, 1933, over 5,000 fans witnessed a wild-throwing Taylor and he lost the game to his crosstown rival, Pete Naktenis. Taylor would later joined forces with Naktenis, winning a New England amateur championship organized by the United States Amateur Baseball Association. 

Taylor continued to pitch on Connecticut’s semi-pro circuit. He hurled for Check Bread of the Hartford Twilight League, the Savitt Gems (Bill Savitt’s club) and Yantic of the Norwich City League. On August 21, 1934, he fired his first no-hitter for the Northwest Athletic Club of Winsted. That winter, he considered offers from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh of the Negro National League. Wanting to be closer to home, Taylor signed with the New York Cubans.

The New York Cubans hosted home games at Dyckman Oval on the northern tip of Manhattan. The Cubans were owned by Alex Pompez and business manager Frank Forbes, and they signed Taylor for $175 per month and $2 per diem. New York’s player-manager was a versatile five-tool talent named Martín Dihigo. Other Cubans included Alejandro Oms, Cocaina Garcia and Lazaro Salazar. Midway through the season, the Cubans scheduled an exhibition with the Savitt Gems in Hartford, and Taylor threw a shutout victory against his former team.

According to existing records, Taylor had 55 strikeouts for the New York Cubans in 1935. He fell a few short behind his teammate Luis Tiant, Sr. New York went 28-24 on the year, finishing third place in the Negro National League. A winning second half of the season helped them to qualify for the championship series. The Cubans faced a formidable opponent, the Pittsburgh Crawfords and Hall of Fame catcher, Josh Gibson. Taylor was tacked with a loss in game three of the series, then New York blew Taylor’s lead in game six, and they ultimately lost to Pittsburgh.

However, Johnny “Schoolboy” Taylor was elected to the Negro League All-Star team. On October 13, 1935, he faced Dizzy Dean‘s All-Stars at Yankee Stadium. An estimated crowd of 20,000 watched Taylor whiff seven batters in seven innings. This time, Josh Gibson was his battery mate. After Dizzy Dean pitched a 3-0 complete game shutout, he complimented Taylor for his breaking ball, saying it was one of the best “drop balls” he had ever seen.

In 1936, Taylor received a raise of $10 per month from the New York Cubans. He was their undisputed ace, with a 5-2 record and 58 strikeouts, second in the Negro National League to Satchel Paige of the Pittsburgh Crawfords. That June, the Cubans scheduled a rematch in Hartford to face the Savitt Gems. Taylor, the hometown star, struck out 18 to blank the Gems once again.

Encouraged by Dolf Luque, a pitcher for the New York Giants, Taylor tried his hand at winter ball in Cuba. He traveled from Hartford to Miami and boarded a steamship for Havana in November of 1936. Taylor joined Martín Dihigo’s Marianao club at Havana’s Tropical Stadium. He struggled that season due to a serious back injury caused by a street trolley accident. Nevertheless, Taylor was popular with fans and was nicknamed “El Rey de Hartford” (translated to King of Hartford).

When the New York Cubans dropped out of the Negro National League in 1937, Taylor threw for the Savitt Gems. Hartford-based jeweler Bill Savitt paid him to pitch from April to October. Taylor and the Gems defeated Will Jackman and the Philadelphia Colored Giants on three separate occasions in Hartford. One game was a 20-inning marathon in which Taylor set down 22 batters via the strikeout.

Then on September 19, 1937, Taylor stunned the baseball world. As moundsman for the Negro National League All-Stars at the Polo Grounds, he tossed a no-hitter against Satchel Paige and the Trujillo All-Stars. After holding his opponents hitless through eight innings, Taylor retired George Scales, Spoony Palm and Cool Papa Bell in the bottom of the ninth. Taylor and his catcher Biz Mackey did not allow a runner to reach third base.

Good ballplayer. Yes, I hit against him. Didn’t get much on it.”

Buck O’Neil on Johnny Taylor

Taylor’s no-hitter made him a desirable free agent. He planned on returning to New York but wound up signing with Pittsburgh for $400 per month. Crawfords owner Gus Greenlee preferred Taylor instead of re-signing Satchel Paige. Taylor turned in an excellent season with 11 wins, while batting .368 as a utility man. He was one of league’s top players and participated in the 1938 East-West Negro League All-Star Game at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois.

During the winters of 1938 and 1939, Johnny Taylor appeared for the Santa Clara Leopards of the Cuban League. The Leopards nabbed the pennant with Taylor on the mound and Josh Gibson behind the plate. Around this time, the Mexican League lured Negro Leaguers like Taylor with higher salaries. For $600 a month he became the ace of the Cordoba Cafeteros. He tossed for an 11-1 record, a 1.19 earned run average and was a local folk hero in Cordoba.

Man, did he have good stuff! Taylor would have been a major leaguer for sure if he hadn’t come along before they allowed colored boys to play in organized baseball.”

Roy Campanella on Johnny Taylor

In the summer of 1939, an eight team semi-pro loop formed known as the Connecticut State Baseball League. Taylor pitched for the New Britain entry against New London on Memorial Day weekend. Because he was a man of color, the New London club protested the game. Subsequently, the league banned black players. Without comment on the matter, Taylor returned to the Negro Leagues and pitched sporadically for the New York Cubans in 1940. He also appeared for the Homestead Grays and the Newark Eagles with his regular catcher, Josh Gibson.

By winter, Taylor was back in Mexico. This time he joined the Veracruz Azules. The club owner, Jorge Pasquel, was a teetotaling liquor magnate who paid more Negro League teams. Pasquel bought Taylor a new suit each time he pitched a shutout. In 1941 with Veracruz, Taylor won 13 games while striking out 115. The club would be remembered as one of the finest Mexican League outfits of all-time.

A tall good-looking right-hander with the damnedest overhand curveball you ever did see.”

Monte Irvin on Johnny Taylor

Taylor once told Bill Lee, sports editor of the Hartford Courant, of his difficulties in the high altitude of Mexico City. His fastball didn’t have the same zip and his curve seemed to forget to bend. In September of 1941, he made a visit to Hartford with a team of Mexican League All-Stars led by Josh Gibson, Sam Bankhead, Ray Dandridge and Willie Wells. They squared off against the Savitt Gems, who started Pete Naktenis. Taylor and his All-Stars won in ten innings, as Taylor rung up 15 batsmen.

When America entered World War II, Taylor returned to Connecticut to work for United Aircraft in East Hartford. He continued to pitch for the New York Cubans on weekends. During the war years, he also tossed for the Savitt Gems, Fred Davey’s Waterbury team and Highland Lake Athletic Club of Winsted. Taylor went back to Mexico to suit up for Monterey after the war. This time he brought his wife, Estelle and son, John Jr. Estelle Singleton Taylor was a respected maternity nurse and the first black nurse at New Britain General Hospital.

Taylor hurled for Veracruz of the Mexican League until 1946, when he suffered an arm injury. At the time, the Mexican League sought to compete with Major League Badeball. White players like Danny Gardella, Sal Maglie and Mickey Owen signed with teams south of the border. Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler blacklisted them for five years. The Negro National League handed five-year bans to eight players, including Johnny Taylor and Ray Dandridge. The suspensions were later shortened, though Taylor’s professional career was coming to a close.

That was until 1949, when Taylor signed with the Hartford Chiefs of the Eastern League. In doing so he became Hartford’s first black player in organized baseball. He went 6-7 with the Chiefs, mainly in relief. The minor league club released Taylor in November. He later made his final pitching appearances in Hartford Twilight League old-timer games, alongside Pete Naktenis and Walter “Monk” Dubiel.

After baseball, Taylor raised four children with his wife and worked for his father’s construction business. Taylor also became a trailblazer in the game of golf. He had learned to play golf as a teenager at Hartford’s Goodwin Park. Taylor frequented Edgewood in Cromwell (no known as TPC Cromwell), and he studied Ben Hogan’s book The Fundamentals of Modern Golf. Taylor was one of the first black men in Connecticut to hold a handicap card. He was made an Edgewood member in 1959, a year after Jackie Robinson had been denied membership at High Ridge Country Club in Stamford, Connecticut.

In 1975, the Boston Red Sox were World Series bound, and Taylor planned a trip to meet an old teammate, Luis Tiant Sr. The dictatorship of Cuba allowed Tiant to travel to watch his son, Luis Tiant Jr. pitch at Fenway Park. Taylor and Tiant Sr. had a tearful reunion. A dozen years later, Johnny Taylor passed away after a battle with cancer. His memory lives on as a character in Mark Winegardner’s novel, The Veracruz Blues and as the namesake of Johnny Taylor Field in Hartford’s Colt Park (dedicated 2020).

Sources

SABR article by Jon Daly, February of 2011.

Hartford Courant

Hartford Times

Alexander, Charles C. Breaking the Slump: Baseball in the Depression Era. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002.

Hogan, Lawrence D. Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2006.

Holway, John. The Complete Book of Baseball’s Negro Leagues—The Other Half of Baseball History. Fern Park, Florida: Hastings House Publishers, 2001.

Lanctot, Neil. Negro League Baseball: The Rise and Ruin of a Black Institution. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.

Ribowsky, Mark. A Complete History of the Negro Leagues, 1884 to 1955. New York: Carol Publishing Group, 1995.

Bonus Photo Gallery

Last year, GHTBL Hall of Fame inductee Allan Garray passed away. His involvement in the Twi-loop spanned three decades. Garray’s baseball career began as a promising catcher at Nonnewaug High School in Andover, Connecticut. He matriculated to UConn Avery Point and set the school record for batting average (.536) in 1976. Then he transferred up to the University of Connecticut for three seasons (1977-79).

Al Garray excelled at UConn under Head Coach, Larry Panciera and became a formidable catcher with help from Assistant Coach, Andy Baylock. Garray was a starter for the Huskies’ first College World Series run in 1979. Garray posted a .291 career batting average at Storrs. In the summer months, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League. After a spectacular college campaign, he was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 34^th round of the 1979 MLB Draft.

Garray caught in the Gulf Coast League and in the South Atlantic League, however, a fastball to the eye was said to have ended his professional career. In 1982, he appeared in an all-star game against the GHTBL with the Waterbury Twi-Met league and was recruited by GHTBL’s Tom Abbruzzese. With Garray behind the plate in 1983, Abbruzzese’s Society for Savings club claimed the pennant. In five summers with the “Bankers” Garray batted .338 with 23 home runs and 98 RBI. He won two Season Titles, two Playoff Championships and the 1985 Bud Mahon Award for Most Valuable Player.

In 1994, Garray founded the New England SportsPlex in Vernon, Connecticut. It was a 14-acre complex made up of softball fields, volleyball courts and horseshoe pits. That same year, he was inducted into the GHTBL Hall of Fame by its director, Jack Repass. The recognition may have convinced Garray to make a comeback to the diamond. At 38 years old Garray joined up with Gene Johnson’s Newman Lincoln-Mercury franchise (previously known as Moriarty Brothers).

As Newman’s Designated Hitter, Garray captured a GHTBL Playoff Championship in 1997 and back-to-back Season Titles in 1999 and 2000. Then he was honored as an inductee of the UConn Avery Point Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. He continued to play locally while operating a pension consulting firm in Rocky Hill. Garray was an avid “Sunday leaguer” who competed in the Over 30 World Series and Over 40 World Series. He also served as an umpire for amateur loops throughout the state.

Allan Garay returned to the GHTBL yet again in 2004, establishing Monaco Ford, an expansion team out of Glastonbury, Connecticut. The club briefly fielded Major League slugger AJ Pollock during the summer of 2008. Baseball talent seemed to flock to Allan Garray, a lifelong contributor to the GHTBL and one the league’s all-time catchers. The league sends our best to Allan’s family and friends.

We play because we love the game.”

Allan Garray

Decades prior to the New Britain Red Sox, Rock Cats or Bees, Connecticut’s Hardware City had another minor league team. From 1908 to 1911, the New Britain Perfectos were a level-B club in the Connecticut State League. The Perfectos acquired their nickname after the arrival of four Cuban players: Armando Marsans, Rafael Almeida, Alfredo Cabrera and Luis Padrón. They were the first Cubans to become stars during baseball’s Dead Ball Era.

New Britain’s Nicknames

This Cuban-American tale traces back to when team nicknames were assigned by fans and sportswriters. The team’s official name was the New Britain Baseball Club, yet its many nicknames were subject to change. Before being dubbed the Perfectos, New Britain went by the Mountaineers because their ballpark, Electric Field, backed up into a rugged hillside. When the Cubans came to the affluent city of New Britain in 1908, the team’s new moniker reflected a general sense of culture shock.

The name “Perfectos” was a backhanded compliment directed at the Cuban players. The term alluded to the Spanish word for “perfect” and described the superb abilities of Marsans, Almeida, Cabrera and Padrón. However, a Perfecto was also a type of Cuban cigar which referenced their appearance. Multiple Hartford Courant articles called the Cubans “smoke players” to cite their skin color and fast play. In the face of racial prejudice, the four Cubans would prevail to varying degrees of success.

The Cuban Sportsmen

Before coming to New Britain, the men were among baseball’s first Latino prospects. They were from well-off families and played baseball for sport. Alfredo Cabrera, known as Cabbage or Cabby, was allegedly the nephew of President Manuel Estrada Cabrera of Guatemala. Rafael Almeida was said to be Portuguese royalty. Armando Marsans was the son of a Havanan merchant who grew wealthy during the Spanish-American War and the Occupation of Cuba. In 1906 the men toured the United States with the Baseball Stars of Cuba, playing 122 games and winning 84 of them.

In 1907, Marsans and company were rumored to be headed for Scranton of the New York State League, but the move never materialized. Instead, they remained fixtures on the Almendares and Habana clubs of the Cuban Winter League. Meanwhile in New Britain, club owner Charles Humphrey vowed to assemble a contender for the 1908 season. Knowing of their exploits, Humphrey traveled to Havana and successfully recruited the four Cuban players. The men arrived to Connecticut via steamship and resided at Hotel Beloin, 91 Church Street, New Britain.

Mixed Public Reaction

Marsans, Almeida, Cabrera and Padrón were immediately polarizing figures. While some fans compared them to heroes like D’artagnan and the Three Musketeers, others spurned the Cubans for disrupting “white” baseball. Non-whites were informally barred from participating in the Connecticut State League, but owner Humphrey maintained that they were descendants of Spaniards. A columnist ironically noted that Perfectos catcher, Nick Rufiange, had darker skin than his Cuban teammates, other than Padrón, who was reportedly “half-African.”

Despite objections from players, managers and fans, the Cubans were allowed to participate. They proceeded to solve the Connecticut State League. Padrón batted .314, ranking third in the league. He excelled as a two-way player, winning 18 games as a pitcher while hitting 7 home runs in the batter’s box. Almeida smashed a .291 average with 5 home runs. Marsans batted .274 while swiping 33 stolen bases.

New Management

Midway through the 1908 season, Charles Humphrey sold the New Britain Baseball Club citing financial maladies. Even though the Perfectos drew 500 to 2,000 spectators at each home game, ownership transferred to William W. Hanna, a stone magnate and owner of the city’s roller polo team (an early form of ice hockey). The club took on new nicknames when Hanna bought the team, including: Bank Wreckers, Clam Bakers, Hannaites and Hanna’s Morro Castle Knights (referencing a historic fortress in Havana, Cuba). A former pitcher from New London, Albert L. Paige was appointed as manager and oversaw New Britain’s fourth place finish in the standings.

The Padrón Affair

Upon purchasing the New Britain club, Billy Hanna faced ongoing criticism for using non-white players. Manager Dan O’Neil of the Springfield Ponies took special issue with Luis Padrón, who happened to be a top performer in the state league. Because Padrón had darker complexion than his peers, O’Neil demanded proof of his Spanish heritage. However, president of the league, James O’Rourke declined to ban players on the basis of race. O’Rourke was approached by a New Britain Herald reporter who published the following account on the Padrón affair:

“…Officials say Padrón’s color was never a subject of talk at league meetings, and they claim there is nothing to indicate that there will be a discussion of the point. It is feckless business to bring up racial talk—a fact which the directors recognize. Padrón may be a negro, as many players and fans claim, but such an expert as James H. O’Rourke does not know of any written baseball law that would deny a negro the right to play. Of course there is an understanding that negroes will not be hired to play in organized leagues, and sentiment is strongly against the black man in league baseball. If Padrón is a negro—this has not been proved—he is the first to play in the Connecticut league. Mr. O’Rourke says in his years of experience he has heard of but one man in league baseball. Grant [Frank], who was believed to be a negro.”

New Britain Herald, July 24, 1908.

Off to Cuba

Opposition to the Cuban stars forced owner Hanna to lead a fact-finding mission abroad. In December of 1908, Hanna sailed from New York to Havana around the same time that Frank Bancroft’s Cincinnati Reds were touring the island. Hanna made several visits to Almendares Park, home to many of best Cuban ballplayers. Presumably, Hanna investigated the lineage of his players because he decided to release Luis Padrón from New Britain.

Padrón Released

Padrón was dismissed despite being a fan favorite of the Perfectos. He learned of his release in a handwritten letter from Hanna. Later, Padrón was rumored to have been scouted by Charles Comisky’s Chicago White Sox. He played several years in different minor leagues from Connecticut to California. Padrón would also make a comeback to New Britain at a later date.

Marsans Gets Sick

The following spring, Marsans, Cabrera and Almeida returned to New Britain for the 1909 season. In May, Marsans was stricken by a respiratory illness that landed him in New Britain Hospital. After a subpar experience at the hospital and fearing tuberculosis, Marsans returned to Cuba. Cabrera and Almeida continued on as everyday players. Almeida raked 10 homers with a .308 batting average.

State Leaguers Cry Foul

As New Britain placed in third place in 1909, owner Hanna was again pestered by state leaguers calling for the removal of “non-white” players. According to the Hartford Courant, many opposing players did not want “brown players” to participate. Instead of caving to pressure this time, Hanna went to great lengths to legitimize his team. He hired as manager a former umpire turned President of the National League, Thomas J. Lynch. The Perfectos were fond of Lynch, though he would only manage for part of the season.

The Cubans Strike

The Perfectos endured abusive slurs made by players and fans, especially from their rivals, the Hartford Senators. These insults may have revealed a jealous streak among state leaguers since Marsans, Cabrera and Almeida were elite players. They were said to have acted like gentlemen by not seeking revenge. Only once did the trio retaliate publicly as a form of protest. Around Christmas of 1909, the three men led a strike and refused to play in a Cuban Winter League game because their opponents had three American players.

Back in New Britain

Nevertheless, the protest controversy subsided and Marsans, Almeida and Cabrera rejoined New Britain in 1910. Owner Hanna hired Joe Connor as Perfectos player-manager, a big leaguer from Waterbury and younger brother to home run king, Roger Connor. The team slumped from April to May. Then, in a surprising twist, Billy Hanna sold the New Britain franchise to Manager Dan O’Neil for $3,500 on a few words and a handshake. It was claimed to be the fastest deal ever made in the Connecticut State League.

O’Neil Buys the Club

Upon purchasing the Perfectos, O’Neil was quoted saying, “If the team as it stands at present does not suit, why, I will go out and hunt up some players who will.” Baseball aficionados speculated that New Britain would sell off its players. Instead, O’Neil established a Board of Strategy headed by Charles “Pop” Irving and local hotelier Fred Beloin.

Baseball’s First Year-Round Players

New Britain’s existing roster thrived under O’Neil in 1910. The Perfectos set a scoreless streak of 33 innings and Marsans compiled a .304 batting average in 111 games. Fans anticipated a pennant bid but New Britain ultimately finished third. That offseason, Marsans, Almeida and Cabrera made regular appearances for the Almendares club in Havana. They were among few professionals who played year-round:

“The average ball player thinks he has done enough diamond work when he puts in a couple of months at training, and then plays five or six months during the Summer. There are three Cuban players who engage in the grand old game of baseball practically the entire year. The players in question are Cabrera, Marsans and Almeida, all members of the New Britain team of the Connecticut League during the Summer months. Just as soon as they return to Havana at the close of the American season, they join the Almendares, playing first against the major league teams that annually invade the island, and then later in the Cuban League, which starts immediately on the departure of the big leaguers for the States. The trio are all clever infielders and play a fast article of ball.”

New York Times, December 18, 1910

The World’s Best Visit Cuba

In November of 1910, the isle of Cuba welcomed the apex of Major League clubs to Havana. A series of matchups were organized by Cuban officials and American baseball statesman, Frank Bancroft. The Almendares club, boasting Marsans, Almeida and Cabrera, pulled off an unbelievable defeat of the World Series champion, Philadelphia Athletics. Then Almendares faced Ty Cobb and the Detroit Tigers, runner-ups of the American League. Of any American teams to visit Cuba, only the Tigers won a series against Almendares, winning 7 out of 12 games.

The Perfecto Holdouts

As worthy opponents of the Athletics and Tigers, demand for Cuban players reached a fever pitch. Before the next season, owner O’Neil persuaded Cabrera to take a pay raise. When Marsans and Almeida held out for higher salaries, O’Neil turned to his bilingual associate, Billy Hanna for assistance. A frequent visitor to Cuba, Hanna boarded a ship to iron out new contracts with Marsans and Almeida.

Signed, Sealed, yet Undelivered

Armando Marsans and Rafael Almeida signed with New Britain but were mostly absent for the 1911 campaign. Almeida never appeared for the club that season. When Marsans was present, he tussled with O’Neil. Marsans quit the team in mid-May after advising O’Neil to change pitchers in a game against Hartford. Some accounts blamed Marsans for disappearing when he lost a $50 bet on the Hartford game. Others held O’Neil responsible for scolding Marsans over his baserunning.

Marsans Comes and Goes

“O’Neil’s Chocolate Soldiers” were identified as deserters who wilted in the heat of battle. Local columnists slammed the two “dusky ball tossers” and recommended suspensions. Some journalists claimed that Marsans and Almeida were playing amateur ball in Brooklyn. Alfredo Cabrera was distressed and feeling abandoned by his friends. When Marsans departed, he wrote a short letter to Dan O’Neil, stating that his mother was sick and was obliged to return home.

Cubebs Sold to Cincinnati

The absence of Marsans and Almeida from New Britain precipitated a historic transaction. In June of 1911, Dan O’Neil sold Marsans and Almeida to the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the first Cubans in the National League. O’Neil profited handsomely. He received $2,000 upon agreeing to sell their contracts. O’Neil collected an additional $2,500 from Cincinnati when the transaction was closed. As part of the deal, O’Neil liquidated his shares in the team. He sold the New Britain franchise for an additional $2,300 to the next owner, James J. Murphy.

Armando Marsans

Marsans and Almeida debuted for Cincinnati at Chicago’s West Side Grounds on July 4, 1911. The 23 year old Marsans batted .317 and stole 35 bases in his second season with the Reds. He was sometimes called Cuba’s answer to Ty Cobb. Marsans played 8 seasons in the major leagues, earning a reputation as one of the game’s fastest outfielders. While in the big leagues, Marsans operated a cigar store and managed a tobacco farm in Cuba.

Rafael Almeida

Rafael Almeida played three partial seasons in Cincinnati. His best year was in 1911 when he swatted a .311 batting average in 115 at bats while amassing an .890 fielding percentage at third base. At the time, Almeida was considered the strongest hitter ever produced from Cuba. His final stop in American baseball was for Scranton in the New York State League. Almeida’s professional career spanned more than 20 years and finally ended with Habana of the Cuban Winter League.

Alfredo Cabrera

As for Alfredo Cabrera, the reliable shortstop had 407 base hits in 416 total games with New Britain. Following stints for Waterbury and Springfield in 1913, he suited up for a single big league game with the St. Louis Cardinals. Cabrera remained in the minor leagues and the Cuban Winter League for the rest of his career. He led Almendares to a pennant as player-manager in 1915. Cabrera’s latter years were spent as groundskeeper of Havana’s El Gran Stadium until retiring in the 1950s.

Luis Padrón

In August of 1911, Luis “Mulo” Padrón was invited back to New Britain. Ownership had received letters from fans requesting to sign Padrón. The remarkable Cuban was with the Mansfield club of the Ohio-Pennsylvania League and threw a no-hitter in a Sunday league game in Brooklyn. His second stint with New Britain lasted just 12 days, but he was a professional ballplayer in white, black and Cuban baseball for nearly twenty years. Padron wielded great power at any position and some accounts attested that he hit the longest ever home run at New Britain’s Electric Field.

The Perfectos’ Legacy

When the Connecticut State League collapsed in 1913, the New Britain franchise dwindled away. The team would be remembered as a stepping stone for Cuban players on their way to the National League. By 1915, Marsans, Almeida, Cabrera and Padrón were back in Cuba for good. They were national heroes, pillars of Cuban baseball and eventual inductees into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame.

A Reporter Reminisces

“In my career as a sports writer, I have never encountered a colored athlete who didn’t conduct himself in a gentlemanly manner and who didn’t have a better idea of sportsmanship than many of his white brethren. By all means, let the Negro ballplayer play in organized baseball. As a kid, I saw a half dozen Cuban players break into organized baseball in the old Connecticut League. I refer to players like Marsans, Almeida, Cabrera and others. I recall the storm of protest from the One Hundred Per Centers at that time but I also recall that all the Cubans conducted themselves in such a manner that they reflected nothing but credit on themselves and those who favored admitting them to baseball’s select circle.”

Dan Porter, New York Daily Mirror, 1933.

Sources:

1. Hartford Courant database at Newspapers.com
2. New Britain Herald, Connecticut
3. Agate Type: Reconstructing Negro League & Latin American Baseball History
4. The Montgomery Times, Alabama
5. Brooklyn’s Standard Union, New York
6. A.G. Spalding & Bros. Spalding’s Official Base Ball Guide. Chicago; New York, 1910.
7. SABR Article by Stephen R. Keeney, Blurring the Color Line
8. New York Daily Mirror, Dan Porter quotation, 1933.

During the “Roaring Twenties” immigrant communities adapted to American culture by forming baseball clubs. In Hartford, members of the Polish-American community organized St. Cyril’s Baseball Club in 1925. The team represented Saints Cyril and Methodius Parish, a Catholic church established in 1902. The original nine was managed by Jack J. Zekas and assisted by Stanley “Spike” Spodobalski. Catcher Francis “Frankie” Kapinos captained the team from behind the plate.

St. Cyril’s soon joined its first amateur league, the Hartford Amateur Baseball League. Sponsored by the Hartford Courant, the loop was a precursor to the Hartford Twilight League. St. Cyril’s vied for the “Courant Cup” but landed fourth in the standings. Player-manager John Strycharz steered the team which included Bob Young, a pitcher from University of Wisconsin and Ray Swartz of Notre Dame University. The following year, St. Cyril’s scheduled matchups with “fast semi-pro teams”¹ throughout Connecticut.

After a five year hiatus caused by the Great Depression, St. Cyril’s returned to the field in 1933. Nicknamed the Saints, they earned a reputation as Hartford’s best Catholic club. Nearly every player was of Polish descent. Edward Kostek served as the team’s new manager. Jack Repass, an infielder, cut his teeth with St. Cyril’s in 1938, before becoming Secretary of the Twilight League and Founder of the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball Hall of Fame.

The club won its first championship in 1939 as part of the Central Connecticut League. Then St. Cyril’s secured the Connecticut District Semi-Pro Title of 1940. Pitching aces, Casimir “Cos” Wilkos and Yosh Kinel headlined the roster. Also on staff was Walter “Monk” Dubiel, a 22 year old rookie who later became one of Hartford’s all-time hurlers following a career with the Yankees and Cubs. After their days with St. Cyril’s, all three pitchers (Wilkos, Kinel, and Dubiel) were inducted into the GHTBL Hall of Fame.

In the wake of World War II, St. Cyril’s rejoined the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. Nearly every game was held at Municipal Stadium or on one of a dozen skin diamonds at Colt Park. Standout players for manager Kostek during the 1940s were Pete Sevetz and Charlie Puziak. Some men played ball to forget the horrors of war. Others played for the love of the game and in between work hours – not unlike amatuer players of today.

Manager Kostek led St. Cyril’s on a winning crusade during the 1950s. Several professional players suited up for the run, including Charlie Wrinn, Don Deveau and Ed Samolyk. They conquered multiple titles starting with a sweep of the 1951 Hartford Twilight League Season Title and Playoff Championship. Then the club nabbed the 1956 Season Title and Playoff Championship. In 1957, they captured the State Semi-Pro Title and the Eastern Regional Semi-Pro Title.

The Polish National Home hosted a testimonial dinner in honor of Ed Kostek and his St. Cyril’s Baseball Club in 1958. Former Business Manager of the Hartford Chiefs, Charles Blossfield gave remarks commending Kostek for his coaching achievements. Also in attendance were Brooklyn Dodgers scout John “Whitney” Piurek of West Haven and Kostek’s former player and longtime friend, Monk Dubiel.

St. Cyril’s last pennant-winning season came in 1960. The club finished first in the twilight league with a 17-4 win-loss record. Outfielder and GHTBL Hall of Famer, Robert Neubauer was the team’s star player (Neubauer later became a celebrated coach at Sheehan High School in Wallingford, CT). The team played its finally season in 1962 and the Catholic baseball dynasty was retired after 35 years.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
2. 1929 to 1979 GHTBL 50th Anniversary Program

Recently, the naming rights of Hartford’s oldest outdoor sports facility were sold to corporate interests. The time-tested Dillon Stadium has taken a bow to make way for Trinity Health Stadium. Though some people will refuse to call it anything other than Dillon Stadium, perhaps a review of its backstory will enlighten fans and provide some understanding amid the change. Long before Hartford Athletic played soccer at Dillon, the venue first began as a baseball diamond called Municipal Stadium.

Municipal Stadium was built on Huyshope Avenue in the spring of 1935, driven by public demand for an enclosed baseball field. After more than a decade of persistent lobbying by Harry N. Anderson, founder of the Hartford Twilight League, the city finally constructed a fenced-in diamond at the eastern edge of Colt Park. The project was funded by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. The Depression-era ballpark featured 8-foot fences, a chain-link backstop, and bleachers that lined foul territory.

Hartford’s amateurs were pleased with Municipal Stadium, and they no longer had to rent Bulkeley Stadium for big games. The first contest at “Munie” Stadium featured two Hartford Twilight League clubs on Saturday, June 29, 1935. The stadium opened with a parade led by a marching band led by Mayor of Hartford, Joseph W. Beach. He dedicated the field by hoisting an American flag up a flagpole alongside the facility overseer and Recreation Supervisor, James H. Dillon. President of the Hartford Twilight League, John A. Barrett, tossed the ceremonial first pitch. The league’s defending champions, Tuckel’s Radio Rhymers defeated Check Bread, 10-3.

Less than a year later, a massive flood hit Hartford and heavy rain overflowed the Connecticut River and Park River, engulfing much of the city and Colt Park. The Flood of 1936 sunk Municipal Stadium and the Hartford Twilight League. Many players defected to the East Hartford Twilight League and the Central Connecticut Twilight League while the stadium was out of commission. However, Supervisor Dillon spearheaded a rebuilding effort and “Munie” Stadium was quickly revived.

The ballpark was rededicated on September 19, 1936, when city officials marched down to Colt Park to celebrate the recovery with another flag raising. The ceremony was followed by a doubleheader featuring Hartford’s Senior All-Stars and Junior All-Stars. Hometown pitching ace and GHTBL Hall of Fame inductee, Yosh Kinel won the afternoon for the Seniors; whipping a traveling club from Springfield, Massachusetts.

Municipal Stadium had became a hotbed for regional baseball talent, and in the summer of 1937, a professional tryout came to town. Greater Hartford’s best showcased their ability before scouts of the Rochester Red Wings. It was the first of many minor league tryouts held at the facility. Between the 1930s and the 1960s, dozens of players signed professional contracts on the main diamond at Colt Park.

During the autumn seasons, Municipal Stadium doubled as a football field. As a result, a fieldhouse was constructed on the premises in 1939. The facility was reported to accommodate 10,000 spectators at that time. It was a fan favorite for its affordability and walkability. Aside from the occasional flood, South Hartford’s riverbank provided a central location for regional sporting events.

Onlookers witnessed high school baseball at Municipal Stadium including Weaver, Bulkeley and Hartford Public. There were also several amateur loops using the stadium during the 1940s: the Industrial League, Public Service League, Catholic League, and the Central Connecticut Twilight League. Semi-professional clubs like the Savitt Gems hosted benefit games at “Munie” Stadium to fundraise for wartime initiatives.

After World War II, Hartford Twilight League action returned to Municipal Stadium. The league was re-established in the summer of 1946 by President John “Bud” Mahon, who later served as City Treasurer. Many players who carried packs and rifle across Europe and Asia were relieved to be home playing with bats and gloves. Dozens of young war veterans were fixtures at Municipal Stadium, such as U.S. Army veteran John Buikus, who starred for the Royal Typewriter company team.

By 1955, Municipal Stadium was worn down. Sports Editor of the Hartford Courant, Bill Lee wrote a subpar review of the ballpark in his “With Malice Toward None” column. He called it, “…a poorly maintained baseball diamond of sorts.” The following year, Hartford Mayor James H. Kinsella passed a resolution to rehabilitate and rename Municipal Stadium. From then on, the facility took on the name of Hartford’s beloved supervisor, James H. Dillon, whose accomplishments had won the city national acclaim in parks and recreation.

The newly christened Dillon Stadium took over as Hartford’s sole baseball field in the late 1950s. Nearby on Hamner Street, an abandoned Bulkeley Stadium was eventually sold to the highest bidder. Hartford had neither a minor league stadium nor a minor league team and consequently, the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League became the only game in town at Dillon Stadium. On August 12, 1959, a team of GHTBL All-Stars trounced a club of rookie professionals picked by the New York Yankees.

Due in part to exposure at Dillon Stadium, the Twilight League earned a prestigious reputation during the 1960s. The league was considered the most competitive in Connecticut, and second only to the Cape Cod Baseball League in New England. Season openers, playoff tournaments and old-timers games were popular and widely-heralded in newspapers. The Hartford Courant and the Hartford Times were awash with baseball recaps at Dillon.

Despite the stadium’s deep connection to America’s National Pastime, it’s baseball era would eventually expire. An aging Dillon Stadium needed a makeover and the city decided to permanently reconfigured the site. The stadium has since been used mostly for football, soccer and concerts. Not until many years later did a glimmer of hope appear for baseball at Dillon Stadium.

In 1987, city officials organized the Dillon Stadium Task Force Committee to bring professional baseball back to Hartford for the first time since the Hartford Chiefs left in 1952. The task force was conducted by a firefighter, Michael P. Peters and namesake of Mayor Mike Peters Baseball League. Peters and the task force sought to renovate Dillon Stadium into a minor league ballpark. Designs were drawn and models were presented for a $20 million revamp, however the project lacked enough public support.

Skeptics included City Council members, real estate developers and business leaders. The Dillon Stadium Task Force was unable to attract a minor league club to the negotiating table. Som potential investors considered the Hartford market as overlapping with the New Britain Red Sox of the Eastern League. By 1991, the deal withered away, though the campaign did help Mike Peters become Mayor of Hartford (1993 to 2001).

“It was a very fine baseball stadium in terms of the field and ground. It was what I call a Class-A stadium. In the 1940’s it might have been the best baseball diamond in the Connecticut area.”

Victor Jarm, former Recreation Supervisor of Hartford, gushes over Municipal Stadium, 1989.

These days, baseball is a long gone memory at the former Dillon Stadium. In 2019, Hartford Athletic owners, Hartford Sports Group, partnered with Connecticut’s Capital Region Development Authority and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to refurbish the city-owned facility for $14 million. As part of the quasi-public deal, Hartford Sports Group reserved the right to sell the name of Hartford’s oldest remaining sports venue. Trinity Health Stadium is now home to Hartford Athletic soccer of the United Soccer League.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant: “Jon Lender: $14M Dillon Stadium renovation was marred by ‘charade of an RFP’ that ‘undermines public confidence,’ says watchdogs’ draft report”.
   
2. Hartford Courant: Football, The Rolling Stones, elephants and soccer: A look at Dillon Stadium through the years.”
   
3. Hartford Courant database at Newspapers.com
   
4. Hartford Athletic: Hartfordathletic.com/dillon-stadium
   
5. USL Soccer News: USLsoccer.com/news_article/show/1216699

One of most influential vintage baseball figures from Connecticut was an Irish-American named Jim O’Rourke. The 5’8″ Bridgeport native wielded a mighty bat and famous mustache. As leadoff hitter for the Boston Red Stockings of 1876, he recorded the first official base hit in major league history. O’Rourke’s epic playing career spanned five decades. He became a manager, umpire, team owner, league executive, attorney at law, civil rights advocate, father of eight children and a posthumous National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.

Born in Bridgeport, CT, on September 1, 1850, James Henry O’Rourke was the son of Hugh and Catherine, immigrants from County Mayo, Ireland. Young James came of age at Waltersville School and Strong’s Military Academy. He learned to play baseball with his older brother John O’Rourke on local clubs, including the Bridgeport Ironsides and Stratford Osceolas. James was a right-hander acclaimed as an expert batsman and a smart talker. In fact, he was so unexpectedly eloquent that he earned the nickname “Orator Jim.”

In 1872, Jim O’Rourke was recruited by the Middletown Mansfields, thereby becoming a member of America’s first professional baseball league: the National Association. Middletown folded in August, but O’Rourke would land on his feet. The next season he signed with the powerhouse Boston Red Stockings. Alongside Al Spalding as well as George and Harry Wright, O’Rourke batted .350 – swinging Boston to a pennant.

In the summer of 1874, Jim O’Rourke became one of baseball’s first international ambassadors. Boston and Philadelphia performed America’s National Game before crowds in Ireland and England, but the trip was a strategic and financial failure. After returning to America, Boston laid claim to another pennant. O’Rourke led the way with a team-high 5 home runs while guarding first base. In 1875, he transitioned back to the outfield and helped Boston to a third straight pennant.

Beantown’s grip on the National Association resulted in the formation of the National League. O’Rourke decided to stay with Boston and recorded the league’s first base hit. The feat occurred on Opening Day, April 22, 1876, at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He swatted a single into left field. Though Boston committed 7 errors, they beat Philadelphia, who made 13 errors, by a score of 6-5.

O’Rourke’s breakout season came in 1877. He set a career-high with a .362 batting average and stood atop the National League with 68 runs scored, 20 walks and a .407 on-base percentage. His dominant play earned Boston another pennant (it was later discovered that second-place Louisville intentionally threw games). The following season, O’Rourke’s average slumped to .278, yet Boston defended first place with a 41-19 record.

Due to complaints over wages during his time in Boston, O’Rourke became a notorious critic of management. In 1881, he accepted more responsibility as player-manager of the Buffalo Bisons. He played third base and paced the club with 105 hits. The Bisons achieved a winning record each season under O’Rourke’s direction from 1881 to 1884. Though Buffalo never won a title, O’Rourke set the standard for player-managers in 1884, with a .347 batting average on 162 hits.

Orator Jim garnered esteem for his leadership in Buffalo. He stood for excellence, sobriety, intellect and athleticism and was described as a non-drinking, non-smoking taskmaster. He might have stayed in Buffalo, if not struck by tragedy in 1883. O’Rourke’s second daughter, Anna, had suddenly died of an illness. The death led O’Rourke to move closer to home, and to sign with the New York Giants in 1885.

“The highest salaried ballplayer in the profession for 1885 will be James O’Rourke.”

The Pittsburgh Dispatch, 1885

In New York, he was welcomed by owner John B. Day and manager Jim Mutrie. O’Rourke also joined future Hall of Famers: John Montgomery Ward, Buck Ewing, Tim Keefe, Mickey Welch and a close friend, Roger Connor from Waterbury, Connecticut. The Giants’ home field was the original Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan. While earning a league-leading $4,000 salary, Orator Jim proved to be an on-base stalwart and a dependable defender.

During his tenure with the Giants, O’Rourke became a founding member of baseball’s first labor union: The Brotherhood of Professional Baseball Players. The brotherhood fought for the employment rights of the players. An articulate and learned O’Rourke decided to enroll at Yale Law School to litigate for player rights. He took courses in the off-seasons, passed the Connecticut bar examination and was admitted to practice law on November 5, 1887.

O’Rourke and the New York Giants toppled the National League in 1888. They beat their opponents in 84 of 138 games. Then the Giants agreed to face St. Louis of the American Association in a postseason series. O’Rourke suffered a meager .222 hitting mark in ten playoff games, yet the Giants were victorious in what became known as the original World Series.

In 1889, O’Rourke batted .321 with 81 RBI and 33 stolen bases at age 38. Showing no signs of middle-age, he spearheaded New York’s back-to-back campaign for the National League title. At the 1889 World Series, O’Rourke turned in the finest hitting display of his career. He mustered a .389 average, with 2 homers and 7 RBI, defeating the Brooklyn Bridegrooms in 6 of 9 games. O’Rourke and his teammates were stars of the baseball world.

Though behind the scenes, O’Rourke and other players were irritated with club owners over the Reserve Clause. The policy allowed owners to retain players after their contracts had expired. Players could be traded, sold or released, but they could not initiate their own moves. Equipped with a law degree, O’Rourke followed the lead of his shortstop and fellow attorney, John Montgomery Ward. Together they protested and established the controversial Players League of 1890.

O’Rourke had a standout season with the renegade New York Giants of the Players League. He batted .360 with a career-high 9 home runs and 115 RBI across 111 games. The unsanctioned Giants finished in third place, but the Players League was short-lived. The loop had failed to turn a profit. O’Rourke and the Brotherhood were forced to negotiate a return to the National League.

In the summer of 1891, O’Rourke reappeared for his old team, the New York Giants of the National League. Despite being 40 years old, his bat remained reliable. O’Rourke, however, felt undervalued and openly expressed his discontent. After playing two final seasons in New York, he secured another player-manager role in 1893. This time, he became field general of the Washington Nationals, hitting .287 in 129 games during his last full season in the major leagues.

O’Rourke suited up for eight clubs over 23 major league seasons. The pride of Bridgeport ended his major league career with 2,643 hits, 62 home runs, 1,203 RBI and a .311 batting average. He had the most hits of any 19th century big leaguer other than Cap Anson. O’Rourke had been an integral part of eight championship clubs, but he wasn’t yet done with baseball.

Less than a year later, O’Rourke was back on the diamond. In 1894, he umpired in the National League and at the college level for Yale University. Unfortunately, lackluster reviews of his calls led to O’Rourke’s exit from the job in mid-June. He went back to playing the game by performing at catcher for St. Joe’s amateur club of Bridgeport on Saturday afternoons.

O’Rourke spent most of his time in Bridgeport, where he practiced law and cared for his family. Father to seven daughters, he was a proponent of women’s suffrage and civil rights. Orator Jim was active in civic affairs as a member of Royal Arcanum, Bridgeport Elks and Knights of Columbus. He was a self-described “Teddy Roosevelt Democrat” who ran for the Connecticut General Assembly in 1894 but lost in a Republican-leaning election.

The following year, new train services allowed for a professional loop: the Connecticut State League. O’Rourke was elected President. As head of the league, he limited player salaries to $800 per month. He was a stakeholder in several teams including Waterbury. O’Rourke also guided the Bridgeport Victors club as player-manager.

The Connecticut State League dissolved midseason on July 10, 1895. Despite the setback, O’Rourke and Bridgeport continued to compete against clubs like Meriden and Hartford. O’Rourke played in just eight games that summer. Instead, he focused on developing his team. When he recruited Harry Herbert, a black outfielder from Bridgeport, O’Rourke rebelled against racial norms. Herbert played four seasons for the Victors.

As an Irishman, a denigrated nationality at the time, O’Rourke used sport to quell ethnic stereotypes. He also used his influence to organize a new circuit in 1896. With help from local baseball leaders, Orator Jim created the Naugatuck Valley League. At catcher and manager for Bridgeport, he smashed a league-high .437 average and the Victors won the title.

Bridgeport reentered the Connecticut State League in 1897. O’Rourke was no longer president of the league, but he wielded considerable power in local baseball matters. In 1898, O’Rourke ordered the construction of a new minor league stadium on his family’s farmland. Located in Bridgeport’s East End, the field was called Newfield Park. That same year, the Bridgeport club was renamed the “Orators” in O’Rourke’s honor.

Jim O’Rourke spent fifteen eventful years as player-manager of the Bridgeport club. His players affectionately called him “Uncle Jeems.” From 1903 to 1908, O’Rourke managed and competed alongside his son James O’Rourke Jr. After playing for his father, young Jimmy O’Rourke signed with the New York Highlanders, predecessors of the New York Yankees.

To the surprise of the entire baseball world, Jim O’Rourke Sr. was called up for one last major league game in 1904. Manager John McGraw of the New York Giants started the 54 year old at catcher on the final day of the season. O’Rourke handled a complete game from pitcher Joe McGinnity, beating Cincinnati 7-5, while going 1-for-4 at the plate. To this day, O’Rourke holds the major league record as the oldest player with a base hit.

On June 14, 1910, Jim’s wife of 38 years, Annie O’Rourke, passed away from complications of a fall. About a year later his brother John died of a heart attack in Boston. Jim O’Rourke endured these tumults and kept up with the Connecticut State League. He served as a league official on several occasions, either as secretary or president. On September 14, 1912, O’Rourke made his final on-field appearance with New Haven. He recorded a single at the age of 62.

When he was 68, O’Rourke was afflicted by pneumonia after walking in a blizzard. He died seven days later on January 8, 1919, and was laid to eternal rest at St. Michael’s Cemetery, in Stratford, Connecticut. O’Rourke was survived by seven children and his sister, Sarah O’Rourke Grant. He was a beloved hero of Bridgeport who personified the American Dream. O’Rourke’s his rags-to-riches story inspired multiple generations of adoring baseball fans.

Orator Jim was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945 by the Old-Timers Committee. According to baseball historian, Bill James, O’Rourke’s Cooperstown plaque, “summarizes his career but is far too small to reflect the scope of his contributions to the game. As a pioneer player, union organizer and early minor-league executive, James Henry ‘Orator’ O’Rourke was an exemplary figure, one eminently worthy of baseball’s highest accolade.”

“He has made a brilliant record for himself as an outfielder, being an excellent judge of a ball, a swift runner, and making the most difficult running catches with the utmost ease and certainty. His average each season has proved him to be in the front rank in handling the bat, and shows that his usefulness is not merely confined to his fielding abilities. He has always enjoyed the reputation of being a thoroughly reliable and honest player, and one who works hard for the best interests of the club. His gentlemanly conduct, both on and off the ball field, has won for him a host of friends.”

1885 Spalding Guide on Jim O’Rourke

“Baseball is for all creeds and nationalities.”

Jim O’Rourke, 1910

Sources

1. “Jim O’Rourke” by Bill James, SABR Bio Project.

Jim O’Rourke

2. Pittsburgh Dispatch via Newspapers.com.

3. Hall of Famer Jim O’Rourke from Cooperstown Cred.

4. Newfield Park: Home to One of New England’s Most Sacred Baseball Sites by Michael J. Bielawa.

Meet a Local Ex-Pro Ballplayer: Mike Schweighoffer, Farmington

By Tim Jensen, Patch Staff

FARMINGTON, CT — If Mike Schweighoffer was playing baseball today, no scout would even give him a look. The way the game has changed, no one would be interested in a pitcher who throws 83 MPH sinker balls, who never tossed a varsity inning until his senior year of high school, who attended a Division III college in Connecticut best known for its outstanding academic standards.

Fortunately for Schweighoffer, times were different in the early 1980s. Not only did a scout sign him to a professional contract, he spent four solid seasons in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization before embarking on an even more successful career, which continues today, as a banking executive.

Now 59, Schweighoffer grew up in Hartford’s South End, and moved to Wethersfield just in time to start high school. He played football and baseball at now-defunct South Catholic High School, but even he never harbored dreams of someday becoming a professional athlete.

“I was a very late bloomer for my position,” he said in an exclusive interview with Patch. “I was an All-State shortstop, but had no expectations of playing pro ball.”

He chose to stay near home and attend Trinity College, where he majored in economics. He also went out for the baseball team, and made the squad as a pitcher. In his freshman campaign, “I was just a thrower,” but Schweighoffer learned the finer points about pitching from Bill Severni, who had played at Amherst College and overseas.

“Bill taught me more about pitching than any coach I ever had,” he said. “He taught me about mechanics, thinking about pitching and setting up hitters.”

As a junior with the Bantams, Schweighoffer played third base on days when he wasn’t pitching, and Trinity won the ECAC New England Regional championship. He also kept active during the summer by pitching for the Newington Capitols of the Greater Hartford Twilight League.

“By my senior year, my arm was hurting a bit,” he recalled. “I was still playing with Newington, but I graduated and accepted a position at Connecticut National Bank (CNB).”

That is, until fate intervened, in the form of longtime baseball scout Dick Teed of Windsor. Much to Schweighoffer’s shock, Teed offered him a contract with the Dodgers organization as an undrafted free agent. He signed the contract in late 1984, and resigned from the bank training program.

His first pro stop was Vero Beach in the Class-A Florida State League. Starting all 25 games in which he appeared, he posted a 10-11 record with an excellent 3.11 earned-run average. He was selected to the league all-star game, though he did not appear in the contest.

The next season, Schweighoffer expected to play at Double-A San Antonio, and worked out with that club during most of spring training, but again fate intervened, this time in the form of Mother Nature.

“We had a few days of rain, and they needed someone to go to Melbourne for a game against the Twins,” he said. “I threw eight or nine pitches, all resulting in ground balls, and [San Antonio manager and former University of Hartford standout] Gary LaRocque said they wanted me in Triple-A. I didn’t believe it until the plane actually touched down in Albuquerque.”

After skipping an entire level, Schweighoffer was used as a relief pitcher for most of the 1986 season, making 43 appearances. In the final month, the Dukes moved him back into the starting rotation, and he wound up with a 7-3 record.

His manager in Albuquerque was Terry Collins, who later piloted the New York Mets to the 2015 World Series. He also benefitted from a Connecticut connection.

“Terry was fiery and demanded a lot from the players, and Dave Wallace [of Waterbury] was a tremendous pitching coach,” he said.

Schweighoffer was asked to work on some new things during spring training in 1987, which he described as “mediocre.” He learned something during that training camp, however, which has stuck with him for more than three decades.

“Every day is a tryout, because no matter what you’re told, you still have to perform,” he said. “I use that to this day.”

Back under LaRocque in San Antonio, and converted again into a full-time starter, Schweighoffer posted a 4-4 record before being promoted back to Triple-A. Returning to Albuquerque meant returning to high elevations, and a switch back to the bullpen resulted in a 2-3 record and 5.33 ERA. The Dukes captured the Pacific Coast League title, which Schweighoffer dubbed one of the highlights of his professional playing career.

The next spring, he was told he would be sent back to Double-A San Antonio, now guided by future Boston Red Sox skipper Kevin Kennedy. The Dodgers did not grant his request for a release, and he appeared in 43 games, including eight starts, with a 7-8 record and 3.96 ERA. At season’s end, he made the difficult decision to leave the game.

“I was 26 years old, had worked two winters at CNB and decided to give up playing,” he said. “I was also tired of dragging [his wife] Liz around the country.”

With a number of former teammates making significant contributions, Los Angeles won the 1988 World Series in a shocking 4-game sweep of the heavily-favored Oakland Athletics. Despite never making it to the big dance, Schweighoffer said he had “absolutely zero bitterness and no regrets” about giving up the game.

“I got to pitch to Barry Bonds, Ken Caminiti, Sandy and Roberto Alomar,” he recalled. “Gary Sheffield took me deep one day; that ball is still rolling down I-10 in El Paso. I remember that at-bat like it was yesterday.”

He began working full-time at CNB in 1989, and is still active in the banking industry today. He is currently regional manager for commercial lending at People’s United Bank. He and Liz reside in Farmington, and they have three adult children – a daughter and twin boys.

Despite having played professional baseball and being associated with some of the top stars in the game, Schweighoffer said his biggest baseball thrills came far away from any stadiums filled with paying customers.

“My best baseball memories are from Trinity, the Newington Capitols, coaching travel ball and Unionville American Legion, and being an assistant coach when my kids won Little League state titles in 2004 and 2005,” he said. “I just wanted to give back to the game.”

Original news article: https://patch.com/connecticut/farmington/meet-local-ex-pro-ballplayer-mike-schweighoffer-farmington

Other stories in this series:

• Brad Tweedlie, Enfield
• Gary Burnham, South Windsor

The long gone stadium known as the Polo Grounds was home to five different professional sports teams from 1890 to 1963. Originally built in 1876, the venue was intended for the equestrian sport of polo. The site was owned by a newspaper publisher James Gordon Bennett and a German-American financier, August Belmont Sr.

1880: The New York Metropolitans began playing base ball at the “polo grounds” used for the sport of polo and horse racing. The venue was located between 110th and 112th Street, and 5th and 6th Avenue. Since baseball fields, like English soccer fields, were usually called “grounds” in those days, it would later officially become known as the Polo Grounds.

1882: The Metropolitans joined the American Association and played most of their season at the Polo Grounds.

1883: The Troy Haymakers of the National League left the Albany area for Manhattan, moved into the Polo Grounds, and become the New York Gothams.

1884: The Metropolitans won the the American Association pennant

1886: The Metropolitans preferred not to share the Polo Grounds and moved to the St. George Cricket Grounds on Staten Island. After the 1887 season, financial concerns led to the demise of the original New York Mets club.

1887: Harvard and Yale football faced off on Thanksgiving Day at the original Polo Grounds.

1888: Giants won the National League Pennant.

1889: New York City extended its street grid to West 111th Street, cutting through the Polo Grounds. The New York Giants had to vacate. They moved to the St. George Cricket Grounds again, and won the National League pennant.

1890: A new ballpark was constructed at the terminus of the 9th Avenue Elevated line, at 155th Street and 8th Avenue, and at the foot of Coogan’s Bluff. That same year, the Players League challenged the established leagues. The Players League formed a new team called the New York Giants, and built a larger ballpark next door named Brotherhood Field. That league folded after a season, and the National League Giants moved in. The 1890 ballpark was renamed Manhattan Field, and Brotherhood Field became the new Polo Grounds (II).

1891: The New York Giants of the National League played their first game at the new Polo Grounds on April 22, 1891. This version of the Polo Grounds had a seating capacity of 16,000. The main double decked grandstand arched around home plate and down the baselines.

1904: The New York Giants hired John McGraw as manager, traded for pitching icon Christy Mathewson and won the NL Pennant.

1905: New York Giants won the Pennant and the World Series.

1908: New York Giants lost the pennant to the Chicago Cubs on Fred Merkle’s “Boner”.

1911: The ballpark burned down on April 14, 1911, at the dawn of a new season. As a friendly gesture, the New York Highlanders offered the Giants the use of Hilltop Park while the Polo Grounds was rebuilt in fireproof concrete and steel. Later that year, the Polo Grounds (III) opened. The Giants faced the Boston Rustlers, and won, 3-0. Christy Mathewson pitched, allowed nine hits and zero walks to keep the shutout. A home run was hit by “Laughing Larry” Doyle, a man who once said, “It’s great to be young and a Giant.” (The Rustlers were named for their owner, William H. Russell, who died right after that season ended. They were bought by James Gaffney, who held the rank of “Brave” in New York’s Tammany Hall “political machine,” and the team’s name was changed to the Boston Braves.)

The Giants won the Pennant in 1911, but lost the World Series to the Philadelphia Athletics.

1912: The New York Giants won the Pennant again, but lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox.

1913: The Giants lost another World Series to the A’s for three straight World Series losses. The only other team ever to do that has been the 1907-08-09 Detroit Tigers.

In 1913, noting that the Highlanders, who had just officially changed their name to what people were already calling them, the Yankees, had their 10-year lease at Hilltop Park ended, offered them a 10-year lease at the Polo Grounds, as a way of thanking them for the use of Hilltop in 1911.

1917: The Giants won another Pennant, but lost the World Series to the Chicago White Sox.

1920: The Yankees signed Babe Ruth, and started bringing more fans into the Polo Grounds than the Giants. McGraw said, “The Yankees will have to move to Queens, or some other faraway place, to wither and die.” Little did he know that, one day, the New York team in the National League would play in Queens.

1921 & 1922: The Yankees won their first two American League pennants, but lost the World Series to the Giants both times. The Giants remained the better franchise, but not for long.

1923: Yankees owner, Jacob Ruppert, planned on vacating the Polo Grounds. He wanted a ballpark that he could control, so he built a stadium across the Harlem River from the Polo Grounds at 161st Street and River Avenue in The Bronx. Yankee Stadium dwarfed the Polo Grounds. When Giants owner Charles Stoneham expanded the Polo Grounds, but it remained smaller than Yankee Stadium. That Autumn, the Polo Grounds hosted the Heavyweight Championship fight in which challenger Luis Firpo knocked Jack Dempsey out of the ring, but Dempsey got back in before the count of 10, and knocked Firpo out. A few weeks later the Polo Grounds hosted another World Series. This time, the Yankees beat the Giants.

1924: The Giants won another Pennant, but lost the World Series to the Washington Senators. Later that year, the football team at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York hosted the University of Notre Dame, and Notre Dame won. Nationally-syndicated sportswriter Grantland Rice covered the game, and named Notre Dame’s backfield “The Four Horsemen,” after the Biblical riders of the Apocalypse.

1925: A football team named the New York Football Giants began playing at the Polo Grounds. They won the NFL Championship in 1927, 1934 and 1938, but lost it in 1944. They moved to Yankee Stadium in 1956.

1933: Baseball’s New York Giants won the World Series, beating the Senators. This team featured slugging right fielder Mel Ott and ace pitcher “King Carl” Hubbell.

1936 & 1937: Giants defeated by the Yankees in the World Series.

1951: The New York Giants came from 13 1/2 games back to beat their archrivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers – winning the pennant in a playoff game, on what we would now call a walk-off home run by Bobby Thomson. However, the Giants lost the World Series to the Yankees.

1954: The Giants won the pennant again, led by Willie Mays, who won the NL batting title. Game 1 of the World Series against the Cleveland Indians featured Mays making his signature over-the-head catch, and a walk-off home run in the 10th inning by Dusty Rhodes. The Giants swept the Series.

1957: The stadium and its surrounding neighborhood had begun to fall apart. The Giants left for San Francisco after the season. Their last game was as 9-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 29.

1960: The American Football League was founded, and the New York Titans began play at the Polo Grounds. They would become the Jets in 1963. The stadium hosted one last title fight, with Floyd Patterson regaining the Heavyweight Championship from Ingemar Johansson.

1962: The New York Mets, a National League expansion team began to call the Polo Grounds home. They played two terrible seasons at the Polo Grounds before moving into Shea Stadium in Flushing Meadow, Queens.

1963: The Mets played the last baseball game at the Polo Grounds on September 18, 1963, losing 5-1 to the Philadelphia Phillies. The last event was a New York Jets football game on December 14, 1963, a 19-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

1964: Six days before Shea Stadium opened, the same company that demolished Ebbets Field, used the same wrecking ball, painted to look like a baseball, to demolish the Polo Grounds.

1968: The Polo Grounds Towers opened on the site of the former baseball stadium. It included a playground known as Willie Mays Field. Across 155th Street is Rucker Park, now one of New York’s most famous pick-up basketball sites.

Sources

1. Uncle Mike’s Musings: A Yankee Blog and More at Unclemikesmusings.blogspot.com
2. www.Baseball-reference.com
3. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com

David “Doc” Bidwell is the career wins leader of the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. As a tall and imposing right-handed pitcher, he struck out countless twi-loop batters for more than forty years. Bidwell was a longtime pupil of GHTBL legend, Gene Johnson. Doc and Gene won several championships at the helm of Moriarty Brothers, Newman Lincoln-Mercury and the Foss Insurance franchise. Altogether, Bidwell achieved ten season titles, eleven playoff championships and a reputation as an all-time twilight pitcher.

Bidwell was born in Manchester, Connecticut, on July 5, 1956, to Ted and Betty Bidwell. He once described his parents as, “My biggest fans, who probably saw ninety percent of our games, only missing some when they went to New Hampshire for vacation.” As a youngster, Bidwell was a standout player for Manchester High School and Manchester Legion. In a Legion game on July 8, 1974, he threw a perfect game with nine strikeouts against Ellington.

The following year, Bidwell became a freshman pitcher at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. Then he joined player-manager Gene Johnson and the Manchester-based Moriarty Brothers. Bidwell, a rookie, and Pete Sala, a former professional, overpowered the competition. Moriarty Brothers of 1975 proved to be one of the greatest teams in league history. They lost just four games on the year, winning the season title and sweeping the playoffs.

In 1978, Bidwell took his Assumption College team to the NCAA Division-II Regional Tournament. The Greyhounds lost to Porky Viera‘s University of New Haven in Bidwell’s final game at Assumption. He posted a 19-11 win-loss record in four college seasons, ranking among Assumption’s best pitchers across multiple statistical categories. Bidwell became a proud member of the Assumption College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005.

Throughout college, Bidwell played summer ball in the GHTBL. He had perfect 10-0 record in 1985 and in 1988. When Moriarty Brothers changed their named to Newman Lincoln-Mercury in 1990, Bidwell toed the rubber as their ace. He steered the Newman club to seven championships. Bidwell was a baseball junkie, who also pitched on Sundays for the Connecticut Men’s Senior Baseball League. In 1994, his talents were recognized by the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame. At the induction ceremony, Bidwell credited his brother Mel for being his spring training catcher.

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound hurler threw in the high-80 mile per hour range for the first leg of his career. Later, Bidwell developed into a pitcher who confused hitters with various speeds and the occasional knuckleball. He tossed for dozens of winning ball clubs under manager Gene Johnson. Some of Bidwell’s teammates included Steve Chotiner, Corky Coughlin and Mike Susi. Veteran players like Bidwell were the backbone of the Newman Lincoln-Mercury franchise, which became Foss Insurance in 2004 when Mark and Jane Foss signed on as sponsors.

In late 2014, Gene Johnson passed away, leaving a giant baseball legacy. Bidwell and the Foss Insurance team were determined to win a championship in Johnson’s memory. He promptly stepped into the role of manager and guided Foss Insurance to the 2015 playoff championship. Bidwell finally retired in 2017 after a 43-year twilight league career. He handed the team over to player-manager, Mark DiTommaso who gave way to Tyler Repoli, the current player-manager of the same franchise – the Manchester-based, Rainbow Graphics.

Bidwell, a 12-time All-Star, was inducted into the GHTBL Hall of Fame in 2018. Bidwell’s journeyman career was one of the best amateur feats in Greater Hartford baseball history. According to Bidwell, he won, “More than 250 games and lost about 80…a few no-decisions, but not many.” In recent years, Dave has been spotted attending GHTBL playoff games as a fan.

Outside of baseball, Bidwell obtained a political science degree from Assumption College in 1979. Since 1981, he’s an employee at Kaman Aerospace in Bloomfield, Connecticut. Bidwell has been an avid music fan and concert goer for most of his adult life. He now resides in Manchester, Connecticut, and is a father of two daughters. Join us in congratulating “Doc” on an incredible baseball career.

Major League debut: April 22, 1897
Position: Right Fielder
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Born: October 24, 1871 in Indian Island, Maine
Died: December 24, 1913 in Burlington, Maine
Education: University of Notre Dame (South Bend, Indiana) & College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Massachusetts)

In 1899, the Hartford Base Ball Club of the Class-A Eastern League signed outfielder, Louis Francis Sockalexis. He was the first Native American to play professional baseball and the first person of color to play for Hartford. When he arrived in Hartford, Sockalexis was noticeably overweight and battling an alcohol addiction. Also called “Sock” or “Sox,” he was once a five-tool outfielder who experienced a meteoric rise and fall during the Deadball Era.

Sockalexis hailed from Indian Island, Maine and was a member of the Penobscot tribe. His athletic gifts earned him acceptance to College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he excelled in baseball, football and track. He then followed his Holy Cross baseball coach and transferred to University of Norte Dame. He played both outfield and pitcher while at Holy Cross and Notre Dame. In a sign of things to come, Sockalexis was expelled from Notre Dame in his first semester for consuming alcohol.

Fortunately for Sockalexis, Cy Young‘s Cleveland Spiders signed him to a major league contract on March 9, 1897. Sockalexis was so popular in Cleveland that fans and reporters later claimed him to be the source of the controversial “Indians” nickname. In his first big league season, Sockalexis appeared in 66 games, had a .338 batting average with three home runs, 42 RBI and 16 stolen bases. On July 1, 1897, he had five base hits in a game against St. Louis. Yet, a few days later, he got drunk, jumped from the second-story of a brothel and severely injured his ankle, which would affect his play and reputation.

Sockalexis struggled to regain his old form amid two more seasons in Cleveland. After being arrested for public drunkenness at a theatre, Cleveland released him in late May of 1899. A week later, Sockalexis landed with Hartford. Burdened by alcoholism, he slumped in the Charter Oak City. He hit for a .198 batting average in 91 at bats. His brief time in Hartford lasted about a month before manager Billy Barnie traded him to Bristol of the Connecticut State League.

Bristol eventually unloaded Sockalexis to Waterbury that same year. He ended the season with a .320 batting average. The Waterbury club wanted him back for the following season, but Sockalexis returned to Maine. A series of news reports detailed his arrests for public drunkenness, and the former baseball star was reduced to homelessness and vagrancy. He served intermittent time in jail but made a comeback in 1902 with Lowell of the New England League. At 30 years old, Sockalexis hit for a .288 average in his lone season with Lowell.

In 1907, Sockalexis signed his last baseball contract. He appeared with the Bangor club of the Maine State League. Sockalexis then found work as a lumberjack and lived at Penobscot Indian Island Reservation. He also piloted a ferryboat on which he enjoyed reading The Sporting News and newspapers left behind by passengers. Sockalexis continued to show interest in baseball, playing on amateur teams, coaching and umpiring.

He eventually stopped drinking to excess, but was not in the best of health. Sockalexis suffered from attacks of rheumatism and looked older than his age. In the fall of 1913, he joined a logging crew harvesting the northern woods of Maine. While felling a pine tree on Christmas Eve, he suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 42. Louis Sockalexis was buried in St. Anne Church Cemetery on Indian Island, Maine.

Today, Sockalexis is remembered as a pioneering figure. As the first Native American in the major leagues, he blazed a trail amidst widespread prejudice. Fans in various cities hollered racist epithets and made ignorant gestures towards Sockalexis throughout his career. Like Charles Bender, Jim Thorpe and Jackie Robinson, Sockalexis endured cruel discrimination while playing the game he loved. Though alcoholism did him in, Louis Sockalexis prevailed over racial attitudes of the time and momentarily achieved, baseball greatness.

Sources:

1. Statistics: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sockach01.shtml
2. SABR Bio: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/2b1aea0a
3. Louis Sockalexis – Remembering Now and Forever: http://sockalexis.net/

Meriden, Connecticut, native Jack Barry was a reliable shortstop in the early years of the American League. Most notably, he played on Connie Mack‘s fabled $100,000 Infield. Mack, who also began his baseball career in Meriden, signed Barry to the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908. At the time of his signing, Barry was captain of the Holy Cross baseball team in Worcester, Massachusetts. He wound up playing eleven seasons in the majors and won the World Series five times.

Though Jack Barry had a mediocre .243 career batting average, he was a defensive wiz. He suited up for winning clubs every season of his career except for his rookie year and his last year. With Philadelphia, he earned World Series victories in 1910, 1911 and 1913. During the 1911 World Series, he slashed .368 against John J. McGraw‘s New York Giants dynasty, beating them in six games. Barry also appeared in the 1914 World Series but lost to the miracle Boston Braves. He was lauded by sportswriters as the A’s best glove and perhaps the best infielder in the American League.

Despite his talents, Barry was sold midseason in 1915 by Connie Mack to the Boston Red Sox, in part due to financial pressures caused by the nascent Federal League. Barry joined a Boston roster which included rookie pitcher, Babe Ruth. Alongside Ruth, Barry continued to win with a playoff bound club. At the 1915 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies and their ace, Grover Cleveland Alexander, the Red Sox took the series in five games.

In 1916, Barry appeared in 94 games during the Regular Season and Boston would repeat as champions. However, Barry did not appear in a playoffs game due to an injury. Instead, he served as Assistant Manager during the postseason under Holy Cross teammate and Red Sox manager, Bill Carrigan. The next season Boston’s owner Harry Frazee promoted Barry to player-manager. However, by the middle of 1917, a patriotic Barry became one of the first professional ballplayers to enlist for World War I.

I consider it my duty to do all I can for my country…I’m no slacker. If I can be of any use, I’ll quit baseball.”

Jack Barry, Washington Times, July 29, 1917.

Barry and four other Red Sox players enlisted as yeomen in the Naval Reserve. They were called to active duty and ordered to report on November 3, 1917. Barry and his teammates were stationed at Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston throughout the 1918 season. Meanwhile, Babe Ruth and the rest of the Red Sox captured another World Series. On the orders of his commanding officer, Barry managed a major league caliber team on the base. The servicemen were known as Jack Barry’s Charlestown Navy Yard nine, but they called themselves the Wild Waves.

Barry’s Navy Yard All-Stars featured two future Hall of Fame inductees: Herb Pennock and Rabbit Maranville. Other star players included King Bader and Ernie Shore. The Navy used their star power to boost morale at home and abroad. The Wild Waves matched up against amateur, college and professional clubs and on a few occasions, performed before an estimated crowd of 40,000 fans at Braves Field and in Boston.

Due to Barry’s year-long absence from the Red Sox, owner Frazee hired Ed Barrow as Boston’s manager in 1919. Then in June, Barry was traded back to Philadelphia as part of a four-man deal. At 32 years old with an ailing knee, Barry was no longer the player he had once been. He retired a few weeks later. In his major league career, Barry compiled 1,009 hits, 10 home runs and 429 RBI in 1,223 games. Even though he never made the AL All-Star Team, Barry exhibited defensive dependability and winning intangibles.

In 1921, Jack Barry was tapped to be head coach at his alma mater, College of the Holy Cross. His coaching days were just as successful as his playing career. He compiled the highest career winning percentage (.806) in collegiate baseball history and won the 1952 College World Series. Barry was head coach at Holy Cross for more than forty years until his death in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts at age 73. In 1966, he was among the first class of inductees to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Barry also became an inaugural veteran inductee of the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, along with Lou Gehrig, Christy Mathewson and Joe Sewell.

A few miles away from where he grew up on Grove Street, Jack Barry was laid to rest at Sacred Heart Cemetery. The City of Meriden and its residents honored his legacy by creating Jack Barry Little League. The youth league existed from 1950 until 2020, when it merged with Ed Walsh Little League, after Ed Walsh – another major leaguer from Meriden. In Worcester, Massachusetts, the Little League program has retained the name Jack Barry Little League to this day.

Sources

1. Meriden’s Jack Barry and the Wild Waves by Michael Griffen on Slideshare.net.
2. Jack Barry SABR Bio Project entry by Norman Macht.
3. Various articles found on Newspapers.com.

Back in September of this year, outfielder/relief pitcher, Jack Rich of the Record-Journal Expos was unanimously voted Most Valuable Player of the Regular Season by league managers. The Expos were 10-8 on the season and 3-2 in the playoff tournament. Jack batted an impressive .475 while appearing in all 18 games with the Meriden-based franchise. In 59 at bats, he had 28 hits, 9 runs, a home run, 22 RBI and a league-leading 9 doubles. He also pitched 9 innings in relief. Jack has been a mainstay for the Expos since 2019.

Jack Rich grew up in South Meriden, Connecticut, playing baseball and basketball. He’s a graduate of Wilcox Technical High School and now attends Eastern Connecticut State University. As a key part of the Warriors baseball team, Jack has compiled a .315 batting average with 4 home runs, 49 RBI and a .399 on base percentage thus far during his college career. He will begin his senior year this coming spring, seeking a Little East Conference title and a Division-III College World Series.

Manchester, Connecticut’s Bill Masse is an Olympic gold medalist and a minor league insider. He spent nine seasons in the minors as an outfielder, thirteen years as a coach, another thirteen years as a scout and one year in a Hollywood movie. Masse’s story began at East Catholic High School in Manchester, CT, where he won a State Championship in 1983. The following season, he led the Eagles to a conference title and was selected to the Class-L All-Star Team.

After an impressive run with Manchester’s American Legion Post 102, Masse joined the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. In the summer of 1984, he was a rookie in the Moriarty Brothers lineup and won the Season Title and Playoff Championship. Masse went 10 for 13 at the plate with 12 runs scored to secure the Playoff Most Valuable Player. He matriculated to Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, and made instant waves as a freshman center fielder.

In 1985, Masse snatched the Southern Conference batting title with a .430 batting average. He tied Davidson’s single-season home run record (10) as a leadoff hitter and he set the school record for stolen bases (28). At 19, Masse earned All-Conference laurels and the SoCon Freshman Player of the Year Award. He achieved another All-Conference season in 1987 at Davidson and was honored as an ABCA All-American.

Throughout college Masse spent summers with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He performed exceptionally, earning two Cape League All-Star nods (1985 and 1987). Masse was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 12th round of the 1987 MLB Draft, but he pursued a dream to compete in the Olympics. Team USA Baseball recruited Masse for the Intercontinental Cup of 1987 and he mashed a .317 batting average with 3 long balls. Along with teammates, Robin Ventura, Tino Martinez and Charles Nagy, Masse won the silver medal.

Then Masse transferred to Wake Forest University to play for his Cape League coach, George Greer. Masse batted .422 for the Demon Deacons in his senior year. He wrapped 24 homers with 77 RBI, 83 runs and 35 steals in 58 games. Masse was sixth in NCAA Division-I in total bases (197) and named a 1st Team All-American. At the 1988 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees picked him in the 7th round, however Masse decided to forgo professional baseball once again, in favor of international competition.

Though he was offered a roster spot in Double-A, Masse choose to reappear for Team USA. As their regular right fielder, he hit .200 and scored 11 runs in 11 games at the 1988 Baseball World Cup in which Team USA finished runner-up to Cuba. A few weeks later, Team USA seized first place at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, where Masse had a .314 batting average. To this day, he remains the only person from Manchester, Connecticut, to win an Olympic gold medal.

In 1989, Masse finally reported to the minor leagues with the New Yankees organization. He was assigned to the Prince William Cannons along with his high school teammate, Larry Stanford. Masse batted .239 for the Cannons with a league-high 89 walks. After splitting the 1990 season between Fort Lauderdale and Albany, he served a full season with Albany in 1991. That year, he deposited a .295 batting average and led the Eastern League in on base percentage.

Masse eventually earned a promotion to the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 1992. He swatted new career-highs in 1993: a .316 batting average, 81 runs scored, 91 RBI, 19 home runs, 17 stolen bases and a league-high, 82 walks. He finished fourth in the International League in batting average and second to Jim Thome in on base percentage. Masse was named an All-Star and bestowed with Player of the Year among Yankees farmhands.

“I feel like I deserve to go up because I’ve proved myself all year. I feel like I could go up there and perform if I could just get my chance.”

Bill Masse, Hartford Courant, 1993.

Though he would never reach the majors, Masse competed alongside several legendary Yankees including Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. After a taste of the big leagues during Spring Training, Buck Showalter cut Masse from New York’s 40-man roster. In 1995, the Yankees released him after 47 games with Columbus. The following year, the Boston Red Sox signed Masse to a minor league contract, though back problems prevented him from continuing.

In 1998, Masse was cast as the character of Mike Robinson in Kevin Costner’s “For the Love of the Game.” Then he pivoted to coaching and became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Wake Forest. Masse spent four years in the Montreal Expos system working his way up from hitting coach to manager. The New York Yankees organization welcomed him back as hitting coach of the Tampa Yankees in 2001. He managed the Greensboro Bats in 2002 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In 2003, Masse went back to manage the Tampa Yankees and stayed in that position until the end of 2004. Then he was promoted to manager of the Trenton Thunder in 2005. Next, he managed the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2007 and then the San Antonio Missions in 2008. MLB All-Stars such as Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera developed in the minors under Masse’s watch.

“I turned over a TV, a microwave, a coffee pot. It cost me a little bit of money. It was not a pretty sight. It was ugly. But it worked.”

Bill Masse recalls a successful clubhouse tactic in 2007.

In 2009, Masse concluded his on-field career as hitting coach for the Double-A Binghamton Mets and the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He pursued a new role as a scout for the Seattle Mariners. From 2011 to 2013, he was Seattle’s Eastern Supervisor of Pro Scouting. Around this time, Masse owned a training facility in Hartford, Connecticut, once known as Baseball City. When Derek Jeter became President of the Miami Marlins in 2017, Masse sold his business and accepted a new scouting role from his former teammate, Jeter.

Former Hartford Courant sports editor, Ed Yost, once ranked Bill Masse among the ten best male athletes from Manchester. Masse’s spectacular baseball career garnered him an induction into the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame. His family resides in Manchester. His sons, Easton and Rowan Masse, play baseball and hockey at Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut. Masse continues to work as a scout for the Miami Marlins.

Sources

1. Bill Masse player profile on Baseball-Reference.com
2. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com

Before achieving stardom with the New York Yankees, Bernie Williams spent a summer in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. The story started when Williams was 16 years old. He was discovered by Yankees scout Roberto Rivera in Puerto Rico, however the right-handed outfielder was too young to sign a contract. The Yankees decided to stash Williams in Connecticut at Big League Baseball Camp on the campus of Cheshire Academy. His camp instructor, Frank Mohr, recruited Williams to play for GHTBL’s Katz Sports Shop team in the summer of 1985.

As a teenaged prospect, Williams saw limited playing time in the twilight league among college-level competition. In 20 at bats for Katz Sports Shop, he had 4 hits. The team’s player-manager, Dave Katz once reminisced of Williams: “He was a really nice kid. He was shy, like he is now. He was so quiet, you didn’t even know he had a Spanish accent. Everybody on the team took to him. One thing does stick out in my mind. I hate to mention this; he dropped a routine fly ball in one game. But I remember my first baseman telling me that people at the camp said Bernie had all the tools.”

The Yankees signed Williams as an undrafted free agent by September of 1985. It was the start of a 20-year professional career, solely with the Yankees. Williams played rookie ball in Florida’s Gulf Coast League and spent six years in the minors developing into a switch-hitter. He broke into the majors in 1991 and became a fixture in center field at Yankee Stadium until 2006.

Williams was a 4-time World Series champion with the second most postseason home runs (22) in major league history behind Manny Ramirez (29). Williams compiled a career .297 batting average, 287 home runs, 1,257 RBI, 1,366 runs scored, 449 doubles and a .990 fielding percentage. He earned five All-Star selections and four Gold Glove Awards, a Silver Slugger Award, the 1996 AL Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award and the American League (AL) batting title in 1998.

Known for consistency and postseason heroics, Bernie Williams is considered one of the best switch-hitters in baseball history. He is also an all-time New York Yankees great. The team honored Williams by retiring his uniform number (#51) and dedicating a plaque to him in Monument Park in 2015. Nowadays, he is an accomplished jazz guitarist. Following his retirement from baseball, Williams released two jazz albums and was nominated for a Latin Grammy.

Author’s aside: The baseball world took Bernie Williams for granted. We did not realize the magnitude and depth of his career while he was an active player. What a story and what an interesting character. Much love Bernie!

Sources

1. Bernie Williams page on Baseball-Reference.com

2. Record-Journal newspaper database on Newspapers.com.

The Burnham brothers are two of the best baseball players ever to hail from South Windsor, Connecticut. Gary Burnham Jr. and Brett Burnham, sons of Deborah and Gary Burnham Sr. each became minor leaguers and traveled to world doing what they loved. Separated by six and a half years, the brothers were heavily influenced by their grandfather, Ralph Giansanti Sr. and their uncle, Ralph Giansanti Jr. both of whom also played professional baseball.

Gary Burnham Jr.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, on October 13, 1974, Gary Burnham showed athletic promise from an early age. At 15 years old he was a left-handed prospect who corked a .500 batting average for South Windsor’s American Legion Post 133. To develop his skills against more experienced players, he competed in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League in between his legion schedule. As a teenager, he manned the outfield and filled in at first base for the Moriarty Brothers franchise, managed by twilight legend Gene Johnson.

Gary Burnham graduated from South Windsor High School where he earned four varsity letters in baseball and football. As captain, hed led South Windsor baseball to the Class-L State Championship in his senior year and was named All-Conference, All-State and All-American along with Gatorade’s CT High School Player of the Year.

Gary won the Hugh Greer Award as an outstanding athlete of South Windsor’s Class of 1993. He was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 22nd round of the 1993 MLB Draft but instead, Gary chose to accept an athletic scholarship to Clemson University in South Carolina. 

As a freshman at Clemson, Gary started in left field and batted fifth. Clemson was ranked first in the nation during most of the 1994 season. In 1995, he spearheaded a College World Series run and achieved All-ACC and All-American honors, walloped a .344 batting average and ranking second in NCAA Division-I with 27 doubles.

That summer the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League tapped Gary. After a formidable performance, he was selected to the 1995 Cape Cod League All-Star Game at Fenway Park and secured Most Valuable Player of the game.

In 1996, Baseball America ranked Gary Burnham as the 56th “Best College Prospect” and as a Third Team Preseason All-American. He took Clemson to their second College World Series appearance and was voted to the All-ACC team. The Oakland A’s selected Gary in the 40th round of the 1996 MLB draft, but again, he refused to sign and returned to the Cape Cod League with the Falmouth Commodores.

During his senior year, he led the Tigers in almost every offensive statistic and earned the team’s Most Valuable Player award. He hit .391 with 15 home runs, 82 RBI, 106 hits and set a program record with 77 doubles.

For a third time Gary was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 22nd round of the 1997 MLB Draft. It was the start of a 14 year professional career highlighted by 11 years in the minors and 4 seasons in Asia. He got his start in rookie ball on the Batavia Clippers of the New York-Pennsylvania League and led his club in base hits, batting average and total bases.

In 1998, he was promoted to High-A ball with the Clearwater Phillies alongside Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell. Gary crashed a .296 batting average with 33 doubles, 10 triples and 93 runs, while leading all Florida State League first basemen with a .994 fielding percentage.

Gary won another promotion to the Double-A Reading Phillies in 1999, where he split time between first base and outfield. He compiled 12 home runs and 49 RBI over 116 games, though his batting average slumped to .249. The next season, Gary bounced back, hitting .268 with 28 doubles for Reading. In 2001, he suited up for a third season with Reading and hit .318 with 25 doubles and 15 homers. He had the best average in the Phillies farm system, which was third-best in the Eastern League.

After five seasons with the Phillies organization, Gary ended up being traded to the Toronto Blue Jays during Spring Training of 2002. The Blue Jays gave the 27-year-old his first shot at the Triple-A level with the 2002 Syracuse SkyChiefs.

Gary had a career year, hitting .281 with 151 base knocks, 34 doubles, 17 home runs and 88 RBI. He paced Syracuse in RBI and was chosen as the team’s MVP. He also led the Blue Jays organization with 238 total bases, was third in the International League in RBI and had the most assists among all first basemen.

In 2003, Gary served as Toronto’s Triple-A backup plan for their star first baseman, Carlos Delgado. Gary carved out a .269 batting average for Syracuse with 9 home runs in an off-year. He then split the 2004 season between the St. Louis Cardinals’ Memphis Redbirds affiliate (.292 in 35 games) and the Cincinnati Reds’ Louisville Bats club (.261 in 69 games).

In 2005, the 30-year-old southpaw played for the independent Bridgeport Bluefish. He led his team in runs (75), doubles (32), home runs (18) and RBI (84). Gary finished second in the Atlantic League with a .320 batting average. He was saluted with All-Star honors and awarded team MVP of the Bluefish.

Gary started the following season with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League. He began the year batting .319 over 19 games and played well. The Philadelphia Phillies took notice and signed Gary to another minor league contract on May 23, 2006. He went on to clobber a .341 batting average in 80 games for the Double-A Reading Phillies with 16 homers and 60 RBI.

He was recognized as a Topps National Player of the Month for hitting 10 dingers in August. Despite missing about a month of the season, Gary achieved the Triple Crown in the Phillies farm system and set the Reading Phillies career home run record (56).

At the end of 2006, the Phillies called him up to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. Gary had a torrid hot stretch hitting .391 average, 9 runs and 8 RBI in 10 games. It was clear that he was a major league caliber player, but the Phillies had 2006 MVP Ryan Howard at first base.

Gary remained in Triple-A in 2007, starting at designated hitter, first base and outfield for the Ottawa Lynx of the International League. After batting .292 with 12 home runs, 35 doubles, 84 RBI and a league-best on base percentage, Ottawa dubbed him team MVP.

After concluding his minor league career in the United States, Gary welcomed new opportunities from abroad. In the off-season, he made appearances in the Mexican Pacific Winter League and the Dominican Winter League.

Then in 2008, Gary signed a contract with the La New Bears of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League. Over a total of 70 games for the Bears, he batted .323 with 10 home runs and 56 RBI. At 33 years old, he set a league record among foreign-born players by hitting in 23 consecutive games.

Gary parlayed his Taiwan season’ into a role in Japan. He joined the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball, managed by Bobby Valentine. In a game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, Gary hit a game-winning homer off of future New York Yankees pitcher, Masahiro Tanaka.

Gary was also selected to team Italy’s preliminary roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, but he did not compete in the tournament. However in 2010, he inked his last professional deal with the Godo Knights of the Italian Baseball League, ranking top ten in most offensive categories.

Gary retired from professional baseball at 35 years old. In total, he amassed 155 home runs, 856 RBI, a .293 career batting average and a .375 on base percentage. He was also an underrated defender; in 662 minor league games, he maintained a .992 fielding percentage with only 51 errors. Gary was named an all-star at every minor league level and received three team MVP awards.

In 2010, the Reading Phillies named him to the All-Decade team. Then in 2016, the Reading Phillies inducted Gary Burnham into the Reading Phillies Hall of Fame in the same class as Nick Punto, Eric Valent, Jason Michaels and Pat Burrell.

During his professional career, Gary spent several off-seasons as a substitute teacher and a baseball instructor in the Greater Hartford area. In 2018, he helped to establish the South Windsor Phillies franchise in the GHTBL. 

Nowadays, he gives private and group lessons as owner of Gary Burnham Baseball Instruction in South Windsor. He works in surgical device sales as National Accounts Manager of Vanguard Medical while operating a real estate investment business, GRB Properties LLC. Gary lives in South Windsor with his wife Rachel and their three children.

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Brett Burnham

Born January 1, 1981, Brett Burnham was a tough kid and natural athlete who began his teenage years by overcoming cancer. At the age of 13, Brett made his first appearance on the national stage with the Connecticut Mariners at the 1994 AAU National Tournament in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Brett was named Most Valuable Player after hitting a grand slam and pitching four hitless innings in relief to win the championship. His head coach was longtime AAU contributor, Bob Hetu. The following year, Brett smashed a three-run homer and was the driving force to another AAU national title run in Cocoa, Florida.

Brett Burnham attended South Windsor High School where, like his brother Gary, he started all four years on the baseball and football teams. Brett was named to the Class-LL All-State team as a sophomore, compiling a .474 batting average with 6 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Brett was also a key player for South Windsor American Legion baseball (1995-1998) and was twice named to the Connecticut All-Star team. In July of 1997, Brett was scouted by the Boston Red Sox at Yale Field and was selected to compete in the Area Code Baseball Games in San Diego, California.

In the summer of 1998, Brett Burnham joined the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. He was a rookie on Newman Lincoln-Mercury, the franchise formerly known as Moriarty Brothers. As a 17 year old, Brett improved his game in the GHTBL while leading the South Windsor American Legion team to their second straight Zone 8 title.

In 1999, he batted a whopping .649 average during his senior year at South Windsor High School. He earned All-Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association for his high school season. After winning GHTBL’s 1999 Season Title with Newman Lincoln-Mercury, Brett traveled south to attend Auburn University.

As a freshman, Brett guarded third base for the Tigers, slashed .268, scored 28 runs and drove in 33 RBI with 9 doubles and 2 home runs. In early 2000, Brett was selected by the newly established Manchester Silkworms of the New England Collegiate Baseball League that summer.

The following year at Auburn, he batted .275, scored 31 runs, stole 28 bases with 11 doubles and 22 RBI. Brett wanted a bigger role and an opportunity to get drafted going into his Junior season. Wanting greater responsibility and to be closer to home, Brett transferred to University of Connecticut in the fall of 2001.

Under the tutelage of Head Coach Andy Baylock, Brett played shortstop for the Connecticut Huskies. In 2002, he raked .335 with 14 doubles, 6 home runs, 49 RBI and led NCAA Division-I with 32 hit by pitches. For his terrific season, Brett was honored with a 2nd Team All-Big East Conference nod.

He played in the GHTBL that summer as shortstop for Mr. G’s franchise – named for Brett’s grandfather, Ralph Giansanti Sr. The club was sponsored by his uncle, Ralph Giansanti Jr. and former big leaguer, Ricky Bottalico. Brett helped Mr. G’s win the 2002 GHTBL Season Title, while collecting the 2002 Herb Sheintop Player of the Year Award.

After serving as captain during 2003 season at UConn, Brett as was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 21st round of the 2003 MLB June Amateur Draft. He went west for rookie ball in the Pioneer League. As a second baseman on the Idaho Falls Padres, Brett performed well over 50 games, leading the team in on base percentage and doubles while batting for a .290 average.

At 23 years old, he was promoted to Single-A with the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League. During that 2004 season Unfortunately, Brett broke his hand in a Spring Training game. He returned six weeks later and in the first game back, broke his hand again. Brett was released and retired from professional baseball in 2004.

Eventually, Brett rejoined the GHTBL aboard Mr. G’s franchise once more. He led the league in stolen bases during the summer of 2005. When Mr. G’s disbanded, he reunited with his former manager, Gene Johnson, who headed the Foss Insurance team (previously called Newman Lincoln-Mercury).

By the end of his twilight career, Brett was a 3-time batting champion with three home run titles, seven RBI titles, four stolen base titles and a Triple Crown season in 2010. Brett was a 4-time MVP, a 5-time Player of the Year and a GHTBL All-Star nearly every year. His final baseball season was in 2011, when Brett received a special honor as GHTBL Player of the Decade.

In 2015, Brett and his wife, Cristi Burnham were both inducted into the South Windsor High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Together they founded Happy’s Nutrition in South Windsor, offering shakes, smoothies and teas using Herbalife products. Brett has pivoted from corporate America to a full-time Herbalife entrepreneur with Cristi, and they have reached the top one percentile of sales. Brett and Cristi were high school sweethearts where it all began, in South Windsor. They now have four children and reside in Ellington, Connecticut.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
2. BR Bullpen – https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Gary_Burnham
3. BR Bullpen – https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Brett_Burnham

Since 1976, Tom Abbruzzese has managed the same Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League franchise.

Abbruzzese initially managed Society for Savings Bank with his father, Mike Abbruzzese. They fielded strong teams rostered by the likes of Mark Riemer, David Gale and Kevin Gieras. Society for Savings eventually became Bank of Boston and then People’s Bank in the summer of 2000. The franchise has amassed fifteen Regular Season and Playoff Championships. The “Bankers” have recruited and advanced numerous professional players to and from the GHTBL year after year. With Abbruzzese at the helm, People’s remains a perennial contender.

Born on August 11, 1943, in Hartford, Connecticut. Abbruzzese is the longest serving GHTBL manager in history. He is a graduate of Wethersfield High School and Fairfield University (1965). Then he worked for the Hartford Parks Department for a brief period.

In 1971, Abbruzzese organized and coached a team in the Junior and Senior Division of the Jaycee Courant League who played home games at Hartford’s Colt Park. His team was sponsored by team sponsored by Society for Savings, a regional bank with staying power in Hartford. Abbruzzese then entered Society for Savings into the GHTBL during the summer of 1976.

Abbruzzese earned a Doctorate of Education from the University of Connecticut (1996). His current profession is as Director of Adult Education, in Newington, Connecticut. Previously he worked as Vice Principal of Ledyard High School Ledyard High School (1974-1995) and before that, Recreation Leader for the City of Hartford (1963-1976).

According to Abbruzzese, he is thankful for, “…not only for the outstanding players I have had the privilege of coaching and continue to have, but most importantly for their exceptional character as well. These two qualities are the ingredients for success.” Abbruzzese resides in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

This article was published on ConnetcticutHistory.org on April 20, 2020.

Danny Hoffman’s story reminds sports fans of the fragile nature of a professional athlete’s career. An up-and-coming baseball star discovered playing on the lots of Collinsville, Connecticut, Hoffman played in the majors under legendary manager Connie Mack before joining the New York Yankees (before they were even known as the “Yankees”); but one pitch dramatically changed his career trajectory.

Hoffman was a native of Canton, Connecticut, attended local schools, and frequently played ball in the Collinsville section of town. There, a scout from the Connecticut League’s Springfield, Massachusetts, franchise discovered Hoffman and offered him a contract. Once in Springfield, it did not take long for major league teams to take an interest in him and Hoffman eventually signed with the Philadelphia Athletics to play for Hall-of-Fame manager Connie Mack in 1903.

Hoffman an Early Hit with Philadelphia Athletics

As the Athletics headed up to Boston to play the Red Sox in the summer of 1904, baseball experts considered Hoffman one of the more promising young players in the majors. When Hoffman (hitting a career-high .299 with three home runs) stepped to the plate against Red Sox left-hander Jesse Tannehill, however, an errant pitch struck Hoffman in the right eye, ending his season.

Back with the A’s in 1905, Hoffman’s statistics dropped off precipitously. He utilized his great speed to steal 46 bases that year, but he struggled against left-handed pitching—causing Mack to regularly pull Hoffman out of the lineup against lefties.

Hoffman lasted one more year with the A’s before joining the New York Highlanders (who later changed their name to the New York Yankees). He spent two relatively unproductive years in New York before joining the St. Louis Browns in 1908 and then ending his major league career 3 years later. Hoffman tried to make it back to the majors by playing for St. Paul of the American Association and then Wilkes-Barre of the New York State League, but his comeback ultimately proved unsuccessful.

Once-Promising Talent Sidelined by Injury

Life after baseball saw Hoffman become a resident of Bridgeport. Having invested his baseball earnings wisely, Hoffman resided in a beautiful home on Stratford Avenue in the city’s east end. He became a very popular figure in Bridgeport and at one point local residents and civic leaders encouraged him to purchase the city’s struggling Eastern-League baseball team, but Hoffman slowly began retreating from public life.

In 1921, he left Bridgeport to move in with his parents in Manchester. Local residents reported rarely seeing Hoffman in public after that. Seven months after the move, in March of 1922, the Hartford Courant reported that Hoffman had passed away at his parents’ home due to “a general breaking down in health.” He was just 42 years old.

Basilio “Bo” Ortiz was a sensational outfielder with power, speed, arm strength and defensive ability. Ortiz grew up on Charter Oak Terrace in Hartford, Connecticut, and attended Bulkeley High School. In his junior year, he led the Maroons in batting (.467), RBI (17), home runs (3) and stolen bases (8). He had similar numbers in his senior year as captain of the team and became the first Bulkeley player to achieve All-State honors. By the end high school, his coach, Pete Kokinis called him, “One of the best to ever wear a Bulkeley baseball uniform.”

Ortiz was drafted out of high school by the San Francisco Giants in the 40th round of the 1988 MLB June Amateur Draft. Instead of signing, he accepted a scholarship to Eastern Connecticut State University. After his freshman year at ECSU, Ortiz made waves in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League for the Newington Capitols. Ortiz batted .333 during the 1998 twilight league season and earned the Rookie of the Year award.

As a sophomore leadoff hitter in 1990, Ortiz batted a team-high .370 in postseason play. He helped the Warriors win seven straight tournament games for the 1990 NCAA Division-III national title. That year, he batted .434 with 76 hits, 68 runs, 11 home runs, 41 RBI and 134 total bases en route to 1st team Division-III All-America laurels. In the summer, Ortiz suited up for the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Then, as a junior at ECSU, the 5’11”, 170-pound Ortiz batted .448 with 78 hits, 12 home runs, 62 RBI, 62 runs and 138 total bases. Again he was awarded the NCAA Division-III National Player of the Year. Ortiz was also recognized as one of five New England Division-III Athletes of the Year. At the conclusion of his college career, head coach Bill Holowaty praised Ortiz as, “the best player we’ve ever had.”

Ortiz was selected in the 30th round of the 1991 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. In the summer of 1991, Ortiz had a successful start in the pros. In 56 plate appearances, he hit .307 in rookie ball for the Bluefield Orioles in the Appalachian League. He was quickly promoted to Single-A with the Kane County Cougars in the Midwest League. Ortiz spent the next two years between Single-A on the Frederick Keys and Double-A on Bowie Baysox.

The best season of “Bo” Ortiz’s professional career came in 1994 for Bowie Baysox of the Eastern League. He compiled a career high .309 batting average with 10 home runs, 56 RBI and an .860 OPS. Towards the end of the season, Ortiz was traded to the California Angels organization and reported to central Texas, to play for the Midland Angels. In 1996, he was named to the Texas League All-Star team. After an injury-riddled season in 1997 with the Harrisburg Senators of the Montreal Expos organization, Ortiz played his last 60 games as a professional.

In 2007, Basilio Ortiz was inducted into the Eastern Connecticut State University Athletics Hall of Fame. Ortiz is regarded as the best outfielder, and among the best position players in program history. Ortiz ranks thirteenth all-time at ECSU with 204 career hits in three years, second all-time in career batting average (.415), first in slugging percentage (.729), fifth in home runs (29) and runs (180), sixth in doubles (43), tied for sixth in stolen bases (63), and seventh in total bases (358).

Sources
1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
2. Baseball-Reference.com

When Hartford, Connecticut, was known as the Queen City of New England, the kingpin of its sports scene was Harry N. Anderson. He was a promoter of athletics throughout the city and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. Anderson established dozens of baseball leagues including the Hartford Twilight League in 1929. Most notably, he arranged the first amateur game played on foreign soil, a feat that landed his Hartford-based team in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Born on February 5, 1885, Harry Anderson was the son of Danish immigrants. His father, Jeef H. “Dave” Anderson was an engineer at Underwood Typewriter. His mother, Mary C. Smedgaard, died before Harry’s first birthday. He came of age in the working class neighborhood of Frog Hollow where baseball was immensely popular. In 1899, Anderson earned his high school diploma from Hartford’s Brown School on Market Street.

At 19 years old Harry Anderson organized his first baseball league, Hartford’s Church League. Teams came from Church of the Good Shepherd, Trinity Church, St. John’s Episcopal and Christ Church. He was Church League president and player-manager of the Christ Church Crusaders. The league hosted annual banquets at Caldwell Hart Colt Memorial Parish House, frequented by Mayor of Hartford William F. Henney and Gustave Fischer, organizer of the Factory League and a supplier of trophies. Fischer owned a department store where Anderson gained employment selling sporting goods.

While in charge of the Church League, Anderson began a new entity called the Fraternal Baseball League. The 1907 loop had eight entries: YMCA, Masons, Elks, Moose, Red Men, Royal Arcanum, Knights of Columbus, Oddfellows and Pythias. Anderson was league president and part-time umpire. Games were played at Trinity College and on the new skin (grassless infield) diamonds at Colt Park. When summer ended, he coordinated the Fraternal Bowling League made up of the same benevolent organizations.

Anderson was a man of many talents, personal connections and fraternal organizations. He obtained memberships with the Freemasons, the International Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodman. He was a charter member of Hartford’s Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and president of the Laymen’s Association at Christ Church. He often directed and starred in musical performances in Hartford and East Hartford. Anderson could sing, act and play the cornet. In 1909, he was nominated for City Council of Hartford’s Ninth Ward by Republican electors, but he declined the nomination.

Instead, Anderson dutifully joined the City Guard and the Governor’s Foot Guard. In 1909, he formed Hartford’s own Military Baseball League. Delegates from the First Infantry, Second Division, Naval Militia and Connecticut National Guard were in attendance at the first meeting at the State Armory. Lieutenant R. J. Goodman was elected league President and Romie B. Kuehns was Secretary. The Military Baseball League played every Saturday at Colt Park. Company H won the pennant and later accepted a championship trophy in a ceremony at the State Armory.

Anderson was also a constant in Hartford’s Republican Party for more than forty years. In 1910, he appeared as Master of Ceremonies for Charles A. Goodwin’s gubernatorial campaign. However, Anderson pursued baseball over politics. That same year, a local pitcher named Mike Sherman wrote an open letter in the Hartford Courant demanding a league to decide a city champion among amateur clubs. Subsequently, the City Amateur Baseball League was formed with John Gunshanan, a former minor leaguer, as President and Anderson as Vice President. Hartford’s top players competed for the first City Amateur League title in 1911.

On July 4, 1911, thousands of Hartford residents celebrated Independence Day by flocking to Colt Park and Pope Park for City Amateur League games. At season’s end, Anderson planned a grand banquet at Hotel Vendome featuring a keynote speech by Mayor Edward L. Smith. Mayor Smith reported that 1,431 permits were issued for baseball games in city parks and that 100,000 people attended the games. Senators Edward W. Hooker presented Manager O’Connor of the Laurels with the City Amateur League trophy. Congressman Tom Reilly, owner of the Hartford Senators, James H. Clarkin and major leaguer “Big Ed” Walsh were invited but were unable to attend.

In 1912, Anderson was busy as president of the Hartford Amateur Basketball League and the Fraternal Bowling League. Then, to the surprise of many, he chartered a trip to Bermuda to promote tourism and amateur baseball. He first traveled alone via Steam Ship Oceana from New York City to Bermuda’s capital of Hamilton. When he arrived, Anderson sent postcards to his sponsors: Gustave Fischer and a travel agent named H. R. Gridley. Anderson hatched plans for a series of baseball games between Bermudans and an all-star team from Hartford.

When a Hartford Courant reporter learned of the Bermuda excursion, he quipped that Anderson probably organized an island police force because, “He regards as lost each week that he does not organize something.” Anderson returned home and described Bermuda as a first-rate venue for baseball. Anderson and a field manager Luke J. Crowe recruited Hartford’s best amateurs to an “All-City League” team. According to his boss Gustave Fischer, Anderson was the most popular man in the city at the time. His telephone became inundated by calls from players wanting a trip to Bermuda. In the wintry weeks before their departure, the Anderson’s All-City team held practice at the State Armory.

Anderson and a group of twelve young men left Hartford’s Union Station en route for New York. On that snowy morning, workers at Hartford’s Royal Typewriter waved and shouted farewell from factory windows. The team boarded the S. S. Oceana for a 48-hour voyage to Bermuda on March 8, 1912. To entertain players and passengers on the ship, Anderson orchestrated musical performances. When the Bermuda Invaders reached the island, the Hartford men checked into the Imperial Hotel and strolled to the Hamilton Grounds—a cricket pitch that would double as a baseball field.

Hartford’s All City League team opposed a club comprised of native Bermudans, hotel staff and ex-professionals of the International League. The initial matchup of the series became the first baseball game played by American amateurs outside of the United States. Hartford lost four of seven games to the Bermudans, but the team returned home as celebrities. Anderson’s all-star team became known as the “Bermuda Invaders” and their expedition led the New York Yankees to host spring training on the island in 1913.

A well-traveled Harry Anderson reorganized the City Amateur League in the summer of 1912. At a meeting at the Workingmen’s Club Rooms on Affleck Street, the loop was split into two divisions: Senior and Junior. Eight clubs vied for the title including a club called the Imperials – which had several players from the Bermuda Invaders. Mayor Louis R. Cheney was appointed president and Anderson was vice president of the league. Anderson was made marshal of the league’s Opening Day parade. The procession down Broad Street included players, managers and umpires riding in automobiles to the ballfield at Trinity College.

Before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, Mayor Cheney gave Anderson a set of resolutions commending him for a successful journey to Bermuda. By the end of the City Amateur League season, the Imperials seized first place in the Senior division, while the Campfields won the Junior division. The season was capped off at a league-wide banquet at Harry Bond’s Cafe. The event featured music by Bond’s Orchestra, introductory remarks by Anderson and a toast from State Senator Edward W. Hooker. The following year, Anderson installed Senator Hooker as honorary league president.

In 1913, Anderson and the Bermuda Invaders were featured in Spalding’s Official Metropolitan Base Ball Book. By then, Anderson was a beloved figure in Hartford and Connecticut’s most accomplished sports promoter. Therefore, when the Connecticut State League was organized, he was unanimously voted in as president. Unlike previous professional iterations of the Connecticut State League, this version was considered a semi-professional league. Seven contending clubs hailed from Hartford, New Britain, Manchester, Wallingford, Windsor Locks and Winsted. Wallingford captured the league’s inaugural pennant.

Anderson assembled another extravagant banquet for the Hartford’s amateur baseball community on October 30, 1913. Players and managers attended a night to remember at Bond’s Cafe where each table was decorated by electric light. Distinguished guests like former governor, Morgan G. Bulkeley and curveball pioneer, Candy Cummings gave accounts of their baseball careers. Mayor Louis R. Cheney welcomed special guest Danny Murphy, captain catcher of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics. After dinner, speakers noted Hartford’s great vigor for the national game and championship clubs were presented with loving cups (trophies).

The City Amateur League and the Connecticut State League were operated simultaneously by Harry Anderson in 1914, though his annual banquet stole headlines. At Hotel Garde, the United Baseball Leagues of Hartford celebrated their seasons. Cups were presented to the pennant winners of the Fraternal League, Insurance League, Public Schools, City Amateur and Junior City leagues. The Franklin club, led by Manager Crowe and other members of the Bermuda Invaders won the City Amateur League title. The banquet was described at length in the Hartford Courant which adulated Anderson for his energy, “…in promoting the amateur leagues of the city, Chairman Anderson has a warm spot in the hearts of all the followers of the game in Hartford.”

In 1915, the Connecticut State League and President Anderson faced a crisis. First place Meriden and second place Torrington were dissatisfied with road game attendance. To draw more ticket sales, the two clubs withdrew from the league and planned a series of games with Winsted. Despite his efforts, Anderson was unable to hold the league together and the State League disbanded on August 29, 1915. Remaining team managers voted for Winsted as State League champions. A few weeks later, Anderson presented Winsted with the Gustave Fischer trophy at Gilbert Field.

During baseball’s offseason, Anderson continued to organize and compete in the Fraternal Bowling League. He also arranged a boxing match for Hartford’s welterweight title. Anderson had become synonymous with Hartford sporting events, and his popularity reached new heights when Courant Cigars used his name in advertisements. The following year, he would be re-elected president of the Connecticut State League while remaining vice president of the City Amateur League.

In April of 1916, Anderson and members of the Bermuda Invaders celebrated the fifth anniversary of their expedition. The group officially formed the Original Bermuda Invaders Last Man’s Brotherhood to commemorate the feat. An article in the Hartford Courant stated: “The organization is probably the most unique in the annals of amateur sports. The sporting event was one of the greatest attempted by amateurs in the promotion of the great national game.” At that time, a trip to Bermuda was still considered a rarity.

Harry Anderson was a voracious supporter of fraternal organizations and in summer of 1916, he created the Masonic Baseball League. The circuit was composed of Masonic lodges throughout Connecticut. As for his duties in Hartford, he was chairman of a new Fourth of July Baseball Committee. His legwork led to well-attended benefit games in Colt Park aiding American troops in the Mexican Border War. The round robin series culminated with the Hartford Tigers beating Pratt & Whitney Company for the cup.

While manufacturing boomed in Hartford due to World War I, the city’s Industrial Baseball League became immensely popular. As the loop’s part-time promoter, Anderson penned an article for Spalding’s Official Base Ball Guide of 1917 featuring four pages on the Industrial League amateurs. After the United States entered the war on April 6, 1917, Anderson hosted benefit games for Clark Griffith’s Bat and Ball Fund. The national campaign gifted baseball equipment to soldiers of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in Europe.

At the amateur banquet of 1917, Anderson, for his conscientious work in the success of Hartford baseball, was gifted a box seat ticket to each World Series game held in New York. As the Chicago White Sox defeated the New York Giants at Brush Stadium, Anderson met with Clark Griffith to donate Hartford’s $30 check to the Bat and Ball Fund. Griffith later sent a letter addressed to the “Amateur Baseball Fraternity” of Hartford, and expressed his thanks writing, “I assure you it is appreciated and will be put to good use.”

That winter, Anderson became president of the Industrial Bowling League, vice president of the Church Bowling League and captain of the Freemasons team in the Fraternal Bowling League. Sports of all kinds were interrupted in 1918, and Anderson prepared to support the allied war effort. He was recruited by Christopher Scaife of the YMCA to be a recreation supervisor in England and France. Anderson was to serve thousands of American troops in an auxiliary capacity by staging athletic competitions and live entertainment. Even though an armistice was reached on November 11, 1918, many Americans participated in military activities in Europe until 1923.

Before active duty with the YMCA, Anderson hosted another Fourth of July celebration at Colt Park starring a team of Navy sailors from Hartford. Then, Anderson completed training courses in Springfield, Massachusetts, and French classes at Columbia University. He shipped out to Europe in December of 1918, sending greetings from Winchester, England, upon his arrival. In Winchester, he was stationed at Morn Hill Troop Transit Camp, a 50,000-man base near the port of Southhampton. Here, Anderson facilitated athletic contests, comedic routines and musical performances to boost morale of deploying troops and those returning from the Western Front.

On New Year’s Day, 1919, Anderson was in Paris, France, to meet friends from home and unintentionally began a long-lasting tradition. He reserved a lavish dinner at Hotel Regina for twelve civilians from Hartford serving as attachés to the AEF. Among the guests was Daniel D. Bidwell, a war correspondent who held the record for circumventing the globe in less than 47 days. The group adopted the name “Hartford Exiles” because of their auxiliary status. The Exiles pledged to hold annual New Years reunions back home, where the group became a prominent fraternal order into which qualified members were initiated each year.

While in France, Anderson spent most of his time stationed in the province of Brittany at the coastal town of Dinard. It was a place of rest and relaxation for weary soldiers and sailors. Anderson arrived in Dinard during February of 1919, and he quickly became known for his continuous program of baseball games on the beach, boxing bouts, stunt nights, concerts and comedy routines promoted on the bulletin of the Grand Casino. Anderson mailed a game-used baseball back to Hartford from a contest won by the 26th Infantry “Yankee Division.” In his letter, Anderson wrote that the ball would be “ammunition” for Hartford’s part in the United States Victory Loan campaign.

Anderson received praise and letters of appreciation for his exemplary service as recreation supervisor in France. When he put together a final track meet between American and French soldiers, the French Commander of Dinard, Colonel Garson presented Anderson with a gold medallion. Before leaving Dinard for the port city of Brest, the Mayor of Dinard awarded Anderson with a citation for “promoting Franco-American relations.” Towards the end of his duties in France, Anderson represented the State of Connecticut while visiting several military cemeteries near the front lines of the war.

One of Anderson’s greatest accomplishments came at the Inter-Allied Games. The multi-sport event of 1919, at the newly constructed Pershing Stadium on the outskirts of Paris, France. Anderson collaborated with YMCA, AEF and French officials to arrange and promote the games. Competitions included track and field, swimming, soccer, baseball, wrestling, hand-grenade throwing and others. The games were open solely to war veterans. About 1,500 athletes participated from 18 different countries. Following the games, Pershing Stadium, a 25,000-seat facility was gifted to the people of France by the United States.

Anderson came home in August of 1919. Upon resuming civilian life, he gave talks to Hartford audiences about his experiences in Europe. He was invited to Washington D.C. by Congressman Augustine Lonergan to advocate for and witness the passage of a bill incorporating the American Legion. Around this time Anderson was offered a position in Poland by the YMCA, but he had other plans. His affection for Hartford and his fervor for sports promotion led him to establish the Anderson Sporting Goods Company at 721 Main Street—a business that would last until the 1940’s.

On New Year’s Day of 1920, the Hartford Exiles commemorated their Paris dinner with the same four-course meal at Hotel Garde on Asylum Street. Anderson was affectionately appointed “Commandant” of the Exiles and Governor of Connecticut Everett J. Lake was initiated as an honorary member. Around that time, Anderson also served as business manager of the Christ Church newsletter, the “Evangelist” and was vice president of the Inter-church Basketball League. He then introduced the Hartford County Baseball League in the springtime. The new loop fielded teams from Hartford, Bloomfield, Glastonbury, Wethersfield, Windsor and Simsbury, who won the inaugural title.

At the end of the summer of 1920, Anderson plotted a best-of-three charity baseball series at Trinity College. He persuaded the Hartford Police Department and the Hartford Fire Department to matchup against each other. The municipal bodies played to benefit Camp Courant, Times Farm and the Home for Crippled Children in Newington, Connecticut. Sergeant John M. Henry, a former outfielder for John McGraw’s New York Giants, was player-manager for the Hartford Police. Hartford Fire earned two wins to take the series. In the winter of 1920, Anderson also experimented with a short-lived roller polo league (similar to hockey) based in Hartford.

In 1921, Anderson opted for regional sports as head of the Hartford County Basketball League and the Hartford County Baseball League. He also became president of the Municipal Service Baseball League while assisting other amateur loops like the City Independent League and the Allied Insurance and Bankers League. In November, Anderson was invited back to Washington D.C. to represent Hartford at the burial of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Around the holidays, he attended a Christmas dinner at the State Armory dressed as Santa Claus, amusing over seven hundred military veterans.

The following year, Anderson once again played a critical part in Hartford’s Independence Day celebrations. This time, he helped to organize a relay race dubbed the Courant Marathon. The footrace started at Duke of Cumberland Inn (John Robbins House) on Old Main Street in Rocky Hill where George Washington had stayed during the American Revolution. The finish line was set in front of Connecticut’s Old State House. Anderson and Mayor Richard J. Kinsella were judges of Hartford’s first large-scale footrace.

In 1923, Anderson served as general chairman of Hartford’s annual Bowling Carnival, an event he had begun two years prior. Hundreds of bowlers competed from morning to midnight at Casino Alley on Asylum Street. The carnival honored George Washington’s birthday and amassed $420 for Camp Courant, Times Farm and the Newington Home for Crippled Children. In May, Anderson appeared in city court only to lose a lawsuit against the Connecticut Boulevard Amusement Company over a complete set of baseball equipment worth $187. When summer arrived, he presided over the Insurance-Bankers League and sat on the committee of the next Courant Marathon.

Harry Anderson’s Danish-born father, Jeef H. “Dave” Anderson passed away at 80 years old on August 1, 1923. Perhaps in remembrance of his father, Anderson invited a renowned gymnastics instructor from Denmark named Niels Bukh and his team of athletes to Hartford. Once referred to as the “Walter Camp of Europe” Bukh was a Danish national hero for his advancements in physical education. Anderson oversaw Bukh’s performance at the State Armory featuring thirty gymnasts stretching and contorting in unison. He praised Bukh for, “…producing a remarkable type of athlete from the most unpromising material as was evidenced at the Antwerp Olympic Games.”

In recognition of Armistice Day, Anderson recited an original poem on the radio entitled “We’ve Come Back to You.” On New Year’s Day, 1924, he was toastmaster of the Hartford Exiles’ sixth reunion at Hotel Garde. After hosting another profitable Bowling Carnival, Anderson learned of his appointment to the U.S. Olympic Committee. He graciously accepted his invite to the 1924 Paris Olympics. Anderson witnessed the United States achieve a medal count of 32, nearly twice that of the next country (Finland). While in France, Anderson revisited the town of Dinard, where he received a royal welcome and was awarded the Legion of Honor – France’s highest distinction established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

When he returned home, Anderson reported that 45 nations competed with class and sportsmanship. He predicted amity and goodwill among nations after the Olympics. In 1925, Anderson was appointed Hartford County Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Commissioner. He sent Hartford’s Dixie basketball team to a national tournament in Kansas City. However, he was discovered to have broken AAU gifting rules and was abruptly fired. His ousting was a rare public embarrassment, but he quickly bounced back as President of the Farmington Valley Baseball League and the Farmington Valley Basketball League.

In 1926, a former member of the Bermuda Invaders and Associate Editor of the Terre Haute Star, Frank A. Hollis offered Anderson a change of scenery as Recreation Director in Terre Haute, Indiana. Again Anderson stayed loyal to Hartford and dove into recreating the City Independent League. He leaned on league secretary and chief umpire, Walter Elliot to conduct administrative duties. Eight baseball clubs manned by Hartford’s top amateurs took to the diamonds in Colt Park. Mayor Norman Stevens tossed the ceremonial first pitch at Opening Day and by the end of the season, the New Departure Endees of Elmwood had won their second straight championship.

Harry Anderson, a true jack-of-all-trades, was re-elected President of the Syria Grotto Band in 1927. The band was comprised of some of the best jazz musicians in Hartford. Anderson’s artistic pursuits, athletic promotions and sporting goods store made him one of the city’s most publicized figures. In many respects, Hartford relied on Anderson for his skillful leadership. He was a busy man, but always found time for annual gatherings like the fifteenth anniversary banquet of the Bermuda Invaders and the seventh annual Charity Bowling Carnival at the Hartford YMCA.

In late May of 1927, Anderson arranged a parade down Main Street to celebrate the national game. The event was known as Hartford Boys’ Baseball Day, featuring a special guest. Commissioner of Major League Baseball Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis attended the parade. He sat near the finish line at the Hartford Times Building and watched 5,000 marching youngsters. Landis wished the Hartford boys, “…all the luck in the world, but bear in mind, that a good sport plays according to the rules, and to some extent, makes his own luck.” On hand for the festivities were Mayor Norman Stevens, George Wright, former ace of the Cincinnati Reds Stockings, James H. Clarkin, owner of the Hartford Senators, and Herman J. Weisman, President of the Eastern League, . 

That same year Harry Anderson founded the World Series Club – an organization still operating today. Anderson frequented the World Series since 1917. While attending the 1927 series, he and nineteen other Hartford men formed a club at Hotel Knickerbocker in New York City. Membership was open to Hartford residents who had attended at least one World Series. Members included Mayor Norman Stevens, Art B. McGinley, Hartford Times Sports Editor, Albert W. Keane, Hartford Courant Sports Editor and Raymond Rutledge, a former pitcher of the Cleveland Indians. As for the outcome of the Series, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig of “Murderer’s Row” swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games.

During baseball’s offseason, Anderson continued on as President and part-time referee of the Farmington Valley Basketball League. He also chaired a committee to bring two hundred track and field athletes to the State Armory for the Massasoit Athletic Club Track Meet. At the event in March of 1928, Olympic sprinter Frank Hussey cracked the World Record for the 70-yard dash. By April, Anderson announced his intentions to direct Hartford’s Bankers Baseball League with Walter Elliot as his right-hand man. Arrangements were made at Anderson Sporting Goods and disseminated to the Hartford Courant and Hartford Times.

As the next baseball season began Anderson and members of the World Series Club welcomed to the city, new owners of the Hartford Senators. On Opening Day, April 18, 1928 at Bulkeley Stadium, Anderson presented the Eastern League club with a horseshoe-shaped floral bouquet. The flowers were thought to have given the Senators good fortune in their win over the Bridgeport Bears. A few weeks later, Anderson arranged the Farmington Valley Baseball League consisting of teams from Simsbury, New Britain, Windsor, East Hartford, East Glastonbury and Thompsonville.

In July of 1928, Anderson was given a post on the American Olympic Committee. He was a key member of the United States team’s statistical staff. He traveled from Hoboken, New Jersey, aboard the Steam Ship Veendam of the Holland-American line to Amsterdam, Netherlands to represent Hartford overseas for sixteen days at the Summer Games. The Amsterdam Olympics marked the first continuous lighting of the Olympic Flame. On his return, Anderson received a testimonial dinner at Hotel Garde put on by local luminaries. Mayor Walter E. Batterson presided as toastmaster and lauded Anderson for his 25 years of service to Hartford athletics.

On New Year’s Day, 1929, Anderson and the Hartford Exiles marked their tenth anniversary at The Hartford Club on Prospect Street. It was the first Exiles dinner at which wives of members were allowed to attend. Perhaps Anderson’s most notable accomplishment of 1929 was his participation at the 14th National Convention of Disabled American Veterans of War – a cause that he cared deeply about. He also remained chairman of the charity Bowling Carnival benefitting Camp Courant, a day camp for Hartford children.

Harry Anderson, Hartford’s unofficial patriarch of amateur baseball, took charge of Hartford’s Public Service Baseball League in 1929. At the start of July, he formed a new iteration of the City Independent Twilight League in a meeting at Anderson’s Sporting Goods. Teams competed at Colt Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays using “Spalding official rules.” Hartford’s best teams participated: the Wolverines, McKinley Athletics, Holy Name, Economy Grocery, Bill Battey’s Spartans and Cardinal Athletic Club. Anderson was first president of the loop that eventually evolved into today’s Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League.

At 45 years old, Anderson was a loyal patriot with enthusiasm for serving his community. In return for his 25 years of dedication to athletics in Hartford, city officials and dignitaries threw him another testimonial dinner at Hotel Garde. On November 18, 1929, seven organized baseball leagues made up for most of the 175 dinner guests. Mayor Walter Batterson acted as toastmaster and a famous football official, Ed Thorp stood as keynote speaker. Other attendees included boxing star, Bat Battalino and Hartford Senators outfielder, Skee Watson. Anderson made an address of appreciation and then handed out official Spalding trophies to the winners of each amateur league.

In 1930, Anderson became director of the Camp Courant Fund. Along with athletics and entertainment, fundraising for Camp Courant was his life’s work. Nearly every year from 1920 until his passing in 1954, he served as chairman of the annual Charity Bowling Carnival, directly benefiting the children at Camp Courant. Afterwards, he resumed responsibilities for the United States Olympic Committee. Anderson and committee members convened on Washington D.C. to devise plans for the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, California.

An increasingly busy Anderson turned over president duties of the Hartford Twilight League to John A. Barrett after one year. The Savitt Gems became city champions of 1930 by defeating Holy Name at Bulkeley Stadium. At the victory banquet, guests listened to a congratulatory speech from Anderson while enjoying a lobster dinner. Bill Savitt was awarded with the championship trophy while each Gem received championship rings. The Gems would go on to become Hartford’s most revered semi-professional team until from 1933 to 1945.

That same summer, Anderson and a previous contact, Clark Griffith, owner of the Washington Senators. arranged a benefit game between Washington and an Eastern League All-Star team. On September 23, 1930 at Bulkeley Stadium, the Eastern Leaguers stunned the Washington Senators, 9-8. Famous showmen Al Schacht and Nick Altrock were on hand to perform comedy routines between innings. Prices were 75 cents for grandstand seating, 50 cents for bleachers, and 25 cents for children. Ticket proceeds were donated to the Hartford Chapter of Disabled American Veterans.

Amid the Great Depression, Anderson’s philanthropic work persisted. In February of 1931, over 700 bowlers entered Hartford’s Charity Blowing Carnival. The biggest attraction of the event was the women’s team from Albany, New York, who defeated a picked team of men from the Hartford Big Pin League. The proceeds of the carnival went to the children of Camp Courant and Times Farm.

A few months later, Anderson took part in the Connecticut Delegation at the 11th National Convention of Disabled Veterans of World War in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In August of 1931, he showcased two former Olympic swimmers, Aileen Riggin and Helen Wainwright in Hartford. They competed at the pool at Capitol Park, an amusement park off of Wethersfield Avenue.

Anderson often accompanied a local athletes to meet the underprivileged children at Camp Courant and Times Farm. In 1931, he appeared with two title-winning boxers: Christopher “Bat” Battalino, the reigning world featherweight champion and Sammy Mandell, a former lightweight champion. Anderson knew Battalino well because it was Bat’s seventh visit to Camp Courant. The boxers awed campers with a demonstration, and their words of encouragement were met with three loud cheers.

In 1931, Anderson was selected by former World Series champion Leslie Mann to the board of directors of the United States Amateur Baseball Association – known today as the American Amateur Baseball Congress. Anderson was charged with rounding up Connecticut’s top amateur team for a regional tournament at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts. He directed a four team playoff at Bulkeley Stadium wherein the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church baseball club of Hartford were the victors. St. Paul’s, led by the Dixon brothers Robert, George and John, then beat an opponent from Stafford Springs to win the state title, but they would lose in the regional tournament.

On New Year’s Day, 1932, the Hartford Exiles celebrated their 13th reunion banquet at Hotel Garde. Soon thereafter, Anderson was planning for the 12th annual Bowling Carnival. In a progressive move, he invited women bowlers to join in on the action. Crack women teams from Albany, New York and Allentown, Pennsylvania, impressed the men. Anderson then named a woman to the Bowling Carnival committee; Mary E. J. Lally of the Hartford Courant. $214 was donated to Camp Courant on behalf of Anderson’s Bowling Carnival.

In March of 1932, Anderson and the Bermuda Invaders toasted to their 20th anniversary. Most of the team attended the occasion and Lewis R. Cheney, Mayor of Hartford at the time of the trip, was guest of honor. Then in April, Anderson arranged basketball benefit games, bringing in $164 to the Mayor’s Unemployment Relief Fund. In May, Anderson leaned on his contacts with the United States Olympic Committee to expose Hartford to track and field stars of the day. He tapped Paul de Bruyn, a German athlete and the first international winner of the Boston Marathon to make a public appearance for the Travelers Men’s Club at “Sports Night” at Foot Guard Hall.

In preparation of the Los Angeles Summer Games, Anderson promoted the “Olympic Games Benefit Night” at Hartford’s Capitol Park. The event fundraised for the United States Olympic team and featured multiple state championship boxing matches. Governor of Connecticut Wilbur L. Cross attended as the guest of honor. On July 24, 1932, Anderson left for Los Angeles by train. After departing, he was followed by a contingent of young men traveling in a dilapidated truck. In Anderson, Hartford fans had a direct link to the Olympics.

When Harry Anderson returned from Los Angeles, he told various gatherings about his Olympic experiences. He remarked that unexpected victories were the most thrilling of contests. Unanticipated outcomes of came when Helene Madison won three gold medals in swimming, Eddie Tolan earned two gold medals in sprinting and Babe Didrikson wrested two gold medals in javelin and hurdles. Also known as “Games of the X Olympiad” the 1932 Games marked the first Olympic Village built for athletes, which became a model for the future.

The Summer Games were held from July 30 to August 15, 1932. Motion pictures from the games were distributed throughout the world. Anderson brought one of the films home to Hartford and screened it for clubs and fraternal organizations. Among the scenes depicted in the film was Tolan’s photo finish victory. Anderson recounted that the Olympiad turned a profit for the first time since Athens in 1896. During his presentations he also noted that Germany would host the Olympics in 1936, then Japan would bear the torch in 1940.

In April of 1933, Anderson served as a pallbearer for his friend Ted WInis who passed away in a tragic automobile accident. Winis was a well-liked 3 year old Assistant Sports Editor of the Hartford Times. On a lighter note, Anderson was assigned a new task by the mayor a few weeks later. He headed Hartford’s welcome committee of an American aviator, Wiley Post; the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Anderson and a few thousand spectators enthusiastically welcomed Post and his plane the “Winnie Mae” at Brainard Field. Before the year’s end, Anderson presided over the largest assembly of the World Series Club to date at Hotel Wellington in New York City.

Anderson traveled to Hot Springs, Arkansas for spring training in 1932. He accompanied Mickey Lambert, a scout from Unionville, Connecticut, who often visited Hot Springs with the St. Paul Saints of the American Association owned by former Hartford Senators manager, Bob “Tom” Connery. Lambert was a personal friend of Babe Ruth, who began the concept of Spring Training in Hot Springs. No known record exists of Ruth meeting Anderson, though he would later represent Hartford at Ruth’s funeral. That summer, Anderson rallied a new City Independent League and recruited former mayor, Walter Batterson to be honorary president.

While head of the City Independent League, Anderson acted as part-time umpire for old-timer games put on by Albert G. Kamm and his Yesteryear Stars. Meanwhile, Anderson also pursued improvements at Colt Park including a new baseball stadium. The City of Hartford approved park improvements at the behest of Anderson, police captain John Henry and umpire chief, John A. DeRidder. Construction of the stadium was funded by the New Deal’s Federal Emergency Relief Administration and overseen by Recreation Supervisor James H. Dillon. Municipal Stadium was completed in June of 1935 and later became known as Dillon Stadium after renovations in 1956.

Anderson attended Opening Day at Municipal Stadium on June 29, 1935. Pregame ceremonies began with a parade led by Mayor Joseph W. Beach and Superintendent of Parks, George H. Hollister. Marching bands and ballplayers walked in formation from the new swimming pool to the new stadium where officials hoisted an American flag up a flagpole. Spectators witnessed the first Hartford Twilight League game of the season between the Tuckel Rhymers and Check Bread. The stadium had aprofessional caliber playing surface, large bleachers lining foul territory and high board fencing surrounding the outfield. In addition to baseball, the 5,000-person venue accommodated football games and track and field competitions.

On March 11, 1936, the Connecticut River flooded, devastating Municipal Stadium and the city of Hartford. Anderson, the dean of Hartford sports, sprang into action. He headed a charity basketball tournament backed by Mayor Thomas J. Spellacy to collect donations for the Red Cross. In May, Anderson was named director of the Hartford County YMCA athletic organization. Then in June, he announced a $100 donation to Camp Courant from his annual Charity Bowling Carnival. Anderson fulfilled his many obligations while preparing for his role with the United States Olympic Committee at the upcoming games in Berlin, Germany.

Alongside the United States Olympic team, Anderson headed to Germany aboard the steamship Manhattan in New York City on July 15, 1936. The head of the United States Olympic Committee was the notorious Avery Brundage. During the voyage to Germany, some of the athletes engaged in drinking on board. The American favorite for the 100-meter backstroke, Eleanor Holm Jarrett was dismissed for excessive drinking, though she later accused Brundage of partiality. When the ship arrived in Hamburg, Anderson sent postcards to friends in Hartford, including a card to 600 kids at Camp Courant.

The Berlin-based XI Olympiad began on August 1, 1936, and lasted fifteen days. Nazi Germany hosted the iconic Olympic Games where the world came to know Jesse Owens. The American track star won four gold medals and helped his relay team set a 400-meter world record. Harry Anderson endorsed Owens and the United States team as “the best ever.” He had positive words for Berlin as a hospitable and clean city. Unbeknownst to Anderson and attendees at the Berlin Games, Adolph Hitler and fascists in Europe would cause the catastrophe of World War II.

When he made it back to the United States, Anderson had motion pictures sent to Hartford so he could share his fourth Olympic Games. Now in his fifties, Anderson stayed busy by keeping up with friends, conducting annual and showing footage from the Berlin Olympics. Towards the end of 1936, he stepped down as president of the World Series Club. Shortly thereafter, he closed his sporting goods business and eyed retirement. He continued his charitable work with the Charity Bowling Carnival in 1937. The event was called the largest duckpin bowling tournament in the country. Weeks later, Anderson marked the twenty-fifth anniversary banquet of the Bermuda Invaders.

In the fall of 1937, Anderson assisted in the establishment a new organization dubbed Veteran Baseball Players Association. The group of players, managers, umpires and officials was created to promote and preserve the game while supporting aged baseball men experiencing poverty or illness. Members were required to be at least forty years of age. Former Hartford ballplayer Albert G. Kamm was elected president while Anderson was second in command. The Veteran Baseball Players Association hosted old-timers games, charitable events, banquets and conventions.

By 1938, the veterans association had about 300 members in 14 different states. To promote the association, Anderson and Kamm assembled old-timer games. On one occasion, Anderson dressed up as Abner Doubleday, alleged founder of baseball, and umpired an old-timer game played in the nineteenth century style of the New York Knickerbockers. At another contest, former big leaguer “Big Ed” Walsh of Meriden, Connecticut, appeared with the Yesteryear Stars at Bulkeley Stadium. Eventually, the Wives and Daughters of Veteran Baseball Players Association was established to support women.

As part of baseball’s hundredth birthday of celebration in 1939, the ultimate distinction was bestowed upon Harry Anderson and the Bermuda Invaders. Bob Quinn, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame invited them to a special ceremony in Cooperstown, New York. At the Hall of Fame, Quinn unveiled a citation declaring the Invaders the first amateur team to compete on foreign soil. Anderson handed over a team photograph taken in 1912 to curator William Beattie, who hung it on the wall. They were officially the first amateurs recognized by the Hall of Fame in baseball history.

Anderson’s Hall of Fame glory was a fitting capstone on his prolific baseball career. Even still, he sought out new objectives, impactful projects and timely crusades. Ever the humble and faithful servant to Hartford’s Christ Church Cathedral, he served on the Christ Church Cathedral campaign. Later, during the Christmas season of 1939, Anderson and other volunteers distributed gifts and food to Hartford’s war veterans. Throughout his adult life, he set aside time nearly every Christmas to deliver yule tidings, most often in a Santa Claus costume.

Anderson began 1940 as toastmaster of the Hartford Exiles reunion. He welcomed Congressman William J. Miller of Connecticut’s First Congressional district to the Exiles. Miller was eligible to join the Exiles due to his service with the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps. during World War I. About a month later, Anderson and the Charity Bowling Carnival committee awarded gold watches to youngsters at Camp Courant for good citizenship. Later that year, Anderson assumed the role of Chairman for the Veteran Baseball Players Association. He delegated responsibility of the annual convention to association members in Torrington, Connecticut.

Anderson made first baseman Johnny Evers, Governor Robert A. Hurley and United States Congressman James A. Shanley of New Haven honorary vice presidents of the Veteran Baseball Players Association. He had lobbied Rep. Shanley to submit a resolution to the United States House of Representatives outlining the concept of National Baseball Day. Anderson intended National Baseball Day to be an observance honoring the game and its supposed Civil War era forefather, Major General Abner Doubleday. With the backing of the veterans association, Congressman Shanley submitted a bill a few times but no legislation was passed.

Because Doubleday’s parents once lived in Lebanon, Connecticut, before relocating to Ballston Spa, New York, Anderson surmised a direct link between Doubleday and Connecticut. Therefore, Anderson thought it fitting for a congressmen from Connecticut to introduce a resolution for National Baseball Day. He chose Doubleday’s birthday, June 26, as the date of observance. Anderson conspired with politicians to get National Baseball Day enacted into law and spent his final fifteen years advocating for the cause.

Meanwhile, ongoing Nazi aggression abroad caused American communities like Hartford to react with shock and concern. Anderson and the Hartford Exiles were reminded of the German menace from the First World War. When the Exiles initiated Governor Raymond E. Baldwin into the order on New Year’s Day, 1941, Baldwin was quoted saying, “America now needs our loyalty, our energy and our courage more than ever before; let us all go forward with courage, united.” The banquet drew a record number of attendees whom Anderson had invited to feast around an “H-shaped” table.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 22, 1941, Hartford’s young men readied for military service. Around this time, Anderson provided Hartford residents with a diversion. As president of the Greater Hartford Big Pin Bowling League, he with organized one of the most competitive bowling leagues in Connecticut. Colt Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing and United Aircraft Corporation entered teams into the big pin league. That year, Anderson also volunteered as a committee member of the 61st Republican precinct.

Anderson would finally make headway on implementing National Baseball Day. On March 20, 1943, a letter and a copy of Anderson’s resolution and was received by the White House. Congressman William J. Miller of the Hartford Exiles had sent the letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on behalf of Anderson and the Veteran Baseball Players Association. Miller highlighted the potential war chest benefits of establishing National Baseball Day:

It might be possible to tie this observance in with the sale of war bonds and stamps. I believe it would be possible to secure the cooperation of the Commissioner of baseball, officials of the major and minor leagues, along with a couple of thousand of men who are interested in sandlot baseball throughout the country. If the Treasury Department, through the offices of those engage in promoting the sale of war bonds and stamps, would cooperate in the effort, I believe that the baseball fans of the United States would purchase substantially over $1 billion worth of bonds and stamps on that one day.”

William J. Miller, U.S. Representative

No written response came from President Roosevelt, who was busy commanding American forces in World War II. When Congressman Miller presented National Baseball Day to Congress, the bill died on the House floor. However, Anderson persevered. After marking the 30th anniversary of the Bermuda Invaders, Anderson and Hartford’s Chapter No. 1 of the Veteran Baseball Players Association planned a trip to Lebanon, Connecticut. They sought to promote National Baseball Day at the home of Doubleday’s parents, but strict wartime limits on gasoline forced Anderson to cancel the pilgrimage.

After D-Day, Anderson made an appearance at a Camp Courant award ceremony with Private Tony DeMaio of the Marine Corps. They were also joined by members of the Hartford baseball club: Business Manager Charlie Blossfield, Manager Del Bissonette, and a pitcher, Merle Settlemire. They presented the Bert Keane Trophy for sportsmanship to Angelo Perone of 54 Charter Oak Avenue. Then, in October of 1944, Anderson was in an automobile accident. He sustained minor injuries, checked into Hartford Hospital, and made a full recovery.

In his latter years, Anderson was a frequent contributor to the opinion pages of the Hartford Courant. When Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis died on November 25, 1944, Anderson composed a tribute to baseball’s “greatest leader” who restored confidence in the game. He shared a personal anecdote of meeting Landis who jumped at the opportunity to attend Hartford Boys’ Baseball Day in 1927. Anderson’s next editorial called for the continuation of athletics during World War II. He touted the physical, mental and social benefits of sports. Baseball in particular, he argued, was an important facet of daily life and served as an inspiration to young people.

Anderson was behind another public address when the Hartford Exiles broadcasted their 1945 reunion on the radio. Remarks were made by Congressman Miller who endorsed the Universal Service Act—requiring military service for American citizens. At the dinner, Commandant Anderson wore his YMCA uniform from his days in France. Later that year, Anderson was appointed to Hartford’s Medallion Commission, an official committee that voted on military service awards given on behalf of the city. War heroes such as Major General Leonard F. Wing and General Jonathan M. Wainwright were presented medals while making appearances in Hartford.

Then in August, Anderson showed his appreciation for a late friend, Mary E. J. Lally. She had been general supervisor of Camp Courant since 1924. After her sudden passing in 1934, Lally was remembered each year at the camp on “Mary E. J. Lally Day” and Anderson was a regular attendee. Like his friend Mary Lally, Anderson was a champion of youth organizations and physical education. His attachment to these causes led him publish more editorials on the topics of athletics, politics and all things Hartford.

In two columns during 1945, Anderson expressed the need for an indoor arena in Hartford capable of hosting various cold weather sports. The Greater Hartford community had become more interested in cold weather sports such as basketball and hockey. He recommended dedicating the arena to veterans of both world wars and suggested a design similar to the Hershey Sports Arena in Pennsylvania. However, it would be another thirty years until the Hartford Civic Center was built in 1974.

On New Years night in 1946, Harry Anderson and his exclusive club of Exiles dined around an “H” shaped table at Hotel Garde. Commandant Anderson presided as master of ceremonies which included the induction of Major Kenneth G. Collins into the order. Colonel Elmer S. Watson, state motor vehicles commissioner gave the keynote speech about the cost of world peace. He praised the valorous acts carried out by 43rd Infantry Division, made up of men from Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Former Staff Sargent Donald C. Millen of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, exhibited his collection of souvenirs from a raid of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.

The Bermuda Invaders reunion of 1946 took place at Marble Pillar, a German restaurant in downtown Hartford. At the dinner, Anderson screened a short film of the 1945 World Series featuring the American League Champion Detroit Tigers defeating the National League Champion Chicago Cubs in seven games. Anderson had become a regular customer at Marble Pillar and a friend of the restaurant owner, Carl Struve. When Struve turned 72 years old, Anderson and the Veteran Baseball Players Association threw a him a birthday party.

In spring of 1946, Anderson donated unboxed baseball gloves to a contest run by the Hartford Chiefs and a group known as the Lady Fans of Hartford. The women’s fan club selected two Hartford High School baseball players, Bob Andrews and Arnold Lewis as recipients of the gloves and a Spring Training tryout with the Hartford Chiefs in Greenwood, Mississippi. Towards the end of the baseball season, Anderson made his annual visit to Camp Courant accompanied by Charlie Blossfield of the Hartford Chiefs and William J. Lee of the Hartford Courant. The trio the camp’s highest honor to Kenneth Jerome for sportsmanship, citizenship and athletic ability. 

The following year, Anderson revisited the push for National Baseball Day. He wrote another editorial in the newspaper on April 20, 1947, endorsing the creation of National Baseball Day and exclaiming the importance of Abner Doubleday:

“For if he had not conceived the idea of the game, there would be no baseball game and no Babe Ruth to take part. Congressman William J. Miller of Connecticut had presented a resolution to side aside [Major] General Abner Doubleday’s birthday as a National Baseball Day and will bring it before the President and Congress again. A certain percentage of the receipts from the games in the major and minor baseball leagues on the National Baseball Day could be devoted to taking care of veteran baseball players in need and the youth program in the development of baseball among sandlot players as a National Baseball Fund.”

Harry N. Anderson

Anderson’s calls for National Baseball Day were heard, but the levers of government had failed to deliver results. Yet, he remained engaged in the Veteran Baseball Player’s Association. Anderson was chosen as president at the annual convention of 1948 at Craig Loch Manor in Meriden, Connecticut. His bygone friends, Luke Crowe of West Haven and Mickey Lambert of Unionville, served as officers. Former professional players, Harry Noyes of West Haven and James. J. Burns of Hartford, were each named vice presidents.

On August 17, 1948, Anderson attended the funeral of baseball’s biggest superstar, Babe Ruth. He was selected by Mayor Cyril Coleman to represent the City of Hartford. Ruth’s memorial was held at Universal Funeral Chapel on 52nd Street in Manhattan. About a month later, Anderson accepted an appointment to Hartford’s Rent Advisory Board. He had been personally recommended to the position by Governor James C. Shannon.

The Hartford Exiles gathered for their thirtieth anniversary on January 3, 1949. The milestone was held at the University Club situated at 30 Lewis Street. Twenty-five members heard Superior Court Judge Edward J. Daly deliver the keynote speech. Daly, one of three American judges at the Nuremberg Trials, spoke about the ruthless and criminal conduct of the Nazi regime. The Hartford Exiles inducted two new members, who were announced as the final additions to the order. Even though new membership had ended, Anderson promised that the reunions would go on.

In the spring of 1949, Anderson gave a commencement speech to the graduating class at his alma mater, Brown School. By summertime, he made an obligatory visit and donation to Camp Courant on behalf of the Charity Bowling Carnival. Then, ten years after being honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Anderson and the Bermuda Invaders were invited back to Cooperstown. Director of the Hall Fame, Bob Quinn recognized their feat in Bermuda, and he signed a draft of Anderson’s National Baseball Day resolution.

In 1950, Anderson coaxed Congressman Abraham Ribicoff into backing National Baseball Day. Ribicoff, a Democrat, crafted legislation for the observance, but again, the bill was rejected in committee. Back in Hartford, Anderson wrote short column endorsing fellow Exile, William A. Purtell for Governor of Connecticut. Purtell lost the 1950 Republican primary to Congressman John Davis Lodge. Later that year, the Exiles mourned the passing of three members: Rev. Raymond Cunningham, Congressman William J. Miller and former managing editor of the Hartford Courant, George B. Armstead.

Anderson and Hartford Exiles began 1951 at the University Club for their thirty-second annual reunion. Hartford Attorney Thomas J. Dodd, distinguished for his work as prosecutor at the Nuremberg Trials, appeared as guest speaker. Anderson and others listened to the aspiring politician declare communist Russia as America’s next greatest threat. Dinner guests enjoyed the same four course meal served in Paris in 1919. The Exiles ended the night by singing the national anthems of the United States and of France.

The Charity Bowling Carnival in February of 1951 was wildly popular. Anderson’s annual event for Camp Courant attracted seventy-two bowling teams who competed until a half hour until midnight. At 65 years old, Anderson’s philanthropic ways never ceased. On August 24, 1951, he arranged a special night at Bulkeley Stadium for young patients of the Newington Crippled Home for Children, who were greeted by members of the Hartford Chiefs and given autographed baseballs. At the end of the year, Anderson received a national honor when he was handpicked by the Amateur Athletic Union to vote on finalists for the James E. Sullivan Award.

In 1952, Anderson and the Bermuda Invaders celebrated the fortieth anniversary since their groundbreaking trip. Some members of the close-knit team brought their wives to the banquet including Theodore J. Marenholtz, Harry E. Rau and Carl Palmberg. Anderson never married. Instead, he reveled in camaraderie within fraternal, athletic and nonprofit organizations, many of which he had founded. He had few family relations, but he had dozens of close friends and admiring acquaintances.

As a self-proclaimed “friend of pets,” Anderson owned a cocker spaniel named Princess. On a few occasions, Anderson contributed articles to the newspaper concerning the treatment dogs in Hartford. He advocated for a new shelter where stray or abandoned pets could remain until adopted by residents. Each Christmas Eve, from 1950 to 1953, Anderson went door-to-door gifting bones to local dogs. One reporter called him the “Santa Claus of Canines.”

Anderson carried on his humanitarian habits in 1953. The Charity Bowling Carnival raised $75 for the Newington Home and Hospital for Crippled Children. During the check presentation, Anderson gifted a baseball autographed by Milwaukee Braves to Thomas Julian of West Hartford, a patient at the Newington facility. In another baseball matter, Anderson penned a glowing tribute to Hall of Fame Bob Quinn upon his passing in 1954: “He brought to the game the spirit of clean and honorable sportsmanship in all his dealings.”

Towards the end of his life, Harry Anderson lived at 21 Montrose Street, Hartford. After an extended illness, he passed away on Christmas Day, 1954, at New Britain Hospital at the age of 69. Anderson died leaving many lifelong friends behind. They were saddened to lose him before his seventies. He was remembered as head of the Charity Bowling Carnival, Commandant of the Hartford Exiles and leader of the Bermuda Invaders. Anderson served others and in the process, he rubbed elbows with America’s greatest sports figures and politicians.

A few days after Anderson’s passing, a friend named Harold Cutbill from South Norwalk, Connecticut, wrote, “A Tribute to Harry N. Anderson” in the Hartford Courant. In his last will and testament, Anderson left $16,000 to Hartford causes and organizations. Camp Courant and Times Farm received $500 each. Other beneficiaries were Christ Church Cathedral, YMCA of Hartford, Newington Home for Crippled Children, Masonic Charity Foundation of Wallingford and the Hartford Chapter of the Yankee Division. Surviving members of the Hartford Exiles were left $500 to defray costs at future reunions.

Anderson’s pursuit of National Baseball Day did not go in vain. He convinced Congressman Thomas J. Dodd to take up the resolution, but it failed to pass the committee stage yet again. However, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, an ardent baseball fan, saw merit in the observance. President Eisenhower declared the first National Baseball Polio Day on Flag Day, June 14, 1957, at stadiums and sandlots across America. Professional and amateur teams throughout the United States collected donations to combat the polio epidemic.

With great vigor and influence, Harry N. Anderson was a sports promoter, a philanthropist and a founding father of amateur baseball in Hartford. He acted admirably as a conduit between the city and charitable organizations. Thousands of men, women and children benefited from his life’s work. He was a man of strong traditions, varied interests, charity, service and faith who devised athletic leagues and blazed baseball’s trail, from Hartford to Bermuda to Cooperstown.

“Gentlemen:—

Permit me to comment on the part you have taken in the interest of the poor children of this city that they might enjoy the recreational privileges that others of better circumstances have benefited for their physical welfare. It is a most worthy object that should have the support of all whose means will allow. I feel that the sporting fraternity of this city is in sympathy with any movement that will aid in the betterment of the physical development of our community life and should have a part this cause.

I therefore have arranged for a benefit baseball game to be played at a later date for which the proceeds will be turned over to this work. It is through the spirited co-operation of the Hartford police and firemen together with the services of the Hartford Grays and Simsbury teams of the County League that this is made possible.

I feel sure the sporting fraternity of this city will lend its patronage as it has all times in the past so that the event may be a big success in the upkeep of this worthy work. Assuring you my co-operation and best wishes for its continued success. I remain—

Sincerely yours,

Harry N. Anderson
July 31, 1920″

¹A similar National Baseball Day resolution was presented to Congress in 1996 by Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey however this time, Alexander Joy Cartwright Jr. was named as the founding father of baseball, not Abner Doubleday.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database accessed through Newspapers.com
2. Player profiles on Baseball-Reference.com
3. Media content from Connecticuthistoryillustrated.org
4. Boston Globe database accessed through Newspapers.com
5. SABR Bio Project, Les Mann: sabr.org/bioproj/person/les-mann/
6. Baseball Prospectus: baseballprospectus.com/
7. Martin, Brian. Baseball’s Creation Myth: Adam Ford, Abner Graves and the Cooperstown Story. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2013.

In February of 1938, news broke of a “Class A” Eastern League team relocating to Hartford. The Hartford Bees (also called Hartford Laurels and Hartford Senators) were established when Boston Braves owner, Bob Quinn moved his farm team from Scranton, Pennsylvania, to the Charter Oak City. Hartford had been deprived of a professional team since the end of 1934. Reacting to the announcement, Hartford Times sports columnist Dan Parker contextualized the historic news:

Hartford, one of baseball’s pioneer towns, is back in the game after being outside the pale for a half dozen years. True, it is a far cry and a big drop from one of the original franchises in the National League to membership in the Eastern, but Hartford folk while glorifying in the past, also want to do a bit of glorifying in the present, and, therefore welcome a Class A club without a trace of condescension.

Not only did Hartford furnish the National League with one of the charter clubs but it also gave the league its first president, the late Morgan G. Bulkeley. But that isn’t the 50 per cent of it, my little horned toads. Bob Ferguson, who managed the Hartford club and steered it into second place in its first season in baseball and finished third in its second and last year in the National, would have made the first unassisted triple play in history, were it not for the annoying circumstance that one man already had been retired when Bob made his “triple killing.”

It was Hartford, too, that was the victim of the first no-hit game in the National League. Not only that, but Hartford also invented the double header as a means of stimulating attendance. When it failed to work, the franchise was surrendered. But, in those days, Hartford was just a struggling small town and not the bustling metropolis it is today, with a toe-hold on most of the insurance business in America.

If there is a better city in its particular class than Hartford, I have yet to encounter it. The population is currently estimated at 175,000, but towns within easy driving distance swell the ball club’s potential customer list to close to a half million. The town is really in the International League class.

Hartford’s return to organized baseball is a happy home and for those other New England cities, rich in baseball history but now unhappily out of procession. It is almost unbelievable that good baseball towns like Providence, Wooster, New Haven, Springfield and—yes—dear old Waterbury, should be without representation and organized baseball for a decade, when they used to constitute the best minor league territory until the depression wrecked industrial New England.

Dan Parker, Hartford Times

Soon-to-be Berlin High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Ryan DiPietro attended Eastern Connecticut State University, was drafted by both the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals. He later played in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League for five seasons with the Meriden Merchants franchise, now known as the Record-Journal Expos.

Published August 17, 2021 in the Record-Journal

The Berlin High School Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Sunday, Sept. 12 at the Aqua Turf. Leading up to the event, The Citizen is highlighting the accomplishments of the Hall of Fame Class of 2021. This week: Ryan DiPietro.

A member of the Class of 2002, DiPietro made an immediate impact on the baseball field. As a freshman in 1999, he stepped to the plate in the second round of the CIAC Class L state tournament and homered on the first pitch he saw. That also happened to be his very first varsity at-bat.

The Redcoats went on to claim the Class L crown, and DiPietro was on his way to legend status.

“My baseball roots are right here in Berlin,” DiPietro said. “We took pride in the success in town, Little League on up. And that 1999 state title team continued that tradition.”

While DiPietro was a fine hitter and centerfielder, he is best known for his work on the mound. The lefty set BHS’s seven-inning  strikeout record (17), was 7-0 with a .085 ERA with two one-hitters as a junior and went 6-2 with a .050 ERA and 94 strikeouts as a senior.

DiPietro was an All-State and all-conference performer, and was selected MVP of the 2002 Senior All-Star game held at Fenway Park. Also in 2002, he led Berlin to the American Legion state championship, and was named tournament MVP.

DiPietro was selected by the the New York Mets in the 42nd round of the 2002 MLB draft, but he opted for college.

DiPietro would attend Eastern Connecticut State University, where he compiled a career record of 29-3 and, in 2004, helped propel ECSU to the national title game.

A NCAA Division III All-American and Pitcher of the Year selection, DiPietro set ECSU records for strikeouts in a game (19), strikeouts in a season (162) and consecutive victories (19). He ranks second in career strikeouts (336) and starts in a season (15).

DiPietro was the sixth-round selection of the Kansas City Royals in 2005 and would play minor and independent league ball for seven years.

DiPietro now works as an environmental inspector. He lives in Wallingford with his wife Rachel, sons Chase and Cal and daughter Hailey.

Also entering the Hall of Fame this year are Katelyn Zarotney (Class of 2010, basketball and volleyball), Max DeLorenzo (Class of 2010, football and basketball) and Cliff Landry (football and basketball coach 1954-61.)

The ceremony for the Hall of Fame Class of 2020 was called off due to the coronavirus, so it will be inducted along with the Class of 2021. The Class of 2020 includes Steve Baccaro (Class of 1947), Phil Perretta (Class of 1961), John Steurer (Class of 1980), Cynthia Gozzo Dastoli (Class of 1990), Robert Manzo (Class of 1990), Allison Murphy Semenuk (Class of 2002), Matt Carasiti (Class of 2009), and the 1999 and 2000 state championship wrestling teams.

On September 23, 1930, the Washington Senators stepped off the train at Union Station in Hartford, Connecticut. The club was on their way to Boston for a four game series, but not before making a stop in the Charter Oak City. Washington was led by Hall of Fame pitching ace, and player-manager, Walter Johnson. The club rested up at Hotel Garde that Tuesday morning before their afternoon game at Bulkeley Stadium.

Opposing Washington was a team comprised of Eastern League All-Stars. The minor league team organized by Billy Gleason, a veteran second basemen from Springfield. Gleason invited his teammate Bill “Whitey” Dreesen, the Eastern League leader in hits. Other players in the Eastern League lineup included Hartford’s corner outfielder John “Bunny” Roser and a Hartford Twilight League pitcher named Fred “Cy” Waterman.

Local sporting goods store owner and founder of the Hartford Twilight League, Harry N. Anderson was responsible for scheduling the game. Anderson made arrangements with Washington’s owner Clark Griffith. Prices were 75 cents for grandstand seating, 50 cents for bleachers and 25 cents for children. Ticket proceeds were donated to the Hartford Chapter of Disabled American Veterans. Famous showmen Al Schacht and Nick Altrock performed hilarious comedy routines between innings.

However, well-known names and newspaper publicity only brought 800 fans to the stadium. Tuesday afternoon was not a convenient time for fans, and there were economic reasons for the low attendance. Hartford, like most places in America at that time, were still in the grips of the Great Depression.

Longtime Hartford umpires, Walter Elliot and John “Boggy” Muldoon worked the exhibition game at Bulkeley Stadium. First pitch was set for 4:15 PM. In the heart of the batting order for Washington was right fielder Sam Rice, left fielder Heinie Manush and shortstop Joe Cronin (all of which later inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame). Washington was one of the most revered hitting teams in all of baseball.

Unexpectedly, it was the minor leaguers who took an early lead. Bill Dreesen connected for a grand slam in the fourth inning. The game only lasted eight innings to allow the Senators to catch a train to Boston. Neil Dougherty and Billy Gleason each had two knocks on the day. The Eastern Leaguers won the game (9-8) thanks to a run scoring single by Jonathan “Mandy” Brooks.

The outcome would have been different if Walter Johnson pitched in the game. For whatever reason, Johnson decided not to throw. Perhaps he was focused on Washington’s remaining American League schedule. By the end of September, the Washington Senators had finished second in the American League with 94 wins and 60 losses, eight games behind the Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack’s World Series Champions.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com.
2. Connecticut Historical Society on CHS.org/research

Charles F. Daniels was born in Colchester, Connecticut, on March 13, 1849. He moved to Hartford as a young adult and became a pitcher for the Hartford Amateurs, a club comprised of the city’s best talent. However, the 25 year old Daniels discovered his place to be behind the plate. He began his umpiring career in Hartford officiating minor league, college and amateur games. His professional umpiring debut was September 7, 1874, in a National Association matchup between the Hartford and Brooklyn clubs.

Daniels was reported in the newspaper as “Umpire Daniels of Hartford Amateurs.” He would go on to serve 13 seasons as a highly regarded figure in the National Association (1874-1875), the National League (1876, 1878-1880, 1887-1888), and the American Association (1883-1885, 1889). In the early days of professional baseball, Daniels was a top rated umpire. He was popular with most players and fans. He presided over multiple historically significant games. He called two no-hitters; the first in major league history, and the other a perfect game. In 1875, Daniels officially umpired 22 games, all but one as the lone arbiter on the field.

Around midseason, Daniels had a personal dispute with bar owner Matthew M. Coughlin. He once used to work as a barkeeper at Coughlin’s bar on Front Street and rumors spread about Daniels having an affair with Coughlin’s wife. After returning from umpiring a game in New York, Daniels was threatened and chased around downtown Hartford by an enraged Coughlin. In response, Daniels drew a weapon and fired three times in Coughlin’s direction but missed. Daniels was charged for assault with intent to kill but later proven innocent on the grounds of self-defense.

When the American Association dissolved in 1876, Daniels latched onto the newly formed National League. That season he called 45 games. Daniels supervised the first no-hitter recognized by Major League Baseball: George Bradley of St. Louis Brown Stockings blanked the Hartford Dark Blues, 2-0 on July 15, 1876. Because he adjudicated so many important big league games as compared to his peers, Daniels became a trusted judge of the game. He earned a reputation as a pioneer of the umpiring craft and his services were in demand.

Daniels was the first umpire to run from home plate to another base to get a better angle on close call. He revolutionized the role of umpire by setting new norms. He was one of the first umpires to wear protective equipment such as shin guards. His expertise was known throughout baseball circles and by the end of 1876, Daniels was summoned to preside over a championship series between Chicago and St. Louis. A special train was sent to collect Daniels and deliver him to St. Louis where he earned $400 with travel expenses paid. Daniels did not appear as umpire on the major league level in 1877.

He returned in 1878 for 9 games and another 46 games in 1879. He called 28 games in 1880, including the second perfect game in major league history by John Montgomery Ward. During the 1883 season game totals increased significantly with the American Association, earning $10 per game. Daniels umpired 91 games in 1884 and stayed with the American Association until 1885. While in the midst of a famous umpiring career, Daniels opted for a change of roles. In 1886 and 1887, he became manager of the Hartford Base Ball Club in the Eastern League. During this time, Daniels was credited with scouting a young catcher named Connie Mack but later sold him to Washington.

After an unsuccessful pursuit as Hartford manager, Daniels resumed umpiring in 1888 and compiled a career high of 110 games. During his final season as a professional umpire in 1889, he officiated 19 contests for the American Association. His career totals were 504 games over 13 seasons. Without official baseball duties, Daniels seemed to lose hope. He suffered from a serious case of alcoholism and in 1890, Daniels checked into the Hartford Retreat and made a recovery. In 1897, Daniels made a comeback as Hartford’s alternate umpire in the Atlantic League.

At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Daniels was living in a rented home on Parham Road in Colchester with his brother Robert. His occupation was noted as a farmer. Then he moved in with his brother Eugene on a farm in Colchester off of New London-Hartford Road. On March 21, 1932, Daniels was found lying unconscious in a ditch where he had apparently fallen during a snowstorm. A head wound and exposure to the elements resulted in his death two days later. Umpire Charlie Daniels died at Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, at the age of 83.

“Don’t spring a book of rules on me and expose your ignorance. You know you can’t read.”

Umpire Charlie Daniels to Kid Gleason in 1894.

Sources
1. Hartford Courant Database accessed on Newspapers.com
2. Baseball-Reference.com

Minor Leagues

• Eastern League (1916-1932)
• Northeastern League (1934)

Championship Seasons

• 1923 & 1931

Hartford Senators in the National Baseball Hall of Fame

• Jesse Burkett, Player-manager (1916)
• Lou Gehrig, First Baseman (1921, 1923-1924)
• Leo Durocher, Shortstop (1925)
• Hank Greenberg, First Baseman (1930)

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The Hartford Senators remain Connecticut’s most enduring sports franchise of all-time. For more than three decades (1902-1934) the Senators were Hartford’s headliner club. The minor league team became an elite training ground for the Major Leagues. Baseball legends like Lou Gehrig, Jim Thorpe, Leo Durocher and Hank Greenberg honed their skills in Hartford. The following chronology recounts the Senators franchise during their later years (1916-1934).

By the 1916 season James H. Clarkin had owned the Hartford Senators for more than a decade. That year, Clarkin’s club became a member of the Eastern League, a new Class-B circuit. Former Boston Red Sox champion and 15-year veteran, Heine Wagner signed as Hartford’s nascent player-manager. The Senators recruited Paddy O’Connor, a catcher with big league experience. George Brickley, a Trinity College alumnus and head coach at Hartford Public High School, patrolled the outfield.

A dismal first half of the 1916 season led to the release of Heine Wagner and a veteran gaffer, Jesse Burkett was appointed player-manager in his place. One day at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds, the Hartford club was visited by soon-to-be Commissioner of Baseball, Judge Kenesaw Landis, famous for settling a lawsuit between the outlaw Federal League and Major League Baseball. Also on hand for the occasion was former Hartford manager Dan O’Neil, who had been appointed President of the Eastern League. The Senators finished the season in last place with a 38-79 record.

In 1917, the Senators were managed by Boston native Louis Pieper who oversaw one of Hartford’s worst seasons. His pitching staff included Dave Keefe, a journeyman later picked by Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics, as well as workhorses Ralph Head and Fred Trautman. Their catcher, Bill Skaff appeared in his second season in Hartford. The team’s top hitters were shortstop, Roy Grimes and an Amherst College graduate named Eddie Goodridge from Bristol, Connecticut. Despite strong fan support, the club suffered a .359 winning percentage.

The following year, another forgettable Eastern League season awaited Hartford. Owner Clarkin’s squad was headed by captain and player-manager, Gus Gardella. The club relied on pitchers Orlie Weaver, Andy Meyerjack and Glenn Cook. Their catcher Joe Briger hit .308 on the year. However, the 1917 season was cut short when the United States entered World War I. Every man in the nation was ordered to work or fight and as a result, the Eastern League disbanded in mid-July of 1918.

The Eastern League returned in 1919. The circuit was upgraded to Class-A status, a step below the Major Leagues. Two-time World Series champion, Danny Murphy became Hartford’s manager. However, a month into the season, James Clarkin abruptly fired Murphy and appointed shortstop Roy Grimes as player-manager. Frank Brazill, a corner infielder led batters with a .360 average in 225 at bats. Local star Eddie Goodridge returned to man first base after serving in the military. Though, the Senators struggled to keep opponents off the base paths, and the club landed in last place.

Reacting to another bungled season, James Clarkin turned the club upside down. With the exception of Ralph Head and Willie Adams, the entire 1920 Senators roster consisted of new players. Dan Howley was hired as manager and emergency catcher. Fred Bailey, a 24 year old outfielder and former Boston Braves prospect hit .303. George “Kewpie” Pennington had a 2.54 earned run average and won 16 of Hartford’s 70 wins. The club rose to fourth place, finishing only eight games behind first place New Haven.

In 1921, owner Clarkin replaced the Wethersfield Avenue Grounds with a new venue. It was an elite venue of the minor leagues; with a grandstand made of steel and concrete, clubhouses and modern amenities. After fifteen years as owner, Clarkin doubled-down on his investment, even though winning was in short supply. The new facility became known as Clarkin Stadium (or Clarkin Field). Along with Providence, Hartford was the most coveted franchise in the Eastern League because of its central location and passionate fanbase. However, the stadium would not be ready for Opening Day and the Senators played their first two weeks on the road.

Clarkin Stadium produced a higher level of baseball in Hartford. Legendary old-timer and 1884 World Series winner, Arthur Irwin accepted managerial duties and changed the franchise forever. Irwin scouted a 17 year old first baseman from Columbia University named Lou Gehrig. As a rookie phenom, Gehrig played a dozen games for the Senators in 1921. He assumed two different names, “Lefty Gehrig” and “Lou Lewis” presumably in an attempt to retain amateur status on his return to college. Gehrig would return Hartford but unfortunately the man who lured him to Connecticut would meet an untimely demise.

On July 16, 1921, Hartford’s ailing manager, Arthur Irwin, jumped from the steamship Calvin Austin on a voyage from New York to Boston and perished. Former Hartford manager Thomas Dowd of the near-championship 1908 club was Irwin’s replacement. Dowd’s recurring role only lasted a month, and the team’s veteran catcher and 3-time World Series champion, Chester “Pinch” Thomas was appointed player-manager by August. One of the top performing Senators of 1921 was outfielder Hinkey Haines, who played a minor role on the New York Yankees during their 1923 World Series championship run.

Connie Mack came to Hartford on a scouting trip near the end of the 1921 season and purchased Heinie Scheer. Mack and the Philadelphia Athletics offered Clarkin $5,000 for Scheer, a sure-handed, fleet of foot infielder. Scheer refused to go to Philadelphia unless Clarkin gave him a percentage of his transfer fee. Following a fifth place finish, owner Clarkin spoke to reporters and declared his frustration with major league clubs who poached his players.

In 1922, owner Clarkin signed world-famous Native American olympian, Jim Thorpe. In his brief time with the Senators, Thorpe crushed Eastern League pitching. His stint in Hartford would only last about six weeks. Upon being traded to Worcester, Thorpe criticized Clarkin’s methods, saying that he was pressured by Clarkin to more hit home runs. A few days after being traded, Thorpe led Worcester to two wins in a doubleheader over Hartford.

At the helm of the Senators during the Thorpe fiasco was a 35 year old player-manager, Jack Coffey. The club’s left fielder was Leo “Brick” Kane who achieved a third consecutive Eastern League season with 100 hits. Hartford had a rookie right fielder, Sy Rosenthal, who went on to play for 13 years in organized baseball. At third base was Ted Hauk, a fixture in Hartford’s lineup. The Senators of 1922 failed more often than they succeeded (73-76) and sunk to sixth in the standings.

Hartford’s lone constant, their owner James Clarkin hired a new manager in 1923. Paddy O’Connor, a former Senators catcher and a trusted baseball mind was paid a salary exceeding all other Eastern League managers. The club also welcomed back Lou Gehrig from Columbia University for 59 games. The budding star was 19 years old when he swatted a league record 24 home runs. Gehrig was a one man wrecking crew who led Hartford to the 1923 pennant. The Senators copped their first Eastern League title with a .640 winning percentage.

As champions, the Senators entered the 1924 season teeming with confidence. Lou Gehrig’s game continued to mature as he tore up the Eastern League with 37 homers in 504 at bats and a .369 batting average. Gehrig’s prolific days in Hartford ended when the New York Yankees called him up and went 6 for 12 in 10 games. Another standout Senator was second baseman Henry “Smudge” Demoe who smacked 184 hits, fifth most in 1924. Hartford ended the season in third place, just four games back from the pennant winners, the Waterbury Brasscos.

The next season brought another star player to Hartford. Leo Durocher attended his first tryout with the Senators in April of 1925. Manager Paddy O’Connor was impressed with Durocher’s defensive talent and quickness at shortstop. As a rookie, Durocher batted only .220, but he compiled a .933 fielding percentage. On August 16, 1925, “Leo the Lip” was purchased by the New York Yankees for $12,000. Durocher had played 151 games in Hartford before reporting to the Yankees.

Meanwhile, Hartford’s Tom Comiskey and Harry Hesse finished among Eastern League leaders in hits. Lem Owen and Earl Johnson were reliable starting arms for the Senators. The heart and soul of the team was their catcher, Eddie Kenna who played 144 games. Marty Shay was their second baseman and leadoff man. Henri Rondeau, a journeyman outfielder born in Danielson, Connecticut, batted .306. Hartford nearly captured the 1925 title, though the Waterbury Brasscos outperformed them by a game and a half.

In 1926, Clarkin hired former Hartford catcher Si McDonald to direct the club. Their relationship turned sour quickly and McDonald was fired in late May. Second baseman Gene Sheriden was appointed manager. The Senators finished towards the bottom of the standings but had bright spots on the season. Adolph Schinkle, a pitcher converted into an outfielder, led the Eastern League in doubles and slapped 195 hits. George Brown and John Miller were the club’s top pitchers who ranked among league leaders in earned run average.

An accidental fire torched the Clarkin Stadium grandstand in the off-season of 1927, so the Senators played home games at Trinity College and in Manchester while repairs were made. When the new grandstand was constructed, President of the Eastern League, Herman Weisman rewarded James Clarkin, for his diligent efforts, with a gold stickpin and cufflinks encrusted with diamonds. Looking on was Hartford’s new manager, a longtime big leaguer, Kitty Bransfield. First baseman Jim Keesey proved to be a prospect, pacing the Eastern League with 204 hits on the season, while Adolph Schinkle had 203 hits.

During the 1927 season, Kiddo Davis was stationed in Hartford’s outfield. He batted .349 and went on to become a World Series champion in 1933 with the New York Giants. Jo-Jo Morrissey was also a cog in the outfield, playing his second season with the Senators. An infielder from Cuba named Eusebio González played 25 games and was Hartford’s first player of color since Jim Thorpe. Clarence “Lefty” Thomas was the club’s top performing pitcher, but the rest of the pitching staff struggled mightily, and the Senators ended up in sixth place.

In the winter of 1928, James Clarkin decided to retire from baseball. During his 25 years as proprietor, he led Hartford to three pennants. Clarkin was a stern, no-nonsense businessman who had drawn the ire of some players and fans. However, according to his former manager, Jack Coffey, he had “many endearing qualities hidden from those who did not know him intimately.” When new ownership took over, Clarkin Stadium was renamed Bulkeley Stadium in honor of Morgan G. Bulkeley, a prominent Hartford figure, the first President of the National League, and a former U.S. Senator and Governor of Connecticut, who had passed away in 1922.

Hartford’s new ownership was spearheaded by Robert J. Farrell, a real estate developer. The purchase price for the franchise and the stadium property was reported to be $200,000. Farrell created a private stock company made up of investors and they expanded the grandstand at Bulkeley Stadium. John A. Danaher was hired to be the club’s secretary to handle administrative duties. The buyout reinforced the common opinion of the day – that Hartford was a celebrated baseball city. In preparation for the 1928 season, the Hartford Senators reintroduced the fan favorite, Paddy O’Connor as manager.

During the 1928 campaign, John “Bunny” Roser was Hartford’s newest and most valuable slugger. He earned the league home run title with 27 round-trippers. At second base, Scott Slayback demonstrated a capable bat with 10 homers. A southpaw pitcher named Russ Van Atta threw for a marvelous 2.49 earned run average before being called up by the New York Yankees. Carl Schmehl and Tom Comiskey played their final seasons in Hartford, and the club placed third in the 1928 Eastern League.

Going into the 1929 season, the Senators made a splash in the press when they signed a 2-time World Series champion, Heinie Groh as player-manager. The club then resigned their former second baseman of 1921, Heinie Scheer. Corner outfielder John Roser hit another 25 home runs while his counterpart Bill Hohman mashed 24 long balls. Utility man Skee Watson had a brilliant year at the plate, hitting for a .324 average in 593 at bats. Mike Martineck batted .337 and replaced Groh as player-manager in late August.

The Senators would struggle to pitch effectively throughout the year. Their best hurler was 5’8″ Dan Woodman who threw 236 innings with a 3.74 earned run average and a 13-14 win-loss record. Local amateur pitchers, Sam Hyman and Johnny Michaels received professional contracts, making several key appearances on the mound. Their starting catcher, Joe Smith had a solid defensive and offensive season. However, adequate individual performances did not translate into a successful 1929 campaign, and Hartford ended the year in last place.

On May 23, 1930, fans witnessed an exhibition between the Senators and Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics at Bulkeley Stadium. Because of an illness Mack was not present, but Commissioner Landis attended as a guest of Mayor Walter Batterson. That same season, rookie first baseman and future Hall of Fame inductee Hank Greenberg played 17 games for the Senators. Baseball was a welcome spectacle during tough economic times of the Great Depression, though Hartford’s season would be cut short. The club folded on June 30, 1930, due to financial insolvency. New Haven, Pittsfield and Providence also halted operations, reducing the Eastern League to four clubs.

By spring of 1931, the Eastern League returned with eight clubs, including Hartford with new ownership. Bob Farrell sold the Senators to the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. Dodgers business manager, Dave Driscoll became president of the Hartford affiliate from his office in Brooklyn. Driscoll sent Earl Mann to run operations as business manager of the Senators. 27 year old Charles Moore was chosen as manager and backup catcher. Paul Richards was the starting catcher, team leader in home runs and later became a known as a genius inventor (patented the “Iron Mike” pitching machine). Hartford’s best overall hitter was Red Howell, who finished fourth in the league in batting average.

Hartford dominated the Eastern League in 1931, winning 97 of 137 games. They captured the pennant on the backs of superior pitching and eleven players who had big league experience. The Senators received seven Eastern League All-Star selections: Bob Parham, Bobby Reis, Paul Richards, Van Mungo, Earl Mattingly Jr. and Phil Gallivan. Most distinguished among them was Van Mungo who later earned five National League All-Star selections. Johnny Mann and Al Cohen were also major contributors to the team’s championship run. The 1931 Hartford Senators are recognized as one of the 100 greatest minor league teams of all time.

Hartford’s 1932 season began with an unfurling of the Eastern League pennant at Bulkeley Stadium. Business manager Earl Mann did the honors and posed for the cameras. Charles Moore was rehired as field manager, yet when the Dodgers requested that he coach their Jersey City affiliate, Moore obliged. The Senators named shortstop Bill Marlotte player-manager even though first baseman and captain Norman Sitts was presumed to take the role. Before the managerial move, the Senators were four games back from first place. After Moore left, Hartford sank to the bottom of the standings.

Notable Hartford Senators of 1932 include: Red Howell who batted .349, Bruce Caldwell, a Yale University graduate, Jim Henry, a rookie pitcher and Byron Topol, a little-known third baseman. Veteran players Johnny Mann, Eddie Kenna and Pinky Pittenger played their last seasons in Hartford. Yet waning interest and continued economic woes hampered ticket revenues. Club owners met in New York City and voted to fold the league. On July 18, 1932, the Hartford Courant reported the demise of the Eastern League due to poor attendance.

There would be no minor league baseball in Hartford during the year of 1933. Instead, a local jeweler named Bill Savitt rented Bulkeley Stadium and staged his semi-professional Savitt Gems against professional and independent clubs. Not until 1934 did the Senators restart operations in the newly formed Northeastern League. Johnny Roser settled in again as the club’s power-hitter. A 38 year old first baseman named Snake Henry had a brilliant year at the plate. Hartford had talent, but they lacked consistency. Three different managers attempted to steer the team, who finished in fourth place.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
2. SABR Bio Project – Danny Murphy
3. SABR Bio Project – Lou Gehrig
4. Statscrew.com

The Morhardt’s have been a staple of Connecticut baseball for more than sixty years. Professional baseball has become a genetic trend for the Morhardt’s. Three generations have ascended from the amateur ranks to the professional level. The patriarch of the Winsted-based family, Moe, is the father of Darryl, Greg, and Kyle and grandfather of current GHTBL player, Justin Morhardt. From the Twilight League to the big leagues, men of the Morhardt family have significant baseball credentials.

Meredith “Moe” Morhardt

Meredith “Moe” Goodwin Morhardt was born on January 16, 1937, in Manchester, Connecticut. He excelled in three sports at Manchester High School: baseball, basketball and soccer. On the diamond, he was a five-tool player who hit and threw lefty. Moe Morhardt first attracted the attention of major league scouts in high school, where he was a teammate of GHTBL legend, Gene Johnson. As a center fielder, Moe batted a combined .452 in his junior and senior seasons.

Moe was a 6’1″ multi-sport athlete. He attended the University of Connecticut where he excelled as an All-American in baseball and soccer. He helped the Huskies win two NCAA District titles. He was appointed UConn co-captain, batted .365 and was considered the finest collegiate prospect in New England. During the summer months, Moe played for St. Cyril’s baseball club in the Hartford Twilight League. After four GHTBL seasons and three years at UConn, Moe signed with the Chicago Cubs in 1959 as a free agent.

Twelve major league clubs scouted Moe Morhardt but Cubs chief scout, Lennie Merullo was first in line. Moe accepted the Cubs offert that came with a $50,000 signing bonus. The newest Cubs prospect was assigned to Fort Worth, Texas, and would find himself at three different minor league levels that year including the Class D Paris Lakers in Paris, Illinois. In 1960, he was first baseman for the Class A Lancaster Red Roses of the Eastern League and then assigned to the Class B Wenatchee Chiefs in 1961.

Moe was called up to Chicago and made his major league debut on September 7, 1961. He appeared in 7 games for Cubs, hit for a .278 batting average and was the first Manchester native in 40 years to reach the major leagues. The following year he played 18 games as a pinch-hitter. His final MLB bat ended in a swinging strikeout against Sandy Koufax of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Moe was sent down to the minors and split the season between Wenatchee, Washington and Class AA San Antonio, Texas. He spent 1963 and 1964 in the Cubs farm system and retired from professional baseball soon thereafter.

In the summer of 1965, Moe rejoined the Hartford Twilight League. As a standout for the Moriarty Brothers franchise and he immediately won a league title. After his playing career, Moe became head baseball coach at The Gilbert School in Winsted, Connecticut, from 1967 to 1987, and also served as athletic director. He recorded 299 wins, 134 losses, 8 league titles and 4 Class M state championships at Gilbert. He was elected to the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame in 1980.

In 1988, Moe took a job coaching University of Hartford where he would teach baseball for seven seasons; serving as an assistant from 1988 to 1992 and as head coach from 1993 to 1994. From 1997 to 1999, he was head coach of the Western Connecticut State University baseball team. Moe was also head coach of the Danbury Westerners of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, coaching the team from 1998 to 2004.

Moe had three sons, Darryl, Greg and Kyle who were raised in Winsted. Most recently, a semi-retired Moe and his son Darryl established a summer youth team, the Torrington Copperheads who compete in the Pete Kokinis Baseball League (formerly Jaycee-Courant League). Moe also continues to support his grandson, Justin Morhardt of the People’s United Bank franchise by attending at twilight league games.

“You should value every at bat. The biggest regret a hitter should have is that he gave away an at bat.”

Moe Morhardt

“Moe Morhardt was a wonderful as a hitting coach. He kept it very simple. He’s just a great baseball mind in so many different ways. Every time I hear ‘Moe Morhardt,’ I smile.”

Jeff Bagwell, former University of Hartford player and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee.

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Darryl H. Morhardt

Darryl Morhardt was born on October 23, 1962, as the oldest of his siblings. In 1980 he graduated from The Gilbert School where he was a catcher and a utility man. He was also a top basketball player for Manchester Community College in 1982. Darryl went on to play college baseball at Coastal Carolina University for three years. Then he signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves to begin a short professional career.

After suffering a shattered wrist on a fastball from reliever John Wetteland, Darryl Morhardt returned home to coach. He was an assistant coach at the University of Hartford (1991-1995), Gateway Junior College, Western Connecticut State College, Marietta College and George Washington University. In his time at Marietta, Darryl aided legendary coach Don Schaly in achieving five Ohio Athletic Conference titles and three Division III World Series appearances.

Darryl eventually went on to work for the Baltimore Orioles organization as scout. During the summer months he was also a pitching coach in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for the Torrington Twisters. He then served as head coach of NECBL’s Holyoke Blue Sox (2008-2012). In 2016, he was tapped as pitching coach for the Newport Gulls. When he found time, Darryl played on teams in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League, Tri-State League and the Waterbury Twi-Met League.

Darryl Morhardt is an unsung hero of amateur baseball. For a span of about 40 years, he competed in summer leagues throughout Connecticut and nationally. He played his first GHTBL season for Middletown’s Bordiere Travel team in 1982. He returned to the twi-loop in 1991 to join the Society for Savings team led by Manager Tom Abbruzzese. At catcher, pitcher and first base, Darryl suited up for Abbruzzese’s bankers franchise until 2007 and captured a total of five leagues titles with People’s United Bank.

In 2013, Darryl Morhardt became head baseball coach at Housatonic High School. He has also coached several AAU teams, including his current club, the Torrington Copperheads. Recently, he won a Men’s Senior Baseball League 50-over national championship as a member of the Salty Dogs, a Rhode Island-based team. In a 55-over MSBL national championship against a team form Florida, Darryl played against Dante Bichette and Mark Whiten. Darryl continues to play amateur ball on a 38-over team in the Northeast Baseball Association; a league Darryl has won four straight years.

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Gregory R. Morhardt

Greg Morhardt was born on October 25, 1963. He learned to play baseball from his father Moe and alongside his two brothers, Darryl and Kyle. Greg was a star athlete at The Gilbert School in multiple sports. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 14th round of the 1981 MLB June Amateur Draft but instead decided to attend college at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. In his junior season he batted .346 with 17 homers and 57 RBIs and was picked by the Minnesota Twins in the 2nd round of the 1984 MLB June Amateur Draft. 

Greg Morhardt’s professional career began in Orlando, Florida, as first baseman for the 1984 Orlando Twins (Class AA Southern League). By 1986, he was called up to the Toledo Mud Hens, the Twins AAA affiliate. He ended the season with a career best .263 batting average, 13 home runs and 70 RBI. Greg was well-traveled during the 1987 season as a member of the Portland Beavers in Oregon and the Orlando Twins. After a tough year at the plate, he was released by the Twins, but the Detroit Tigers picked him up. Following his stint with the Tigers Greg returned home to Connecticut.

In twilight of his playing career, Greg Morhardt was a star in the GHTBL. He played for Tom Abbruzzese’s Society for Savings franchise from 1992 to 1996. Then he continued his career in baseball as an area scout for the Los Angeles Angels. Most notably, Greg scouted Mike Trout at 16 years old and insisted the Angels take Trout in the 2009 MLB Draft. Greg had been a minor league teammate of Mike Trout’s father Jeff Trout. In 2010, Greg earned a lifetime achievement in athletics award from The Gilbert School. He now works for the Boston Red Sox as a professional scout and resides in Winsted, Connecticut.

“He had speed and strength. It was a perfect storm of athleticism.”

Greg Morhardt, on scouting Mike Trout.

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Justin J. Morhardt

Justin Morhardt was born on March 3, 1994. Like his father, uncle and grandfather, Justin attended The Gilbert School and was a highly scouted baseball player. Then he became a veritable slugger at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee. During college, he overcame a serious health concern called Graves Disease causing thyroid problems. In his return to Bryan as a junior he was selected as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) All-American. That year, Justin helped the Lions to a 35-16 overall record and 17-10 record in Appalachian Athletic Conference play, earning Bryan their first-ever at-large NAIA National Tournament bid.

A week after being named a NAIA All-American, Justin was drafted by Braves in the 22^nd round in the 2017 MLB Draft. At rookie ball with the Braves in the Gulf Coast League, he appeared in 26 games at catcher. A series of concussions led him to call it quits on his professional career. Nowadays, Justin continues to play as an amatuer in the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League. He is a key two-way player for People’s United Bank. In his day job, he works as Staff Accountant at King, King & Associates CPA in Winsted.

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Mike Morhardt

Mike Morhardt is the uncle of Justin and a first cousin to Darryl and Greg. He was a gifted baseball and basketball player from Stafford, Connecticut, and contributed to the Morhardt sports legacy. Mike attended the University of Hartford and pitched under his uncle, Moe Morhardt. In 1994, Mike pitched for GHTBL’s East Hartford Jets. After finishing his career in 1994, he became a pitching coach at the University of Hartford. He coached baseball and girl’s basketball at Windsor Locks High School and then basketball at Stafford High School in 2009. Miket has since returned to Windsor Locks as the baseball coach and physical education teacher.

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com
2. Baseball-Reference.com

A Colt Park field now holds the name of Hartford baseball legend Johnny “Schoolboy” Taylor, the first Black professional athlete to come out of the city.

The Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League, Hartford Public Schools and members of the community gathered to honor Taylor’s legacy and dedicate the newly renovated Field #9 to him before its inaugural game — Bulkeley High School against Rocky Hill. A fitting first match, since Taylor started his baseball career as a senior at Bulkeley.

“The icing in on the cake will be for Hartford youth to embrace the American game of baseball and move Johnny ‘Schoolboy’ Taylor’s legacy far into the future,” said Lynne Taylor-Grande, Johnny’s daughter.

“This is absolutely like being in Walt Disney World.”

Lynette Taylor-Grand, Johnny Taylor’s Daughter

The high school baseball teams shared the excitement, as they returned to the field after a pandemic, wearing ceremonial jerseys with Taylor’s picture on them.

“Enjoy the moment. Make Johnny proud,” said Alex Mercado, Hartford head coach. “Focus on the moment.”

Negro Leagues star Johnny ‘Schoolboy’ Taylor may be Hartford’s greatest baseball player; with enough signatures, a city ballfield may be named for him »

Despite the racial discrimination that kept him out of the major leagues, Taylor made a name for himself with his high leg kick and legendary fastball. He is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players to come out of Connecticut.

Taylor played for the Negro League from 1935 to 1945. He pitched eight career no-hitters and was a standout player in leagues in New York, Cuba and Mexico. Though he retired from the game before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, it was players like Taylor who left the United States to play in other countries that helped pressure Major League Baseball and the American League to integrate.

Taylor couldn’t stay away for long. He returned two years after his retirement to become the first Black athlete to sign with the Hartford Chiefs of the Eastern League for his final season in 1949, keeping the nickname he earned in Cuba — “El Rey de Hartford” (or the King of Hartford).

“He’s probably the most worthy figure in Hartford’s baseball history,” GHTBL secretary Weston Ulbrich told the Courant when he started the effort to name the field after Taylor in 2019.

Johnny Taylor was born in Hartford in 1916 and raised in the South End, where he played pickup games at Colt Park as a kid. He ran track at Bulkeley High School before joining the baseball team his senior year. More on the life and legacy of Johnny “Schoolboy” Taylor »

Beyond baseball, he worked at Pratt & Whitney and in construction with his father. Taylor helped build Hartford Hospital. His wife Estelle, who was the first Black nurse at New Britain General Hospital, later became one of the first Black nurses at Hartford Hospital, too.

Johnny enjoyed taking his four children to the Hartford Public Library Campfield Avenue branch to exchange books. Estelle loved bringing the kids shopping at local department stores and to the Wadsworth Atheneum.

In 1982, Taylor was inducted into the Twilight League Hall of Fame. He died in 1987 at the age of 71. Taylor was posthumously inducted into the Bulkeley High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.

This article was written by Sabrina Herrera who can be reached at sherrera@courant.com. Sabrina is a visual journalist. She joined the Hartford Courant in 2018, after working as a video editor in broadcast news at NBC Connecticut. She studied journalism and French language at UConn. She grew up in Greenwich and now calls the Hartford area home. Sabrina is passionate about the arts, education, language, and people.

In Hartford’s newly refurbished Colt Park, the Bulkeley High School Varsity baseball team will take on New Britain High School at Johnny Taylor Field, 3:45 PM on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. The matchup will mark the inaugural game at the field. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place 30 minutes before the first pitch.

The schedule of events will be:
3:15 – Welcome
3:25 – City Councilman John Gale
3:35 – Superintendent of Schools/Diane Callis Bulkeley High School Athletic Director
3:45 – Cut the ribbon – scoreboard revealed
3:50 – Lynette Taylor Grande, Bobby Grande & Taylor family
4:00 – Let the game begin!

RSVP to the event of Facebook. Click here.

In attendance will be members of the Taylor family who still reside in the Greater Hartford area. Local officials, park advocates and members of the press are also expected.

Complete with real grass, a well-manicured Igor of, custom scoreboard, bullpens and dugouts, Johnny Taylor Field is a major improvement for baseball at Colt Park. For more than three decades, the enclosed “Field #9” was in disrepair and unplayable more often than not.

The field is named after Johnny Taylor, perhaps Hartford’s greatest pitcher of all-time. In the 1930’s, Taylor was a graduate of Bulkeley High School and a local star in the Hartford Twilight League. The New York Yankees scouted Taylor, but due to racial discrimination they declined to sign him.

Taylor went on to play for the New York Cubans of the Negro National League. In the 1937 all-star game at the Polo Grounds, Taylor pitched a no-hitter to defeat baseball great, Satchel Paige.

After a long career in various professional leagues, Taylor returned to Hartford. He was signed to pitch by the Hartford Chiefs of the Eastern League, the Boston Braves minor league affiliate.

Taylor was Hartford’s first professional black athlete. His legacy of perseverance and athletic dominance still resonates today. Taylor’s story now has a permanent place in Colt Park and in Connecticut’s capital city.

The Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League is pleased to have led the effort to commemorate Johnny Taylor. The league partnered with the Friends of Colt Park (now Colt Park Foundation) and local activists to collect signatures to petition for the renaming. The initiative gained full support from the City Council and Mayor Luke Bronin.

The renovation project at Johnny Taylor Field was finished earlier this year. Hartford schools, American Legion and twilight league clubs intend to use the diamond this summer. Two GHTBL teams, Hartford Colts and People’s United Bank, expect to schedule several home dates at Colt Park.

The return to Colt Park is significant for the GHTBL because our summer league was established on the premises in 1929. For about 40 years, the park and its many diamonds served the Greater Hartford area as a veritable baseball playground for youth and adults. During the 1950’s and 1960’s Dillon Stadium, on the easternmost parcel of Colt Park was used for baseball games by various leagues including the twilight league.

As the league returns to Colt Park, we pledge to be good stewards and donors of the park. In 2020, GHTBL raised $2,000 for Johnny Taylor Field in charity games held up the road at Dunkin’ Donuts Park. The donation will be used to improve and maintain the diamond.

In 1977, former star catcher at Bulkeley High School and Eastern Connecticut State University, Ron Pizzanello, signed a professional baseball contract. He did so with the Colombo Nettuno team of the Italian Baseball League (now known as Serie A1). At the time of his signing, Pizzanello played for the Vernon Orioles of the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League managed by Frank McCoy. After playing in Italy, he returned to the Vernon Orioles franchise as the team’s backstop.

After a battle with diabetes that claimed both of his lower legs, Pizzanello has persevered. He was a successful American Legion baseball for South Windsor in the 1990’s and 2000’s. In 2018, Pizzanello came back to the GHTBL as manager of the South Windsor Phillies franchise. Also supporting the team with Pizzanello is Reading Phillies Hall of Fame inductee, Gary Burnham Jr who serves as the team’s General Manager. The team’s sponsor is Tony Desmond of Allstate Insurance – South Windsor.

GHTBL Career

• West Hartford Merchants, 1974
• Vernon Orioles, 1975
• East Hartford Merchants, 1976
• Vernon Orioles, 1978 – 1989
• South Windsor Phillies (Manager), 2018 – present

Awards & Accomplishments

• Little League Connecticut State Champions, Hartford All Stars
• All City Baseball Catcher, Bulkeley High School, 1971-72
• All Conference, Bulkeley High School, 1971-72
• Captain Bulkeley Varsity Baseball
• All-Conference Wrestler, Second Team
• Received a degree from Eastern Connecticut State University
• Starting varsity catcher, ECSU Baseball, 1974-76
• Elected Captain, ECSU Baseball, 1976
• All-New England Second Team Catcher, ECSU Baseball, 1976
• Inducted into the Bulkeley High School Hall of Fame, 2017
• 2020 GHTBL Regular Season Title

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, also known by his pen name, Mark Twain, once boasted about Hartford: “Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see, this is the chief.” Twain and his family were proud Hartford residents from 1874 to 1891. When the Hartford Dark Blues joined the first iteration of the National League in 1874, Twain frequented games at Hartford Base Ball Grounds, a 2,000-seat stadium at the corner of Wyllys Street and Hendrixon Avenue.

While attending a game between the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Dark Blues, Twain’s umbrella suddenly went missing. In response to the suspected theft, Twain published a reward in the Hartford Daily Courant on May 20, 1875:

“TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE DOLLARS REWARD — At the great base ball match on Tuesday, while I engaged in hurrahing, a small boy walked off with an English-made brown silk UMBRELLA belonging to me and forgot to bring it back. I will pay $5 for the return of the umbrella in good condition to my house on Farmington Avenue. I do not want the boy (in an active state) but will pay two hundred dollars for his remains.”

Samuel L. Clemens

The humorous advertisement unfortunately led to a morbid prank. A local medical student left one of his case studies — the corpse of a boy — on Twain’s porch, along with a note claiming the reward. A nervous Twain thought he might be suspected of murder, until the janitor of the medical college came to claim the body. Despite the scare, Twain’s support of baseball in Hartford continued for more than a decade. In fact, Twain became an investor of the Hartford club in 1886.

After a lackluster 1886 season in the Eastern League, in which the Hartford team traded Connie Mack to the Washington Nationals, a new joint stock company assumed ownership of the Hartford club. Among investors of the Hartford Amusement Association were Samuel Clemens and Mayor of Hartford, Morgan G. Bulkeley. The stakeholders hired Charles F. Daniels, a professional umpire from Colchester, Connecticut, as manager. Hartford finished third place in the Eastern League. Twain’s ownership stake only lasted a few years.

Later on April 8, 1889, Mark Twain dined with baseball’s “who’s who” at Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City. The grand event was a night to remember, drawing heavy publicity. The Testimonial Banquet honored Albert Spalding and baseball players of the “Tour Around the World”. Twain was among the guest speakers and gave a rousing speech to the banquet of ballplayers and dignitaries. His comedic prose garnered a standing ovation.

“Baseball is the very symbol, the outward and visible expression of the drive and push and rush and struggle of the raging, tearing, booming nineteenth century.”

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), April 8, 1889.

That same year, Twain completed A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court while living in Hartford. The novel’s main character, Hank Morgan, a man from East Hartford who time travels to 6th century medieval England. Morgan meets King Arthur and teaches noblemen to play baseball.

While living in Hartford, Twain also wrote such works as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

“There was no joy in life for poor Tom. He put away his bat and his ball and dragged himself through each day.”

Mark Twain, Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1885.

More than a hundred years ago, Tyrus “Ty” Cobb, center fielder of the Detroit Tigers visited Hartford on three separate occasions. Like many players of baseball’s Golden Age, Cobb made appearances in cities and towns across the United States for additional income. Before Cobb’s first visit to Hartford in the fall of 1916, he was already known as the game’s best hitter. He had won the batting title nine times in a row and was named Most Valuable Player of the American League in 1911. Nicknamed “The Georgia Peach” by sportswriter, Grantland Rice as an ode to Cobb’s home state, Cobb was a ferocious competitor with a short temper, great speed, hitting ability and a split-handed batting style.

Prior to Cobb’s arrival in 1916, the America was preparing for what would become World War I. Hartford held its largest public gathering to date – a Preparedness Parade in response to heightened conflict in Europe. The city had 100,000 residents as well as the nation’s top insurance, banking and manufacturing firms. Per capita, Hartford was one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, and baseball was by far Hartford’s most popular sport. There were more baseball fields in Hartford than any other city in New England. This included Wethersfield Avenue Grounds, where the Hartford Senators of the Eastern League hosted games, and where a new grandstand was constructed in 1912.

When a 30 year old Ty Cobb first came to Hartford, it was after his dominating 1916 campaign. Cobb’s .370 batting average, 68 stolen bases and 113 runs scored led the Majors. The Detroit Tigers won 87 games and lost 67 under manager Hughie Jennings, finishing third in the American League. After the season, Cobb began to barnstorm New England with independent clubs like the New Haven Colonials for a guarantee of $300 per appearance. Alongside Cobb on the Colonials side were former New York Yankees pitcher, Ray Keating and Philadelphia Athletics shortstop and Torrington High School alumnus, Joe Dugan.

On Tuesday, October 24, 1916, Ty Cobb delighted a small crowd of 800 fans at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. The game was not well publicized in advance but onlookers would not be disappointed. Cobb and the New Haven Colonials faced off against the city’s best semi-professional club, the Hartford Poli’s. He played center field, first base and served as relief pitcher. Cobb had two hits, showed off his speed in a run-down and pitched 3 innings of one-hit ball. He gave up a double to the Poli’s catcher, John Muldoon, a future professional from Hartford who had three hits on the day. Cobb and Colonials shut out the Hartford Poli’s by a score of 7 to 0.

When the United States entered the Great War in April of 1917, baseball clubs began drilling as if they were military units, including Ty Cobb’s Tigers. He became eligible for military service earlier than most professional ballplayers when he applied to the Augusta, Georgia Draft Board on May 23, 1917. Baseball was played throughout the war and Cobb went on to win two more batting titles with the Tigers before being drafted into the United States Army in late 1918. That year, he won his 11th batting title, hitting .382 in a shortened season due to hostilities in Europe between the Allies and the Axis Powers.

A week before the 1918 season ended, Cobb made his second cameo in Hartford. On August 25th, the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Browns staged a benefit game to support American Expeditionary Forces who were deployed on the Western Front. The Tigers and the Browns arrived in Hartford by train. The Browns featured their first baseman George Sisler, a gifted batsman and a Hall of Fame player in the making. Sisler was seven years younger than Cobb and he revered the Georgia Peach. “The greatness of Ty Cobb is something that had to be seen,” Sisler said, “and to see him was to remember him forever.”

The benefit game drew more than 6,000 fans who filled the grandstand and lined the perimeter of Hartford’s Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. Ty Cobb wore a Cornell College baseball uniform because the team’s luggage was accidentally left at Union Station. Cobb’s play on the field was described as resplendent. He cracked two hits and made a one-handed catch in center field to save two runs. George Sisler had a ground rule double to left field and led his team in putouts. By the end of nine innings, Sisler and the Browns beat Cobb and the Tigers, 3 runs to 1.

In October of 1918, Cobb was drafted and assigned to the Army’s Chemical Warfare Services division. He simultaneously announced his retirement from baseball even though Cobb continued to play in benefit games. Before shipping out to France for 67 days, he made his final visit to Hartford on October 5, 1918. He returned as a member of the New Haven Colonials to play for the “semi-pro state championship” against Hartford’s top company team from Pratt & Whitney. Before the game, Cobb gave a speech in front of Hartford’s Liberty Loan Cottage encouraging people to buy war bonds. Pratt & Whitney ended up winning the contest 5 to 3 in windy weather over Cobb and the Colonials.

Ty Cobb’s second and third game in Hartford raised over $3,000 for the Bat and Ball Fund headed up by Clark Griffith, Manager of the Washington Senators. The fund supplied active United States soldiers of World War I with baseball uniforms and equipment. Hartford Soldiers Athletic Committee Chair and former professional ballplayer, John F. Gunshanan corresponded with Griffith to organize the Tigers versus Browns matchup. As the end of the war neared, the baseball goods were gifted to American soldiers in France and Italy. When Armistice Day arrived, people flooded Main Street for the greatest parade the city ever saw. As for the veteran Cobb, he returned home from military service wouldn’t officially retire until 10 years later as a member of Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics.

After 22 Major League seasons, Ty Cobb set 90 statistical records. These included highest career batting average (.367) and most career batting titles with 12. He held many of these records for almost a half century or more, including most career hits (4,191) until 1985 most career runs (2,246) until 2001, most career games played (3,035), at bats (11,434) until 1974 and the modern record for most career stolen bases (892) until 1977. Not surprisingly, Cobb has retained the career record for stealing home (54 times) and for stealing second base, third base, and home in succession (5 times). He ranks fifth all-time in games played and first in errors committed by an American League outfielder with 271. In 1936, Cobb received the most votes of any player on the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame ballot with 222 out of 226 votes.

Sources:

1. Hartford Courant on Newspapers.com
2. Baseball-Reference.com

Learn more about Cobb from Charles Leerhsen’s
“Ty Cobb’s Character: What We Know That’s Wrong” on YouTube:

Over 11 seasons (2001-2011), the Bristol Merchants were 9-time GHTBL Champions, winning 4 Playoff Championships and 5 Season Titles. Their home site was the venerable Muzzy Field. The franchise was led by their player-manager, Bunty Ray and Joe Parlante who have since founded a wood bat company, Rally Bats in Bristol, Connecticut. Other major contributors to the Merchants were GHTBL veterans including: Joe Parlante, Brian Archibald, Eric Butkiewicz, Rick Barrett, Rick Hewey and Adam Peters. The following Bristol Merchants players also advanced to play professional baseball:

• Matt Arburr, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
• Justin Fuller, P, Anaheim Angels
• Matt Hackney, C, New Haven County Cutters
• Jerry Hasler, P, Albany Diamond Dogs
• Chris Klepps, 2B, Windy City ThunderBolts
• Nick Macellaro, SS, Florence Freedom
• Scott Martin, P, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Jason Maule, 2B, Houston Astros
• Ryan Pacyna, P, New Jersey Jackals
• Kevin Rival, P, New York Yankees
• Chris Sawyer, OF, Berkshire Black Bears
• Jarrett Stawarz, P, New Haven County Cutters
• Chris Strahowski, P, Waterbury Spirit

May 26, 2020

Bill Holowaty is the current President of the Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League and former head baseball coach at Eastern Connecticut State University. Holowaty coached for 45 years (1967-2012) at ECSU and became one of the most successful coaches in the history of New England intercollegiate athletics. He led the Warriors to the postseason 39 out of 45 times, appearing 14 times in the Division-III College World Series and winning 4 championships (1982, 1990, 1998 and 2002). He was named Division-III National Coach of the Year 4 times. Coach Holowaty ended his career record with 1,412 wins, 528 losses and 7 ties – a winning percentage of .725, and has the third most all-time wins by a Division-III coach.

William P. Holowaty was born on March 6, 1945 in Little Falls, New York. He was a gifted athlete with good size. Holowaty starred in football, basketball and baseball at Mohawk High School in Mohawk, New York. He became a top basketball recruit and visited Dean Smith’s University of North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest before deciding on the University of Connecticut. Coach Fred Shabel’s Huskies included UConn greats like Toby Kimball, Wes Bialosuknia and Tom Penders. Holowaty played basketball at UConn from 1964 to 1967, winning 3 season titles in the Yankee Conference. He was later recognized as a member of the UConn Basketball All-Century Ballot.

During college, Holowaty played baseball in the Hartford Twilight League with the Hamilton Standard team. Great local players like Wally Widholm and Hal Lewis were Bill’s teammates and mentors. Immediately after his basketball career, Holowaty became head baseball coach at Eastern Connecticut State College (renamed Eastern Connecticut State University in 1983) and quickly turned the program around. In 1973, he was the assistant coach for the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Holowaty was a guiding force for instituting the NCAA Division-III baseball championship in the mid-1970s. While coaching, he also served as ECSU Athletic Director for 15 years.

Bill Holowaty built his coaching legacy upon competitiveness, consistency and fundraising. His vision for success included a Varsity and Junior Varsity team, Spring Training trips to Florida and a state-of-the-art ballpark in Willimantic, Connecticut. The ECSU Warriors posted at least 30 wins in 28 seasons under Holowaty leading to four national championships. In 2003, the Warriors lost the Division-III College World Series championship game in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded. Afterwards Holowaty was quoted saying,

“We’ll be back again. It’s like putting on a Red Sox uniform; you are hoping to win a World Series. You put on a Yankee uniform and you are expected to win. You put on an Eastern uniform and you’re expected to win.”

– Bill Holowaty

In the final stage of his career, Holowaty continued to win. His Warriors had a streak of 11 consecutive 30-win seasons into 2012. The team fell one win shy of extending that streak in 2013. As a result of his success, Coach Holowaty earned several accolades and was inducted into the following Hall of Fame organizations: ABCA, Greater Utica Sports, National College Baseball, NEIBA and the Eastern Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a co-founder of the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA). He served as ABCA President, was a long-time member of the ABCA All-America committee and is currently a member of the ABCA Board of Directors.

Bill Holowaty remains a fierce competitor to this day. He enjoys playing golf regularly with friends and family. He spends much of his time with his wife Jan Holowaty, his children Jason, Jennifer, Jared and his grandchildren. Jason and Jared Holowaty played professional baseball in Australia after college and carved out their own careers in baseball. Bill attributes much of his family’s success to his wife Jan and often mentions their shared love of sports.

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This article was written by Norton Chellgren and published in the 1975 Baseball Research Journal

On April 5, 1921, the Hartford Senators of the Eastern League in their first exhibition game of the season beat Columbia University 4-3. The big story was a Columbia player, Lefty Gehrig, who hit Hartford pitcher Alton Durgin for two long home runs in his only two trips to the plate. A. B. McGinley of the Hartford Times described the second home run like this: “When he came up again in the 3rd inning, Durgin the lofty Maine boy who was pitching for Hartford was all set for revenge. He got a strike on Gehrig but the next one he threw Gehrig leaned on and it went sailing out of the enclosure past a big sundial and almost into the School of Mines. It was a mighty clout and worthy of Babe Ruth’s best handiwork.”

The young player greatly impressed Hartford Manager, Arthur Irwin, a former major league player and manager. The two home runs would have cleared the center field fence at Clarkin Stadium, Hartford’s home park, and Irwin saw a promising future for the young baseball player. The big first baseman, it was later reported, had promised Irwin that he would play under him if he decided to enter professional baseball.

Several big league teams had been trying to sign him but all indications were he would stay at Columbia University. Subsequently, on June 2, announcement was made by Manager Irwin in the local newspapers that the hard hitting semi-pro from Brooklyn, Lefty Gehrig, had been signed to play first base for the Senators. It was assumed by some that he had decided to quit school.

The next day the newspapers were apparently requested or advised not to call further attention to the Columbia athlete’s real name and from that day on they referred only to that young player from New York, “Lewis” or “Lou Lewis.” On June 3 (1921) the Hartford Senators beat the Pittsfield Hillies 2-1. Lou Lewis played the full game at first base. In his O. B. debut, he was 0 for 3 with one sacrifice hit against Pittsfield hurler Al Pierotti, who later went up to the Braves.

After that initial game the Hartford Courant wrote “Lou Lewis, Arthur Irwin’s latest discovery was planted on the initial sack. The youngster who is only 18 years old (actually he was still 17) appeared to be a bit nervous. After he gets used to surroundings he may develop. They seldom fail to make the grade with Irwin teaching the ways of baseball.”

Lewis’ first hit and first run scored came in his second game as Hartford beat the Waterbury Brasscos 5-3 at Hartford before 5,000 fans on June 4. In the second inning the youthful first sacker hit the first ball pitched by Fred Rawley to right field for three bases. He scored shortly after when the next batter Phil Neher singled to center. On the following day, June 5, Lewis went two for five as Hartford beat Albany 10-2 at Albany; the first baseman was beginning to impress and was being touted as a “Babe Ruth.”

Hartford beat Pittsfield 10-6 on June 8, and the Times wrote: “Lewis caught hold of a fast one in the third inning and sent it against the “B” in the Buick sign on the right field fence for a double. Lewis probably won’t get a Buick for his clout but he may get a ride in one before the season runs its course.” Lou went two for five that day. One of the times he made an out he slammed a terrific drive that traveled at the proverbial mile-a-minute clip into right fielder Bill McCorry’s gloved hand. It was described as the hardest hit of the game.

While Lewis at the young age of 17 was demonstrating his ability to knock the cover off the ball there were some indications that he lacked experience. On June 10 the Senators were trailing the Bridgeport “Brown Derbies” in the last of the ninth when with one out Heinie Scheer singled. Lewis then hit one to the box carrying a lot of smoke and it bounded off pitcher Ed Lepard’s glove for a single. Lewis a moment later was trapped off first by catcher Joe Smith on a pitchout. The rally was effectively stopped and the game was lost by Hartford, 4 to 2.

The Times wrote on June 11, “Lewis the youngster just breaking into organized ball with the local club is doing as well as one can expect and his present work gives fans here hopes that he will add to the Hartford hitting average which at present is the weakest link in the pennant-winning chain. The young first sacker is a slugger.” Lefty Lewis unexplainedly did not play in the Bridgeport game on June 13 but the next day against the Springfield Ponies he hit the second triple of his early professional experience.

In his last Eastern League game that year, on June 15, 1921, against Springfield, he showed his power even though his only hit was an infield one. In the first inning he crashed one against third baseman Jack Flynn’s shins and the ball caromed off with such force that it bounced across the diamond and the runner on third base, Harry Hesse, scored without any trouble.

No game was played on June 16 and at that point the young first baseman’s name, without explanation, ceased to appear in the Hartford papers for the remainder of the season. During his stay Hartford, winning 8 games and losing 5, had climbed into first place with a 28-17 record. Before the season was to end the Hartford Senators would drop to fifth place and its Manager, Art Irwin who had been successful in luring the young first baseman into professional baseball, if only for a short 12 games, would meet an untimely death. On July 16, 1921, he fell or jumped from the steamer Calvin Austin during a voyage from New York to Boston.

Even with a mediocre batting average of .261, Lewis had given Hartford fans an indication of things to come. The name “Lou Lewis” would not again appear in a Hartford or other professional baseball game box score! “Lou,” however, would return to the Eastern League in 1923 (as of August 2) and hit home runs at a pace which still has not been surpassed in the Eastern League, 24 home runs in only 59 games.

What the Hartford newspapers did not report was that Columbia athletic officials had learned that Gehrig was playing pro ball under an assumed name. After being advised of the possible implications of playing for money, an unhappy Lou Gehrig returned promptly to New York City. As a result of this escapade Lou had to wait an extra year, until the fall of 1922, before he could participate in Columbia inter-collegiate sports. The experience might have hurt the New York Giants as well because had it never taken place, who knows, McGraw might have been able to sign up Lou Gehrig in 1923 instead.

Source: Chellgren, Norton. “The Short Career of Lou Lewis.” Society for American Baseball Research, 1975 Baseball Research Journal, 1975, sabr.org/journal/article/the-short-career-of-lou-lewis.