ballpark - Greater Hartford Twilight Baseball League

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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.

City planning map showing Hartford Base Ball Park, 1896.

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

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

FORMER HIGH SCHOOL COACH AND GHTBL HALL OF FAMER EARNS A GREAT HONOR.

Reposted article from Journal Inquirer by Joe Chaisson

WINDSOR — It was a joyous occasion Saturday as town officials, current and former players and coaches, and family and friends honored Barry Chasen, dedicating the ballpark outside the high school in his honor.

Chasen, who turns 73 this month, was the head coach of the high school’s baseball team from 1975 to 2003 while also teaching social studies for 36 years.

The ceremony was scheduled to take place in March during the season, head coach Joe Serfass said, but had to be rescheduled because of the pandemic. The afternoon, however, offered warm baseball-type weather.

Many of the former coaches and friends in attendance called Chasen a “walking encyclopedia” for baseball. During his speech, Chasen rarely spoke of himself, but instead attributed his coaching career to a long list of coaches he worked with during his career. Chasen concluded the speech by thanking his wife, Joanne, and son, Matthew, for all their support.

Chasen led the school to a state championship title in 1979 and again in 1991.

Before the ceremony began, Chasen said he was incredibly pleased to be recognized by the town and the high school.

Barry Chasen addresses the media at Barry Chasen Ballpark outside the high school, 2020.

“I feel really good about this. Obviously, it’s been tough the last eight months, but the turnout today has been really nice. It’s a nice tribute and certainly I feel very honored to see my name up there on the sign,” Chasen said.

“I didn’t go into coaching for that though, and you don’t get here by yourself, so it’s thanks to all the people who have helped me out between players, coaches, administrators, town people, parents, and many more.

James Apicelli, who coached with Chasen from 1998 to 2003, said Chasen was the ultimate coach.

“I think the best part about coaching with Barry was we would always come back after the game, we’d go into the coaches office, and we’d sit down for hours after games and go over in-game details. It wasn’t to criticize or anything, we would look at every decision that was made during the game and he’d ask if we should have done things differently.”

Mayor Don Trinks said Chasen is much more than just a baseball coach.

“When you think about his tenure as a coach and all the lives he’s impacted and the success of young people that he helped mold and create — he’s really contributed so much to the town and certainly in many other ways than just baseball,” Trinks said.

Trinks credited Chasen with inspiring him to get involved with politics after Chasen was his teacher during the Jimmy Carter presidency.

“He really gave me a peek into the political and government world,” Trinks said. “I can’t go as far as to say he made me go into government, but he certainly had an impact on that decision so I imagine he’s impacted a lot of other students in the past the same way.”

Serfass, who’s been with the school since 2010, said he was happy to see the field finally completed with the addition of the new sign.

“Unfortunately, when I came here the field was one of the worst in the state,” Serfass said. “There were no dugouts, no fencing, no scoreboard, no press box, and the infield was in bad shape. We finally renovated it about six years ago and redid everything and it’s an honor to have Coach Chasen on the sign.”