Tag: history

by Weston Ulbrich

Hartford’s First Ball Game Under Electric Lights

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.

Base Ball by Electric Light, July 23, 1890.


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.”

Atlantic Association standings, 1890.

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.

Connie Mack
Billy Barnie
John M. Henry
George Stallings


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.

Ball by Electric Light, Hartford Courant, July 24, 1890.


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:

Edward Weston arc lamp, 1880.


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.

Hartford Base Ball Park (Wethersfield Avenue Grounds), c. 1900.

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.
by Weston Ulbrich

In the Day of Louis Sockalexis

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)

Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Holy Cross, 1894
Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Holy Cross, 1894.

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.

Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Holy Cross, 1899
Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Holy Cross, 1899.

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.

L to R: Louis Sockalexis, Dr. M.R. Powers and Walter Curley, Holy Cross, 1895.
L to R: Louis Sockalexis, Dr. M.R. Powers and Walter Curley, Holy Cross, 1895.

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.

Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Cleveland, 1897.
Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Cleveland, 1897.

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.

Hartford signs Sockalexis, 1899.
Hartford signs Sockalexis, 1899.

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.

Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Lowell, 1902.
Louis Sockalexis, Outfielder, Lowell, 1902.

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.

Louis Sockalexis (bottom, left) on the Bangor Baseball Club, Maine League, 1907.
Louis Sockalexis (bottom, left) on the Bangor Baseball Club, Maine League, 1907.

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.

Burial Site of Louis Sockalexis, Indian Island, Maine.
Burial Site of Louis Sockalexis, 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/

by Weston Ulbrich

Mark Twain, the Hartford Baseball Crank

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.

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) regularly attended Hartford ballgames and took notes of the action on personal stationary.

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
Twain’s advertisement in the Hartford Courant, May 20, 1875.
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), 1870 (c.)

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.

Twain becomes a Hartford Base Ball Club subscriber, July 30, 1886.
The Mark Twain House, Hartford, Connecticut.

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.

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), 1885 (c.)
Members of the Hartford Amusement Association, 1887.
Morgan G. Bulkeley, 1890 (c.)

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.

“Tour Around the World” brochure cover at Delmonico’s, New York, April 8, 1889.
“Tour Around the World” brochure at Delmonico’s, New York, April 8, 1889.

“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.
Testimonial Banquet at Delmonico’s, New York, April 8, 1889.
Delmonico’s Menu, New York, 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.

A knight in armor playing baseball, 1889.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, 1889.

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.
Mark Twain at his 70th birthday celebration, Delmonico’s, New York, 1905
Samuel Clemens, 1907.
by Weston Ulbrich

The Bristol Merchants, a Twilight League Dynasty

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:

Bristol Merchants win 1st GHTBL championship, 2004.
Kevin Rival, Pitcher, Bristol Merchants, 2006.
Bristol Merchants win 2nd GHTBL championship, 2004.
Bristol Merchants win 4th GHTBL championship, 2009.
Bunty Ray, Player-Manager, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Jason Maule, Outfielder, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Nick Macellaro, Shortstop, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Nick Macellaro, Shortstop, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Adam Peters, Designated Hitter, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Adam Peters, Designated Hitter, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Joe Parlante, First Baseman, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Scott Martin, Pitcher, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
Ryan Pacyna, Pitcher, Bristol Merchants, 2009.
2009 Bristol Merchants
Jarrett Stawarz, Pitcher, Bristol Merchants, 2011.
Baserunner, Bristol Merchants, 2011.
Muzzy Field, Bristol, Connecticut.
by Weston Ulbrich

Hartford’s Minor League Club Part II: The Senators (1902-1915)

The Hartford Senators remain Connecticut’s most enduring baseball 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 players on their way to the Major Leagues. Legends like Lou Gehrig, Jim Thorpe, Leo Durocher and Hank Greenberg honed their skills in Hartford. The following chronology recounts the Senators during their early years (1902-1915) when minor league championships were a significant source of local pride. Since entering the minors in 1878, the City of Hartford had been deprived of a pennant, but the Senators would change that fact.

Minor Leagues

Championship Seasons

  • 1909
  • 1913
  • 1915

Notable Hartford Senators of the early years

Charles A. Soby, Owner, Hartford Senators, 1902.

In 1902, Hartford joined the Connecticut League. The club was headed by Charles A. Soby and headquartered at Soby’s cigar store at 867 Main Street. Home games were held at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds, also called Hartford Baseball Park. The team was nicknamed “Senators” most likely by sports editors at the Hartford Times newspaper. Two-time World Series champion catcher of the Philadelphia Phillies, Ira Thomas played his rookie season for the Senators. Frank Reisling was Hartford’s player-manager and guided them to a fourth place finish. Reisling later sued the club over unpaid wages after being fired for recruiting players to a team in Toledo, Ohio.

Ira Thomas, Catcher, Hartford Senators, 1902.
Doc Reisling, Manager, Hartford Senators, 1902.
Doc Reisling, Manager, Hartford Senators, 1902.

In 1903, the Hartford franchise was purchased by magnates William J. Tracy of Bristol and Thomas Reilly of Meriden. The Senators rejoined the Connecticut League and Reilly acted as manager. The team consisted of a fresh roster, except for Ira Thomas who returned as catcher. New signees included Walter Ahearn of New Haven, Bill Luby of Meriden and Billy Derwin of Waterbury. The infield featured Larry Battam at third base and captain Bert Daly at second base. Hartford struggled during their rebuild and ended up last in the league.

Thomas Reilly, Manager, Hartford Senators, 1903.
Walter Ahearn, Catcher, Hartford Senators, 1903.
Dr. Bert Daly, Second Baseman, Hartford Senators, 1903.
Bill Luby, First Baseman, Hartford Senators, 1903.

Before the 1904 season, Thomas Reilly was elected Mayor of Meriden. Then he sold his shares in the Hartford club to William J. Tracy. As sole owner of the Senators (and later President of the Connecticut League), Tracy appointed his friend and Bristol-based barber John E. Kennedy as manager. The only man to reappear from the previous season was second baseman Bert Daly. New players like Bill Foxen, Bill Karns and Tom Bannon entered the fold. The Senators had a losing record (53-61), and Hartford’s decades-long championship drought continued.

William Tracy, Owner, Hartford Senators, 1904.
Thomas O’Hare, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1904.
John E. Kennedy, Manager, Hartford Senators, 1904.
1904 Hartford Senators

In September of 1904, Hartford was introduced to James H. Clarkin, proprietor of the Senators for the next 24 years. When Tracy decided to sell the club, Clarkin and Daly became owners. Clarkin leased Wethersfield Avenue Grounds for the next six years for $600 per year. Hartford fans took special trolleys to the well-kept Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. Starring for the club were pitching prospect, Pete Wilson of Springfield, Massachusetts, and shortstop Harry Noyes of New Haven. In Clarkin’s first season as owner, the Senators of 1905 had a winning record (58-55).

Hartford trolley assigned for ball games, 1905.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1905.
James Clarkin, Owner, Hartford Senators, 1905.
Lajoie’s Base Ball Guide excerpt, 1905.
Peter Wilson, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1905.
Harry Noyes, Shortstop, Hartford Senators, 1905.
Neal Doherty, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1905.
Frank Doran, Catcher, Hartford Senators, 1905.
1905 Hartford Senators

After the 1905 season, Clarkin sold his top pitcher William Foxen to Providence for $250. The sale of Foxen was the first of many transacted by Clarkin, who acquired a reputation for selling players. In 1906, Bert Daly served as player-manager until midway through the season, when he left to practice medicine in his hometown in Bayonne, New Jersey. Clarkin became sole owner of the Senators and Harry Noyes was named player-manager. Hartford signed Herman Bronkie of Manchester, Connecticut, a rookie third baseman who later signed with the Cleveland Naps.

1906 Hartford Senators
Group of Three Hartford Players, 1906.
New players on the Hartford Senators, 1906.
1906 Hartford Senators
Bert Daly, Player-Manager, Hartford, 1906.
1906 Hartford Senators

Despite another lackluster season, Hartford retained its core in 1907. Harry Noyes held onto his player-manager role and Pete Wilson returned as pitching ace. Career minor leaguers Charlie Fallon, Ed Justice and Billy Luyster came back to the Senators. Newcomers included first baseman Jack Rothfuss and outfielder Izzy Hoffman. Owner Clarkin recruited a Dutch immigrant and an all-time minor leaguer, Jack Lelivelt on a tip from Philadelphia manager Connie Mack. That year, Clarkin offered the Senators a $100 bonus for a five game win streak. While popular with players, the bonus scheme failed and Hartford finished fifth in the Connecticut League.

Three New Hartford Players, 1907.
Billy Luyster, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1907.
Jack Lelivelt, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1907.
Izzy Hoffman, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1907.

Proprietor Clarkin sought to retool Hartford by hiring veteran leadership for 1908. During the offseason, Thomas Dowd, a big league journeyman and assumed managerial duties and all baseball operations. Dowd lured players such as Ray Fisher, a pitching phenom, Hank Schumann, a reliable strike-thrower and Bob Connery, a muscle-bound first baseman. There was also Earle Gardner, a second basemen destined for the New York Yankees and Chick Evans, an 18 year old who threw a perfect game for the Senators on July 21, 1908. Hartford had its finest team to date, but lost to Springfield by a half game in the last days of the season.

New Hartford Senators, 1908.
1908 Hartford Senators
1908 Hartford Senators
Hartford Senators at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds, 1908.

A disappointing conclusion to Hartford’s 1908 season lit a fire under the Senators in 1909. Clarkin appointed Bob Connery player-manager in place of Thomas Dowd who reportedly struggled with alcoholism. New additions Jimmy Hart and Jack Wanner led the squad in batting. With masterful pitching and defense, Connery’s crew captured first place. Hartford outlasted second place Holyoke and finally won their first championship. On September 13, 1909, the Senators were honored with a parade on Main Street, a ceremony outside Connecticut’s Old State House, a musical performance at Hartford Theater and a late night banquet at Hotel Garde.

1909 Hartford Senators, Connecticut League Champions.
1909 Hartford Senators
Johnny Wanner, Second Baseman, Hartford, 1909.
Quartet of players, Hartford Senators, 1909.
Michael Wadleigh, Catcher, Hartford, 1909.
New players for the Hartford Senators, 1909.
George Metzger, Third Baseman, Hartford Senators, 1909.
1909 Hartford Senators, Connecticut League Champions.

In 1910, the Senators were the envy of the Connecticut League. A pennant flag flew over the pristine Hartford Baseball Park. The venue had a smooth playing surface, player clubhouses and concession stands. Meanwhile, Clarkin further delegated his duties by creating the Hartford Baseball Club Board of Strategy. The group devised plans and scouted players like pitchers Buck O’Brien and Carl Lundgren. Though it was player-manager Bob Connery who picked up a rookie from St. Louis, Wally Rehg who was later dubbed the world’s sassiest player. Amid high expectations, the Senators underachieved to fourth place – six games behind first place Waterbury.

First day’s workout, Hartford Senators, 1910.
Senators at Hartford Baseball Park, 1910.
1910 Hartford Senators
John Vann, First Baseman, Hartford Senators, 1910.
Walter Rehg, Utility, Hartford Senators, 1910.
Buck O’Brien, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1910.
Board of Strategy, Hartford Senators, 1910.
Carl Lundgren, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1910.
William Moore, Groundskeeper, Hartford Baseball Park, 1910.

Before the 1911 season, Connecticut League officials increased the championship purse from $25 to $100 to attract better talent. That year, rookie outfielder Hugh High rose to local stardom by hitting for a .302 average in 431 at bats. Former Boston Doves pitcher Tom McCarthy only played half of the season, yet he twirled 15 wins. A low point for the club came when they were caught drinking alcohol on a Sunday at Lighthouse Point in New Haven. Arrest warrants were issued for nine Hartford players including manager Connery but the charges were later dropped. The Senators fell short of a title but finished in a respectable third place.

1911 Hartford Senators
Clint Ford, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1911.
Hugh High, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1911.
Robert Henry Ray, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1911.
Nick Lakoff, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1911.
Nick Lakoff, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1911.
John Hickey, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1911.
Herman Shincel, Catcher, Hartford Senators, 1911.
1911 Hartford Senators

As winter descended on Hartford, Jim Clarkin renewed his lease of the Wethersfield Avenue Grounds for ten more years. He then built the largest grandstand in the league to seat more spectators. When the 1912 season began, Bob Connery suited up for his last managerial campaign. Connery would later discover Rogers Hornsby as a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals. Hartford also added Benny Kauff who batted .321 in 53 games. Hugh High led the Connecticut League with 145 base hits and 5 homers. Si McDonald served as primary catcher and captained Hartford to second place.

A new grandstand at Hartford Baseball Park, 1912.
New Players of the Hartford Senators, 1912.
Bob “Tom” J. Connery, Player-Manager, Hartford Senators, 1912.
Hugh High, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1912.
New Haven vs. Hartford, 1912.
Members of the Hartford Senators, 1912.
Waterbury vs. Hartford, 1912.
Si McDonald, Catcher, Hartford Senators, 1912.
Bill Powers, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1912

At an offseason meeting, President Jim O’Rourke and Connecticut League officials renamed the loop the Eastern Association, reflecting the inclusion of three Massachusetts clubs. In preparation for the 1913 season, the Senators announced Si McDonald as Hartford’s player-manager. Important acquisitions were shortstop, Bill Morley, second baseman, Jim Curry and first baseman, Mickey Keliher. Center fielder Benny Kauff had one of the Senators’ best seasons, leading the league with 176 hits and a .345 batting average. Behind superior hitting and pitching, Hartford won 83 games and another triumphant league championship.

1913 Hartford Senators
Benny Kauff, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1913.
Gus Gardella, Shortstop, Hartford Senators, 1913.
1913 Hartford Senators
Eastern Association final standings, 1913.

Most of Hartford’s title winners appeared again in 1914. Si McDonald became full-time manager while Hartford-born Jack Muldoon was promoted to starting catcher. Eventually McDonald was deposed by owner Clarkin, who assigned the job to a veteran manager, Dan O’Neil. New arrivals Ed Barney and Jack Hoey were Hartford’s most productive hitters. Pitchers Clyde Geist and Fred Rieger carved out brilliant seasons and were among the league leaders in wins. When the Eastern Association wrapped, the Senators had completed a tenth consecutive season with a winning record.

1914 Hartford Senators
Dan O’Neil, Manager, Hartford Senators, 1914.
Maurice Kennedy, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1914.
Jimmy Curry, Second Baseman, Hartford Senators, 1914.
Jack Hoey, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1914.
Roger Salmon, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1914.
Ed Goeb, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1914.
Mickey Keliher, First Baseman, Hartford Senators, 1914.
Murray Parker, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1914.
James Crowley, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1914.

In 1915, proprietor Clarkin abandoned the Eastern Association. Instead, he entered Hartford into the Colonial League, loosely affiliated with the infamous Federal League. Shortly before the season, 36 year old infielder Jim Delahanty was named player-manager. He mashed a .379 batting average, earned MVP of the league and led the Senators to the Colonial League pennant. Other players on the squad were former Federal Leaguers with the Brooklyn Tip Tops and the Newark Pepper. A mix of outcasts won Hartford its third pennant during a span of six years.

1915 Hartford Senators, L to R: Back Row – Mike Simon, George Textor, Dennis Gillooly, Gus Helfrich, Gil Whitehouse, Aime Proulx and Fred Trautman. Front Row – Blondie Sherman, Henry Demoe, Jim Delahanty, Jack Murray and Ray Werre.
Gil Whitehouse, Outfielder, Hartford Senators, 1915.
Clyde Geist, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1915.
Bill Jensen, Pitcher, Hartford Senators, 1915.
Hartford Senators on the New York Yankees, 1915.

Sources

  1. Hartford Courant via Newspapers.com
  2. Hartford Times microfilm collection at Hartford Public Library
  3. Baseball-Reference.com
  4. Statscrew.com
  5. Bob Connery SABR Bio by Steve Steinberg

by Weston Ulbrich

The 1870 Connecticut Base Ball Convention

One hundred fifty years ago in baseball history: On Wednesday, November 2, 1870, Hartford hosted the third ever Connecticut Base Ball Convention. Delegates attended from the most prominent teams in the state and a man from Hartford, Gershom B. Hubbell, presided over the meeting. Many of the clubs arrived in Hartford via steamship on the Connecticut River. Teams represented included: Yale College, Trinity College, the Middletown Mansfields, the Stratford Osceolas, New Britain, Essex, and two teams from Meriden.

Hartford Courant excerpt, November, 1870.
Gershom B. Hubbell, President of Connecticut Base Ball Association, 1870.
Hartford Courant excerpt, November 3, 1870.
Painting by John Stobart, City of Hartford Steamship on the Connecticut River, Hartford, 1870.
by Weston Ulbrich

Bristol’s Baseball Magnate, William J. Tracy

Bristol, Connecticut, is home to Muzzy Field as well as a distinguished baseball history. One the most significant figures in Bristol’s baseball chronicles is William J. Tracy; the man who prompted the construction of Muzzy Field. Also known as Bill Tracy, he was baseball club owner, executive and friend of legendary managers Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics and John McGraw of the New York Giants. A photograph of Tracy and Mack at the 1911 World Series has been curated by the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Map of Bristol, Connecticut, 1893.

William J. Tracy was born in Bristol on January 1, 1869. He spent his youth working at the Central Meat Market on North Main Street. Eventually Tracy became sole proprietor of the meat market, later called the Bristol Beef Company. As a respected young man around town he was elected Constable of Bristol in 1894. However, Tracy’s real passion was the national game of baseball. So when the meat business paid off, he decided to finance a top-rate Bristol club in the Connecticut League.

Hartford Courant, 1900.

In 1900, Bill Tracy became an of the Bristol Baseball Association. He joined fellow proprietors, State Representative Otto F. Strunz and a barbershop owner named John E. Kennedy who later became the state’s chief umpire. The town was overjoyed to have a team in the Connecticut League with Tracy at the helm. While in charge of the club, he also acted as umpire on multiple occasions. The following season cemented Bristol’s admiration for Tracy when he led Bristol to the 1901 state league championship.

John E. Kennedy, Bristol, 1900.
Otto F. Strunz, Bristol, 1900
The Journal (Meriden, Connecticut), June, 14, 1901.

Bristol was the smallest town in the Connecticut League circuit, yet they conquered the competition. Bill Tracy’s club of 1901 won the pennant over second place Bridgeport. Bristol featured player-manager and pitching ace Doc Reisling who went on to play major league ball for the Brooklyn Superbas and Washington Senators. There was also Ted Scheffler an outfielder from New York City, Red Owens an infielder from Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and Andy Anderson, a catcher from Detroit, Michigan. Connecticut’s baseball community praised Bristol for winning the league in honorable fashion.

Hartford Courant, September 7, 1901.
Hartford Courant, September 17, 1901.
Doc Reisling, Pitcher, Bristol, 1901.
Andy Anderson, Catcher, Bristol, 1901.
Connecticut League standings, 1901.

In spite of their first championship, Tracy’s club was not invited back to the Connecticut League in 1902. League officials cited revenue issues due to the small size of Bristol. Tracy wholeheartedly disagreed with the snub of his championship team. Hall of Fame player-manager Jim O’Rourke of the Bridgeport club was reported to have headed the cabal who dismissed Bristol. President of the Connecticut League, Sturges Whitlock upheld the decision. Tracy was only temporarily discouraged and held no grudge against O’Rourke. The next summer Tracy funded a Bristol squad, “The Flats” in the Town Amateur Baseball League.

Jim O’Rourke, Secretary, Connecticut League, 1901.
Sturges Whitlock, President, Connecticut League, 1901.

When presented the opportunity, Bill Tracy returned to the Connecticut League in 1903 by purchasing the Hartford Senators franchise. After two unremarkable seasons as head of the Hartford club, he decided to pursue a position as a league officer. He sold his ownership stake in the Hartford Senators to would-be longtime owner, James H. Clarkin and the team’s captain, Bert Daly for $5,000. In 1905, Tracy was appointed Vice President of the Connecticut League, the forerunner of the Eastern League. By October of 1906, Tracy was voted in as President.

1904 Hartford Senators

The Connecticut League was a professional association whose teams were unaffiliated with Major League clubs. The minor leagues were classified by playing level on a scale of Class A to Class F. Bill Tracy was president of the Class B Connecticut League until 1912. His role consisted of disciplining players and settled disputes between clubs hailing from cities like Hartford, Meriden, Bridgeport, New Haven, New London, Norwich, Springfield and Holyoke. He was also tasked with managing relationships with big league clubs who often signed state league players known as “contract jumpers”.

William J. Tracy, President, Connecticut League, 1906.
Hartford Courant, May 26, 1910.

Outside of baseball, Bill Tracy was appointed to the Bristol Trust Company Board of Directors in 1907 and to the Bristol National Bank Board of Directors in 1909. Tracy served as a charter member of the Bristol Board of Park Commissioners and as superintendent of Bristol Parks for 15 years until his retirement in 1935. In this position he was instrumental in the acquisition and development of Memorial Boulevard, Rockwell Park and Muzzy Field – named after Adrian J. Muzzy of Bristol, a prominent businessman and State Senator who donated land for the ballpark in memory of his two sons who died young.

Adrian J. Muzzy, 1904.
Commemorative plaque at Muzzy Field, 2015.
Muzzy Field, Bristol, Connecticut, 2015.

Like Adrian Muzzy, Bill Tracy aggressively sought to improve Bristol while capitalizing on business opportunities. He founded a real estate and insurance company that later became Tracy-Driscoll Insurance. At 68 years old, Tracy passed away on December 1, 1937 after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. He is remembered as a baseball executive, businessman, public servant, philanthropist and family man. Tracy was married 43 years to Ellen Lacey Tracy. They had 4 sons, Paul, Joseph, Francis, and William E. Tracy; all of whom played baseball.

William J. Tracy, 1925 (c.)

Francis “Tommy” Tracy was a clever pitcher who captained the Dartmouth College ball club. William E. Tracy founded Bristol Sports Promotion who owned and operated the Hartford Bees of the Eastern League in 1947 and 1948. William J. Tracy and his family pioneered for Bristol a lasting reputation as one of the great baseball towns in America. In 2002, Tracy’s many contributions were honored when he was inducted into the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame.

William E. Tracy, 1958.

Sources:

  1. Hartford Courant database (Newspapers.com)

by Weston Ulbrich

The National Pastime at Pratt & Whitney

Manufacturing firms bearing the name Pratt & Whitney have been global leaders in industries ranging from machine tools to jet engines. The original company was founded in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1860, by Francis A. Pratt and Amos Whitney, who supplied interchangeable tools, drills, mills, and lathes for firearm production during the American Civil War. Pratt & Whitney revolutionized machining while setting the standard inch as a measurement benchmark, but beyond technological achievements, the company also left a lesser-known baseball legacy.

Founders of Pratt & Whitney Company.
Pratt & Whitney’s first game, 1866.

Baseball gained popularity in Hartford circa 1860, as the agrarian city became more industrialized. To enhance publicity and morale, manufacturers, churches, and fraternal organizations sponsored athletic clubs. Pratt & Whitney Company established its first baseball team in the summer of 1866—nearly a decade before Hartford welcomed professional baseball. The P&W nine competed against crosstown clubs and teams from neighboring towns. In 1883, they ventured out of state for the first time, taking on a team from Holyoke, Massachusetts.

The Pratt & Whitney Co. Hartford, CT, 1877.
Pratt & Whitney executives Hartford, Connecticut, 1887 (c.)
Pratt & Whitney Co. executives, 1887.
Pratt & Whitney vs. Holyoke, July 19, 1883.

Pratt & Whitney also pioneered indoor baseball, during the cold seasons of 1899 and 1900. The club took part in the Indoor Baseball League at Hartford’s Y.M.C.A. When warmer weather came back, P&W competed in Hartford’s Shop Baseball League, later named the Factory League. Their opponents included Colt Armory, Billings & Spencer, Hartford Electric Vehicle, Hartford Rubber Works, and Pope Manufacturing. Local fans eagerly gathered to watch these spirited matchups at Colt Park and Wethersfield Avenue Grounds.

Y.M.C.A. Building, Hartford Connecticut, 1900.
Pratt & Whitney records triple play, 1904.
Pratt & Whitney, Hartford, Connecticut, 1900.
Pratt & Whitney, Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT, 1911.
Pratt & Whitney ballplayers, 1913.
Industrial League baseball at Colt Park, Hartford, 1913.

By 1916, the Factory League had evolved into the Hartford Industrial League, popularly known as the Dusty League. As Hartford’s premier amateur circuit, Pratt & Whitney claimed the Dusty League championship in its inaugural season. The team featured Dutch Leonard, a hard-throwing pitcher; John Muldoon, a catcher later signed by the Hartford Senators of the Eastern Association; and Sam Hyman, a Hartford High School southpaw destined for a professional career. Most of the team, however, was comprised local talent, including Rex Islieb, an outfielder whose key contributions helped Pratt & Whitney secure another pennant in 1918.

By 1916, the Factory League had grown into the Hartford Industrial League, also called the Dusty League. As Hartford’s premier amateur circuit, Pratt & Whitney claimed the championship in its inaugural season. Standout players included Dutch Leonard, a hard-throwing pitcher; John Muldoon, a catcher later signed by the Hartford Senators of the Eastern Association; and Sam Hyman, a Hartford High School southpaw destined for a professional career. All team members were employees and local residents. Among them was Rex Islieb, an outfielder whose contributions helped P&W secure another pennant in 1918.

Dutch Leonard, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney, 1916.
Pratt & Whitney wins Industrial League, 1916.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1917.
John Muldoon, Catcher, Pratt & Whitney, 1918.

Then on September 22, 1918, Pratt & Whitney squared off against a 23-year-old Babe Ruth, only eleven days after winning a World Series for the Boston Red Sox. He barnstormed a benefit game at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds for the Bat and Ball Fund, donating baseball equipment to American soldiers fighting in World War I. Ruth hurled and batted third for a semi-pro club, the Hartford Poli’s. His Red Sox teammate, “Bullet” Joe Bush started on the mound for Pratt & Whitney with big leaguers Shano Collins, Joe Dugan and Herman Bronkie behind him. Though Ruth pitched admirably, he was outdueled by Bush’s two-hit pitching performance and Pratt & Whitney won, 1-0.

1918 Boston Red Sox, World Series Champions.
Babe Ruth & Joe Bush, Boston Red Sox, 1918.
Pratt & Whitney vs. Babe Ruth, September 23, 1918.
Herman Bronkie, St. Louis Cardinals, 1918.
Shano Collins, Chicago White Sox, 1918.
Joe Dugan, Philadelphia Athletics, 1918.

Building on their victory over Babe Ruth, Pratt & Whitney’s baseball team maintained their good form the following season. Thousands of spectators gathered at Colt Park to watch the team secure the 1919 Industrial League title—marking their third consecutive pennant. Pratt & Whitney capped off a remarkable season with a year-end celebration at the Hotel Bond on Asylum Street. While supporting the Allies in World War I, Pratt & Whitney’s company team had also established an elite reputation. Their standout player was a two-way outfielder named Jack Vannie, a Bulkeley High School graduate and a former member of the Hartford Poli’s.

Pratt & Whitney Baseball Club, 1919.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1919.

As baseball thrived, the “Roaring Twenties” prompted expansion at Pratt & Whitney. In 1925, aviation engineer Frederick Rentschler partnered with Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool to build new aircraft engines, thus beginning Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company. As the company made advances in jet engines, its workers built camaraderie and community around athletics, including bowling, tennis, basketball and football. The P&W baseball club of the 1920s contended in the Industrial League, but with limited success compared to previous years.

Hartford Industrial Athletic League trophies, 1921.
Johns-Pratt vs. Pratt & Whitney at Colt Park, 1923.
Pratt & Whitney Company, Capitol Avenue, Hartford, Connecticut, 1925.

When most businesses were stricken by the ill effects of the Great Depression, Pratt & Whitney thrived on federal contracts. Frederick Rentschler produced a thousand Wasp aircraft engines by 1929, but soon broke away from Pratt & Whitney. His division was spun off and merged with Boeing to form United Aircraft and Transport Corporation (a predecessor of United Technologies Corporation). As part of the agreement, United Aircraft retained the name Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and in 1930, they formed a new baseball club.

Frederick Rentschler, President, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, 1926.
L to R: Pratt & Whitney Aircraft executives George Mead, Fred Rentschler, Don Brown & William Willgoos, 1929.
United Aircraft & Transport Corporation, 1929.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1930.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company, East Hartford, CT, 1930.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, East Hartford, CT, 1930.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, East Hartford, CT, 1930.

The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft “Aircrafters” and the Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool “Toolmakers” produced a friendly baseball rivalry throughout the 1930s and 1940s. Both clubs were regulars of the Hartford Industrial League, the Public Service League and the East Hartford Twilight League. Though after antitrust laws broke up United Aircraft and Transport Corporation in 1934, a new firm emerged in United Aircraft Corporation (consisting of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Sikorsky, Chance Vought and Hamilton Standard). President Fred Rentschler moved their headquarters to a giant complex in East Hartford, Connecticut, and the baseball team continued on as United Aircraft.

Hal Justin, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co., 1932.
Hal Justin, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co., 1932.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and Chance Vought plants in East Hartford, Connecticut, 1935.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and Chance Vought plants in East Hartford, Connecticut, 1935.
Sikorsky S-42 Clipper with United Aircraft Hornet Engines, 1935.
Sikorsky S-43 powered by Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines, 1936.

In springtime of 1937, United Aircraft’s club entered the Industrial League and then they joined the East Hartford Twilight League around midsummer. That same season, they hosted an exhibition game versus an United States Marine Corps nine from Quantico, Virginia. The Aircrafters starred GHTBL Hall of Fame inductees Joe Tripp and Bill Calusine. A former Eastern League pitcher, Hal Justin, served as manager and guided them to the 1939 Industrial League championship.

U.S. Marines visit Hartford to play against United Aircraft (Pratt & Whitney Aircraft), 1937.
United Aircraft, Hartford Industrial League Champions, 1939.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft newsletter cover, 1940.
United Aircraft (Pratt & Whitney Aircraft), East Hartford, 1940.

While their clubs presided over Hartford’s baseball scene, Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool and United Aircraft made major contributions to the Allies of World War II. Both baseball clubs fielded professionals and aspiring prospects whose careers were interrupted by war. Aircraft’s workforce swelled to more than 40,000 employees, helping America build more planes than any nation. It was on the diamond at East Hartford’s Burnside Park where employees and fans retained a sense of normalcy.

Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool, 1940.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1941.

United Aircraft boasted a minor league outfielder, John Chomick, and a tandem of brothers in the infield, Pete Kapura and George Kapura. Hartford’s hometown ace of the Negro Leagues, Johnny Taylor, pitched for the Aircrafters on several occasions. Meanwhile, Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool rostered one-time Boston Braves pitcher, George Woodend, as well as minor leaguers, Daniel Zazzaro, Jake Banks and Charlie Wrinn. The Toolmakers seized the 1942 Hartford Industrial League and the 1943 East Hartford Twilight League. On April 25, 1943, they faced off against the Hartford Senators of the Eastern League in an exhibition, losing only by one run.

United Aircraft, East Hartford, Connecticut, 1940.
United Aircraft, East Hartford, Connecticut, 1942.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1942.
Joe Tripp, Shortstop, United Aircraft, 1943.
George Woodend, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool, 1943.
Jake Banks, Outfielder, Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool, 1944.
Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool, West Hartford, 1945.

In 1947, United Aircraft made a bid at the Hartford Twilight League championship. Behind strong pitching from Iggy Miller Murawski, the team cruised by Royal Typewriter in the semifinals. In the final round against Lenny’s Yellow Taxi, the Aircrafters split a Saturday doubleheader, but due to unknown circumstances, the team was unable to field enough players and were forced to forfeit the deciding game of the series. (United Aircraft had reverted back to using the name Pratt Whitney Aircraft around 1945 and both names were used interchangeably.)

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft emblem, 1945.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft ad, Hartford Courant, 1945.
“Iggy” Miller Murawski, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, 1947.
John “Yosh” Kinel, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool, 1949.
Charlie Wrinn, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool, 1951.

In 1952, the Aircrafters claimed both the Hartford Industrial League and the Manchester Twilight League. The following summer, the team joined the Hartford Twilight League and captured the championship under the leadership of their manager, Johnny Roser. Professional scouts were impressed, leading the New York Giants to sign Aircraft pitcher Bob Kelley to a minor league contract. The team’s dominance continued in 1955 when they secured another dual championship, winning both Industrial League and Hartford Twilight League titles.

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft advertisement in the Hartford Courant, 1952.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft vs. Puritan Maids, 1953.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, Hartford Twilight League champions, 1953.
New York Giants sign Pratt & Whitney Aircraft pitcher, Bob Kelley, 1954.
Hartford Twilight League Opening Day, 1955.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, double champions, 1955.
Bill Risley, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, 1955.
Jack Downes of Pratt & Whitney Aircraft accepts the Hartford Courant Trophy, 1955.

A notable campaign for Pratt & Whitney Aircraft came in 1957. That season, first baseman Dick Pomeroy won a Twi-loop batting title and the club’s ace and freshman at the University of Connecticut, Pete Sala, tossed his way to a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Aircrafters played their final Hartford Twilight League season in 1960. Around this time, Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool and Pratt & Whitney Aircraft began to sponsor softball teams instead of baseball. When Aircraft opened a new division in North Haven, Connecticut, the company erected a softball field for its employees.

Mayor Cronin’s first pitch, Hartford Twilight League Opening Day, Colt Park, Hartford, CT, 1956.
Jimmy Griffin, Outfielder, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, 1956.
Pete Sala, Pitcher, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, 1957.
Pratt & Whitney first pitch, North Haven, Connecticut, 1957.
Pratt & Whitney softball game, North Haven, Connecticut, 1957.
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, North Haven Branch, 1957.

Although their contributions are largely unnoticed today, Pratt & Whitney greatly influenced and developed baseball in the Greater Hartford area. Teams representing the many companies of Pratt & Whitney competed in Hartford’s amateur leagues for nearly a century. Amid endless changes, innovations, mergers and acquisitions, baseball was one of few constants for manufacturing laborers – especially the men who toiled and tossed for Pratt & Whitney.

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, East Hartford, Connecticut, 1980.
1930s Pratt & Whitney baseball uniform, Connecticut Historical Society, 2019.


Sources:

  1. Hartford Courant, available at www.newspapers.com (accessed: 2020).
  2. Pratt & Whitney, available at www.prattandwhitney.com (accessed: 2020).
by Weston Ulbrich

The Charter Oak Base Ball Club of Hartford

In the summer of 1860, the New York style of “base ball” rose to prominence in Hartford, Connecticut. One of the first teams to organize was the Independent Base Ball Club. Local merchants, W. O. Sherman and Charles A. Griswold served as President and Vice President. The Independents were most likely the forerunner of the Charter Oak Base Ball Club, founded in 1862 at Bushnell Park.

The Charter Oak Base Ball Club was named after an unusually large White Oak tree called the Charter Oak – a symbol of American freedom that fell during a storm in 1856. Club membership was limited to 40 men. Game days were Monday, Wednesday and Friday. According to the Hartford Courant in 1862, the team’s mission was to, “…establish on a scientific basis the health-giving and scientific game of base ball, and to promote good fellowship among its players.”

Painting of Hartford’s Charter Oak tree by Charles De Wolf Brownell, 1857.

The Charter Oaks were founded by Gershom B. Hubbell, originally a native of Bridgeport. He was a telegrapher at the American Telegraph on Main Street, Hartford and later, superintendent of Western Union’s Hartford office. Hubbell was President of the Charter Oaks.

Other elected officers included: James B. Burbank, Vice President; Charles A. Jewell, Secretary and Treasurer; Thomas Hollister, G. F. Hills and E. H. Lane, Directors. James Burbank was a clerk; Charles Jewell, was a clerk at his father’s hide and leather business, Pliny Jewell & Sons; Enos A. Lane, 20, was also a clerk at George S. Lincoln Company, iron founders of Hartford; George F. Hills, aged 25, a teller at the State Bank; and Thomas A. Hollister, aged 30, who returned from New York as an apprentice bookbinder. All of the founders, except Burbank, made Hartford their permanent home.

The Charter Oak Base Ball Club is organized, July 2, 1862.
Hartford Courant excerpt, July 19, 1862.
Hartford Courant, August 8, 1862.

The Charter Oaks actually field three teams: a “first nine,” a “second nine” and a “muffin team” for older players. Practices and friendly intersquad games were held at Bushnell Park. Their uniforms consisted of blue pants, a white shirt and a white hat. On July 17, 1862 the club chose its first nine. They were the Bunce twins—Frederick and Henry Lee (both of whom became banking executives), Henry Yergason, Dickinson, Burbank, Branch, Hills, Hollister and Gershom Hubbell. In 1863, the team disbanded due to the start of the American Civil War and the ensuing military draft.

Charter Oaks vs. Collinsville,1864
Charter Oaks vs. Collinsville,1864

The Charter Oaks reorganized in the summer of 1864 and performed better than ever before. The club defeated Trinity College, the Hartford Mechanics and nines from Middletown, Norwich, Collinsville, and Waterbury. The Oaks recruited a Trinity student, Cy Blackwell to take over pitching duties. In the fall of 1864, Blackwell and the Charter Oaks out-dueled New Haven’s Yale College by a score of 44-32. A rematch was later cancelled due to snowy weather.

Hartford Courant excerpt, June 15, 1864.
Yale challenges the Charter Oaks, 1864.
Aerial view of Hartford by J. Weidermann, 1864.

By 1865, “base ball” soared in popularity as soldiers returned home from the Civil War. Thousands of spectators witnessed the Oaks win a majority of their games along the banks of Park River in Hartford’s Bushnell Park. In addition to local teams, the Oaks “first nine” competed against the game’s first professional clubs in an era when there was no official difference between professional and amateur. The Philadelphia Athletics, the Atlantics of Brooklyn, the Unions of Morrisania, the Eons of Portland, Maine, the Lowells of Lowell, Massachusetts, the Eurekas of Newark, New Jersey, were among the top challengers to visit Hartford.

Main Street Hartford, Connecticut, 1865.

The Charter Oak Base Ball Club also scheduled away games, otherwise known as “base ball excursions.” In Worcester, Massachusetts, on July 31, 1865, the Oaks were thoroughly defeated by Harvard, 35-13. Nevertheless, the Oaks earned a winning record against in-state rivals that season. As a result, they were honored as champions of Connecticut and given a miniature wooden bat with inscribed silver emblems by a supporter of the club, J. G. Belden. The bat was claimed to be made from the original Charter Oak tree.

1865 Charter Oak Base Ball Club.

In 1866, the Charter Oaks retained the state championship in a three-game series against the Norwich Chesters. A final game took place at Hamilton Park (later known as Howard Avenue Grounds) in New Haven, Connecticut. The Oaks dominated the Norwich club, winning 39-22. A second consecutive state championship padded their well-regarded reputation.

When the season was through, Hubbell represented the Charter Oaks at an annual “National Base Ball Convention” in New York City. Connecticut had 20 clubs represented. The game, its rules and its clubs made efforts to standardize and coordinate base ball operations. The following season the Pequots of New London managed to win the state title from the Charter Oaks. Up to this point, Hubbell and the Bunce twins appeared in every Oaks game.

Charter Oaks vs. Norwich Chesters, 1866.

The following season the Pequots of New London managed to win the state title back from the Charter Oaks. Up to this point, Hubbell and the Bunce twins appeared in every Oaks game. Hubbell and his players stayed active in the off-season too. He hosted Connecticut’s first base ball convention in Hartford at Central Hall on Central Row.

In attendance were representatives from each of the state’s base ball clubs of 1867. The meeting formed the Connecticut Base Ball Players Association headed by Gershom Hubbell. He held two more base ball conventions in Hartford. By the 1870 meeting, the Charter Oaks were disbanded, but they had already put Hartford on the base ball map. The Charter Oaks and Hubbell led the early development of base ball in Hartford and greater things were to come.

Charter Oak Base Ball Club travels to New London, 1867.
Charter Oak Billiard Hall , 1867.
Charter Oaks vs. Yale, 1867
Charter Oaks vs. Pequots 1867.

Four years after the Oaks disbanded, Hartford’s first professional team was established: The Hartford Base Ball Club. Hubbell was selected as the new club’s President. The Hartford Base Ball Club became known as the Dark Blues, and they were inaugural members of the National League. Hartford’s own Morgan G. Bulkeley was selected to be the National League’s first President. At the time, Bulkeley was a City Councilor and a Board Member of Aetna Insurance.

Charter Oaks vs. Yale, June 20, 1870.

Gershom Hubbell might have been overshadowed by the presence of Morgan Bulkeley, but his contributions were in the grassroots. In addition to pioneering the game, Hubbell was also a three-term City Council member of Hartford’s 7th Ward, an expert electrician and a championship pool player. He is credited with introducing the first telephones to Bell Telephone Company and with starting Hartford’s first telephone exchange. Hubbell owned a billiards hall on Pearl Street during the late 1860’s called Charter Oak Billiard Hall.

Base Ball Convention, Hartford, 1870.

Hubbell’s billiards hall was undoubtedly a gathering point for the Charter Oaks Base Ball Club. Their camaraderie led to the historic formation of Hartford’s first professional team. They were a critical link in the chain of organized base ball in Connecticut, and Nutmeggers have been big fans of the game ever since.

The Hubbell House, Fairfield, Connecticut, 1880 (c.)

Sources

1. Hartford Courant database on Newspapers.com

2. Synopsis of the Charter Oak Base Ball Club by Gary “Pops” O’Maxfield –https://hartford.omaxfield.com/citycenter/cobbc.html

by Weston Ulbrich

Yung Wing & Hartford’s Chinese Base Ball Club

In 1872, a delegation of dignitaries and students from China arrived in Hartford, Connecticut, for a prolonged visit. The Chinese government had commissioned the students to undergo a Western education in order to develop future ambassadors of the Qing Dynasty. However, China did not expect the young men to become Americanized as they did, to forget the Mandarin language and to grow an affection for a game called base ball. Hartford’s Sino-guests were a part of the first Chinese Educational Mission (CEM) and led by a Yung Wing, a Chinese man educated in America. Also known by his Mandarin title, “Rong Hong” Yung Wing was the first Chinese national to graduate from New Haven’s Yale College.

Yale College (left) New Haven, Connecticut, 1850 (c.)

Originally, Yung Wing was born in 1828 and raised in the Zhuhai prefecture near Macao. Yung attended the Morrison School in Macao, the first Christian missionary school in China founded by another Yale graduate, Reverend Samuel Robbins Brown. In 1847, Yung was offered an opportunity to study in the United States by Reverend Brown, who was returning home due to poor health. Yung accepted the invitation, traveled half-way around the world and initially enrolled at Monson Academy in Massachusetts. During this time he became a convert to Christianity and accustomed to a New England way of life. In 1852, while studying law at Yale, Yung also became an American citizen.

Yung Wing (Rong Hong), Yale Graduate, Class of 1854.

After Yale, he returned to China. He was determined to bring Chinese students to the United States so they too could experience a Western education. The Qing court debated the idea of sending students to study abroad in 1863. Meanwhile Yung was promoted up the ranks of China’s government and became envoy to the United States. He returned to America to acquire machinery, thereby equipping the city of Shanghai with modern manufacturing technology. He was then called upon to serve as lead interpreter to negotiate the 1868 Burlingame Treaty, providing legal rights to both Americans and Chinese people while abroad. Then Yung was key to negotiations with France following the Tianjin Massacre of 1870.

View of Hartford, Connecticut, 1869.

Eventually, Yung Wing became a Viceroy of the fifth rank, and he used his influence to appeal for the Western education of Chinese boys. His persistence paid off when the Tongzhi Emperor approved the Chinese Educational Mission to America. Yung went ahead of other Chinese officials and students in order to establish the CEM in New England. He vetted American families who would open their homes to young Chinese students and would eventually set up CEM headquarters in Hartford, Connecticut. The first group of thirty students sailed to America in 1872, and rode a series of trains to reach Hartford.

Reverend Samuel Robbins Brown, 1870 (c.)

The first group of students from China, 30 boys ranging in age from 10 to 14, arrived in Hartford in 1872. A second detachment arrived from China in 1873, followed by a third and fourth in 1874 and 1875. The students lived with host families in Connecticut and Massachusetts, where they were immersed in the English language and American customs. CEM students attended local schools, including West Middle School and Hartford Public High School. They would go on to study at secondary schools throughout New England in preparation for college.

Chinese Educational Mission students departing Shanghai, 1872.

A majority of Chinese Educational Mission students hailed from Guangdong Province, while others came from Fujian Province, Shanghai, and various coastal locations of China. They arrived in Hartford wearing traditional Chinese garb but soon adopted an American style after experiencing ridicule from peers. While they improved speaking English at the expense of their Mandarin, the students assimilated to a new culture, including going to church on Sunday, eating American cuisine and playing baseball.

The first Chinese Educational Mission students arriving in Hartford, Connecticut, 1872.

The Chinese pupils learned baseball during an era when the game was spreading rapidly in popularity throughout the United States. Their team of at least nine players was called the Celestials (also referred to as the Orientals). Members of the team, like most Chinese students in 1874, lived at the Chinese Education Mission headquarters at 352 Collins Street, Hartford. It was a large Queen Anne style mansion with dormitories and classrooms. When warm weather allowed, many of the students could be found playing baseball on the front lawn.

The Celestials (also known as The Orientals), Hartford, Connecticut, 1878.

In 1875, Yung Wing, Director of CEM, married Mary Louise Kellogg, the daughter of a prominent doctor in Hartford. Mary Kellogg and Yung Wing wedded in a ceremony conducted by a close friend, Yung’s sponsor and the first pastor of Asylum Hill Congregational Church, Reverend Joseph Hopkins Twichell. Becasue interracial marriages were a rarity at the time, the union of Yung Wing and Mary Kellogg was the talk of Hartford. They would have two children named Morrison Brown Yung and Bartlett Golden Yung.

Reverend Joseph H. Twichell (left) and Yung Wing, 1875.
Yung Wing on his wedding day, 1875.
Mary Louise Kellogg, wife of Yung Wing on their wedding day, 1875.
The parlor of the Chinese Educational Mission, 1878.
The classroom Chinese Educational Mission of Hartford, 1878.
Yung Wing, leader of the Chinese Educational Commission, Hartford, Connecticut, 1878.

Not long after the birth of his sons, Yung Wing found himself in a predicament over the fate of the Chinese Educational Mission. Other CEM commissioners with traditional viewpoints wrote in secret to the Chinese Court denouncing the students for becoming too Americanized. These negative reports, funding concerns and a United States breach of the Burlingame Treaty prompted China to announce the end of the mission. However Yung Wing and his Hartford-based circle of influence fought back.

Chinese student, Hartford, Connecticut, 1879.

The closest friend of Rev. Joseph H. Twichell and an avid CEM supporter happened to be Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. The famous American author took the initiative to write a letter to former United States President Ulysses S. Grant, knowing of Grant’s respect for China and Chinese-American relations. Twain’s letter urged President Grant to appeal China’s decision ending the CEM. Grant made the appeal and as a result, the students were temporarily allowed to stay.

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) of Hartford advocates for CEM, 1881.

Despite the unpredictable future of the mission, integration of the students into New England society thrived. By the spring of 1881, several Chinese students were enrolled at colleges and preparatory schools. In fact, Phillips Exeter Academy and Phillips Academy Andover both featured a Chinese student on their baseball teams. Other students adapted to American culture by forming political clubs or joining religious organizations. CEM students were also well-versed in specialized fields such as telegraphy, machining, medicine, law, government and international studies.

Yung Wing (second from right) and other leaders of the Chinese Educational Mission, 1881.

However the Chinese government ordered the students back to China on June 8, 1881, six years earlier than originally planned. One hundred CEM students made their way back to China along with Yung Wing. In August of 1881, the Chinese cohort stopped in San Francisco to await a steamer back to China but before their departure, an Oakland baseball team challenged the Celestials to a game. Oakland expected to rout the young Chinese squad, but, to the surprise of everyone, the Celestials drew on their experience in Hartford and won their final baseball game in America.

Chentung Liang Cheng (seated, right) of the Phillips Academy Andover Base Ball Team, 1881.
Chin Kin Kwai (seated, right) of the Phillips Exeter Academy Base Ball Team, 1881.
Chinese Educational Mission headquarters at 352 Collins Street Hartford, Connecticut, 1887.

In 1883, Yung Wing came back to Hartford to care for his wife who had fallen ill while in China. Sadly, Mary Kellogg Wing never recovered and passed away in 1886. A devastated Yung Wing raised his two sons, who helped console him through the loss of both his his wife and his Chinese Educational Mission. Yung returned to China in 1895 after China was defeated in the Sino-Japanese War. He served as an advisor to the Chinese government and made suggestions to officials, such as construction of railroads, establishment of a national bank – none of which were adopted.

Yung Wing in China, 1908 (c.)

Yung Wing then joined the Reform Party who lobbied for new progressive policies in China. During the summer of 1898, Empress Dowager Cixi brought a halt to any notion of reform and a $70,000 bounty was placed on the head of Yung Wing. He fled for his life to Shanghai and then on to Hong Kong. Though his United States citizenship had been annulled in 1898 as a result of the Chinese Exclusion Act, he snuck in to the country through the Port of San Francisco in June of 1902. Yung Wing arrived in New Haven in time to see his younger son, Barlett Golden Yung graduate from Yale.

Morrison Brown Yung and Bartlett Golden Yung, 1910 (c.)

Along with his longtime friend, Rev. Joseph Twichell, Yung Wing published an autobiography in 1909 entitled My Life in China and America. On April 22, 1912, he died in Hartford and was buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery. If not for Yung Wing, 120 Chinese students would not have come to live and study in New England during the 9-year Chinese Educational Mission. The students worked as diplomats, engineers, physicians, educators, administrators, magistrates and naval officers; thus achieving Yung Wing’s mission. He left a trailblazing legacy of international diplomacy, he led a Western expansion of China’s cultural footprint and perhaps unintentionally, Yung Wing ushered the game of baseball from Hartford, all the way to China.

Yung Wing, 1909 (c.)
Tombstones of Mary Kellogg & Yung Wing, 2012.
Yung Wing statue in Zhuhai, China, 2005.
Yung Wing Statue, Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University, 2014.

Sources:

  1. Wing, Yung. My Life in China and America. Nabu Press, 2010.
  2. Chinese Exchange Students in 1880’s Connecticut, www.ctexplored.org/chinese-exchange-students-in-1880s-connecticut.
  3. “Yung Wing, the Chinese Educational Mission, and Transnational Connecticut: Connecticut History: a CTHumanities Project.” Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project, www.connecticuthistory.org/yung-wing-the-chinese-educational-mission-and-transnational-connecticut.
  4. Hartford Courant, Connecticut State Library digital database.

by Weston Ulbrich

The Tober Baseball Manufacturing Company

When the 20th century began, baseball was in high demand throughout urban and rural America. Professionals, amateurs and school children played the “National Game” whenever weather permitted. In Hartford, a professional team nicknamed the Senators was organized in 1902 as part of the Connecticut State League. That same year, a Russian immigrant family named Tober settled in Springfield, Massachusetts. Among the family was a 20 year old man, Meyer Tober (1882-1964) who with his brothers, Israel and Louis, immediately began to capitalize on baseball mania by manufacturing sporting goods, especially by spinning, sewing and stitching baseballs.

Tober’s Connecticut State League baseball, 1910 (c.)

Massachussetts issued Tober a charter in December of 1910, thus founding Tober Brothers Inc. To meet growing demand for baseball goods, the company expanded to Hartford, Connecticut in 1912. The company established a factory in Hartford where Meyer Tober, his brothers and employees stitched baseballs by hand. Communities in and around Hartford became even more gripped by the game of baseball during this time. Aside from the Hartford Senators, almost all surrounding towns fielded ball clubs and amateur leagues competed on baseball diamonds across Connecticut. Public service entities such as police and fire departments, insurance businesses, churches and schools formed teams and played regularly at places like Colt Park in Hartford.

Tober Brothers Inc. bill of sale, 1911.

As baseball grew more popular, Tober gained profits and prestige. The family of baseball industrialists and their company became distinguished for quality workmanship. In 1915, Meyer Tober married a woman named Rae Recker of Hartford. Tober may have been influenced by his wife when in 1920, he published an advertisement in the Hartford Courant seeking 300 women to sew baseball covers at home on either a full-time or part-time basis. That year, Meyer Tober agreed to a business partnership with John A. Peach and the J.A. Peach Sporting Goods Company known for supplying baseball gloves to the Major Leagues. For a short period, the Peach-Tober Sporting Goods company was incorporated and located at 17 Goodman Place in Hartford, Connecticut.

Tober College League Baseball, 1922 (c.)
Tober employment advertisement, 1920.
Meyer Tober leases property on Pleasant Street in Hartford, 1922.
Meyer Tober leases property on Pleasant Street in Hartford, 1922.

The following year, a fire on April 25, 1921 destroyed $15,000 in Peach-Tober merchandise during their busy season. In the aftermath, Tober reorganized the business again and took on the name, Bon-Tober Sporting Goods Co. In 1922, Meyer Tober leased a three-story brick building at “240 Pleasant Street in Hartford for three years at $150 a month.” The Bon-Tober operation employed 150 people and over 1500 women who sewed baseballs from home. By then, Tober manufactured various sporting goods including baseballs, baseball mitts and gloves, baseball bats, footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, punching bags and boxing gloves. Branch offices were operated in New Britain, Meriden, Middletown, Springfield and Westfield.

Bon-Tober Sporting Goods Company advertisement, 1923.
Bon-Tober baseball, 1923.
Bon-Tober Catchers Mitt Box Hartford, Connecticut, 1925 (c.)
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1923.
Bon-Tober bat, 1925 (c.)

Tober baseball goods were used in leagues as far as Georgia where a single Tober baseball was claimed, “to last thirty innings, though it was guaranteed to last for eighteen innings.” In 1927, the company was purchased and operated by the McKinnon Dash Co. of Buffalo, New York, a former manufacturer of dashboards for horse drawn buggies and carriages dating back to 1878. For a short transition period products were sold with the Bon-Tober/McKinnon brand name. In 1930, McKinnon Dash began producing a complete line of leather sporting goods, under the “McKinnon” brand name. After the McKinnon buyout, Meyer Tober began anew by forming the Tober Baseball Manufacturing Company.

Bon-Tober baseball glove, 1925 (c.)

On October 19,1938, the Hartford Courant reported on Tober’s plans to move its main operation to Manchester, Connecticut: “Cheney Brothers has leased the third floor of Mill Four, part of the spinning mill group on Elm Street, to Meyer Tober of Hartford, doing business as Tober Baseball Manufacturing Company. The plant will be used for manufacturing athletic goods and as a warehouse. The silk firm [Cheney Bros.] has already leased several of its vacant factories to small manufacturing concerns.” Meyer Tober leased the mill floor for five years at a rate of $1,500 per year. In Manchester, Tober mainly manufactured baseballs and softballs under the Eagle brand as well as playground balls.

Cheney Brothers “Spinning Mill” Manchester, Connecticut, 1919 (c.)
Cheney Brothers “Spinning Mill” Manchester, Connecticut, 2016.

By the 1940’s, Meyer Tober’s sons, Sidney and Richard joined the family business. The Tober family lived at the corner of Union and Jefferson Streets in the North End of Hartford. In 1945, the Hartford Zoning Board of Appeals gave Tober permission to use 1127 Main Street Hartford to sew covers on the cores of baseballs and softballs; a location that employed about fifty people. Meyer Tober continued to employ “home workers” to stitch balls, but he ran into trouble with the federal Wage & Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor. The Hartford Courant reported on August 24, 1945 that Tober was fined $2,600 for not paying minimum wage to home workers in Vermont.

Tober’s Eastern League baseball signed by Walter Johnson, 1938.
Tober’s International League baseball, 1940 (c.)

In the early 1950’s, an eyewitness described two sisters sewing Tober baseballs from their home: “The sisters were very fast with the red yarn! Their long steel needles would fly as they stitched the baseballs – the holes were already punched in the leather. As they finished each baseball, they put the baseballs in peach baskets.” Around the same time, Tober expanded manufacturing operations to the second floor of Building #2 at Hilliard Mills in Manchester, Connecticut. The Hilliard Mills complex was one of the first places in the United States where softballs were mass-produced.

A Tober advertisement, 1950.
Tober Baseball Manufacturing Company advertisement, 1950 (c.)
Mrs. Rae Recker Tober (right) at Women’s Auxiliary of Mount Sinai Hospital Hartford, 1952.

By 1955, the Tober Baseball Manufacturing Company needed more manufacturing space yet again. The business was relocated to Brooklyn Street in Rockville, Connecticut, at the former National Print building. Tober also boasted sales offices in major U.S. cities including New York, Cleveland, Chicago and San Francisco. Tober products were sold throughout the United States and internationally from sales offices in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti and across South America. According to an August 10, 1955, Hartford Courant article, “Credit for bringing the company to Rockville was given by Tober to Nat Schwedel, Treasurer of the American Dying Company and Vice President of the Rockville Industrial Association.”

Tober baseball signed by Jackie Robinson, 1955 (c.)
Tober Baseball Manufacturing Company advertisement, 1959.
A dozen Tober baseballs, 1960 (c.)
Tober Baseball Bazooka contest, 1956.
Tober baseball box, 1960 (c.)

On June 16, 1964, the Tober baseball story took a tragic turn. At the age of 82, Meyer Tober, was shot by a “berserk employee” named Carmelo Andino Reyes. Also characterized as “disgruntled,” Reyes had worked at Tober for five years while he was on probation. Reyes fired seven shots that summer day. One bullet passed through a table and struck a 21 year-old co-worker, Arlene Rose of Stafford Springs who suffered a minor gunshot wound. Meyer Tober was shot three times. The gunman was disarmed and restrained by male employees and held until the arrival of Rockville Officer Jack Reichenbach, according to a police account of the case.

Meyer Tober is shot three times by an employee, Carmelo Reyes, 1964.

At his trial, Carmelo Reyes pleaded innocent of intent to kill. He was eventually convicted of manslaughter and assault after an autopsy found Meyer Tober had died of a heart attack as a result of his wounds. Reyes was sentenced to 18 years in prison. After Meyer’s death, his sons, Sidney and Richard Tober operated the company for another five years before a fire caused extensive damage to the Rockville plant. The business closed in the early 1970’s after the Tober sons moved to Florida. By the end their run, Tober baseball left a legacy that spanned more than six decades as Connecticut’s most successful baseball goods manufacturer of all-time.

Tober Baseball Manufacturing Company Inc. in Rockville, Connecticut, 1965 (c.)
The former Rockville, Connecticut, location of the Tober Baseball Company, 2012.
by Weston Ulbrich

The Hartford Poli’s Baseball Club

The Hartford Poli’s burst onto the amateur baseball scene in 1905. They were formed by the energetic management and employees of Poli’s Theatre, a hub of vaudeville entertainment on Main Street. Backed by the iconic venue, the team brought together skilled players aged 18 to 30 and quickly earned a reputation as Hartford’s “fastest” club. Their popularity would peak around World War I when they hosted Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth for several benefit games.

Poli’s Theatre, Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut, 1903.

In contests that included major leaguers, the Poli’s drew large crowds and respectable challengers from across New England. Their fiercest rival was a crosstown team from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company. The popularity of the Poli’s baseball club amplified the prestige attached to the theatre. Behind it all was their founder, Sylvester Z. Poli, a renowned theater magnate who established venues in Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and cities throughout the Northeast.

Sylvester Zefferino Poli, (December 31, 1858 – May 31, 1937) an Italian immigrant to the United States who became a world famous theatre magnate.

In their early years, the Hartford Poli’s were the cornerstone of the Poli Baseball League, an intercompany circuit formed by employees. The Poli’s quickly established themselves as a dominant force. In 1908, they clinched the league championship in dramatic fashion, crushing the New Haven Poli’s 18-6 in the title game. Their victory was crowned with a championship cup, presented in a grand ceremony by Sylvester Poli himself.

Poli’s Theatre employees form a baseball league, 1905.

Building on their success, the Hartford Poli’s outgrew the company league, and emerged as one of Connecticut’s premier independent teams. In their early seasons, they were managed by R. J. Kelly and captained by first baseman, Fred Jendron. Their top hitter was a man named Hockers Gamerdinger. The theatre’s doorman, Curtis Gillette, was the Poli’s assistant coach and second baseman.

Hockers Gamerdinger, Hartford Poli’s, 1912.

Gillette was promoted to superintendent of the theatre as well as manager of the team in 1913. He appointed first baseman Ed DeVanney as captain. The Poli’s had a remarkable season, winning 26 of 31 games against opponents like the Hartford Royals, Hartford Olympias and East Hartford Pastimes. The employee of Poli’s earned multiple amateur state titles and solidified their reputation as one of Connecticut’s elite independent clubs.

1913 Hartford Poli’s Baseball Club
1914 Hartford Poli’s Baseball Club
Hartford Poli’s, 1914.

The Poli’s scouted local greats such as pitchers Ed “Smiler” Oppelt and Jack Vannie, infielder Joe Griffin and a potent two-way player named Rex Islieb. These players formed superior lineups that often overpowered the competition. About ten years into the franchise, the Poli’s were a centerpiece of amateur baseball in the capital city. Their home fields included Colt Park and Wethersfield Avenue Grounds.

1915 Hartford Poli’s Baseball Club

Poli Theatre expanded its baseball presence in 1915 by constructing Poli Field in East Hartford. Spanning ten acres, the park featured a grandstand that extended from first to third base. Wire netting was installed behind home plate to protect spectators from foul balls. With a new home and a talented hometown roster, the Poli’s were a main attraction, drawing massive crowds and hosting some of baseball’s biggest stars.

1916 Poli Baseball Club

On Tuesday, October 24, 1916, legendary Detroit Tigers outfielder, Ty Cobb arrived in Hartford to take on the Poli’s. As a guest star for the New Haven Colonials, Cobb showcased his all-around ability as a center fielder, first baseman, and relief pitcher. He tallied two hits, flashed his trademark speed in a rundown, and pitched three innings of one-hit ball. Cobb’s only blemish on the mound was a double by Poli’s catcher John Muldoon, who racked up three hits. Despite Muldoon’s efforts, Cobb and the Colonials shut out the Poli’s and their guest star, Benny Kauff, with a decisive 7-0 victory. Perhaps because it was a Tuesday afternoon, the exhibition drew an intimate crowd of 800 fans.

Manager Gillette recruited New York Giants pitcher Benny Kauff to face Ty Cobb and the New Haven Colonials, 1916.
Joe Griffin, Shortstop, Hartford Poli’s, 1916.
Babe Clark, Captain and First Baseman, Hartford Poli’s, 1916.
Curtis Gillette, 1917.
Lester Lanning, Outfielder, Hartford Poli’s and Wesleyan University graduate, 1917.
Rex Islieb, Shortstop, Hartford Poli’s Baseball, 1917.
1917 Hartford Poli’s Baseball Club
New York Bloomer Girls play against the Hartford Poli’s, 1917.

Then in mid-September of 1918, the Poli’s welcomed recent World Series champion George Herman “Babe” Ruth of the Boston Red Sox. Ruth appeared in a benefit game for American troops fighting overseas in World War I. His arrival in Hartford was met with a wave of excitement, as cheering fans lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the Babe. Poli’s manager Curtis Gillette drove Ruth to the Hotel Bond on Asylum Street, where Ruth was immediately swarmed by reporters eager to capture every moment of his visit.

Hartford Poli’s Baseball Club with Babe Ruth (back row, third from right), 1918.

Ruth and the Poli’s faced off against the Fisk Red Tops of Chicopee, Massachusetts, on Sunday, September 15, 1918. Ruth pitched and batted third in a stellar performance. He recorded two hits, including a double that ricocheted off the “Bull Durham” tobacco sign in center field. On the mound, he dominated with a complete-game shutout, allowing four hits. The Poli’s edged out the Red Tops 1-0, thanks to Ruth’s Red Sox teammate, catcher Sam Agnew, who drove in the game’s only run. Opposing them was another Red Sox star, Dutch Leonard, tossing for the Red Tops. The Red Sox players dazzled over 5,000 spectators at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds, and Ruth earned $350 for his appearance.

Bill Kopf, Shortstop, Hartford Poli’s, 1918.
New Haven Colonials vs. Hartford Poli’s, 1918.
Al Mamaux, Pitcher, Hartford Poli’s guest star, 1918.
Fisk-Poli Trophy, 1918
Fred Rieger, Pitcher, Hartford Poli’s, 1918.
Joe Briger, Catcher, Hartford Poli’s, 1918.
John “Boggy” Muldoon, Catcher, Hartford Poli’s, 1918.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1918.
Hartford Courant excerpt, 1918.

A week later, Ruth returned to play for the Poli’s in a Sunday doubleheader at Wethersfield Avenue Grounds. The Poli’s went toe-to-toe with Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in a pitcher’s duel. Five Major League players, including Ruth, appeared that day. Ruth recorded a quality start but was outdueled by Pratt & Whitney’s ace and Red Sox teammate, “Bullet” Joe Bush. Despite Ruth’s strong performance, the Poli’s were narrowly defeated 1-0.

Ruth to play at the Hartford Grounds with Poli’s, 1918.

In the second game of the day, Ruth and the Poli’s confronted a former Hartford Senators pitcher turned New York Yankee, Ray Fisher. Fisher was the headliner for a Fort Slocum team who ended up besting the Poli’s. Ruth played first base, had a base hit and scored their lone run. A crowd of more than 3,000 were in attendance for the occasion; a doubleheader featuring Babe Ruth in Hartford.

Hartford Courant excerpt, 1918.

The following year, on September 28, 1919, Babe Ruth reprised his role with the Hartford Poli’s in a game against the New Britain Pioneers. Hartford Mayor Richard J. Kinsella threw out the ceremonial first pitch and posed for a famous photograph with Ruth. The Great Bambino hit two homers over the right field fence, but due to a “short porch” ground rule, he was only allowed one base for each long ball. Earlier in the day, Ruth had hit a batting practice home run said to travel over 500 feet. The Poli’s shut out the Pioneers in front of more than 6,000 fans at Poli Field in East Hartford.

Hartford Courant excerpt, 1919.
Hartford Poli’s vs. New Haven Nutmegs, 1919.
Mayor of Hartford, Richard J. Kinsella and Babe Ruth, 1919.

The Hartford Poli’s convinced Babe Ruth to make an encore appearance in 1920, following his first season with the New York Yankees. On October 2, 1920, Ruth starred for the Poli’s in a game against New Departure at Muzzy Field in Bristol, Connecticut. Batting cleanup, he played nearly every position and went 4 for 4, with three singles and a double. Despite Ruth’s standout performance, New Departure shut out the Poli’s, thanks to crafty pitching from Gus Helfrich, a minor league spitballer from the New York State League. To accommodate the massive crowd, extra trains and trolleys were scheduled to Bristol that Saturday afternoon, drawing 10,000 fans to witness Ruth’s final game with the Hartford Poli’s.

Babe Ruth comes to Muzzy Field, 1920.
Ruth Four Hits at Bristol for the Hartford Poli’s, 1920.
Babe Ruth in the batter’s box, Muzzy Field, Bristol, CT, 1920.
Babe Ruth tagged out, Muzzy Field, 1920.
Babe Ruth playing first base, Muzzy Field, 1920.
Ruth accepts honorary gift, Muzzy Field, 1920.

For more than 15 years, the Hartford Poli’s were a top-tier amateur baseball club. By 1920, the team had developed some of the best talent in Hartford, including standout third baseman Rex Islieb, left-handed ace Bill Pike, and hard-throwing pitcher Jim O’Leary. In 1921, the Poli’s disbanded and evolved into a new team, the All-Hartfords, with a roster largely made up of former Poli players. Though a century has passed since the Poli’s played, their contributions remain culturally significant, serving as a source of entertainment and civic pride for the city.

The Man Behind the Poli’s

Sylvester and Rosa Poli

Poli’s baseball clubs were sponsored by Sylvester Zefferino Poli, a theater mogul, vaudeville pioneer, and entertainment proprietor. Born in 1853 in New York City to Italian immigrant parents, Poli initially gained recognition as an expert wax sculptor in 1881. His successful wax figurine business set the stage for his future ventures in vaudeville. Poli went on to become a major figure in the theater industry, pioneering vaudeville theaters throughout the northeastern United States.

Poli’s ad, Hartford Courant, 1906.
Poli’s ad, Hartford Courant, 1909.

In 1903, he opened Poli’s Theatre on Main Street in Hartford. By 1916, Poli was celebrated as the largest individual theater owner in the world. Upon his retirement at age 70, he had amassed 28 theaters, 3 hotels (including the Savoy in Miami), 500 office buildings, and two major development sites. Poli’s influence in the entertainment industry left a lasting legacy, especially in Connecticut.

The summer home of Sylvester Z. Poli and his family, “Villa Rosa” Woodmont, Milford, Connecticut, 1910.
“The Fortune Hunter” at Poli’s Theatre, 1912.
Poli’s Palace Theatre, Main Street, Hartford, CT, 1914.

In July of 1928, Sylvester Poli merged his company with Fox New England Theaters, retaining majority interest in the newly created Fox-Poli’s. However, in May of 1934, Loew’s Theatres purchased Poli’s remaining theaters, which were rebranded as Loew’s-Poli Theaters. In his final years, Poli resided at his summer home, Villa Rosa, in the Woodmont section of Milford, Connecticut, a palatial estate named in honor of his wife, Rosa Leverone.

Poli’s Capitol Theatre, Main Street, Hartford, designed by Thomas W. Lamb. Opened August 28, 1920.
Fox Poli Theatre, Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut, 1929.
Loews Poli Theatre in the background, Hartford, Connecticut, 1956.

Sylvester Z. Poli passed away on May 31, 1937, at the age of 79 from pneumonia. Loew’s-Poli Theatre in Hartford lasted long afterwards, until 1957.

Sources:

  1. Hartford Courant, 1 Aug. 2019, p. A1. Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com
  2. Paventi, Michael. “CPTV Documentary Profiles Italian-Born New Haven Theater Mogul Sz. Poli.” Hartford Courant, 14 Jan. 2021, www.courant.com/2021/01/14/cptv-documentary-profiles-italian-born-new-haven-theater-mogul-sz-poli/.
  3. Mister Wonderland. Vimeo, vimeo.com/ondemand/misterwonderland.

by Weston Ulbrich

The Bat and Ball, Discovered at State Library

In 1990, at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford, a local historian named Linda Gradofsky discovered an original copy of the world’s first known baseball periodical, The Bat and Ball. The May 1, 1867 publication “Devoted to our National Game” was the “Second Season” of the series. Published without photographs or advertisements, the paper was written for Hartford’s earliest baseball fans. Columns included season previews of clubs from around the nation as well as scores from recent games played.

In 1990, Linda Gradofsky, a local historian, unearthed an original copy of “The Bat and Ball,” the world’s first known baseball periodical, at the Connecticut State Library in Hartford. Dated May 1, 1867, this discovered issue was part of the “Second Season” series and was dedicated to “Our National Game.” The publication was tailored for Hartford’s early baseball enthusiasts. It featured columns with season previews of various national clubs and scores of recent games.

Hartford Courant, August 21, 1990.

“The Bat and Ball” was available on Hartford’s streets for five cents per copy, with an annual subscription of fourteen issues costing fifty cents. The publication covered “base ball” events across the nation during the post-Civil War period, including a section on cricket. At this time, baseball was still a burgeoning sport, rapidly gaining popularity. The demand for detailed sports coverage was growing, and Hartford was at the forefront of sports journalism.

And yet, somehow, the author(s) are unknown to this day. “The Bat and Ball” is still somewhat of a mystery. Here’s the full publication of the Second Season—No. 1:

The Bat and Ball, page 1, May 1, 1867.
The Bat and Ball, page 2, May 1, 1867.
The Bat and Ball, page 3, May 1, 1867.
The Bat and Ball, page 4, May 1, 1867.

by Weston Ulbrich

“The Bat and Ball” Debuts in Hartford

During the post-Civil War era, base ball was helping to unify the United States. With increasing popularity, fans demanded closer coverage. In 1866, The Bat and Ball became the first known baseball periodical. The publication sold for 5 cents a copy on the streets of Hartford, Connecticut. For subscribers, 14 issues were delivered throughout the year for 50 cents. The publication enlightened readers about local and national matches and a few columns on the game of cricket.

The Bat and Ball mentioned in the Hartford Courant, 1866.

A rare copy of The Bat and Ball was uncovered in 1990 at the Connecticut State Library. Linda Grodofsky, the reference and government documents librarian, said she found the issue on a shelf in a reading room among old newspapers. This rare copy of The Bat and Ball is preserved and stored in a secure area and available for visitors to view.

Hartford Courant excerpt, August 25, 1866.

Before the discovery of The Bat and Ball, historians acknowledged The Sporting News as the first periodical to feature baseball – debuting March 17, 1886. However Hartford’s The Bat and Ball preceded The Sporting News by twenty years. Authorship of The Bat and Ball is unknown because the periodical was written anonymously, though a possible author may have been Gershom B. Hubbell, President of the Hartford Base Ball Club and a telegraph operator for Western Union.

Hartford Courant excerpt, October 16, 1866.

The issue at the Connecticut State Library, dated May 1, 1867, was the paper’s Second Season—No. 1:.

May 1, 1867 Issue of The Bat and BallDownload

”This season, which is now opening, bids fair to be one of the most exciting that our National Game is likely ever to know,” a story on page one of the four-page paper said, nine years before the first major league was formed. ”And it is well that it should be so, for there is no more worthy object of public attention now before the American people than this same national game.”

The Bat and Ball issue also outlined rules agreed upon by local base ball dignitaries:

Rules of the Connecticut Base Ball Player’s Association. 

1. All match games for the championship shall be played in accordance with the rules adopted by the National Convention. 

2. The season for play shall commence on the first day of May, and continue until the first day of November. 

3. All challenges shall be sent to the secretary of the club at the time holding the emblem. 

4. The champion club must be prepared to play within fifteen days after receipt of a challenge, provided that they be not required to play a game oftener than once in ten days, and shall play clubs in the order of the dates of their challenges, the champions being allowed choice of time, ground and ball for the first game, the challenging that for the second game; and the third game, if such game be necessary, shall be played upon neutral ground in the State, with a ball furnished by the cham­ pion club. In case of any dispute relative to grounds or rules, the difficulty shall be referred to the committee on rules and regulations, and their decision when given shall be final. 

5. The expenses of every champion game must be defrayed by the challenging club. 

7. No challenging club, being defeated, shall challenge again the same champions during the same season. 

8. The champions, being defeated, may chal­lenge immediately after the defeat, and be allowed a match in the order of their challenge. 

9. In case the champions shall change bands during the season, all outstanding challenges shall be assumed by the new champions. 

President – John A. Sterry of Norwich. 

Vice President – lst, Gersbom B. Hubbell of Hartford; 2d, S. M. Knevals of New Haven. 

Recording Secretary – R. E. Crane of Agallian Club, Middletown. 

Corresponding Secretary – Thomas M. Haven of Pequot Club, New London. 

Treasurer – Alexander Hawley of Bridgeport Club, Bridgeport.“

At the time, baseball rules varied widely. This included clubs who used a different number of balls and strikes allowed to a ”striker” (batter). “The Bat and Ball” called for ”a uniform manner of playing.” Another column urged umpires to be more diligent to ensure that pitchers (who threw underhanded from a distance of 45 feet) tossed pitches where the striker, or batsman, wanted the pitched – a rule during the vintage days of ”base ball.”

View of Hartford, Connecticut, 1869.

Game rules of early base ball often resulted in high scores. A column in The Bat and Ball headed ”Match Games” reported on a game in San Francisco played on ”the birthday of the father of his country” (Feb. 22, 1867) in which the Eagles routed the Pacifics, 70-32.

Hartford Courant featurette on “The Bat and Ball”, August 21, 1990.
by Weston Ulbrich

When Jimmie Foxx & the Philadelphia Athletics Came to Hartford

In 1933 and 1935 the American League powerhouse Philadelphia Athletics visited Hartford, Connecticut. The A’s were 2-time World Series champions, nicknamed the “Mackmen” after their manager Connie Mack. They came north to play exhibition games against Hartford’s semi-pro team, the Savitt Gems, comprised of guest starring professionals like Rabbit Maranville of the Boston Braves and local players such as Johnny Roser, Bob Cronin and Jigger Farrell. Jewelry store owner and philanthropist Bill Savitt organized the games. His Gems hosted the A’s before thousands of fans at Hartford’s Bulkeley Stadium. Leading the Mackmen was their slugging first baseman and Most Valuable Player, Jimmie Foxx.

Jimmie Foxx, First Baseman, Philadelphia Athletics, 1933.
Connie Mack, Manager, Philadelphia Athletics, 1933.
Bulkeley Stadium, Hartford, 1932.

When the Athletics first came to Hartford, James “Jimmie” Emory Foxx, nicknamed “Double X” and “The Beast” was baseball’s most coveted young star. Foxx led the majors in home runs during the 1932 and 1933 seasons. His power-hitting prowess made the A’s visit a highly anticipated event throughout Connecticut. The first exhibition game was scheduled when Connie Mack, who began his professional career in Hartford, accepted an invitation from Bill Savitt. Even though Mack was unable to attend the game, he telegraphed a lineup to the Hartford Courant in advance.

Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1933.
L to R: Max Bishop, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove and Dib Williams, 1933.

On Thursday, June 15, 1933, Foxx and the Philadelphia Athletics arrived in Hartford on their day off. The A’s traveled by train but without their ace, Lefty Grove who had recently pitched. Connie Mack’s train was delayed, so he decided not to make the trip. Nevertheless, the Mackmen nearly shutout the Gems behind the pitching of “Big” Jim Peterson who threw a complete game. Jimmie Foxx was held to a single base hit on the day, but the A’s easily defeated the Gems by a score of 6 to 1. At summer’s end Foxx was baseball’s Triple Crown winner with 48 home runs, 163 RBI and a .356 batting average.

Hartford Courant excerpt, June 15, 1933.
Jimmie Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1933.

A rematch at Bulkeley Stadium in Hartford occurred on September 23, 1935. Because Connie Mack was absent due to an illness, Jimmie Foxx assumed the role of A’s manager that evening. Foxx’s teammate Pinky Higgins went 2 for 4 at plate with a towering home run. A’s catcher and former Hartford Senators farm hand, Paul Richards smashed another homer. On the mound for the Gems was the former Red Sox lefty hurler Johnny Micheals who allowed 10 hits and 4 runs in 9 innings of work. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s starting pitcher Bill Dietrich struggled against the Gems.

Jimmie Foxx, 1935.
Pinky Higgins and Eric McNain, Philadelphia Athletics, 1935.
A’s vs. Gems, Bulkeley Stadium, 1935.
Pinky Higgins, 1935.

By the end of two innings the Savitt Gems scored 5 runs on triples from Jigger Farrell and Johnny Michaels. To the everyone’s surprise, the Gems held the lead throughout the game. Michaels earned the win, mustered 3 hits at the plate and scored the deciding run. Hartford’s brotherly duo, Jigger and Tommy Farrell shined for the Gems, each collecting two hits. Hartford’s team upset Philadelphia’s world champions by a final tally of 6 runs to 4. The well-attended contest ended under the lights as Jimmie Foxx, who was held hitless on the night, made a rare two-inning appearance on the mound.

1935 Philadelphia Athletics
Hartford Courant excerpt, September 24, 1935.
Johnny Michaels, 1936.
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