Bridgeport Bluefish

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Bridgeport Bluefish
Founded	1998
League	Atlantic League 1998-present
Team History	Bridgeport Bluefish 1998-present
Ballpark	The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
Based in	Bridgeport, Connecticut
Team Colors	navy blue, aqua, silver
Owner	Get Hooked, LLC
Manager	Tommy John
Championships	1 (1999)
Division Titles	4 (1998), (1999), (2002), (2006)
Mascot	B.B. the Bluefish
Broadcasters	Ben Doody Carl Lombardi Chris Doherty
Local Media	Connecticut Post

The Bridgeport Bluefish are an Atlantic League team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Since the 1998 season, they have played in the North Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affilitated with Major League Baseball.

The team won their first league championship in 1999, and have won the most games in league history. Their stadium is called The Ballpark at Harbor Yard. The land under the stadium was purchased by the city of Bridgeport from Donald Trump for $1 and forgiveness of back taxes owed on the property. The Jenkins Valve plant was destroyed to make way for the stadium. The success of the Bluefish led to major redevelopment of the South End, including construction of the Arena at Harbor Yard and a multi-use parking garage.^[1]In many ways, the renaissance of Bridgeport was started by the Bluefish.^[2]

The original founders of the Bluefish were Mickey Herbert, Jack McGregor, Mary-Jane Foster, Bridgeport Waterfront Investors and Ken Paul. Herbert brought control prior to the 2000 season and anchored the team through a mayoral scandal and difficult financial circumstances. Prior to the 2006 season, the franchise was purchased by Get Hooked, LLC, a group of investors from Fairfield County (a group that includes McGregor and Foster). Charlie Dowd served as the team's General Manager from its inception until the end of the 2006 season. Former Kane County Cougars General Manager Bill Larsen took over in his place.

"Bluefish" refers to the kind of fish that resides in the Long Island Sound, on which the city of Bridgeport is located. Sometimes the team is called by the unofficial nicknames, the Park City Blues or the Park City Nine, in reference to the city of Bridgeport's nickname.

[edit] History of Bridgeport Baseball

[edit] Baseball Comes to Bridgeport

The game of baseball was first played in Bridgeport, Connecticut soon after the Civil War ended. Other teams that called the city home were the Victors, Mechanics, Bolts, Americans, and the Bears. Bridgeport was the home of Major Leaguer, James "Orator" O'Rourke, who signed the first African-American to play for a professional baseball team in 1895. Visiting Major League and Negro League teams often played exhibition games in Bridgeport in the shadow of the city's smokestacks. Professional baseball would not be played in Bridgeport for about another half-century, until the arrival of the Bluefish in 1998.

[edit] James "Orator" O'Rourke

James Henry O'Rourke was born on September 1, 1850, in East Bridgeport, Connecticut. As a left-fielder, he first joined the Majors on April 26, 1872 with the Middletown Mansfields, where he had the National League's very first hit. He also played for the Boston Red Stockings from 1873 to 1875, the Boston Red Caps from 1876 to 1878, the Providence Grays in 1879, the Red Caps again in 1880, the Buffalo Bisons from 1881 to 1884. O'Rourke spent most of his career with the New York Giants from 1885 to 1889,

A book about the history of Bridgeport baseball, with a picture of Jim O'Rourke and the current Bluefish.

and from 1891 to 1892. He spent some time with the New York Players League Giants in 1890, and played with the Washington Senators in 1893 before retiring with the New York Giants in 1904.

He managed the Buffalo Bisons from 1881 to 1884, and the Washington Senators in 1893. He was also an attorney and graduated from Yale University in 1887.

He died on January 8, 1919, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. On September 22, 1904, he set a still-unbroken record for oldest player to ever play in the National League.

There is currently an effort to relocate his home to the North End Little League baseball fields, led by The First Hit, Inc.

[edit] Bridgeport Bluefish

The first game of the Bridgeport Bluefish was May 21, 1998, and continued to have winning seasons throughout its playing history. The team has been to three of the Atlantic League Championship Series, and won in 1999 versus the Somerset Patriots. They were runners-up in 1998, losing to Atlantic City, and in 2002, losing to Newark.

The Bluefish, and the Atlantic League itself, tend to attract life-long minor leaguers as well as the occasional Major Leaguer at the end of his career. Some of the marquee names who have sported Bluefish jerseys include José Offerman, Edgardo Alfonzo, Deivi Cruz, and Mariano Duncan.

Another interesting part about visiting Bluefish games are at every game, two bearded Bluefish season-ticket holders, also known as the "Sign Guys," walk around the ballpark and hold up signs that support the Bluefish, and encourage their fans to sign it. They have been rumored to do this at every game and most Bluefish fans would say they are the most die-hard Bluefish fans ever.

[edit] Quick facts

Current uniform colors: White vest with navy piping for home games and grey for away games. The home jersey has the word "Bluefish" across the front and number on the back. Navy blue hats with the letter "B" in white with aqua outline.

Current logo design: The word "Bluefish" in script in navy with aqua and white outline superimposed over the depiction of a bluefish holding a baseball bat. The city name is centered above the wordmark "Bluefish."

Current mascot: B.B. the Bluefish (1998-present).

Current Broadcasters: Radio: Ben Doody, Carl Lombardi, Chris Doherty

Current Radio Station: WVOF 88.5 fm

Current TV Station: (stub)

[edit] 2007 Bridgeport Bluefish:

[edit] Retired Players

Angel Espada, an eight-year veteran with the Bridgeport Bluefish retired after the 2006 season. Espada led the Atlantic League in batting in 1999 and 2000 and was an important force in the Bluefish championship season of 1999. He hit .300 five times and leaves as the all-time team club leader in hits, at bats, stolen bases and runs. Click here to see Angel Espada's stats with the Bluefish.

[edit] Retired Numbers

42, Jackie Robinson, retired throughout baseball.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Bridgeport Bluefish
• Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
• Atlantic League blog
• Atlantic League Independent
• Bridgeport, Connecticut
• independent-baseball.com