The Manchester Silkworms were a collegiate summer baseball team located in Manchester, Connecticut playing in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the northeastern United States region of New England. The team, an expansion franchise formed in 1999 which began play for the 2000 season, was based out of Northwest Park. In October, 2009 a new ownership group announced they would be moving the team to Laconia, New Hampshire, becoming the Laconia Muskrats (now called the Winnipesaukee Muskrats).
History
Silkworm name In 1838, the Cheney Family started what became the world's largest silk mill, and by the 1920s developed a utopian industrial community. The intact mill buildings, owner houses and worker houses are now a National Historic Landmark District. The mill buildings have undergone restoration and conversion to housing in the recent past.
Hence, the name Silkworms.
Move to Laconia On Sunday, October 18, 2009, Silkworms founder, owner, and general manager Ed Slegeski announced that he had sold the team to a partnership led by Noah Crane, which moved the team to Laconia, New Hampshire for the 2010 NECBL season.
Notable former players
Jonah Bayliss, former Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Nick Christiani, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Chris Denorfia, San Diego Padres outfielder Graham Godfrey, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Reid Gorecki, former Atlanta Braves outfielder Zach Jackson, Washington National pitcher Ryan Lavarnway, Baltimore Orioles catcher Andy Parrino, Oakland Athletics shortstop
Postseason appearances
YearDivision Semi-FinalsDivision FinalsNECBL Championship Series2004Riverpoint RoyalsL (1-2)2005North Adams SteepleCatsL (1-2)2006Newport GullsL (1-2)2007Torrington TwistersL (0-2)2008Newport GullsL (0-2)
See also New England Collegiate Baseball League Manchester, Connecticut
References
External links Manchester Silkworms website NECBL website