The New Haven Blues were an early minor league baseball team based in New Haven, Connecticut. The New Haven "Blues" teams played as members of the Connecticut State League from 1899 to 1908, winning league championships in 1899 and 1902.
Earlier New Haven minor league teams played under various nicknames as members of numerous leagues. New Haven began minor league play in 1878 as members of the International Association. They were followed by minor league teams who played as members of the Southern New England League (1885), Eastern League (1887), Atlantic Association (1889–1890), Eastern Association (1891), Eastern League (1892), Connecticut State League (1894), Naugatuck Valley League (1896) and Atlantic League (1896). New Haven won the 1890 Atlantic Association league championship.
The early New Haven teams all hosted their home minor league games at the Howard Avenue Grounds.
Baseball Hall of Fame members Roger Connor and Candy Cummings both played for 1878 New Haven team, the first minor league team hosted in the city. 23 years later, Roger Connor later returned to play for the 1901 New Haven Blues at age 43.
History Early teams – Hall of Fame players New Haven, Connecticut was first was home to professional baseball in 1875 when the New Haven Elm Citys played one season as members of the major league National Association and hosted home games at the Howard Avenue Grounds.Ed Stannard, Photography exhibit reveals 'lost New Haven' , The New Haven Register, Sunday, February 8, 2009
After the 1875 major league team, minor league baseball play began in New Haven in 1878. The "New Haven" team briefly played in the International Association. The team began the season based in New Bedford, before moving to New Haven and eventually ending the season in Hartford, Connecticut. The team moved from New Haven to Hartford on May 20. 1878.
The 1878 New Haven team had two Baseball Hall of Fame members on their roster. At age 20, hall of famer Roger Connor made his professional debut with the 1878 team. Fellow Hall of Fame member Candy Cummings was also a member of the 1878 team while playing his final professional season at as a player at age 29. The team had a 1–11 record and were expelled from the league on June 20, 1878. The International Association did not resume play after the 1878 season.
In 1885, minor league baseball play resumed in New Haven with a brief foray into professional play, when The New Haven team briefly became members of the independent level Southern New England League. The 1885 New Haven season was extremely brief, as the team had just one official game, joining the league and folding after one game on August 15, 1885. New Haven ended their one-game season with a record of 0–1 and were managed by H.A. Ely . After New Haven folded, the Southern New England League re-formed as the Connecticut State League on August 27, 1885.
New Haven returned to hosting minor league play in 1887, with the team becoming known as the New Haven "Blues" for the first time. The New Haven team became members of the six–team Independent level Eastern League. The Bridgeport Giants, Danbury Hatters, Hartford, Springfield and Waterbury teams joined with New Haven in beginning league play on Saturday, April 30, 1887.
The Blues finished the season in fourth place in their first extended season of minor league baseball. New Haven ended the Eastern League season with record of 26–30, playing the season under managers James Donnelly, Dasher Troy and J. P. Kelley. No league playoffs were held, but the league had a tumultuous season as Bridgeport (July 6), and Hartford (July 30) folded during the season. Springfield was "expelled from the league in May 26, 1887. On July 20, 1887 the New Haven team folded from the league, which saw the remaining Danbury and Waterbury teams play through September 13.
The New Haven franchise did not play in 1888, as the six–team Connecticut State League reformed without a New Haven franchise and folded for the season on July 25, 1888.
After being a player/manager for New Haven in 1887, "Dasher" Troy played his last professional season for the Troy Trojans in 1888 when New Haven did not return to play. Playing with the Troy team, his 1888 manager was Ted Sullivan, who years later managed New Haven. Sullivan disapproved of Dasher Troy's consumption of alcoholic beverages and Troy reluctantly agreed to refrain from drinking in order to play for the team under Sullivan. In the last inning of a home game during the 1888 season, Troy promised to his manager that if Sullivan went to the bar under the grandstand and brought him a beer, Troy would "clear the bases." Sullivan obliged the request and Troy reportedly walked up to bat and said, "The 'Old Dash' is back." Troy then hit the ball off the center field fence and raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run that won the game. Sullivan later stated, "After that I never stopped my old friend, John Troy, from taking his glass of beer." Beginning in 1889, after his playing career ended, Troy operated the beer concession area at the Polo Grounds in New York City. It was reported in 1893, that his patrons sometimes "paid more attention to 'Dasher' Troy's emporium than they did to the game."
1889 to 1896 – Six League memberships
The New Haven "Nutmegs" team returned to minor league play in 1889, beginning play as members of the Atlantic Association. New Haven began the season, playing as members of the eight–team league. In the 1889 Atlantic Association, New Haven ended the season in fourth place with a 40–52 record, playing the season under managers Harry Spence and Jack Burdock. The Nutmegs ended the season 17.0 games behind the first place Worcester team as no playoffs were held.
1889 manager Jack Burdock was a veteran player in the major leagues in 1888, where he had become injured and had earlier developed a drinking problem. In, 1881 a horse car accident had left Burdock was rendered unconscious and local newspapers reported that he was in critical condition. Burdock was able to recover quickly from his head injury without missing significant playing time. Because of his drinking, the Boston Beaneaters released Burdock in the middle of the 1888 season. After Burdock's release, from Boston, the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and team president Charlie Byrne gave Burdock a chance with the team. Shortly after Burdock was obtained by Brooklyn, he faced criminal charges for kissing a woman while he was intoxicated. He was acquitted of the charges at trial. Burdock retired as a player at age 39 after returning to Brooklyn for a final season in 1891.
Continuing play in the Atlantic Association, New Haven was the 1890 league champions. With a final record of 82–36, the team finished the season in first place, led to the championship by manager Walt Burnham. The Atlantic league began the season as an eight team and ended the season as a four-team league. The Washington Senators team folded from the league on August 1, 1890. On August 27, 1890, the Wilmington Peach Growers and Hartford Nutmeggers both folded while the first place Baltimore Orioles team left the Atlantic Association with a 77–24 in order to join the American Association. With Baltimore, Washington, Wilmington and Hartford no longer in the Atlantic League, New Haven ended the season in first place, finishing 18.5 games ahead of the second place Lebanon team. No playoffs were held. Dan Lally of New Haven led the Atlantic Association with 12 home runs and 159 total hits, while New Haven pitcher Jonh Doran led the league with a both 1.12 ERA and 241 strikeouts.
New Haven pitchers threw two no-hitters in the 1890 season. On May 21, 1890, John Doran defeated Washington by the score of 4–0 with 11 strikeouts and 4 walks. On September 22, 1890, John Gilliand threw New Haven's second no-hitter of the season in defeating Newark 7–0 with 3 walks and 7 strikeouts.
The New Haven team continued play in 1891 as charter members of the Eastern Association, which formed as an eight–team league with the New Haven Nutmegs as a member. The Eastern Association played as a Class A level league and the president was Charles D. White. The Albany Senators, Buffalo Bisons, Lebanon Cedars, Providence Clamdiggers, Rochester Hop Bitters, Syracuse Stars and Troy Trojans teams joined with New Haven in beginning league play.
The Eastern Association lost four teams during the 1891 season, including New Haven, finishing the season with four remaining teams. New Haven had a 48–39 record under returning manager Walt Burnham when the New Haven team disbanded on August 14. Buffalo was the league champion when the league ended play. New Haven's Dan Lally led the Eastern Association with five home runs and New Haven pitcher L.A. Gilliland led the league with a 0.87 ERA. The Eastern Association did not return to play in 1892.
In the 1892 season, the Eastern Association became the Eastern League and the New Haven Nutmegs folded before completing their season. New Haven had a record of 20–17 under manager Dan Shannon when the team disbanded June 18. They folded just shy of the first half's completion. Overall, in winning percentage, they were in third place at .541 (20–17) behind manager/second baseman Dan Shannon (.244) when they folded. Sandy Griffin hit .302 for New Haven. Pitcher Henry Fournier went 13–6 with a 1.88 ERA for the New Haven team and then compiled a 17–16 record in completing the season pitching for the Buffalo Bisons and Syracuse Stars/Utica Stars teams, giving him a league leading 30 total wins on the season. New Haven did not host a team in the 1893 season.
The 1894 New Haven "Elm Citys" team played as members of the independent Connecticut State League. John McKee served as the New Haven manager. The team record and league results are unknown.
The New Haven Texas "Steers" returned to play in 1896 Class A level Atlantic League. New Haven ended league play with a record of 21–38 under manager Ted Sullivan when the team disbanded July 12. New Haven 1896 played in two leagues during the season. The New Haven "Edgewoods", frequently known as the "Athletics" began the season as members of the Naugatuck Valley League. The New Haven team disbanded July 12, 1896. The 1896 Edgewoods team had a record of 22–18 under manager T.R. Greist, finishing in a third place tie in the six-team league as no playoffs were held. New Haven had an identical record as the Derby Angels. New Haven ended their Naugatuck Valley League season 3.0 games behind the first place Bridgeport Victors, who were managed by Baseball Hall of Fame member Jim O'Rourke and 2.0 games behind the Torrington Tornados, managed by former New Haven player and all of fame member Roger Connor.
Pitcher Ned Garvin played his second professional season with New Haven in 1886, before making his major league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies later in the 1896 season. As his career continued, Garvin developed a pitch that curved in the opposite direction of the typical curveball thrown by a right-handed pitcher. Garvin's long fingers allowed him to hold the ball with a unique grip. Some sources credit Garvin with teaching hall of fame pitcher Christy Mathewson about his signature pitch. A similar pitch is known as a screwball in modern baseball.