Mystic Schooners
| Pittsfield Dukes | |
|---|---|
| File:Pittsfielddukes.gif | |
| Team Information | |
| League | NECBL |
| Division | Northern Division |
| Location | Pittsfield, MA |
| Ballpark | Wahconah Park |
| Franchise History | |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Former Names | Eastern Tides Thread City Tides Berkshire Dukes |
| Former Cities | Willimantic, CT Hinsdale, MA |
| Former Ballparks | ECSU Stadium Dan Duquette Sports Academy |
| League Championships (1) | 1994 |
| Post-Season Division Championships (0) |
None[1] |
| Regular Season Division Championships (0) |
None |
| 2007 Record | 13-28 |
| 2007 Home Attendance | 28,955 |
| Front Office | |
| General Manager | Kent Qualls |
| Director of Baseball Operations |
Thomas Miner |
| Field Manager | Mike Marron |
| Broadcaster | Mike Radomski |
| Mascot | Duke |
| Website | pittsfielddukes.com |
| Ownership | |
| President & Owner | Dan Duquette |
The Pittsfield Dukes are a summer collegiate baseball team, and the youngest franchise in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.
Founded by former Boston Red Sox General Manager Dan Duquette in 2004, the team was originally known as the Berkshire Dukes, playing their home games at the Dan Duquette Sports Academy in Hinsdale, Massachusetts. Duquette moved the team to nearby Pittsfield, MA in 2005 after reaching a lease agreement with the city that brought the Dukes to Wahconah Park.
The team has struggled to compete in the NECBL since its inception, and has yet to enjoy a winning season or a playoff berth. The team's level of play has rebounded somewhat, however, since the disastrous summer of 2005, where the Dukes finished at 11-31. The Dukes fanbase continues to grow despite the team's struggles on the field, with a reported home attendance of 32,452 in 2007, the third-highest in the league.[2]
In the spring of 2008, the Dukes lease of Wahconah Park was jeopardized when the city demanded thousands of dollars in back maintenance fees owed by the franchise.[3] The situation was corrected, and the Dukes lease of the park will continue through the 2008 season.
References
- ^ The NECBL did not subdivide into divisions until 2001.
- ^ "New England Collegiate Baseball League-Pittsfield Dukes". 2007-08-05. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
- ^ "Pittsfield wants debt resolved before Dukes play season at Wahconah Park". Ballpark Digest. 2008-04-17. Retrieved 2008-06-27.
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