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Naugatuck Valley League (baseball)

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Naugatuck Valley League
ClassificationIndependent (1896)
SportMinor League Baseball
FounderJim O'Rourke
First season1896
CeasedSeptember 26, 1896
Replaced byConnecticut League (1897)
PresidentD.W. Porter (1896)
No. of teams6
CountryUnited States of America
Most titles1
Bridgeport Victors (1896)

The Naugatuck Valley League was a minor league baseball league that played in the 1896 season. The Non-Signatory Independent level league consisted of franchises based exclusively in Connecticut. The six–team league evolved into the 1897 Connecticut League.

Baseball Hall of Fame member Candy Cummings managed the 1896 Torrington Tornados team in the Naugatuck Valley League. Fellow Hall of Fame member Jim O'Rourke was the Naugatuck Valley League founder and owner/player/manager for the Bridgeport Victors team while leading the league in batting average.

Today, the league name has been adopted by the high school athletic Naugatuck Valley League, based in Connecticut.

History

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Formed for the 1896 season, with league founder Jim O'Rourke helping organize the league teams, the Naugatuck Valley League began play on May 6, 1896, as a six–team league. The Naugatuck Valley League was a Non-Signatory Independent level league under the direction of league president D.W. Porter.[1][2]

The league name derived from the location of member teams within the Naugatuck River Valley region in Connecticut.[3]

The Naugatuck Valley League vegan minor league play in 1896. The six charter members were the Ansonia Blues based in Ansonia, Connecticut,[4] the Bridgeport Victors from Bridgeport, Connecticut,[5] the Derby Angels from Derby, Connecticut,[6] the New Haven Edgewoods from New Haven, Connecticut,[7] the Torrington Tornadoes from Torrington, Connecticut[8] and Winsted Welcomes from Winsted, Connecticut.[9][10]

The Naugatuck Valley League standings were led by the 1st place Bridgeport Victors with a 25–15 record. Bridgeport finished 1.0 games ahead of the second place Torrington Tornados (24–17), followed by the Derby Angels (22–18), New Haven Edgewoods (22–18), Winsted Welcomes (15–25) and Ansonia Blues (12–28). After the season, the Naugatuck Valley League permanently folded, playing only the 1896 season.[11] Baseball Hall of Fame member Candy Cummings was a manager for the Torrington Tornados team.[12]

Baseball Hall of Fame member Jim O'Rourke was owner/player/manager for the Bridgeport team, leading the 1896 Bridgeport Victors to the Naugatuck Valley League championship as a manager and leading the league with a .437 batting average, playing catcher at age 46. O'Rourke had been instrumental in forming both the Bridgeport franchise and the league itself after returning to his hometown of Bridgeport upon ending his major league career. O'Rourke graduated from the nearby Yale Law School in 1887, this after negotiating payment of the college tuition into his major league contract. O'Rourke continued minor league play for Bridgeport teams aging into his late 50's and was a practicing attorney. On July 1, 1903 was joined by his son Jimmy O’Rourke in the lineup for the Bridgeport Orators of the Class D level Connecticut State League, becoming the first known father and son duo to play together in an organized professional baseball game.[13][14][15][2]

After the 1896 season, with Jim O'Rourke still organizing the league, four of the Naugatuck Valley League teams continued play as members of the renamed 1897 Connecticut League. The Bridgeport, Derby, Torrington and Winstead teams continued play in the new league, joined by Bristol and Meriden teams.[11][2]

Today, the league name has been revived by the high school athletic Naugatuck Valley League. The league has 16-member high schools, all based in Connecticut.[16]

Naugatuck Valley League franchises

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Team name City represented Ballpark Year(s) active
Ansonia Blues Ansonia, CT[4] Unknown 1896
Bridgeport Victors Bridgeport, CT[5] Unknown 1896
Derby Angels Derby, CT[6] Unknown 1896
New Haven Edgewoods New Haven, CT[7] Howard Avenue Grounds[17] 1896
Torrington Tornadoes Torrington, CT[8] Unknown 1896
Winsted Welcomes Winsted, CT[9] Unknown 1896

Standings & statistics

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1896 Naugatuck Valley League

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Team standings W L PCT GB Managers
Bridgeport Victors 25 15 .625 – Jim O'Rourke
Torrington Tornados 24 16 .600 1.0 T.M. Burns / Candy Cummings
Derby Angels 22 18 .550 3.0 William Callahan / Joseph Veitch
New Haven Edgewoods 22 18 .550 3.0 T.R. Greist
Winsted Welcomes 15 25 .375 10.0 Eugene McCarthy
W.A. Parsons / James Eaton
Ansonia Blues 12 28 .300 13.0 Thomas Houlihan
Player statistics
Player Team Stat Tot Player Team Stat Tot
Jim O'Rourke Bridgeport BA .437 Dick Mansfield
Lee Viau		 Bridgeport
Torrington		 W 15
15
John Doherty
Pop Foster		 Bridgeport
Bridgeport		 Runs 50
50		 Dick Mansfield Bridgeport SO 127
John Doherty Bridgeport Hits 70 Dick Mansfield Bridgeport ERA 1.95
Thomas Ivers Bridgeport HR 5 Dick Mansfield
Lee Viau		 Bridgeport
Torrington		 PCT .682 15-7
.682 15–7

[11]

Baseball Hall of Fame alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "1896 Naugatuck Valley League (NVL) minor league baseball Standings on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Jim O'Rourke – Society for American Baseball Research".
  3. ^ Yuravich, Albie. "A Salute to the Lower Naugatuck Valley". Connecticut Magazine.
  4. ^ a b "1896 Ansonia Blues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  5. ^ a b "1896 Bridgeport Victors Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  6. ^ a b "1896 Derby-Shelton Angels Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ^ a b "1896 New Haven Edgewoods Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  8. ^ a b "1896 Torrington Tornadoes Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  9. ^ a b "1896 Winsted Welcomes Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
  10. ^ "1896 Naugatuck Valley League". Baseball-Reference.com.
  11. ^ a b c Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (Third ed.). Baseball America. ISBN 978-1932391176.
  12. ^ "1896 Torrington Tornados minor league baseball Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
  13. ^ "Jim O'Rourke Independent & Minor Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com.
  14. ^ "James O'Rourke – Bridgeport History Center".
  15. ^ "Jimmy O'Rourke – Society for American Baseball Research".
  16. ^ "Leagues | CIAC".
  17. ^ "Howard Avenue Grounds in New Haven, CT minor league baseball history and teams on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com.
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