| New Bedford Bay Sox | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Information | |||||
| League | NECBL (Southern Division) | ||||
| Location | New Bedford, MA (2009–2019) | ||||
| Ballpark | Paul Walsh Field (2009–2019) | ||||
| Founded | 1997 | ||||
| Folded | 2019 | ||||
| Post-Season Division championships | 4 (1997, 1998, 2003, 2006) | ||||
| Regular-Season Division championships | 4 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2007) | ||||
| Former name(s) | Torrington Twisters (1997–2008) | ||||
| Former league(s) |
| ||||
| Former ballparks | Fuessenich Park (1997–2008) | ||||
| Colors | Navy, Red | ||||
| Mascot | Slamu the whale | ||||
| Ownership | Stephen King (President) | ||||
| Manager | Chris Cabe | ||||
| General Manager | Tammy Silveira | ||||
| Website | www | ||||
The New Bedford Bay Sox were a baseball team that played in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league operating in the New England region of the United States. The team was located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and called Paul Walsh Field its home ballpark for eleven seasons.
History
Relocation
On December 17, 2008, Torrington Twisters owners Robin Wadsworth and Rita Hubner, along with New Bedford mayor Scott W. Lang, announced the relocation of the franchise from Torrington, Connecticut, to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Also made public was the fact that the team had entered into an agreement to lease the city's Paul Walsh Field for three seasons. At the press conference, Wadsworth was quoted as saying, "New Bedford has a sense of pride, community and passion that clearly shines through; their enthusiasm is second to none. It quickly became a virtual no-brainer, the minute we engaged with Mayor Lang, Matt Morrissey and other community leaders."[1] The team, renamed the New Bedford Bay Sox, made its debut on June 4, 2009, in front of a home crowd of nearly 4,000 fans.
On December 26, 2010, changes were announced in the Bay Sox ownership. While owners Wadsworth and Hubner maintained their positions, Tewksbury, Massachusetts residents Jim and Effie Dragon joined as minority partners in the operation. All owners voiced their interest in keeping the team in New Bedford.[2]
In October 2011, Pat and Beth O'Connor – owners of the Little Fenway, Little Wrigley, and Little Field of Dreams Wiffle ball parks in Essex, Vermont – purchased majority interest in the Bay Sox from Wadsworth and Hubner. The O'Connors would operate the team for the next five seasons.
One of the O'Connors' first moves was to hire former MLB player Rick Miller as the Bay Sox manager in November 2011. In his debut season at the helm, the former Boston Red Sox and California Angels outfielder would be named the NECBL's 2012 Manager of the Year.[3]
After three years as Bay Sox manager, Miller retired at the conclusion of the 2014 season. He was succeeded by his pitching coach, Westport, Massachusetts, native and former Boston Red Sox draft pick Kyle Fernandes.[4] Fernandes led the Bay Sox to back-to-back postseason appearances in his two seasons as manager.
In December 2016, local ownership took control of the Bay Sox when the O'Connors sold most of their shares in the team to Stephen King and Tammy Silveira. The pair would oversee operation of the ball club for its final three seasons, with Silveira serving as the club's general manager. Unfortunately, said campaigns saw the team finish last in the NECBL's Southern Division for three straight years. Exacerbating the team's woes in 2019 was the fact that nine of 21 Bay Sox home games were postponed by rain. At the conclusion of the season, it was announced that the Bay Sox were suspending operations and would not return to the NECBL in 2020.
Franchise postseason appearances
| Year | Division Semi-Finals | Division Finals* | NECBL Championship Series | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrington Twisters | ||||||
| 1997 | Danbury Westerners | W (2–0) | Middletown Giants | L (1–2) | ||
| 1998 | Rhode Island Gulls | W (2–0) | Middletown Giants | L (1–2) | ||
| 2001 | Keene Swamp Bats | L (1–2) | ||||
| 2002 | Keene Swamp Bats | L (1–2) | ||||
| 2003 | Middletown Giants | W (2–0) | Newport Gulls | W (2–0) | Keene Swamp Bats | L (0–2) |
| 2004 | Newport Gulls | L (1–2) | ||||
| 2006 | North Adams SteepleCats | W (2–0) | Newport Gulls | W (2–0) | Vermont Mountaineers | L (0–2) |
| 2007 | Manchester Silkworms | W (2–0) | Newport Gulls | L (0–2) | ||
| New Bedford Bay Sox | ||||||
| 2009 | Newport Gulls | L (0–2) | ||||
| 2012 | Laconia Muskrats | W (2–0) | Newport Gulls | L (0–2) | ||
| 2015 | Mystic Schooners | L (0–2) | ||||
| 2016 | Mystic Schooners | L (1–2) | ||||
- *The NECBL did not separate into divisions until 2001.
MLB alumni
| Year | Player | Position | MLB Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Kurt Birkins | LHP | Baltimore Orioles |
| 1999 | Mike Rabelo | C | Detroit Tigers |
| 1999 | Sean Green | RHP | Seattle Mariners |
| 1999 | Bobby Korecky | RHP | Minnesota Twins |
| 2000 | Charlton Jimerson | CF | Houston Astros |
| 2003 | Mike Parisi | RHP | St. Louis Cardinals |
| 2006 | Josh Zeid | RHP | Houston Astros |
| 2006 | Andrew Albers | LHP | Minnesota Twins |
| 2007 | Stephen Strasburg | RHP | Washington Nationals |
| 2008 | Steven Geltz | RHP | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim |
| 2008 | Eric Jokisch | RHP | Chicago Cubs |
| 2008 | Josh Smith | RHP | Cincinnati Reds |
| 2009 | Eric Goeddel | RHP | New York Mets |
| 2009 | Andrew Triggs | RHP | Oakland Athletics |
- Chris Shaw, member of the 2013 Bay Sox team, was drafted in the 1st round (31st overall selection) by the San Francisco Giants in the 2015 MLB Draft.[5] Shaw is currently ranked 3rd in the Giants' farm system.[6]
- Jared Shuster (born 1998), baseball pitcher, first round 2020 MLB draft pick
References
- ↑ http://www.nbbaysox.com/nbbs/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=35:new-bedford-lands-new-england-collegiate-baseball-league-team&catid=18:press-releases Bay Sox news page, URL accessed December 19, 2008
- ↑ Bay Sox have new partners, new GM heading to 2011 at southcoasttoday.com, URL accessed December 27, 2010. Archived 12-27-2010
- ↑ "Bay Sox Welcome Former MLB Star Rick Miller as Manager". South Coast Today. 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ↑ Writer, Bill Abramson Contributing. "2015 Bay Sox Preview: Westport's Kyle Fernandes has gone from playing to managing". southcoasttoday.com. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
- ↑ "Giants draft impact hitter Shaw". mlb.com.
- ↑ "MLB.com 2016 Prospect Watch". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
- Twisters look for fresh start in '09 The Register Citizen
- Twisters dole out awards The Register Citizen
- South stars rise in NECBL showcase The Register Citizen
