Manchester Blue Sox
The Manchester Blue Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Manchester, New Hampshire. From 1926 to 1930, the Blue Sox played as members of the Class B level New England League, winning the 1926 and 1929 league championships.
The Manchester Blue Sox teams were preceded New England League play by several Manchester teams. The Manchester teams played under numerous nicknames in the seasons of play beginning in 1877 through the 1915 seasons, winning the 1902 league championship.
The Manchester teams hosted home minor league games a ballpark site that had four different names in the era. Manchester played at the Beech Street Grounds, Varich Park, Textile Field and Athletic Park, all different names of the same parcel.
The 1946 Manchester Giants resumed Manchester's tenure as a member of the New England League.
History
Early minor league teams 1877 to 1899
Minor league baseball began in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1877. The Manchester Reds played as members of the newly formed New England League, also known as the New England Association. The league began play on May 3, 1877, as an eight–team league and ended the season reduced to four teams. The Lowell Ladies Men, with a 33–7 record won the championship, finishing 4.0 games ahead of the second place Manchester "Reds," who finished with a 29–11 record, playing the season under manager Harry Clark. Lowell and Manchester were followed by the Fall River Cascades and Providence Rhode Islanders teams in the final standings. The Lynn Live Oaks, Fitchburg, Haverhill and Lawrence franchises all folded before the 1877 New England Association season ended on October 15, 1877. The New England Association folded after the 1877 season.After a decade hiatus, the Manchester "Farmers" resumed minor league play as the 1887 New England league expanded from six teams to eight-teams and added the Manchester franchise. Managed by Frank Leonard, the Farmers ended the 1887 season with a record of 55–46, placing fourth in the New England League. The Manchester Farmers ended the New England League season 14.5 games behind the first place Lowell Browns in the final standings of the eight-team league, which had reduced to six teams to end the season.
The 1888 Manchester Maroons continued New England League play and ended the season in third place. The Maroons ended the 1888 season with a record of 47–50, Jim Clinton and Herbert Clough served as managers as Manchester finished the season 9.0 games behind the first place Lowell Chippies in the eight-team league. Manchester's Ted Scheffler won the New England league batting championship, hitting.375. Alex Ferson, who split the season between Lowell and Manchester, led the league with both a 1.10 ERA and 25 wins. The New England league folded following the 1888 season, before reforming in 1891.
The 1891 Manchester "Amoskeags" rejoined the Class B level New England League. The Amoskeags finished with a 42–30 record, in third place in the eight–team league. Playing the season under manager Louis Bacon, Manchester ended the season 7.0 games behind the first place Worcester team in the final standings. Jim Connor of Manchester led the New England League with 80 runs scored.
The "Amoskeags" nickname corresponds with the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, which was located in Manchester in the era.
In 1892, Manchester played a partial season, as the team relocated and folded during the New England League season. On July 2, 1892, Manchester relocated to Lawrence. The team then disbanded before the conclusion of the regular season. The Manchester/Lawrence team had a 26–45 record when the team folded in Lawrence. The 1892 managers were Jim Cudworth and W.J. Freeman.
The Lowell Lowells began the 1893 season in the New England League and moved to Manchester during the season. Another relocation of the franchise saw the team end the season based in Boston, Massachusetts with a last place finish. The Lowell/Manchester/Boston Reds of the New England League ended the 1893 season with a record of 29–55, playing in three cities during the season and finishing in sixth place in the six-team league. Lowell transferred to Manchester June 26; Manchester then moved to Boston in July 16, 1893. TBill McGunnigle and Thomas H. O'Brien served as managers during the three-city season. The team finished 28.0 games behind the first place Fall River Indians.
The New England League continued play in 1894 without a Lowell, Manchester or Boston franchise in the eight-team league.
In 1899 Manchester "Manchesters" returned to the New England league and ended the season in third place. The Manchesters of the Class F level New England League ended the 1899 season with a record of 55–41 as John Irwin served as the Manchester manager. Manchester attempted to win the second half title on the last day of the season by playing six games with Portland. Manchester won all six games, but the results were thrown out by the league. Manchester ended the season 4.0 games behind the first place Portland Phenoms, managed by their namesake and future Manchester manager Phenomenal Smith.
1901 to 1906 New England League - Manchester Textiles
The Manchester team returned to the reformed New England League in 1901. Manchester played under new owner and manager Phenomenal Smith. The Augusta Live Oaks, Bangor Millionaires, Haverhill Hustlers, Lewiston, Lowell Tigers, Nashua and Portland teams joined Manchester in beginning league play on May 15, 1901.The Manchester team finished in third place with a 48–39 record in the 1901 New England League final standings. In the final standings, Manchester finished 4.5 games behind the first place Portland team as the league held no playoffs. Manchester played the season under manager/player Phenomenal Smith, who began a five-season tenure with the team. Phenomenal Smith won the New England League batting championship, hitting.363 on the season. Manchester pitcher Jake Volz had an ERA of 1.49 to lead the league.
The Manchester team continued as members as the Class B level New England League in 1902 and won the league championship. Manchester finished the season in first place in the eight-team league. With a 75–37 record under manager Phenomenal Smith. Manchester ended the season 12.5 games ahead of the second place Haverhill Hustlers in the final standings. Phenomenal Smith again won the New England League batting championship, hitting.369 on the season, while teammate Jim Murray led the league with both 12 home runs and 91 runs scored. Manchester pitcher Frank Morrissey had 27 wins lead the league, while Jake Volz had 220 strikeouts, most in the New England League.
Continuing minor league baseball play in 1903, Manchester placed third in the New England League, one year after winning the league championship. Playing under manager Phenomenal Smith, Manchester placed third in the eight–team, Class B level New England League standings with a final record of 66–44. Manchester finished 5.0 games behind the first place Lowell Tigers. Mancherster's Pinky Swander led the New England League with 140 total hits, while teammate Lou Knau topped the league with 7 home runs and Clark Rapp scored a league leading 68 runs.
In the 1903 and 1904 seasons, Moonlight Graham played for Manchester. Graham was the basis of the character of the same name in the 1989 motion picture Field of Dreams. ''Shoeless Joe author W.P. Kinsella discovered Graham's name and statistical information in The Baseball Encyclopedia and noticed Graham had played just one major league game with 0 at-bats, Graham became a physician after his baseball career ended. Kinsella based Graham's story the character in his novel. In 1989 Shoeless Joe was adapted into the movie Field of Dreams''. The New York Giants purchased Graham's contract from Manchester on September 25, 1904, but he did not appear in a major league game. In 1905, Graham had his brief appearance in a major league game with the Giants.
The 1904 Manchester team placed fourth in the New England League final standings. Manchester ended the season with a 61–60 record in the eight–team league. Manchester finished 20.0 games behind the first place Haverhill Hustlers in the final standings, as Haverhill went from last place to first place in the course of two seasons. The Manchester manager and owner was Phenomenal Smith. Manchester's Jake Volz had 224 strikeouts, to lead New England League pitchers.
Manchester relocated during the 1905 New England League season. On July 20, 1905, Manchester moved to become the Lawrence Colts with a 33–28 record at the time of the move. The team finished the season known as the Taunton Tigers and finished in a distant last place in the eight–team league. After compiling a 19–24 record while based in Lawrence, the team finished with an overall record of 52–54 to place sixth in the eight-team league. Playing the season under manager Win Clark, the team finished 16.0 games behind the first place Concord Marines. Harry Armbruster led the New England League with a.330 batting average, 99 runs scored and 134 total hits.
Despite the franchise relocating a year earlier, the 1906 Manchester "Textiles" returned to New England League play and the league continued as a Class B level league with eight teams, including the Lawrence Colts. The Textiles finished in fifth place as Stephen Flanagan served as manager. With a 57–56 record the Textiles finished 15.5 games behind the first place Worcester Busters in the final standings. Manchester player Simmy Murch hit 4 home runs, which tied for the league lead and pitcher Marty O'Toole had 26 complete games to lead the New England League.
Manchester was replaced by the Brockton Tigers franchise in the 1907 New England League, as Stephen Flanagan managed the Tigers. The Manchester team briefly played as members of the 1907 Maine State League before folding with a 1-7 record under returning manager Phenomenal Smith. Upon retiring from professional baseball after his time with Manchester, smith remained in the Manchester area, where he served as a police officer for 28 years and coached youth teams.