Nashua Millionaires
The Nashua Millionaires were a minor league baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire. Between 1926 and 1933, the Millionaires played as members of the Class B level New England League. The Millionaires were preceded in New England League play by the "Nashua" teams of 1901 to 1905.
The "Millionaires" were so named because of, according to The Boston Globe, the "lavish manner" in which franchise ownership supported the team.
The Nashua Millionaires and earlier Nashua teams of the New England League hosted all home minor league games at Nashua's Lawndale Park.
In 1933, their final season of play with that nickname, the Millionaires were a minor league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. Nashua next hosted minor league baseball in 1946, when the New England League reformed with the Nashua Dodgers as a member.
History
Early Nashua teams
Nashua began minor league play in 1885 when the "Nashua" team played as members of the independent New Hampshire State League. Nashua continued play in the New Hampshire State League in 1886.In 1895, Nashua joined the eight–team Independent level New England Association. The New England Association reformed as a six–team independent league with the Nashua "Rainmakers" as a member. The other league members were the Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lawrence Indians, Lowell Ladies Men and Salem teams. On May 3, 1895, in a game at Nashua, Lawrence defeated Nashua 36–17.
The New England Association permanently disbanded on July 8, 1895, when the league folded with the Lawrence Indians in first place. In the shortened season, Lawrence won the New England Association championship with a 33–19 record, followed by the Nashua Rainmakers, Lowell and Salem/Haverhill. Nashua hosted home games at Kinsley Park in 1895.
New England League 1901 to 1905
Nashua resumed minor league play in 1901, with the team becoming members of the New England League. The Augusta Live Oaks, Bangor Millionaires, Haverhill Hustlers, Lewiston, Lowell Tigers, Manchester, Nashua and Portland teams began league play on May 15, 1901.Nashua began play in the 1901 New England League under manager Henry Burns. The Nashua team had a final record of 39–49 to place sixth in the final standings of the eight-team independent New England League, which held no playoffs in the era. Nashua ended the season 14.0 games behind the first place Portland team in the standings. The Bangor and Augusta teams both relocated during the New England League season only to fold together on July 5, 1901. This left Nashua to end the season in last place in the final standings, finishing in sixth place of the six remaining teams.
Nashua continued play in the 1902 New England League and an ugly event occurred at Nashua during the 1902 season. On July 14, 1902, umpire Gaffney was working his first New England League game as Nashua played Lowell at Nashua. Games in the era often had only one umpire. After a series of events, Gaffney left the ballpark in the fifth inning. During an argument with the umpire, over a disputed fair or foul home run that Gaffney ruled as a fair ball, Nashua pitcher Jack Miran punched Gaffney in the face. Many of the 500 fans in attendance at Lawndale Park mobbed Gaffney, who required a police escort to leave the field. Lowell manager Fred Lake changed Gaffney's call to a foul ball, taking away his team's home run. Each team provided a player to umpire the for remainder of the game in which Nashua eventually lost to Lowell by the score of 7-1.
Ike Van Zandt had a whirlwind season in 1902. On June 2, 1902, Ike Van Zandt, who had just returned to play for Nashua after a suspension was fined $100 and suspended by the team for "instigating a rebellion" The Portsmouth Herald, reported that Van Zandt had "led a 'strike' the day before and came near getting three others to join. As it was, the play of the team was so loose that the game was lost when it ought to have been won...He and McManus were outfielders and they seldom made an error." After hitting.242 in 22 games for Nashua, Van Zandt was briefly sent to join the semipro Woonsocket Gyms. In late July 1902, after returning to the team, Van Zandt decided to retire from baseball and he left the Nashua team, returned to his family in New York and began working as a carpenter. A week or two later Van Zandt returned, rejoined the Nashua team and became the team captain. He briefly served as the Nashua manager. Van Zandt played in 76 total games for Nashua, posting a.367 batting average and a had 1-2 record as manager. On September 7, 1902, Van Zandt was sent by Nashua to Worcester Hustlers of the Eastern League for the remainder of the season, where he replaced Worcester outfielder Jimmy Sebring, after Sebring was called up to the major leagues by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1902, Nashua continued play as members of the eight team, Class B level New England League, as the league received a class level. Playing home games at Landale Park, the Nashua team ended the season in sixth place in the 1902 New England League standings. Nashua finished with a record of 46–66, as Henry Burns returned as manager. The Nashua team finished 29.0 games behind first place Manchester and finished ahead of only the Fall River Indians in league play.
In 1902, Garry Wilson signed with Nashua in late May. With Nashua, Wilson had a.259 batting average in 98 games, playing second base. After Nashua's season ended, the team held a banquet on September 11, 1902, at the Tremont House Hotel in Nashua. After the banquet that evening, Wilson was signed by the Boston Americans for the remainder of the season and soon joined the team. Wilson major league debut with playing for Boston on September 27, 1902. During the 1902 season, Wilson and his Nashua teammate Ike Van Zandt partnered together to open a pool hall in Nashua.
In 1903, the Nashua team continued league play as members of the eight–team Class B level New England League. Nahusa joined the Brockton Shoemakers, Concord Marines, Fall River Indians, Haverhill Hustlers, Lawrence Colts, Lowell Tigers and Manchester teams in league play.
After their last place finish the season before, Nashua improved to place second in the 1903 New England League standings. With a 68–46 record, Nashua finished 4.5 games behind the first place Lowell Tigers in the final standings. Ed Ashenbach, Chub Collins and Tommy Dowd served as the managers as Nashua continued play in the eight–team Class B league.
Catcher Larry McLean played for Nashua in 1903 before ending the 1903 season with the Chicago Cubs. On December 12, 1903, McLean was traded from the Cubs to the St. Louis Cardinals in what was described as "one of the worst trades in St. Louis Cardinals history." McLean and Jack Taylor were traded to the by the Cubs to the Cardinals in exchange for future Baseball Hall of Fame member Mordecai Brown and Jack O'Neill.
McLean was said to regularly chew large amounts of Brown's Mule Chewing tobacco and drink heavily. Usually drinking corn whiskey, McLean and had a penchant for confrontational behavior. In his thirteen-year major career, the 6'5" tall McLean played in 862 games. His major league career ended in 1915 following a physical fight that involved New York Giants manager John McGraw and Giants scout Dick Kinsella in a hotel lobby. After having been suspended for ten days by McGraw for not being in condition to play, McLean and entered the lobby of the team's hotel with an entourage of other men and the group first attacked Kinsella, who broke a chair over McLean's head in the melee. McLean's group eventually fled away from the scene in a car. John McGraw immediately dismissed McLean from the team that day and he never played for another major league team. Six years later in 1921, McLean was shot and killed at age 39. McLean was shot by the manager of a saloon in Boston the day after a McLean had had an altercation in the same bar. The saloon manager, James J. Connor, was arrested on suspicion of murder and Connor was later sentenced to serve one year in prison.
In the 1903 season, Moonlight Graham played for Nashua and also the league champion Lowell Tigers teams in the New England League. With a short major league baseball career, Moonlight Graham later became the basis of the character of his same name in the baseball movie Field of Dreams Author W.P. Kinsella had first discovered Graham's name and statistical information in The Baseball Encyclopedia and noticed that Graham played just one major league game with 0 at-bats. Kinsella's research revealed that Graham become a physician after his baseball career ended. Kinsella based Graham's story on the character in his novel Shoeless Joe. In 1989, Kinsella's novel was adapted into the motion picture Field of Dreams. In the 1903 season, Moonlight Graham hit.240 with seven triples, while playing in 89 games between Nashua and Lowell.
File:VanZandtIke.jpg|thumb| Ike Van Zandt, St. Louis Browns. Van Zandt played for Nashua from 1902 to 1904 with numerous controversies surrounding him.
Pitcher Ed Pinnance played for Nashua in 1904 after making history the previous season. In 1903, while pitching for the Philadelphia Athletics, Pinnance had become the first full-blooded American Indian to play in a regular season game in the major leagues. Pinnacle made his major league debut on September 14, 1903, pitching for the Philadelphia Athletics against the Senators.
The 1904 Nashua team ended the New England League season in a tie for fifth place in the final league standings. With an overall record of 62–62, Nashua finished 20.5 games behind the first place Lowell Tigers in the final standings and ended the season in a direct tie with the Concord Marines. Concord ended their season with an identical record to Nashua at 62–62. Jack Carney and Sid Rollins served as the managers in leading Nashua in the New England League season. Nashua player Ike Van Zandt led the New England with seven home runs.
Ike Van Zandt returned to Nashua in 1904, playing his third season with the team. In July 1904, Nashua manager Jack Carney received offers for Van Zandt from Frank Selee of the Chicago Cubs, Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics and Hugh Duffy of the Philadelphia Phillies. In mid-August van Zandt joined the Chicago Cubs briefly before returning to Nashua after Selee didn't take Van Zandt back to Chicago after a road trip. In early September, Connie Mack had made a transaction to acquire Van Zandt for Philadelphia, but Van Zandt refused to join the A's demanding a portion of the financial agreement between the two teams for himself. On September 8, 1904, Nashua suspended Van Zandt as Mack waived his claim to the player. Van Zandt was eventually reinstated by Nashua who promptly sold his contract to the St. Louis Browns. Van Zandt batted.311 in 119 games for Nashua in 1904, while leading the league in home runs.
The 1905 New England League standings saw the Nashua finish in seventh place in the eight-team league. Nashua ended the season with a record of 41–66, finishing 27.5 games behind the first place Concord Marines, who had a 69–39 record. Stephen Flanagan managed the Nashua in the final season of Nashua's initial tenure as members of the New England League.
Nashua did not return to the 1906 New England league, which continued play as an eight-team league. Nashua and the Concord Marines were replaced in league play by the Worcester Hustlers and Manchester Textiles teams. Stephen Flanagan managed the Manchester Textiles team in 1906.