Connecticut League

The Connecticut League, also known as the Connecticut State League, was a professional baseball association of teams in the state of Connecticut. The league was a minor league for most of its existence. It began as offshoot of the original Connecticut State League, which dates back as far as 1884. In 1891, the Connecticut State League included the Ansonia Cuban Giants, a team made up of entirely African-American ballplayers, including future Hall-of-Famers Frank Grant and Sol White. In 1902, it was a Class D league with teams in eight cities. In 1905, the league became Class B, which lasted until 1913, when the league became the Eastern Association due to several teams outside of the state entering the league. Also a Class B league, it survived two more seasons, then folded after the 1914 season.

Connecticut League teams

Rockland Base Ball Club — 1884. Rockland, Maine
Cities represented
Ansonia, CT: Ansonia Cuban Giants 1888, 1891; Ansonia Welcomes 1896
Bridgeport, CT: Bridgeport Giants 1888; Bridgeport Victors 1895–96; Bridgeport Misfits 1897; Bridgeport Orators 1898–1912
Bristol, CT: Bristol 1891; Bristol Braves 1897; Bristol Bellmakers 1899-1900; Bristol Woodchoppers 1901
Danbury, CT: Danbury 1888; Danbury Hatters 1898
Derby, CT: Derby Angels 1896-1898, 1900-1901; Derby Lushers 1899
Hartford, CT: Hartford 1884; Hartford Babies 1885; Hartford Bluebirds 1895; Hartford Senators 1902-1912
Holyoke, MA: Holyoke Paperweights 1903-1906; Holyoke Papermakers 1907-1912
Meriden, CT: Meriden 1884 1888, 1891, 1908; Meriden Maroons 1885; Meriden Silvermen 1895; Meriden Bulldogs 1897-1898; Meriden Silverites 1899-1905
New Britain, CT: New Britain 1884-1885, 1891; New Britain Rangers 1898; New Britain Perfectos 1908-1912
New Haven, CT: New Haven Edgewoods 1896; New Haven Students 1898; New Haven Blues 1899-1908; New Haven Black Crows 1909; New Haven Prairie Hens 1910; New Haven Murlins 1911-1912
New London, CT: New London Whalers 1898-1907
Northampton, MA: Northampton Meadowlarks 1909-1911
Norwalk, CT: Norwalk 1888
Norwich, CT: Norwich 1891; Norwich Jackroses 1899; Norwich Witches 1900; Norwich Champs 1901; Norwich Reds 1902-1903, 1905-1907; Norwich Indians 1904
Portland, CT: Portland 1891
Rockville, CT: Rockville 1884
Southington, CT: Southington 1891
Springfield, MA: Springfield Ponies 1902-1912
Stamford, CT: Stamford 1888
Torrington, CT: Torrington Tornados 1896; Torrington Demons 1897
Waterbury, CT: Waterbury 1884, 1885, 1888, 1891; Waterbury Brassmen 1895; Waterbury Indians 1897; Waterbury Pirates 1898 Waterbury Rough Riders 1899-1902; Waterbury Authors 1906-1908; Waterbury Invincibles 1909; Waterbury Finnegans 1910; Waterbury Champs 1911; Waterbury Spuds 1912
West Haven, CT: West Haven 1891
Willimantic, CT: Willimantic 1884
Winsted, CT: Winsted Blues 1896
Worcester, MA: Worcester Reds 1904
Standings & statistics

No Classification 1884 to 1891

1884 Connecticut State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Waterbury	34	13	.723	-	S.F. Williams / Pheron Minor
Meriden	25	22	.532	9	Albert Boardman / George Lynn
Rockville	22	25	.468	12	J. Kelly / Middleton / Talcott
Hartford	20	27	.426	14	Charles Soby
New Britain	17	30	.362	17	Winchester / P.J. Markley / John A. Flynn
Willimantic	17	18	.486	NA	Bill Thomas

Willimantic expelled September 3.
League played two games each week: Wednesdays and Saturdays

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
Tom Lovett	Waterbury	W	26	-	-	-	-	-

1885 Connecticut State League

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Meriden Maroons	8	2	.800	-	Bill Thomas
Waterbury	3	2	.600	2½	Jack Jones
Hartford Babies	3	6	.333	4½	Jack Remsen
New Britain	2	6	.250	7	William Siering

New Britain disbanded September 8

Player	Team	Stat	Tot		Player	Team	Stat	Tot
John Meister	Meriden	BA	.429		John Flynn	Meriden	W	5
John Meister	Meriden	Runs	13		John Flynn	Meriden	SO	35
John Meister	Meriden	Hits	18		John Flynn	Meriden	PCT	1.000 5-0
Bill Thomas	Meriden	HR	2	-	-	-	-	-

1888 Connecticut State League
President: J. Howard Taylor

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Meriden	9	3	.750	-	NA
Waterbury	10	7	.588	1½	Thomas Guest
Norwalk	9	7	.563	2	NA
Bridgeport Giants / Stamford	9	9	.500	3	Bullen
Ansonia Cuban Giants	4	7	.364	4½	Cos Govern
Danbury	4	13	.235	7½	L.F. Abbott

Bridgeport transferred to Stamford in May, then disbanded June 27.
Danbury disbanded June 5.
The league disbanded July 25.
1891 Connecticut State League
President: A.W. Lang

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Meriden	10	4	.714	-	Thomas Reilly
Waterbury	20	9	.690	2½	Harry Durant / Tom Hayes / W.R. Mattison
New Britain	14	11	.560	8	Frank Cox
Hartford	12	11	.522	5	M.E. Fitzgerald
Ansonia Cuban Giants	8	10	.444	6½	John Brigh
Bristol-Plainville	12	15	.444	7	E.F. Belden
Norwich	10	13	.435	7	H.F. Reddy
Southington	5	7	.417	6½	James Prior
Portland	3	10	.231	9	Charles Edwards
West Haven	1	8	.111	9	E.P. Thomas

Hartford disbanded June 10; Portland disbanded June 10.

Class B">Class B (baseball)">Class B 1894 to 1896

1894 Connecticut State League
Standings unknown
1895 Connecticut State League
President: Jim O'Rourke

Team standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Bridgeport Victors	8	3	.727	-	Jim O'Rourke
Meriden Silvermen	4	3	.571	2	Miller / Reilly
Hartford Bluebirds	4	4	.500	2½	John Henry / A.F. Moran
Waterbury Brassmen	0	6	.000	5½	Durant

1896 Connecticut State League

President: D.W. Porter

Team Standings	W	L	PCT	GB	Managers
Bridgeport Victors	25	15	.625	-	Jim O'Rourke
Torrington Tornados	24	16	.600	1	T.M. Burn /Candy Cummings
Derby Angels	22	18	.550	3	William Callahan / Joseph Veitch
New Haven Edgewoods	22	18	.550	3	T.R. Greist
Winsted Blues	15	25	.375	10	Eugene McCarthy W.A. Parsons / James Eaton
Ansonia Welcomes	12	28	.300	13	Thomas Houlihan

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

Connecticut League