Waterbury Indians (baseball)
The Waterbury Indians were a minor league team based in Waterbury, Connecticut. Waterbury hosted minor league baseball beginning in 1884, with teams playing under numerous nicknames. The Waterbury team was first called the "Indians" in the 1897 season. The nickname returned in 1968, as the "Waterbury Indians" of the Class AA level Eastern League played on two occasions, with the franchise twice serving as a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.
Prior to the Eastern League era, the "Waterbury Timers" played as members of the Class B level Colonial League from 1947 to 1950.
From 1966 to 1986, Waterbury had tenure of hosting teams as members of the Class AA level Eastern League. Waterbury Eastern League teams adopted the nicknames of their various major league affiliates. The Waterbury teams played as a minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, Cincinnati Reds, California Angels and Cleveland Indians during their tenure in the league. The 1970 Waterbury Pirates team won the Eastern League championship.
Beginning with the 1947 season, all subsequent Waterbury minor league teams hosted home games at Municipal Stadium. The ballpark is still in use today.
Baseball Hall of Fame member Roger Connor was the player/manager of the 1897 Waterbury Indians.
History
Early minor league teams
Waterbury first hosted minor league baseball in 1884, when the "Waterbury" team began a tenure of Waterbury teams that played primarily in the Connecticut State League between 1884 and 1912.The Waterbury team was first known as the "Indians" in 1897, playing the season as members of the Connecticut State League. After serving as player/manager of the St Louis Browns in 1896, in his final major league season, Baseball Hall of Fame member Roger Connor managed the 1897 Waterbury Indians for the final portion of their 1897 season, beginning a tenure with the franchise. Connor was a Waterbury native. Connor remained with Waterbury as their manager for the 1898 season, when the team became known as the Waterbury Pirates and won the Connecticut State League championship, with his brother Joe Connor in the roster. Connor would manage Waterbury through the 1901 Connecticut State League season.
The Waterbury Nattatucks and Waterbury Brasscos teams played as members of the Eastern League from 1918 to 1928. The 1928 Brasscos were the last minor league team before the 1947 Waterbury "Timers" team resumed minor league play.
1947 to 1950: Waterbury Timers - Colonial League
After an eighteen-season hiatus, Waterbury resumed minor league play in 1947, when the Waterbury "Timers" began play in the reformed six-team, Class B level Colonial League. The Timers began playing minor league home games at Municipal Stadium, which would host all Waterbury minor league teams through 1986. In the era, the Class B minor league level was the equivalent of today's Class AA level minor leagues. The Bridgeport Bees, New London Raiders, Port Chester Clippers, Poughkeepsie Giants and Stamford Bombers teams joined with Waterbury to begin Colonial League play in on May 7, 1947.The Waterbury "Timers" nickname corresponds to local history and local industry in the era. The Waterbury Clock Company was based in Waterbury from 1894 through 1944. The company was later purchased and moved to Middlebury, Connecticut and evolved to become known as the Timex Corporation.
In their first season of Colonial League play, the 1947 Waterbury Timers won the league pennant. Waterbury ended the regular season with an 83–38 record and a first-place finish, playing the season under manager James Acton. Waterbury finished 14.5 games ahead of the second place Poughkeepsie Giants in the final regular season standings. After winning the Colonial League pennant, the Timers lost in the first round of the four-team playoffs 4 games to 3 to eventual the champion Samford Bombers. Waterbury's Frank Lamanna led the Colonial League with both 21 home runs and 123 RBI. Pitcher Mike Kash of Waterbury won 20 games to lead the league.
The 1948 season saw the Timers continue Colonial League play and end the regular season in third place and qualify for the playoffs. Waterbury ended the season with a 65–68 record, playing the season under player/manager Mike Kash. The Timers finished 18.0 games behind the first place Port Chester Clippers in the final regular season standings. In the four-team playoffs, Waterbury lost in first round of the playoffs 4 games to 1 to eventual champion Port Chester. Waterbury's Aldo Casadei led the Colonial League with 157 total hits.
Bert Shepard was named as the Waterbury manager in 1949. Shepard took the position, stating he wanted to manage because, "Always before I’ve had a manager who was afraid to take a chance on me. Now, it’s up to me. Every fourth day when I make up the lineups, that ninth man is going to be B. Shepard, pitcher."
A rising minor league player, Shepard had returned to baseball after suffering major injuries while serving in World War II. Shepard was as a pilot for the U.S. Army 55th Fighter Group. On May 21, 1944, Shephard was piloting a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane while returning from a mission over Hamburg, Germany, when his plane was shot down by enemy gunfire. The gunfire hit and pierced Shephard's right leg and foot and also his chin, rendering him unconscious as his plane crashed. After his plane crashed, the injured Shephard was captured by German troops who held off German citizens intent on killing Shepard. Doctors at the Meiningen Prisoner-of-war camp amputated his injured right leg and he remained a POW after the surgery to remove his leg.
In February 1945, Shephard was returned to the United States after a prisoner exchange. With his injuries, he was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. There, Shepard was fitted with a new prosthesis. With the prosthesis, Shephard eventually began pitching again and returned to baseball. On July 10, 1945, Shapard was the starting pitcher for the Washington Senators against the Brooklyn Dodgers in an exhibition contest. On August 4, 1945, Shepard became the only major league player to play with a prosthetic leg when he pitched a perfect inning of relief for the Senators in a game against the Boston Red Sox/
In the winter of 1949, Shepard again was at Walter Reed Hospital. He had surgery where a portion of his leg had been re-amputated, the fifth time the leg had required such a surgery. While in the hospital recovering, Shepard saw an ad in The Sporting News for the managerial position with the Waterbury Timers. He submitted his application in the mail from the hospital and was hired by Waterbury.
Waterbury continued Colonial League play in 1949 and ended their regular season with a final record of 62–63. The Timers finished in fourth place, playing under managers Bert Shepard and Leo Eastham amidst controversy. The Timers had compiled a record of 42–46 when a managerial situation became an issue. Upon joining Waterbury as player/manager, Shepard had suggested to be paid a salary of $1 for the entire season, with the stipulation he receive $400 for each pitching victory he earned as a pitcher. This would cause controversy during the season, as Shepard eventually agreed to a salary of between $4,000 and $4,500 for the season. In August, the franchise claimed it could no longer afford his salary and Shepard was removed as manager. Player Leo Eastham compiled a record of 5–4 in his absence. The Waterbury players threatened to go on strike after Shepard's removal and wanted him reinstated. The situation was settled when a player's committee raised enough money from local merchants to pay Shepard to return as manager for the rest of the season.
Bert Shepard then returned to manage Waterbury for a 15–13 record to conclude the season. Ultimately, Waterbury ended the season 18.0 games behind first place Bristol in the final regular season standings. As a pitcher, Bert Shepard compiled a 5–6 record with a 6.16 ERA. With their fourth-place finish, Waterbury qualified for the four-team playoffs. The Timers lost in first round 4 games to 1 to eventual champion Bristol. Player and briefly manager Leo Eastham led the Colonial League with 26 home runs.
Shepard worked for IBM Typewriters in 1950 and 1951, before returning to pitching in 1952, playing through 1955. After his baseball career ended, Shepard married, became an engineer and won the national amputee golf championship twice.
The Waterbury Timers played their final season in 1950, as the Colonial League folded during the season. The 1950 season was short, as the Class B level Colonial League disbanded on July 16, 1950. The Timers had compiled a record of 23–39 and were in fifth place when the league folded. Waterbury was managed by John Morris, John McKenna and Charlie Bowles in the shortened season. At the time the Colonial League folded, the Timers finished 16.5 games behind Poughkeepsie in the final standings. The Colonial League never reformed and Waterbury was without a minor league team for over a decade.
1966 to 1971: Eastern League membership
After a sixteen-season hiatus from professional baseball, Waterbury next hosted minor league baseball in 1966, when the Waterbury "Giants" became members of the six-team Class AA level Eastern League. The "Giants" were so named as Waterbury served as a minor league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The newly formed Waterbury franchise replaced the Springfield Giants in the six-team league, as the San Francisco Giants' affiliate was relocated. The Waterbury Giants joined the Elmira Pioneers, Pawtucket Indians, Pittsfield Red Sox, Williamsport Mets and York White Roses teams in beginning Eastern League play on April 23, 1966. The Waterbury Giants resumed play at Municipal Stadium, which would host Eastern League teams for the duration of the franchise.In retuning to minor league play, the Waterbury Giants ended the 1966 Eastern League regular season in fifth place. with a record of 64–76. Waterbury finished with a record of 64–76, playing the season under manager Andy Gilbert. The Giants ended the season 24.5 games behind the first place Elmira Pioneers. No playoffs were held in 1966. Robert Taylor of Waterbury led the league with 150 total hits.
File:Bobby Bonds with the Yankees.jpg|thumb| Bobby Bonds, New York Yankee. A future major league all-star, Bonds played for Waterbury in 1967.
The 1967 Waterbury Giants continued play as the Eastern League expanded to become an eight-team league with two four-team divisions. Waterbury became a member of the East Division record of 71–69 fifth place under overall returning manager Andy Gilbert. The Giants placed third in the East Division, finishing 11.0 games behind the division champion Binghamton Triplets. Waterbury did not qualify for the two-team playoff won by Binghamton over the Elmira Pioneers. Bobby Bonds played for the 1967 Waterbury Giants in his second professional season after almost quitting baseball the season before. Bonds played in 137 games for Waterbury, hitting.261 with 15 home runs and 24 stolen bases. He would make his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants in 1968.
The 1968 Waterbury "Indians" continued Eastern League play as the franchise became a minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Eastern League dropped the Pawtucket Indians and Williamsport Mets franchises and returned to playing as a six-team Class AA level league.
With the new structure, Waterbury ended the 1968 season in last place. The Indians ended the regular season with a record of 52–88. Waterbury finished in sixth place, playing the season under managers Phil Cavarretta and Ray Mueller and finished 32.5 games behind the first place Pittsfield Red Sox. Waterbury did not qualify for the four-team playoffs, won by the Reading Phillies. Waterbury Indians pitcher Mike Hedlund led the Eastern League with 149 strikeouts. Following the 1968 season, Waterbury owner Jerry Waring sold the Waterbury franchise to Bernie Durocher, nephew of Baseball Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher.
The 1969 Waterbury Indians finished in last place in the six-team Class AA Eastern League regular season standings. Waterbury ended the regular season with a 48–93 record, finishing in sixth place while playing under manager Clay Bryant. The Indians finished 42.0 gamed behind the first place York Pirates and did not qualify for the four-team playoffs, which were cancelled after one game and the York Pirates being declared champions. Waterbury drew 37.371 fans for the season, lowest in the league. In the 1969 season, Waterbury and Elmira played an extra game against each other by accident.
In 1970, the Waterbury "Pirates" continued Eastern League play as a minor league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates and won the league championship. The newly named Pirates ended the 1970 season with a record of 79–62, finishing in first place, while playing under manager Red Davis. Waterbury ended the season 1.0 game ahead of the second place Reading Phillies in the final standings of the six-team league. No playoffs were held and Waterbury won the league championship finishing by in first place. Red Davis was named as Eastern League Manager of the Year. Gene Clines and Richie Zisk were key players on the Pirates championship team. Zisk later became an All-Star player and led the American League in home runs. Clines had a long major league career and was a long-time hitting coach for the Seattle Mariners.
In defending their championship, the Waterbury Pirates ended the 1971 Eastern League season out of the playoffs. The Pirates ended the regular season with a record of 68–70, finishing in fifth place overall and in third place in the four-team National Division. The Pirates played the season under returning manager Red Davis. Waterbury did not qualify for the playoffs as the Eastern League expanded to eight teams and two divisions. The Pirates finished 10.0 games behind the division champion Trois-Rivieres Aigles.
File:Dave Parker Oakland A's.jpg|thumb| Dave Parker, Oakland Athletics. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Parker played for Waterbury in 1971 at age 19.
Baseball Hall of Fame member Dave Parker played for the Pirates in 1971 at age 20, having played the previous season with the Pirates team in the Rookie level Gulf Coast League to begin his professional career at age 19. Still at 19 years old, Parker began his second professional season with Waterbury and struggled, as he hit.228 with 0 home runs in 30 games at Waterbury to begin the season. Turning age 20, Parker was then sent to the Class A level Monroe Pirates, hitting.358 with 11 home runs in 71 games with Monroe in the Western Carolinas League to finish the season. Of his time with Waterbury in 1971, Parker said, "I was the youngest guy there and I tried too hard to prove myself." In 1972, Parker was promoted to the Salem Pirates and won the Carolina League Most Valuable Player Award. Parker became the National league MVP in 1979 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and won two batting titles in his major league career. He retired with a.290 batting average with HR and RBI.