By: Michael Bielawa, Baseball Historian The fields and shoreline of Bridgeport, Connecticut possess a magnificent baseball heritage. Since its inception, “base ball” profoundly impacted the city. In fact, Bridgeport’s social history provides a fascinating microcosm of baseball’s evolution from a regional amateur game to its eventual ...
By Andy Piascik Bridgeport has a long, rich history of pro, semi-pro, African-American and minor league baseball. The city has played host to barnstorming major league teams, teams from the old Negro Leagues and to visiting minor leaguers who went on to achieve baseball immortality such ...
On July 11, 1911 the Federal Express Train wreck, one of the worst railroad wrecks in Bridgeport's history occurred around 3:15 that summer morning. On board was the St. Louis Cardinals National baseball team, as well as many other passengers. The train, which had been running ...
by Andy Piascik Little League baseball was established in the United States in 1939 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. From humble beginnings, Little League has expanded over the decades to many countries around the world involving tens of thousands of boys and girls aged 9 through 12 (girls ...
By Michael J. Bielawa photo: Seth Jones 1863 Most fans in tune with collegate baseball’s heritage are familiar with the College World Series played each June in Omaha. Many may discuss outstanding programs at Louisiana State University, USC or Arizona State. As for historic college ball, New ...
Bridgeport’s Scholar-Athlete James Henry O’Rourke 1850 – 1919 “Orator Jim” O’Rourke, one of the most colorful, popular and accomplished baseball ballplayers of the 19th century was born in East Bridgeport, Connecticut on September 1, 1850. His parents, Hugh and Catherine, had migrated from County Mayo, Ireland, and eventually ...
by Andy Piascik One year when I was a teenager, I had a summer job pumping gas at a local gas station. Business at the station fluctuated and on one afternoon when it was quite slow, a distinguished looking man of about 70 pulled in. He ...
Newfield Park: Home to One of New England’s Most Sacred Baseball Sites by Michael J. Bielawa Of all the lost stadia across the long history of New England’s minor leagues, Bridgeport’s Newfield Park is certainly one of this region’s most sacred sites. Located in the city’s East ...
By Andy Piascik Before there were the Sound Tigers, there were the Home Oilers. Before there was Webster Bank Arena, there was the Wonderland of Ice. The Wonderland of Ice is still there and now with two full skating rinks, but the Home Oilers are long ...
One hundred and forty-nine years old and Orator Jim O’Rourke still kneels on deck in his turreted Pembroke Street home behind windows dark muttering seven syllable adjectives over his Bridgeport empire of Jersey barriers fitted to blockade suburbanite drug trade on the Park City’s East Side O’Rourke watches his Newfield neighborhood brood a hobbled ghost too where no one plays New England Rules on the pavement ...
By Andy Piascik There’s an old expression in Broadway theatrical circles that goes something like “Everything outside of New York is just Bridgeport.” Perhaps Broadway Joe Namath felt that way when he travelled to the Park City in 1967, perhaps not. But on one summer evening nearly ...
By Mary K. Witkowski, Editor: Ann Marie Virzi In her 99 years on earth, Viola Bridgeforth, born in 1897, lived through many if not most of the profound changes that African-Americans and women in general experienced in the 20th century. Through all the changes, Viola Bridgeforth ...
