Bridgeport Bluefish

Bridgeport Bluefish
Team logo Cap insignia
League	Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (Liberty Division)
Location	Bridgeport, Connecticut
Ballpark	The Ballpark at Harbor Yard
Year founded	1997
Nickname(s)	Park City Blues, Park City Nine, The Fish, Magic City
League championships	1 (1999)
Division championships	5 (1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2010)
Colors	Navy blue, teal, silver, white
Retired numbers	42, 21, 1, 19
Ownership	Frank Boulton
General Manager	Jamie Toole
Media	Connecticut Post
Website	bridgeportbluefish.com

The Bridgeport Bluefish is an American professional baseball team based in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The team is a member of the Liberty Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They play their home games at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard.

History of Bridgeport baseball

The game of baseball was first played in Bridgeport, Connecticut soon after the Civil War ended. Teams that called the city home included the Victors, Soubrettes, Orators, Crossmen, Mechanics, Hustlers, Bolts, Americans, Bees and the Bears. Bridgeport was the home of Major Leaguer James "Orator" O'Rourke, who signed the first African-American to play for a professional baseball team in 1895. Visiting Major League and Negro League teams often played exhibition games in the shadow of the Bridgeport's smokestacks. The last affiliated minor league baseball team, the Bridgeport Bees, played in the Interstate League and the Colonial League from 1941 to 1950. Professional baseball would not be played in Bridgeport for about another half-century, until the arrival of the Bluefish in 1998.

Bridgeport Bluefish

The first game of the Bridgeport Bluefish was May 21, 1998, and the team has had many winning seasons. The team has been to five Atlantic League Championship Series, and won in 1999 versus the Somerset Patriots. They lost to Atlantic City (1998), Newark (2002) Lancaster (2006) and to York (2010).

The Bluefish, and the Atlantic League itself, tend to attract veteran minor leaguers as well as the occasional Major Leaguer at the end of their careers. Some of the former major-leaguers who have sported Bluefish jerseys include Shea Hillenbrand, Alex Hinshaw, José Offerman, Edgardo Alfonzo, Deivi Cruz, Junior Spivey, Quinton McCracken, Antonio Alfonseca, Willy Mo Pena, Joey Gathright, Adam Greenberg and Mariano Duncan.

The Bluefish won their first league championship in 1999, and have won the most games in Atlantic League history. The land under The Ballpark at Harbor Yard was purchased by the city of Bridgeport from Donald Trump for $1 and with the forgiveness of back taxes owed on the property. The Jenkins Valve plant was demolished to make way for the stadium. The success of the Bluefish led to major redevelopment of the South End, including construction of the Arena at Harbor Yard and a multi-use parking garage.^[1] In many ways, the renaissance of Bridgeport was started by the Bluefish.^[2]

The original founders of the Bluefish were Mickey Herbert, Jack McGregor, Mary-Jane Foster, and the Bridgeport Waterfront Investors. Herbert anchored the team through a mayoral scandal and difficult financial circumstances. Prior to the 2006 season, the franchise was purchased by Get Hooked, LLC, a group of investors from Fairfield County that included McGregor and Foster. However, Get Hooked dropped the Bluefish prior to the 2008 season in favor of seeking a new ballpark for the city of Yonkers, New York. The Bluefish were purchased by Frank Boulton, who is also the owner of the Long Island Ducks and the founder of the Atlantic League.

Before the 2009 season, the Bluefish hired Willie Upshaw, a Major League Baseball alumnus and Fairfield County native, as their bench coach. He was Bridgeport's first manager from 1998 to 2000, as well as the first base coach for the Cleveland Indians from 2000 to 2005, and the San Francisco Giants for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Upshaw spent nine of his ten playing seasons in the Majors with the Toronto Blue Jays. He led the team twice in home runs and RBI. First in 1982 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI and also in 1983 with 27 home runs and 104 RBI. During the 1983 season, Upshaw became the first Toronto player to top 100 RBI in a season.^[3] On July 8, 2009 manager Tommy John announced he was stepping down and Willie Upshaw was picked to take his place.^[4]

The Bluefish became the first team in Atlantic League history to record 1,000 victories as a franchise. On June 27, 2012 the Bluefish defeated the York Revolution 2-1 at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard to capture the victory.^[5][6]

Logos and uniforms

The official colors of the Bridgeport Bluefish are navy blue, teal, and silver. The primary logo consists of the "Bluefish" wordmark in navy blue with white and teal outline superimposed over a depiction of a cartoon bluefish holding a baseball bat.

The primary cap is navy blue with a teal brim and button, with the cap logo depicting a bluefish interwoven with a capital "B" centered on the front. The home jersey is white with traditional navy blue piping below the collar and around the sleeves. The "Bluefish" wordmark is centered across the front in navy blue with white outline and teal drop shadow. The away jersey is grey with navy blue piping, and the "Bridgeport" wordmark centered across the front in navy blue with white and teal outline. The Bluefish also have a teal alternate jersey, with navy piping with the "fishhook" wordmark centered across the front.

Season-by-season records

• 1 Atlantic League Championship (1999)
• 5 Division Championships (1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2010)

Ferry Cup

The Bridgeport Bluefish contend with the Long Island Ducks over the Ferry Cup, which is sponsored by the Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company. The two teams border on Long Island Sound, and many fans of both teams regularly cross it to support them. The Ducks currently hold the Ferry Cup by winning the 2011 season series 12-6. As of 2011 the Bluefish-Ducks rivalry record is 114-112, in favor of Bridgeport.^[8]

Mascots

One of the Bridgeport Bluefish official mascots is an anthropomorphic bluefish named B.B. He wears the team's alternate jersey (number 98) with black sneakers. B.B. was born on May 29, 1997 in Cape Hatteras. He later migrated to the Long Island Sound, and joined the Bluefish soon after. The mascot's name alludes to the initials of the team and its nickname.^[9]

Captain L.I Sounder is another source of entertainment at the Harbor Yard. He wears a uniform of a sailor. L.I Sounder's name referred to the nautical rank of captain and a name for a Long Island Sound resident. Sounder occasionally appears at Bluefish home games.

Current roster

Retired numbers

42 (Jackie Robinson)

Second baseman, Retired throughout professional baseball on April 15, 1997

21 (Roberto Clemente)

Right fielder, Retired by the Bluefish in 2006^[10]

19 (Luis Lopez)

Third baseman, Retired by the Bluefish on September 19, 2015

References

Related

Professional baseball in Connecticut

External links

• Bridgeport Bluefish (official website)
• Atlantic League of Professional Baseball

Sports teams based in Connecticut Baseball EL Hartford Yard Goats NYPL Connecticut Tigers ALPB Bridgeport Bluefish New Britain Bees NECBL Danbury Westerners Mystic Schooners FCBL Torrington Titans Basketball WNBA Connecticut Sun Football WFA New England Nightmare Ice hockey AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers Hartford Wolf Pack Soccer USL PDL Connecticut FC Azul USL W-League Connecticut Passion WPSL SoccerPlus Connecticut Roller derby WFTDA CT RollerGirls MRDA Connecticut Death Quads Rugby league USARL Connecticut Wildcats Rugby union NERFU Connecticut Yankees RFC Hartford Wanderers RFC New Haven Old Black RFC New London County RFC Softball ASA Connecticut Brakettes College athletics (NCAA Div. I) Central Connecticut Blue Devils Connecticut Huskies Fairfield Stags Hartford Hawks Quinnipiac Bobcats Sacred Heart Pioneers Yale Bulldogs

Sport teams based in the New York metropolitan area Baseball MLB New York Mets New York Yankees NYPL Brooklyn Cyclones Hudson Valley Renegades Staten Island Yankees ALPB Bridgeport Bluefish Long Island Ducks Somerset Patriots CanAm New Jersey Jackals Rockland Boulders Basketball NBA Brooklyn Nets New York Knicks WNBA New York Liberty D-League Westchester Knicks Long Island Nets (beginning in 2016-17) ABA Jersey Express EBA Hudson Valley Hype Entertainment Teams Harlem Wizards Football NFL New York Giants New York Jets FXFL Brooklyn Bolts Hudson Valley Fort WFA New York Sharks FSFL Empire State Demon Knights Hockey NHL New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers EHL New Jersey Rockets FHL Brewster Bulldogs Danbury Titans NWHL New York Riveters Lacrosse MLL New York Lizards Rugby football USARL Brooklyn Kings Connecticut Wildcats New York Knights RSL New York Athletic Club RFC Old Blue Soccer MLS New York City FC New York Red Bulls NASL New York Cosmos USL New York Red Bulls II NWSL Sky Blue FC PDL F.A. Euro Jersey Express S.C. Long Island Rough Riders New York Red Bulls U-23 Westchester Flames NPSL Brooklyn Italians New York Athletic Club S.C. New York Cosmos B Roller derby WFTDA Gotham Girls Roller Derby Jersey Shore Roller Girls Long Island Roller Rebels Suburbia Roller Derby MRDA New York Shock Exchange College athletics (NCAA Division I) Army Columbia Fairfield Fairleigh Dickinson Fordham Hofstra Iona LIU Brooklyn Manhattan NJIT Princeton Quinnipiac Rider Rutgers Sacred Heart St. Francis Brooklyn St. John's Saint Peter's Seton Hall Stony Brook Wagner Yale Ultimate AUDL New York Empire MLU New York Rumble Gaelic games New York GAA: Gaelic football Hurling Main article: Sports in New York City