Colonial League (baseball)
Encyclopedia
The Colonial League was a mid-level American
minor baseball league
that existed from 1947 through mid-July 1950. It was graded Class B, four levels below the Major Leagues
, and featured teams in Connecticut
, New York
and New Jersey
.
The Colonial was one of many minor leagues that briefly existed during the post-World War II
baseball boom. It competed in the Northeastern U.S. with five Major League clubs in New York and New England
, established minor leagues such as the International League
, Eastern League, Canadian-American League
and PONY League, and other fledgling circuits such as the postwar New England League
and Border League
.
As a whole, the Colonial was rarely adopted as a site for farm teams for major league clubs. Only two of its member teams (the 1948 Bridgeport Bees and Port Chester Clippers) ever affiliated with a big league parent club.
As the minors began to contract in the late 1940s, the Colonial League's days were numbered. It shut its doors on July 14, 1950, with only 80,000 fans reported to have attended games in the entire six-team circuit.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
minor baseball league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
that existed from 1947 through mid-July 1950. It was graded Class B, four levels below the Major Leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, and featured teams in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
The Colonial was one of many minor leagues that briefly existed during the post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
baseball boom. It competed in the Northeastern U.S. with five Major League clubs in New York and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, established minor leagues such as the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, Eastern League, Canadian-American League
Canadian-American League
This article refers to the original incarnation of the Can-Am League, which operated between 1936 and 1951. For the modern league, see Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball...
and PONY League, and other fledgling circuits such as the postwar New England League
New England League
The New England League was a mid-level league in American minor league baseball that played sporadically in five of the six New England states between 1886 and 1949. After 1901, it existed in the shadow of two Major League Baseball clubs in Boston and alongside stronger, higher-classification...
and Border League
Border League
For the defunct baseball league, see Border League The Border League, is the oldest established rugby union league in the World, having been formed in 1901...
.
As a whole, the Colonial was rarely adopted as a site for farm teams for major league clubs. Only two of its member teams (the 1948 Bridgeport Bees and Port Chester Clippers) ever affiliated with a big league parent club.
As the minors began to contract in the late 1940s, the Colonial League's days were numbered. It shut its doors on July 14, 1950, with only 80,000 fans reported to have attended games in the entire six-team circuit.
Member teams
- Bridgeport Bees
- Bristol Owls (League champions, 1949)
- Kingston ColonialsKingston ColonialsThe Kingston Colonials were an American basketball team based in Kingston, New Jersey that was a member of the American Basketball League.During the 1939/40 season, the team was merged into the Troy Celtics on December 19, 1939.-Year-by-year:...
- New Brunswick/Kingston Hubs
- New London Raiders
- Port Chester Clippers (League champions, 1948)
- Poughkeepsie Chiefs
- Poughkeepsie Giants
- Stamford Bombers (League champions, 1947)
- Stamford Pioneers
- Torrington Braves
- Waterbury TimersWaterbury TimersThe Waterbury Timers were a Colonial League baseball team based in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA that existed from 1947 to 1950. Hank LaManna and Bert Shepard played for them....