Bangor Blue Ox
Encyclopedia
The Bangor Blue Ox were a minor league
baseball team based in Bangor, Maine
. The team played in the Northeast League (now the Can-Am League
). The Northeast League was an independent baseball league and as such none of its teams had an affiliation with Major League Baseball
. The team existed from 1996-1997 and played its home games at Larry Mahaney Diamond on the campus of the University of Maine
in Orono, Maine
.
. After the first season only 3 of the six original teams would return for a second season. The league wanted to expand into New England
and it chose Bangor and West Warwick, Rhode Island
as two new teams for the 1996 season. The Blue Ox and the Northeast League had hoped that moving a team to the city would lead Bangor to build a new ballpark for the team. In the meantime the Blue Ox would play their home games at Mahaney Diamond on the University of Maine campus.
The Blue Ox would have a fairly successful season in their first year, finishing 3rd in the league with a 46-33 record. They would be led by former Major Leaguer, Oil Can Boyd
, who at age 36 was attempting a comeback. Boyd would finish the season at 10-0 with a 3.22 ERA. In 1997 the Northeast League would take on 2 new teams and expand to 8 overall. The Blue Ox would finish the season at 40-43, which was only good enough for 6th place. At the end of the 1997 season it was clear that the new baseball field would not be built by the city in the near future. Although Mahaney Diamond was a very suitable college baseball field it was simply not designed to be a permanent minor-league park. The team would fold following the 1997 season.
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
baseball team based in Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
. The team played in the Northeast League (now the Can-Am League
Can-Am League
Can-Am League is the nickname of two baseball leagues:* Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball , a modern independent league.* Canadian-American League , a class C circuit league....
). The Northeast League was an independent baseball league and as such none of its teams had an affiliation with Major League Baseball
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...
. The team existed from 1996-1997 and played its home games at Larry Mahaney Diamond on the campus of the University of Maine
University of Maine
The University of Maine is a public research university located in Orono, Maine, United States. The university was established in 1865 as a land grant college and is referred to as the flagship university of the University of Maine System...
in Orono, Maine
Orono, Maine
Orono is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It was first settled in 1774 and named in honor of Chief Joseph Orono of the Penobscot Nation. It is home to The University of Maine. The population was 10,362 at the 2010 census.- Geography :...
.
History
When the Northeast League was formed and played its first season in 1995 it was a 6 team league with all six teams being located in the State of New YorkNew 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...
. After the first season only 3 of the six original teams would return for a second season. The league wanted to expand into 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...
and it chose Bangor and West Warwick, Rhode Island
West Warwick, Rhode Island
West Warwick is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 29,191 at the 2010 census.West Warwick was incorporated in 1913, making it the youngest town in the state. Prior to 1913, the town, situated on the western bank of the Pawtuxet River, was the population and...
as two new teams for the 1996 season. The Blue Ox and the Northeast League had hoped that moving a team to the city would lead Bangor to build a new ballpark for the team. In the meantime the Blue Ox would play their home games at Mahaney Diamond on the University of Maine campus.
The Blue Ox would have a fairly successful season in their first year, finishing 3rd in the league with a 46-33 record. They would be led by former Major Leaguer, Oil Can Boyd
Oil Can Boyd
Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox , Montreal Expos , and Texas Rangers .He batted and threw right-handed....
, who at age 36 was attempting a comeback. Boyd would finish the season at 10-0 with a 3.22 ERA. In 1997 the Northeast League would take on 2 new teams and expand to 8 overall. The Blue Ox would finish the season at 40-43, which was only good enough for 6th place. At the end of the 1997 season it was clear that the new baseball field would not be built by the city in the near future. Although Mahaney Diamond was a very suitable college baseball field it was simply not designed to be a permanent minor-league park. The team would fold following the 1997 season.