Nashua Dodgers
Encyclopedia
The Nashua Dodgers was a farm club of the Brooklyn Dodgers, operating in the class-B New England League
between 1946 and 1949. It is believed to be the first professional baseball team based in the United States in the twentieth century to play with a racially integrated roster. The team was based at Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire
.
contacted executive (Emil J.) Buzzie Bavasi
, who was relaxing with family in Georgia after his return from Italy during World War II, and asked Bavasi to find a suitable location for a club in the newly reformed New England League. Rickey had just signed Jackie Robinson
to a contract, and while Robinson and John Wright were expected to integrate the International League
as a member of the Montreal Royals
, Bavasi believed that Rickey would sign other African American players during the 1945-46 offseason.[1] With the possibility that the New England League club would be integrated, Bavasi looked for a community with a significant French Canadian
population (believing that the ethnic group would be accepting of African Americans) and a racially progressive newspaper. He chose Nashua, New Hampshire
.[2]
Nashua's population of approximately 34,000 made it the smallest New England League city; the next largest, Portland
, was more than double the size of Nashua. Furthermore, the city counted fewer than fifty African Americans in its population. But it boasted a sizable French Canadian population. Bavasi negotiated for the lease of Holman Stadium, a nine-year-old multipurpose stadium owned by the city, and spoke with Nashua Telegraph editor Fred Dobens about the city's racial climate.[3] By the middle of March, Rickey had signed two African American players, catcher Roy Campanella
and pitcher Don Newcombe
, to play for the Dodgers organization. Initially he offered Campanella to the Danville
, Illinois entry in the Three-I League, but the Danville general manager believed that his league was not ready for integration. Bavasi readily accepted the two players.[4] Rickey did not announce the signings to the media for another month, however, to give Bavasi time to integrate the team into the community.[5]
To promote the Nashua Dodgers within the community, Bavasi arranged for local war veterans to try out for the club, and also made the signing of French Canadian ballplayers a top priority. On March 21, he named Fred Dobens President of the Nashua Dodgers. Dobens turned to his younger brother, Ray Dobens, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, for the baseball knowledge to help operate the team. Meanwhile, Bavasi subsequently he began to promote the ties of Brooklyn Dodgers scout Clyde Sukeforth
to the city. Sukeforth, who had scouted Robinson, Newcombe, and Campanella for Brooklyn, had played minor-league baseball briefly in Nashua in 1926, and the Telegraph made that fact known to the public. Finally, on April 4, Fred Dobens announced that Campanella and Newcombe would join the Dodgers in Nashua.[6]
Although Bavasi attempted to sign Frenchy Bordagaray
to manage the club, Bordagaray was assigned to the Dodgers' class-C club in Trois-Rivières, Quebec
. The Nashua business manager also looked at signing Jake Pitler
to manage the team, but decided that Pitler would not be able to handle some of the problems that might arise on a racially integrated club as well as other managers might. Finally, Bavasi settled on Walter Alston
to manage the club and play first base. That season at Manchester
Athletic Field (Gill Stadium
), Alston would collide with Manchester Giants catcher Sal Yvars
, ending Alston's playing career.[7]
Except for a few racially charged incidents featuring the Lynn
Red Sox, the 1946 season proceeded without fanfare. Campanella, who wore number 10, batted .291, hit thirteen home runs, and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. He also managed one game in Lawrence, Massachusetts
, after Alston was ejected, becoming the first African American to manage an integrated professional baseball team. Newcombe, who wore number 24 for Nashua, won 14 and lost 4 games, boasted a 2.21 earned run average, and hit .311--even pinch hitting in some games. The Dodgers placed second in 1946, but won the league championship by defeating Lynn.[8]
, Newcombe remained in Nashua. The club again placed second, but won the Governor's Cup for the second year in a row.[9]
, who had been a pitcher with Brooklyn. Nashua was managed by Al Campanis
, who was a teammate of Jackie Robinson in Montreal in 1946. The Dodgers again placed second, but won the Governors' Cup.[10]
, Manchester
, Fall River
, and Lynn
disbanded, leaving only Nashua, Springfield
, Portland
, and Pawtucket
to finish the season. Sensing doom, Branch Rickey reassigned his best players to other teams, among them Gino Cimoli
, so-called "bonus baby" Billy Loes
, and Wayne Belardi
. Despite its good overall performance in 1949, Nashua finished the second half of the season in last place, and was the only team to miss the playoffs. With that, the New England League folded, and with it the Nashua Dodgers.[11]
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...
between 1946 and 1949. It is believed to be the first professional baseball team based in the United States in the twentieth century to play with a racially integrated roster. The team was based at Holman Stadium in Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
.
1946
In 1945, Dodgers president Branch RickeyBranch Rickey
Wesley Branch Rickey was an innovative Major League Baseball executive elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1967...
contacted executive (Emil J.) Buzzie Bavasi
Buzzie Bavasi
Emil Joseph "Buzzie" Bavasi was an American executive in Major League Baseball who played a major role in the operation of three franchises from the late 1940s through the mid-1980s....
, who was relaxing with family in Georgia after his return from Italy during World War II, and asked Bavasi to find a suitable location for a club in the newly reformed New England League. Rickey had just signed Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
to a contract, and while Robinson and John Wright were expected to integrate 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...
as a member of the Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
, Bavasi believed that Rickey would sign other African American players during the 1945-46 offseason.[1] With the possibility that the New England League club would be integrated, Bavasi looked for a community with a significant French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
population (believing that the ethnic group would be accepting of African Americans) and a racially progressive newspaper. He chose Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
.[2]
Nashua's population of approximately 34,000 made it the smallest New England League city; the next largest, Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, was more than double the size of Nashua. Furthermore, the city counted fewer than fifty African Americans in its population. But it boasted a sizable French Canadian population. Bavasi negotiated for the lease of Holman Stadium, a nine-year-old multipurpose stadium owned by the city, and spoke with Nashua Telegraph editor Fred Dobens about the city's racial climate.[3] By the middle of March, Rickey had signed two African American players, catcher Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
and pitcher Don Newcombe
Don Newcombe
Donald Newcombe , nicknamed "Newk", is an American former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers , Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians .Until 2011 when Detroit Tigers Pitcher Justin Verlander did it, Newcombe was the only baseball...
, to play for the Dodgers organization. Initially he offered Campanella to the Danville
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
, Illinois entry in the Three-I League, but the Danville general manager believed that his league was not ready for integration. Bavasi readily accepted the two players.[4] Rickey did not announce the signings to the media for another month, however, to give Bavasi time to integrate the team into the community.[5]
To promote the Nashua Dodgers within the community, Bavasi arranged for local war veterans to try out for the club, and also made the signing of French Canadian ballplayers a top priority. On March 21, he named Fred Dobens President of the Nashua Dodgers. Dobens turned to his younger brother, Ray Dobens, a former pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, for the baseball knowledge to help operate the team. Meanwhile, Bavasi subsequently he began to promote the ties of Brooklyn Dodgers scout Clyde Sukeforth
Clyde Sukeforth
Clyde Leroy Sukeforth , nicknamed "Sukey," was a former Major League Baseball catcher, coach, scout and manager who was best known for scouting and signing the Major Leagues' first black player in the modern era, Jackie Robinson.Sukeforth was born in Washington, Maine...
to the city. Sukeforth, who had scouted Robinson, Newcombe, and Campanella for Brooklyn, had played minor-league baseball briefly in Nashua in 1926, and the Telegraph made that fact known to the public. Finally, on April 4, Fred Dobens announced that Campanella and Newcombe would join the Dodgers in Nashua.[6]
Although Bavasi attempted to sign Frenchy Bordagaray
Frenchy Bordagaray
Stanley George "Frenchy" Bordagaray was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and third baseman. Born in Coalinga, California, he lettered in four sports at Fresno State College before making his professional baseball debut in 1931 with the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League...
to manage the club, Bordagaray was assigned to the Dodgers' class-C club in Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières is a city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It is situated in the Mauricie administrative region, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour...
. The Nashua business manager also looked at signing Jake Pitler
Jake Pitler
Jacob Albert Pitler was an American second baseman and longtime coach in Major League Baseball. Born in New York, New York, he stood 5' 8" tall, weighed 150 pounds , and batted and threw righthanded....
to manage the team, but decided that Pitler would not be able to handle some of the problems that might arise on a racially integrated club as well as other managers might. Finally, Bavasi settled on Walter Alston
Walter Alston
Walter Emmons Alston , nicknamed "Smokey," was an American baseball player and manager. He was born in Venice, Ohio but grew up in Darrtown. He is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he lettered three years in both basketball and baseball and is a member of the University's Hall...
to manage the club and play first base. That season at Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
Athletic Field (Gill Stadium
Gill Stadium
Gill Stadium is a sporting stadium located in Manchester, New Hampshire. It is believed to be the oldest stadium constructed of concrete and steel in New England outside of the Boston area...
), Alston would collide with Manchester Giants catcher Sal Yvars
Sal Yvars
Salvador Anthony Yvars was a Major League Baseball catcher who played with the New York Giants from to and the St. Louis Cardinals from to . Born in Manhattan's Little Italy to a Spanish gravedigger and an Italian laundress, he was a three-sport star at White Plains High School, playing...
, ending Alston's playing career.[7]
Except for a few racially charged incidents featuring the Lynn
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
Red Sox, the 1946 season proceeded without fanfare. Campanella, who wore number 10, batted .291, hit thirteen home runs, and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. He also managed one game in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
, after Alston was ejected, becoming the first African American to manage an integrated professional baseball team. Newcombe, who wore number 24 for Nashua, won 14 and lost 4 games, boasted a 2.21 earned run average, and hit .311--even pinch hitting in some games. The Dodgers placed second in 1946, but won the league championship by defeating Lynn.[8]
1947
The team's success carried into the 1947 season. Although Campanella, Alston, and Bavasi were promoted to Montreal of the International LeagueInternational 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...
, Newcombe remained in Nashua. The club again placed second, but won the Governor's Cup for the second year in a row.[9]
1948
Although Newcombe was promoted, the Nashua Dodgers remained integrated in 1948 with the addition of Dan BankheadDan Bankhead
Daniel Robert Bankhead , was the first black pitcher in Major League Baseball. After a strong career in the Negro League playing for the Memphis Red Sox, he was signed at age 24 by Branch Rickey to play in the Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system...
, who had been a pitcher with Brooklyn. Nashua was managed by Al Campanis
Al Campanis
Alexander Sebastian Campanis was an American executive in Major League Baseball. He had a brief Major League career as a second baseman, playing for both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers' minor-league team...
, who was a teammate of Jackie Robinson in Montreal in 1946. The Dodgers again placed second, but won the Governors' Cup.[10]
1949
In 1949, as major-leaguers Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella led the Brooklyn Dodgers to a pennant, the Nashua Dodgers again seemed ready to compete for the Governors' Cup. However, in July, partly as a result of a collapse in the region's industrial economy, teams from ProvidenceProvidence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Manchester
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, and Lynn
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
disbanded, leaving only Nashua, Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, and Pawtucket
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
to finish the season. Sensing doom, Branch Rickey reassigned his best players to other teams, among them Gino Cimoli
Gino Cimoli
Gino Nicholas Cimoli was an outfielder in Major League Baseball.A high school all-star at Galileo High School, Cimoli signed as an amateur free agent with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949...
, so-called "bonus baby" Billy Loes
Billy Loes
William Loes was an American right-handed pitcher who spent eleven seasons in Major League Baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers , Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants...
, and Wayne Belardi
Wayne Belardi
Carroll Wayne Belardi played baseball at Bellarmine College Preparatory where he graduated in 1948. He then went on to play First Baseman in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. He played from 1950–56 and appeared in the 1953 World Series for the Dodgers.- External...
. Despite its good overall performance in 1949, Nashua finished the second half of the season in last place, and was the only team to miss the playoffs. With that, the New England League folded, and with it the Nashua Dodgers.[11]
Sources
- Bevis, Charlie. 2007. The New England League: A Baseball History 1855-1949. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
- Campanella, Roy. 1959. It's Good to Be Alive. New York: Little Brown and Co.
- Daly, Steve. 2002. Dem Little Bums: The Nashua Dodgers. Concord, NH: Plaidswede Publishing.
- Roper, Scott C., and Stephanie Abbot Roper. 1998. "'We're Going to Give All We Have for this Grand Little Town': Baseball Integration and the 1946 Nashua Dodgers." Historical New Hampshire 53:1/2 (Spring/Summer) 3-19.
- Tygiel, Jules. 1997. Baseball's Great Experiment: Jackie Robinson and his Legacy. New York: Oxford University Press.